Author's Notes:  Thanks to Mona, my dedicated editor and muse for all your help in improving what I had written. I couldn’t have done it without you.

DISCLAIMER: Star Wars and all publicly recognisable characters, names and references, etc are the sole property of George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd, Lucasarts Inc, 20th Century Fox, and Timothy Zahn, .  This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment and no money was made from it.  Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended.  Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.  Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.  Not to be archived without permission of the author(s).

As their ship exited the hanger and the planet Altrann receded from the viewscreen, Mara reached across the space between the pilot and copilot seats and took Luke's hand in hers. "We are on our way home, Skywalker," she said with a note of regret in her voice. Looking intently at him, she silently wondered about this journey they were beginning. It was a journey into their future and she pondered where it would take them.

Hearing her thoughts, Luke squeezed her hand gently and sent Mara warm reassurances through their bond. * The force will guide us along the journey to our future. Of that I am certain, my love. * His expression took on an impish grin as he looked intently at her. "It will take almost three days for us to reach Coruscant," he smirked. "How were you planning on spending that time?"

Knowing how much pleasure she got from teasing him, Mara decided to play with Luke a little. "Well you keep talking about how much I have neglected my Jedi training, or I could work on a plan to relegate my duties in Karrde's organization, or I could start to work on our wedding plans, or........"

Luke interrupted before she could continue. "Mara," he said huskily, "I think we could find more enjoyable things to do."

As the edges of her lips began to turn upward into a grin, Mara rose from her seat and climbed playfully into Luke's lap. "And what do you thing we could do that would be more enjoyable, Farmboy," she laughed seductively. Taking his face between her hands she pulled his lips to hers and kissed him passionately while shifting her hips slightly so that she was pressing against his groin. "Is this more of what you had in mind?" she whispered.

"This is definitely more interesting than your other alternatives, Jade," Luke replied as his hands moved around her back to pull her more closely to him. He then nestled his face between her breasts. * I could stay like this forever, * he thought, relishing in the feel of her against him.

"That would be a little awkward," Mara laughed sharing his thought. "Your legs would probably fall asleep not to mention other integral parts of you if we stayed in this position too long," she said. She disengaged herself from him and started to rise but not before rubbing her bottom seductively against him one more time. Taking his hand, she pulled him to an upright position and walked over to the droid alcove where they had plugged in Artoo before they lifted off from Altrann. "Artoo, monitor the ships controls," she instructed the droid as she released him from the interface. "Call us if anything changes," she added, leading Luke towards the small sleeping berth.

Artoo beeped his acknowledgment, his dome swiveling to look from Mara to Luke. Luke patted him lightly on the dome and smiled at him. "We are going to try and get some rest, Artoo," he said pointing towards the room. Although many people thought him strange because of it, he always treated Artoo as if he were a person - not just a droid. Artoo was very important to him.

Mara looked at Luke lovingly. She understood his attachment to Artoo and never found it strange. ‘In many ways Artoo was very much like Luke’ she thought, ‘stubborn and somewhat overprotective.’

"I heard that," Luke said in an exasperated tone as they walked to the sleeping berth.

"Well it's true, Skywalker," Mara quipped. "You are overprotective, especially of me and I think it has rubbed off on Artoo. Look what he did in the cloning chamber, targeting my sentinel droid and not yours."

"He wasn't being overprotective," Luke retorted. "Your droid was just the most logical opponent."

"Believe that if you want, Jedi," Mara said rather sarcastically. "But we both know better, don't we."

"I am not going to argue with you, Jade," Luke answered sheepishly. "I have other things on my mind." He opened the door to the sleeping berth and pulled her inside behind him. Leading her to the bunk, he pushed the door closed with his foot. "Now wouldn't you rather move on to a more interesting topic?" he said seductively. He pushed her into a sitting position on the edge of the bunk, knelt before her and began untying the laces on her boots. After removing her boots and socks, he began to run his hands up the inside of her legs, starting at her ankles. When he reached her waist, he unclasped her belt and placed it, lightsaber attached, on the small stand by the bunk. Looking at the bunk, he began smiling impishly. "This bunk is only meant for one person, my love, so it looks like we will have to be somewhat creative."

