Where is He?

By Ash Darklighter
Part 1

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Disclaimer - The characters and situations used in this story are the property of Lucasfilm. Please don't sue, as I'm not making any money from this little tale. Thanks to the girls on the list for their support, especially Jackie and AJ. It was AJ's bunny that bit me in the first place. She should stop leaving them around.

Yavin IV

"Where is he?" Mara Jade snarled angrily.

Tionne's silvery eyes widened with real fear. "The Master?" she gabbled nervously. "Master Skywalker? Why are you…?" Jedi Knight or not - Mara Jade made Tionne very tense and she had faced far worse things in her life - or she thought she had. But the durasteel combined with the fire in the eyes of the slim woman in front of her made her tremble.

"Who do you think I'm looking for? Of course it's the Master or Skywalker or farmboy off of a tenth rate, sith forsaken, sandball of an outer rim planet."

"Oh, well…"

"Speak up," Mara barked irritably as Tionne's mouth opened and shut a few times.

Tionne moistened dry lips. "He's not here."

"I was told he was. Either you're lying…." The green eyes narrowed dangerously. "Or…"

"I mean he is here. But he's not." The silver haired Jedi squeaked. "We're not supposed to…"

Mara took a step forward, her hand going automatically to her saber. "Which is it? He's either here or he's not."

"Yes," Tionne managed to stutter. "But…" she tried again. "We're not supposed to…"

Mara rolled her eyes. The woman was an idiot. What had Skywalker done to these people? She took a step closer. "Tionne, I'm warning you…"

"Mara Jade." The voice cut into her annoyance and she felt the calming Force presence surround her.

"I wish you people wouldn't do that." Mara turned thankfully from the still stuttering Tionne and faced the older grey-haired man who stood before her.

Kam Solusar smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "I beg to differ, Jade. You need a little perspective here and frightening the life out of my staff won't help you get what you want. The energies I sense here are negative ones."

"Your staff?" Mara ignored him

"Master Skywalker turned the running of the school over to me last year. You knew that, Mara." He gave Tionne a reassuring nod and she scuttled back to the safety of her office.

Mara watched the interplay between the two Jedi with barely concealed impatience. "Kam, where is he?"

Kam didn't make the mistake of asking whom Mara was referring to. There was only one 'he' on Yavin as far as the red-haired green-eyed woman was concerned. Did Mara realise how transparent she was becoming with regard to Luke?

Obviously not.

He stifled the urge to point out one or two things to the enraged woman in front of him. The close but tempestuous relationship Luke and Mara had enjoyed over the years had progressed, but neither of them had grasped that little piece of news, nor how far they had travelled. 'May the Force help the galaxy if they don't realise that fact and soon.'

"Anger is of the dark side, Jade. You know that."

"I'm not angry."

Kam raised an elegant eyebrow. "You're not angry." He repeated slowly. "I can see that - I think."

Mara's eyes flashed and her chest heaved as she took a sharp indrawn breath. "I'm furious. So tell me where he is. If you don't tell me and I find him anyway - I'm going to…"

"Going to what?" he interrupted

She took another deep breath, her face grimly determined. "Going to kill him."

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

Kam carefully surveyed the girl in front of him. She was wound up so tightly, something was going to give very soon and he didn't think he wanted to be around when it did. What had Luke done to her this time? She was spitting fury. Her green eyes flared laser bolts at anyone within searing distance and her living fire mane of hair could almost be said to be shooting sparks. He pushed his barriers up around his thoughts. There was no way he wanted Mara sensing his emotions, not in the mood she was in. He hoped she wouldn't resort to violence. She'd threatened Luke many times over the years and he was still very much alive, but Kam had never seen Mara this close to snapping.

Luke could handle her. In fact he was probably the only one who could. Kam hoped he was doing the right thing. Luke had said he was on Yavin for a rest and didn't want to be disturbed for anything. Not even by an Imperial invasion. But he had the feeling that Mara Jade in this kind of temper was worse than several Imperial superweapons put together.

Mara paced edgily in front of Kam. The aura around her crackled with pent up energy. The fiery hair normally tamed in a tight braid swung about her, loose and feral. This was the real Mara Jade - wild and dangerous. He could see why Luke Skywalker found her so fascinating for she was his contrast in nature and his equal in the Force.

"Won't you sit down, Jade?" Kam offered her a seat.

"Tell me," she swung towards him, her tone suddenly desperate.

"Tell me why you want to see him. He's very tired."

"But Tionne said he was here. I can find him. He cannot hide from me."

Kam shut his eyes. She was so determined. Should he tell her and let her go and harass the Jedi Master or let her find Luke herself? Both options didn't seem to be appealing. The second one was frightening. He could contact Luke and ask him if he wanted to see her, but Mara would just find Luke anyway whether he did that or not. There was something alive between them - very hot sparks and a lot of messy emotions. Kam mentally shook his head; he was doing them both a disservice. There was more than that between them. There was little calm and not a lot of peace when Skywalker met Jade. Nonetheless the bond between them wasn't like any other he'd seen between Jedi.

