Time. She needed time to reflect. Time to review in her heart just what her true feelings for Luke Skywalker were.

============================================================================== 

By mid morning the next day, Luke found himself approaching the offices of the Alliance leadership. He hadn't slept well, which came as no surprise, and had finally put himself into a Jedi trance. He and Leia talked at some length that morning, until Leia had to dash off to some committee meeting or another. Leia had done her best to allay his self-doubts concerning the dark side. But, as always, Luke got the feeling his sister was in deep denial that either of them could possibly have anything in common with their father.

It was shortly after Leia left that Luke received a message stating Mon Mothma wished to see him as soon as possible. Leia had assured him that the Chief of State had seemed unperturbed the evening before as far as he was concerned, so this unexpected summons was puzzling.

"There is no need to try to explain last night," the New Republic leader began, waving off Luke's attempts at an apology as he took a seat in her office. "I have read your report concerning the events of your imprisonment by the Empire, and your statement of how both the Emperor and Darth Vader perished. It isn't that I don't believe you." Mon Mothma rose and stared out her large window before continuing. "Commander, the galaxy has struggled under the tyranny of the Emperor since before you were born. You must understand that you have become a symbol of hope for all beings, a sign that the Jedi Knighthood is being resurrected. If it is revealed that you were powerless to defeat Palpatine, faith in the Jedi, and in our leadership, would be shaken."

Mon Mothma circled around closer to Luke. "Can you honestly be certain, if you hadn't been present that day in the throne room, that Darth Vader would have still slain his master? That it was not your influence that turned Lord Vader back to the light?"

Luke shook his head in resignation. "No, I..., I can't be certain."

"So you see, Commander, from a certain point of view, you are responsible for the downfall of Emperor Palpatine."

Certain point of view. Certain point of view. Does my whole life revolve around a certain point of view? Luke kept his thoughts to himself as Mon Mothma continued.

"That Lord Vader sacrificed his own life to destroy Palpatine is regrettable, but do you actually believe that he would have ever been accepted into the Alliance's good graces? Luke..." Mon Mothma laid a hand on his shoulder in a motherly fashion. "The populace would have demanded he be put on trial for the atrocities he committed, no matter how much he repented in the end. I don't believe he would have been allowed to live."

"But his memory—" Luke began.

"His memory, his legacy, will live on in you, Commander." Mon Mothma gave him a cryptic smile.

Luke's eyes widened in surprise. Does she know? Or is she merely referring to the legacy of the Jedi?

"Now, Commander, I did not call you in here to discuss last evening." Mon Mothma returned to her seat behind her desk. "We have been soliciting the planet Lorrd, in the Kanz Sector, to join the Alliance for some time now. They have mineral resources unique to their planet that would be valuable in our effort to rebuild. Lorrd's government, however, has been rather reluctant to commit to an accord with us. For some reason, they have trouble believing our sincerity." Mon Mothma gave Luke another enigmatic smile. "I'm sure at this point you're wondering what all this has to do with you."

"It had crossed my mind."

"The Lorrdians have always had a great deal of respect for the Jedi order. They have agreed to meet with a Jedi, and only a Jedi." The leader steepled her fingers together. "Hence, we are sending you to Lorrd to conduct negotiations for their inclusion into the New Republic."

A mixture of confusion and denial crossed Luke's face. "Madame President, begging your pardon, but I'm not a diplomat."

"In this case, Commander, you will be. Many of the Jedi of the Old Republic served as ambassadors for the Senate and for individual planets."

Mon Mothma's tone of voice didn't seem to leave any room for discussion. Luke pursed his lips in thought. "Who will be accompanying me on this mission? Leia?"

"No, Commander. You will be going alone. We will brief you this afternoon on everything you need to know."

Mon Mothma rose in an obvious dismissal of Luke, but he hesitated.

"Madame President, I request to be allowed to bring someone with me on this mission."

"Commander, I have stated that the Lorrdians will only meet with a Jedi. To bring anyone else with you could only be detrimental to the negotiations."

"Not if I bring another Jedi," Luke countered.

"Another Jedi?" Even Mon Mothma's cool demeanor was shaken. "I was unaware there were any other Jedi." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Of whom are you speaking?"

"Mara Jade," Luke answered simply.

"The dancer from the Emperor's court? The one who escaped with you? Commander, please." Her expression turned to one of disbelief. "You expect me to accept that Mara Jade is all of a sudden a Jedi?"

Luke stood his ground. "She is extremely strong in the Force, and she has become my apprentice. I believe this would be a beneficial learning experience for her."

"I see." Mon Mothma studied him a few moments. "Very well, Commander, she will be allowed to accompany you. Do you wish her to attend your mission briefing?"

"No, that won't be necessary. I can fill her in on the way. We will need a larger ship than my X-wing, though."

"Of course. I shall have my aide requisition a shuttle." Mon Mothma rose and walked toward the door, evidently dismissing Luke before he had a chance to make any more requests. "Commander," she added as he exited, "I expect you to return with a signed pact."

"I shall do my very best."

As the door shut behind him, Luke's shoulders slumped despondently. Was he crazy? Had he completely lost all common sense? Five minutes ago he felt as if something, or someone, was urging him to insist on Mara's inclusion in this mission. It was almost like a prodding from the Force. Now this feeling completely abandoned him. If she ever found out he was going around calling her his apprentice... well, he'd better start making out a will.

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

That afternoon, Mara Jade received an official communiqué from the office of Mon Mothma. It stated that her presence was required on a diplomatic mission, departure scheduled for oh-six-hundred the next morning, Alliance hanger bay number sixteen. At first, Mara thought there must be some mistake. It was her name at the top of the orders, but she was not a member of their Alliance. How in blazes could they send her on a mission?

Well, she would just refuse. That's all there was to it.

Later that evening, Mara was once more staring at the datapad containing the mission orders as she sat alone at her small dining table, munching on a simple dinner of voncrab sticks. No, they couldn't just order her around, and yet... she had wanted to get away from Coruscant. Away from... him. She had obstinately avoided Luke all day at squadron headquarters, which turned out to be surprisingly easy. He had been tied up in classified meetings half the day, and out on patrol the other half. During the one instance that she had to obtain his signature on a requisition, he made a showy pretext of being preoccupied and gave her only a grunted acknowledgement.

So, perhaps this mission was an opportunity she should not pass up. She would get passage off the planet, at the Alliance's expense. She certainly had more than adequate training to complete any type of diplomatic assignment. If this so-called mission were not to her liking, she would simply disappear after reaching her destination.

Mara curled one leg underneath her and let her gaze wander around her small apartment. She sure wouldn't miss this place if she never returned. Maybe the new Supply Coordinator would move in here. He or she could struggle with the stubborn room-darkening controls of the common room's single window -- the same window near which Luke had broken down in despair only the night before. He or she could grumble in annoyance at the numerous lumps in the tattered old couch -- the same couch where Luke had declared her to be his best friend.

Mara bit her lip sharply, ignoring the twinge of pain. She refused to capitulate to sentimentality. She'd leave everything here behind -- even the dejarik set that she and Luke had rescued from his former site of confinement in the palace. The new tenant would probably buy more furniture to occupy the open space behind the couch -- the space she'd purposely left vacant to give her and Luke more room to practice lightsaber drills... No! She WOULD NOT dwell on all the hours they'd spent in this forlorn little apartment, oblivious to how shabby it was because they focused only on each other. She would not think about the fact that Luke had been the only guest to ever enter her quarters -- the only person to make her laugh, the only man she ever daydreamed about, the only...

Abruptly pushing her chair back from the table, the former Imperial assassin scraped her half-eaten dinner into the disposal unit. Why did he have to go and lose his temper last night? Why did she berate him so harshly? Why did she even suggest they go out at all, knowing how fragile his psyche had been? They could have stayed right here -- sitting on that despicable couch, looking out that murky window, reveling in each other's warm presence and unadulterated friendship. Mara swiped at a speck of moisture in the corner of her eye. She would leave tomorrow, and she wouldn't look back. Looking back could only bring heartache, and the Emperor's Hand would not succumb to anything as trivial as heartache.

Mara Jade collapsed onto her shabby couch, and wept.

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

Shortly before her departure time the next morning, Mara entered the sprawling building that housed bays numbered fifteen through twenty. She recognized it as headquarters for Gray Squadron, a B-wing group. Luke had taken her on an extensive tour of all the fighter group hangers, but this was the first time she had ventured anywhere by herself, save for the Rogues' base of operations. Apparently the young corporal posted at the entrance had been informed of her expected arrival, as she was waved in immediately.

Mara found her way to Bay Sixteen, carrying one small satchel. She figured she would buy anything else she needed on arrival at her destination, charging it to the Alliance, of course. As she walked among the battle-scarred fighters, she stopped short. There was no mistaking the presence she felt. She found him halfway up a service ladder, doing pre-flight checks on a modified B-wing.

"Finally felt like chucking the old X-wing, Skywalker?" Mara kept her voice carefully neutral, resolutely pushing aside her turbulent feelings for her estranged friend -- feelings that had kept her awake all night.

"Temporarily," he said solemnly, glancing down at her bag. She decided to save him the trouble of asking.

"I was supposed to go on some kind of mysterious mission for Mon Mothma." Mara looked around the bay. "But I don't see any shuttle. And I thought sure my contact would be here to meet me."

Luke descended to the hanger's duracrete floor, clearing his throat uncomfortably. "He's here."

Mara scanned the area once more. "Where?"

"Here," came the answer, even softer this time.

Mara's eyes widened in disbelieving shock. "You?! You're my contact?! Don't tell me you're going on this mission, too?"

There was no answer.

"Skywalker..."

"You told me not to tell you."

Mara's eyes blazed at his insolence.

"I was ordered to go." Luke raised his voice a notch. "Wasn't my idea."

Mara fumed at this turn of events. Her resolve never to return to Coruscant had crumbled sometime during the middle of the night. But she had been anticipating a few weeks apart, giving them both time to reassess just where their relationship stood.

"Now I suppose you're going to tell me we have to fly in this cramped bucket of bolts." She waved at the B-wing in disgust.

"You shouldn't ask things if you don't want to hear the answer." Luke met Mara's glare with one of his own, then softened slightly. "We'll be departing in a few minutes. You can find a flightsuit in the locker room," he said, nodding toward a nearby hallway. He held out one hand to take her satchel. She shoved the bag into his hand, then stalked off in search of a flightsuit. Luke shook his head in resignation. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

Mara soon returned and studied the forlorn look on Luke's face. He didn't seem to be looking forward to this assignment any more than she did.

Luke started to reach his hand out, as if to touch her arm, then seemed to have second thoughts and pulled it back. Mara was both relieved and disappointed in the same instant.

"Mara," he began, "I'm sorry. For the other night. I..."

Mara held up a hand to silence him. Luke's dramatic, earnest, apologies always grated on her nerves. Especially when she knew deep down that she ought to be the one making amends. "Skywalker, look,..." She expelled a quick breath. "I said my piece on the subject, and I don't feel like rehashing it here. Can we just get going?"

Luke nodded silently, handing her a helmet as she climbed up the ladder and plopped heavily into the front gunner's seat. He clambered into the rear and requested clearance for departure. He'd find a way to bring up the subject again. It was a long way to Lorrd and back.

"So, do I get to know where we're going? Or is it some state secret?" Mara didn't try to hide the sarcasm in her voice. This was the first either of them had spoken since they'd left Coruscant three hours earlier, and the tension in Mara had been building by the nanosecond.

"Lorrd," came the soft voice from the rear of the double cockpit.

"What?! That's a three-day trip! They expect me to spend three days cooped up with..." Mara caught herself, changing gears midsentence. "... in this crate?"

"No, say it. Three days with me."

Mara blew out a breath, taking some measure of satisfaction in his sullen tone of voice. "So what is our mission, really? Rescue some Rebel prisoner?"

She heard a low chuckle. "And put him where? In the storage compartment? Or will he ride back on your lap?"

His sardonic reply was not putting her in a better mood. "Well, what then? Espionage? Blow up some warlord's secret hideout?"

A small datapad was tossed over her shoulder onto her lap.

"What's this?"

"Mission directives."

Mara began scanning the document. "Membership agreement..., mineral rights..., bargaining concessions... This is all political mumbo-jumbo!"

"Yep."

Mara tried to turn around in the confines of her seat, but couldn't see past the high headrest. "They're sending US? You and me? On a diplomatic mission?"

"Yep."

"Is that all you can say?"

"Isn't much else to say. Told you it wasn't my idea."

Mara shook her head in frustration, already tired of the heavy flight helmet. "How about -- why us? Why not your sister, or some other treaty hacker? And how come we don't have a decent shuttle? You're too much of a pushover, you know that?"

Luke let her vent all she wanted. He felt exactly the same way. "I don't know 'why us.' Something about the Lorrdians will only talk with... Force-strong individuals." He wasn't about to say the word Jedi. That would be enough of an issue when they reached their destination. "And supposedly there weren't any shuttles available. I guess because I go on long trips in my X-wing, no one thought it would be a problem."

"No one but me."

"I'll teach you how to put yourself in a hibernation trance."

"Oh, goody. I can hardly wait." Mara lapsed back into seething silence, and Luke didn't feel inclined to interrupt her.

Several hours later, Mara was trying to go to sleep, but all she could hear were the sounds of Luke shifting every which way in his stiff vinyl seat.

"You're doing a lot of squirming back there," she called over her shoulder.

"So write me up on report -- squirming while on duty."

"Don't you have some Force technique for ignoring discomfort?"

"Apparently not an effective enough one."

