New Beginnings
Author:  Jedi Amoira 

Email--boysj@mailcity.com

Disclaimer-- The Star Wars universe is the property of George Lucas and 
LucasArts. This story contains allusions and/or spoilers to the "Heir to the 
Empire" trilogy by the Great Zahn. I'm not making any money off of them. Please 
don't print or post this elsewhere without my knowledge. Thanks.

Notes--Okay...this story is the first part of my attempt to fill in the blanks 
between "The Last Command" and "Jedi Search". I've never read "Dark Empire", but 
>from what I've heard, Mara Jade and Talon Karrde don't figure into it at all, 
which makes very little sense to me. A few of the major occurences of "Dark 
Empire" are included in various forms (such as Luke's research of Sith 
writings), but I can pretty much guarentee they're nothing like they were in the 
comic series. Also, don't be surprised if some of the characters act differently 
>from what you expect at first...
__________________________________________________________________________


Part One--New Friends, Old voices

"Hang on a minute," Mara called, "I’ll come with you." Luke stopped, his hand 
poised in midair above the door control, and glanced back over his shoulder at 
her. His face was veiled in shadow, but his broad grin was nearly blinding just 
the same. Mara stifled the sudden urge to smile in return and wondered with a 
touch of annoyance why Skywalker’s moods always seemed to affect her so 
strongly. She tightened her fingers around the cold metal cylinder of the 
lightsaber until they felt nearly numb. "Stop gloating",she said as sharply as 
she could manage.

Skywalker’s grin broadened in response, and he made a sort of half-hearted 
attempt to tone down his feelings. "Sorry," he murmured with an utter lack of 
conviction.

The corners of Mara’s mouth twitched as she walked across the roof to join him. 
"What have I told you about prevaricating, farmboy?"

Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight and hero of the Rebellion, looked down at her with 
boyish audacity. "Can’t blame a guy for trying," he returned cheerfully.

Mara groaned. "That sounds like Solo’s line."

"Actually," Skywalker admitted thoughtfully, "I did get it from him. How’d you 
know?"

Mara looked at him disbelievingly and snorted. Luke keyed the door open, and 
bowed to Mara, offering her his arm with an exaggerated flourish. Never one to 
back down from a challenge, she took his arm with courtly dignity. It took all 
her willpower not to fidget as they walked. She didn’t know if Skywalker was 
uncomfortable or not, and couldn’t quite bring herself to check. Probably not if 
his typical calm was any indication, a conviction that made her lower lip twist 
wryly.

Music floated faintly down the corridors. It was nothing like the stiff and 
stately chamber music of Imperial parties past. It was upbeat and irregular, 
just as mix-and-match as the government it celebrated. To her own vague 
surprise, she found that it didn’t hurt her feelings. In fact, her feet tingled 
with the urge to dance. Memories of dancing and other parties surged over her. 
Mara stopped dead.

Skywalker walked forward another handful of steps, and was jerked abruptly 
backward when her arm reached the end of its extension. He stumbled, then turned 
around and looked at her with something not quite surprise brushing across his 
face and sense. "I’m not going", Mara began.

"Of course you--" Skywalker began to protest, his face earnest.

Mara held up a hand to forestall him. "Let me finish," she said with an edge of 
impatience. "I’m not going looking like this."

Skywalker looked at her with obvious incomprehension. "You look like you always 
do."

The consideration of whether that statement was more compliment or insult 
flickered to idle life. Barely stifling a snort of impatience, Mara pushed the 
thought aside. "Exactly."

Skywalker waited, still blank. She sighed. "This is a big state party, and 
everyone is going to be dressed up. Even if they weren’t, Mon Mothma is going to 
make an announcement about the New Republic’s agreement with the Smuggler’s 
Alliance. Which means they’re probably going to introduce me as the Liaison."

"Yeah," Skywalker agreed warily. "So?"

"When I agreed to come with you, it did mean that I was going to take the job," 
Mara replied to his unspoken question. "But if I’m going to do the job right, it 
means out-classing all the over-classy politicians."

The pause seemed to stretch forever. Mara stared Skywaker in the eye and refused 
to feel awkward. "I don’t understand the logic," he sighed at last, "but that’s 
why Leia’s the politician. I do see the point. You need to change." 

"You can go without me," she said. "I’ll meet you there."

"I can go with you and wait," Skywalker countered. "I’m already late, and it 
won’t take that long."

He didn’t wantto let her out of his sight. Probably afraid that she’d change her 
mind and chicken out. "If you must," she allowed with a combination of amused 
tolerance and irritation. "My suite is that way." She pointed.
*************************************************************************************************

Luke tried, he really did, but he couldn’t help cringing when he walked into the 
loud discord of her suite. He thought he’d hidden it pretty well, but Mara 
speared him with a green-eyed glance. Then, to his complete shock, she began to 
laugh. Once his heart started again, he laughed too, just because her laughter 
was so contagious. It was warm and deep and playful, and made a profuse glow 
start somewhere deep in your heart. He couldn’t believe he’d never thought he 
was missing something not hearing that sound. Weak with laughter, they drooped 
in toward one another, and Mara’s hand inadvertently grazed Luke’s. She yanked 
her hand away as if she been burned, and jumped back a little.

"It really is...hideous," she said, trying to sound as if nothing had happened. 
She was carefully avoiding looking at him. "I hate it too, but there didn’t seem 
to be any reason to remodel if I was going to be shipping out with Karrde in a 
couple of weeks."

"Since you’re going to be stuck here after all, I’d be glad to help you," Luke 
offered. "Call it self defense," he added.

Mara snorted. "You’ve definitely been spending too much time with me, 
Skywalker," she informed him. "That sounded just like me."

Luke laughed, and started to say something. "No," Mara answered before he could 
ask, "that doesn’t mean I’m refusing your help."

"I wouldn’t expect anything less," Luke retorted teasingly, "you always have 
been practical to a fault."

Her sense and her lips both twitched tellingly, but Mara deigned to respond. 
"Make yourself at home," she said shortly, waving at her appalling couch. "I’ll 
be out shortly."

"Take your time," Luke returned, leaning back casually.

She emerged five minutes later, and raised a questioning eyebrow at Skywalker. 
The Mara that had gone into the bedroom had been a bold, efficient, no-nonsense 
smuggler, determined ally, and semi-friend. She had looked the part, dressed in 
a stark and simple body-skimming jumpsuit and ankle-boots, long red-gold hair 
hanging in a neat braid down her back. The Mara that came out of the bedroom was 
someone else entirely. 

Her hair had been swept smoothly back into a sleek vertical coil at the back of 
her head, held in place with a single silver comb. Long, thin strands of 
silver-set cesley stones trailed from her earlobes, drawing attention to the 
bare column of her neck, as did the plain silver band set with a trio of the 
icy-green cesleys that was draped along her neck, dipping just below the hollow 
in her throat. Her dress was such a pale green it was nearly white, and made of 
a type of silk so fine it glowed with a silver sheen. It had long, tight 
sleeves, and a neckline that ended in a v just above her breasts. When she 
turned to show him the full effect, Luke could see that the back was also cut in 
a v, ending just above her waist. A silver band chain like the one around her 
neck hung low around her hips like a sort of belt, the only interruption in the 
length of the dress from neck to ankles. The left side of the skirt had a slit 
that ran from the hem to the middle of Mara’s thigh. The way the silk clung to 
Mara’s skin and ran over her body led Luke to conclude this slit was 
strategically necessary for her to be able to move. Thanks to the narrow heels 
of the matching shoes, she was even a little taller, the top of her head even 
with his.

He opened his mouth to say something, realized he had no idea what to say, and 
closed it. He opened his mouth again, paused, then closed it again, defeated, 
and gestured helplessly with his arms. Mara regarded him with a quirked eyebrow 
and glimmerings of amusement around her sense. 

"You’ll do," he managed at last.

Mara snorted. "Then let’s get this show on the road."
*************************************************************************************************

Organa Solo’s droid, Threepio, was standing outside the double doors to the 
Royal Ballroom. If anyone had asked, Mara would have told them that would have 
been one of the most painful things she could imagine seeing. Instead, it seemed 
droll. An impression which was only reinforced as the droid greeted them in its 
impossibly prissy voice. "Master Luke. Thank the Maker. People were beginning to 
wonder where you were."

"I had some business I had to take care of, Threepio, Skywalker responded 
gravely. 
"Business?", Mara repeated skeptically, she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. 
Skywalker wisely ignored the question. Or maybe he hadn’t heard. No, he’d heard 
it all right. He really was ignoring it. The conclusion amused her somehow. It 
also made her feel a little strange. She’d just been teasing Luke Skywalker. 
Mara had never really teased anyone, let alone a target.

"Of course. Enjoy the party. And, you too, of course, Mistress Mara," Threepio 
said.

Mara smiled mechanically at the droid as he opened the doors and stepped aside. 
"Thanks, Threepio," Skywalker said easily, as he ushered Mara past him into the 
ballroom. The ballroom full of talking, laughing people. Many of whom stopped 
talking and laughing to stare at her and Skywalker. 

No one else would have even noticed. But Skywalker did. "Are you all right?," he 
murmured, his lips barely moving.

She moved the fingers of her hands inward slightly, the left touching the handle 
of her handy little blaster, the right grazing the cold solid weight of the 
lightsaber he’d given her. She swallowed once, slowly and deliberately, then 
took a deep breath. "Fine," she said firmly, squaring her shoulders and 
straightening her spine. His fingers touched the side of her hand, 
encouragingly.

Touching him made her feel safer, increasing her own discomfort. Luckily she 
didn’t have time to try to sort it out. "Luke, you finally made it!," Organa 
Solo exclaimed from just in front of her. Skywalker hugged his sister as she 
kissed his cheek, picking her up and twirling her playfully around in a circle 
before setting her down on the floor. "Family tradition," Organa Solo explained 
a bit breathlessly, smiling at Mara. As out-of-character as the expression was, 
Mara tried to smile back. She thought she more or less succeeded.

At least she’d remembered to change, something she was incredibly grateful for 
looking at Organa Solo’s ruby-studded curls, sleeveless calf-length white dance 
gown, and long ruby-colored jacket. Even Solo looked spit-shined, presenting a 
nice compliment to his wife in a crisp white tunic, embroidered red vest, 
military-creased black slacks and matching jacket. Even his boots were polished 
like mirrors. "Mara. Glad to see you decided to join us after all." he said a 
little formally.

You hardly needed to be Force-sensitive to see that he still wasn’t entirely 
sure he trusted her not to make good on her promise not to kill Luke, no matter 
what he and she both said about the matter. Well, you couldn’t blame him. His 
suspicions aside, Mara genuinely liked Han Solo, and she thought he liked her. 
"Thanks," she returned calmly. "Have you guys seen Karrde?"

"You’ve decided to accept the position as Liaison after all?," Organa Solo asked 
in a tone that made it clear she already knew the answer.

Mara shrugged. "I’ll see what I can do."

Organa Solo and her brother exchanged a look that made Mara suspect they thought 
they knew something, but before she could comment, Lando swept into the group, 
cape fluttering behind him. He seized Organa Solo’s hand and raised it to his 
lips. "Princess, you are more ravishing than ever," he proclaimed. Mara blinked. 
Her companions regarded Lando with tolerant amusement. Must be something did a 
lot. She began to scan the noisy masses for Karrde. Lando turned to greet her, 
then stopped and theatrically caught his breath. "Mara?," he said 
disbelievingly. "Mara Jade?"

"Yeah, that’s me," she returned dryly. "Surely you remember me from all that 
time we spent together on Wayland?"

"I could never forget you, my dear," Lando returned. Mara stifled the urge to 
cough and flicked a questioning glance in Skywalker’s direction. He shrugged. 
Mara gritted her teeth and sighed. "But never had I imagined the existence of a 
creature so lovely as you are tonight."

Mara grunted in a combination of disbelief and disgust as Solo and Organa Solo 
exchanged eloquent looks and Skywalker valiantly fought the urge to laugh. She 
withdrew her hand from his with painstaking care. "Calrissian. Have you seen 
Karrde?"

"I’m afraid not," he returned, unruffled, "but now that I’m here, you don’t need 
him anyway." Mara quelled him with a look of her own. "Or I could go and find 
him for you as a token of my undying admiration," Lando continued smoothly. 
"Would you like a drink while I’m at it?"

"I would," volunteered Solo. Calrissian glared at him, but he just widened his 
eyes and spread his hands slightly. 

"Anyone else?," Calrissian asked with the sigh of someone who knows he’s been 
defeated. 

"Thank you, Lando," Organa Solo said with stately grace in her voice and impish 
humor in her sense.

"Thanks Lando," Luke grinned.

"I’d appreciate it," Mara added dryly, as Chewbacca roared his own request from 
the fringe of their group. 

Calrissian groaned like a martyr, bowed like a prince, and wandered off , his 
friends snickering at his expense. "I wonder how he’s going to carry all 
those?," mused Organa Solo. The snickers became decidedly more pronounced.

Mara had seen the smugglers do similar things to one another, but this was the 
closest she’d ever come to being involved. She’d always thought it seemed 
ridiculously childish and pointless. Maybe it was, but somehow she wasn’t 
surprised to find that it was also a lot of fun.

"Poor Lando," added Solo when they’d finally died down again. 

"Is something wrong with General Calrissian?," inquired Karrde’s carefully 
cultured tones.

"Nothing he didn’t ask for," Mara assured him. "He’ll be fine.' Karrde’s eyes 
flicked over her in the way that was quickly becoming familiar and oddly 
reassuring. "Do I look okay?," she asked with sardonic humor.

"Impeccable, as always," he returned calmly. "I’m glad to see you changed your 
mind. Are you enjoying the party?"

"I haven’t been here long," Mara returned in similar tones.

"Well let me introduce you to some of the people you’ll be working with," Karrde 
said with a slight smile, making her wonder in passing if she was so transparent 
the only person who hadn’t known she’d decide to stay as Liaison was herself. It 
wasn’t an idea she particularly relished.

She inclined her head in silent acquiesence, and plucked the frosty glass from 
Calrissian’s hand as they walked past him. "Excellent timing, Karrde."