"I am sure you are up to the challenge," Mara said as she allowed herself to fall back on the bunk. As she began to lie back, she reached up, grasping Luke's shirt by the collar and pulled him down on top of her. "We'll just have to remain in this position so that we take up less space," she laughed as she gently caressed his face.

Luke joined in her laughter before lowering his face to hers and meeting her lips with a passionate, demanding kiss. He used his teeth to grasp her lower lip so that his tongue would have access to the warm haven of her mouth. Her tongue gladly began dueling intently with his and their lips remained joined together until the need for oxygen caused them to release their hold on one another.

As Luke lifted himself on his elbows to unbutton her jumpsuit, his state of arousal was immediately evident to Mara as the hard bulge in his pants firmly pressed against her. Reaching her hand down between them, she lightly rubbed him through the fabric, causing him to moan softly. "I see someone is more than ready for our activity to proceed," she teased, continuing to caress him.

"I will just have to endeavor to bring you into a matching state, won't I," Luke laughed as he reached into her jumpsuit to caress her breasts. He brought his lips to hers and kissed her deeply before moving his lips to her neck. He slid himself down the bunk slightly as he trailed kisses across her neck and down to her breasts. Adjusting his position slightly, he pulled a nipple between his lips and began sucking it gently. It was Mara's turn to moan in response to his caresses. Seeing that he was achieving his intended result, he repeated his ministrations on her other breast while his fingertips gently kneaded the one his lips had just released.

By sliding down her body so that his mouth could reach her breasts, Luke had pulled his manhood out of Mara's reach and as a result had been able to gain a slight increase in his control. He pulled her into a sitting position, so that he could relieve her of the jumpsuit that was limiting his access. He knelt beside the bed and pushed the fabric off her shoulders and arms, allowing it to pool around her hips. As he freed her arms from the fabric, she brought her hands to his shirt and began unbuttoning it. They both craved the feel of their naked skin against each other. Untucking the shirt from his pants, she pushed it open and pulled him against her. The contact between her breasts and his chest created a burning heat that was almost searing. Luke circled his arms around her and began gently stroking her sensitive back with a featherlight touch. Mara closed her eyes, groaning softly, and reached up to clasp her hands behind his neck.

They stayed comfortably against each other, with Mara sitting and Luke kneeling between her legs for many minutes just relishing the feel of each other's flesh. Finally Luke pulled back from her, brought himself to a standing position and pulled her into his arms. "We need to rid ourselves of the remainder of this clothing," he said huskily. His darkened eyes were filled with lust and passion as he pushed her jumpsuit to the floor and held her steady as she stepped out of it. He brought his hands back to her hips and removed the lace covering that remained.

Mara shivered as she bent to pick up the jumpsuit and panties and place them on the chair beside the bunk. "Would you like me to adjust the environmental controls, Mara?" Luke asked as she moved back towards him.

"I don't think that will be necessary," Mara responded. "I think you can find more inventive ways to raise the temperature in this room, Farmboy. But first we need to adjust your state of attire," she said. She pushed the shirt off his arms and tossed it quickly into the corner. "Why is it that you are always overdressed when we undertake these activities, Skywalker?" Mara quipped. She reached to undo and removed his belt and placed it and his lightsaber on the stand alongside her own.

As Mara moved back towards him, Luke drew her into his arms and began trailing kisses along her neck. Although contained in his embrace, she reached her hands between them and again began to gently caress him through the fabric of his pants. After a few moments of fondling him, she brought her hands to the waistband of his pants and unfastened them. She grabbed the fabric surrounding his hips and pulled firmly causing the pants to pool at his feet.

In her haste to remove Luke's barriers, Mara had overlooked the fact that he was still wearing his boots. He would be unable to step out of the pants until the boots were removed. As he tried to walk over to the bunk to remedy the situation, his feet tangled in the fabric bunched around them and he fell, sprawling across it.

Although Mara tried to suppress her amusement, the site of Luke sprawled out in such an undignified pose overwhelmed her and she began laughing hysterically.

The look Luke gave her rivaled even her very best glare. "Mara, stop laughing, it's not that funny," he bellowed.

