This is Book 1 of a rather long story that I have been working on for months. Although the series will definitely be NC-17,  This part is only PG-13. Although he is the Master, to have sex two people must be in the same location. As always, I would love to know what you think--- feedback feeds the muse!!! Hope you enjoy it.
Take care all,
Ki

Title: Till There Was You: Book 1--Separation
Author: kimara
Disclaimer: Everyone in the Star Wars universe belongs to George Lucas and Lucasfilms. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made from this.
Summary: This story is an adventure in the life of Luke and Mara Skywalker. It takes place about six months after their wedding. There are minor spoilers for some of the expanded Universe books. This is part 1 of a rather long story. The remaining books will be posted shortly. The overall rating for this is NC-17 but this book would be considered PG-13. Thanks to Mona for all your assistance. Without your constant support, ideas and patience, I would not have been able to finish this. Feedback is always welcome, but flames will be ignored. Send feedback to kimarasky@yahoo.com. Hope you enjoy the story.

Luke sat on the roof of the Great Temple, looking out at Yavin IV's mountains contemplating the past few days. He and Mara had been married for six months. Sometimes he felt like they had been together forever and other times he felt like they had only been together for a moment. Luke's facial expression clearly showed his deep contemplation.

This was the first time they had been apart since their wedding day. Considering the fact that they had not spent any time apart in the past six months, coupled with the depth of their force bond, Luke had known that he would miss Mara terribly. But he was totally unprepared for the overpowering emptiness that had engulfed him. For the first few days he had handled the loneliness relatively well. He had flown to Yavin IV in the new X-wing that the New Republic government had given him to replace the one he had abandoned on Nirauan. It was his first long flight in the new ship and he and Artoo had used the flight to begin to tweak the ship to their personal specifications. The flight had been very routine and he had spent the remainder of the time meditating. He had enjoyed spending the time in deep mediation and it had refreshed him. He hadn't been able to spend much time meditating since their marriage. Mara and peaceful, calm meditation were two things at opposite ends of the spectrum. To say that Mara was a distraction was comparable to saying that a rancor was a large animal. A total understatement. At that thought Luke's expression changed to an impish grin.

Just thinking about Mara caused Luke's heart to lift and cry out at the same time. It had been five days since they had parted on Coruscant. Luke left to come to Yavin to tend to some Jedi Academy business and Mara headed to Swiven to meet with Talon Karrde to complete the relegation of her former duties with the smuggler's organization to Shada. Both matters had to be tended to immediately so they had reluctantly agreed that the most prudent way was for them to travel separately and accomplish both tasks at one time. It definitely had not proved to be the easiest way for either of them.

Luke rose from his place on the roof and began his walk back to his office, pondering the changes he had made here. When Luke and Mara returned from Nirauan, he decided to make some changes in the format of the academy. Up to that point, students received their full training at the academy, from basic studies though their trials to become Knights. With the new curriculum, they would only receive their beginning training at the academy and would move on to more personal, one on one training once they progressed to a certain level of individual achievement. Luke had implemented the first of these changes right after they had returned from their honeymoon and this was the first time he and his staff had sat down to review the progress of those changes.

Luke had met with Kam and Tionne upon his arrival and they had reviewed the academy's student enrollment and activities. The three of them had spent his first full day on Yavin reviewing the files of all the students. Kam and Tionne had supplied Luke with the input of the various instructors on each student's progress and on the direction that the student's training should take for the next academic period.

There were eighteen students who had completed the basic training to a sufficient point that their curriculum would need to be more individualized. Luke had set up personal meetings with each student to get their input on the progress of the training and to gauge their mental and emotional state. His impressions from those individual sessions, combined with the information that Kam and Tionne had supplied on each student during their review meeting, would be used to decide a course of study for each student for the next academic period.

Some of these eighteen students would be chosen for the one on one padawan training stage. Luke had evaluated ten students yesterday and hoped to complete the remaining eight evaluations today. If he finished early enough, he could again meet with Kam and some of the other Jedi to finalize the choices. This was a rather ambitious schedule but he had set it so that he could get back to Coruscant a day ahead of Mara. This schedule had resulted in three very long and mentally draining days and he was exhausted but, if he could pull it off, it would be worth it. Entering his office to begin the evaluations he had scheduled for today, he thought more about the reasons for his exhaustion.

His fatigue was not only due to the pace of his schedule. Although he had arrived on Yavin rested, he had hardly gotten any rest since he had been there. Whenever he had attempted to sleep, his thoughts had drifted to Mara and those thoughts created longing in his mind, heart and body. The first two nights he had slept restlessly at best as she had filled his dreams. The dreams had been realistic and very erotic, filled with loving caresses and Mara's sensual body joined to his own. He awakened from them breathing heavily, with his heart racing, and fully aroused. Being a Jedi Master did not exempt him from the longing and physical ache he felt from the need to be with his wife. He took cold showers and tried to meditate to lessen his longing but was met with limited success. Last night he decided that he couldn't handle another sleepless night so he placed himself into a Jedi trance to get some rest and keep himself from dreaming. As a result, today he was more rested and able to focus than he had been since the day he arrived.

The brush of a presence outside the door of his spartan office pulled him out of his reverie a moment before the knock. "Please come in, Malyan," he called in a soft but inviting tone. He rose and walked around the desk to greet her as she entered, grasping her hand firmly.

"Good morning Master Luke," Malyan said in a rather timid voice. " I'm here for my curriculum evaluation," she continued with the nervousness in her voice increasing.

"Please relax, Malyan," Luke said in a calm and welcoming tone. "This is not a test. It will be a rather informal discussion so that you can bring me up to speed on your progress since we began the new curriculum," he added warmly, trying to alleviate her nervousness. "So why don't you have a seat and we'll chat," he said. He directed her to a chair to his right and sat in the chair across from hers, thankful that he had decided not to conduct these evaluations from behind his desk. The students were anxious enough that they didn't need the added intimidation of a more formal set up.

"So how have you been doing, Malyan," Luke asked with genuine interest. She began to relax and they talked about her last three months at the academy. They discussed where she felt she was in her training and the pace at which her training was set, among other things. The conversation continued for about an hour. When it ended, Malyan was totally at ease and Luke felt that he had a good handle on how to proceed with her training.

Luke repeated this process with the remaining seven students. He stopped briefly after finishing the first four to have a light lunch and to meditate to help keep his mind clear and focused. Each evaluation lasted about an hour and by the time he was done it was evening. He sat back for a few moments trying to decide if he had enough time to meet with the others or if he should just call it a day and begin again early in the morning.

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

Sitting in her quarters on Swiven, Mara was dealing with emotions and feelings that closely mimicked Luke's. She never had a problem with solitude before and in many ways she relished it. She used her time alone to plan, ponder ideas, and maintain records and the like. She was never restless during such times and in many ways these quiet times invigorated her.

That was until now. Like Luke, Mara did not like the idea of going to Swiven alone but she felt that she could handle the separation without major problems. And again, much like Luke, she was having a great deal of trouble coping with it. The sense of emptiness and loneliness she was feeling was overwhelming. Luke was more than her husband and bond mate. Their connection was so strong it was as if they had each only been half a person until they committed to each other. Only together were either of them complete.

Quite a few times during the last few days, she had felt Luke's mind reach out through the Force and caress her own with his warm and loving mental embrace. Those brief contacts had been wonderful and depressing at the same time. She had relished the feel of Luke's Force sense against her own and was comforted by it. But when the contact ended, she felt more empty than before and would anxiously anticipate his next touch.

As her Force skills were nowhere near as developed as Luke's, Mara wasn't able to initiate contact with him as much as she tried. She could almost hear Luke mimicking Yoda, his old master, in her mind. *Do or do not. There is no try * Although learning this skill hadn't been a priority before, it was something she planned to remedy. She would be sure to have Luke show her how to focus her mind to make contact with his over distances. She planned on having plenty of time to work on it though, as she wouldn't allow herself to be separated from him again for a long, long while. She was brought out of her brooding by knocking on her door and the sound of Karrde's voice.

"Mara, are you in there?" Karrde called in a rather agitated tone.

"Come in, Talon," Mara called back, unlocking and opening the door with the Force. "Were you out there long?" she added, rather embarrassed. " I was thinking."

"Very deep in thought," Karrde chuckled as he moved through the door, "about Skywalker I'm sure. I never thought I would see the independent, self-reliant Mara Jade pining for a man - even if he is the powerful Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, " he teased. He had to duck rather quickly as Mara threw the data pad from her desk at his head just as he uttered 'Skywalker'. Shada stood in the doorway watching them, trying to decide if it was safe to enter the room.

"Keep it up Karrde," Mara bit icily. " Although I'm no longer an assassin, I'm sure I could make an exception in your case."

"Now, now, Mara," Karrde returned doing his best terrified-face imitation. "You really need to work on developing a sense of humor, my friend. Let's get down to work and maybe you'll be able to get your mind off Luke," he added with genuine concern. " I know you miss him." As he finished he turned and motioned for Shada to come into the room.

At this point, Karrde began pondering about what Mara must be feeling. After all the years of loneliness and suffering she had endured at the hands of the Emperor, it was wonderful to see that she had finally been able to put all that behind her and create a life with Skywalker. Mara was very important to him, almost like a daughter. It had been a long road for Mara and Skywalker to get to this point and all he had ever wanted was to see her happy. 'Now all she needs are babies to complete the picture,' he thought.