Mara brooded awhile longer, gaining some gratification that this mission was bothering the usually stoic Jedi Knight as much as it was her. She turned her head, listening. He seemed to be reciting something.

"What are you mumbling about?"

"Jedi Code."

Code? They have a code? "Does it help?"

"Not so far."

"Say it louder. I want to hear this."

Luke sighed, then began again. "There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity—"

"No emotion? No passion?" Mara interrupted, her voice incredulous. "What kind of passion are we talking about here? Romantic passion?"

"I... uh..."

"Do you even know?" she taunted. "Jedi aren't expected to be celibate, are they?" She was glad Luke couldn't see the sudden frown that crossed her face.

Luke forced a laugh. "Of course not. I'm in trouble if that's what it means." He resisted the urge to feel under his helmet to see if his ears were growing pointed, like the mythical sprite in the children's story who was caught telling lies.

"Do you get to add lines?" Mara was saying.

"Huh?"

"There are no cramped muscles, there is relaxation. There are no sore behinds, there is a comfy pilot's couch..."

Luke chuckled in spite of himself, then joined in. "There is no hunger, there are delicious space rations..."

They amused themselves for the next hour, making up silly lines, each trying to outdo the other. Luke pushed the thought that what they were doing was blasphemous to the back of his mind. She was talking to him again. They were having fun. Maybe it hadn't been a bad idea to bring her along, after all.

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

By the middle of the second day of their journey, both Luke and Mara were tired, cramped, and cranky. Using the crude waste receptacles only while the other was sleeping proved awkward, and Luke's attempts at teaching Mara some Jedi relaxation techniques turned out to be anything but relaxing.

It was Mara's discovery that the piloting controls at her station had been disabled that served to fuel her growing indignation, however.

"It's just that only pilots who are rated for B-wings are allowed to fly them," Luke wearily tried to explain. "It's nothing personal against you."

"Oh, sure," Mara spat sarcastically. "I suppose if Her Highness, your sister, had been the one coming along, she'd be sitting here helpless like me?"

"You're not helpless," Luke muttered. That was the last adjective he'd ever use to describe Mara Jade. "Look, you've got access to the most powerful weapons on any Alliance fighter. If they didn't trust you, those would have been switched off, too."

"Can I swivel them around to shoot at the seat behind me?" Mara said with a smirk. Though he did have a point -- the weapons array was intriguingly impressive. With any luck, she'd have a chance to use them. Hmmmm... "If we happen upon some asteroids, can I take some target practice?" she asked hopefully.

"Well..." Luke bit his bottom lip, contemplating her request. He wouldn't mind some target practice himself. It sure would break the monotony. "As a matter of fact, we'll be dropping out of hyperspace in a few minutes for a course change, because..." he paused dramatically, "there's an asteroid field we have to navigate around."

Mara couldn't believe it -- Mr. 'Never Break the Rules' was going to loosen up and let them have some fun. Her fingers were already itching to rip loose and shoot something.

Luke watched the countdown display for realspace conversion, and the star lines shrank into pinpricks of light. He grinned to himself as the predicted chunks of rock floated lazily in the distance.

"No proton torpedoes," he cautioned, imagining Ackbar skinning his hide if they came back with all the torpedoes missing.

"Spoilsport," Mara snipped, quickly deploying the S-foils into combat position. Her ion cannons were already blasting away as soon as Luke maneuvered within firing range. The pair spent nearly two hours trying out every kind of armament the B-wing carried -- laser cannons, ion cannons, targeting lasers, auto blasters -- everything except the valuable torpedoes. The complex gyro-stabilization system creaked with the effort of keeping pace with the sudden maneuvers its Force-strong wielders were putting it through.

Luke smiled as an exuberant "Yahoo!" sounded from the front of the cockpit. This was a great stress reliever, no doubt about it. It wasn't that Luke didn't have any misgivings concerning their impromptu assault exercises; he justified them by deciding it could be crucial in the future to know how the ship would respond with a Jedi at the controls. Somehow, targeting asteroids was much more satisfying to him now than the exhilaration he could still remember feeling when he blasted his first TIE fighter a lifetime ago, from the belly turret of the Millenium Falcon.

But, all good things must come to an end, and it wouldn't look good for him to be late arriving at Lorrd, either.

"Okay, hotshot." Luke smiled to himself at the opportunity to call someone else by the nickname he was so often labeled with. "We need to leave some for the next bored wayfarers coming this way."

Mara let out a relaxed sigh. She felt a hundred percent better now, and couldn't imagine anything happening in the next few hours to ruin her good mood.

Luke folded the airfoils back into cruising position, keyed in the pre-programmed jump coordinates, and pushed the hyperdrive lever forward. "All righty, next stop..." The rest of his statement, however, was cut off by a dull groan in the engine beneath them.

"What was that?!" Mara snapped, her 'good mood' evaporating in an instant.

"I'm not sure," Luke replied honestly, though he had a familiar 'really bad feeling' about what could be wrong.

"We're not moving, Skywalker."

"How observant you are," Luke retorted dryly, checking all the diagnostic controls and wishing, not for the first time, that B-wings were configured to hold astromechs. He held his breath as he optimistically tried the hyperdrive lever again. Only silence filled the motionless ship.

"Blast it!" Luke bit out, fiddling with the controls once more.

"Surely you can come up with better cursing than that, Farmboy."

"Be my guest." He resisted the urge to just reach out and bang something, which was Han's usual first approach to ship repair.

"Well?" Mara huffed. "You can fix it, can't you?"

"Sure, if we can land. I'm not familiar enough with B-wings to even attempt a hyperdrive repair EV," Luke admitted.

Mara made an exaggerated gesture of pointing out through the canopy. "Why look, I think I spot a shipyard just off the port bow."

"You're not helping matters," Luke muttered, frustration building inside him.

"You're the one got us into this mess," Mara shot back.

"Me?! I didn't ask for this over-rated spinning top. I'd much rather be in my X-wing, with only Artoo for company. In fact, I'd already be on Lorrd if I were in my own ship."

"And I'd rather be on a luxury yacht, bound for some resort planet, alone. I didn't ask to come along on this Sith-forsaken trip."

Luke voice softened. "I know you didn't." He began accessing the ship's navigational charts. This would be so much easier with Artoo.

"So?" Mara continued impatiently. "Where are we? What's closest?"

"We're at the edge of the Crestar Nebula. The charts show a couple of planets on the other side of the cluster, both amended with an 'unexplored' status warning." Luke checked another grid. "The closest one will take us three days at sub-light." He grimaced to himself. "In fact, the data on the whole nebula looks pretty sketchy."

"Can't you raise Coruscant on the comm? Let them come out here and rescue our behinds."

"I've tried; all I get is static. We must be getting interference from the nebula." Luke adjusted the comm control. "I'll try to get through to Lorrd."

The crackling static was only slightly less intrusive. " ...orrd Spaceport ...thority..." came the broken reply.

Luke again reached down to modulate the frequency. "This is Commander Luke Skywalker of the New Republic. Please advise Regent Ke'lor that I will be detained due to a ship malfunction." Luke paused, trying to discern the answering crackle.

"I repeat, this is Commander Luke Skywalker of the New Republic. Please advise Regent Ke'lor I will be delayed..." Luke hesitated, calculating in his head, "seven to ten days due to ship malfunction. I send my apologies. Do you copy?"

"... 'kywalker. ...orrd ....out."

"Skywalker, out." He switched off the noisy comm. "Well, sounds like they got the message. At least I think so."

"Why don't we just move away from the nebula, and call again?" Mara griped. Did she have to make all the decisions?

"Which will put us in the opposite direction of where we know there's a planet," Luke pointed out. Even at sub-light speed, he'd rather be going somewhere, than just sitting dead in space waiting. "Look, if we can land, I can fix the hyperdrive, and we'll be on our way." And no one would rib him about needing 'rescuing.'

"Fine, have it your way, Commander," she drawled, dragging out his title in the most derogatory manner she could manage. "Just point us in the right direction, and let me fume in peace."

"Gladly," Luke grumbled to himself. Though the idea of Mara Jade doing anything 'peacefully' seemed as remote as getting heat stroke on Hoth.

Eighteen hours and several more inevitable arguments later, Luke slowed the engine to an abrupt halt.

"Now what?" Mara shot over her shoulder. "We haven't gone nearly far enough to reach your 'unexplored' planet."

"I know, but..." Luke paused, brow furrowed in concentration. "I have a feeling... I think there's something closer." He adjusted the long-range scanner.

"So now we're going to wander around based on some elusive 'Skywalker' feeling." Mara gave a loud derisive snort. "I hope you realize how lucky you are I can't reach back far enough to—"

"I found something," he interrupted. "Scanners show a small planetary mass at heading two-one-nine-point-seven."

"And it wasn't on the charts?" Mara scowled, wishing more navigational equipment had been installed on her own console.

"No," Luke replied, an offended tone coloring his voice. "When they said this nebula was unexplored, they weren't kidding."

Luke adjusted the ship's heading, and two sets of eyes strained into the inky blackness of space until a tiny green orb came into view. A solitary sun showed they were approaching the dayside of the planet.

As they flew in close to the largest land mass several hours later, Luke and Mara could make out dense forests and snow-capped mountains.

"Over there!" Mara shouted excitedly as they descended. "I see buildings! Head that way."

"What do you think I'm doing!" Luke growled back, already noting life form readings on his scanners. As he piloted the ship in search of a landing spot, a heavy windstorm began buffeting the tiny craft.

"Hold it steady!" Mara began shouting orders. "Get below the storm! Land this crate!"

Luke gripped the control stick tightly in a vain effort to combat the increasingly strong gusts, muttering to himself about 'front seat drivers.' He was glad she hadn't been along the first time he landed on Dagobah.

"What?" Mara shouted above the roar of the wind, which could be heard even in their sealed cockpit.

"I said, B-wings aren't designed for maneuverability in atmosphere."

"Just land, Farmboy!"

"Where? There's nothing but forest below us!" Luke's patience had run out long ago, along with his hopes of landing safely.

"Then go back up!" Mara couldn't believe this was happening. What in the galaxy possessed her to accept this mission? She should've turned around and ran as soon as she saw who the pilot was. "Get above the storm!"

"I thought you wanted near the village!" Could women never make up their minds? "I don't read any other concentration of life forms for hundreds of kilometers."

The words were hardly out of Luke's mouth when a loud snap sounded just below his seat. Almost immediately the primary wing began swinging erratically at the mercy of the relentless wind.

Luke didn't even try to make out the string of undecipherable curses coming from the gunner's seat. He no longer had a choice -- one way or another, they were going down.

They both spotted the tiny clearing at the same time -- an oasis of rocky, uneven ground near the base of a tree-covered mountainside. Luke frantically deliberated how he could set the craft down without snapping off any wings. While B-wings were configured to land on flat surfaces with a skilled pilot at the helm, even Threepio would be appalled at the odds of doing so with a damaged stabilizer.

Luckily the S-foil wings were still folded in, their normal position for non-combat space flight. But that would be little consolation if the whole primary airfoil slammed into the ground. The long flat wing had to be held horizontal to the ground, somehow... Luke bit his lip, concentrating. He had lifted his X-wing more than once. This was just one wing. One large, heavy wing slightly longer than his own beloved ship. He closed his eyes, summoning the welcome power of the Force. He could do this. He had to.

"What are you doing back there, sleeping?!" Mara's urgent screeching broke through his reverie as the hillside loomed closer. "Do something!"

"Join with me." Luke's calm voice was in stark contrast to hers.

"What?!" The Jedi had lost it. No doubt about it, he'd gone off the deep end. "Join you in what, the afterlife?"

"The Force, Mara. Help me hold up the wing with the Force."

Mara stared out the cockpit window as the recalcitrant wing swung into view, then just as quickly vanished below.

"You're crazy, Skywalker. It's too big."

"Size matters not," he murmured, as the wing once more rose in a position perpendicular to the occupants of the cockpit. This time, however, it stayed in its upswing position. Mara could feel the powerful surging of the Force through Luke as he held the enormous wing in place, while at the same time lowering the ship closer to the ground.

Without further hesitation, Mara joined her Force sense with Luke's in his desperate task. Instantly she felt the flash of his gratitude as together they held up the heavy wing. The fighter lowered slowly on its repulsors, finally settling to the ground with a dull thud.

Mara sat motionless in her seat, releasing the pent-up breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. They'd done it! Admittedly, Luke's contribution had far surpassed hers, but could he have held the wing long enough by himself? Both his weariness and his relief were palpable through the Force.

Abruptly, Mara yanked off her helmet and unsnapped her harness. Then, turning around in the cramped cockpit, she knelt on her seat and peered around the high headrest. Luke was removing his own helmet. Letting it fall to his lap, he raised tired eyes and gave her a weak smile. Sweat-drenched hair clung to his forehead.

Pushing damp strands of hair out of her own eyes, Mara inhaled his Force presence and let it fill her. Craving his physical touch, she pulled off a glove and extended her right hand around the backrest.

Luke exhaled slowly, watching as Mara's palm began reaching out toward him. Ever since they first met, deep in an Imperial detention cell, they'd shared a bond that neither of them could explain. A bond that intensified with physical contact. Leaning forward, Luke removed his own flight gloves and raised his left hand to meet hers. As their fingers intertwined, a familiar warmth and comfort flowed between them, soothing their spirits in ways mere words never could. They remained that way for what seemed an eternity, but in reality was only a few minutes.

Almost as if by mutual consent, they pulled apart at the same time. Luke turned aside to check a monitor.

"Atmosphere's breathable."

Mara nodded, then popped open the plasteel canopy. Soon they were both on the ground, assessing what repairs were needed. And, as always, they were soon engaged in a rapidly escalating argument.