"I sorry but it is funny and you look absolutely ridiculous," Mara managed to choke out between fits of laughter. "Why is it that the normally agile Jedi Master has such difficulty with such a basic task as undressing," she said once she had contained her laughter. "Let me help you," she added reaching toward him and running her hand up his inner thigh.

"That definitely is not helping, Jade," Luke growled while grabbing her arms and pulling her onto the bed with him. He managed to flip her on her back and straddle her even though his pants were still bunched around his ankles. He began running his fingertips lightly over her breasts and she moaned in response to his touch. As he tried to shift position to continue his caresses, he once again started to lose his balance and rolled partially onto the bunk.

Pushing him the rest of way off her and fully onto the bunk, Mara decided that she had better take care of this clothing situation herself. She shifted herself off the bunk and moved to a position where she was kneeling beside it. "Let's get this stuff off of you before you injure one or both of us, Skywalker," she said reaching to pull off one of his boots and socks. He quickly removed the other and Mara pulled the offending pants over his ankles and feet. Throwing the pants into the corner, she quickly brought her hands back to his waist. Clasping the band of his boxers, she looked up and met his desire-filled gaze with an equal one of her own. "Let's get rid of these while we are at it, Farmboy," she said with an impish grin. "I am tired of all the barriers to our activities." As he lifted his hips, she slid the boxers from his body freeing his passion-engorged manhood. After tossing the boxers into the corner with his pants, she bent forward and began to lightly kiss and lick the tip, relishing the feel and taste of him. Hearing him groan deeply in his throat, inspired her to continue onward but Luke had other ideas. If he allowed her to continue, the experience would end much more quickly than he wanted. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her onto the bunk with him.

"You never let me have any fun....." she began but was silenced as Luke leaned over and brought his lips to hers. As the kiss deepened, Mara parted her lips and allowed Luke's tongue to enter her haven, intertwining with hers to taste himself on her.

When their lips finally parted, Luke looked lovingly into her eyes and said laughingly. "You were saying, my love." Without giving her a chance to respond verbally, he rolled her onto her back and again kissed her passionately, allowing her body to answer the question for her. She responded by pushing her tongue into Luke's mouth and claiming it. Wrapping her hands into his sandy blond hair, she pulled him down so that the full weight of his body was covering her own. She used the fingertips of one hand to begin lovingly tracing a path across his back as they continued the kiss.

They remained in that position, sharing kisses and featherlight caresses for quite some time before Luke began to sense the growing discomfort that his full weight was causing Mara. He raised himself up on his elbows to redistribute his weight and she shivered as cool air replaced the warm flesh that had been enclosing her body.

The change in Luke's upper body position caused his lower body to press more ardently into Mara's and she arched her body upward in response. Luke tried to shift his body so that he could once again caress her breasts but she locked her legs around his hips stopping his movement.

"Mara," Luke began, looking at her questioningly. "Are you sure you are ready?"

Mara took Luke's hand in hers and brought it to the space between her legs. "Most definitely," she purred, "but if you would like you can check for yourself."

Luke adjusted his hand and gently probed the opening of her body with one finger. His finger was immediately coated with her wonderful wetness and he proceeded to slide it gently in and out of her. She moaned and squirmed under his touch and turned his face to meet hers. "Luke," she whispered with a passion filled voice.

Luke grinned wickedly as he removed his finger from Mara, brought it to his lips and sucked it greedily into his mouth. "Mmmm, I would say you are ready," he said huskily. Using his arms to adjust his position, he brought the tip of his shaft in line with the entrance to her body and looked at her lustfully seeking permission to continue. She met his passion filled gaze and nodded, bringing her hands up to lovingly caress his face. With one quick thrust, Luke sheathed himself fully within her and they both cried out at the intense sensations the contact created.

Mara released his hips from her hold by uncrossing her ankles and bending her legs at the knees. This position allowed him a much deeper access and Luke took full advantage of this shift and began to very slowly move within her. He savored the sensations created as he slowly pushed fully into her and just as slowly withdrew. He endeavored to continue this slow, erotic pace but after a few moments Mara showed him she had other plans. She began to wiggle and push her hips against him so that he would thrust into her more quickly.