It was Mara's turn to be agitated. "Karrde. Are you going to be ready to review these numbers some time this lunar cycle?" she said sarcastically.

Bristling at the tone of voice that Mara and Karrde had been using with each other, Shada decided that she would have to be the voice of reason. "Would you two please stop bickering so that we can get some work done," she said rather tersely. "Sometimes I wonder how you two managed to work so well together for all those years," she added looking at them intently but with amusement creeping into her voice.

"Point taken, Shada," Mara answered lightly. " Sorry, I'm a little on edge and am having a great deal of trouble staying focused."

"Let's get down to business then, ladies," Karrde answered walking over to the table where Mara sat. Refocusing his attention, Karrde pulled out a chair for Shada. He sat in another across the table from Mara and they began reviewing the data. The three of them had spent the better part of the afternoon and early evening going over business matters when he stood up abruptly. " I've had enough of this for today, Mara," he said rather exasperated. "I don't know how you managed to keep all this information straight and still remain sane," he added. "Or maybe..." he trailed off grinning as he quickly ducked behind the desk. "Let's all go get some dinner."

"I'll meet you guys in about a half hour," Mara said. " I want to go down to the communications center and see if I can contact Luke on Yavin IV," she said with a note of longing in her voice.
Karrde looked towards Shada and she nodded her agreement. "Okay," he answered, picking up the pile of papers. "We'll meet you outside the comm center in a half hour," he said as they walked out the door of Mara's suite.

Mara walked into the refresher to wash her face and brush her hair. She really missed Luke and hoped that being able to see and talk to him over the holonet would help. As she replaited her hair, she wished that she had a holonet terminal in her suite. Then she could have had a more intimate visit with Luke; she might even have been able to tease him a little. But she would have to settle for an ordinary conversation and save her teasing for later.

Mara left the suite and walked to the communications center, her heart lightening with every step. Even though it was only the holonet, she would still be able to see Luke's face, hear his voice and read his emotions. Entering the room, she turned to the technician on duty. "Hello Evan," she said. "Mind if I use the room for a few minutes to contact Yavin IV? "

"Sure Mara," Evan answered. "I needed to go up to the office anyway. I'll secure the door as I leave so you won't be disturbed." Mara had gone out of her way to help him when he had financial problems a few years ago. This was the least he could do in return.

"Thanks, Evan," Mara called back warmly. "I appreciate it. I shouldn't be too long."

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

Mara walked over to the communication console as Evan secured the door behind him and keyed in the code to contact the Jedi academy. Securing the connection took only a few moments and soon a blond woman in a brown jedi robe appeared on the screen.

"Good evening, Tionne," Mara said lightly. "It is still evening there isn't it," she laughed.
"Hello Mara," Tionne answered in a warm tone. "Late evening but still evening nonetheless. I'm assuming that you did not call to speak to me," she added in an amused tone. "Let me see if the Master is still in his office."

As Tionne stepped away from the terminal, she picked up a comlink and spoke into it. Mara was able to hear her say, "Master, there is a message for ..." before her voice faded out. A moment later Tionne returned to the terminal smiling warmly. "He's heading to his quarters so I'll put the transmission through to that terminal. Hopefully we'll be seeing you here sometime soon. Stay well, Mara," Tionne ended as the terminal screen went blank momentarily.

A few seconds later, the terminal shifted to display a view of Luke's quarters. Taking in the contents of the rooms caused Mara to smile. Although they were still relatively spartan, Mara had added a few of her own touches. A blue-green tapestry pillow from Chandrilla rested on the small sofa and two Tatooine sand sculptures that she had given Luke for his birthday were displayed on the low wooden table. Hanging on the wall behind the sofa was the addition that she was most pleased with. It was a large, framed pastel sketch of the Solo children. Her friend Faughn had once given her a small sketch that she had done of the 'Jade's Fire'. So Mara had asked Faughn if she could use a picture of the children that was taken at their wedding to create a pastel sketch. Faughn readily agreed and at Mara's request had worked for weeks to create two copies. Mara had received them from her only three weeks ago. She had given one copy of the sketch to Han and Leia and had given the other to Luke for their quarters on Yavin. Luke was extremely close to the children and she felt he would enjoy having the sketch to look at while he was there.

As Mara looked at the sketch, she was again awed by how much Anakin looked like Luke. The twins were very much a combination of both of their parents, both in appearance and in personality. But Anakin was like a younger version of Luke with the same blond hair, penetrating blue eyes and many of the same facial expressions and personality traits. Anakin's eyes could range from the serious pensive look to the mischievous impish look that Mara saw regularly in Luke's.

As Mara looked at the sketch, she wondered if their own children would look as much like Luke as Anakin did. She had been thinking about the possibility of them having children quite a bit in the last few days. When she and Luke had become physically intimate for the first time when they were on Altrann, the chance of pregnancy resulting was very small due to the timing. During their return trip to Coruscant, Mara had told Luke that she wanted to start using repress meds as she wanted them to be able to adjust to married life before they considered having a child. One of Luke most fervent longings was to have children of his own, so he was disappointed when Mara decided she wanted to wait. But he knew that Mara had not made this decision lightly so he supported her hoping that she wouldn't feel the need to wait too long. As she was remembering their discussions on having children, she saw Luke enter his quarters. Her heart and soul leaped at the sight of him.

Luke was almost running when he came into his quarters and hurried over to the holonet terminal. "Hello, my love," he said in a voice heavy with emotion. "I miss you so much, even more than I ever thought possible."

"Hello Skywalker," she said lightly trying to hold her emotions in check. "Admitting this will probably give you a swelled head but I miss you too," she added in classic Mara form. "Have you accomplished everything you needed to do on Yavin so that you can head home?"

"I'll try not to let my head swell too much," Luke bantered back thinking how much he had missed these verbal sparring matches with his wife. People who did not know them well would think their behavior strange but this verbal bantering dated back to the first day they met and had continued through the years.

"Well we probably are a little strange," Mara replied to Luke's thoughts. "But you didn't answer my question Farmboy and you know how much patience I have for asking the same question twice," she bit out sarcastically.

"Sorry, I was so overwhelmed by the vision of my gorgeous wife that my brain shut down. I won't let it happen again," Luke laughed. "I should be done by the day after tomorrow and back on Coruscant the following morning," he said, blocking the thoughts of his real plans from her. "What about you. How much longer will you be on Swiven?"

"I should be able to finish and get back about the same time you do," Mara answered. " I might be able to blow off a few things if there is any chance you can get back sooner," she added hopefully.
Luke tried to keep his expression unchanged and his voice steady as he answered her. "Sorry, I don't see me getting done any sooner." He pushed back the guilty feelings that were cropping up as he reminded himself that his minor deception was for a very good cause. "Are you having a nice visit with Karrde and the others?" he asked trying to change the subject.

"The company has been very pleasant and we have managed to accomplish quite a bit," Mara answered. "How is everyone at the Academy? Did Corran arrive yet?" Have you chosen which students will train individually?" she questioned.

"One question at a time, please," Luke teased. "Everyone is fine - even better than fine since Kam told mee yesterday that Tionne is pregnant. Corran will be here in the morning and we will decide on students then," he continued as he looked at Mara longingly. He wished he could reach out and touch her but settled for sending loving thoughts to touch her mind. As his mind brushed hers, he felt her swirl of emotions as she pondered his announcement of Tionne's pregnancy. "What is it Mara?" he asked concerned by her reaction.

"Nothing, my love," Mara returned, putting up her own barriers. "Give Kam and Tionne my congratulations until I can tell them myself, okay?"

They had chatted for a few more minutes before Mara looked up at the chrono and realized how long they had been talking. " I'd better go," she said rather dejectedly. "Karrde won't be too happy when he gets the bill for this transmission and he and Shada are waiting for me outside the door to go to dinner. I'll see you in two days and make sure you are not late," she added blinking back the tears that were beginning to form. "I love you, Luke," she ended, sending out her love and emotions to him through their bond.

"I promise, I'll be waiting for you with open arms when you get back," Luke said warmly. "I love you too, Mara," he echoed sending her his feelings and emotions as well. As the holonet connection was severed, Luke focused to hold their force bond as long as possible relishing in the warm caress of their link.

After a few moments he was forced to abandon his effort to maintain the link and allowed the connection to fade away. He was exhausted from the mental effort of maintaining the link and flopped down into the nearest chair. It had been wonderful to be able to speak to and see Mara - he was very glad she had called. Their brief contact had rejuvenated and reenergized him as readily as a jedi meditation trance would have. At times the power of their connection still awed him. He knew other Jedi couples; Kam and Tionne had even been married longer than he and Mara had. But he did not see that any of those couples had as intense a bond as he and Mara shared. He thanked the Force every day for the gift that they had been given. He knew it was something that deserved to be cherished and cherish it he would - always.

Talking a few deep-cleansing breaths, Luke worked to refocus his energy as he still had things he wanted to do tonight. Rising from the chair, he proceeded from his room to the communications center. Entering, he saw Tionne sitting at the terminal and she turned to greet him.