"What do you know about fixing stabilizers, or hyperdrives, for that matter?" Mara groused. "Artoo fixes everything you manage to break."

"I know plenty. I've worked on lots of ships. I used to spend hours overhauling my skyhopper back home, and I've helped repair the Falcon enough times."

Luke was weary, frustrated, and nearly out of patience with Mara's harping at him. It seemed she was going out of her way to antagonize him, almost like she was afraid to get too close to him emotionally.

"Tinkering with those flying scrap piles doesn't count," she retaliated. "And it sure doesn't mean you can fix a B-wing."

"And just how much do you know about B-wings, huh? You know how to recalibrate a power flux connector on a Slayn and Korpil hyperdrive motivator?"

Mara returned his taunts with a glare that would have caused a rancor to cower. "I've been trained to repair a dozen different hyperdrives. I could figure this one out," she growled.

"When? Before we turn thirty?" His tolerance had completely dissipated by now. "Look, I can fix ANYTHING, and I'M GOING TO FIX THIS!" Luke gestured wildly toward the grounded craft, ignoring her strangled choke of contempt at his egotistical boasting. "You hike to that village we spotted and try to get a replacement part for this broken stabilizer rod." He shoved the snapped rod into her hand. "I'll stay here and repair the hyperdrive. And I'll work on rigging a substitution for the rod, just in case you can't manage your assignment."

Mara was livid. "MY ASSIGNMENT! Who put you in charge?!"

"The Alliance, that's who. This is MY mission and my ship, and I'm the commander here."

"It is not YOUR ship!" Mara seethed.

"It's signed out to me, which makes me responsible for it."

"And a fine job you're doing of that, aren't you?" Mara retorted, poking him in the chest.

Luke shook his head and whirled back to the open repair hatch. "Just get going, will ya? The longer we stand here arguing, the longer it's gonna take to get off this rock."

"Fine. I'm leaving. At least I'll have peace and quiet for a few days," Mara shot back, as she reached into a storage compartment for a survival pack.

"Me, too," Luke answered, but the fire had gone out of his voice.

He watched as Mara slipped the pack onto her back and checked her blaster. She glanced up at him. "Guess I'm ready." Luke nodded, but didn't answer. "So I'll be out of your hair for awhile," she added, trying to get some kind of response out of him. What she got wasn't quite what she was expecting.

Luke took a step toward her, wiping his hands on a rag. "Take care, Mara. We don't know a thing about this planet, and I wouldn't want anything... Well, just be careful."

"I will," she replied cautiously. His mood had certainly changed gears in a hurry. "I should be back in about a week."

"I'll be here," he murmured.

"I'll check in from the village, to let you know whether or not I can find the right part." For some reason, Mara found her feet rooted to the ground, strangely reluctant to leave him. "You have my comlink frequency?"

"I've got it," Luke acknowledged. He glanced back at his repairs. "I should get back to work, I suppose."

"Yeah. See ya," Mara said quietly as she turned to leave, pulling her eyes away from his profile, his upper body hidden within the repair shaft. "You take care, too," she practically whispered.

Without turning around, Luke raised one hand in farewell, the only indication that he had heard her.

========================================================================== 

Mixed emotions swirling through her, Mara plodded along the rocky ground for hours. While she and Luke had not spent every day together since their escape from the Emperor's palace two months ago, this would be the first time they'd be apart for as long as a week. She had gotten used to having him around. His warm presence was such a welcome change from Palpatine's cold darkness. What in the galaxy had made her even consider fleeing Coruscant -- stealing away without so much as saying goodbye to him. She could imagine the hurt look on his face if she had cut and run while on this mission. No matter how much they argued or complained or taunted, there was an undeniable connection between them -- a connection of friendship and loyalty that neither of them would willingly sever.

She almost reached out through the Force to him, just for reassurance that he was still there, but stopped. She had finally acquired a semblance of independence, and she wasn't about to let it appear that she needed him. Mara Jade -- ex-assassin, ex-Emperor's Hand -- needed no one.

Yes, you do, a small voice said. You need him. And he needs you.

Mara automatically started to refute what her conscience was telling her, then paused. Okay, maybe that last part was true. He did need her. He needed someone to keep him on the right path -- the pathway of light. Luke had demonstrated that unquestioningly at the Ranat Roost. And who better to guide him than she, who had ample experience with dark siders, and who could feel the dark side building inside him before he ever opened his mouth or raised a hand. It would be a challenge and a heavy responsibility, but she could do it. Mara smiled to herself as she resumed her trek. In fact, it could easily be a lifelong commitment.

Luke kept at his task until nearly dark, his hands tugging at the recalcitrant stabilizer components, but his mind many kilometers away. What in the galaxy had possessed him to snap at her that way? Frustration at this blasted ship? Embarrassment that he hadn't magically been able to fix everything immediately? Annoyance that they'd been sent on this unwanted mission, anyway?

Leaning back, Luke tossed his hydrospanner into the toolkit. He'd finished the repairs to the hyperdrive several hours ago, but he had no doubts about his inability to restore the gyro-stabilizer to working condition without that rod. He could only hope Mara would somehow find a replacement. Wiping his brow on his sleeve, he sighed and looked up at the sky. Clouds obscured any star sightings, and thunder rumbled in the far distance. The wind picked up as he walked around the perimeter of the area, stretching his stiff muscles. A storm was coming, and soon.

After packing up his tools and supplies, Luke walked back to the ship. Just as he climbed into the cockpit, raindrops were starting to fall, splattering loudly against the canopy. He settled into the pilot's chair, munching on a ration bar. As they had all day, his thoughts centered on Mara. Luke hoped she had time to erect a shelter before the storm hit. He regretted sending her out after that rod. He should have gone himself; then she could be here in the dry, albeit cramped, cockpit. It wasn't like he was making any headway on completing all the repairs. Even his attempts at boosting the comm signal proved fruitless.

Luke chewed slowly on the ration bar, not even noticing how tasteless it was. They could have both gone to the village. At least they'd be together. Face it, Skywalker, you miss her already. Against his better judgement, Luke reached out with the Force. Mara's emotions came through loud and clear -- tired, wet, hungry, annoyed.

*Mara?* he sent tentatively. *Are you all right?*

*I've been better,* came her curt reply. It still amazed her that they could converse through the Force like this. Sure, Palpatine talked to her from across the galaxy. But that was Palpatine. Luke wasn't nearly that powerful. Was he?

*Why haven't you put up your shelter yet?*

*What are you, my mother?*

Luke rolled his eyes, letting his breath out through pursed lips. *I was just concerned about you.*

*Well, don't be. Just worry about those ship repairs. I'll be fine.*

*If you say so.* Luke paused. *'night, Mara.*

It took Mara a moment to reply. *'night, Luke.* She quickly cut their connection. Blast him, she could never stay angry with him.

Mara held her glow rod out in front of her. The light was fading rapidly, and the rain was beginning to fall harder. She really needed to stop for the night. So why was she still trudging forward? Because the sooner she got to the village, the sooner she could return to the ship. No, not the ship. To him.

Luke felt Mara cut their link. All day he had tried to keep thoughts of her out of his mind, concentrating instead on his repair work. But now he found he could think of nothing else.

What kind of relationship did he and Mara have, really? Yes, they were friends. Best friends, if she hadn't revoked that status after the debacle at the tapcafe. But, deep down, he knew in his heart that he wanted to be more than just friends. Memories of the closeness they'd shared before his father's death kept surfacing. Though neither of them ever ventured to bring up those experiences, he was sure she'd been as attracted to him then as he was to her. If her feelings had changed, why hadn't she already left Coruscant, while she was still free of suspicion? True, he'd covered for her alias as a former dancer. Heck, he'd helped her concoct a good portion of the story she'd told Mon Mothma. Not the most Jedi-like thing to do, and it sure wouldn't bode well with the New Republic if it were discovered he was harboring the identity of an Imperial assassin.

He had really expected Mara to flee the first chance she got. But she had stayed. Stayed with him, it could only be said, as she interacted very little with anyone else. So why had their relationship regressed -- if you could call what they had a 'relationship'? Was he to blame? And why had he felt as though the Force had called him to bring Mara along on this mission?

Too many questions; too few answers. Luke closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the firm headrest. Perhaps a good night's rest would bring him some of those answers. He drifted off to sleep, lulled by the raindrops pattering overhead.

Mara stumbled along in the dark, finding it harder and harder to keep her footing on the sloping hillsides. A bolt of lightening lit up her surroundings, showing that the forest was getting denser. By her calculations, it was nearly dawn. She hadn't stopped for the night like she should have; instead, she had pushed herself past the point of exhaustion. And so it was that she didn't feel her danger sense go off until she stumbled over a vine and found herself tumbling down a steep embankment.

Mara sent out a desperate plea through the Force before blackness overtook her -- *Luke! Help me!*

Luke shifted uncomfortably in the barely padded pilot's seat, drifting between sleep and wakefulness.

*Luke! Help me!*

He jolted upright, banging his head against the canopy, the cry for aid resonating in his mind. Had he been dreaming?

*Mara?* he sent out. *Mara! Are you all right?!*

No answer. He stretched out through the Force, feeling for her presence, but got nothing. Luke fumbled for his comlink, turning on the cockpit lighting so he could make sure it was turned to their agreed-upon frequency.

"Mara! Mara! Can you hear me?!" He knew he was shouting, but he didn't care. "Mara! Answer me!"

Luke popped the canopy, stood, and was immediately assaulted by a cold brisk wind. *Mara, answer me!* he sent once more. Logic told him she could be sleeping, but his gut told him that wasn't the case. Besides, he was familiar with how her soothing presence felt to him when she slept.

He forced back his growing panic, relaxed, and let the Force fill him. Its power throbbed through him like waves crashing upon a shore. He stretched out again, blocking out the other life in the countryside -- the animals, the birds, the microscopic organisms.

Finally, there it was. Just a tendril of the Force, but Luke clung to it like a Corellian limpet clings to a starship. It was his lifeline to her. She was alive, but unconscious.

Jumping out of the cockpit in one fluid motion, Luke grabbed a survival pack and secured the ship. Still holding on to that sliver of the Force from Mara, he began to run. He wasn't sure how far she could have gotten, or even if she had stopped for the night. She was stubborn enough to try to keep going without sleep. Which meant she could be that much farther away from him.

Luke increased his pace. He had a feeling he had no time to spare.

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

Luke had been running for most of the day, oblivious to fatigue. He was glad it was no longer raining. Not that it would have slowed him down, but the thought of Mara lying out in the pouring rain... They'd come too far, endured too much together, for him to lose her now.

He pushed onward, feeling Mara's barely perceptible presence slowly growing nearer. He called out to her several times, but apparently she was still unconscious.

Luke finally stopped shortly before dusk to get his bearings. She was close now, very close. He walked forward perhaps ten meters and came to the edge of a steep drop-off. The essence of Mara's presence was so strong here it was nearly tangible -- exhaustion, surprise, panic. Pain. Peering down through the gloom, he could just make out a spot of dull orange. No!

He found her in a crumpled heap, lying in a shallow impression half filled with rainwater. Luke gently lifted her head, pushing her dirty, tangled hair away from her still face. He checked for broken bones, and was relieved to find none, though her left ankle looked swollen.

"C'mon, Mara. Talk to me."

Her skin felt frozen; her lips were blue. Though her flightsuit was water-repellant, it hadn't been sealed at the collar and wrists, allowing her clothes underneath to be thoroughly soaked. Ice crystals were forming in the folds of the coarse outer material and in the strands of her wet hair.

Luke hadn't even noticed the freezing temperature when he was running. Now he realized the danger -- Mara was almost frozen to death.

"Come back to me, Mara," he whispered in desperation as he clutched her against his body. Picking her up, he surveyed his surroundings. The ground was saturated all around them, and the wind was growing stronger, stinging his face sharply. The tiny one-man shelter in his pack wouldn't offer nearly enough protection from the bitter cold. He had to get her somewhere dry and warm.

Luke closed his eyes and did his best to relax. The Force would guide him. It had to.

He slowly opened his eyes, and turned to the southwest. That way, the Force seemed to whisper.

Snatching up Mara's fallen pack, he set off at a brisk pace. He had walked only a few minutes when something made him stop. Here, came the Force's soothing call. Holding a glow rod out, he shined it all around. A small mammal darted through a growth of underbrush, and Luke saw a stone outcropping, beneath which was an almost hidden indentation in the rock.

Luke pulled a clump of brush away and bent slightly to gain entrance. Waving the glow rod around, he saw that the ground inside was dry and the air was still. Only extending about five meters back, it could barely be called a cave, but it would be more than sufficient to provide them with shelter.

After gently laying Mara's limp body down, Luke pulled out one of their thin survival blankets. Spreading it out on the hard-packed dirt, he moved her on top of it, then retrieved the portable heaters from both their packs and turned them on full power. Luke knew he had to get the wet clothes off Mara to prevent hypothermia, but then what? A search of both packs revealed no spare clothes, and he wasn't sure if two blankets alone would be enough. If only he had thought to bring a dry flightsuit with him from the ship.

Luke glanced down at himself. He did have one dry set of clothes. Even the fatigues he wore underneath shouldn't be too sweaty, as they were made from a special-weave fabric designed for ventilation during long space flights.

His mind made up, Luke shucked off his own boots and flightsuit, then gingerly tugged Mara's boots off and began undoing the fasteners on her sodden jumpsuit. Moving quickly, he pulled it off her nearly frozen body, followed by her shirt and pants. He hesitated a second as he reached her undergarments, then continued on, as they were likewise soaked.