Acquiescing, Luke increased his pace and began thrusting into her with more pressure and much more quickly. The increased sensation caused Luke to moan as he rocked his body into hers. Mara responded in kind, shuddering and moaning and twisting her fingers into his hair to pull him more firmly against her. She pulled his lips to hers and kissed him deeply as she felt the waves of passion engulf her body, sending her over the edge. The shudders of her climax caused her muscles to clench him more tightly and brought him to the edge as well. With a few more quick thrusts, he emptied himself fully inside her and collapsed, totally spent, across her prone body.

They laid in that position for a few minutes as their breathing and heartbeats slowed to a more normal rate. Soon Luke became aware that his weight was again causing Mara discomfort and rolled off her and onto his side. She shivered again as the warmth of his body retreated and turned to face him. It was a very tight fit for them to lie side by side in the bunk together, even in this position.

Luke looked lovingly into her eyes and realized that a sleepy look was quickly replacing her sated one. "Did I wear you out, my love?" he asked as he caressed her face with his fingertips. He rolled himself into a sitting position on the edge of the bunk. "Why don't you get some sleep," he said. Opening the cupboard above the bunk, he found a blanket and used it to cover her nude body.

"We didn't get much sleep last night you know," Mara answered stifling a yawn. "Maybe I will just take a short nap. You must be tired too."

"Jedi Masters don't need much sleep, remember," Luke joked as he bent down to kiss her forehead. "I'll nap on the bridge if I get tired," he added but as he looked at her face he smiled. She had already fallen asleep. He picked up his clothes from where she had thrown them and quickly redressed. *Sweet dreams, my love* he sent as he walked from the room.

Artoo beeped at him questioningly as he returned to the bridge. "Mara was really tired, so I am going to let her sleep a little longer," Luke said. Artoo was a very intelligent little droid and Luke wondered if he realized that they had not been sleeping. Probably so since they were not very quiet when they made love and Artoo’s sensors were extremely sensitive. ‘Well some things are better left unsaid,’ he thought as he lowered himself into the copilot seat. As if sensing his thoughts Artoo rolled to him and beeped softly. Luke patted his dome affectionately and asked, "any changes or problems?" Artoo responded a negative and continued with a status report on their progress. They would reach Coruscant in about twenty-six hours and would be in communications range about six hours before that. "Thanks Artoo," he said.

Sitting back in his seat, Luke sent a light probe towards Mara and found that she was still sleeping soundly. As his mind shifted back to their earlier activities, he was again overwhelmed by what had occurred. He loved her with every fiber of his being but was still surprised by the passion they invoked in each other. They had made love three times in the past twelve hours with each time being an almost spiritual experience. He was unsure what was causing that reaction - not that he was complaining. His previous experiences had not been even close. He had achieved physical release but nothing more. Was it the years of self denial they had each forced themselves to endure? Was it the strength of the bonding they had undergone in the cloning chamber? Was it that they were each only able to achieve this level of intimacy with each other? Or was it the combination of all of these things? He probably would never know for sure but he knew one thing. Now that they had found each other, he would not let anything or anyone come between them.

That thought sent his mind off into an area that Luke had only barely considered since they had left Nirauan. What type of reactions would they receive when they shared their news with everyone back on Coruscant? Would people be happy for them or would they try to change their minds? Not that that was possible but he did not want to have to spend time justifying their decision… especially with the people close to him. He knew that Han would accept his choice easily and, although he was sure Leia wanted him to be happy, he was unsure if would she be able to get beyond Mara's past. She had trusted Mara implicitly during the past few years - particularly during the Corellian incident. Mara had helped Leia save herself and her family. But one of the first statements Mara had ever made to Leia was that she was planning to kill Luke. Hopefully he would be able to show Leia, using the Force if necessary, the depth of their feelings for each other. He would just have to find a way.

Luke was sure his other friends would be ecstatic for them. Lando would probably be a little jealous as he had pursued Mara himself for a while but he and Tendra were happily married now. Wedge and Corran would probably say that they had seen their attraction growing for years. Kam, Kyp, Tionne and just about everyone else at the academy liked and respected Mara and would be happy that Luke had finally found someone to share his life.