"How are you doing now Master?" Tionne said warmly. " Did you enjoy your conversation with Mara?" She really did not need him to answer her question. She could see the renewed enthusiasm in his piercing blue eyes.

"Good evening, Tionne," Luke said smiling broadly. "It was wonderful to be able to see and speak with Mara. I wish she had thought of doing this sooner." His expression changed slightly as he continued, "What time is it right now on Coruscant, Tionne?"

"Their time is ten hours ahead so it's a little after 0800 hours," Tionne answered in a somewhat questioning voice. "Do you want to contact Leia?"

"Not Leia," Luke said. "Could you please put through an audio only transmission to General Antilles office? His office code should be listed in the computer. I have something I need to discuss with him."
"No problem," Tionne answered as she was accessing the code and initiating the connection. "I'll set the comm system for overnight protocol and be on my way so that you can speak to General Antilles. See you in the morning, Master," she ended, flipping the switches to overnight mode and proceeding to the door.

"Thank you Tionne," Luke replied. "Sleep well and be sure you get enough rest," he added with warm concern as she exited the room. She looked back and smiled before she closed the door behind her.
A burst of static brought Luke attention back to the communication terminal seconds before he heard Wedge's voice.

"Antilles here," Wedge said crisply not knowing you was on the other side of the connection.
"Good morning, Wedge," Luke said, greeting his long time friend. "I know that Generals don't have too much to do so I hope I'm not calling you too early," he added teasing him.

"You know me, Boss," Wedge replied, using his nickname for Luke from their early Rogue Squadron days. "Like you I've never been able to turn off the early morning chrono, sad to say. Though with the time differential it's pretty late for a Jedi so whatever you need must be important," Wedge added.
"It is, my friend," Luke said. "Have you checked to see if she has arrived yet? he asked apprehensively.
"I was waiting to call you in the morning, Yavin time," Wedge replied. " She arrived late yesterday afternoon and I had her secreted away. She is absolutely beautiful," he added with a fair amount of admiration and envy in his voice. "When will you be back on Coruscant to get her?"

"I hope to be able to leave here late tomorrow morning and to be back there by early morning the following day," Luke replied. "That will give me about the rest of the day to get everything done before Mara arrives back."

"Do you want me to meet you at the hangar when you come in?" Wedge asked. "I could help you get her ready if you'd like."

"That would be a great help, Wedge," Luke said gratefully. " I want to make sure everything is ready before Mara gets home. I'll call you right before I leave here to give you an ETA. Corran should be arriving in the morning by 0600 so I'm hoping the meetings will only take a couple of hours," he added.
"I'll talk to you tomorrow then, Luke," Wedge said. "Call if you need anything before then. Keep Horn out of trouble while he's there okay. Becoming a Jedi has done nothing to help him in that regard," he added chuckling.

"I'm not the best person for that task as you know Wedge," Luke answered laughingly. "I have a hard enough time keeping myself out of trouble - especially without Mara here to keep me in line. Skywalker out," he said as he flipped the switch to disconnect the call. He walked away from the console smirking slightly. Everything was working out the way he'd planned. Only a few more days and everything would be ready.

Luke left the communications center and returned to his quarters. As he walked, his mind returned to his conversation with Mara. He had felt a shift in her emotions when he mentioned Tionne's pregnancy. He couldn't quite pinpoint it but it nagged at him. He would have to ask her about it when they got back. Now what he needed was some sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a very hectic day and he only had about five hours before morning. He changed quickly into sleeping pants and decided that he would put himself into a trance. That way he could be sure to get some rest.

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

Although she had ended the holonet connection, Mara could still feel Luke's mental force connection. She sat quietly, savoring the feel of Luke's presence in her mind. She knew he wouldn't be able to hold the connection for long so she wanted to relish it. As she began to feel the connection weaken, she blinked back the tears that that threatened to flow. She allowed herself a few moments to wallow just slightly in self-pity then pulled herself together. She had not thought it possible to miss another person as much as she missed Luke. Remembering that Karrde and Shada were waiting for her outside, she took a deep breath and composed herself.

She walked to the door, opened it and looked around outside it for her companions. Seeing them talking quietly across the hallway, Mara walked over to them. "Sorry I kept you waiting for so long," she said sincerely. Traces of emotion were still slightly evident in her voice. "Time got away from me."
"I think I'll have to deduct the price of that call from your salary," Karrde retorted with a smirk. " Now lets go to dinner. I'm starving," he said, linking each of his arms to those of his gorgeous companions. As they walked off towards a restaurant a few blocks away, Karrde began chatting with Mara to get her mind off Luke. He could feel her sadness and figured if he could distract her she would feel better. Although she was sad at this moment, he again thought how much happier her life had become.
Their dinner was pleasant but uneventful. The three of them talked mostly about business. Karrde mentioned that he and Shada would be coming to Coruscant in about three weeks and he hoped that they could all get together then. After dinner they walked back to residence area and took the lift to their quarters. Mara's suite was on a lower floor, so she was the first to disembark. "Thanks for dinner and the company," she said warmly as she exited the lift. "I'll see you both in the morning."

As the lift doors closed Shada turned to Karrde. "If I didn't know better, I would probably be jealous," she said lightly. " She really is important to you, isn't she?"

"Well, she is beautiful, intelligent...," Karrde said lightly. " But I don't think I would want to have to defend myself against Skywalker," he added laughing heartily. "Seriously though, she's like a daughter to me. You, on the other hand, I don't consider anything like a daughter," he said in a suggestive tone taking her hand in his. The lift doors opened and they proceeded to their quarters, whispering suggestively all the way.

As Mara entered her room she thought that she'd only be sleeping here for two more nights. She planned on leaving in the late afternoon, two days from now, sleeping as she traveled so that she could be back on Coruscant by the morning. Well, she needed to get some sleep. She hoped that her conversation with Luke would help sleep come more readily than it had the last couple of nights. Changing into a sleeping shift, she climbed into bed and within a few moments was sound asleep.

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

Luke awoke to the sound of Artoo beeping incessantly. "I'm awake Artoo," he said in a rather groggy voice. "What time is it and has Corran landed yet?" he asked. Artoo's answer brought him to full wakefulness. "Go tell him I'll be there in a few minutes," he said pulling off his sleeping pants as he rose. As Artoo rolled out of the room, Luke ran into the refresher and hurriedly washed and dressed. Clipping his lightsaber to his belt, he moved through the door and towards the meeting room.
Walking into the meeting room, Luke grabbed a cup of caf and sat down. " Good morning everyone. Welcome Corran. Sorry you had to wait for me," he finished looking somewhat sheepish.
"Good morning, Master," Corran answered for all of them with the others nodding their agreement. "Oversleeping is an unusual occurrence for you isn't it? Especially when you have been without distractions," he smirked, winking at Luke. "How is the lovely Mara, Master? Is she keeping you in line?"

"She's just fine, thank you Corran," Luke shot back shortly. "Let's get down to business shall we." They began to discuss the eighteen students that the group had been reviewing. After a couple of hours, they had concluded that five of them were ready to begin one on one training and would be moved to the status of padawan learners. He and Mara would take two of the padawans, Kam and Tionne, Kyp and Corran would each take one of the others. While the rest of them would spend most of the training time traveling with their padawans, Corran's situation would be somewhat different. He didn't want to have to be separated from Mirax and Valin for long periods of time, so he would work with his padawan on Coruscant. As a result, the padawan would be living with Corran and his family so Luke wanted him to choose the person he felt would mesh best within that structure.

"So Corran, which one of the students do you feel would blend best into your household?" Luke asked with genuine concern. "Be sure you consider everything carefully and look at how they will interact with Mirax and Valin also. You are entering into a situation that will be more complicated than the rest of us," he added.

"Mirax and I discussed the possibilities during our last visit here," Corran answered thoughtfully. "I introduced her to any student I felt might be ready to progress and we discussed each one, so I think I can consider her wishes," he continued. "From those discussions and our discussions today, I would like to take Valthian as my padawan learner. That is, if you approve, Master," Corran added questioningly.
Luke's blue eyes locked with Corran's and he looked at him pensively. "I approve your selection, Corran," he said thoughtfully. "I am impressed with the thoroughness with which you entered into this undertaking. Your selection concurs with my first choice for your padawan," he added.

Luke considered on the paths of the remaining for students. Malyan would definitely benefit from spending time with Mara. Mara would be able to help her become more assertive and confident. Luke's input would help her to keep the openness and compassion that are such an integral part of her personality. Their differing styles would help her attain balance as she developed her skills. Mara was not totally comfortable taking on a padawan learner but she was willing to trust Luke's judgment in this. Naismith was the most unorthodox student in the group. He was much more impulsive, reckless and playful than the others. In some ways, he reminded Luke of a young Han Solo, maybe because of his Corellian heritage. In other ways, mainly his reckless streak, he reminded Luke of himself when he had gone rushing to Bespin to rescue Han and Leia. For these reasons, Luke decided he would take Naismith as his padawan. With Mara's help, he would be able to complete his training safely without Naismith losing any of the spark that made him such a unique and valued individual. The Almanian student, Moygin, would be a perfect match for Kyp. The training would be challenging enough, as Moygin would not hesitate to push and question his Master. That left the young Dathomirian witch, Reyenna to be Kam and Tionne's padawan. It would be a good pairing as Kam had enough physical prowess to keep her challenged and Tionne was introspective and centered enough to help teach her the calm and patience she would need to truly hear the Force.