"I do try," he allowed modestly.

'But...where is she going?," Lando asked plaintively, staring at Mara and 
Karrde’s retreating backs.

"What difference does it make to you?," Han retorted with the start of a sly 
grin. He casually appropriated a drink with easy grace, and handed it to his 
wife. 
"I thought you didn’t like her?" 

"I just didn’t know her," Lando returned as Han grabbed his own drink.

To his surprise, Luke found that he was glowering in Lando’s direction. Leia 
hadn’t noticed the glower, but the swift flicker of hot protective jealousy had 
been impossible to miss. Her face was tranquil, but there was a question in her 
dark eyes. He shrugged fractionally. She frowned at him. 

"Looks like Mon Mothma’s about to make that speech of hers," Han remarked before 
the argument could go further, pointing toward the band platform.
*************************************************************************************************


Mara concluded her impromptu acceptance speech. She wished the applause made her 
want to smile, but it only made her feel dislocated, as if her universe weren’t 
quite real. 

"An encouraging response," Karrde observed as they drew off to the side. "I 
assume you’ll see us off tomorrow?" She nodded, feeling uncharacteristically 
incapable of speech. He smiled at her, and disappeared into the crowd. To make 
more contacts, she knew. To a smuggler, contacts were everything. Well, to 
Karrde, almost everything.

She understood, but she didn’t know what to do next. Since Skywalker and his 
family were the only people present who didn’t actively distrust her, she 
guessed she’d rejoin them for a while until she could leave without looking 
untrustworthy and unappreciative. That would be a bad way to start her new 
duties, much as she wanted to leave.

Someone’s sense brushed her mind. //Sk-// no, it wasn’t him. Mara stiffened, 
feeling ice creep over her skin. But the touch was as familiar as breathing. 
Every cell in her body stood on end. //It can’t be//, she told herself firmly. 
//He’s dead. Dead and gone. You’re free of him at last. This is the start of 
your future.// Cold ran along her spine, and every alarm in the back of her head 
was still screaming. 

Forcing herself to remain calm, Mara slipped through the crowd to a secluded 
corner of the ballroom. Before she could sit down and try to sort out her sudden 
fear, her entire body exploded in a fireball of bitterness, betrayal, and anger 
that made her gasp. Screams rippled through the Force, hitting her like little 
slaps. Her knees gave out, and she slid to the floor, clutching her temples in 
her hands as the impossible voice came from the grave to demand //Mara Jade, 
Mara Jade, My Hand. Have you forgotten me?//

She knew she had barely touched the floor, but it seemed like she’d been sitting 
there for centuries before Skywalker’s hands rested on her shoulders. He pulled 
back and swore under his breath. "You’re cold as frozen meth." He put his hands 
over hers on her temples, and she felt the Force flowing from her through her, 
washing the pain and fear slowly away, and warming her soul deep chill. 
Belatedly, she discovered that she was clutching her head, shaking it wildly 
back and forth like a wounded animal trying to escape something that was 
blinding it. With a Herculean effort, she stopped and wrenched her hands away 
>from her head. She rested them, shaking, in her lap.

Reluctantly, she opened her eyes and found herself staring deeply into two 
silver-blue ones inches away >from hers. "Mara," Skywalker said aloud, and his 
relief was nearly overpowering, in spite of the fact she couldn’t actually feel 
it through all the barriers she’d instinctively slapped up between herself and 
the Force. 

"Thanks, Skywalker," she said wryly. Her voice shook too. "There’s another I owe 
you. Good thing you let me run a tab."

"I figure you’re the kind of person it’s good to have in your debt," he 
returned, but worry lurked deep in his eyes, and he didn’t smile. "Are you 
okay?"

"I’ll be better when you convince me no one saw me collapse, or the much-vaunted 
Jedi Knight and hero of the Rebellion bolt through a state party like Vader was 
on his exhaust trail," she retorted with as much asperity as she could muster.

"No one saw me run through a state party like Vader was on my exhaust trail," 
Skywalker returned soothingly. 

At the look on his face, Mara narrowed her green eyes like the sharpening edges 
of two vibroblades. "But?," she prompted warily.

The corners of his mouth quirked, then died. His eyes never changed at all. "But 
I usually let Vader catch me," he admitted.

Mara laughed humorlessly and ended up coughing. "Great. Just sithspawn 
wonderful," she muttered. "So how many people saw it?"

"Thanks to your choice of locations, no one but me--and probably Leia--knows you 
collapsed," Skywalker answered. "And I didn’t run, I walked with a purpose. The 
only people who noticed something was up are the ones I was with." He stopped as 
he saw the look on her face. "Say five, maybe six?"

"I suppose they all know how to keep their mouths shut," Mara allowed, relaxing 
slightly.

"If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be alive," Skywalker confirmed mildly. "So are 
you all right?"

"I will be once I get my breath back," she assured him.

"In that case," Skywalker took a deep breath, his silvery-blue eyes seeming to 
bore through her soul. "What happened?"

"First things first," she warned. "We get out of this position before someone 
notices us and wonders what’s going on."

"Are you sure you’re up to that?," Skywalker asked, that irritating earnestness 
in his face.

"I’ll be fine," she insisted, a little more shortly than she had intended. 

Skywalker stood over her, looking impressively tall despite his average stature. 
He held his hands out to her. Without really knowing why, she grabbed his 
wrists. He gripped hers, pulled lightly, and she jumped and landed neatly on her 
feet. It was beautifully planned and executed, and it occurred to Mara that they 
could do some pretty impressive things with joint fighting moves. She’d have to 
mention it to him sometime. "Where to?," she asked over the uncomfortable urge 
to thank him. She must have swayed slightly on her feet, because Skywalker 
reached out and put a hand on her waist to steady her. Normally, she would have 
protested, but it was easier to ignore it altogether, so that’s what she did.

"Not your suite," Skywalker said firmly.

"Fair enough. But where else is there?"
*************************************************************************************************

Luke eased Mara Jade carefully onto his sofa. "You look like you could use some 
caf," he observed. "Wait here. I’ll be right back." Mara would have needled him 
for being about as jumpy as a drunken tauntaun with fear she’d leave, but she 
was too worn out. She just looked at him, and sat swaying until he brought her a 
cup.

"So," he said two cups later, "are you ready to tell me what happened?"

"What makes you so sure I didn’t just have a relapse from doing too much too 
fast after the Wayland explosion?," she countered. But they both knew. He had to 
have sensed part of that huge emotional thunderstorm through the Force. "I don’t 
really know what happened...I had just finished my speech, and I felt someone 
touch me with the Force. I thought it was you, and I was going to yell at you to 
keep out of my mind."

"But it wasn’t me," Luke said, feeling grim.

"Right," Mara confirmed, sipping caf. "It was someone else, but it seemed 
familiar. Before I could figure out why, I pretty much got hammered."

"That big burst of emotions I felt," Luke added darkly.

"Like an explosion," she elaborated, equally grim. "And, worse, I heard the 
Emperor again."

"But we checked very thoroughly. You’re completely free of that last 
compulsion," Luke protested, feeling his stomach knot.

"I know," Mara agreed grimly. "In fact, when you came running to the rescue, I 
was almost a little relieved to see you."

"So how could you possibly be hearing the Emperor now?," Luke asked, as the 
knots spread through his neck.

"I’ll be kesseled if I know," returned Mara tautly. "But I don’t much like it."

Several tense seconds ticked by, and she added. "On the other hand, maybe it was 
just exhaustion. Some sort of hallucination."

"Maybe," Luke said slowly. "Uh, Mara..."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Yeah, Skywalker?"

"You’re still looking whiter than a snowstorm on Hoth. If you don’t want to go 
to the medcenter, maybe you should stay here tonight, just in case."

Mara looked at him incredulously and Luke suddenly felt like a green farm kid on 
Tatooine asking the cutest girl in town if she wanted to go Toshi Station. Then 
he felt vaguely annoyed with his reaction. He had just decided that was the only 
answer his was going to get was that look when she finally objected, "Aren’t you 
afraid I’ll try to kill you?"

"No. If you didn’t kill me when you thought you wanted to, I doubt you’ll kill 
me now that you know you don’t want to," he said with irrefutable logic.

Mara sighed and her eyes drifted closed. "You know, Skywalker, that perfect calm 
of yours gets real old, real fast," she informed him without any real heat. 
Suddenly Luke felt better. "Since you don’t mind, I guess I will crash here," 
she added sleepily. "Thanks for the couch."

"You’ll sleep in the bed, I’ll sleep on the couch," Luke corrected firmly.

Protest flashed deep in green eyes, but he ignored it, and swept Mara into his 
arms before she could say anything. He cradled her against his chest in a way 
that made both their spines stiffen, then relax. He carried her into the bedroom 
with ease, and laid her on the bed. He started to go, then something made him 
turn back and sit on the edge of the bed beside her. He could sense the pricking 
of vexation at the edges of her mind, and the deeper, slightly confused, sense 
of comfort. Something about that feeling made him want to reach out and brush 
the slight wisps of her hair away from her face, but knowing Mara, she’d break 
his arm. He sat very still, and watched her drift deep into sleep.
*************************************************************************************************

He woke with his head heavy with half-remembered dreams. The last time he had 
dreamt, Ben had left him. On the other hand, new allies had joined him. This was 
different though...and, concentrating, he found that the dreams weren’t his own. 
They were Mara’s. Before he could follow this conclusion any further, he was 
distracted by a clattering in his little kitchenette. Mara Jade emerged, 
carrying two mugs, and thrust one of them at him without ceremony, sitting on 
the edge of the little table in front of him. "You made caf last night," she 
said a little stiffly. "I guess turnabout’s fair play."

He sat up and took the cup with a grateful sigh. She either caught the 
sharpening of his gaze or the flicker in his sense, Luke wasn’t completely sure. 
He had the oddest impression that impish mischief flickered in the emerald 
depths of her eyes. "That evening gown was scarcely practical," she said 
defensively.

"Looks good on you," he said mildly, just managing to resist the grin he knew 
would infuriate her. His dark blue tunic clung to her breasts and hips just 
enough to make them noticeable, and the leggings whispered around her legs with 
airy grace. "Better than it ever did on me." The corners of her mouth might have 
moved, he wasn’t sure.

She snorted, and said nothing. "What time is it?" Mara pointed at the chrono. 
Luke grinned. He’d spent enough time with her to know she was always testy in 
the morning. "An hour before the Noghri convoy leaves," he observed. "And two 
before Karrde is supposed to ship out." Mara crossed her arms and looked at him, 
obviously wishing he’d get to
the point. "I don’t suppose your gratitude extends to making breakfast?," he 
teased.

"Don’t push your luck, Skywalker," she growled. Unconvincingly.

"So let’s go out and get breakfast," he suggested.

Mara raised her eyebrows. "Okay," she agreed after a long pause. "But first I 
change."

"You’re just afraid someone will figure out the truth about us," Luke quipped. 
His eyes widened as he mentally replayed the memory. Yes, he’d actually said 
that.

Mara’s sense flared combatively. "I was right," she remarked with his earlier 
mildness, her eyes sparkingoddly in the light. "You’ve definitely been hanging 
around Solo too long." 
Hearing his thoughts come out of her mouth was vaguely unsettling, though the 
amusement threaded beneath the dry tone made him want to smile. "Meet you in the 
Grand Corridor."
*************************************************************************************************

"What happened to the C’hala trees?," she asked.

"Did the Emperor ever mention Delta Source to you?," Luke answered her question 
with a question.

Mara shook her head. "Not really. Just that it was infallible. Why?"

"The C’hala trees are Delta Source," he explained. "Sound waves create a 
chemical reaction in the trunk--"

"Which was converted to binary and encrypted," Mara concluded slowly. "Yes, he 
would have loved that."

Something in her sense made Luke look over at her in concern. "Is it painful to 
talk about?"

She grimaced, and he could feel her withdrawing from him in the Force. "I 
brought it up," she said shortly.

Then, after a pause, "I don’t miss it nearly as much as I thought I would. Isn’t 
that odd? Maybe the old Mara Jade died at Endor and never knew it. "

The sun was brilliant, but the canyon-like walls of buildings rising up to meet 
it blocked and filtered its light to a diffuse and pleasant glow. "There’s a 
little cafe that Leia really likes a couple of blocks from here," Luke began. 
"If you like we can--" He raised his hand to signal one of the countless 
landspeeders whizzing by.

"No," Mara interrupted. "If it’s all right with you, I’d rather walk."

"Actually," Luke admitted. "I’d prefer it myself."

The edges of her sense seemed to soften like a smile as they fell into step with 
the already milling crowds. The streets were an overflowing river of color, 
sound and thought. But Luke liked being carried along by the flow, and he could 
feel his companion’s delight and interest. The cool clean brush of the air, the 
stark wilderness of concrete as lethal in its way as Myrkr or Jomark, the noise 
and confusion, seemed to refresh her somehow. Feeling it, Luke suddenly felt a 
couple of years younger himself.

"This way," the greet-droid said, rolling toward the entrance. 

"We’d prefer an outdoor table, if it’s not too much trouble," Luke requested 
impulsively. He’d been expecting the sharp glance Mara shot in his direction, 
and didn’t even flinch. Her sense seemed to frown, but she didn’t pursue the 
issue. 

"Of course, sir," the droid replied equably, and sat them outside.

"I never really noticed the planet I grew up on either," Luke confided as their 
capan biscuits arrived. 

"What’s to notice?," she snorted, "sand?" But it didn’t ring true. They both 
knew she was interested.

"I was too focused on dreams of adventure and glory to value safety and 
simplicity," he continued, feeling the bittersweet touch of old sorrows. He knew 
Mara felt threatened and trapped by the suddenly intimate knowledge, knew that 
she wondered why he was telling her this. He did too. All he knew was it felt 
right. Just like giving her his father’s old lightsaber had.

Mara put down her biscuit. After several minutes of awkward silence she sighed 
and shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "I think I could always have seen the 
beauty here...the beauty on the roof last night especially...but I never had the 
chance. Life was never about me. Or even about my surroundings. It was always 
about the mission. About the duty. About what he wanted."