"You can give me a tongue-lashing for this later, Mara," he whispered. "I'll welcome the sound of hearing your voice again."

These were not the circumstances under which he dreamed of seeing her beautiful body, but he had no time to gape now. He peeled off his own tunic and trousers, putting them on her as quickly as possible, followed by his flightsuit. He yanked off his socks and pulled them on her feet, being careful of her ankle, even though he knew she could feel nothing in her unconscious state.

After spreading her clothes out to dry, he sat back on his haunches. There were so many things about the Force he didn't know, but maybe, just maybe...

Pushing her wet hair away from her face and turning her on her side, Luke wrapped the edge of the blanket over her back. He then carefully lay down in front of her, holding her close with one arm as he pulled the second blanket over both of them. Unfortunately, there were too many layers of material between them for his body heat to reach her effectively.

Luke knew many survival guides advocated sharing body heat by skin-to-skin contact. Clearly those guides didn't foresee the danger of an ex-assassin waking up undressed and pressed against a man's similarly unclothed body. Yes, they had slept together in the palace in just their underwear, Luke reflected with fond remembrance, but that was to fool Palpatine. Judging from Mara's testy disposition toward him recently, it was probably best not to take any chances.

Luke breathed out slowly and let the warmth of the Force engulf him. Now if he could just divert that warmth to Mara... He closed his eyes and set to work.

Several hours later, Luke came out of his Force trance. Reaching out mentally to Mara, he could feel her Force signature pulsating strongly. Luke sighed happily to himself. She was going to be fine!

He rose wearily and moved to sit cross-legged nearby, leaning back against the cave wall. It was nearly dawn, and still cold outside, but so far the heaters were holding out. Coupled with the residual effects of his Force-warming, the thermo-heaters were more than enough to stave off the chill from his bare skin.

Closing his eyes, he relaxed and thanked the Force for giving him the strength to help Mara.

Soon afterwards, Mara began to stir. Slowly drifting into consciousness, she tried to clear her muddled thoughts. She felt bundled up in something, and reflexively untangled herself from the blankets.

Mara rubbed her eyes. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was trudging along in the rain, then... falling.

She blinked, and looked around her. A glow rod lay next to a pair of portable heaters. She recognized the latter as the type she carried in her survival pack. But where did the second one come from, and who turned them on?

Mara raised herself up on one elbow to get a better view. She was in some kind of cave. But how did she get here? A sudden thought caused her to pause. She couldn't have managed to get here alone. She reached out with the Force, then froze. Through her foggy mind she could feel another presence.

Stang! Her hold-out blaster was missing. She slowly turned, looking behind her. Someone was sitting there, all right, someone...

"Luke!" Mara cried, as recognition came to her.

Luke opened his eyes and smiled at her. "Hi. Welcome back."

"What happened?" was all Mara could manage to mutter.

"You apparently fell down a hill. You were unconscious when I found you."

Mara digested this. It fit with what little she remembered. She looked up at Luke again, straining to see into the shadows where he sat.

"Where are your clothes?" she blurted out suddenly.

Luke gave a little chuckle. "You're wearing them."

Mara quickly looked down at herself in consternation. "What the...?!"

Mara then noticed her own clothes lying on the other side of the heaters. "You took my clothes off?!"

"They were soaking wet, and you were freezing to death," he hurried to explain. "Mara, believe me, I was rushing to get you into something dry and warm. I didn't... I would never..."

She looked at him intently. "I trust you." If it had been anyone else...

Luke nodded, then crawled over and felt her flightsuit. "Your clothes feel dry. So if you want to change back..."

"Sure, uh..."

Luke looked at her a second, then snagged his boots. "I'll wait outside," he said gallantly.

"All right." Mara stifled a laugh as she observed his attire of undershorts and boots. "Very becoming, Skywalker."

"You know me," he said with a wink. "Always on the cutting edge of fashion."

"Here, at least take this," she said, snatching up one of the blankets and throwing it at him. "I don't want to have to rescue you from freezing. And, uh, Skywalker?"

He paused and waited for her to continue.

"Thanks for the assist."

Luke gave her a warm smile. "You're welcome."

After both of them were redressed and had partaken of their usual ration bar breakfast, they set out for the elusive village. Luke adamantly insisted on accompanying Mara on the rest of her trek, arguing that he'd finished as much of the repair work as he could. They weren't going to be able to take off until they tracked down a new stabilizer rod.

They made their way through the forest, mostly in silence. Mara felt Luke was moving slower than he normally would have, for her benefit, which annoyed her no end and made her more determined than ever to keep up. It was bad enough that she had to lean on the makeshift staff he'd fashioned for her, carved from a sturdy branch by his lightsaber. She did grudgingly take his hand for help up a steep embankment, and chastised herself for feeling disappointed when he let go after reaching the top.

"Ready to take a break?" he asked suddenly.

"No, of course not," she spat, putting on her best indignant look.

"Mara, a few minutes of rest isn't going to matter. It isn't like we're going to go all the way tonight." An alternate meaning for his last sentence sprang unbidden to Luke's mind. He looked sharply at Mara, gratefully noting she seemed to be engrossed in her own thoughts.

I am getting tired, Mara thought. Why not just admit it to him? He won't think any less of me.

She resisted the urge to rub the knotted muscles in her calves. What's he mumbling about now? Mara swore she heard him say something about 'going all the way tonight.' But when she finally looked up at him, he was silent, staring off at nothing, his face an impenetrable mask.

Mara shivered slightly, the temperature beginning to drop as sunset loomed closer. "Let's just keep going. I'm ready to get out of this forsaken wilderness."

"All right," Luke acquiesced without further argument. "Perhaps for another hour, then we'll need to stop and find a place to camp for the night."

Mara grunted an acknowledgment, taking off with a renewed vigor.

"Is this what happened to you last night?" Luke asked after awhile. "You were determined to keep moving long after you should have stopped?" His tone was neither accusatory nor condescending.

"I was doing just fine last night," she retorted. Though obviously the night hadn't turned out 'just fine,' Mara thought with a grimace. "I can't help it that the rocks were slippery in the rain."

"They usually are." Luke turned, cracking a teasing grin.

"I didn't think Jedi were supposed to have smart mouths," she huffed, leaning on her stick a little more heavily.

"Never heard of any rules against it," he replied with a chuckle. "Good thing, too, if you're to become a Jedi."

That remark earned him a whack across the shoulder from her improvised cane.

"Ow! Hey, watch it," he complained.

"I have no intention of becoming a Jedi, and you know it," she snapped.

"All right, all right, I was just kidding," he protested, but Mara detected a twinkle in his eye. "Why don't you take the lead?" he then offered. At her questioning look, he added, "I want to stay out of reach of that new weapon of yours."

After nearly an hour more of walking, during which Luke easily overtook Mara, he called a halt to their trek.

"Here, this looks like a good place," he announced, indicating the small clearing they had entered. Mara looked around, too cold and tired to argue. She noted the inviting bed of pine needles that covered the ground.

"Sure, whatever," she said, dropping to the ground right where she stood.

Luke knew better than to comment on her uncommon complacency. He had felt her fatigue increase as they traveled, and had tried to slow their pace without provoking her ire.

He let his pack fall and scouted out their surroundings. "I don't think we'll find any wood dry enough for a fire," he informed his companion. He proceeded to check the fuel levels on their portable heaters.

"There's only about an hour's worth of fuel left in each one," Luke said. "I'll turn one on now, then switch the other on when the first runs out."

Not receiving any response, Luke looked behind him. Mara still sat in the same spot, eyes closed, apparently asleep.

Luke smiled to himself and pulled the two blankets out of their packs. Laying one hand on her shoulder, he softly called her name. Her eyes flew open, and Luke could just make out their shiny emerald brilliance in the twilight.

"Bedtime," he soothed. "Do you want a ration bar first? Or a drink of water?"

Mara shook her head. "No," she mumbled, lying down on her side and pulling her blanket over herself.

Luke unfolded the second blanket and started to drape it over her also.

"What are you doing?" She raised her head slightly. "That's yours."

"You can use it. I don't need it."

"Don't be ridiculous. Your flightsuit's no warmer than mine. You'll freeze."

"I'll be fine. I can keep warm with the Force."

"So can I," Mara countered. "Keep your blanket," she ordered, in a tone that indicated the discussion was over.

Luke shook his head, tucked the covering under his arm, and circled around to the other side of the heaters. Lying down, he looked across the encampment at his companion. He could tell she was already sound asleep. Rolling on his back, he peered up through the canopy of trees, but clouds continued to hide any view of the stars.

The sounds of small animals scurrying through nearby foliage echoed in Luke's ears, followed by the squawk of a predatory fowl. Luke didn't sense any danger from them, but he felt the reassuring weight of his lightsaber resting against his hip.

Sleep eluded him, and his thoughts turned once more to the woman sleeping a few meters away. Though she was no older than he was, he had thought of Mara as a grown woman ever since he had first met her. It was thinking of himself as a grown man, not a boy, that he was having trouble with. Perhaps it was because Han wouldn't quit calling him 'kid.'

Despite his years with the Rebellion, he still felt like an ignorant Farmboy -- inexperienced and uneducated where galactic affairs were concerned. Mara had been raised at Imperial Court, tutored by preeminent scholars. In an odd sort of way, her upbringing paralleled Leia's. Groomed by the best, following the direction pointed by their master/foster-father.

But Luke didn't begrudge Leia being the one raised as royalty. He felt as uncomfortable as Han did in a dress uniform. He was just able to ignore it better.

All this musing brought him back to his original pondering. Could Mara ever be content with the likes of him? Could she ever... love him? Did he love her? Did he even know what love was? He kept remembering the infatuation he'd had when he first laid eyes on Leia's image. While he was certain Mara was NOT another long-lost sister, could he be sure this was more than another schoolboy crush?

Luke's thoughts were interrupted by the click of the first heater turning off. Rising wearily, he switched on the second machine, knowing it would never last the night. He glanced at Mara's huddled form, then, grabbing his blanket, spread it over her own. Cautiously reaching out, he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She looked so peaceful, so beautiful. No, this was no simple crush he was feeling. This was different. Totally different. The agony he had felt when he first spotted her at the bottom of that ravine still echoed in his heart. He couldn't imagine spending the rest of his life without her.

Returning to his former spot, Luke curled onto his side and fell into a deep sleep.

Nearly two hours later, Mara stirred restlessly. A shiver ran through her, but strangely, she didn't feel very cold. It was as if she was experiencing someone else's... Mara's eyes snapped open in the darkness. She could barely make out Luke's figure through the gloom, but could tell he was no longer covered by a blanket. A quick check confirmed her suspicion -- she wore both coverings. Blast him!

Mara rose to return the survival blanket to Luke, or perhaps strangle him with it, she wasn't sure which. But as she crouched next to him, hearing the rhythm of his quiet breathing, the hostility drained out of her. She knew in her heart he wasn't being patronizing when he did kind things for her. He was just being himself. If she gave him back his blanket, she'd most likely wake up in the morning to find them both on her once more.

There was one solution to this, of course. And it wasn't as if they'd never shared the same coverings before. In fact, she had a sneaking suspicion he'd lain by her the previous night. Maybe he'd stay sleeping and wouldn't even notice.

Silently, Mara lay down on her left side facing Luke, drawing both covers up to their chins. After a few moments, he stirred slightly, and Mara felt him move his right arm down to cradle her head next to his. His flightsuit was partially unzipped, and his left hand was tucked inside the opening. Trying not to disturb him, Mara slipped one hand in on top of his.

Although the tempo of his breathing never changed, Luke's right hand curved down around Mara's back, pulling her closer. She froze for an instant. Was he awake? Or merely reacting to her in his sleep? Did it matter? The aura of peace and warmth being generated by him was overwhelming, and Mara felt herself floundering in it.

She intertwined her fingers with his inside his suit, squeezing his hand. He responded by lowering his face to hers. Their cold lips met in a warming kiss, lightly at first, then deepening into a passion that Mara hoped would never end. Luke pulled her even tighter against him, their legs entangling as their breath became ragged gasps.

Neither said a word, and eventually Luke pulled back slightly. He withdrew his hand from inside his suit, making sure hers stayed behind. Never opening his eyes, he wrapped both arms around her protectively as her face nestled against his neck. Mara felt herself falling into a peaceful slumber, her dreams merging with reality.

Luke awoke just as daybreak was dawning. He felt as if he were missing something, or someone. He peered across the camp to see Mara packing their gear into their packs. Something fluttered into Luke's eyes, and he gave a start as he realized it was snow.

"It just started a little while ago," came his companion's voice. Luke gave a grunt, then rose to his feet, shaking off the wintry flakes. He watched as Mara folded a blanket tightly, wedging it into her pack. Looking back at his bare sleeping spot, he decided she must have already packed the other covering. He remembered putting both of them over her during the night. But hadn't she...? Or had he been dreaming... again?

Mara paused, giving him her usual sarcastic stare. "You gonna help?" She waved toward the remaining equipment. "Or are you taking root right there?"

Jolted out of his reverie, Luke began disassembling the heaters. "Sorry," he muttered. "I was just thinking."

"Uh-huh." Mara took the now-folded heating device from him, stuffing it unceremoniously into his pack. "Sleep well?" she said abruptly.

Luke looked up nervously. Was she implying something? Or sounding him out? He swallowed the lump in his throat, and refocused on the second heater. "Uh, yeah." He glanced out the corner of one eye, trying to gauge her reaction. "How about you?"

"Fine," she said flippantly, grabbing the other heater out of his hand and cramming it into her own pack. She rose, tossing him a ration bar. "Here, you can eat this on the way. We need to get going. This snow doesn't look like it's going to let up any time soon."