He'd promised Leia Organa Solo to let Luke have some rest. Not that the Jedi Master couldn't stand up for himself - he could. But Luke wasn't good at turning down appeals for his help. The last mission he'd undertaken on behalf of the Council had left him completely exhausted. Leia was tired of seeing her brother's white face moping around the corridors of the Imperial Palace and the Senate Halls. Luke always had to be forced to take a vacation. The Owen Lars work ethic had never faded in all the years Luke had been away from Tatooine.

"Why do you want him?" Kam asked again.

"I can't tell you," Mara's face suddenly flushed. "It's between Skywalker and me. No-one else."

Kam shook his head. He had a strange feeling about this and something almost tangible hovered in the Force. "Okay," he sighed deeply. "He's at home."

"On Coruscant?" Mara's voice rose. She'd come all this way, ready to strangle the man with her bare hands and he was still on Coruscant. She slowed her breathing and paused. No - he was here. She could feel it. Her hand reached towards Kam and grasped him by the edge of his tunic.

"Jade," he muttered sharply. "Calm - stretch out with your feelings. You know where he is. Master Skywalker has a retreat on the other side of the planet. He goes there when he needs to be alone."

"He's not in an isolationist phase again?" Her tone mocked lightly, but the simmering edge of her anger was still there, Kam could sense it - in fact it was so palpable he could almost touch it.

"No, he's tired and needed a break. We all suggested it. Look…" he passed her a data card. "The co-ordinates are on this. Don't kill him, Mara. You still need him - we all do."

"Don't start me on that…" her tone began to rise.

"May the Force be with you Mara Jade." Kam watched as she took off at a run towards her ship. "And may the Force be with you too, Master Skywalker. I get the feeling you're going to need it more than any of us." His chiselled features cracked a rare smile as he turned away. "Or then again, maybe not," but the words were so soft as to be virtually inaudible.

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

Tionne sat in front of the com unit and waited for Leia Organa Solo to answer. The picture blurred for an instant and then the smiling face of the former Alderaanian princess appeared.

"Tionne - lovely to see you." A flicker of worry crossed her face. "Luke is all right, isn't he?" Leia's first thought was always for Luke - accident prone and impulsive as he tended to be. At least her 'darling' husband wasn't there to aid and abet her brother in whatever schemes he'd been inveigled into. That usually spelled disaster.

"I think so, but…."

Leia's smile faded. "But what?"

"Mara Jade arrived this morning."

"Mara did - that's good, isn't it? Has she come to do some training? Luke will enjoy that."

"I'm not sure, but she was absolutely furious and was threatening to kill Master Skywalker."

Leia frowned. "Strange - they've been getting along pretty well lately, apart from their inevitable bickering - worse than children at times."

Tionne hesitated before deciding to tell all. "We had to let her know his whereabouts…. I know it was decided to leave him in peace, but…"

"Mara would have torn Yavin apart to find him - I would guess. I was going to let her know where he was, because she's the one thing that would make him forget his duties and take some time out, but if she's in killing mode.… Tionne, there was nothing you could have done."

"But Councillor - she was…. is very hostile."

Leia's expression was one of complete mystification. "Threatening to kill Luke - again? Do you know why?"

Tionne's face twisted in unaccustomed confusion. "No. She threatened me too. I've a lot of admiration for Trader Jade, but I'll be the first one to admit that she scares me witless. My Force ability is weaker than most of the other Jedi here and sometimes I have to concentrate much harder than the others to really feel the Force flowing through me, still I've never felt anything like that. All that aggression mixed with determined intelligence is frightening."

Leia agreed. "Mara in a towering rage is impressive. I thought we'd seen the last of that. She's been more content of late, working for Karrde and teaming up with Luke for the occasional jaunt, be it Jedi training or a mission for the New Republic."

"I've never seen her like that before."

"Han," Leia called. "Could you come here a minute?"

She turned back to Tionne. "Let's see if my husband can shed any light on this."

Han's grinning face popped in front of the monitor, joining his wife. "What is it, sweetheart?"

"Any idea why Mara wants to kill Luke, this time?"

Han's face paled a little. "Why ask me?"

Leia's brown eyes zeroed in on her husband's cagey expression. "You always seem to know what's going on with my brother - usually better than he does. "

Han fidgeted under her hard stare. "I haven't done anything, but since you asked, I was going to tell you about this anyway….."

Part 2

Yavin IV

Luke Skywalker pulled off his vest and wiped the sweat from his face with it. The peacefulness of his surroundings was exactly what he needed to get his focus back. That last little skirmish he'd been involved in with certain members of the senate were enough to drive anyone to the edge of a breakdown and he'd been a long way from that. But just to have a little time, without pompous politicians telling him what he should be doing with his life, was bliss.