Luke nodded, surprised and deeply touched by her admission. Their eyes met for a 
long moment, then the corners of Mara’s mouth twitched. "If you ever repeat this 
to anybody,
Skywalker--"

"You’re going to kill me?," Luke returned, the corners of his own mouth 
quirking.

She opened her mouth to say something, something circumvented by the distant, 
dark ripple in the Force.

"Do you feel that?"

"I definitely feel something," he agreed. "What is another question."

"It’s him," she answered, her voice sounding tight and cold and a little wrong. 
"It’s him, but...it’s not him."

Luke frowned, feeling a shiver run through him somewhere deep inside. "What does 
that mean?"

Mara didn’t answer the question.








Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; name="New_Beginnings2-7.txt"
Content-Language: en
Content-Length: 106418

Title--New Beginnings
Author--Jedi Amoira
Author Email--boysj@mailcity.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Disclaimer--Star Wars, its characters locations and events, belong to Uncle George, LucasFilm, and the profic writers. I don't own them, I don't make money off them...please don't sue...etc. etc. Please don't print or post this elsewhere without my permission. 

Notes--This my version of the events between "The Last Command" and "Jedi Search" I've never read "Dark Empire", so while some of the major events still occurr, don't expect them or the story to be in any way similar.  I make one allusion to "Truce at Bakura" here, but if you've never read it, I don't think it will make a difference.  The parts in brackets are dream sequences.
__________________________________________________________________________________

                              Part Two--Partings and Meetings

Leia stood at the edge of the landing pad, holding Han’s hand, watching the Noghri convoy lift off when she the sudden shift in her brother’s sense made her catch her breath. Han looked over at her and frowned in concern. "Are you all right, sweetheart?"

She nodded. "I’m fine. It’s Luke..."

"Luke? Is he okay?"

"I think so...he seems...worried about something," Leia said, her forehead furrowed in concentration."He’s having breakfast at the corner cafe...Mara’s with him?"

"Breakfast, huh," Han said, his eyes sparking at the mention of Mara’s name. "You know, we haven’t eaten yet..."

"They aren’t going to like this," Leia warned, already following him along the street. 

Luke and Mara were sitting in clear view, Luke with one of his feet propped up in the chair to his right at the table, Mara leaning back as if she were a queen holding court. Luke was eating sausaops while Mara languidly sipped at her glass of bright orange utmy juice. They glanced up in unsion, perfectly unconcerned, as Han said, "Fancy meeting you here."

"We figured you’d show up," Luke said calmly, dropping his foot out of the chair. "Have a seat."

"Anything interesting on the menu?," Han asked, not bothering to move toward the seat. 

Mara flicked ironic green eyes in his direction. "I haven’t tried to kill him, if that’s what you’re asking," she answered dryly.

"So what is going on here?," Leia asked with the straight-forward command of a seasoned mediator.

"Breakfast," Mara retorted, waving a hand at the table.

Luke reached out to touch her hand reassuringly, and she jumped and jerked it away from him. He sighed and looked at his sister. "Mara--" Mara’s foot connected solidly with his shin under the table, making him wince. "Just thinks she may be having a slight relapse from overdoing things," he finished a bit flatly.

"This is ever-so-enlightening, I’m sure," Mara said acerbically, "but I really ought to be going now." She stood up and strode away from the table with the focused power of a jungle cat.

"Relapse, huh?," Leia said, sitting down beside her brother. He nodded, not meeting her eyes. "How bad is it? Do you think the job of Liaison is too much for her? There’s still time to ask Karrde to assign someone else---"

"No!,"Luke said, more sharply than he’d intended. Leia and Han both blinked at him in surprise. "Do you really," he said, regulating his voice as carefully as he could manage, "think there’s any job that’s too much for Mara Jade to handle?" Leia and Han looked at each, their thoughts clear. "Look," Luke said awkwardly, "I can’t explain it, but I know Mara belongs here now. Her destiny and mine are all tangled together somehow."

Leia’s face tightened, and she started to speak. "Not like that," Luke insisted. "She may be hearing the Emperor now, but she’s past that...we can trust her, I feel it...and somewhere deep inside, you do too."

Leia sighed. She had known Mara Jade could be trusted to help them--even if she didn’t like them--on the trek to Wayland, and Luke was right. Not only did she still feel Mara could be trusted, she felt that secretly, Mara didn’t really dislike them much at all. But the woman still made her uncomfortable, especially that close to Luke, and something about what he said was still bothering her...Han got it before she did. "Wait a minute--she’s hearing the Emperor now? I thought she got rid of him?"

Luke shifted uncomfortably, his face reddening so slightly that no one except his family could have told the difference. "We thought she had but--"

"So what you’re telling me is that this woman has sworn to kill you and is still professing to hear the voice of your dead enemy who wants her to kill you, and you want to keep her around?" Han’s face was increduolous, a good match for the odd lump Leia could feel rising in her throat. "I know you’ve got it bad for her, kid, but--"

Leia whipped her head around to stare at her husband in shock. He was no Jedi, but he’d never needed the Force to be perceptive. And he thought that Luke had a crush on Mara Jade? She supposed it did make an odd sort of sense...but no, when he’d fallen in love with Gaeriel Captison, hadn’t she been completely and overwhelmingly aware of his feelings? If he was interested in someone that way, she would know. 

"I do not have a crush on Mara Jade!," Luke protested vehemently, looking pleadingly at Leia. She believed him. 


"I feel it too Han," she said softly, "Something is coming. Something big...and Mara Jade may be the only person who can help us."

"Great," Han grumbled, "Not only does this mean vacation is over, but our lives are in the hands of some crackpot assassin because you and your brother had some Crazy Jedi Thing?"

Leia and Luke looked at each other and grinned, reassured. Some things never changed. "Yeah," Luke admited, "I’d say that just about covers it."
************************************************************************************************* 

Karrde was standing outside the Wild Karrde, when Mara found him. "Mara," he said,"we were just getting ready to leave."Unable to speak around the uncharacteristic lump in her throat, Mara nodded."You know this is only temporary, of course," he said, and she wondered if he was reassuring her or warning her. "As soon as you get the position up and running, we’ll find a replacement and you can go back to being my second-in-command."

"I can hardly wait," she said, surprised at how normal she sounded. 

Karrde smiled. "Good. I’ll call for your first report in a few days, as agreed?"

Mara nodded. "I’ll have it ready," she said simply.

Aves walked by and patted her on the shoulder. "See you around, Mara," he said, "I’m glad you’re on our team." Mara laughed, prompting a slight, urbane smile from Karrde.

Karrde squeezed her hand, and she returned the gesture with the slight stiff awkwardness of someone wholly unused to displays of affection. She stood tall and proud, watching his back as he walked onto the ship and the doors closed.

The Wild Karrde was just beginning to shudder as her engines started up, when Mara heard the soft scraping noise behind her. She whirled without thinking, pulling the blaster neatly from her left sleeve and tracking it around to bear...On Luke Skywalker. "Oh," she said. "It’s you."

"Yeah, it’s good to see you again, too, Mara," he returned, obviously trying not to laugh.

"What are you doing here?," she demanded, feeling out of sorts at the idea of being the butt of one of his personal jokes.

The blue eyes flicked toward the receeding ship in answer. "I thought maybe you could use some company," he said unecessarily.

Mara shifted uncomfortably. "I’m fine."

"I can see that," Skywalker said equably. "But since I’m bored and I walked all this way to keep you company..."

"What did you have in mind?," she interrupted a trifle sharply, and his grin reappeared before quickly disappearing again.

"Well...we could always continue your training," he suggested slowly.

Mara frowned. "What makes you think I want to be Jedi, Skywalker? The Force has been nothing but trouble, as far as I’m concerned."

"You don’t really mean that," he said, the sheer intensity of his concern making her want to scream. "Suppressing it all that time only made you miserable, you know. You can’t deny a piece of yourself. And part of what you are, is Jedi, Mara."

"Part of what I am is an old war criminal, Skywalker. Just ask Bremen," she retorted caustically. Before he could protest, she added, "if you really want to do something useful, you could help me redecorate my apartment like you promised."

"I said I’d help you redecorate," he admitted, "and I will. "But, Mara...I wish you’d rethink the training...I mean, the best way to beat anything the Emperor may have done--or being doing--to you with the Force is to learn to use it yourself. It’s your heritage, and he denied it to you...doesn’t that make you angry?"

Deep inside, something stirred, making Mara’s heart pound. "Look, Skywalker, I don’t want to talk about it. But...you’ve got a point. So I’ll make a deal with you. One hour of training for one hour of redecorating."

Luke looked at Mara in sheer disbelief, then grinned in spite of himself. "Whatever else you are, Mara Jade, you’re already a trader."

Mara smirked. "Good. Karrde should be glad to hear that."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Let’s just go move out some of that awful furniture so I have room to show you some saber techniques."
*************************************************************************************************

Sweat trickled down the bridge of her nose, tickling her. Mara stepped forward, bringing the heel of her left palm solidly against Luke’s breastbone, forcing him half a step back, and neatly brought the inside of her wrist across her face, swiping at the sweat. 

Luke regained his balance with ease, snapping his right foot up and out in a powerful box kick. Without missing a beat, Mara ducked so that the kick went harmlessly over the top of his head. She leapt back up to her full height before his foot was even back on the floor, swinging her her left out in a neat semicircle, catching Luke off-guard and knocking his feet out from under him. He fell back and she brought her foot up and out in a neat kick to his shoulder. To her surprise, he didn’t block it, but let it hit, knocking him backward to the floor. He reached out in a blur of motion too fast to see and caught her ankle as she retracted her foot, tugging it toward him. She sprawled out on the floor beside him. "You haven’t beat me yet, Jade," he said, his chest heaving, but his voice clear.

Mara rolled over on her back and looked at the ceiling. "Not bad for a pacificist Jedi," she allowed in a faintly sneering tone, trying to remember how to breathe.
They lay in silence for a few seconds, gathering the strength to pull themselves off the floor. "I kept my part of the bargin," she added. "Now it’s your turn."

Luke glanced around the room. They had carefully scraped together and horded every spare instant between meals and Council Meetings in the past week, using them to empty the apartment. The oddly clashing colors were replaced with stark, clean white paint and glistening wood. Painting with Mara was an experience he wasn’t likely to forget. "I suppose you could use some furniture," he admitted. The door hissed open, and Leia walked in, halting in surprise at the scene before her. "Am Iinterrupting something?," she asked carefully.

"Nope. Just a little Jedi Training," Luke said easily, rolling to his feet. 

"More like a little Combat Practice," Mara corrected. Luke offered her his hand, but she ignored it, and rolled up onto her hip and smoothly to her feet. "What’s wrong?"

Luke hadn’t seen the tension in his sister’s narrow frame before, but it was obvious now, radiating from every tightly strung muscle and the rebel glow in her dark eyes. "Leia?"

"We’ve got Empire trouble," she explained tightly, and Luke felt his heart sink.

"But they should still be regrouping from Bilbringi," he objected.

"They should be," she agreed. "But they aren’t. They’ve got another new commander...only this time, he’s no Grand Admiral."

"Why doesn’t that make you feel better?," Luke demanded.

Leia’s eyes seemed to bore into Mara’s, as if some answer would be written in her sense."Because this time he’s claiming to the Emperor himself."

"What are we waiting for?," Mara demanded impatiently, ignoring Leia’s look. "We’ve got a Council Meeting to attend."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                                      Part Three--Opening Moves

Things were not going well.

The very mention of the Emperor sent most of the Senate into hysterical posturings and obscure finger-pointings that were absolutely useless. They’d been discussing the recent rumors and attacks nearly non-stop for two weeks, and the only thing that anyone agreed on was that it was certainly bad news.

Impatience was something he thought he’d finally outgrown. Something that had been burned out of him in the fires of training and war. But Mara’s restlessness beside him stirred the old impulse to life, making his leg muscles quiver with the urge to jump out of the chair and shout at the Council. Mara herself was on the verge of putting several holes in the ceiling with her little holdout blaster, though no one would have known it to look at her. Even Leia, ever the diplomat, was absently fingering the hilt of her lightsabre.

"--cannot expect us to agree--" one of the Councilors was saying. 

"Look," Mara interrupted curtly, having abandoned all pretense at civility three days before. "I think that--"

"We know what you think, Emperor’s Hand," Borsk Fey’lya retorted. "Maybe we should just save ourselves some time and surrender before you can report all of our plans back to your Master."

Mara’s only reaction was a sharp intake of breath and a quickly subsiding stinging in her sense. Luke, however, wasn’t about to take that sitting down. He jumped up. "You can’t honestly believe that--"

His sister caught his attention out of the corner of his eye, shaking her head slightly. He sighed and sank back into his seat and his obscurity. "Councilor," Leia said coolly, "Surely you are aware that Mara Jade has not served the Empire since the death of the Emperor? Furthermore, she is our ally--in connection with Talon Karrde and the Smuggler’s Coalition. My brother has spent considerable time with her and is convinced of her loyalty. Do you honestly believe she could lie to a Jedi?"

"Perhaps she doesn’t have to," hissed the delegate from Bfpassh. "Perhaps the Jedi seeks the power of Darth Vader."

"If that were true," Leia snapped, "the Rebellion would have fallen at Endor, Councilor. My brother has proven his loyalty to the New Republic many times, just as Mara Jade proved hers by risking her life to destroy the Emperor’s warehouse, Councilor Fey’lya."

Luke couldn’t quite repress an un-Jedi-like satisfaction at seeing Fey’lya so throughly trounced. It was short-lived. "But when she did that, she thought the Emperor was dead," protested the Councilor from Obra-Skai. "If she has since learned otherwise--"

"I know the Emperor is dead," Mara said shortly, not bothering to explain that this was because she had felt his death from millions of lightyears away. "You obviously don’t want or need my help right now...you’d rather argue than get anything accomplished. When you’re ready to take action, let me know." The Councilors stared after her in collective stunned silence, then gave a sort of mental shrug and picked up the arguments where they’d left off. 

Luke gave his sister’s hand a reassuring sympathetic squeeze, and went to find Mara.
**********************************************************************************

She was standing at the edge of the rooftop, looking out across the Manarai Mountains. "Go away, Skywalker," she said to the sound of the opening door, not bothering to turn around.