Luke slung his survival pack onto his back, and peeled open the ration bar. Not surprisingly, Mara had already taken off ahead of him. He hastened to catch up, noting that she still had sense enough to use the walking stick he'd made for her. The snow already covered the ground enough that they left footprints prominently trailing behind them.

Mara plowed along in silence. She probably could have done without the cane, but, well, Luke had made it for her, and she didn't feel like leaving it behind. Not that anybody in the galaxy had better dare call her sentimental. She glanced over her shoulder at her 'shadow,' who looked away quickly when caught staring at her. He hadn't mentioned last night at all, which rather surprised Mara. Luke had a penchant for blurting out all kinds of emotional retrospection, though they hadn't had anything this personal to discuss in a long time. A sudden thought occurred to Mara –- maybe he didn't even remember last night. Maybe he HAD been asleep the entire time.

Well, she certainly wouldn't be forgetting it any time soon. A flush ran through her as she recalled huddling against him under the warm blankets, his strong arms pulling her closer, his breath warming her cheek, his burning lips covering hers. The thought of falling asleep with him every night like that quickened her pulse, and consequently distracted her enough that she stumbled over a branch half-hidden in the snow. Blast him to all creation!

"Are you okay?" Luke was suddenly at her side, grasping her elbow to prevent her from falling. She pulled away from him brusquely.

"Let go," she demanded. "You don't have to baby me."

"Sorry," he murmured meekly, dropping back to his subservient position. It seemed like he was always apologizing to her for something or other. Which made him believe all the more that he had dreamed what happened between them last night. If he had actually taken that much liberty with her, she'd have bitten his head off. In fact, he probably wouldn't even be alive right now to be thinking about it. Well, at least it had been a good dream. Wasn't the first time he'd awakened with images of Mara still floating in his head. But aside from that dream of them together in the whirlpool, it was definitely the most realistic. He wouldn't mind having one like that every night. Perhaps even with a little more detail. Or a lot more.

Luke sighed to himself, trudging along through the deepening drifts. Maybe that's all there would ever be between them. Just dreams.

The wet snowflakes grew denser as the morning wore on, confirming Mara's prediction. To make matters worse, the wind had intensified tenfold. It stung at their faces and hampered their vision. Mara had pushed her long braid of hair down inside her collar, but the gusts were determined to make a mockery of her attempts to keep it out of her face.

Luke squinted, watching as Mara yet again pushed a damp strand away from her eyes. Her ears, cheeks, and nose were red, and her lips were fast becoming chapped. Luke was sure he didn't look in any better shape.

"Mara, wait up!" he called over the deafening howling. He pulled her behind some dense shrubbery that provided a mediocre windbreak.

"We need to keep going," she protested.

"We need to cover our heads," he countered, already digging in his pack for the trusty blanket. Pulling it out, he folded it more or less into a triangle. Mara didn't object as he brushed the snowflakes out of her hair, then wrapped the covering around her head, knotting the ends together with his frozen fingers. Only her emerald eyes peered out at him in gratitude.

Mara pointed wordlessly at her own pack, and Luke moved behind her to repeat his actions with the other blanket. She helped him pull it tightly about his face, blue eyes blinking at her in silent appreciation.

*I can't believe your Alliance can't even pack gloves or headgear in a survival pack,* Mara groused in mental communication as they resumed their trek, annoyed that both of them had left their flight gloves back at the B-wing.

Luke didn't reply, but reached out once more to pull her to a stop. How could he be so thoughtless? He pried her numb fingers off her walking stick, taking the makeshift cane into his own right hand. Linking his left arm with her right, he stuck both their hands inside his pocket. Mara started to complain, just out of habit, but realized the sensibility of the arrangement. His right hand couldn't get frostbite, and the pole definitely helped brace them against the fury of the blizzard.

Now steadier against the wind, they continued on toward the hoped-for sanctuary of the village. By midday, they were both tired, hungry, and frozen to the core. Despite his bravado, Mara could sense that Luke wasn't coping any better with the snowstorm than she was. She spotted a grove of towering evergreen trees, their branches extending down all the way to the ground.

Mara tugged on Luke's arm, and nodded toward a particularly large specimen. *In there,* she sent. *We need to take a break.*

He agreed silently, and they stooped low as they pushed the snow-laden branches aside and made their way into the inner refuge of the huge tree. They found an opening near the trunk with just enough room for them to slump to the ground. The snow had barely penetrated here, and the wind was only a distant din.

Mara felt a bit disappointed as Luke pulled their joined hands out of his pocket and began rummaging in his pack for the ever-popular ration bar. It had felt good, Mara thought to herself, having him clasp her hand tightly like that. In fact, it felt better and better every time they held hands for one reason or another.

Luke pulled the covering away from his mouth, and handed Mara her portion of lunch. "Of all things, why did we have to go and crash here in the middle of winter?" he griped. "And in a blizzard yet." He ripped open the packaging and bit off the end of the bar in undisguised exasperation.

Mara raised an eyebrow in surprise. She'd been around Luke for over two months, but had never heard him resort to pitiful whining like this. "Why, Skywalker, I would think a desert boy like you would appreciate the novelty of snow," she teased, trying to lighten his mood.

"If I never saw snow again in my whole life, it would be too soon."

This was really piquing Mara's curiosity. "You have some kind of bad experience involving snow?" she guessed.

"You could say that," he bit out, then decided she needed more of an explanation, and would probably hound him until she got it. "Hoth. I almost died in a blizzard on Hoth."

Mara turned her full attention to her companion at this unexpected revelation. "I remember the reports of the battle on Hoth, but I thought you were in a snowspeeder."

"This was a couple days before the battle. I was out on patrol, on a tauntaun." He paused, looking at Mara.

"Go on," she motioned. "I've seen holos of them." She reflected silently on the hardships that the Rebels had endured just to stay one step ahead of the Empire. Even the confidential reports of the Imperial hierarchy disregarded the adverse conditions under which the determined insurgents fought and lived; the propaganda issued to the general populace blatantly distorted those conditions.

"Well, I thought I saw a meteorite hit and radioed to Han that I wanted to check it out before coming in. I found out later it was actually an Imperial probe droid, which was how they found us."

Luke's use of the word 'they,' instead of 'you,' didn't escape her attention. As always, he seemed to completely disassociate her from the Empire, and she didn't feel compelled to change his line of thinking.

"Anyway," he continued, "just as I clicked off the comlink, I was attacked by this huge snow creature called a wampa. It swiped me across the face with its claws, knocking me unconscious." He absently ran his fingers along the faint scars on his face. "That's how I got these," he murmured.

I'm still learning new things about him, Mara thought to herself. She had noticed the indistinct marks, but had never gotten up the nerve to ask him about them, a fact which surprised her no end. She turned her attention away from his face, as he was continuing with his story.

"The wampa dragged both me and my then-dead tauntaun back to its lair. When I came to, my feet were frozen to the ceiling of an ice cavern, and I was hanging upside down, waiting to be the next course."

"Next course?" Mara questioned, not liking his inference.

Luke nodded. "It was chewing on the remains of my tauntaun. I must have made a noise, 'cause it looked up and moved toward me." Luke started to take another bite of his food stick, then decided against it. "Terrified wouldn't begin to describe how I felt."

Luke shivered slightly, remembering that harrowing episode in his life. Mara reached over and took his hand in hers, squeezing it in friendship. He gave her a slight smile, then returned to his narration.

"Then I spotted my lightsaber laying nearby, naturally nearly a meter beyond my reach and buried halfway in the snow, to boot. Keep in mind, I'd had very little training at this point. I'd taught myself to lift pebbles and such with the Force, but nothing as big as my saber. I held out my hand, like I expected it to just fly right at me. And the wampa was getting closer and closer." Luke closed his eyes in reflection. "I'm still not sure how, but I managed to relax and draw on the Force, and suddenly the lightsaber was in my hand. I cut myself loose and swung at the wampa. I don't even think I killed it; I just ran out of the cave for all I was worth."

"Why didn't--?" Mara began.

"I couldn't find my comlink," he interrupted. "And if you were going to ask why I didn't kill the creature and stay in the cave, I've never claimed to always do the smart thing." He grinned a bit sheepishly. "I think I was afraid there might be more creatures. And how else could I experience the 'novelty,' as you put it, of trudging through a blizzard in knee-high snow, with dried blood frozen to my face, falling down a snow bank and collapsing in a drift unconscious. That was the first time Ben appeared to me, though," he added, staring off in remembrance.

"Ben appeared, in a blizzard?" Mara knew who Ben was. One couldn't be around Luke much without hearing about Ben Kenobi.

"I'm not sure if I woke up and saw him, or if he entered my unconscious mind, but he was there," Luke declared with conviction. "He told me to go to Dagobah, to train with Master Yoda."

"Just like that? How did he know you were even going to survive?"

Luke smiled again. "He just knew."

"So how did you manage to live through that?"

"Han. Han came looking for me when I didn't show up at the base. The snowspeeders weren't working yet, so he rode back out on a tauntaun. It was getting close to dark, and the temperature plunges rapidly on Hoth. He risked his life for me, Mara."

As Mara listened to Luke's narrative, she felt her insides clenching at the thought of how close he came to dying -- and how close SHE came to never meeting him. The fate of the galaxy, and her own fate, had teetered unknowingly on the actions of a hungry beast and the steadfast friendship of a strong-willed smuggler.

"Han cares about you, Luke. You're like a little brother to him."

Luke shrugged. "Guess so. Anyway, he found me passed out in the snow, nearly frozen to death."

"How'd he manage to locate you?"

"I think Ben guided him, but don't bring up that theory to Han." Luke laughed. "As soon as he dismounted, he said his tauntaun fell over dead from the cold. So what's he do, but uses my lightsaber to slice it open, and stuffs me inside to keep me warm till he gets a shelter erected."

Mara wrinkled her nose just at the thought. "I'm glad there weren't any tauntauns handy when you found me."

"You should be," he returned. "I'm eternally grateful to Han, don't get me wrong. But I swear I can still smell that stench." Luke leaned back against a branch. "The next morning, snowspeeders appeared and picked us up. They must have worked all night to get a squad in working order."

He looked over and gave Mara a wink. "So now you know the whole sordid tale."

"I won't kid you about snow ever again, promise," she said with a smile. "But we can't stay in this tree forever. I don't think we can count on Han rescuing us here."

"Nope, guess not." Luke rose, waiting for Mara, who looked a bit hesitant.

"Uh, Skywalker, before we get all bundled up again and go back out there, uh ..." She glanced around, avoiding his gaze. "I could sure use a refresher about now."

Luke shook his head in amusement. "I spotted one about a kilometer back. Wish you'd said something then," he said drolly.

She kicked him lightly with her foot. "Smart aleck."

He motioned off into the dense branches. "Go ahead. I'll avail myself of the men's facilities back this way," he said, pointing over his shoulder in the opposite direction.

But instead of heading out, Mara crouched and began rummaging through their packs.

"What are you looking for?" Luke asked curiously. She'd already pocketed her vial of hand sanitizer, he'd noticed, so what else...?

"Something to use for 'fresher wipes," she bit out, not looking up. "When we get back, I'm lodging a complaint about the inadequacy of Alliance-issued survival packs."

Luke stared at her huddled form a moment, then got up the nerve to ask another question. "We've been out here several days. What did you use before?"

She turned just enough to give him a sarcastic look. "I managed to find a tree with big, soft leaves."

Luke chuckled, then began feeling in the multiple pockets of his jumpsuit. Triumphantly, he pulled out a piece of cloth. "How about a mechanic's rag? It's fairly clean; it was a spare."

Mara snatched it out of his hand. "Guys are so lucky."

"Lucky?"

"All you have to do is whip it out, then whip it back in. I have to wrangle out of this stupid flightsuit, and--"

Even putting his hand over his mouth didn't stifle the gales of laughter rolling off of Luke. "We do have to worry about... getting frostbite," he choked out.

"And women don't?" Mara growled, before whirling around and plunging into the dense foliage. Luke could hear her still muttering "Just whip it out, whip it back in..."

After taking care of his own business, Luke returned to their tiny campsite. He was just shrugging his pack onto his back in the close confines of the space when Mara returned. While he was glad they were comfortable enough with each other to discuss apparently any topic, he valued his life too much to tease her any further.

"All set?" he asked.

"Be right with you." She gathered her own gear, and followed Luke out of the confines of their refuge.

Mara joined Luke on the leeward side of their tree. The fierceness of the blizzard had increased during their break, a fact that neither of them wanted to acknowledge out loud.

"Ready to get going?" she asked, not any more anxious than he was to brave the vicious storm once more.

No, I'm ready to drag you back under this tree and ravish you, Luke thought. But, he just gave her a bittersweet half-smile and nodded.

"Hey, you, we'll be fine." She reached up with her thumbs, pushing up the corners of his mouth into a smile. "I want to see a real smile." A genuine, melt-a-girl's-heart, Skywalker smile, she thought.

And she got it.

Mara's heart skipped a beat. Stars, she wanted him! She reached up with just one hand this time, and traced his lips with a fingertip. "Your lips are chapped," she whispered, just loud enough to be heard over the wind's howl.

Luke hesitated only a second before leaning over and kissing her gently. "So are yours," he whispered back, before straightening up and smiling once more.

"Flirting again, Jedi? What will people think?"

"I'll let you in on a secret, Jade. You're the only one who's ever witnessed me flirting."

"Do tell. And why would that be?"

"Because there's no one else I have any desire to flirt with."

Mara started to open her mouth to retort, but Luke quickly reached up and pulled her makeshift scarf to cover her mouth and nose.

*You think that's going to stop me?* she sent silently.