Luke pulled himself out of his pondering to see that the others were watching him intently. "I guess I was lost in my thoughts," Luke said apologetically. Wanting to be sure to include all of them in the decision-making process, he continued. "Does anyone have any further input or concerns on Corran's choice for his padawan learner? How do you feel we should proceed on deciding the pairings for the remaining padawans?" he added. He surveyed the group around the table, holding each members gaze for a few moments.

Kam was the first person to respond to his questions. "I think that Corran has made a good choice. He and Valthian will compliment each other well. I think the academy owes Mirax a debt of gratitude for allowing Valthian to reside in their home while he is training," he added. He glanced thoughtfully at his wife who was seated beside him and with her nod of approval he continued. "Tionne and I feel that Reyenna would be the best choice for our padawan. We feel that our varying strengths and talents will allow her to develop her skills fully."

Before Luke could respond to Kam's statement, Kyp spoke up. "I have always had any affinity for Corellians," he said lightly with a sideways smirk at Corran, "so at first I felt that Nasmith should be my padawan. But upon meditating to guide my path, I feel that the Force is leading me to train Moygin." Taking a deep breath and meeting Luke's gaze, he continued. "That would leave Malyan and Naismith to train with you and Mara, Master. What has the Force told you about the correct paths for all of us?"
Luke again looked intently into the eyes of everyone at the table before he spoke. "I am very impressed with the way all of you have approached this endeavor. When I first spoke of the curriculum change to all of you, there were some serious reservations." While stopping to organize his thoughts, Luke beamed proudly at the Jedi surrounding him. They had all come so far over the years. "But you embraced the new ideas and supported them fully. I am in total agreement with everyone's choices. You have each come up with the same pairings for yourselves that I had already decided on during my meditations," he added with admiration evident in his voice.

"Wonderful," Corran said proudly. "Now we only need to decide how structured the curriculum will be and how soon each padawan will start their individual training. Master?" he questioned, looking intently at Luke.

"I think we should allow each student to take three or four weeks off to visit with their families and to prepare themselves mentally for the process ahead," Luke said seriously. "During that time I think each of us should come up with an outline for the material we plan to cover and the time frame we plan on using. Does everyone agree on those two starting points?" he asked.

"That would definitely give us all time to get focused on the task to come Master," Kyp agreed readily.
"Let's meet with each of the padawans today," Luke began. "We will let them know that they have been chosen to participate in this training, gauge whether they feel they are ready and plan on a time to meet back here to discuss our outlines and set up a basic curriculum."

"Could we take a short break before we meet with them?" Corran asked Luke. "I could use some more caf and maybe some breakfast. Anyone else interested in a break?" he asked looking at the others.
"Works for me," Kyp answered and the others nodded their agreement.

"Let's meet back here in about fifteen minutes," Luke responded. "Kyp, find Moygin and bring him with you when you return."

"Okay, Master," Kyp answered as he rose from his seat.

The others also rose from their seats and the group left the room together, leaving Luke alone at the table. He beamed proudly thinking again how far they had all come. Kam and Kyp had both been turned back from the Darkside. Corran had denied his Jedi heritage for many years. Tionne had always felt that her Force powers were not strong enough for her to be a true Jedi Knight. Luke had endured his share of failures with his students over the years, but the successes had definitely outweighed them. As he taught and worked with the students, he had grown in the Force and learned to use it more wisely. Although he was now changing his teaching methods, he did not regret the past. The past including all of his mistakes, had allowed them to progress to where they were now.

Luke decided to get himself another hot cup of caf and walk around a bit before they resumed. He was not accustomed to sitting for this length of time. Walking towards the mess hall, his mind wandered to all the things he needed to do when he got back to Coruscant - things he would be hard pressed to get done before Mara returned. Well, he would just have to find a way. He was a Jedi Master after all. A grin sprung to his lips as he could here the voice of Yoda echoing in his mind. *Do or do not, there is no try. *

He poured himself a cup of caf and grabbed a pastry and a piece of fruit. Now that Corran had reminded him, he realized he had not had breakfast either. He walked back to the meeting room with his breakfast and entered behind Kam and Tionne. Kam was hovering over her somewhat protectively, placing a bowl of sliced fruit and a glass of milk in front of her. Luke smiled warmly at the scene before him, with a slight hint of envy in his heart. Hopefully Mara would decide soon that she was ready to have a baby. But Mara would definitely not allow him to hover over her; of that he was certain. He would have to trust in the Force that they would have babies when it was meant to happen.

He was pulled out of his musing by voices behind him and turned to see Corran, Kyp and Moygin walking towards him. He smiled at them and motioned for them to enter the room. He could sense Moygin's nervousness as he moved past him. He walked in behind them and closed the door. He took his seat and turned to address Moygin. "Has Kyp explained why you have been asked to join us?" Luke asked warmly. He met the student's gaze, trying to alleviate his apprehension.

"He only said that you wanted to speak to me, Master," Moygin answered shakily. "Have I done something wrong?"

"Relax, Moygin, you have not done anything wrong," Luke said in a reassuring tone. "We wanted to discuss the next phase of your training. We feel that you are ready to enter into the padawan learner stage. How do you feel about that prospect?" he added looking intently at the student.

The tension left Moygin's face and his shoulders relaxed visibly. He also let out an audible sigh and seemed to be carefully considering his words before he spoke. " Although I knew that this was a possibility when I spoke with you yesterday, Master, I was afraid to allow myself to hope. Do you really think I am ready?" he added with his eyes locked on Luke's.

Luke broke Moygin's gaze just long enough to nod to Kyp and at his nod, Kyp spoke. "We all feel that you are ready to proceed and I have chosen you to be my padawan. Are you comfortable with that choice?" he asked.

Moygin smiled warmly at Kyp. "I am honored that you have chosen me, Kyp... or should I say, Master. I will not fail you."

Kyp laughed at his comment and explained how the process would work. Moygin was told of the time off he would have to go visit his family, the curriculum outline that would be developed, the travel, etc.
As Kyp finished explaining, Corran left to get Valthian. They repeated the same procedure as with Moygin with Valthian, Reyenna, Malyan and Naismith. The chosen students were both excited and apprehensive about their new status but all seemed pleased with their assigned Masters. Things had gone exceptionally well.

Luke addressed his Jedi staff again, once they were alone. "I am very pleased with the events that have occurred today. We should plan on meeting again in four weeks to discuss everyone's ideas for the curriculum and to set up a working outline. Is everyone in agreement with this plan?" he said looking around the table.

"I think that would work out well," Corran answered. The others nodded in agreement.
"Great, this meeting is over," Luke said happily. "If there are no other issues that need my attention, I will be leaving for Coruscant within the hour," he added rising from his seat. He started to exit the room when Corran spoke to him.

"You seem to be extremely anxious to get back to Coruscant," Corran said, laughing lightly. "Could Mara be the reason for your rush to return home, Master?"

"She is my reason, Corran, but not in the way that you think," Luke responded in a somewhat sarcastic tone. "She won't even be back on Coruscant for two more days. I am planning a surprise for her and I need to get back before she does to make it happen."

"This surprise must be very important; care to share?" Corran teased as they left the room.
"Maybe. Are you planning on leaving soon or were you going to stay for a while?" Luke asked.
"I was planning on heading back as soon as we finished the meeting," Corran said. "I just did not expect it to be so soon."

"I assume you came in your X-wing," Luke said. " I'm flying back in mine and I would like to get going as soon as possible. If you're ready to leave, we could fly back together and I'll fill you in on the details during the flight."

"Sounds intriguing," Corran laughed. "Even more so when I know how hard it must be for you to keep something from Mara. I'll meet you in the hangar in an hour, Master," he said with wonder evident in his tone.

"Make it a half hour, Corran," Luke returned walking towards his quarters. "I'll contact the hangar to make sure both ships are refueled and ready to go." He looked back to Corran for an acknowledgment as he opened the door to his quarters.

Corran smiled at Luke, "Impatience leads to the Darkside, Master. At least give me a chance to get some food to bring with me," he laughed. He brought two fingers to his forehead in a mock salute as he began walking towards the mess hall.

"Make it quick, Corran," Luke bantered back entering the room. He looked around quickly and put the last few items he needed into the bag he had packed the night before. Seeing the painting of his niece and nephews brought his thoughts back to Mara. He would be back with her soon and hopefully his gift would begin to atone for the major sacrifice she had so willingly made months ago. She had suffered so much in her life and he wanted to make sure that her life with him was filled with joy.

Mara came into wakefulness surprised to see the sun shining through her bedroom window. She had actually slept well last night without the restless dreams she had endured on the two previous ones. The effect of her brief reconnection with Luke during their conversation the evening before had been even more pronounced than she had expected. His calm, reassuring presence, both verbally and through their bond, had calmed and reinvigorated her and had allowed her to rest. She now felt she would be able to refocus her attention and finish her remaining work.

Mara rose from the bed and headed to the refresher to shower and prepare to start the day. After dressing, she grabbed a piece of fruit for breakfast and headed to Karrde's office. She walked down the hall with a lightheartedness she had not felt since the day that she left Coruscant. Walking though the door, she saw that Talon and Shada were already seated in the office. "Good morning," she said. "You guys ready to get started?"