He brushed his hair out of his eyes and squinted through the lush foliage to where he could hear water running. The glint of sunlight upon water caught his keen gaze - perfect. Just what he needed after a light run. His retreat wasn't what an ascetic might prize, but Luke liked it just fine. He'd never aspired to sainthood. He liked a comfortable bed and enough to eat. Leia had ensured this place had one and a reasonable supply of the other. Enough conveniences to keep him comfortable and the occasional luxury. He didn't need much anyway, he never had. A spartan upbringing followed by life on the run as part of the Rebel Alliance and then the New Republic military didn't accustom you to a life full of luxuries. He'd slept upon his arrival on Yavin for what seemed like three days until Kam and Tionne had told him to come out here and they were right. He closed his eyes and drank in the sun's rays as they penetrated the tree canopy and dappled the forest floor. A quick check of the x-wing and then he would avail himself of the facilities. In other words - Yavin's plentiful fast-flowing streams, small waterfalls and shallow warm lakes.

There was no one here to see him so he stripped off the rest of his clothing and dived into the water, emerging with an exultant laugh, his hair plastered sleekly to his head. The water streamed off his well-developed shoulders and firm, sculpted chest as he stood waist deep in the water. For an hour he played like a child, tumbling and diving, until the first stirrings of hunger made themselves aware and he began to wade towards the shore, shaking the small diamond shaped drops of water from his body.

The familiar snap-hiss of a lightsaber stopped him in his tracks. Luke paused and considered his options. He was unarmed and unclothed, so his options were limited, but a memory of Yoda telling him that a Jedi was never alone when he had the Force flitted into his mind. Still he would have preferred to have been clothed and armed. Luke reached out with the senses and met a wave of hostility coming his way and what's more there was something very recognisable about it.

"Mara!" his senses tingled. There was only one person who had mastered hostility to an art form. He grinned suddenly, his mood lightening further. She didn't often come to Yavin and to seek him out like this meant it must be important. Once she'd hated him, but over the years they had matured to a close if confusing friendship. She was the one person he had added to his 'family' circle when it came to trust. He trusted Mara with his life and she'd never let him down. So she was cross about something? He usually managed to win her around. He was still alive after all.

"Don't come any closer, Skywalker." Mara's voice was harsh in counterpoint with the familiar snap-hiss of her lightsaber. She waved her weapon at him, the blue blade shimmering in the late afternoon sunlight.

'Uh-oh! For cross substitute fizzing mad,' he thought with misgiving. "I wasn't going to come any closer. You seem to have me at a disadvantage. I am unarmed." 'And unclothed as well', Luke thought to himself. 'So perhaps relaxing wasn't going to be what he had in mind.' There wasn't any way he wanted to come out while she was standing there watching him. He was in good physical shape, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to test that theory with the beautiful trader Jade staring at him. 'No', he mused; she wasn't staring at him she was glaring at him.

"Mara," he murmured cajolingly. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" she screeched, her green eyes darkening to stormy grey-green slits. "I'll really kill you this time."

"What have I done?" Luke's voice was completely bewildered. His mood began to darken.

Mara's rage threatened to rise up and boil over. He didn't know what was wrong. He really was the absolute limit.

Luke debated his situation, his clothes lay in a rumpled pile beside his lightsaber, but Mara stood between him and them. Plus the small fact was, that it was beginning to get cold and he didn't know what might happen to his nether regions if he had to stay in the water all night. Mara looked mad enough to keep him there. She was broadcasting her emotions through the Force with enough power to charge the Death Star superlaser.

"Jade," he pleaded, his blue eyes earnestly asking her to calm down. "Whatever I've done I'm really sorry about, but I cannot think of anything so terrible that you stay mad at me across the entire galaxy. If it was so bad, why didn't you contact me earlier?" He tried a coaxing smile.

Mara 's wrath faded a little as she began to be affected by his softly spoken voice of reason. He was standing there up to his waist in clear water and he…. Mara's face suddenly flamed. He was naked. Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master, saviour of the galaxy, was stark naked and she'd just realised the water was as clear as crystal. Even as she tried to stay mad at him, her eyes were taking an involuntary inventory of his assets.

The vivid blue eyes were looking at her in confusion as her gaze travelled over his face, taking in the cleft in his chin and the firm masculine shape of his jaw. Her gaze moved over his strong chest and flat stomach to where evidence of his masculinity waited below. Mara gulped, her anger wilting and a strange heat suddenly flowing through her body. This was Skywalker, the one person she trusted most in the entire galaxy. He infuriated her, confused her, inspired her, but through it all he was her friend, or so she'd thought. She'd never been affected by him in a sexual way before. If she could have, Mara might have laughed. Yes he was handsome, yes his body was firm and strong and… gorgeous, his eyes did make you lose yourself in the colour and he had the best butt…. Mara reached again with difficulty for her anger.

Luke shivered. Whatever Jade was up to, he was going to have to brazen it out and walk out of there, his head held high. It looked as if she was going to end the promising career of one Luke Skywalker, farmboy turned Jedi Master, like she'd maintained she would all those years ago, but the only other option was to stay in the water and freeze to death. But the way she'd just looked at him… it was almost as if she desired him. He swallowed, his throat inexplicably dry.

"You don't remember giving an interview to that holo-reporter?" Her voice was glacial as she tried to rekindle her anger, but her eyes had noted his nervous swallow. What would it be like to kiss him there? What would his skin taste like if she let her mouth touch the tanned column of his throat? Would his skin taste of salt, would he tip his head back and… Her face warmed as she tried to focus on Luke's stammering excuses. He wasn't apologising for anything that much she could tell.