He pulled up his own covering. *No, but maybe it'll keep one or both of us from putting a foot in our mouth if we keep up this conversation.* His blue eyes sparkled in amusement at her.

Mara gave him an acknowledging wink and nod, and slipped her right hand down into its warm spot inside his left pocket. But instead of joining her there with his left hand, he pulled her close, reaching behind her to insert his already cold hand into the confines of her left pocket, the fingers of their now united hands quickly intertwining.

*I think we'll have more support against the wind this way,* he sent.

*Whatever you say, Farmboy.* Mara sent him a burst of laughter through the Force.

He hugged her a little tighter and grasped the walking stick once more. They both lowered their heads and braced themselves to pierce the fury of the snowstorm. But their hearts were a little warmer as they met the gust of wind that greeted them.

============================================================================= 

Luke and Mara trudged onward for hours, bantering off and on through their mindlink, but mostly just putting one weary foot in front of the other in silence, both lost in their own private thoughts. Eventually the snow turned to sleet, stinging their eyes mercilessly. They were almost grateful when the sleet changed to rain, even though their so-called weatherproof flightsuits didn't keep the chilling dampness from penetrating to their bones.

Sundown was fast approaching when the hapless pair crested a small hill and looked down into a tiny village nestled in a picturesque valley.

"I don't see any spaceports," Mara commented, pulling the sodden scarf down as her teeth chattered in the cold drizzle.

"No," Luke agreed, peering through the dusky gloom. "I don't either. But we're not here to acquire a new ship—"

"We're not?" Mara interrupted sarcastically. "Stang!"

"We're here," Luke continued smoothly, purposely ignoring her tone, "to get a new stabilizer rod, and if possible, get a message out."

Carefully making their way down the slick hillside, they entered the village proper, curiously studying the quaint shops and homes as they traversed the cobblestone streets. Slushy snow squished under their booted feet.

Flickering flames of light shone through old-fashioned glass windowpanes, and citizens, bundled up against the cold, hurried through the light drizzle. A few of the more inquisitive, pausing to observe the strangely dressed newcomers, pointed and whispered among themselves.

"I haven't seen any species yet other than human," Luke observed. "I wonder if the whole planet is human-only, or if the settlements are segregated?"

"Frankly, I don't care," Mara groused. "But we can't just wander up and down the streets, Jedi, discussing their isolationist practices," she continued. "We're going to have to stop and ask for directions at some point. I, for one, would like to get out of this rain."

Luke was ready to find a warm, dry spot himself. "All right," he responded slowly, looking around at the surrounding buildings. "Over there." He pointed down the street. "Looks like some kind of cantina."

All conversation in the pub ceased as the two drenched, orange-garbed travelers entered. Luke took the initiative and addressed the wide-eyed gawkers.

"Hello," he began, sensing no antagonism, only curiosity. "Uhm... we were wondering if..."

"No, thank you," Luke returned, trying to place the man's brogue. "We just need some directions."

"We need to find a repair shop," Mara put in, still standing even though a nearby patron had pulled out a chair for her.

"Aye, we'll help ye all we can." The bartender came closer, motioning to an empty table near a large fireplace. "But at least let me get ye both a tankard of ale," he added, as a sneeze escaped Mara.

"Ale nothin', Efam," a large-boned, middle-aged matron objected. "Why, these young folks are chilled clear through. What they need is some hot tea." She bustled off to where a kettle sat on a primitive-looking cooking unit.

Luke tugged on Mara's sleeve and gestured for her to join him at the table. "You're buying, right?" he whispered. "You did bring credits along, to pay for a new rod, didn't you?"

"You're a real sport, Farmboy," Mara smirked, smiling at him. "Guess I can spring for a cup of tea. Consider it your reward for coming after me." She fished through her pack and pulled out a credit chip. "Though I still maintain I really didn't need your help."

"Whatever you say, Mara," Luke returned, draping his sodden blanket over the back of his chair.

The woman returned with two steaming mugs and a cheery smile. "Here ye be."

Mara handed her the credit chip. "Will this be sufficient?"

The woman stared at the foreign object, turning it over curiously. "What be this?"

"Oh." Mara held out her hand when the woman handed it back. "Do you only take Imperial script?"

The woman laughed heartily as she helped herself to a chair at their little table. "Ye two don't have any dekas, do ye now?"

"If that's your currency, then, no." Mara looked at the two warm mugs around which she and Luke had cupped their frozen hands. "So I guess we can't pay for the tea," she murmured.

"Ah, lass." The matron smiled toothily. "What kind o' welcome would it be to visitors if I was to quibble over a cup o' tea.

"Now then, me name is Filia," she continued, holding out a hand in greeting. "That be me husband, Efam." She nodded at the bartender. "And what might yer names be?"

"I'm Luke." Luke returned her handshake, and nodded his head toward his companion. "And this is Mara."

Luke and Mara soon learned they had landed in Zembuhl, which was the largest of several isolated villages in the area. One by one, Filia introduced all the patrons in the pub. Some came up and shook hands, while others raised a mug or hand in a friendly greeting. Luke did his best to catalog each name and face into his memory.

*What are you doing, Skywalker?* Mara sent as she accepted an outstretched hand. *We'll never see these people again. You don't need to memorize all these names.*

*You never know,* Luke returned, smiling at the next introductee. *We may need all their help to get off this planet.*

"What village be ye from?" said Efam, as he came over to join the conversation.

"We're from Coruscant," Mara answered.

The occupants of the pub all glanced at one another in confusion.

"We've not heard o' that one," Filia responded.

"Perhaps you know of it as Imperial Center," Mara went on, thinking that maybe the Emperor's name for the seat of government would be more familiar.

"That's an impressive tag fer a village, lass," Efam returned, "but we still don't know o' it."

"It's very far from here," Luke put in, giving Mara a cautionary glance.

"We're all glad to meet ye," Filia was saying, "wherever ye be from. Winter Festival is the only time we see new faces here."

"Winter Festival?" Mara asked.

Filia and several others gave her perplexed looks. "Isn't that why ye two are here?"

"No." Luke shook his head, setting down his mug. "Our ship broke down, and we need a part to repair it."

"Ship?" a bearded man at the next table questioned. "Why, the nearest sea be a fortnight's travel from here. And why would ye be sailin' in the dead o' winter, if ye weren't comin' fer the Festival?"

*They think we mean a seafaring ship,* Mara sent to Luke with a frown, then turned to the speaker. "No, that isn't the kind of ship—"

Luke laid one hand on her arm to interrupt. "We were fishing, and were blown off course," he interjected into the conversation, "and lost our... maps. So we just started walking until we reached... here."

*Wherever in blue blazes 'here' is,* Mara thought sourly.

"Fishin'?" someone asked. "Just ye... and the missus?" The man's bushy eyebrows raised as he eyed Mara speculatively.

Luke hurriedly nudged Mara with his foot before she could voice her indignation at the man's label for her. "We were scouting... for new locations... for the spring," he fumbled, purposely ignoring the glare he knew Mara was sporting and hoping against hope she would hold her tongue. "And we're not married," he added. "We're partners."

Another patron, seated near the bar, spoke up. "Those are strange clothes ye both be wearin'. Are they some kind o' new fishin' garb?"

"Something like that," Luke replied carefully, knowing his explanations were shaky at best. "They're supposed to make us easier to spot, if we get lost."

"Sounds like ye are lost, laddie," the man snorted, eliciting a round of guffaws.

"Oh, hush, Hener," Filia admonished him. "Don't be makin' fun o' the poor things."

"Just shows what can happen when you leave a man at the helm in a storm," Mara put in dryly. This time a titter of laughter came from only the women in the pub.

Efam cleared his throat to get back to the business at hand. "What kind o' part be ye needin' fer yer boat?"

"A long metal rod," Luke replied. He reached over and pulled the two broken pieces of stabilizer rod out of Mara's pack. "Like this."

"Hmmm." The men of the pub all gathered closer to inspect the piece of hardware. "Never seen nothin' like that before," one of them commented, scratching his chin in thought. "Could be Hiley would be able to fashion somethin' like that fer ye, though."

"Hiley? Who's that?" Mara perked up. Maybe there was hope after all. "Where can we find him?"

"Hiley crafts tools an' such out o' metal," Filia explained. "But ye won't be findin' him anywhere tonight. He's already gone home fer the evenin'."

"In the morning, then." Luke gave Mara an encouraging smile. "We'll just stay the night somewhere..."

"Oh, my." Filia clapped her hands together in sudden thought. "Ye have no place to stay, do ye?"

At the negative shakes of two wet, bedraggled heads, she continued. "Efam and me'd be glad to let ye stay in our home, but I'm afraid ye'd find it a bit crowded, what with our seven children."

"Aye," the bearded man added. "Most of us are full up. Me and the missus got more relatives visitin' fer Festival than we got beds fer."

"We don't expect any of you to put us up," Luke assured them. "We'll be fine."

*Speak for yourself,* Mara grumbled silently, giving him a frown. *I was looking forward to a real bed.*

"There be a boardin' house," Filia informed them. "It's run by me ol' chum, Merta. But with the Festival, don't know if she'd be havin' any rooms left."

Mara looked at Luke hopefully, then turned to Filia. "Can we go find out?"

"'Course, lass. I'll take ye over there right now."

"But we still don't have any... anything to pay for a room," Luke objected, even as Mara began picking up their packs.

"P'shaw, lad," Filia said with a laugh. "Merta's more soft-hearted than I am. She'd never turn ye away."

Luke reluctantly gave in, and after thanking the pub's occupants for their help, he and Mara followed Filia out into the night.

*Scouting for fishing locations?* Mara scoffed silently to Luke as they made their way down the street. *In a blizzard?*

*I grew up in a desert,* he returned testily. *What makes you think I know anything about fishing?*

*Then you should have made up a different cover story.*

*Like what? We were on a cruise ship, checking out spots for sightseeing tours?* He gave a derisive snort. *You actually believe these people know what space travel is?*

He was saved from hearing any mocking retort when Filia informed them that the large, three-story, clapboard building they were approaching was their destination. As far as Mara and Luke could tell, this was one of the taller structures in the village.

"Merta!" Filia called out as they entered.

"That you, Filia?" a pleasant voice answered. Wiping her hands on her apron, a plump, jovial-faced woman emerged from a nearby dining chamber.

"Aye, Merta," Filia greeted her friend. "I got a couple o' cold, wet travelers here who be needin' a room."

"Two rooms," Mara and Luke spoke up simultaneously. They looked at each other, then just as quickly looked away.

Merta gave a short chuckle. "Sorry to disappoint ye, but I only have one room left. And I only be havin' that one cause it's way up in the attic."

Luke glanced at Mara, but she was steadfastly studying a crack in the worn planks under their feet.

"That will be fine," Luke finally spoke up. "But we, uh,... we can't,... we don't..."

"What he be tryin' to tell ye, Merta," Filia put in, "is that they don't have any dekas."

"Don't they now?" Merta placed her hands on her wide hips. Making a half-hearted attempt at looking stern, she turned to face the newcomers. "So what would ye be offerin' in exchange for this room?"

"We're hard workers," Mara spoke up quickly.

"We'd be glad to work for our keep," Luke continued.

"That be so, heh?" Merta smiled broadly at them. "Well, I might be able to find some chores 'round here for the both o' ye. I could be usin' some help, 'specially here at Festival time."

"Of course, anything at all," Luke readily agreed, glancing at Mara as she covered another sneeze.

"Then why we be standin' in this drafty hall?" Merta snatched up an oil-filled lamp. "Let's get ye two into a warm bed."

Luke quickly shot a sideways glance at Mara, but she once again refused to meet his gaze.

*Why is everyone obsessed with getting us into bed together,* Mara groused silently, as she and Luke followed Merta up a narrow stairway.

*You're not expecting me to answer that, are you?* Luke returned, following behind her.

*I'm not expecting you to do anything tonight, Farmboy.*

Luke wasn't quite sure if she didn't WANT him to do anything, or didn't think he was capable of it. And he wasn't about to ask for clarification.

"Here we be," Merta puffed, out of breath from the three-story climb. She opened the door to reveal a rather spacious room, its sloped ceiling indicative of its position under the roof's eaves. Setting her lamp on a small table, she lit another lantern that was mounted on the wall.

Luke's gaze swept around the room, and he appreciatively eyed the assortment of furniture occupying it. A pair of wooden chairs flanked a small table, their blistered paint suggesting they were occasionally left too close to the large stone fireplace. A plain-looking chest with three drawers stood sentry next to a high bed, its carved headboard apparently from the same type of wood as the rest of the furniture.

Wooden furniture of any kind was unheard of on Tatooine, and Rebel accommodations rarely included more than a plasteel desk and chair and a durasteel-frame bunk. To Luke, the hand-crafted bureau and well-worn chairs were just as wondrous as the luxurious furnishings he'd encountered in his Imperial suite.

Merta paused as she noticed the young man drinking in every aspect of the unadorned garret, while the girl merely stood waiting indifferently. "I know 'tis not very fancy up here."

"No, no, it's fine," he assured her.

The landlady nodded in gratitude. "Well, ye'll need to get a fire goin,'... uh..."

"Luke," he supplied, before glancing at his companion.

"Mara," she added her own introduction.

"Aye, pleased to meet ye." Merta gestured toward the fireplace along the outer wall, then looked pointedly at Luke. "Ye'll need to bring up more wood from outside, to keep yer fire goin' all night." He took the hint and bent to stack wood inside the hearth from an adjacent log rack.