Karrde scanned Mara with a very puzzled expression. "Who are you and what have you done with my Mara Jade?" he laughed. "You look like her but definitely have a much more cheerful demeanor."
"You think you are quite a comedian don't you Karrde," Mara retorted sarcastically but with the smile never leaving her face. "Let's get to work."

"I knew the real you had to be in there someplace," Karrde bantered back with a wide grin. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better though," he added sincerely. At that he picked up the top sheet from the pile on his desk and they began reviewing the information

By the end of the day, they had completed reviewing the majority of the information. Mara looked through the remaining documents as they were getting ready to go to dinner. They could probably finish the rest by lunch tomorrow. That realization definitely excited her and her expression changed to a genuine smile.

Noticing her facial expression, Karrde walked to her side and asked, "What did you find in that pile of papers that made you so happy, Mara? Is there a small fortune that we forgot about listed on one of them?"

"Nothing so exciting," Mara answered. "It's only that we should be finished by early afternoon tomorrow and then I can head home."

"Is our company that boring?" Karrde asked grinning. "Shada, I think that we probably should take offense that Mara is in such a hurry to part company with us," he added. Before Shada could respond, Karrde met Mara's gaze and began to laugh, "I know, we just don't have the boyish charm of a certain Jedi Master, do we Mara?"

"Give it up Talon," Mara retorted. "Let's have dinner and call it a night. I want to get an early start in the morning." With that she took Karrde by the hand and led him out the door.

They shared a quick dinner and retired to their quarters for the evening. As she began to prepare for bed, Mara thoughts spontaneously returned to the news of Tionne's pregnancy that Luke had shared with her the night before. Although she was somewhat surprised that the news had so affected her, she again began to ponder the thought that maybe it was time that she and Luke started a family. For years she had totally banished the idea of possibly ever having children. Then she and Luke had realized their feelings for each other. Her mind returned to the moment on the observation deck of the Chimaera when she and Luke had shared a vision of their future that included children. She had been excited and apprehensive about their glimpse into the future. She had no memories of her parents and had not been allowed many playmates. What type of mother would she be? Would she know how to interact with a child? Although his parents had not raised Luke either, at least he had lived with his aunt and uncle and had some semblance of a normal childhood. She knew he would be a good father from the relationship she had observed between Luke and his niece and nephews. They adored him and he loved them and always knew the right things to say and do when he was with them.

Mara drifted off to sleep as she pondered the possibilities. She slept soundly for most of the night but as morning approached she began to dream. In her dream, Luke was seated on the floor in their quarters on Yavin with a small child seated in his lap facing him. Luke was holding the child's hands and making funny faces at him. She wasn't sure how she knew the child was a boy as she could not see his face, but she knew. As she approached them Luke looked up at her, smiled and picked up the little boy. He turned the child to face Mara and she could see him clearly. His face was an exact copy of Luke's, with sandy blond hair and piercing blue eyes. He held his hands out to Mara and began to whimper when she did not take him into her arms quickly enough. As she reached the child and took hold of him, she awoke. The warm feelings of love that had passed between her and the child remained after she was awake. She remembered the joy she had felt watching Luke and their son play and the need she had felt coming from the little boy as she walked to him. Thinking of the dream helped her to feel more secure in her decision. She would take the dream as the Force's way of telling her that she was making the right choice. It was time for her and Luke to begin a family.

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

Luke met Corran at the hangar and was pleased to see that both ships were fueled and ready to go. They each stowed their gear and began the preflight sequences for the X-wings. Within a few minutes they were both given clearance for take off. Luke clicked over the communication of the ship to the control center. "I should arrive in Coruscant by early tomorrow morning, Alyen," he said. "If anyone needs to reach me after that contact my quarters. I have a lot of things to do once I arrive but I will check my messages frequently and get back to you. Will you contact General Antilles and give him my ETA?" he asked.

"I'll take care of it as soon as you are clear of the hangar, Master," Alyen replied. "Have a safe trip and may the Force be with you. Control out," he ended.

Luke switched communications over to ship to ship and addressed Corran. "Ready for take off?"
"Ready," Corran replied as he powered up his repulsor lifts. Within seconds, he had exited the hangar and was headed into the atmosphere with Luke right behind him. In unison, the two ships streaked away from the planet and blinked into hyperspace. Once they were in hyperspace, Corran again addressed Luke. "So, Master are you ready to share this big secret? You have my undivided attention and we have plenty of time, so don't spare any details," he added laughingly.

Luke and Corran spent much of the time during their flight in conversation. Luke filled him in on all the details of the surprise for Mara. Corran offered to help Luke with the final details along with Wedge. They discussed their families, bounced ideas off each other for the padawan training program as well as other things. Although Luke and Corran had major differences of opinion when Corran had first come to Yavin to train years ago, they had grown to become close friends. They rarely got a chance to spend time together discussing their concerns and ideas, so this had been a refreshing change. It had also made the time go by more quickly and they were both surprised to hear Artoo and Whistler beep warnings that they were about to come out of hyperspace.

Luke reached for the hyperspace lever as Artoo counted down and Corran did the same. After they reverted to real space, Luke keyed the console to contact Coruscant control. "This is Luke Skywalker, requesting landing clearance for two X-wings into landing bay 25. We will transmit code clearances now," he said, keying the sequence to send the codes as he spoke.

Corran was monitoring Luke's communication channel and sent his clearance simultaneously with Luke's. Whistler beeped questioningly at Corran. " We will land with Master Luke for now Whistler and move the ship to our regular hangar later. I need to help Luke with something and Wedge will be meeting us at the hangar." Whistler beeped back his acknowledgment of the information.

"Master Skywalker, you and Commander Horn are cleared to land, the male voice came in reply. "Do you need anything additional?"

"Clearance acknowledged. Could you patch me through to General Antilles' office, please?" Luke added.

"No problem, Sir. Coruscant control out," the voice ended.

A moment later, Luke heard Wedge's voice coming through his communication channel. "Antilles here."
"Hey Wedge," Luke answered. "Corran and I just received clearance to land in bay 25. We should be on the ground in about ten minutes. Are you able to meet us there?" he added.

"How did you and Corran end up coming back together?" Wedge questioned. Before Luke could answer he continued. "Never mind, you can fill me in when you land. I'll be there by the time you're on the ground."

"See you then, Wedge," Luke said as he flipped a switch to end the connection with Wedge and to return to ship to ship mode. "Do you need to let Mirax know you won't be home for a little while yet?" he asked Corran.

"I'll call her once we are on the ground, Master," Corran answered. "Was Wedge in on your little surprise from the beginning?" he asked.

"Just about," Luke answered. " I needed someone with the right connections to help me make it happen and Wedge fit the bill. Also Mara is used to us talking or getting together often so she wasn't suspicious of all the calls, and such. Keeping this big a secret from Mara has not been an easy endeavor," he added in a light tone.

"I am sure it wasn't," Corran replied. "It's a good thing that this surprise is extraordinary enough that she may actually forgive you for keeping it from her," he added laughing. "Or maybe she won't, so would you like to take a little lightsaber practice after we are done?"

"I think I have it under control, Corran," Luke chuckled. Artoo beeped a message in a rather scolding tone. "Though it seems Artoo concurs with your thoughts that I may need to defend myself," he said laughing harder. "Let's get on the ground and we'll see what happens. I'll see you in the hangar."
"See you on the ground, Master" Corran answered as he broke their connection. "Okay Whistler, let's start the landing cycle," he said as he began keying controls.

In his ship Luke also instructed Artoo to begin their landing cycle and within minutes both ships were on the ground and being shut down. Luke jumped down from the cockpit just as Wedge was entering the hangar and waved his friend over to his ship. As he turned back, he saw Corran jump down from his cockpit and start walking over to him as well. They both reached him at the same time. "Hi Wedge, thanks for coming," Luke said warmly as he clasped his friend's hand firmly. "Where do you have her stashed?"

"I wouldn't have missed out on this for anything," Wedge replied then shifted his gaze to Corran. " Hi Corran," he said, looking questioningly at Luke. "How did you end up flying back from Yavin with Luke?"

Luke answered Wedge before Corran had a chance. "He suspected I was up to something when I was in such a hurry to get back here, so I filled him in on the way. He offered to help us get her ready. I also think he wants to be around when Mara finds out, to see if I survive her wrath," he added grinning widely.

"I am sure there are differing opinions on what the depth of Mara's retribution will be," Wedge answered. "Even though I am sure she will love the surprise, I am also sure that you will suffer some type of punishment for keeping the secret. Especially if she were to find out about you keeping the secret before you give her the surprise," he added beginning to laugh.

"Then we will have to make sure she doesn't find out, won't we," Luke said slyly.

"Well it's a good thing Wedge and I are around to help you, Master," Corran smirked. "Being deceptive is totally out of character for you. I am surprised that you even got this far," he said. "It's not like this was something you could arrange in a couple of days."

"Being around you Corellians over the years must have rubbed off on me," Luke teased. "Where did you say she was Wedge?" he asked. " I would like to get to see her."

"She is hidden in the back of Rogue Squadron's repair bay," Wedge said. It should only take us a few minutes to walk there." He motioned to his friends to follow him and they proceeded to the bay.