"I gave several interviews and I told Leia that I wasn't doing any more of them - ever." He huffed and wrapped his arms around himself. "They wanted to know about my love life. Or lack of it. Leia wasn't happy about it either. Why? What's this got to do with you?"

"None of them mentioned that you and I were close by any chance?" she hissed furiously.

"No, I don't think so." He moved about a little and the water swished dangerously about his hips. Mara's eyes shifted immediately to his face and fastened there with a peculiar intensity. "Or maybe they did. I can't remember." His voice began to rise as he fought to hold onto his rapidly fraying patience. One thing he could always rely on Mara to help him do. Lose his temper.

"Think, farmboy. Think," she gritted. She was getting angry with herself now. Luke Skywalker's firm naked body was beginning to make her think about things she had no business thinking about. Especially with him of all people. Even if he did have eyes that you could lose yourself in the colour and now she had a ringside view - it was obvious the man had a spectacular body. Mara felt her nipples peak at the thought.

"You were mentioned as being a close friend, but I said that was all you were."

Mara's eyes blinked and her head drooped. He was so naïve at times - he really should have been taken aside by his sister and taught what to say when in public. Although some people might say that his farmboy honesty was part of his charm, Mara couldn't see it at the moment and nursed her anger - keeping it warm. Raising her head, she fixed him with a death stare and took a step nearer to him. The saber waved inches from his nose and Luke jumped back deeper into the water.

"Mara, it's freezing in here." He was shivering in earnest now and his teeth were chattering. Mara couldn't stop herself from wondering about various ways of warming him up and then shook her head in confusion. 'This is Skywalker, you fool,' she castigated herself.

Luke's anger was beginning to warm up in direct competition with Mara's. He was cold and hungry and this crazy woman in front of him had given him no logical reasons for her actions. "Jade, when you can think of why you're acting so illogically, let me know, but I warn you I'm coming out," and he blushed. "I'm not wearing any clothes."

Mara gave a nervous laugh. She knew he was naked, but he wouldn't have the courage to just walk out with her watching him, would he? Then again…. She discerned his nervousness and something else teasing her senses.

"I'm warning you, Mara." He didn't move.

Mara began to see some humour in the situation. "What am I supposed to do?"

"You could look away." Was there an element of pleading in his voice?

"I've seen a naked man before, Skywalker."

His head jerked up at that and he shot her a narrow stare. Strangely, he found himself annoyed at her jibe. "You haven't seen me," he bit out. Who had she seen? He gave her a good look as his mind began to wonder at Mara's possible male friends. Still, she may have seen other men, but this was his body with all its imperfections and damn it - it was suddenly important that she liked it - better. His mood darkened. Had the other men seen her? They had no business doing that. Mara was his… friend. "You haven't seen me," he repeated sullenly.

"Haven't seen you? Oh I don't know, Skywalker - the water's pretty clear." She bit her lip to stop the laugh that was threatening to spill from her lips.

"I'm coming out," he insisted.

"Okay then." Mara held her ground, waiting for him to beg her to avert her eyes in a show of maidenly modesty. He wouldn't have the nerve. Her lips twitched.

Luke took a deep breath. She was just going to stand there and watch him. The little devil. He surveyed the woman barring his route to his clothes. She stood there, his one time enemy and long time friend, her sharp green eyes sparkling with hidden laughter, the curve of her generous mouth begging for him to taste it… Luke closed his eyes. No - this wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to desire the woman standing before him, but he did and had done for some time - everything had unexpectedly cleared in his mind. The joy he always felt in her company, the way her intellect sharpened and complimented his own and the fact that she was so beautiful…

He didn't want to run his fingers through her vivid hair. Would it really feel like fine silk beneath his rough farmer's hands, too used to wielding mechanics tools? Luke didn't want to touch those alluring curves and see if they really were as lush and inviting as he'd imagined. He wasn't supposed to want to slowly peel her shipsuit from her body and find out if her skin was as smooth and as soft as it looked. He didn't need to yearn to find out if paradise was in her arms and in her kiss. Luke's face went from red to white. If she discovered how near to breaking point she'd brought him, she would kill him for sure. Luke's faltering resolve kicked into gear. He was getting out - now and with a girding of his hopefully behaving loins began to move forwards.

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Coruscant

Han looked helplessly at his wife. "I didn't know they would write an article and put it in that scandalous gossip holo."

"I believe you, but Mara obviously is blaming Luke."

"What's got her so mad? It's not as if she hasn't lived in the shadow of the underworld for a long time. The 'Capital City News' is fairly low stuff. I'm surprised she even reads it."

Leia picked up the report. "Jedi Master denies involvement with Master Trader Jade." She wrinkled her neat nose a little. "It's nothing too bad, if a little sensationalist."

"Yeah, " Han ducked his head and gave her an apologetic lop-sided grin. "I'd never have read it myself unless Lando hadn't pointed it out to me. He said that some of the other more reputable outfits were thinking of picking up on the story. Everything's quiet just now. Read the next bit." His voice turned resigned and a little pained.