Merta motioned Mara to follow her as she entered a small doorway on the opposite wall. "There be a bathin' chamber fer ye in here," she announced, lighting another wall-mounted oil lamp. "Ye might want to be startin' a fire in here, too," she added, "if ye plan on takin' a bath tonight. There's buckets ye can fill with water." She pointed toward an ancient-looking pump sticking up from a wooden cabinet. "And then ye can heat them on the stove, or hang them over the fire." She nodded her head back toward the outer room.

Mara frowned at the squat, black, heating apparatus that sat on a slab of bricks.

"Ye may have to pump a few minutes fer the water to get all the way up here," Merta was continuing, but Mara was busy staring at the oval, footed bathtub. She was already imagining herself sinking down in a tubful of warm water. The last time she'd been in a bathtub had been... with... Mara bit her lip as she glanced through the doorway to see Luke coaxing the flames to life in the stone fireplace. She studied him a second, then looked back at the tub.

"It might be a tight squeeze, but ye both are small. I think ye'd fit."

Horrified, Mara jerked around to stare wide-eyed at Merta, who was standing with her hands on her hips and a wide grin on her face.

"No, no," Mara sputtered. "We're not... It's not... We're just friends," she finally spit out.

Merta gave a hearty laugh. "Don't worry, lass. I was young once, too, believe it or not."

Obviously these people don't know us very well, Mara thought to herself. At the same time, though, her mind was adding Luke to the image in her head.

Merta proceeded to show Mara the rest of the not-so-modern amenities of the small chamber. The two women then went back out to the bedroom and found Luke hanging his flightsuit over a chair near the fire.

"Mara, I think if we drape our clothes around the fire, they should all be dry by morning," he announced with a smile.

"Sure," Mara replied. Which meant they'd have nothing to sleep in. Wonder if Luke thought that far ahead? Probably not. Then again...

"Ye don't have any other clothes to wear?" Merta broke into the conversation.

"No," Luke answered for both of them, then cleared his throat in attempt to cover the rather loud growling of his stomach. "Sorry," he apologized. "Guess it's been awhile since we've eaten."

Merta chuckled merrily. "No food, no clothes, no money. What a sorry pair ye are, fer sure." She didn't look behind her to see the scowl on Mara's face. "Tell ye what -- as soon as ye get settled in, one of ye come downstairs and I'll fix ye up some supper to bring up here. And I might even be able to dig up some clean clothes for ye."

"That would be very kind of you," Luke returned graciously. He closed the door behind Merta as she left her two newest boarders.

Luke took a deep breath, then turned around to face Mara. She was leaning against the edge of the bed, bending to undo the fasteners on one of her flight boots.

"So, here we are," she muttered, not looking up. Luke crossed the room and, crouching down, helped her pull off the heavy boot. When both boots were off, she wrangled out of the top half of her wet flightsuit. Luke reached to help as she pushed it down over her hips.

"Getting in more practice pulling my clothes off, Farmboy?"

Luke's hand stiffened mid-reach, and a stricken look filled his face. "Sorry," he muttered softly, before rising and crossing to one of the windows.

"I was just kidding, Skywalker." Mara blew out a breath. Most guys would have pulled at her clothes that much more eagerly. But Luke wasn't like most guys. Besides, she didn't want to be around someone who was anxious only to get her undressed. Calrissian had made more than his share of offers along those lines. No, the only man she wanted to be close to was now bracing himself against the sides of the window sash, staring silently out into the night. And she was driving him farther away with each sarcastic comment.

"We were lucky to find this place," Mara continued, determined to alter her abrasive nature, at least as far as Luke was concerned.

"Hmmm," came the noncommittal reply.

"This is much better than sleeping out on the ground." Mara ran one hand under the covers. "I think this mattress has feathers in it." She glanced at Luke, who didn't even acknowledge he'd heard her. "We ought to get a good night's sleep, at least."

Mara frowned at his rigid posture. Now what was wrong? He was usually a regular chattercube. "Hey, you decide to quit talking to me? What's so interesting outside?"

"It's snowing," Luke finally murmured quietly, still not turning around.

"Which makes me that much more glad we're in here instead of out there."

"You shouldn't be here at all," Luke bit out in a frustrated voice.

"What?" Mara could sense guilt gripping him as tightly as he was gripping the window frame. But guilt over what? Over the ship malfunctions? Over what had happened just now? Or last night? She was the one who had lain down next to him; he certainly had no reason to feel guilty.

Mara rose and gently laid a hand on his arm. "Luke, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry I got you into this whole mess," he muttered, turning to look at her at last, sorrow filling his face.

"It's not your fault," she countered. "Mon Mothma sent us on this blasted mission. You couldn't help it."

Mara narrowed her eyes at his renewed silence. "Skywalker?"

"She sent me. Not you," he choked out, biting his lip as he shifted to once more look back out into the night. "It was my doing," he admitted in a dejected voice. Luke was certain that Mara may very well never speak to him again, but he felt compelled to disclose his deception. 'Confession is good for the soul,' Aunt Beru always said. So why did he feel so miserable?

"What do you mean?" Mara questioned, her low, emotionless voice not revealing her reaction.

"I'm the one that insisted you come with me on the mission." He glanced over his shoulder at her again, his culpable expression underscoring his strained confession. "I practically refused to go without you."

The hardened woman that had been Palpatine's virtual slave would have had a vibroblade to the Jedi's throat for such an unpardonable offense. But for reasons Mara could not begin to fathom, regret over her current situation was the farthest thing from her mind, while hearing his explanation seemed paramount. "Why?" she breathed.

"I don't know... I mean... I do... but... I didn't want us to be apart..."

Mara considered the underlying motive behind his actions. He'd defied Mon Mothma, just to have her with him. A feeling of warmth spread through her, disturbed only by the pathetic look he still wore. "So why the long face? I'm here, we're together,..."

"Mara, you could have frozen to death in that ravine!" He spun around, clutching her upper arms. "The ship could have crashed and killed you. We may not be able to get off this planet..."

Luke's worries only served to produce an amused smirk on Mara's face. "I have to hand it to you, Jedi -- you do know how to show a girl a good time."

"I'm serious, Mara." Luke pulled her a little closer. "I put you in danger, just because of my own selfish reasons. I couldn't bear it if I lost you..." His voice trailed off as he gazed into her emerald eyes.

"Luke," Mara whispered softly. "I'm pretty tough, you know. You're not going to get rid of me that easily."

Luke raised one hand and caressed the side of her face, then threaded his fingers through her still-damp hair. "Mara, I..." He took a deep breath. "I..."

A shiver ran through Mara as she waited for him to finish his sentence. Was he going to say he loved her? And how would she answer?

Luke felt Mara tremble in his arms. "You're cold. I need to go get more firewood." He pulled back from her embrace. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Now? You have to stop RIGHT NOW and go play chivalrous knight? Mara pushed him away none too gently. "Fine," she bit out, not allowing herself to look at his face.

As Luke bent to pick up the log carrier, Mara squatted down and began rummaging through the few remaining pieces of wood next to the fireplace.

"What are you doing?" Luke asked, doing his best not to upset her more than he apparently already had.

"I want to start a fire in the stove in the 'fresher, and I need some short pieces."

Luke grabbed up three fair-sized logs, set them on end, whipped out his lightsaber and cut them neatly in half. "Do you want me to help you start the fire?"

"No!" she bristled. Mara felt hot enough to start one by spontaneous combustion. How could he start to say some momentous statement of how he felt, finally, and then just STOP! And why was this upsetting her so much, when his unexpected confession of being solely responsible for her being on this mission had invoked just the opposite reaction in her?

Luke stared at her as she grabbed up the truncated firewood. "I'll be right back," he repeated, not surprised when he didn't receive a reply.

Mara straightened up and blew out a breath as she heard the door close behind him. Relax, Mara. You're nervous; he's nervous. You both need to relax. Mara willed herself to calm down, and a satisfied little smile appeared on her face. Yes, they needed to relax, and she knew the perfect way to do just that.

======================================================================== 

As Luke plodded down the steep staircase, he realized that he wasn't sure what he had been about to announce to Mara. 'I don't want us to ever be apart'? 'I'll get us out of here'? Or had he been ready to utter 'I want to make love to you,' or simply 'I love you'? He was a trained Jedi and a war hero, but he turned into a stammering fool when it came to matters of the heart. No wonder Mara's temper was so unpredictable. One moment he's flirting worse than Lando, and the next he can barely look her in the eye without his nerves being tied in knots. Luke could feel that pendulum swinging back out again, and he had the distinct feeling it was all his fault.

So engrossed was Luke in his self-deprecating musings that the normally nimble-footed Jedi nearly stumbled when a voice boomed at the bottom of the steps.

"So ye finally made it down here." Merta glanced at the worn log carrier clutched in his hand. "I see ye've come for the wood first. Come along, then, lad."

Merta directed Luke to a lean-to shelter attached to the back of the building. Firewood was stacked only about a meter high. "As ye can see, I'll be needin' to get more wood cut soon. We go through a lot this time o' year."

Luke paused as he was filling the leather carrier. "Would you like me to cut some wood for you tomorrow? I need to do some kind of tasks, to pay you back for your generosity."

"Aye, that would be appreciated..., Luke, is it?"

He nodded affirmatively. "Yes, Luke Skywalker."

Luke continued filling the carrier with assorted pieces of firewood, then paused and looked questioningly at Merta. "Is this sufficient to last the night?" he asked, gesturing toward his load. "I want to make sure it stays warm enough for Mara."

Merta smiled at his unabashed concern for his roommate. "Aye, that should be plenty." As Luke straightened up, she added. "Ye should sleep on the side o' the bed near the wall, so she'll be closer to the fire."

Luke started to object to Merta's obvious assumption that he and Mara would both be sleeping in the room's lone bed, but she held up a hand to silence him.

"Hold her close, lad," the motherly figure said with a smile, "and ye'll both stay warm tonight."

Luke simply nodded, not feeling up to trying to explain his and Mara's unusual relationship. He wasn't sure he even could.

"Come back down after ye unload yer wood, and I'll have some supper ready for ye."

"All right, thank you."

When Luke returned to the attic, Mara was bustling with activity. Luke watched as she exited the refresher, carrying a full bucket of water. With a small towel, she removed one of a pair of steaming pails that hung suspended over the fire and replaced it with the new bucket, then retreated with the hot water back to the refresher.

"What's all this?" Luke called to her, as he could hear a squeaking, pumping noise coming from her direction.

"Just heating water so we can wash up," she explained as she passed him, repeating her previous actions with a second bucket.

Luke started to ask if she needed help, just out of habit, but stopped himself. He had a feeling that if she wanted him to assist, he would have already heard the instructions.

"Guess I'll go get us some food now," he went on, stepping out of the way as she swept back toward the refresher.

"Fine," she returned over her shoulder.

Luke once more descended the narrow stairway, deep in thought. At least she's still talking to me.

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

As Luke entered their room with a stack of clothes and their dinner, he could detect a sense of relaxation coming from Mara, but didn't see her in the bedroom. Setting the meal portion of his load down, he knocked lightly on the refresher door. "Mara?"

"Come in," he heard her call. Cautiously he opened the door, then froze when he spotted her. Mara was sitting in the bathtub, soap bubbles up to her neck and head resting on the back edge of the tub. She had the most peaceful look on her face that Luke had ever seen.

"Well, come on in," she repeated, not opening her eyes. "You've seen me in more revealing positions than this."

Luke quietly entered, wishing he hadn't disturbed her. "I... uh... brought us a change of clothes for tomorrow, and Merta also sent something for us to sleep in tonight."

Mara opened one eye as he set her garments on a nearby stool.

"There's also some dinner for us, in the outer room," Luke continued, nodding toward the doorway.

"It'll keep awhile longer," Mara murmured. "Ahhh..." She sighed, sinking a little lower in the water. "Oh, Luke, this is so wonderful."

She looked up at him, smiling. "You're welcome to join me. I could make room for you in here," she invited teasingly, hoping for a compliant reaction.

What she got was a rather flustered look. "The water would overflow," he blurted out.

"We can dip some of it out," she countered.

"It doesn't look like there's enough room," he objected.

"Just be that much cozier," Mara rejoined, trying to hide her disappointment that he was making excuses. She looked up at him as he stepped closer to her, then followed his face downward as he knelt next to the tub.

"I don't think that would be a very good idea," he said quietly, his face a mask of seriousness as he stared into her eyes.

Mara swallowed, breaking eye contact with him and wishing she could take back her flirtatious offer. "No, I guess not," she muttered.

Luke gave her a weak smile, and exited the refresher.

Once back in the bedroom, Luke leaned against the wall, eyes closed and heart pounding. What is wrong with you, Skywalker? She was offering... Stars, what was she offering? Companionship? Or more? Are you so scared it would be more?

As soon as Luke left, Mara gripped the sides of the tub and let out a deep breath. What in the worlds has come over you, Jade? What if he'd said yes? You know perfectly well what being in this tub with him could lead to. Are you prepared to take that next step? Sith, no, you're not!

Mara picked up a nearby washcloth and, with mechanical motions, began to bathe herself. But she no longer felt any pleasure in her watery oasis.

Luke finally pushed away from the wall and tossed a few more pieces of wood into the fireplace. Sitting on the floor, he watched the dancing flames. How long could the two of them keep up this up-and-down gravicoaster ride? It was bad enough that his emotions were bouncing all over the place. Now her attitude toward him was shifting gears with every turn. Was he supposed to be able to figure out how to react to her? Trying to decipher Mara's mood swings was like trying to anticipate the erratic moves of a charging Kalli beast. Guess wrong, and you may not live to regret it.

For a brief moment, Luke wished Han was around to consult with, then quickly dismissed the thought. Whatever his relationship with Mara was turning into, it was not something he needed Han ribbing him about.