Luke walked over and stood beside her, prompting a faint snort that made him smile. "Don’t let them get to you, Mara," he said softly, "that only gives them more importance than they deserve."

"You think I don’t know that?," she retorted bitterly. "They don’t get to me, Skywalker. What gets to me is that I actually let you talk me into believing that things change." Her laugh was acidic and hollow as she added, "So much for that. They don’t trust me, and they don’t trust Karrde, and they never will."

He couldn’t tell her she was wrong. 

"I trust you, Mara," he said after a while.

She eyed him without turning her head. "You’re a naive fool, Skywalker," she retorted.

Encouraged, he bumped her slightly with his elbow the way he often bumped Leia when he wanted to make her smile. "The truth is," she said, "I wouldn’t really care if they trusted me or not if they’d just do something."

"So what are we going to do?," Luke asked.

She turned and looked at him full-on. "We, Skywalker?"

"Yes, we. If you think I’m going to leave you to face your past alone, you’re nuts."

"Yeah, I know," she admitted with the faintest trace of a wry grin. "I can take care of myself, Skywalker."

"Yeah, I know," Luke replied lightly. "What were you going to tell the Council, Mara?"

She sighed. "Nothing really. Just that any good smuggler knows that to a find a product, you trace the source."

Luke considered that for a moment, then nodded slowly. "We go back to the planets that have been taken, and look for clues to the identity and location of the new commander?"

"That’s the general idea," Mara admitted. "I suppose this means we have to break this to your sister?"

"Don’t worry," Luke said, marginally convinced himself, "she’ll understand."
**********************************************************************************

Crisis or no crisis, Leia was enjoying some quality family time for once. She was sitting beside Han on the couch, holding Jaina. Han had Jacen in his lap, and was leaning over him intent on the boloball game the holoprojector was playing. 

Luke walked right in, but Mara hung back in the doorway, obviously feeling as though she didn’t belong. "Luke!," Leia said in surprise."Did you come to watch the game?"

"Not exactly," he admitted uncomfortably. "I came to tell you we’re leaving."

"Leaving?," Leia repeated in surprise, turning to Mara. "What about the Council?"

"You heard what I told them," Mara replied bluntly. "When they’re ready to accept my help, I’ll be there."

"I’m a fighter, not a politician," Luke said. "I can’t help them, either."

"Look, Mara, I know the Council’s attitude is frustrating, but if you just give them time to come around--"

"I grew up in the political arena," Mara interrupted. "And it’s not that I’m not willing to earn their respect. It’s that we don’t have the time to spare. We need to find this new commander, and we need to find him now before he gets any more powerful." And that was something Luke could do. 

"I know," Leia sighed. She looked her brother in the eye. So much to say, and no idea how to say it. "Just be careful."

He nodded and touched her hand, and she read all the complicated answers to her unspoken thoughts in his blue eyes. Realizing there was something special going on around her, Jaina cooed and gurgled, batting with little hands at Leia’s braids and Luke’s chin. Mara stared, oddly drawn by the motion and the sound of Jaina’s laughter. Leia smiled up at her. "Would you like to hold her?"

Mara seemed taken aback by the question, then slowly nodded. Leia carefully handed her the baby, showing her how to support the neck, as Han said, "So am I invited to this party of yours?"

"Are you kidding?," Mara said acerbically. "Sorry to disappoint you, Solo, but Skywalker wasn’t even invited." She snorted, setting her hair in motion around her face, sparking light along the copper strands. Jaina cooed, prompting a coo from Jacen in response, and reaced up to tangle her hands in the threads. "You’re great in a fight, and all, but the more of us there are, the more likely we’ll just get spotted."

"Enjoy your vacation, Han," Luke advised, "spend some time with Leia and the twins."

"Feels odd to finally be able to play family man," Han admitted, "especially when I think how close Thrawn came to grabbing the twins right out from under my nose."

A cold shudder seemed to run down Mara’s spine. "What is it?," Luke asked, tensing. 

Mara swallowed and shook her head as if trying to get rid of an unwanted image. "I just had a thought you guys aren’t going to like," she replied darkly, her arms tightening reflexively around the little girl in her arms. "If Thrawn wanted the twins for C’boath..."

"The Empire is going to love them for the Dark Jedi claiming to be the Emperor," Leia finished in the faint tones of someone with an unwanted epiphany.

Luke looked at her with a horror in his eyes that surpassed her own. "We can’t let that happen,"he said grimly. "No matter what the cost."

"We won’t," Han said, "Leia and I will protect them."

"It’s not enough," Mara said flatly. "They almost got past you the last time."

"This time we’ll have the Noghri," Leia said.

Luke shook his head. "She’s right," he said with the gentle sorrow of someone doing something he hated. "We can’t let them get that close. I think...I think we’re going to have to hide the twins away where no one can find them."

"I can’t leave Coruscant," Leia objected. "Not now--" She broke off abruptly, her heart icing over. "No. No, I’m not letting you separate me from my babies!"

"It’s only temporary," Luke pleaded, "just until they’ve developed the personality traits they need to fend off the dark side influence. And you can visit them. Leia--it’s for their own good."

"Alright," she hissed darkly, retreating into the shelter of Han’s arms. "Alright." Her voice was shaky, her eyes bright with tears. "Ask Ackbar to help you." The twins began to cry.

"I hate to sound ungrateful, and I know Mara saved the babies and all, but do you really think she should help hide them?," Han asked a bit sheepishly. 

"No," Mara answered before Luke could. There was no way she was going to take the kids away from their parents, even for their own good. "The less people who know anything about how to find the twins the better. Besides," she added with a nasty grin, "I’ve got some hunting of my own to do while our little trip is postponed. And that’s a party you are invited to, Solo."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                               Part Four--Going Places

In unspoken agreement, Mara and Luke walked out of the apartment together, granting Leia’s fledging family some privacy. "I know this is a delay we can’t really afford," Luke began, "but--"

Mara shook her head, cutting him off. "Don’t worry about it, Skywalker, it won’t hold me up."

Luke frowned. "Mara...you aren’t going to go after what could be a Dark Jedi without me? Especially one that might have a personal grudge against you."

"I already told you," she returned impatiently, "I can take care of myself, Skywalker."

She put a finger over his lips, silencing his protest. "But I’m not ready to leave Coruscant just yet."

"Then what--"

"For now, I’m going to the same place you are. The Imperial Archives. I think a little background work is in order," she said darkly. 

While Mara combed the archives for any trivial piece of information that looked like it could even remotely apply to the developing situation, Luke looked for a safe planet to hide his neice and nephew on. After going through a half dozen planets he’d encountered in his quest to garner information about the Jedi, he finally one that was ideal, and went to talk to Ackbar. **********************************************************************************

It took Ackbar less than a day to locate all the necessary equipment for a fortress, and two standard days after the decision had been made, a small group of people gathered quietly on an out of the way landing field late at night. Han and Leia watched Admiral Ackbar hug each of the twins, and give Luke a solemn salute before stepping out of the way. Leia hugged her aide and dearest friend, Winter, bidding her farewell just as she had far too many before the Battle of Endor, then hugged her children with tears streaming down her face, and handed them to Han who was crying as unashamedly as his wife. Han gave them to Winter with painstaking care, and she inclined her head and carried them up the ramp and into the shuttle with great dignity. 

Luke hugged his sister and her husband together, just as he had so many times in the old days. "I hope someday you can forgive me for doing this."

"Nah, kid," Han said only a trifle less heartily than usual, "protecting your family isn’t something you need to be forgiven for." Leia’s face was pale and drawn, but she nodded agreement, her bearing regal.

"Tell Mara I’ll be back in three days and not to do something foolish while I’m gone," Luke said, wishing Mara would have come so he could tell her himself. 

"Can do, kid," Han said, eyeing Luke a bit closely, and Luke boarded the shuttle. 

Han, Leia and Ackbar huddled together and watched it fade undetected. "Your children will be safe in their hands until your first visit," Ackbar soothed. "I’m sure it will be soon."

"It had better be," Leia returned grimly, and Han squeezed her shoulder. "Thank you for helping us," she added, her politeness only slightly frayed around the edges. Ackabar nodded, his large eyes full of sympathy as he padded away. 

"Now what, Princess?," Han asked as they entered their apartment. It seemed dark and strangely silent. 

"Hold me, Han," she said desperately. "Just hold me."
**********************************************************************************

"Well, Solo," Mara demanded, "Ready for that party I promised you?"

Solo just stared. Mara smirked. He hadn’t been expecting the costume. Organa Solo studied her thoughtfully, head to foot and elbowed her husband with a grin. "Put your eyes back in your head, Han." She narrowed her eyes, thoughtfully, and added, "Should I be worried?"

"Nope. Strictly business," Mara assured her. "I wanna go see if there are any unusual rumors in the underground. Smugglers that have seen or heard something. Odd shipments. That sort of thing. With any luck, we’ll find where to look for our so-called Emperor."

"And the best place to do business with the underground is...underground," Organa Solo mused. "You’re going to the bars near the ground level?"

Mara nodded. "Yeah. Most people don’t walk in there alone. Hence the escort. I hope you don’t mind?"

"Not as long as you return him in one piece," Organa Solo returned dryly. Mara grinned. Organa Solo leaned over and kissed her husband’s cheek. "Have fun, dear."

"Oh, yeah," Han said a trifle grumpily. "This sounds like a real ball."
**********************************************************************************

After twelve hours of bouncing from bar to bar, asking questions, trying to seem inconspicious, Mara was inclined to think that Solo had understated the case. She leaned into his shoulder, tilting her head in and back to graze her lips across the bottom of his ear. To anyone watching them, it just looked like an idle move of seduction as she whispered, "If we don’t find anything here, we might as well just quit."

He tucked his arms stiffly around her waist and lowered his forehead to hers, " ‘bout time you said that, lady. I'm getting too old for this." She nodded slightly as he released her and they walked across the floor to a promising table.

"Hey, Len," Mara said a trifle loudly, "did I ever tell you about that time my crew and I had to
smuggle rubber noisemakers into the Zen villages?"

"Only about a million times, Shalla," Solo returned with the perfect amount of irritated boredom."I admit it was a little odd, but it wasn’t any weirder than that time I got hired to smuggle food in to a bunch of political dissenters, and--"

"Oh, well how about that time we were hired to smuggle people between two planets in a system that didn’t get along?," continued Mara, running through their standard interrogation script.

With the precision of clockwork, the rest of the smugglers began to gather around them. Using the stash of credits Mara had given him when they left the Palace, Han plied them all with drinks as they began to swap stories of the odd and unusal jobs that smugglers were always so proud of. 

The credits in the bag were nearly gone, and Mara’s voice was all but hoarse, when one dirt-smeared man said, "I’ve got a story that will top all of those."

Han eyed him with only slightly exaggerated disbelief. "That so, old man?"

"That’s so," the man sneered in return. "I got paid a four hundred thousand credits to deliver one datapad to an abandoned part of the Ground Level."

"No one goes to the abandoned parts of the Ground Level," Mara said, her voice so casual Han wondered if he’d imagined the sudden shift to full alert in her eyes. "Not if they want to live."

"I did," the man insisted, "it was totally abandoned...no predators or nothing."

"If there was nothing there, why were you supposed to deliver anything, let alone an old datapad?," Mara scoffed. "You really ought to make your stories a little more believable, old man"

"It’s true," the man insisted, sniffing noisily and wiping his nose along the back of his sleeve. "I think it must have been for the government. Lady that hired me said that the fate of the galaxy was in my hands."

"Did she now?," Mara taunted with profound disbelief. "And did this mythical lady who thought so highly of you have a name?"

"Norva Hylev," the man replied a little sullenly.

Mara’s eyes widened, then narrowed sharply, so quickly Han wasn’t sure he hadn’t imagined the whole thing. "And if I said I wanted to see this totally abandoned part of the city...where would it be?"

"Oh, no," said the man, "nice try. But I’m not going to sell out high paying clients to you, little miss."

"How can you when they don’t exist?," Mara retorted sharply, and the other smugglers around the table made various noises of amusement and agreement. "Well...it’s been fun boys, but Len and I have a very busy day tomorrow, so we’ve gotta be going now," she said flippantly.

Han breathed a sigh of relief as they began to make their way back toward the upper levels of the city. "So, you wanna tell me what you think we just found?"

"I’m not entirely sure I know what we just found," Mara replied. "But Norva Hylev used to be the Emperor’s personal physician."

Han frowned. "Okay...but why a datapad...to an abandoned part of the ground level? That doesn’t make sense."

"I know," Mara answered flatly. "Which is why we’re going to go through every file I pulled from the archives and every map of the city. Now that we know what we’re looking for, maybe we’ll find something."

Solo groaned. "Couldn’t we get some sleep first?"
**********************************************************************************

They were still pouring over files and maps when Luke walked in late the next day. "I was going to ask if you’d missed me, but I see you’ve been too busy," he said from behind them. Mara grunted and waved absently at him. 

"It has to be here," she muttered, "but I can’t seem to find what I’m missing..."

"So when do you want to ship out after more pieces of the puzzle?," Luke asked. 

"As soon as possible," she replied, frowning at the stacks of data printouts in front of her. 

"The ship’s prepped," he told her. "All it needs is us."

Mara climbed to her feet somewhat sluggishly and nodded. "Let’s go get my bag."

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

The shuttle had one bunk. Mara eyed it dubiously. "You’ve got to be kidding."
"Nope," Luke said. "But you can sleep the first shift if you want. You look like you could use it."

"Gee, thanks, Skywalker. You always know just what to say to a woman."


He grinned at her. "I’ve missed you, too, Mara."

She snorted and pulled the covers over her head.

[She was standing in a throne room at the base of the throne. A brown robed figure sat in thethrone, face partially concealed by a hood. She drew closer, feeling oddly nervous, and saw that the face was not wrinkled and graying the way she remembered, but young and handsome and smooth. Only the yellow eyes were the same, burning into her skin like hot brands. "Mara Jade," said the figure, and the voice was the voice she remembered, the voice she had longed for for five years. "Mara Jade, my Hand, have you forgotten me?"