"We can report that the Jedi Master and the gorgeous trader are seriously involved. Han!" Leia turned on her husband. "What is this?"

"Don't say I didn't warn you." He held his hands up in an ' I surrender' pose.

"Our intrepid reporter, Verena Mars, has followed Skywalker and Jade whenever they are in the Capital City and they are invariably together.' But that's true. They are usually together. Luke likes her and will never pass up a chance to do something that will further her training. She's one of the few people he feels at ease with." His sister commented thoughtfully.

"Keep going."

"At a press conference today Verena asked Master Skywalker about his relationship with the lovely trader…' Oh no!" Leia murmured. "I keep telling myself that Luke won't say the wrong thing, but he does every time."

Han sighed deeply. "Yes, the kid said that they were very good friends and yes, he hoped to see her later."

"It still doesn't say anything."

"Course not, Luke's still an innocent at times. He would take all questions at face value. With these guys anything sounds like something and Mara…."

"Will we hear wedding chimes for the handsome Jedi and his beautiful companion?" Leia read. "I could shake him," muttered his exasperated sibling.

"Well, I think Mara might have got there first and if there's any shaking to be done... Why do you think she's so mad?"

"I don't know…." Leia trailed off as she gazed at the many photos of Luke with Mara. Leia had to admit they looked good together. There was one in particular when Luke had partnered Mara to some event and the holo had them totally focused on the other. Mara was gazing into Luke's eyes, laughing at something he'd said. Another one of the pair of them at the same event had them dancing a little closer than formality dictated in such matters. They looked as if they were in a world of their own, eyes locked together. Then there was a long distance shot of the pair of them with their arms around each other, again laughing.

"I remember that one. Mara tripped and Luke caught her. Nothing happened, Leia - you and I were there."

"I think Mara's mad because it's true."

"What! " Han's voice came out in a roar. "Now Leia…."

"It's true, but it hasn't happened yet. I think they're in love with each other but haven't realised it."

"You've had too much sun, sweetheart. Luke and Mara?"

"Why not? Look at them."

"Why not?" Han leant over Leia's shoulder to look at the holos. "Oh brother…. She's gonna kill him for sure."

"We'll see."

"Well, I hope the Force is with him right now. He's gonna need every bit of help he can get. Mara mad is not something I would ever want to see again. But you're certain about this? Luke and Mara…. Together…. In a relationship?"

"Han," his wife warned dangerously. "We haven't done too badly, have we?"

Part 3
Yavin

Mara took a nervous step back as Luke began to walk out of the water. She could see he was shivering, but he kept going with a bravado that shouldn't have surprised her. He was quite a man; she had to concede. His eyes were a spectacular shade of blue, combined with his tousled fairish hair and she knew many women who considered him handsome, very handsome. He'd never looked at any of them but lately he'd been looking at her. Long penetrating gazes. If he needed a partner for any function he usually asked…. Mara's heart missed a little beat. 'He usually asks me.' She took a good look at the male body making its deliberate way towards her. Not tall, but lean and muscular and as for his sex… Cold water did have an inhibiting effect generally on the male genitalia, but Skywalker's was acquitting itself well. What would it be like if he were aroused?

"Like what you see, Jade?" The moment he'd said it he wished he'd kept his big mouth shut.

Mara brought her gaze up from where it had been fixed on a certain part of his anatomy and fastened on his rather impressive abdomen. He'd certainly spent hours in the gym or training in Yavin's forest jungles.

Luke's face flamed. He'd been so cold but the fire in her gaze was warming him up too fast and he didn't think Mara would be impressed by his body's very natural reaction to her gaze. He was only a man after all and he'd found he was rather susceptible to beautiful, deadly, red-haired, green-eyed, ex-Imperial assassins.

'Careful Luke,' he thought to himself. 'Never forget the 'deadly' part.' But his heart gave a great lurch in his chest. She was a stunning woman and he was just a man from a rim planet. She'd been brought up at court. He'd been raised on a desert farm. So what if he was the Jedi Master, he still felt like that clumsy boy off the farm.

Mara's mouth dropped open at his words and her eyes connected directly with his. Something searing passed between them. Luke kept walking towards her, an intensity in his eyes she'd never encountered before. She'd never seen him so defiant, so proud of his masculinity - Mara had expected him to show embarrassment. She backed away and Luke kept coming his eyes commanding her to stay where she was. She had to remember she was angry with him. 'Think, Mara,' she told herself and clutched her saber tighter.

Luke walked right up to Mara and stood directly in front of her, shivering slightly in the cooling breeze. He had to brazen this out. If he ran, she would win and something told him there was more to it this time - much, much more. "Well?"

"What?" she snapped. The tip of her fizzing blue blade eased until it was only a micro distance from his firm chin.

"Do you like what you see?"

Mara involuntarily glanced down the wet, nude male body. If the droplets of water clinging to his tanned skin had turned to steam in front of her eyes she would have believed it.