Luke knew that the Solo children would be excited. They all liked Mara and he knew they wanted to see more children in the family. The thought that he could finally actually consider the possibility of having children of his own was exhilarating. Although he had always wanted children, when Callista left him he had given up on that dream. Now he and Mara might be able to make that dream a reality. Hopefully she would want children but they had not really had time to even discuss the possibility. Well that could wait, they had to get married first. Marriage. That was another dream he had given up on. It seemed that Mara was going to make all his dreams come true.

The reaction of the powers that be in the New Republic was going to be another matter entirely. Most of the government and military officials still considered Mara an Imperial and did not trust her. They would probably be pretty upset when they found out that Luke was going to finish Mara's training and already considered her a Jedi - even more so when they found out about their plans to marry. Well, they would just have to get used to it. He had put duty above all else and had sacrificed his private life for the past twenty years. That sacrifice was over. Although he knew that he would still fulfill his duty, he would find a way to create a balance and have the private life and family he so desperately craved.

Luke again stretched out his senses to check on Mara and found her still sleeping soundly. ‘She needed the rest,’ he thought warmly. He began to think of Mara’s friends and how they would accept the news. He knew that most of the people in Karrde's group had a professional respect for him but was unsure of how else they thought of him. That brought his thoughts to Karrde. The older man was more than Mara's boss. He was almost a father figure to her. Luke had seen Karrde's concern for her when he was preparing to go rescue her from Nirauan. He had felt Karrde's emotions when he had told him of the vision he had seen of Mara in the water, surrounded by rocks and appearing to be dead. Recalling the vision and the actual events caused Luke to shiver at the possibility. But they had averted that disaster and needed to focus on the future. Would Karrde accept the developments in his and Mara's relationship? Convincing him would be Mara's job, though Luke would need to mentally prepare himself for the fatherly lecture he would endure once she had accomplished that. He smiled at the thought. He could handle it; he was a Jedi Master, after all.

Luke leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes and began to breathe in a slow steady rhythm to put himself in the proper state to meditate. He would use the time while Mara was sleeping to meditate and refresh himself. If she was still sleeping when he was done, he would allow himself to take a short nap too. As he relaxed and slowed his breathing even further, the needs of his body overrode his mind and he fell into a light sleep.

As Mara began to stir, her initial foggy view of the somewhat unfamiliar surroundings caused her to wake with a start. After a moment to get her bearings and a quick extension of her senses for Luke's presence, their activities from before she fell asleep came into her mind and she relaxed. As she brought herself into a sitting position on the edge of the bunk, she again reached her mind gently to Luke's only to find that he was asleep. Withdrawing carefully so as not to awaken him, she savored the warm feeling that her brief foray into his senses had caused.

Looking at her chrono she realized that she had been asleep for over six hours. She could not believe she had slept that long in the middle of the day. The chill that enveloped her nude body as she pondered made her decide that she probably should get some clothes on. Grabbing her jumpsuit and underwear from the chair she redressed quickly. As she was putting on her boots, she realized that she was also hungry. She would put together a light meal for them before Luke woke up, from the items they had brought from Altrann.

As she entered the bridge, Artoo rolled to her side and beeped softly. "Yes Artoo," Mara answered. "I know he is asleep. Let's leave him that way for a little while longer, okay." She walked over to the storage area where they had placed the foodstuffs. Opening the compartment, she surveyed the items in the boxes and made her selections. She took out some dried meats, bread, fruit and some bottled water. She eyed the Corellian ale they had added as an afterthought, but changed her mind. She would save it for their last night on the ship.

Gathering her chosen items, Mara made her way to the pilot seat. Checking the controls quickly, she saw everything was in order. Artoo beeped rather rudely when he saw her checking the controls. "I know you were monitoring them, Artoo," she apologized. "Just force of habit I guess." Putting her items on the counter, she walked softly over to Luke and kissed him lightly on the forehead. "Wake up, sleepyhead," she called, caressing his cheek with her hand as she spoke. As he began to stir, she kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Hi there," Luke said, blinking the sleep from his eyes. "What a wonderful way to wake up. How long have I been sleeping?"