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

Mara was still deep in thought about her dream when she exited the refresher. Looking at the chrono, she realized that she needed to pack quickly and get to Karrde's office if she wanted to leave by early afternoon. She would have more time to think about things during her trip back to Coruscant. She quickly dressed, gathered her things and tossed them into her bag. Picking up her bag, she left her room and proceeded to the office. She walked in to find only Shada there. "Good morning Shada," Mara said. "Where is Karrde?"

"Hi Mara," Shada answered. "He had a couple of other things to attend to. He knows you want to get done as soon as possible, so he said for us start and he will join us shortly."

"Okay, let's get to work," Mara answered, grabbing the remaining pile of papers from Karrde's desk. They worked quickly and had reviewed about half by the time he joined them. "Nice of you to join us," Mara said sarcastically.

"Looks like you two did fine on your own," Karrde retorted. "If there aren't any major problems, let's finish up." It took them about an hour to review the rest of the information. "Well that's everything I have for now Mara," he stated. "I'll call the hangar and have your ship readied while we grab a quick lunch, okay?"

"Okay, but then I want to get started back," Mara answered. "I would like to try to get there before Luke does so I can surprise him."

After they had lunch, Karrde escorted Mara to her ship. "Have a safe trip, Mara," Karrde said. "Give my best to Skywalker," he teased, "though I don't expect to be in your topic of conversation when you first arrive." He pulled her into an embrace and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "I'll see you on Coruscant in about three weeks," he added as he released her from his arms.

"I'll relay your message, Karrde," Mara bantered back. "I'll look forward to seeing you, Talon. Take care of yourself," she smiled warmly as she walked up the ramp to her ship. After a quick wave, she hit the switch to close the loading ramp and walked to the cockpit. Getting into the pilot's seat, she began keying the controls to begin the preflight sequence. After a few minutes she was ready to take off. Keying the communication switch she said, "Swiven control, this is Mara Skywalker, requesting permission to take off."

"Permission for take off granted," the voice through her speaker replied. "Have a safe flight. Control out."
"Thank you," Mara answered before clicking off the transmission and activating the repulsor lifts. She smoothly exited the hangar and started her ascent into the atmosphere. Within a few moments, she had entered the hyperspace coordinates for Coruscant. Placing her hand on the lever, she waited for the countdown to reach zero and pulled it back. The stars outside her viewscreen mottled into the swirls of hyperspace as she sat back into her seat. She had been able to leave five hours earlier than she had originally planned so she would arrive late tonight instead of tomorrow morning.

Arriving tonight would give Mara time to go back to their apartment and prepare a little surprise for Luke. She started to think of what she wanted to do. She could prepare a romantic meal for them but she did not think either of them would have any interest in food during their first few hours together. Maybe she would put together a little snack of fruit and champagne like Luke had set up for them on Altrann. Maybe she would send Luke a message over their bond as he was landing, with her plans for him when he got home. She probably would have to wait until he was on the ground. The images she was planning to send him were very vivid and would definitely cause him to become distracted. Distraction as he was landing could be a disaster. Her lips turned up in a grin as she continued planning out her surprise. Since it began, their physical relationship had been intense, erotic and sensual. But they had not been apart for this long since their first night on Altrann, so she expected it to be all that and more. The three days they had slept apart before the wedding had been bad enough, but at least during that time they had seen each other. It would be seven days by the time they both got back to Coruscant and seven days was definitely longer than she felt either of them were able to handle. Their reunion should be interesting. With her plans made, she decided to try a take a nap. She wanted to be well rested for her activities tomorrow morning. She sat back in her seat, closed her eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.

Luke, Wedge and Corran entered the Rogue Squadron repair bay and Wedge quickly led them to the back section. As they came around Wedge's X-wing, the object of their trip came into view. Both Luke and Corran stopped abruptly and looked up at her in awe. Wedge broke the silence as he tapped Luke on the shoulder. "So what do you think, Boss?" he said grinning. "Does she meet your approval?"
Luke looked over at Wedge with appreciation clearly written across his face. He returned his gaze to the sight in front of him and whistled. "Wedge, she is more than I could have ever expected." Before him stood a sleek, ultra modern Corellian shuttle. The ship was somewhat bigger than Mara's precious 'Jade's Fire' and, to him, much more impressive - at least from the outside. He couldn't wait to look at her from the inside, "How did you manage this with what I had to spend?" he asked. "Can we go inside? Does she have a hangar? Does....?"

"One question at a time Luke," Wedge said smiling widely. "When I told my connections who the ship was for, they upgraded the specifications and added all the bells and whistles. Probably figured that it could be extremely beneficial to be on the good side of the New Republic's most important Jedi Master. Let's go in so that you can check her out completely," he added. "She is even more impressive from the inside." Wedge removed a small controller from his pocket and keyed in a code. Within seconds, the landing ramp began to open and he led them towards it.

The three men walked up the ramp and entered the ship. 'Wedge's assessment of the ship was correct' Luke thought. 'She was even more impressive from the inside.' As they entered, they walked into the main cargo storage facility. It looked like it could hold about three times more cargo than the 'Jade's Fire'. As they walked through it, they came to a main corridor. About ten yards down on the right was a door. Wedge keyed the control panel and it opened revealing a hangar bay large enough to house at least two X-wings or small shuttles. Luke and Corran both simultaneously gasped. "This is great," Luke said. "I'll be able to keep my X-wing with me when we travel." He really enjoyed flying the starfighter and over the years its maneuverability and speed had allowed him to escape from some very tight spots.
They exited the hangar and continued down the main corridor. They walked past storage lockers, a small medical bay, a four person barracks, a droid alcove, and the access panels to many of the ships systems. Half way down the corridor, they came upon three sets of doors on the left, which opened to reveal the ship's cabins. The first cabin was relatively large, equivalent in size to a suite in a luxury hotel. The section off to the left was a private bedroom area, containing a king size bed, two dressers, a large closet and a small desk. The door in the lower corner led to a good size, fully equipped refresher. The section to the right contained a large sitting area, a work area equipped with a desk, computer and holonet terminals, a communication console and a small exercise area. The cabin was probably twice the size of Luke's quarters on Yavin. They found the other two cabins to be a little more basic but still nicely furnished.

Exiting the third cabin, Luke turned to Wedge. "Can we go to the bridge now?' he asked his friend with anticipation evident in his voice.

"That's our next stop, Boss," Wedge replied still smiling widely. It really meant a great deal to him that he had been able to help Luke obtain the ship. They had been friends for almost twenty years and had been through a lot together.

Corran turned to Luke, asking in a playful tone, "Do you think I might be able to borrow her sometime? The Pulsar Skate is a decent ship but she looks like a garbage skow compared to this."

"Mara isn't very good at sharing her toys, Corran," Luke laughed. "But maybe if you grovel enough she might consider it."

The three of them were still laughing when they arrived at the bridge. Again, Wedge was thoroughly enjoying the looks of awe that were plastered on Luke's and Corran's faces. Their expressions mimicked his own when he had first looked at the ship. The bridge was set up similar to a small capitol ship. There was a command station with pilot and copilot seats, a navigation station, a communications station, a sensor station and a weapons and defense station. 'To fully man all stations, the ship would need a crew of at least six,' Luke thought somewhat confused. When he had set up the specifications for the ship, he was very specific that they be able to operate it with only two people.

As if sensing Luke's thoughts, Wedge spoke. "This is the most intriguing part of the ship. You can staff each station separately if you are carrying a crew or you can relay the control of all functions to the command station and fly her with only two people. Pretty nice set up, isn't it Luke?" he asked.
Luke walked up to the command console and stared out the viewscreen totally lost on his own thoughts. Turning to his friend Luke said, "Wedge, I am totally dumbfounded by what they were able to create. I don't know how I will ever thank you for all you have done to help me make this happen."
"I'll think of something," Wedge joked. "Maybe you can name your firstborn after me," he added laughing heartily.

"I don't think Mara would go for that one," Luke teased back. "You'll have to think of something else." Looking at the chrono, Luke was surprised that two hours had passed since he and Corran had landed. "We had better get moving if we are going to get this shipped stocked and ready to fly before Mara gets back."

"Do you want to take her for a quick flight before we get started, Luke?" Wedge asked hopefully.
"No, I think I will save that honor for Mara, Wedge," Luke answered with a touch of regret in his voice. " Maybe we can all go together when we take her out for her first flight."

"Okay," Wedge answered only slightly disappointed. He really hadn't expected Luke to be willing to take her on her first flight without Mara. But it had definitely been worth a try.

"Let's make a list of everything we need to do to get her ready," Luke said turning to his friends. He pulled a datapad from his pocket and sat down in the copilot seat. He laughed to himself when he realized what seat he had chosen. He knew where his place was going to be in this ship.

Corran and Wedge joined Luke and they began assembling a list of items they would need. The general items included foodstuffs, toiletries, household items, linens, cooking utensils, and such. Luke also wanted to bring some personal items from the apartment: clothing, training materials, a case to store their lightsabers, and reading and recreational materials. He wanted the droid alcove to have a special port configured to interface with Artoo. The ship's transponder ID had to be registered with the Coruscant Ship Registry Department, although it would need to be amended once the ship had been named. That was another honor he was going to give to Mara.