Her hold on her saber slackened and it dropped to the floor where it cut out. Mara opened her mouth to say anything to put him off and in a great show of daring Luke put his arms around her and kissed her. She kissed him back - what could she do? Their lips parted and tongues darted in, tasting, exploring and discovering the sweetness of the kiss. Luke took a grip of himself. He had a point to prove or so he thought. He then stepped around her and picked up his clothes. Mara's mouth remained open in shock even as her eyes followed the taut curve of his buttocks and muscular thighs.

He turned to face her, clutching his clothes which protectively covered his maleness and Mara's gaze traced his chest and the carved, flat stomach leading to where Luke's tight knuckled grip on his bundle of clothes hid what she wanted to see. Her eyes continued down, strong legs to his bare feet. Luke held his insubstantial shield even more desperately because faced with her intent scrutiny of his body, the part he was trying so desperately to hide was coming to life with alarming vigour. Ten long years of friendship and it had come to this, but what a way to die.

"Sithspawn!" Mara picked up her saber and attached it to her belt, swearing in several languages as she did so. Luke took the opportunity to remove himself from a potentially volatile situation and keeping his dignity intact, walked steadily to the small structure nestling in between two large trees.

"Skywalker!" Mara yelled, but he disappeared inside and the door closed with a most un-jedilike thud, leaving Mara speechless, staring after the best set of male buttocks she'd ever seen. She'd forgotten she was mad at him. Well, time to remember she told herself and finally forced her unwilling limbs to follow him.

By the time she'd reached the small dwelling, her rage had heated up to boiling point again. He'd given her the best kiss she'd ever had in her life and then sauntered off completely unmoved by it.

"Skywalker!" she seethed. But the door had slammed shut and he'd locked it. Her fluctuating temper rocketed skywards. Since when did the Jedi Master adopt smuggler and pirate characteristics? Her fingers gently touched her kiss stung mouth reliving the experience.

As the door slid shut behind him, aided by a good strong push from the Force, Luke collapsed against the smooth surface. He was a dead man, but an unwilling smile curved his well-shaped lips. The expression on her face had been worth it. He pulled his suddenly shaky limbs from the door and moved to his bedchamber, where he pulled on the first set of clothes he could find. She was coming after him - he could feel it.

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

"Skywalker!" Mara's fists hammered on the door. "Listen you…. Swamp sucking slimy diagona infested… mynock!" The door slid abruptly aside, revealing an expressionless Luke who was fully clothed and cooking something on a small stove. Mara stood there feeling completely foolish with her mouth opened and her hand still raised in the air

"You hungry?" he asked, not meeting her eyes, but motioning her to sit next to a small table already set with cutlery for two people.

Damn, he was so easy to forgive. Whatever he'd done she never could stay mad at him for long and she was trying to. Even if it was his entire fault - it had to be. She felt her anger sliding from her.

Luke took in her silence and Mara felt the barrier fall between them, dividing them from one another. He sighed and turned back to his task, absorbing himself in the simple process of creating something edible. Mara watched him as he stirred whatever he had cooking, his whole body unnaturally stiff. She followed the line of his shoulders over the old washed out combat fatigues he was wearing, down to his still bare feet. Wait a minute! He wasn't in black!

Luke caught her staring and they both flushed, awkward for the first time in years in each other's presence.

"Here." He spooned something into a bowl and handed it to her.

"Thanks," Mara muttered and picked up the spoon left on the table. He'd cooked for her before and he was better near a stove than she was. Whatever he'd made - it was good. Mara ate her broth in silence.

Luke placed his spoon down and stared across the room at her. "What is it, Mara? What have I done this time?"

Mara's lips tightened and she pulled something out of her tunic. "Read this," she instructed gruffly, all appetite gone. The anger had gone too, leaving her with an uncomfortable feeling of emptiness.

Luke pushed the data card she'd given him into a reader lying on the worktop, a stack of cards piled next to it. Mara took note of the amount of them and shook her head. Kam had said he was exhausted and had come here to rest. Did the new head of the Yavin facility know that the Jedi Master had taken all that work with him? She assessed the man sitting across from her. His face was thinner and there were dark circles under his eyes, but she had seen him looking far worse. At least she wasn't fishing him out of a bacta tank. He still looked incredibly good.

A muscle worked in Luke's jaw as he took in the information on the card. Once he had finished reading it, he gave Mara a curious glance and picked up his spoon and shovelled some more of his meal into his mouth. He made no comment whatsoever.

"Are you just going to sit there?" The sound of her own voice, unnaturally loud in the strained silence of the small room, startled her.

Luke pulled at a piece of bread and chewed calmly, although a nervous tic working in his jaw told Mara he was not as calm as he made out.

"Well?" Mara demanded.

Luke shrugged his powerful shoulders. "What do you want me to say? It's an article from a gossip newsnet. Of course it's going to gossip and speculate about things that doesn't concern it. So what?" The spoon dropped into the bowl with an annoying clunk. "If you react to it - it'll make things far worse. I'm a public figure and even I'm not so naïve to believe everything they write. I thought you were my friend and you usually show better judgement than you're showing now. For sith's sake, Mara, this kind of thing can't be new to you, looking the way you do. Why react now?" He picked up his spoon and finished his meal in a sullen silence.