"No," she said, and her voice seemed forced and harsh. 

"If you have not forgotten, then you must come to me and help me rise again," the figure said. "You will bring Luke Skywalker to me, and he will bow down before me and help us to restore my great Empire, as his father helped me to build it. It is his destiny."

"Quit haunting me," she said. "You’re dead. I felt you die. Skywalker...he saw you die.." Her eyes narrowed sharply. "You wanted me to kill him to punish his father. You lied to me!"

"You are mine, and you will come to me!," the Emperor roared. "Or you will suffer!" He raised his hands, and blue lightning crackled from his fingertips, sizzling against her skin. Mara screamed...]

She was sitting bolt upright in the bunk, drenched in sweat, and Skywalker was sitting beside her, looking pale. "Mara? Are you all right?"

"It’s not him," she said shivering. "It’s not him, it’s a lie, just like everything I knew about his death was a lie."

"What does he want?," Skywalker asked gently. 

"Oh," Mara returned sharply, "not much, just my service and your soul."

"Whoever he is, Mara," Luke said, hugging her, "he’s not going to win. We’re going to find him and stop him."

"Damn straight," Mara replied grimly, still shivering.
________________________________________________________________

                                Part Five--Sweethearts Dance

"So," she said as she entered the cockpit, "are you going to tell me about it?"

"About what?," Skywalker asked, his blonde head bent over the control panel. Even though the controls didn’t need to be watched that closely in hyperspace.

"Whatever it is about the first stop that has you so preoccupied," Mara prompted calmly. 

"Bakura," Skywalker supplied with a slight sigh. Mara crossed her arms across her chest and waited expectantly, one eyebrow slightly raised. He smiled in spite of himself at the expression. "We’re going there first because I don’t understand why they would willingly surrender to the Empire...I was there just after...after..."

"Just after the Emperor died?," Mara supplied. "It’s okay if you say it, Skywalker."

He nodded absently, not really hearing, his thoughts lightyears away. "Bakura was rabidly loyal to the Empire then, and the Rebellion intercepted a message pod meant for the Emperor. Bakura was under attack and needed help."

"So you decided to help them in the interest of convincing them to switch sides," Mara said. "But if they switched sides before, why does it surprise you so much now?"

"It wouldn’t if it were that simple," he said. "But they didn’t just switch sides. In fact, they barely accepted our help at all. But...long story short, after we defeated the invaders, there was an uprising, and the Empire was unseated. Bakura became one of our most dedicated supporters...the leaders there, are...well, they’re...friends."

Mara regarded him thoughtfully. "What’s her name?," she asked softly.

"You’re getting entirely too good at that," Luke complained. 

She favored him with part of a wry smile and a shrug. "Your fault for teaching me. And voices have always been my speciality, remember?"

Skywalker grinned crookedly. 

Mara had decided he wasn’t going to answer her, when he replied, equally softly, "Gaeriel. Her name was Gaeriel Captison." There was a long pause, then he continued, "But she wanted to stay behind, and I owed it to the Rebellion to go." Mara snorted skeptically, but didn’t interrupt as he finished, "She didn’t approve of Jedi anyway. Her religion believed that using the power of the Force impoverishes others."

"An unusal viewpoint," Mara said slowly, "but possibly valid."

Skywalker nodded, seeming oddly lost and alone. She reached out to take his hand in hers without thinking, just wanting to assauge the pain in his eyes. "Does she know we’re coming?"

He nodded. "She has a lot of government connections. She might be able to get us access to the information we need."

"If she doesn’t sell us out first," Mara muttered, but she sounded resigned.

"Gaeriel would never do that," he retorted hotly, dropping her hand.

"Maybe not, Skywalker. Just remember we aren’t on this trip to re-energize your love life. We’ve got work to do."

"In that case, maybe we should work on your Jedi Training some more," he countered, trying to rally. "Your dream last night was obviously contact with the Emperor--"

"He’s not the Emperor," Mara corrected harshly. 

"Fine, this...new Imperial Commander, and if you’re in contact with him, maybe that means, you can sense something about his location or his plans."
Mara eyed him suspisciously. "And how would I do that, exactly?"

"There are Jedi visions and--"

"No!," Mara shouted violently, jumping out of the copilot’s seat. "Absolutely not! Clavyt dram!"

"Mara," Skywalker pleaded soothingly, "Mara, just calm down and listen--"
>
"Those visions are misleading, they’re dangerous, they’re just plain bad news. I’m not Jedi and I don’t want to be. Get your own fazyer visions if you want them so badly!," she snarled, storming into the bunk area and slamming the door behind her. "Stupid Jedi," she added furiously, not caring if he heard her or not.

Luke stared at the door, flinching slightly backward at the loud clang of a boot making contact. "On the other hand, maybe not."
*************************************************************************************************

The door opened slowly, and a rumpled head hesitantly emerged around it to regard him with contrite green eyes. "Skywalker?"

"Yes, Mara?"

He couldn’t see her feet, but he knew she was shifting her balance awkwardly between them as she coughed slightly, her cheeks reddening a little. "I..." Her voice trailed off again, and they stared at each other, both miserable and uncertain. 

What seemed like ages later, her mouth thinned slightly and set firmly. "Don’t ask me to do that again," she said, her voice hard.

"Alright," he said gently. "I won’t."

"Would you mind showing me those combat focus techniques again?"

He grinned, knowing that he was forgiven, and she smiled ever-so-faintly in return. "Sure," he said, letting her know that he’d heard and accepted her apology as well. He walked around beside her,produced his lightsabre. "First you concentrate on the blade, like this."
**********************************************************************************

The rest of the journey was fairly quiet and uneventful, spent sleeping and training Mara in rudimentary aspects of being a Jedi. Gaeriel hadn’t disappointed him, somehow she’d juggled assignments at the spaceport so that the landing pad was entirely deserted. Well, almost entirely. As the hatch opened, she came into sight. 

A short, slender woman, a little taller than Leia, with a delicate winsome face, large clear eyes, and a fluffy halo of amber hair that glowed in the near-tropical sun. She still wore a simple ankle-skimming cotton skirt and plain peasant blouse, still carried the vivid silk shawl around her shoulders, still wore the black and white enamel ring on its band around her neck, still enflamed his senses. Gaeriel. Beautiful Gaeriel. 

She inclined her head as he walked down the ramp to meet her, and extended her hand. "Jedi Skywalker, it’s good to see you again. I wish it could be under better circumstances."

"Thank you for your help, Gaeri," he said, and her mis-matched eyes shimmered.
"I hate to break up this touching reunion," Mara said dryly, as the ramp to the ship began closing behind her, "but do you really think it’s wise to keep the hero of the New Republic standing around in plain sight? This is Imperial territory now."

Gaeriel flushed slightly, "Of course, you’re right," she said, "this way to the hovercar. It’s waiting."

"I got you a room at the same hotel you stayed at before," Gaeriel said as the hovercar began to move. "My aunt and I would have asked you to stay with us, but we were afraid it would draw unecessary attention to you. I...didn’t know you’d be bringing someone with you."

"Actually," Mara said wearily, tired of explaining the same thing repeatedly, "I brought him with me."

Gaeriel frowned in confused and looked at Luke who just shook his head slightly. "Senator
Gaeriel Captison, may I present my...friend...Mara Jade, New Republic Liaison to the Smugglers’ Coalition."

Gaeriel smiled brilliantly, offering Mara her hand. "Any friend of Luke’s is a friend of mine. Welcome to Bakura, Ms. Jade."

Mara took the offered hand a little stiffly and inclined her head slightly. "A pleasure to meet you, Senator. Don’t worry about the room, we can--" She broke off as Luke’s foot pressed solidly against hers, shooting him a poisonous look.

"We can share a room," he finished smoothly. 

//I’m not sharing a room with you, Skywalker!//

//You’ve done it before, Jade.//

//Extenuating circumstances.//

//There are now, too. If we try to change the reservations now, we’ll only be drawing attention to ourselves. If there’s anything here to find, it will disappear.//

Mara snorted violently, her mouth twisted into a wry sort of protest, but she said nothing. 

"Oh," Gaeriel said, a bit nonplussed, her eyes studying the two of them thoughtfully. "Alright."
**********************************************************************************

The room wasn’t that big, and it was nearly buried in various holo files, sensor reading printouts, eye-witness accounts and other papers. Luke’s stomach growled and he glanced up to see Mara, her red hair coming out of the braid in haphazard wisps that fell across her cheeks, rubbing her temples with her fingers as she read.

"We’ve been at this for hours," he told her unnecessarily. "Let’s stop for dinner."

She tossed the file she’d been reading into the corner and sighed. "No argument here. Go on, call your Senator."

Luke frowned at her. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"You wanted to invite her to dinner, didn’t you?," Mara returned testily. "It’s not a bad idea, at any rate. Maybe she can shed some light on the situation."

There was something he didn’t like about her encouragement of his interest in Gaeriel, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was. With a strangled sigh of exasperation, Luke walked over to the com panel and contacted the Captison’s house. "Luke!," Gaeriel said in surprise. "Is the investigation going okay?"

"It’s going nowhere, more or less," he replied with a rueful grin. "We’ve decided to stop and have dinner ordered up to the room. Would you like to join us? Maybe you could offer some illumination."

Gaeriel smiled, but the expression didn’t reach her eyes. "I’m afraid I can’t tell you anything that isn’t in the reports, Luke. I’d probably better not eat at the hotel...someone might wonder what was going on. And considering what happened the last time I ate at the hotel, I’d rather not press my luck."

"Oh," Luke said, no better at hiding his disappointment than he had been the first time they had known each other. "I guess you have a point. Goodnight, Gaeri."

"Goodnight Luke," she said sweetly, fading from the screen.

"I guess it’s just you and me, Mara," Luke said, turning back to the room.

"In that case," Mara said, emerging from the sleeping alcove,"what do you say we combine business with pleasure, and do some investigating?"

Luke grinned in spite of himself, remembering Han’s somewhat blurry account of his foray into the underground with Mara. "This could be interesting."

"Don’t get your hopes up, Skywalker," she retorted, with a grin of her own. "This time we’re going as two green kids trying to break into a life of profitable crime. You as a smuggler no one would believe."
**********************************************************************************

They sat in a dark corner of a local pub, eating a spicy vegetable dish and listening to the cantina band play jazzy rhythms. Mara swayed slightly in her chair, following the music, her eyes glued to the sparse handful of couples on the dance floor. "Do you miss it?," Luke asked curiously.

She stopped swaying and looked at him blankly. "Miss what?"

"Dancing."

She seemed surprised by the question, as if it hadn’t occurred to her to think about it before."Yes," she said at last. "I suppose I do." She stared thoughtfully at the couples, watching them move, concentrating on something just beyond sight. "The music...it’s elemental...something in the blood...you don’t have to think, don’t have to worry about right and wrong, about consequence...you just move," she began to sway again as she spoke, her eyes half-closed and emerald-bright with dreams. Her skin glowed like a silken moon in the smokey half-light, and Luke was struck with the sudden urge to reach out and run his hand over it to see if it felt as smooth as it looked. 

"I’ve never done much dancing," he said."If it weren’t for Leia and her endless ettiquette lessons, I wouldn’t even know how to dance."

"If my life had turned out differently I might have been a dancer," Mara mused, and then looked startled at having admitted something so personal.

He swallowed a little nervously, then looked her shyly in the eye. "Mara? Would you like to dance with me?" She stared at him so long he began to feel like he’d grown a second head. "Oh, I didn’t mean to offend--"

"You didn’t," she interrupted. "I’d love to dance with you."

He smiled, stood and bowed, offered her his hand. She smiled back, let him lead her to the dance floor. He pulled her into his arms, and she fell against his chest, a little stiffly, then slowly melted into fluidity. Her steps were light and airy, as if the motion were easier than thought. Luke was amazed at how natural and comfortable he felt with her, how liberated and free his motions seemed. //How can this be the same person who was so awkward and nervous with Gaeriel?//, he wondered, remembering the feel of her hand in his own sweaty palm. 

Mara, with that knack she had for following his thoughts murmured, "She’s sweet and all, but isn’t she a little bland and cutesy to be this hung up on?"

"I’m not hung up on her," Luke said stiffly. "All that was over and done with years ago."

Mara raised a skeptical eyebrow as she twirled under his arm, her short skirt flaring and falling again to carress her thighs. "Really. Then you tell me, Skywalker, why are we sleeping in the same room?"

"Because changing the--"

"That’s bantha breath and you know it," Mara retorted. "We could have come up with half a dozen perfectly innocuous explainations for needing another room. You were just hoping that if she saw you with another woman, she’d be jealous and begin to regret what she gave up."

"Even if I did," Luke said, in a tone that indicated he admitted nothing of the sort, "what’s wrong with wanting to prove I’m worth her interest?"

Mara snorted. "Nothing. But using me against her isn’t fair to me...and it’s not fair to her. You can’t just waltz in and upset her life after five years, Skywalker. It doesn’t work that way!"

They had stopped dancing, pulled apart. They stood on the dance floor glowering at each other."You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about," Luke said coldly.

"I always know what I’m talking about," Mara snapped frostily. "It’s my job."

"Let’s just go back to the room."

"Fine, but you owe me the bed," she returned. 

They walked back to the hotel in sullen silence, as far apart as the city walkways would allow them to be. And stopped dead in the doorway, startled by the blinking light on the com panel. 
They had a message. 
**********************************************************************************

"Luke," Leia greeted. "There’s been a development."

"I don’t like the sound of that," Mara muttered. As irritated as he was with her, Luke had to agree with her. 

"Hryn didn’t surrender like the other planets have done," Leia continued, "and fell under attack. There’s almost nothing left of their major cities. They’re calling the weapon the World Devestator."

"So much for finesse," Mara complained to herself. "It’s almost enough to make you say you missed Thrawn."

"I hope you’ve found something that can help us defeat this new threat," the recording went on,"but whether you have or not, you must return to Coruscant at once. The new Imperial leader has sent a message cube that can only be opened by you."

"Me?," Luke repeated, surprised. He turned and looked at Mara, "Why not you?"