Looking at the list they had compiled, Corran sighed. "It will be a challenge to complete this by nightfall. I'd better call Mirax and let her know I will be a little later than I thought."

"I must have had a better idea of what we would need to do because I had already seen the ship," Wedge said. "I told Iella that I would be lucky to get home before the kids went to bed."
"I really feel bad keeping both of you from your families," Luke said sincerely. "But I really appreciate the help. I know I couldn't get it done by myself."

"No problem, Luke," Corran answered with Wedge nodding his agreement. "Let's split the list and get moving."

They divided the list between them. Luke had to go the registry office to register the ID himself as only the owner of the ship could do it. He would also go to their quarters and retrieve the personal items he wanted. But first, he needed to go back to his X-wing and get Artoo. Wedge was getting the Rogue Squadron computer specialist to come to the ship and configure an alcove port for Artoo. Corran and Wedge had divided the remainder of the list.

Corran left to start on his list as Wedge went to get the computer specialist and Luke went to get Artoo. Walking toward the starfighter, he called up to Artoo. "Ready to come down?" Artoo warbled his acknowledgment and Luke began to lower him using the Force. Over the years, Artoo had become accustomed to being raised and lowered with the Force. It was also much faster than waiting for the hangar technicians to bring over a winch to get him out of the fighter. Luke was suppose to meet Wedge back at the ship in ten minutes and did not want to waste any time.

Luke began to walk as soon as Artoo's wheels touched the ground. Artoo warbled at him questioningly. "We are going over to the ship so that the droid alcove can be configured to interface with you," Luke said. "Wait till you see the ship, Two. She is absolutely amazing." Artoo beeped at him again and then they walked the rest of the way in silence with Luke resting his hand lightly on Artoo's dome as they walked. Within minutes, they had arrived at the ship.

Artoo's reaction when he saw the ship was similar to what Luke and Corran's had been. He began beeping furiously and rocking back and forth as if to emphasize his point. "I know Artoo," Luke answered after the droid's warbling had ended. "She really is impressive. Wait until you see inside." As they walked up the ramp and through the main corridor to the bridge, Artoo began to warble rapidly again. Luke just smiled at the droid's reaction, amused that it had been so much like his own. More than once, Mara had claimed that Artoo was just like him. Maybe she was right. Thinking of Mara made him smile but also refocused him to everything he still had to do.

Luke was pulled from his thoughts by Wedge's voice. "Luke, this is Stavin Lorokk. He is the Rogue's computer technician. Stavin, this is former Rogue Squadron Commander and Jedi Master Luke Skywalker," he said as the two men shook hands.

Stavin responded first. "It is a great honor to meet you, Commander Skywalker. I am happy to be able to be of assistance to you." He addressed him by his military title as a sign of respect for his former position in the Squadron.

"It's just 'Luke' now, Stavin," he replied warmly. "Thanks for coming right over to help me out. Time is the one thing that is in very short supply at the moment." Placing his hand on Artoo's dome he said. "This is the droid that I would like the port configured for. Also could you add a secondary port for C series protocol droid." Artoo beeped rudely and Luke admonished him lightly. "Be nice Artoo, C3PO may need to travel with us at some point."

"No problem, Commander," Stavin replied politely. "It should only take about an hour to set up both interfaces. I will leave the generic interfaces installed in the backup port in the event that you need to secure some other type of droid here," he added.

"Artoo, go with Stavin in case he needs you and I will meet you back here after I do a few other errands," Luke said. Artoo warbled an affirmative reply and rolled over to Stavin. "Stavin, Artoo has my comlink frequency in case you have any questions or problems while I am gone," he said, looking back to the technician. "Thanks again for helping me out." He walked down the corridor. Turning back he called out, "I'll be back as soon as possible Wedge. Contact me if you need anything."

"No problem, Luke," Wedge replied. "We should have most of the list done by the time you return. Hopefully the bureaucrats won't keep you too long," he added laughing.

"If they give me too many problems, I'll just call Leia to intervene," Luke said as he proceeded down the corridor to the ramp. Reentering the hangar bay, he walked until he reached the lift that would take him to the Coruscant Registry Office. Riding the lift to the fifth floor office only took a few seconds. Exiting the lift, he walked quickly to the office door and was relieved to see only one person at the counter when he entered.

As he approached the counter, Luke made eye contact with the clerk behind it and saw a spark of recognition in the young man's eyes. Maybe this was the Force's way of helping him to get this accomplished quickly.

As Luke reached the counter, the young man spoke. "Good afternoon, Master Skywalker," he said with admiration evident in his voice. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Good afternoon, Wyatt," Luke answered, reading the young man's name from his ID badge. "I have purchased a new ship and would like to register the ID. General Antilles already had the information sent up here earlier this morning," he added.

"I will go out back and get the information," Wyatt said. "I will be right back."

He left the counter and walked through a doorway into an adjoining office.

When Wyatt had not returned after a few minutes, Luke began to wonder if there was a problem. He reached out to hear what was being discussed in the office. He could feel the frustration emanating from the young man as he searched for the papers while speaking to someone over the communication channel. Luke could only hear what Wyatt was saying. "It is Luke Skywalker, sir. He said that General Antilles sent the paperwork up this morning and I can't find it anywhere." Wyatt seemed to be listening intently then he walked over to another desk. "Yes sir, I found it, thank you," he heard Wyatt answer. Luke let out a sigh of relief. It would have been a disaster if he had not found those papers. The office would have been closed by the time he could have gotten another set.

Wyatt walked from the rear office, smiling nervously. "Sorry it took me so long, Master Skywalker," he apologized. "I had trouble finding the papers." Taking the papers he brought out with him, Wyatt began looking through the pages, mumbling to himself. As he looked through, he folded back the corners on three separate pages. Putting the first folded page before Luke, he looked up at him. "Please sign on lines 34, 52, and 72. Also fill in the name of the ship on lines 38 and 76. The ship's papers list that it is co-owned by yourself and Mara Jade Skywalker," he added. "Is Mrs. Skywalker with you, sir?"

"Mara is not on Coruscant presently," Luke answered. "Is that a problem?"

"Not at this point, sir," Wyatt replied. "You have seventy-two hours to bring Mrs. Skywalker into the office to have her sign the registration."

"Can we fill in the name of the ship at that time?" Luke asked. "We haven't decided on a name yet."
"No problem, sir," Wyatt said.

"Great," Luke said. He proceeded to sign the document in the three places and handed back to Wyatt.
Wyatt walked back to his desk, stamped the document with the Registry seal through all three signatures and walked over to a duplication terminal to create a duplicate for Luke. Once the duplicate was completed, he walked back to Luke. Handing him the duplicate, he explained, "This copy is only valid for seventy-two hours. The permanent registration will be processed once Mrs. Skywalker signs the document and a name is chosen and registered."

"Thanks for your help, Wyatt," Luke said sincerely as he accepted the papers. Smiling, Luke walked from the office. He had accomplished the one item that could have caused him major problems. The rest should be easy.

Luke rode the lift back down to the hangar and walked back to the ship. He walked into the suite that would become he and Mara's quarters and put the papers in the desk drawer. Thank the Force this was all coming together and he had not run into any major problems. Usually everything he tried to do became some type of crisis. This time, everything was going as planned.

Luke left the ship and began walking to their apartment to get the personal items he wanted. He should be able to get everything and be back at the ship in less than an hour. Then, he could help Wedge and Corran finish. He walked into the apartment and quickly began collecting the items. As he walked past the desk, he noticed the message light on his communication console was flashing. The message was from Leia wanting him to contact her when he got home. Luke figured he might as well make time to call now, as he did not want any interruptions when Mara got home. Keying the code to Han and Leia's home, he waited for someone to answer. As the picture cleared on the holonet terminal, he saw Jaina's image as she politely said, "Solo residence."

Luke smiled at the sight of his young niece. "Hi sweetheart, are Mom or Dad at home?" he asked.
"Hi Uncle Luke," Jaina replied, all smiles. "When did you get back from Yavin? Is Aunt Mara home yet? Are you coming over?

"A little while ago, no and no," Luke replied grinning. "Now will you answer my question?" Jaina's disappointed was evident in her face and Luke wasn't sure if it was because he wasn't coming over or because Mara wasn't back yet. Mara and his niece had become extremely close in the past six months. Although she was about the same age as Leia, Jaina treated her aunt much more like an older sister, asking her things and confiding secrets she would never share with her mother.

"Sorry Uncle Luke," Jaina answered. "Mom is at her office but Dad's here. Would you like me to get him?"

"Yes please," Luke said. "Mara should be back tomorrow. We will try to stop by sometime soon," he added trying to make Jaina feel better.

"I'll get Dad, Uncle Luke," Jaina said. "Hopefully you and Aunt Mara can visit soon." She walked out of the view of the holonet, calling to her father and telling him that her uncle was waiting to speak to him.
Within a few moments, Han arrived at the terminal and greeted Luke. "Hey Kid," he said. "How are you? When did you get back?"

"A few hours ago," Luke answered. "Leia left a message for me. Do you know what she wanted?"
"Leia tried to call you on Yavin but Tionne said you had already left," Han replied. "She said she had a feeling you were up to something," he added grinning. "Jedi intuition?"