Mara's eyes narrowed with deadly precision at his inapt attempts to pacify, yet reprimand her for over reacting and Luke suddenly felt her composure slipping.

"So what!" Her voice rose. "So what!"

He pushed the bowl away and watched Mara struggle for control. "Aren't you being a little over-emotional here, Jade. They said you were gorgeous." Then Luke grinned and his voice dropped to a sexy purr. "I would disagree." The temperature in the room began to rise again. "I think you're much, much more than that. Gorgeous - yes, beautiful, clever, exciting, dazzling? You're all of these things and more."

Mara's jaw dropped open. There was a first time for everything but the Jedi Master was piling on the surprises. "Luke!"

"What are you so mad about, Mara? The article or the fact that it isn't true? There is no 'relationship between us - not in the way they describe." Luke's voice continued in the husky tone which sent shivers down her spine. "Do you want one?" Luke was almost as shocked by his question as she was, but for some obscure reason he needed to find out,,, he needed to know.

"Why you Sith spawned, sand brained, son of a bantha!" Mara jumped to her feet and advanced towards Luke, murder in her sharp green eyes and visions of how he would suffer in her mind. The Jedi Master rose to his feet and met her glare with an equally implacable one of his own, his arms crossed over his chest. The rock and the very hard place

"Why on the ears of an ewok would I want it to be true?" Mara demanded, her voice shaking.

"You have the hots for my body?" Luke asked, with a perfectly straight expression.

Mara couldn't stop the heat that rose in her face. "Don't flatter yourself." Her tone was pithy as she raked his body with a merciless gleam in her green eyes.

"You looked plenty earlier on, Jade. I could feel it through the Force." Luke didn't know what had come over him but some strange air of recklessness had suddenly seized his vocal chords. He might be extracting more than his feet from his mouth later on. Still, something drove him forward. The desire to see how far he could push her. What would she do, this maddening, unpredictable, fascinating woman he'd known for so long? Was he saying things that might get him seriously maimed? Still his mouth continued his tradition of living life on the edge. "Did you like what you saw?"

"I'm so angry…." Mara began, her hands clenched tightly into fists, ignoring his words. "Because you sat there at that stupid interview and said we were close."

"We are close." Luke grabbed her wrists and moved his hands up her arms. "I'm touching you. We're inches apart. That is close. Now you on Coruscant and me on Yavin - that's different. I would say it was kinda far apart."

"Why do you have to be so naïve, Skywalker?" Mara gritted into his face, her soft lips nearly touching his. "The holo reporter was wanting to know if we were intimate."

Luke's eyes fastened on her mouth, her full lower lip almost begging him to see what it tasted like again. "I always thought we were."

He was deliberately misunderstanding her and she knew it. It only made her angrier. She tried to escape from his hands tightly clutching her upper arms and found that she was unable to break free.

"What kind of intimacy was the journalist referring to, Mara?" His breath was hot on her cheek and her small pink tongue flicked out to nervously moisten her dry mouth. Luke felt desire slam dizzily into his gut.

"Luke…. Let go." Mara demanded. "Let go of me."

Luke shook his head slowly. "But you feel so good in my arms." He gave a little tug and pulled the furiously spitting woman until she lay snug against him. "Anyway, if you really wanted free you could break free any time, 'Emperor's Hand'. Look…" He let his hands swing open and stunned, Mara didn't move. By the time her normally lightning quick brain had caught up with her unusually sluggish muscles, Luke's arms had closed even tighter around her again.

"Luke…" Mara began to struggle until she realised what effect her movements were having on the Jedi Master's very masculine body and she now knew exactly what lay beneath the old green combat fatigues he was wearing. A shiver ran through her and her eyes darkened, the pupils dilating.

Luke stared at Mara, her eyes showed him exactly how aroused she was and his body began to harden in response to her silent invitation. Bending his head, he brought his mouth down to hers and placed his well-shaped lips over Mara's inviting ones and kissed her.

Mara gasped into his hot mouth as sensation rippled through her entire body, making each tiny hair stand on end. She felt her breasts swell and a strange pulling sensation as her nipples reacted. All this because his mouth covered hers. Luke had made no move to touch her and his hands still gripped her upper arms. Mara's own arms moved of their own volition and encircled his strong waist, which enabled him to pull her closer still. Finally his hands began to move and awkwardly they caressed the muscles on her back, travelling up to wind themselves in the glory of her red-gold hair. For a long time they learned the taste of each other as they kissed, but made little move to explore bodies or remove clothing. Mara could feel how badly Luke wanted her as his shaft pressed against her belly. Luke buried his face in her neck and kissed the hidden pulse point there before taking a step away. The sight he witnessed before him was enough to shake the last of his well-tried composure.

Mara's eyes had darkened almost to black, and her lids drooped heavily, giving her an exotic sultry appearance, her lips swollen and parted with the effects of his kiss. Her shoulders shook with the effort it took to try and bring her breathing under control as she battled for oxygen. Luke pulled her back into his arms; there were things even a Jedi couldn't withstand.