She shrugged."Maybe I’m out of favor because I won’t believe he’s who he says he is?"

"Maybe," Luke agreed. 

"Our best chance to defeat him may well be that he has left a clue as to his location and identity somewhere in the message," the recording concluded. "But if he has not, we will have need of your help to defeat the World Devestator. May the Force be with you."

Luke sighed. "Ready to ship out, Mara?"

She nodded. "This is a dead end, anyway. Call the Senator and have her clear all the witness away from our landing pad."
**********************************************************************************

Gaeriel was standing beside the shuttle when they arrived. Mara’s green eyes flicked thoughtfully between them, and she inclined her head toward Gaeriel. "Senator, you are an amazing woman. Thank you for all your help."

"It was an honor," Gaeriel returned with equal dignity. "I’m sorry it wasn’t enough. I enjoyed meeting you, Liaison."

Mara smiled slightly, and disappeared inside the shuttle. Luke stared after her with bemusement. "She’s not who I pictured you with, Luke," Gaeri said a bit wistfully. 

Luke gathered her hands in his. "You wish things had turned out differently, too."

Gaeri sighed, tears sparkling behind her mismatched eyes. "Sometimes," she admitted softly."You are the most tender and...generous man I have ever known. How could a woman not be drawn to that?" She sighed, touching the side of his face. "But you...you belong out there," she said, throwing her arm wide to the night sky. "And I belong here. Mara Jade, on the other hand...she belongs out there too. She balances you well, Luke."

"Gaeri, I have a confession to make...Mara and I...we’re just friends. I bullied her into sharing a room with me to make you jealous."

Gaeriel looked at him in surprise, then began to laugh again. "Luke Skywalker, you knew as well as I did things between us would never work out when you left here. You didn’t like it, but you accepted it. You know what I think? I think you told yourself you wanted to make me jealous so you’d have an excuse to be close to Mara."

Luke blinked, trying to push back the disbelief that threatened to overwhelm him. "Mara?," he repeated. "Mara Jade?" Gaeriel nodded. "She wanted to kill me! "

Gaeriel laughed, a tinkle of silver bells. "And you’re still alive. Sounds like love to me. ‘The strength between two friends is often found when they disagree’," she quoted the old proverb sagely. Luke was too startled to reply. She smiled and stood up on tiptoe to brush her lips lightly over his. The stars seemed to hover just over his head, shimmering in and out of focus. "Thank you for telling me you still think of me, Luke. It’s a memory I’ll always treasure. Maybe we shall meet again...but for now the balance calls for parting." She ran away from the landing pad, still as light-footed as a girl.

Luke felt Mara’s hand on his shoulder, and was surprised to realize she’d come off the ship to stand beside him as he watched Gaeri leave. "Are you okay?" He nodded, looking at her thoughtfully, Gaeri’s proverb ringing in the back of his mind. "What is it?," she asked, obviously uncomfortable with his scrutiny. 

He smiled. "Nothing," he said, sliding his arm companionably around her waist. "Let’s go home."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                                 Part Six--Answers and Riddles

Mara guided the shuttle into space with tight efficiency. The instant they were clear, she demanded, "What?" Skywalker blinked at her in surprise. "Why are you looking at me like that!" Then, before he could ask the inevitable question, "You know what I mean. Like I’m the answer to a puzzle you just realized you wanted solved."

He regarded her with an equanimity that made her want to shake him. "I didn’t realize I was looking at you like that."

She snorted in obvious disbelief. "Well stop it."

He blinked again. "How can I stop doing something I didn’t know I was doing?"

Mara kicked him under the helm console. He yelped and rubbed his shin. She smirked. "That’s better,' she informed him.

"Anger," he informed her stiffly, "is of the Dark Side."

"Really," she returned drolly, raising an eyebrow. "What a very good thing I’m not angry."

His mouth relaxed slightly, curving in an inscrutable half-smile as he stared at her in silence. She scowled. "Skywalker!!"

"What?," he asked somewhat absently, his expression never wavering. 

"You’re doing it again."

Luke grunted absently in return, then apparently realized that she was about to kick him again and tore his eyes away to study the control panel. "I must be more tired than I realized. Maybe we should get some sleep."

"Good idea," Mara replied, narrowing her eyes as if she were trying to read between the lines to what he wasn’t saying. "You take first shift."

"You’re sure?"

"Definitely. You obviously need it more than I do. Now go away."

He grinned at her and padded off to the narrow little excuse for a bunk. She shook her head over the lack of sense in the galaxy, and leaned back in the chair.

[He was standing in the Dark tree on Dagobah, staring up into a sun-obscured face in a halo of fire, his soul quaking with the knowledge that he and his friends had been condemned to the death. Without warning, the lightsabre in Mara’s hand reversed direction and flew back into his hand. He stared at it as if it were poised to strike him down, and a shadow fell over him, thick and black. A woman’s voice screamed, "Luke!," and he couldn’t tell if it belonged to Mara or his sister. Startled, he turned and faced black armor. "Father," he said, stretching his arms out to hug the apparition. "You do not know the power of the Dark Side," Darth Vader said solemnly, and the mask bent over his face in a grotesque smile, "But you will." Against his will, Luke felt himself raise the lightsabre, heard the snap-hiss as ignited. Saw it slice through blackness...saw his own face staring up at him. He felt Mara’s hand on his shoulder, heard her say, "Are you okay?" He turned toward her and kissed her, and it was like a sunburst in his heart. His disembodied face laughed, morphing into the wrinkled, yellow-eyed face of the Emperor. "She will be your friend, your only hope and redemption, and you will repay her with pain, with fear and betrayal. If you do not...she will die." 

"No," Luke said, drawing Mara close, threading his fingers through hers. "You can’t hurt her any more."

"Oh," the Emperor contradicted, "But I can. I can hurt you all." The headless body raised a lazy and pointed...and the world seemed to shatter into a thousand fragments like half-heard screams.]

Luke sat bolt upright in the bunk. He heard screaming. Mara. He tumbled to his feet, startled to find that his knees were as weak as they been when he had first seen Ben Kenobi struck down before him, and ran into the cockpit. "Mara! Mara! What is it?"

She had stopped screaming. Her face was oddly set and cold in the half-light, like an unfinished sculpture. "Didn’t you sense it?"

"I..." Luke stopped, frowned, reached back in his memory, trying to grasp hold of the fading and shadowy images. "I sensed a lot of distant pain and terror...I think." She might have nodded, he couldn’t quite tell. "What was it?," he prompted, not sure he wanted to know.

"The World Devestator," she said. 

Belatedly Luke remembered Obi-Wan’s reaction to the Alderaan. "It was as though thousands of voices cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced," he whispered. "Mara, we have to do something."

She swallowed, licked dry lips. "Whoever this guy is, that’s what he wants, Skywalker. To get our attention"

"I know. But we don’t have a choice."

She looked at him, irony dripping from every pore. "There’s always a choice, Skywalker."

"Not if it means more lives," he insisted. "A Jedi has to have compassion for individual people."

"Jedi," she retorted scornfully, but he could see the resignation slowly threading its way through her.

There were several minutes of uneasy silence. Luke sat on the arm of the chair, slid his arm around her shoulders, pulled her close. She didn’t resist. 

"I suppose this means more training."

He smiled and touched her hair. "I suppose it does," he admitted. She sighed dramatically. 

"Got any skills that will help get to an abandoned part of the Coruscant Groundlevel in that Jedi bag of tricks?"

Luke frowned and pulled away from her slightly. "Why would you want to do that?"

"So that I can find out who this guy is and how to destroy him," Mara said grimly. "I want him gone yesterday, Skywalker."

"Maybe we don’t have to destroy him," Luke protested. "Maybe we can turn him."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, please.You can’t possibly be that naive. Didn’t C’boath teach you anything? "

"Not all people are like C’boath," he retorted. "You weren’t."

She stiffened. He realized, too late, that he’d just made a terrible mistake. "So that’s what I am, huh, Skywalker?," she asked so calmly it gave him chills. "An exercise in redemption?"

He looked into her eyes, wishing he knew what he wanted to tell her, let alone how to tell her. "No, that’s not it at all....I just..."

"Don’t try to explain," she advised him acidly. "You’ll only make it worse. Wake me when we get to Coruscant." She pushed him away, disappeared into the bunk area. Luke stared after her, feeling hollow.
***********************************************************************

He woke her with a cup of hot caf. She took it, face and sense distant and inscrutable. He touched the side of her face and she stiffened again, her eyes shooting venemous sparks. 

He sighed. "Mara, I never meant to hurt you."

She sighed too, looked away. She sipped caf as if it could heal something deep inside. "I know, Skywalker, I know."

He touched the side of her face gently. She closed her eyes, pressed her lips together. "The masses are waiting."
"Let them wait," he said.

She opened her eyes. "What about concern for individual people, Jedi?"

"I’m concerned with my friend, Mara," he returned softly. 

She snorted. "People you feel sorry aren’t your friends, Skywalker," she said, starting to throw her feet over the edge of the bed.

"What about people you can’t wait to talk to in the mornings? The ones you trust at your back? The ones who don’t need words to know what you’re feeling," he interrupted, "what are they?"

She froze, looked back over her shoulder at him. "You mean it," she said, sounding slightly dazed. "You really were friends with me on my own merit."

"How could you even doubt that?," Luke chided.

She frowned. "You said--"

"But that’s not what I meant. It was just a stupid mistake," he said seriously.

A brilliant grin spread across her face like the sun peeking out from behind a cloud. She threw her arms around him, hugging him, surprising them both. "Skywalker," she said, her voice muffled in the crook of his neck. "If you’re lying to me--"

"You’ll kill me?," he finished, and they both laughed.

She pulled away from him, her lips twisting in the old wry expression. "Well, Skywalker, it won’t do to keep the masses waiting."

"Or my sister," he returned, laughing. He stood, pulled Mara to her feet. They left the shuttle hand-in-hand. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                          Part Seven--Lovers Quarrel

A strange aide stood at the edge of the landing pad. The look of tense awe on her face made Mara queasy. "Jedi Skywalker?", she asked so breathlessly that Luke shifted his balance, obviously uncomfortable with her admiration. 

"I guess that’s me," he admitted, his fingers tightening imperceptibly around Mara’s. 

"Councilor Organa Solo asked me to meet you. The Council is in session."

"Just what we needed," Mara muttered under her breath, so faintly the aide couldn’t have heard.

//Be good//, Skywalker chastised, but she could feel humor touch him, force a little relaxtion into his spine.

"I’ve also been instructed to tell Liaison Jade that Talon Karrde would like her to contact him," the aide said. 

Mara got the message all right. Loud and clear. "Really," she said dryly. "Thanks." At the pointed look in her green eyes, the aide drew back a little. //That’s better.// "I get the feeling this meeting is hectic enough without me showing up," she told Skywalker.

He frowned. "I got the same impression," he admitted. "But Mara--"

"I’m not all that anxious to repeat the experience, anyway," she assured him. "I’ll go contact Karrde, you go appease the Council, and then we can regroup to discuss strategy."

He nodded briefly, not liking the separation, but seeing the sense. "My apartment?"

She nodded and strode off, not bothering to tell the aide she was granting the Council’s wish.

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

"Jedi Skywalker," Mon Mothma greeted in ringing tones. "Welcome home." Luke made his way to the center of the Council room and bowed stiffly. 

"Do you mind telling us what was so important you felt you had to rush off in the middle of a Republic-wide crisis?," Borsk Fey’lya demanded briskly. Too late, Mon Mothma made a warning gesture in Fey’lya’s direction. The Bothan subsided, his fur ruffling in agitation.

//There is no anger//, Luke reminded himself, sucking in a deep breath. Suddenly, he was very glad that Mara hadn’t accompanied him. "Naturally, Councilor," he said with the frigid politeness that he’d often seen his sister use, "nothing short of the crisis could have induced me to leave without informing the Council, although, as a private citizen, my movements are not open to your discretion."

"Certainly not," Mon Mothma agreed soothingly. "It’s simply that the Imperial Fleet dropped a message cube here that is keyed so that only you can open it, Jedi Skywalker. It is our hope that this cube contains the clue we need to defeat this threat and save the New Republic. Councilor Fey’lya is simply being overzealous."

"His wish to save the Republic speaks admirably in his defense, I’m sure," Luke replied dryly. "May I see the message cube, please?"

Mon Mothma nodded, and an aide brought the cube forward. It was black, unmarked except for a few narrow scratch-like marks on one side, oddly warm. It reminded Luke of the cave on Dagobah, made him want to wipe his hand on his legging to remove the dirty, slimy sensation that seemed to fill his palm. "My thanks for making sure it reached me. If it contains anything of interest, I’ll be sure Admiral Ackbar and General Page are informed," he said, inclining his head.

"Actually, we were hoping you would open the cube immediately," Mon Mothma informed him before he could turn around. "There is no time to waste, as I’m sure you’re aware."

"Indeed," Luke said. "Liaison Jade and I told you as much weeks ago. Still, a private message must be respected enough to open in privacy. Certainly you don’t suspect me of witholding information?"

"Your behavior has always been above reproach," Mon Mothma said calmly. "But may I ask the Council be represented by your sister’s presence?"

"My sister and I have no secrets," Luke agreed. "Now if you’ll excuse us, we have a message to attend to."

Mon Mothma nodded, and Leia rose, silently following him from the room. 

"What do you think the message cube has in it?," she asked after a few moments silence.

"I wish I knew," Luke admitted. "But whatever it is, it would only serve to inflame the Council more, that much I do know."

Leia nodded, and he knew she had stifled a sigh. "Did you and Mara find anything on Bakura?"

"No," Luke said, but something in his voice made her turn to eye him closely.

"The World Devestator," Leia said, sudden emotion welling up through the unclosed wound of Alderaan, "Luke, I--"

He stopped and hugged her, his lips against her temple as he whispered, "We aren’t going to let them win now, Leia. We’ve already come too far."

She took a deep, shaky and nodded, pulling away. "You’re right," she said, the old fire lighting deep in her eyes. "We’ll beat them. Because we have to."
*************************************************************************************************

"Mara." Karrde said, the relief nearly palable in his taunt voice. "Where in the seven Shandorian kingdoms have you been? You were supposed to report a week ago. I was beginning to think they had you under arrest again."