"I know that I slept for over six hours," Mara answered. "How long were you out here before you fell asleep?"

"I am not sure," Luke replied. "Artoo, how long was I asleep?" he said turning towards the droid. When Artoo beeped his reply, Luke was shocked. He had been asleep for almost five hours.

Remembering his comment from earlier, Mara began to laugh. "Looks like I wasn't the only one who was worn out by our activities, Skywalker. We will have to work on increasing our stamina," she chuckled. "Are you hungry?" she added pointing to the food she had laid out on the counter.

"When have you known me not to be hungry," Luke teased. "But now that you mention it, I am really hungry," he continued playfully, pulling her into his lap.

"I meant for food, Farmboy," Mara quipped, starting to rise from his lap.

"Can't I have dessert first," Luke asked sheepishly. He wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her from leaving.

"No," Mara answered with false severity. "Farmboys only get dessert after they have finished their dinner," she added. She extricated herself from his lap and moved to her seat. After handing him some meat, bread and water, she sat back and took some for herself. Although it wasn't a gourmet meal, it definitely beat the ration bars they had lived on while they were on Nirauan.

Echoing her thoughts, Luke said. "This stuff is not bad at all. I take it you slept well, Mara," he added grinning, as he continued eating.

"As well as you did, I guess," Mara bantered back. "They say exercise is conducive to good sleep patterns, so I guess we will have to continue to exercise regularly," she added with a smirk as she picked up a piece of fruit.

"I am in total agreement with that assessment, Miss Jade," Luke said impishly. "We will have to make sure we set up a regular schedule."

"So what did you do for the hour before you fell asleep, Luke," Mara asked.

"I spent most of it just thinking ...," Luke began but was interrupted before he could finish.

"What did I tell you about that," Mara teased. "You know how dangerous you are when you think."

"You know I like to live dangerously," Luke chided. "I'm marrying you, aren't I?" Once he uttered the comment, he moved quickly out of her reach before she could exact revenge - revenge that he knew could definitely be painful.

Even from across the bridge, Luke felt the strength of the patented Mara glare that was focused on him. "Keep it up, Skywalker," she spat out sarcastically, "and you won't dare to sleep again any time soon."

As he sat back down, Mara reached over and punched Luke's arm in retaliation. "So what were you thinking about, if I dare ask?"

"Basically I was thinking about how people would react to the news that we are together," Luke answered truthfully.

Almost as if she was sensing the memory of his previous thoughts, Mara asked softly. "How do you think Leia will react? I know we have developed trust and even friendship over the years, but do you think she will accept our decision readily? She is very protective of you and may have trouble getting past the fact that I once wanted to kill you."

"What do you mean once," Luke teased trying to alleviate her fears. "You threatened me less than thirty seconds ago, Jade. Seriously, Mara, it will be fine. We will just have to make sure she is convinced of the sincerity of our feelings for each other. I am more concerned about Karrde's reaction. He is very protective of you, has a lot of connections and has the power to have a death mark placed against me," Luke joked.

"I don't think Karrde will be an issue," Mara said. "I think he saw through to our feelings for each other way before we did. He also has a deep respect for you, Luke. Just don't tell him I said that," she added. "He will probably give you the ‘if you ever hurt her’ lecture, though. Just be a good Jedi and act properly intimidated, okay Master," she teased.

"I will act properly humbled and intimidated, " Luke replied. "Thanks for getting dinner together. I didn't realized how hungry I was. Any chance of getting dessert," he added with an impish grin.

"Unless you want Han and Leia to have to carry us off this ship when we arrive in Coruscant, we had better save dessert for later," Mara retorted. "Let's talk a little about the wedding. Do you think there is even a remote chance that we can have a very small, private ceremony?" Mara asked.

"Honestly, I don't really think so," Luke answered softly. "Though I would like nothing better than a small ceremony with only family and close friends." He took her hand firmly in his. "But with my position and the uproar that was caused because people were forgotten at Han and Leia's wedding, I don't see that being possible."

"I guess I already knew that but was hoping the Master could find some way to get us out of it," Mara grimaced. "I am not very good at all this social protocol, Skywalker and neither are you, so this should be an adventure."