Mara stared at Luke under half closed eyelids, trying to come to terms with what they had just experienced. His vivid eyes had darkened to almost a slate blue and his face shone with perspiration, flushed by the effect she, Mara Jade, had caused in him. Mara's hands now lay pressed hard against his chest and she could feel his rapidly beating heart against her fingers.

"Mara… I" Luke opened and closed his mouth.

Mara lifted graceful fingers and placed her hand over his mouth, stemming any words that might spill from it. He didn't need to say anything. She wasn't ready to hear him stammering excuses or apologies. She didn't want to hear such things coming from him.

"Mara. I…" he tried again, but she wouldn't let him so he did the only thing he could do and took her hand in his and brought it gently back to his lips. As he did so, their eyes met and something sizzled between then. In a flash Luke dragged Mara back into her original position plastered tightly against his body and just before their lips met, a message passed between them. It was savage and instantaneous, but it was Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade meeting on a plane where they were true equals. Determination in Luke's eyes faded into something else as the glitter of desire he felt was answered by the fierce compelling need in her own.

With a muffled exclamation, Luke began to try to wrest Mara from her clothing, as she began in turn to tug his vest from his pants. Mara's fingers found Luke's heated skin and revelled in the feel of the powerful muscles she touched. She wanted to feel him on her, in her. "Luke…," she groaned as her head tipped back against the wall he pressed her against. Her shipsuit was down around her waist and suddenly with a sensation so exquisite that it was painful, his calloused hands found the tips of her bared breasts and worked them into aching fullness.

"Luke…" she screamed. "Please…"

With colour burning on his cheekbones and his blue eyes glittering, this being in the throes of passion bore little resemblance to the placid Jedi Master Mara had known and unknowingly loved for years. This was more - more than she'd ever expected. His mouth descended and tugged at her nipple and a spark of awareness shot into her groin. She became conscious of his hardness pressing against her softness.

"Please," she begged breathlessly, her voice a whisper of sound.

"Mara," he panted and with the last bit of control gone, he lifted her into his arms and bore her through to his narrow bed, divesting himself as well as her of the last pieces of clothing. By tacit mutual consent, the ferocity of their coupling slowed and the loving became deeper and more significantly meaningful. Lost in a sensual daze, they sought fulfilment by touch and taste. Luke's hand traced the length of her body, over her flat stomach, across the silken skin of her thighs until he found her woman's core. She stroked gently the different textures and planes of his strong male body until she had him incoherent and gasping. With a long stare into each other's eyes they reached their souls and joined together in the way of man and woman. With her breath held, Mara thrust upwards to meet Luke's insistent pressure. A streak of sensation ran through them and the Force swirled, heightening their awareness of what they had.

"Yes…" Luke exhaled as they became one. "By the Force, Mara, yes… Yes."

"I love you, Luke, I love you." The words spilled from her trembling lips.

"I know you do. It couldn't be like this unless we both loved." With a cry of satisfaction he moved within her and they established a primeval driving rhythm, finally culminating in a white-hot burst of stars and fire in their souls. The rapture was so intense Mara thought she might die from it.

"Stars!" Luke whispered as he came down from circling the universe. "Mara…."

Shaken, the former Emperor's hand could only curve herself into his body, her red-gold head pillowed on his chest. His hand came up and gently stroked her forehead with such tenderness that Mara thought she was going to cry. "Luke…. That was…."

"I know." He looked down at her. "Did you mean it?" he asked hesitantly.

"Did I mean what?" Mara glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, then became mesmerised in the deep pools of blue.

"Did you mean what you said? Did you mean everything?"

"That I love you?"

"Yes," Luke's voice was strained. He hadn't known he felt like this, yet he did. It was a huge puzzle, but if she said it was a lie…. It had felt more than mere sex; he'd never been so transported by anything or anyone.

Mara heard and felt the fear he tried so hard to conceal and sought to reassure him. Twisting round she faced him and brought his head down to hers, her green eyes fixing him with an unwavering stare. "Of course I meant it. You were right, Luke. You were right. How could we feel this way if there was no love?"

"Thank the Force, "he murmured and brought her close once more as mouths clung and bodies shifted, bringing rapture once more. This time it was slow as they rediscovered for the second time what pleasure kisses and touch could bring to the other.

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

Coruscant

Han picked up the pad his wife had read and fixed her with a suspicious look, the glint in his hazel eyes more pronounced than usual. "Can I ask you something, sweetheart?"

Leia glanced up at Han. "Of course."

"You know, something just occurred to me."

"It did?"

"Why did the gossip net manage to hold of pictures from an official diplomatic function where there were no cameras allowed?"

"I haven't the faintest idea." Leia blinked as she considered the idea. "We will have to do something about the security."

Han's eyes narrowed. He smelled the inside of a Taun-taun about this somewhere and crouched down in front of his wife, removing the data reader from her hands so he could gaze into her eyes. Brown met hazel. She was truly amazing. "So I hadn't thought of an idea to bring them together."

"And you think I did? Really Han." Leia shook her head at her husband's foolishness.

"So do you think it worked?"

THE END