Mara’s lips quirked. "They probably would have," she admitted dryly, "if I’d been here." She held up a hand to forestall his inquiry as to where she had been. "It’s a long story," she said. "Needless to say, the Council hasn’t been interested in what I have to say since the news about the so-called Emperor got out. As a matter-of-fact, they think we’re working for him."

"I’d say that’s a clear breach of our alliance treaties," Karrde observed grimly.

Mara nodded. 

"If there’s nothing we can do, we aren’t going to waste resources trying," he added. "I’ll be glad to get you off Coruscant anyway. I have a feeling the situation there is about to become sticky."

Mara perked up ever-so-slightly. "What have you heard?," she asked guardedly. 

"Nothing outside of the general news reports," Karrde admitted, "but the Emperor has never been the type for quiet rear-guard harassment--"

"You’re right," she interrupted. "He’s going to retake the capital. We should warn them."

Karrde raised one cultured eyebrow. "Why, Mara, I thought you didn’t care for the New Republic," he said smoothly, and, before she could take offense, "Do you really think they’d listen to a smuggler and an ex-imperial?"

Mara sighed. "Organa-Solo might," she said. 

"You’d hate yourself for not trying," Karrde translated. "All right, Jade. But make it snappy, cause the Wilde Karrde will be there to get you in two days."

"I’ll be more than ready to go," she promised, signing off with a curt nod that might as well have been a salute.

Karrde returned the gesture, his eyes dark, and the screen went blank. 
*************************************************************************************************

The doors slid open, revealing Solo, Organa-Solo, and Skywalker clustered around his coffee table in a tight semi-circle. "Another council of war," Mara said dryly, "you really need to think of a new motif for your parties." No one responded. "I take it that’s the message cube," she added, jerking her head toward the black square sitting in the center of the table.

"This is it," Skywalker agreed. "Tell me, do the markings on this thing look familiar to you?"

She frowned, leaned over it thoughtfully. "Unfortunately. They look like markings on some of the texts the Emperor had in his personal library."

Skywalker nodded, the skin around the corners of his eyes tight. "I’ve seen them--or something remarkably similar--before, too. On the temples at Yavin 4."

Leia nodded. "But why would the Emperor have a message cube marked in the language of the those natives?"

"Maybe the question should be-- ‘why would those natives be writing in the same language used on ancient Sith texts?’," Mara countered grimly. 

"You’re sure?," Luke asked, his entire being carefully still.

She nodded, her eyes meeting his, concern sizzling between them. "Don’t open it," she said. "Whatever it is, it’s trouble."

"It oozes the Dark Side," Luke agreed. "But, Mara, I have to open it."

"You don’t have to do anything," she countered in a low hiss. "Skywalker, be sensible! Don’t unleash something you can’t begin to deal with."

"Unless we open it, we don’t know what it says," he said, "what if it’s information that could save thousands of lives? I couldn’t live with that kind of blood on my hands."

"It wouldn’t be on your hands," she snarled, "it would be on his. Don’t be so naive."

"If I could stop the World Devestator and didn’t, I’d be just as guilty as the people using it," he said. "I’m not being naive, Mara. I’m Jedi. I’m bound to protect those who can’t protect themselves."

"You think he doesn’t know that," she retorted, "It’s your weakness, and he’s going to use it to destroy you because you might just be the one person who could destroy him."

"I know," he said with a sad, gentle little smile. "But I have to try...don’t you understand?"

She sighed. "Yeah. I understand. Damn your hide."

He grinned, touched her cheek in spite of Han and Leia’s amazed looks, and slid a finger over the sensor in the cube. It opened, projecting an image of a short, slender man in a rough brown jedi robe, wide amber eyes glowing within in the hood, drawing attention to a face that would have been striking if it hadn’t been marred by several huge black-purple bruises. Mara caught her breath, and sat down, hard, on the sofa, her head spinning.

Skywalker glanced over at her in concern. "Mara? What is it?"

"That’s him," she said hoarsely. "The man from my nightmares and visions." Then, her voice gaining an irritated edge of strentgh, "I’m fine, Skywalker, quit looking at me like that."

She could tell he wasn’t convinced, but he turned his attention back to the holo, anyway, giving her a chance to catch her breath.

"Jedi Skywalker...we meet again. I told you once that you would bow before me...and you didn’t. But that was all part of our mutual destiny...I realize now that you were not bowing as a servant, but as a student...You have many questions...many things you feel uncomfortable with, things about the Force you don’t understand...and you will come to me for answers...together we will usher in a great new era of learning and light."

"Didn’t death teach him anything?," Leia asked in an amazed voice. "He still thinks you’re going to join him."

"The Emperor has already gained a little ground," Mara retorted, "we’re listening to him."

"Yeah, leave it to you to think he’s persuasive," Han countered. Mara subsided, her hurt so well-concealed that only Luke caught a whisper of it, and glanced warningly at his sister and bondbrother. 

"I realize that given our...first impressions, you may not be anxious to bow before this destiny," the Emperor continued. "So...I have I sent you your first lessons as a gesture of good faith. Please share them with Mara Jade, My Hand, whom I will be glad to reinstate as soon as she is convinced of my identity."

The figure bowed and disappeared. Mara snorted. "So much for clues. Now can we get rid of it?"

Luke shook his head. "The message didn’t contain any clues, but the sith writings might. We should read them."

"I don’t think that’s a good idea," Mara insisted. "That’s exactly what he wants."

"The lady makes sense," Han agreed. "If the Emperor wants you to do it, it can’t be good for you, kid."

"Maybe we should wait," Leia said slowly, "we can read them as a last ditch effort if nothing else works." Luke said nothing. Taking this as agreement, his sister stood up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. "Try to get some sleep," she said softly. "We leave tomorrow morning to go to Hryn. Maybe you and Mara should come with us."

Luke glanced over at Mara. There was something in her expression... "We’ll discuss it," he said gently, hugging his sister. "Sleep well."

She nodded, and Han bowed, escorting her from the room. 

Luke wandered out to his little balcony, and Mara followed him in silence. "You’re leaving ," he said sadly, leaning against the rail. 

She nodded. "Karrde needs me," she said softly. "I’m part of his organization and--"

"The New Republic needs you, too," he interrupted. "I need you."

She shook her head, telling herself that the hollow pain that washed out from him and over her didn’t affect her. "You don’t need me, Skywalker," she said sharply. "You always do just fine on your own."

"I don’t want to be on my own anymore," he said softly. "It makes me feel...vulnerable...and afraid. I’m afraid...I’m afraid I’m going to lose, that I’m going to fail everyone...what will I do then? Especially if I don’t have you to make me pick myself up, dust myself off and try again? I need you...you make me try harder...be stronger..."

Her face was burning. She put her hand roughly over his mouth. "I’m not leaving you," she said. "I don’t leave friends behind. I’m just leaving Coruscant...going someplace where I’m useful. You’ll see me again before you know it."

"A woman of her word," Luke said gently, covering her hand on the rail with his. Slowly, hesitantly, she laced her fingers through his, letting her body melt slowly into his beside her. "Not having to deal with you would free up a lot of time--" she elbowed him, making air rush out of his lungs. He caught his breath and continued "--so I’ll just take advantage of your absence to read those Sith writings, and tell you all about them when you come back."

She stiffened. "Skywalker, don’t try to blackmail me that way. You wouldn’t dare!"

He pulled his hand away. "It’s not blackmail, Mara. You said you understood."

"You’re selling your soul," she hissed. "Fool! Stupid Jedi." But she knew that his open-hearted nobility, the optimistic naivete that had made him see good even in her...that had made him willing to risk himself to spare her gave him no choice...if he didn’t read the writings, he’d feel like he wasn’t doing all he could...and that feeling would rip him apart inside. "It’s a mistake," she repeated. "Aren’t you the one who’s always saying ‘Once you start down the Dark Side forever will it dominate your destiny’ or something to that effect?"

"Reading about the Dark Side doesn’t mean that I’m going to use it," he soothed, that earnest expression back in his pale eyes. It made her want to cry. "If I know about his power, Mara, maybe I’ll know how to stop it...I have to try."

She sighed, one corner of her mouth lifting wryly. "I know," she said dryly, pushing the golden halo of hair out of his face, and turning toward the door. "You win."

"Where are you going?," he asked in surprise.

"To tell Karrde not to come and get me after all," she retorted as if it ought to be obvious. "If you’re going to do this, I’m not about to turn my back on you."

As the grin broke across his face, she added, "Just so there’s no misunderstanding, I may be sticking around, but I’m not about to mess with that evil thing."

Luke nodded, and her heart did a funny twisting half-leap in his chest. "Mara--thank you."

"Don’t thank me....if I could think of a way to stop you, I would," she said shortly. "See you tomorrow, Jedi."
*************************************************************************************************

"Mara? Is something wrong?," Aves asked.

"You could say that," she admitted dryly, "but there’s no emergency. I just had a change of plans I wanted to talk to Karrde about."

Aves’ curiousity was apparent in his bright eyes, but years in Karrde’s service had taught him when not to ask questions. "Sure thing, Mara, he’ll be right with you."

"What is it, Mara?," Karrde asked, his crisp tones not masking his concern.

"Change of plans, Karrde. Much as I’d like to blow this planet, I can’t leave."
Karrde was silent for several weighted minutes, his eyes thoughtful. "I try never to force my associates to do something against their conscience, let alone my second-in-command," he said slowly."You are still my second-in-command, aren’t you? Because if you’d like to leave the organization--"

"Is that a hint?," Mara demanded darkly, her eyes flashing.

"Absolutely not. I’d hate to lose you. But if you think your place is with the New Republic--"

Mara snorted. "Hardly that. It’s just that there’s been an odd development, and something tells me that I need to stick around for a couple of days."

"Ah," Karrde said, his face guarded. "I take it this is what Solo refers to as ‘a Jedi-thing’?"

Mara’s lip twisted. "You could say that," she said bitterly. "After all, where Luke Skywalker goes, trouble often follows...and someone has to get him out of it."

"Mara?," Karrde asked hesitantly. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

She stared at him in wide-eyed amazement. "Oh, please. Karrde, tell me you’re joking. Have you forgotten I wanted to kill him?"

Karrde shrugged slightly. "No, but you both seem to have gotten past it, and--"

"Friends. We’re just friends. Though I may live to regret it and choke him after all," she retorted curtly."Assuming I still have a job with you, I’ll be in touch in a couple weeks."

He smiled slightly. "You have a job as long as you want it. You know how to reach me."

She nodded briskly. "Thank you."

"See you in a couple weeks."

//If I live that long//, Mara thought, but forebore to add. No point in ruining everyone's day.






Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; name="New_Beginnings8-13.txt"
Content-Language: en
Content-Length: 107448

Title--New Beginnings
Author--Jedi Amoira
Author Email--boysj@mailcity.com

Disclaimer--Not my characters. Not my universe. Not my money. Just my fun.

Notes--This is part of my ongoing version of the events between "The Last Command" and "Jedi Search". Some of the events of "Dark Empire" do occur, but probably not in the same manner or order. The section of this story in brackets is a dream. 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                      Part Eight--Second Thoughts

"So did you and Mara decide to come with us?," Leia greeted without preliminaries. Luke grinned, reminded of the early days of the Rebellion. Of course, Leia had always been brusque then because she was stressed, and recognizing her state took some of the joy out of his affectionate amusement now.

He felt a sharp twinge of guilt over hiding the cube he’d been pouring over all night when he sensed her coming. She wouldn’t be at all happy with him when she found out, and he didn’t like lying to her. "Much as I hate giving up a chance to see my favorite sister, I’m afraid we’re going to have to pass," he said. He could see the frown forming in the gathering furrows of her brow as he explained, "I think one of us needs to stay here in case the Emperor makes contact again. And Mara and I can keep looking for clues about his plan and location." Which was true, he reasoned, even if he also wanted to stay because it would be easier to work with the cube if he didn’t have to worry about his sister or Han walking in on him. 

Leia looked at him for several silent seconds. He could feel her tentative Force skills testing the edges of his mind, and had to remind himself not to react. "Good point," she sighed. "I just don’t like leaving you here by yourself. You seem to have a knack for getting into trouble."

Luke grinned. "I believe your husband would say, ‘My buddy Luke can take care of himself’, but if it makes you feel better, I won’t be alone. Mara will be here."

Leia started to nod, then paused, looking thoughtful. "Speaking of Mara...What’s going on with the two of you?"

"What do you mean?," Luke asked a trifle too quickly, and sighed, realizing he’d been caught. "We’re friends, Leia. She started out a very reluctant ally, but after Wayland, something changed...she seemed to open up, and..." His voice trailed off. He shrugged. "I trust her, I respect her opinion, and I think she’s beginning to trust me... we’re just...building a friendship."

Leia nodded slowly. "Before your trip to Bakura, I would have been satisfied with that answer," she mused. "But...there’s something you’re not telling me."

Luke sighed. "Maybe," he admitted. "But if there is, I’m not even sure what it is myself yet. It’s just...sometimes I look at her...or she smiles a certain way....the whole room seems to light up and my heart stops, and I know that she’s the one pure truth I’ve been searching for my whole life...then I realize how ridiculous that sounds and the whole thing vanishes like metal that’s been vaped." He sighed. "I guess that’s not a very clear explanation--"

"No," Leia agreed, her heart swelling and floating to lump in her throat. "But I know what you mean." It sounded very similar to how she’d felt about a certain irksome smuggler after he’d covered Luke Skywalker and helped save the Rebellion years before. Not that she would have admitted it...and she supposed Luke wasn’t ready to hear the comparison now. It would probably only make things harder...especially since Leia had reservations about whether or not Mara Jade deserved that kind of love, let alone desired it. "Mara has her problems," she said in lieu of more personal words, "but she does seem to be reliable cover to have at your back."

Luke answered by sweeping her into a hug. "Take care of yourself," he murmured, "This business at Hryn gives me a bad feeling."