Luke blushed a deep red before he answered his brother-in-law and best friend. "Why would she think that?" he replied sheepishly. "What did she hear?"

"Alright, spill it Kid," Han teased. "The color of your face is enough to know that we were right on the mark."

"Okay," Luke replied. He did not have enough time to try to defer the Corellian and he knew Han wouldn't give up. "Meet me in the Rogue Squadron repair bay in a half hour and I'll fill you in. Don't bring the kids. I'll see you then," he added, severing the connection before Han could say anything else. Refocusing his attention on the task at hand, he spent almost a half-hour gathering the remaining items and packing everything into two cloth bags he had taken from the closet.

Luke walked quickly back to the hangar with his bags and caught a glimpse of Han entering the bay from the opposite entrance. He waved at Han, motioning for him to proceed to the back corner of the hangar. Within moments, they had both arrived at the spot where Wedge's' X-wing was berthed. Han put his arm around Luke's shoulder and greeted him warmly. "So Kid, what are you up to?" he asked with his best cocky grin.

Directing his friend around Wedge's X-wing, Luke pointed to the shuttle that was berthed there. "This is my secret, Han," he replied. "I had this ship built for Mara and it was delivered yesterday."

Whistling softly, Han looked at the ship with admiration. "This is your ship, Luke?" he questioned with disbelief evident in his voice.

"Well, legally I guess it's mine too," Luke answered, "but as far as I am concerned, the ship belongs to Mara. After having to sacrifice the 'Jade's Fire' I think it is only right that she get another ship to replace it. So what do you think?" he added grinning widely.

"She is exceptional, Luke," Han replied as they proceeded towards the ramp.

"Would you like a tour?" Luke asked as they walked. At Han's nod they entered the ship. Luke took him along the same route that Wedge had taken he and Corran earlier. When they got to the bridge, they found Corran and Wedge. "How are things going?" Luke asked his friends.

Mara again began to dream almost immediately after falling asleep. In this dream she was again on Yavin, but she was in the main temple and not their quarters. The sound of a baby crying drew her attention to the other side of the room. Shifting her gaze, she could see someone holding a baby but she knew the child was not hers. As she moved closer, she saw that the woman was Tionne. She felt Tionne calling out to her while gesturing at Mara's lower body. Bringing her gaze in line with Tionne's gesture, she saw that her abdomen was extended and she placed her hand on it. As she did, she felt a swift movement under her hand and began to smile. She lightly rubbed her abdomen and sent loving thoughts to the being inside.

As she stirred from her nap, Mara realized that her hand was laying across her abdomen as it had in her dream. The feelings the dream had conveyed were still very strong and she pondered the message behind it. Although she had been thinking quite a bit about the possibility of having a baby, she thought it strange that she had had two vision type dreams in the last twenty-four hours. She would have to talk to Luke about the dreams, as soon as he got back. Well maybe not as soon as, she thought smugly. She already had plans for their first few hours. It could wait until after that.

Mara looked at the controls and saw that she was due to come out of hyperspace above Coruscant in less than ten minutes. Looking at the chrono, she saw that she would land with enough time to do a little shopping before she went home. Most of the things she wanted could be purchased in one store and it was on the way back to their apartment. She would even have enough time to take a real shower and get some sleep after she set things up. Grabbing a data pad she made a quick list so she wouldn't forget anything, smiling impishly as she thought of Luke's reaction when he got home.

By the time she had completed the list, Mara heard the warning signal that informed her she needed to prepare to exit hyperspace. Reaching for the controls, she softly echoed the countdown, easing back on the lever as it reached zero. Seeing the planet looming before her increased her anticipation for tomorrow morning's reunion with her husband. Keying the communication control she said, "Coruscant control, this is Mara Skywalker on the 'Dawn Ice' requesting clearance to land." She would be on the ground within ten minutes if there were no hold ups.

"Dawn Ice, this is Coruscant control," a female voice responded. "You are cleared to land in bay 23 upon receipt of your clearance codes."

"Codes being transmitted now, control," Mara answered as she keyed the switch to transmit her clearance.

"Codes received, Dawn Ice," the voice replied. "Proceed to bay 23 and you will be signaled into a berth, Control out."

"Acknowledged, Control," Mara answered. "Dawn Ice out." As she positioned the ship for entry into the hangar bay, she extended her senses through the Force. Almost immediately shock filled her as her mind contacted a familiar presence. * Luke * she sent through their bond with surprise overtaking her.

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

"Everything's done Luke," Wedge responded as he nodded at Han. "Good to see you, Solo," he added grinning as he reached to shake Han's hand. "Luke fill you in on his little secret?"

"Yes he did, Wedge," Han replied. "Quite impressive I must say. Were you involved from the beginning?" he added questioningly. Before Wedge could answer Han turned to Corran. "Hello Corran," he said taking the other man's hand. "Did you know about it too?"

Luke answered before either of them could. "Corran only found out when we left Yavin but Wedge has been helping me from the beginning." He started to say something else but stopped abruptly and looked around as if puzzled. "Mara," Luke whispered, his voice filled with surprise. The others looked at him strangely as his expression clouded over.

Luke reached out his senses and easily made contact with Mara. * Hello my love, where are you?* he sent warmly, while trying to close off part of his mind to her. He would be in real trouble if she figured out where he was and what he was doing.

* Getting ready to land * Mara sent back. * When did you get back to Coruscant, Skywalker and why didn't you tell me you would be back early.* She could sense something strange in Luke's emotions but when she tried to probe further, he shut her out.

* I just got back * Luke sent trying to keep his mind shielded from her probe without making her too suspicious. * I got done sooner than I expected but didn't want you to leave things undone to get back early.*

* Where are you now, * Mara added mentally as she brought the ship into the berth the attendant was directing her to.

Luke chose his reply to her mental message carefully, so that he wasn't actually lying to her. * In the hangar doing some checks on the ship. Would you like me to meet you in the bay? *

This time it was Mara's turn to shield her mind and choose her words carefully.

* I have a couple of things to take care of. Why don't you meet me at the apartment in a half-hour?* she sent as she gently probed his emotions. His reaction to her words surprised her as she almost felt relief flood his mind.

* I'll see you then,* Luke sent back lovingly while wondering at her willingness to wait. As he broke the mental connection and came back to the moment, he noticed his friends looking at him strangely.
Han spoke before Luke could say anything. "I really hate it when you guys do that, you know." He had seen his brother-in-law and sister-in-law's mental exchanges on enough other occasions that he had realized almost immediately what was happening. "I didn't think Mara was strong enough to communicate with you from as great a distance as Swiven," he added.

"She's not Han," Luke answered tensely. "She just landed in bay 23. Looks like you may get to see the fury of her wrath after all, Corran" he added with a nervous grin.

Corran grinned widely as he replied. "You have three Corellians here to help you, Master. We should be able to come up with something," he added winking at Han and Wedge.

"The last time I followed you three Corellians, I ended up with a shiner and a very angry Mara," Luke said sarcastically, remembering the night at the Red Rancor shortly before the wedding. "I think I'll attempt to diffuse this situation on my own." He motioned for the three men to follow him and headed back into their cabin. He grab the bags he had left there earlier while giving Han his tour, dumped the contents on the bed and began to sort the items. Within minutes, he had organized and put away all the items in the bags.

Luke looked up at his friends and motioned for them to follow him through the door and back into the corridor. "Thanks again for all your help today," he said to Corran and Wedge with appreciation evident in his voice. "I couldn't have accomplished it without you." Turning so that his intense blue eyes were locked with Wedge's brown ones, he continued. "Wedge, I don't know how I will ever thank or repay you for helping me make this happen," he said sincerely to his friend.

"I'm glad I was able to help," Wedge replied just as sincerely. "There is always naming your firstborn," he added teasingly, slapping Luke on the back.

"There will never be a firstborn if I don't survive the evening," Luke said. He laughed nervously as his mind shifted back to his brief mental encounter with his wife. "If I still live, I'll call you in the morning before I bring Mara to the ship," he joked as they reached the ramp.

Wedge again removed the controller from his pocket. He closed and secured the ramp before handing the controller to Luke. "You'll just have to make sure you funnel all of Mara's anger and aggression into the proper activity," he teased, winking at Han and Corran.

"I have to survive entry into our quarters and Mara's initial wrath before I can redirect it," Luke answered with the start of a grin forming on his lips. He would just have to formulate a plan to distract his lovely wife before he got to their apartment.

Seeing Luke's change of expression, Han joked. "I can see you are forming a plan, Kid. Are you sure you wouldn't like us to help you?"

"No thanks, " Luke chuckled. "I can get in enough trouble on my own. I'll talk to you guys tomorrow," he added walking towards the hangar door. "Thanks again," he called back.

The three Corellians watched their friend as he walked through the door. Corran was the first to speak. "They must have a very interesting private relationship," he chuckled. "Mara must be quite a handful."
Han laughed heartily before he replied. "Luke is too much of a gentleman to share details, but if the change in his demeanor since their marriage is any indication, Mara puts all that fire and passion to very good use. Come on, I'll buy you boys a drink before we all head home," he added, pausing briefly to consider what his brother-in-law's fate would be.

"I never turn down a free drink," Corran replied. "It should be a very explosive night in the Skywalker household," he laughed as the three men left the hangar bay.

To be continued.