"Although I always crave to undertake adventures with you Mara, this is Leia's forte. So we will just have to convince her to volunteer to take care of all the details for us." Luke had mischief evident in his bright blue eyes. "She will do it for her baby brother."

"Baby brother?" she said questioningly. "I never knew which one of you was older," Mara stated. "Maybe that's why she hovers over you so much. If I remember correctly, weren't you late for her wedding? You’d better not repeat that behavior, Jedi," she added with fire in her eyes.

"It wasn't my fault," Luke responded, belatedly realizing that he sounded just like Han. "You have my word as a Jedi that I will be patiently waiting for you when you walk down the aisle," he proclaimed, bringing her hand to his lips with a flourish reminiscent of Lando. "Well maybe not patiently," he added in a teasing tone.

"I will hold you to that promise, Skywalker," Mara said as she got up from her seat. "I don't know about you but I could use some exercise."

"I am always ready for exercise, Mara," Luke replied impishly.

"Get your mind out of the bedroom, Farmboy," she bit back. "I was thinking more of a little self defense practice. It's been three whole days since we had to fight our way out of anywhere and we wouldn't want to let our skills deteriorate," she added with a devilish grin of her own. "Up to the challenge?"

"You're on, Jade," Luke responded meeting her gaze. As he started to get up, he noticed her sitting back down in her seat. "Change your mind already?"

"Just taking off my boots," Mara replied in an exasperated tone. "I usually practice barefoot, but also it will keep us from unintentionally injuring each other while we spar," she added as she removed them. "You should take yours off too, Luke."

"Good point, " Luke said. "My ever practical Mara, I guess I will just have to keep you around," he teased as he removed his boots and socks. Rising from his seat, he reached over and pulled her into a standing position. "Your arena awaits," he bantered as he led her to the open area behind the bridge.

They took positions opposite each other and assumed a defensive posture. Knowing that Mara would want to be the initiator, Luke stood calmly and waited for her to make the first move. She stood patiently as if contemplating exactly how she wanted to proceed and that surprised Luke somewhat. Even a few days ago Mara would have attacked aggressively to try to get an early advantage. Maybe he was rubbing off on her after all.

She struck suddenly with a sweeping leg move intended to knock Luke's feet out from under him. Luke jumped over her leg, flipping in the air and landing behind her. Mara turned quickly, sweeping her leg from the other direction, and the battle waged. They continued to spar, attacking and blocking, defending and counterattacking for the better part of an hour. At times Mara would appear to have the advantage and at others it would shift to Luke. Once or twice, Mara even thought that she would be able to pin him down but Luke always avoided her hold at the last moment. Anyone watching them would have been in awe of their equality of strength and movement. They countered each other perfectly. Anyone watching would have also assumed that they were enemies or at least unfriendly competitors by their facial expressions and the intensity with which the battle raged.

Finally realizing that their stalemate could go on indefinitely, Luke allowed himself to collapse into a sitting position and used the Force to pull Mara into his arms. "I think I have had enough exercise for today," he said although he was not even breathing heavily. They were concentrating so hard during the sparring match that neither of them realized that they were drenched in sweat. Their hair and clothing were plastered to their bodies. As he pulled Mara against him, he saw that even the plait of hair hanging down her back was dripping. Laughing, he picked up the plait and swung it into her face. "This was probably not a good idea since the ship does not have a refresher with a full shower."

"Then the sonic shower will have to suffice," Mara replied turning her body and swinging her head so that the plait ended up hitting Luke's face. "It's a good thing we have other clothes. I don't want to be anywhere near what we are wearing now until these things can be laundered," she added, resting her forehead against Luke's.

They sat quietly in that position for a few minutes before Mara kissed Luke lightly on the lips and jumped up. " I have the refresher first," she called as she ran through the sleeping berth to the door. "I'll be out in a few minutes."

"That was pretty sneaky, Jade," Luke called out. "You let me get comfortable just so you could sneak in and take the refresher," he added getting to his feet. As his wet clothes became more uncomfortable, he decided to remove them and quickly dumped his shirt and pants into a pile on the floor. His lips curved into a grin as he realized this could provide the opportunity for a little payback. Adding his boxers to the pile, he walked to the refresher door and leaned against it. He stood, waiting patiently, for quite a few minutes until he heard her turn off the shower. ‘This will be fun,’ he thought.