"Me too," she said. "But I doubt the Emperor will strike the same place so soon. If he does, well...Han’s run the Falcon out of some pretty tight places on some pretty long odds before."
**********************************************************************************

[The air around her seemed dark and heavy, clogging her throat and wrapping around her. She reached up, as if trying to wipe it away, and touched nothing but her own skin. "Mara Jade, you were born to serve me," whispered a voice in her ear. She started to turn, to see who was speaking, but the voice continued, "You promised to serve me. I know you feel a loyalty to young Skywalker--"

"He’ll never serve you," she spat. "He’s everything you’re not. Kind...compassionate...giving..."

"Noble," finished the Emperor’s voice, sizzling with amusement. 

"I am not...but neither are you, Mara Jade...and there is much he would do for you already..."

Her spine stiffened. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

He laughed, and she felt a long-fingered hand rest against her cheek with the bite of the sepulcher. She used to relish that touch. The thought made her sick. "He is strong," the Emperor admitted. "He is Jedi...he will not come to me of his own accord...although my lessons interest him greatly. But he will come if you bring him to me."

Mara laughed. "Were you this crazy before you died?," she taunted, ignoring the sudden sharp pain in her heart. "Why would I betray him for you? He never lied to me."

"You will bring him to me," the Emperor repeated. "I have foreseen it. And when you do, I will give him to you."

Mara’s heart skipped a beat, and she tried desperately to ignore it as she retorted. "Like you foresaw your victory at Endor? Please, Master...don’t make me laugh."

"Enough!!" He shouted, angered, as the corona of blue lightning began to crackle about him like a halo...]

Mara woke with a jerk. She was sitting straight up in bed, sweat running down her back, making her nightgown stick to her skin as her breath came in ragged starts and stops. It seemed to take years before she managed to control it, to smooth it out enough that she could roll awkwardly out of bed and stumble to the ‘fresher. A quick ten-minute session did little to ease the headache thickening her head, but she didn’t want to waste any more time than she had to. She pulled on a neat one piece jumpsuit as black as her mood and laced up her boots. She braided her hair en route to Luke Skywalker’s suite, and walked in without knocking. 

He was bent over the hovering image of the not-quite-Emperor as it lectured about something she couldn’t and didn’t wish to hear, but looked up as the doors slammed behind her. "Mara," he said, his voice soft and...almost, it seemed...a little husky. "You’re ill."

She couldn’t let the tenderness of his tone undo her...couldn’t let him distract her from her purpose...even if all she suddenly wanted was to break down and cry. "No," she said sharply, "no, I’m fine....I’ve just made a terrible mistake. I can’t stay here, Skywalker, I have to leave. I have to go now...before something bad happens."

Skywalker jabbed the message cube, banishing the image far too late for Mara’s comfort, and walked over to gather her in his arms. "Mara, calm down. This isn’t like you. Has something happened to Karrde?"

She shook her head, the feel of his chest under her cheek oddly reassuring. Her overwhelming fear mingled with a thin thread of distant pleasure, disconcerting her. "Not as far as I know. Karrde can take care of himself." The remark, sounding so much like the line he’d paraphrased for Han earlier, brought the shadow of a smile to his lips, nearly erasing her line of thought. "They’re back."

"What are?," Skywalker asked, confusion lining his forehead.

"The nightmares," she said with a sigh.

"The nightmares? You mean the ones where the Emperor wanted you to kill me?"

She nodded. The feel of his arms wrapped around her waist was slowly replacing shock. She could feel his smile in her hair as he said, "Do you want to kill me?"

She snorted, feeling a faint twinge of annoyance. "Don’t be ridiculous. If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead."

The smile deepened, making her blood warm oddly. "Then why let them worry you?"

Sudden impatience overwhelmed her, and she shoved him roughly away, feeling a faint satisfaction as he stumbled back several steps. "Because he’s not asking me to kill you," she snapped, striding for the door. "I didn’t come here for discussion, Skywalker."

He reached out and caught her arm, his fingers clenching so tightly they burned into the muscle. She didn’t cry out, but her slight wince startled him, and he loosened his grip with immediate contrition. "Gods, Mara, I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to hurt you."

The odd expression in her emerald eyes startled him. "Don’t beat yourself up over it, farmboy," she teased dryly. "I know you better than that."

"Yeah," Luke agreed a little breathlessly, "I think you do."

She moved her arm slightly, reminding him he still had hold of it. "You had something you wanted to say to me, Jedi? I’m trying to make an exit here."

"Uh, yeah," he said a little sheepishly. "Look, Mara...the nightmare took you by surprise, it scared you...you’re emotionally distraught. You aren’t thinking clearly...when’s the last time you ate a full a meal?"

Mara looked a little nonplused. "Day before yesterday," she said slowly.

"So what I’m saying is...don’t do anything hasty. The Emperor’s just scaring you...he can’t control you...and I won’t let him hurt you. Let’s just go get some food...talk this thing through...figure out where he is and what he’s planning to do...so we can stop him...and he won’t be able to scare you anymore."

"I don’t know, Skywalker," she said. "I'm not sure that’s such a good idea--"

He lowered his head toward hers, staring her in the eye. "Mara," he said simply, and she went still. Lifetimes later he asked, "Do you want to leave?"

She answered breathlessly. "No." Then, with the old acidic wit, "Then you’d be unsupervised."

Luke laughed. Words seemed to rest on the edge of his tongue, waiting to be said. Mara poked him in the ribs. "You promised to feed me, Jedi."

The words vanished unsaid, before he was even quite sure what they were. "Yeah," he admitted, "I guess I did."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                                Part Nine--Joint Moves

Mutual, if unspoken, agreement guided them in the direction of the outdoor cafe they’d visited before. They walked along the streets in silence, Mara uncomfortable with her dream, and her odd reaction to Luke’s attempts to her soothe her, Luke uncertain how to put her at ease. As they neared the awning that marked the cafe’s location, Luke’s danger sense began to tingle. "Something’s wrong," he said, not knowing if he was speaking to Mara or himself. 

"I don’t like it," Mara agreed. "Maybe we should head back to the palace and try to get ahold of that Admiral."

"Ackbar," he supplied absently, making her snort impatiently. "Yeah," he agreed slowly, "I think you’re right...Ackbar needs to hear about this. Whatever this is."

They started back in the other direction, halted by a sudden bright flash in the sky ahead. Smoke and dust rose in clouds, making them cough. "Are you okay?," Luke shouted over the ringing in his ears. Through tear-blurred eyes, he saw Mara nod. 

"I’m not hurt," she confirmed. "But I only know one thing that can do that kind of damage..." They both paused and looked at one another in concerned surprise. 

"Star Destoyer turbolasers," Luke said grimly.

"It’s begun," Mara whispered, her green eyes wide. Luke felt the surprising urge to reach out and touch her cheek. 

"What’s begun?," he asked.

"The battle for the capital," she answered as they both began to run. 
**********************************************************************************

Leia’s face bleached of color. "Leia!," Han said sharply, afraid she was about to pass out. He jumped up and around the game table to kneel beside her. "What’s wrong? The twins..."

She managed a wan smile. "The twins and I are both fine," she assured him. "I just felt a little funny..."

"A little funny? Like the dead Emperor was making another grab for you?"

"He’s not dead now," Leia replied with a gallows smile.

In spite of the noose of fear around his heart, Han smiled back. "Cute, Your Highness."

"Anyway," she added, "it wasn’t like that at all. It was more like a great many people I cared a great deal about were all in danger..." She stopped, stunned. "Han," she said. "He’s trying to retake the Imperial Center. We have to go back."

"He has to know that’s ridiculous," Han began, "where would he get that kind of firepower?"

"I don’t know," Leia said immediately, "Han, we have to go back."

He nodded slowly, kissed her forehead. "Sure thing, sweetheart," he agreed. "Be there in a little under an hour."
**********************************************************************************

They hit the ground running. The destruction was unbelieveble; the sky full of dust, smoke, and laserfire, the streets full of troops in white armor, AT-ATs and AT-STs. Asked about it in later years, Han was never sure how they managed to find Luke, whether Leia could sense him through the Force or not. He was standing just outside the palace, deflecting blaster shots with his lightsabre, the blade moving so fast it was nothing more than a green blur. 

"Leia! What are you doing here?"

"We came to help," she shouted back, her voice nearly lost in the battle roar. Luke lifted his hand in her direction, and a huge rock that she hadn’t seen coming straight for her head shot harmlessly off to the side. Relief mingled with a dark shock of fear...she’d never seen him do that before. It reminded her uncomfortably of Vader. "How’d you do that?," she asked suspiciously.

He flushed slightly...or was it just the reflection of the red laserfire on his pale skin? It was hard to tell. "I learned it...from something I was reading," he said awkwardly. Leia frowned. "You have to get out of here," he shouted, making the gesture with sudden violence. An AT-AT tumbled ponderously into the front of a nearby cafe. Leia jumped back, only vaguely reassured by the feel of Han’s solid chest against her shoulders. "There’s nothing you can do now. The rest of the goverment’s already headed to the backup base."

"I’m not going to leave you here!," Leia shouted as his lightsabre swooped around her to intercept three thick blaster bolts. 

"The Republic needs you!," he shouted back. She hesitated, plainly torn between her cause and her family. "I can take care of myself," he added. "But not if I’m distracted worrying about you."

Han nodded, his face grim, and laid a hand on Leia’s shoulder. "He’s right, sweetheart," he said flatly. "You know where to meet us?" 

Luke nodded. "Go on--get out of here!," he shouted, slicing through the armor of stormtrooper coming up behind him on the left.

Before Leia could reply, Mara ran up to meet them, fiery hair straggling out of the braid to stick to stick to her sweaty skin, face smudged with dust, her shoulder bleeding. "Sorry. I missed that one."

"One out of hundreds isn’t worth complaining," Luke replied, and she flashed him a quick warm grin.

Her green eyes flicked to Leia and Han. "Did I miss something?"

"Han and Leia were just leaving," Luke said firmly. "Weren’t you?"

Leia watched in amazement, the battle forgotten, as her brother and Mara Jade fell into tightly staggered formation, the back of his right shoulder lined up with the back of her left shoulder. Even as they lined up, a stormtrooper rushed Mara on her left, and she brought her foot fractionally up and out, tripping him neatly. Before he could get his bearings, she slammed her boot into his faceplate, and brought the flashing blue blade of her lightsabre down on the side of his neck. She nudged him, and he rolled bonelessly out of the way. That lightsabre...seemed familiar...and with a start, Leia realized it was the one she’d seen Luke carrying until he lost it at Bespin. //I wonder what that means...//

Two more stormtroopers from Luke’s side took the place of the one Mara had dispatched. Luke neatly sliced one in half, while Mara calmly hooked her elbow and hit the one behind her in the nose, distracting him just long enough for Luke to treat him similarly. 

"Get out while you can," she advised. "I’ll take care of him."

Brown eyes met green, and Leia nodded slowly. "Be sure that you do," she retorted. "See you at the base," she added as Han yanked her in the direction of the Falcon, their Noghri guards scurrying after them.
********************************************************************************** 

There was no way to tell time. It could have been hours since they’d forced Leia to evacuate, or merely minutes.

The ground shuddered under their feet. "Shavit rynn! What was that?," Mara asked. 

"It felt like an earthquake," Luke replied slowly, "but Coruscant isn’t exactly--"

"Known for those," Mara finished.

"Whatever it was," he said, "I guess it’s over now."

The ground not only shuddered, but buckled, knocking Luke off-balance into Mara. They hit the ground with a thud and Mara’s muffled yelp of protest. Laserfire rumbled continuously overhead. Luke had never heard fire like that.

"That’s not fire," Mara answered his unspoken thought. 

"Then what--" Luke began, looking up. Rubble, from rocks as big around as his head, to microscopic pebbles, was raining all over the street. 

"Where’s that coming from?," he asked, feeling dazed.

"Originally?" Mara said, irony present even in her current awed state. "I’d say it came from there." 

Luke followed the direction the sharp jerk of her head indicated, and inhaled sharply. "Hothfrost!"

"Not exactly," Mara retorted, the humor in her voice gaining strentgh. 

"There’s a hole in the city!," he shouted.

She nodded, then flinched and shifted position slightly. The motion suddenly made Luke intimately aware of the overlapping of their legs and soft diagonal strip of her torso that met his, making every cell in his body suddenly stand on end. "Hey, Skywalker, do you want to get off me, or are you just getting comfortable?" He blushed dark red, making her laugh.

"Sorry," he mumbled, rolling off her and to his feet. She took his offered hand without hesitation, and clamboured up, brushing off her back. 

"Don’t mention it," she said wryly. "You know Skywalker, I think we found that secret Imperial base in the Ground Level."

"We did?," Luke repeated, amazed.

"I’d forgotten," she murmured, memories rushing back in a flood. Waking up in the middle of the night...everything around her still and dark as she crept into the library...pulling the lever the mind of a careless Imperial Guardsmen had revealed to her...the long dark musty tunnels...the fear of being discovered breathing down her neck like the foul breath of mythical monster...the metal hull of the ship still gleaming brilliant silver in the dark muck of its surroundings...the faint crackle of purple-blue lightning as she touched the strangely warm surface...the name that sounded of its own accord in her head. "The Force Storm," she whispered. 

Luke stared, swallowing hard. "That’s a Super Star Destroyer."

She laughed bitterly, watching it rise from its tomb. It was probably a good two feet above them already, dead ahead. "No," she corrected. "That is the Emperor’s personal ship."

"It must be going to join him," Luke said. She didn’t respond. She didn’t have to. "Mara..." 

"No!" She snapped. "Absolutely not!"

"Mara," he said again, already running forward, "We have to. It may be our only chance to find him...to stop him."

Her face was rigid, her eyes distant and contracted, her skin white. "We’d be walking into his hands," she said faintly. 

"Think of all the people he’ll hurt if we don’t stop him," Luke shouted, his voice distant.

"Think of all the people Vader hurt under his control," she shot back, falling back into herself. Muttering under her breath about promises to former Imperial Senators known for their tempers, she ran after him. 

"Fear--"

"Is of the Dark Side," she snapped. "I know. You’ve told me enough. But if this idea doesn’t scare you, you’re nuts."

"It scares me," he said