Luke stared into the red-gold tongues of fire, mesmerized by the way they reminded him of Mara's hair. He flinched slightly as a soft hand touched his shoulder. "Your turn," was all she said.

Mara sat down next to him, but didn't look in his direction.

"Thanks," Luke croaked, trying to find his voice. He rose and looked down at her huddled figure. She was wearing the sleeping shift from Merta, and had it pulled down over her knees, which were drawn up to her chin. It seemed to him that she was as nervous and confused as he was.

"Your dinner is in there," he continued, pointing to a wicker basket.

"All right," she replied, not looking up.

Luke went into the refresher and bathed quickly, not enjoying it nearly as much as he thought he should. It was the first time he'd been in a bathtub since... the Emperor's palace. Reflecting further, he realized it was the first time he'd ever been in a tub alone.

Dressed only in a pair of borrowed sleep pants, he went back out into the bedroom and found Mara sitting in exactly the same position as when he left. Their dinners sat untouched.

"You didn't have to wait for me," Luke said.

At the sound of his voice, she stirred from her reverie. "You waited," she pointed out. "Besides, I don't like to eat alone."

Since when? thought Luke. She seemed to prefer solitude, from what he could tell in the time he'd known her.

"Well, I'm nearly starved, so let's see what we've got here." Luke pulled away the heavy towels that covered their two bowls.

Mara perked up finally, reaching into the basket for the covered jars that contained their drinks. "You're always nearly starved," she joked before taking a sip of the cool, creamy milk.

"I'm a growing boy," Luke countered, glad for her latest mood shift. "Some kind of stew. Smells good."

"Hmm," Mara agreed. She accepted her portion from Luke and took a bite. "Tastes good, too, whatever it is."

They ate in silence for awhile, Mara realizing she had been just as famished as Luke.

"What do you think our chances of finding a new stabilizer are?" she eventually asked.

Luke swallowed his mouthful before replying. "On a scale of one to ten? About negative two."

Mara nodded in agreement, her mouth full again. After taking a drink, she continued. "I don't hold out much hope for a communications station, either. I haven't seen any evidence of technology anywhere."

She took another bite, with a drink to wash it down. "How can people live like this?"

"Oh, I don't know, Mara." Luke smiled. "It's peaceful here. No airspeeders buzzing past. Birds chirping instead of comlinks. I could get used to this."

"Keep that in mind when we're still stuck here a month from now," Mara humphed, then instantly regretted reminding him of their being stranded.

But Luke seemed to have gotten past his feelings of guilt, at least for the time being. "You've never been to Dagobah," he said with a laugh. "I'll admit I've no desire to discover a snake or lizard sharing my seat. But this is a refreshing change of pace."

"But how... how is it they are so uncivilized here?"

"Everyone seemed pretty civilized to me."

"You know what I mean." Mara scowled. "It's like they've never had any contact with how the rest of the galaxy lives." She waved her spoon at him. "And how is it they speak Basic? Answer me that, bright boy."

"I don't know, Mara." Luke sighed. "Maybe we'll get some answers tomorrow."

A strained silence fell as they finished their meal, neither of them ready to broach the subject of bedtime. Setting her empty dish aside, Mara finally decided if she didn't take the plunge, they might end up sitting in the same spot all night.

"I suppose we should get to bed," she began tentatively. "We'll surely have a busy day tomorrow." Mara rose, but Luke remained sitting. "You coming?"

"I'll just sleep here on the floor," he murmured, not budging from his cross-legged position.

"No, you won't," Mara objected with a frown. "You're just as tired as I am, and we both deserve a comfortable bed after sleeping in a cockpit and on the ground for the past four nights."

"I'll be fine," he insisted. "There's extra quilts over there," he went on, nodding toward a rack in the corner.

Mara grabbed his upper arm, tugging on him to rise. "Skywalker, it's a big bed. We're adults; we can share it."

"Mara...," he whined, shaking his head even as he allowed himself to be pulled upright.

"It won't be any different than when we slept together in your suite." She cupped his chin with her hand, forcing him to look her in the eye. "Right?"

"Right?" she repeated, as he pulled back from her hold and reluctantly circled around to climb into the far side of the bed.

"Right," Luke whispered under his breath. No different at all.

Luke lay on his back, watching the dancing patterns of firelight playing out on the ceiling. He was doing his best to keep his mind on the obligations he felt were his sole responsibility on this mission. I need to get that blasted B-wing repaired. I need to get us off this planet and on our way to Lorrd. I need to get a message back to Coruscant. I need... Luke could hear Mara turning over restlessly. I need to take her in my arms and cover her with kisses...

Mara could tell Luke was still awake. Outwardly, he was lying perfectly still. But inwardly, she could feel his Force sense twitching as agitatedly as hers was. Hugging her pillow tightly, Mara turned to face the warm fire, wishing she could draw more comfort from the flickering flames. Do other couples have this much trouble with their emotions? And at what point did I start thinking of Luke and me as a 'couple'?

Luke rolled over wearily, sleep still eluding him. He listened to the crackling of the flames, the only sound breaking the stillness of the room. He thought back to the previous night. No, it hadn't been a dream. She HAD come to him. And she had returned his kisses. He wanted to hold her and kiss her, again and again. He wanted it so badly he could taste it -- could taste her lips, smell the scent of her hair. She was driving him mad with desire, and she wasn't even touching him.

An inner voice mocked Luke's every thought. If you want her so much, why didn't you get in the damned bathtub with her? Because you're a coward, that's why. A Sith-forsaken coward. You love her, don't you? If you don't have the guts to tell her how you feel, then quit leading her on. Let her go... Let her go...

"NO!" Luke sat bolt upright in bed. "I can't do that!"

Mara rose up, instantly sweeping her surroundings with the Force. "Luke, what is it?" She didn't sense any danger nearby, but Luke's emotions were a swirling mass of turmoil. "What's wrong?"

He pulled up his knees, and buried his face in his hands. "I can't, Mara," he said shakily.

"Can't what?" Mara fought the fear that threatened to rise in her throat. What was he going to say? That he couldn't return her feelings? How could he even know what her feelings were, when she had trouble admitting them to herself?

"I should really sleep on the floor," was all that he could manage to get out, ignoring her question. He started to edge his way out of bed, but Mara grabbed his arm.

"Skywalker, what is wrong with you?!"

His voice was nearly breaking, and he didn't turn around as he attempted to put his feelings into words. "I... can't... lie this close to you and not... not..."

Mara sat up in bed, and tugged on his arm until he turned to face her. She could see the pain reflected on his face by the wavering flames in the fireplace. "Luke," she murmured soothingly, struggling to keep her voice calm as she latched onto his hand. "Talk to me. You know you can share anything with me." She braced herself, determined to accept whatever he had to say.

Luke took a deep breath and spoke slowly, his eyes locked on their joined hands. "During all my training, I was taught over and over to trust my feelings. And right now, my feelings are telling me, screaming at me, that I am... desperately... in love with you." He fell silent. His impromptu confession had surprised even himself. But for better or worse, he knew he had spoken the truth.

"Luke," she began softly. "Ever since I met you, actually met you, in that prison cell, you have been a beacon of light and hope to me. After Palpatine, I thought all I wanted was to be independent, to not let myself be emotionally attached to anyone. But the more time I spend with you, the more I know that I never want to be apart from you. Ever." She looked deeply into his azure eyes. "I love you, Luke Skywalker. I need you with me. I need you to love me."

The anxiety that had been gripping Luke's heart was suddenly replaced by joyous relief, and he unknowingly released a pent-up breath. Smiling more broadly than he ever had in his life, he brought his own hands up and cupped her face. "I do love you, Mara Jade. I love you so much..."

Their lips abruptly met in a passionate kiss, their hands clutching at each other in the unburdening of their mutually suppressed yearnings. Luke drew her down into the softness of the feather mattress, the feeling of her lithe body beneath his intensifying his cravings. His hand found its way under her sleeping shift, marveling at the silkiness of her skin. Mara could feel his arousal, both physically and emotionally, and a wave of nervousness cut into her deepening desire.

"Luke," she whispered into his ear. He lifted his head slightly, waiting for her to continue. "Before we go any further, there's something I need to tell you."

"Yes?" He gently encouraged her to go on, easily sensing her anxiety.

"I've... never... actually been with a man before, not like this."

Luke rose up on one elbow, a look of astonishment crossing his face. "You've... never... had sex? Mara, I never dreamed... I just assumed..."

"What!? You think I'm some kind of trollop? That I sleep around?" Her face contorted in sudden anger.

"No, no! I would never think that," he hurried to assure her. Luke fell back on his own pillow, and began laughing quietly.

"What the hell is so funny?" Mara began pounding his chest with her fists, tears starting to run down her cheeks. "I'm sorry I'm not as experienced as you are."

He seized her wrists and pulled her down close to him. Reaching up, he gently wiped away her tears with his thumbs. "Believe me, Mara, you are."

At her incredulous look, he went on. "You have EXACTLY the same amount of experience as I do."

"You mean... you never either?"

Luke shook his head, a rather abashed smile crossing his face.

"Are you sure?"

"Mara, I think I'd remember!"

Mara's frown was turning into a relieved grin. "Well, it seems everyone here was wrong -- we make a fine pair!" She stroked his face softly, just making out his sparkling eyes in the fire's soft glow. "So now what?"

"What'd you mean, now what?" Luke chuckled. "I haven't lost the desire!"

Mara scrambled atop him, quickly covering his mouth with hers. Her glossy hair fell down around them, obscuring both their faces. Luke's hands roamed up and down her back, causing her to squirm that much more.

Abruptly, Mara raised her head and pecked a light kiss on the tip of his nose. "So, when were you going to tell me?" she questioned, an amused glint in her eyes. "Or were you just going to bluff your way through?"

"I guess I wasn't thinking that far ahead," he admitted, laughing. "And it's not the kind of thing a guy just blurts out. I'm not as brave as you, remember."

"Don't you forget it!"

Mara once more lowered her head, and Luke eagerly captured her lips with his own. Clutching her tightly, he rolled them over so that he once more held the dominant position. As he gazed into her expectant face, her words began echoing in his head. Were you just going to bluff your way through? Bluff your way through... Bluff your way... The sound of Mara's voice suddenly morphed into his own nagging conscience. Are you sure you're ready for this, Skywalker? For a guy who's been dragging his feet for months, you're moving awfully fast. This is a big step for both of you. Are you giving Mara the consideration she deserves?

"Luke?" Mara watched the emotion in his smoky eyes swirling, changing. What was he thinking? Was he as nervous as she was? Were they actually going to do this? Right now? Was she ready? Her mind jeered at any attempts to make sense of her vacillating feelings. You weren't ready when you brazenly invited him into the tub with you. What makes you think you're ready now?

An image of his aunt and uncle suddenly popped into Luke's brain, his uncle's gruff words tauntingly accurate. The boy's always too impatient... Never stops to think things through... Never remembers what we've taught him...

"I remember," Luke mumbled under his breath.

"What?"

Luke didn't answer right away, but instead slid off to her side. Gently he ran his fingers through her hair, pushing it back away from her face.

"Mara," he whispered slowly. Mara's anxiety mounted as she studied the intense look on his face. "I..." His voice faltered as he bit his bottom lip.

Mara traced one finger along his jawline. "Yes?" she said, encouraging him to continue.

"Mara, since we've both waited this long, do you think we could wait just a little while longer?" He glanced at her, trying to decipher her bewildered expression.

And bewildered she was. Did he know what she had been thinking? A flash of indignation flared through her -- resentment that he had intruded into her thoughts. But the spark quickly vanished. She hadn't felt him enter her mind. She could feel the yearning coursing through him, but it had been tempered somehow, muted into something more solemn and less impulsive.

Summoning his courage, Luke continued. "I love you, Mara. And as much as my body would like to satisfy these rising sexual urges this very moment, I want you to know this is not a passing infatuation for me. When we make love, it will be the beginning of a beautiful journey of discovery for both of us." He paused to take a breath. "I would like to begin that journey with you first becoming my wife." He looked at her intently, waiting to gauge her reaction.

Mara stared at him in a mixture of wonder and relief. He was proposing! To say that she was astounded would be putting it mildly. Without a doubt, she had found the most honorable man in the galaxy, and he LOVED her! He loved HER! And he wanted to marry her! How could she possibly be worthy of him? Noticing the anxious look in his eyes, she knew she had to say something.

"Oh, my stars," she breathed. NO, that wasn't what she meant to say. Jade, you're going to worry him to death. Just say what's in your heart.

"Luke," she began again, stroking his face in reassurance. "I love you, and I long to feel your body beside me, and inside me. You are so special to me, and I want our first time together to be equally special, no matter when it occurs." She kissed him lightly. "I would be honored to begin our journey together by having you as my husband."

Luke's mouth widened in a joyous smile, relief pouring through him. Without a doubt, he had to be the luckiest man in the galaxy. Maybe he was moving fast, in another direction, but he had no regrets whatsoever.

"And as far as waiting goes..." Mara gave him a mischievous look. "You know how I like a good challenge, especially when it involves you. I can hold out as long as you can."

Luke pulled her close, nuzzling her neck then moving to kiss her passionately. Consuming desire once more threatened to overtake them both.

*Just don't make it too long a wait,* Mara sent, deepening their kiss.

*You don't have to worry about that,* Luke returned. He finally pulled back, settling into his pillow and hugging her closely. "As soon as we get out of this blasted nebula and the comm works again, I may call ahead to have a magistrar ready."

Mara nestled her head into the crook of his neck. "Better have him waiting at the docking bay, Farmboy."