Even though it hadn't been a real shower, Mara still felt one hundred percent better. It had cleaned and removed the sweat from her body and hair. Once she put on clean clothes, she would be comfortable again. She felt Luke's annoyance at her trick but could tell that he really wasn't angry. She planned on always remaining one step ahead of him and this way a good way to remind him of that. She exited the refresher planning to grab some clothes out of her bag and redress, but things did not quite go as she intended.

As Mara exited the refresher, Luke quickly stepped into her path and drew her into a tight embrace. Rubbing his still sweat covered body against her clean one, he began to grin. "Mara, you smell so nice," he said coyly before a Force shove pushed his body away from hers.

"Thanks a bunch, Skywalker," Mara bit out sarcastically. "Now I'll have to shower all over again."

"Just remember, Jade," Luke laughed as he walked past her into the refresher. "I learned to play these games from the best, so you may not always be able to stay one step ahead," he added closing the door. After a few seconds, he reopened the door a crack and peeked out. "If you ask nicely, I might share my shower with you. What do you say, Jade?"

As much as she wanted to join him and reap the rewards of whatever he was planning, Mara wouldn't give him the satisfaction of having his sneaky little ploy succeed. "Sorry, Farmboy," she quipped. "I am not that impatient that I can't wait my turn." She turned to walk to the bunk giving him a full view of her backside before lying down on it. Turning on her side so that he had a great view from the doorway, she stretched seductively. There would be a heatwave on Hoth before he would best her at these games.

Knowing that he had lost this round, Luke entered the shower and turned it on. As the shower cleansed him, he thought about their little interchange and began to smirk. He was not sure what the Force had in store for their future but he knew one thing. Life with Mara Jade would never be boring.

After a few minutes Luke turned off the shower and walked back into the sleeping berth. He had expected some type of retribution from Mara and was surprised to see that she was still lying on the bunk but was now sleeping. She was an absolute vision, with her hair billowing against the creamy white skin of her face and shoulders like spun red-gold. Just looking at her caused him to become instantly aroused and he wanted nothing more than to climb in the bunk and make love to her. But if she had fallen asleep that quickly, she had to still be exhausted. He would let her sleep. Picking up the blanket from the floor, he carefully covered her with it. She stirred lightly as he kissed her cheek but did not awaken. Grabbing clean clothes out of the bag, he redressed and returned to the bridge.

Luke walked past Artoo to the copilot seat and sank down in it. The events of the past days had finally overcome his body to the point of exhaustion. Artoo beeped at him softly. "I am okay, Artoo," he replied. "I just need to get some rest. Continue monitoring the controls and I am going to try to sleep for a few hours." As an afterthought he asked, "what time is it on Coruscant now?" Artoo's beeps told him that it was currently just past midnight there. Sleeping now would put their bodies in sync with Coruscant time and make their adjustment easier when they reached home. "Adjust the ship's chrono to Coruscant time and if I am still asleep at 0700 Artoo, please wake me. But I expect to be awake before then," he added closing his eyes. A few moments and slow deep breaths later, Luke was sleeping soundly.

When Artoo's soft beeping woke him, Luke expected that something had happened and was surprised when he found that it was now 0700. He normally did not need much sleep and refused to spend any more time doing it than absolutely necessary. All that would definitely change. Sleep would become a much more pleasurable experience once he began doing it with the gorgeous Mara tucked firmly in his arms. He extended his senses to check on her and found her beginning to awaken. Rising from the seat, he stretched limbs cramped from sleeping in the chair and walked quietly through the sleeping berth to use the refresher. After he had finished, he moved to the bunk and knelt beside it. Reaching his hand up to lightly caress Mara’s face, he saw her eyes flutter open. "Good morning, love," Luke murmured. "Did you sleep well?" He bent down and kissed her gently.

"Good morning, yourself," Mara answered. "As well as possible considering the bunk was a little lonely," she teased. "What time is it, anyway?"

"I had Artoo adjust the ship's chrono to Coruscant time and it is now 0700, " Luke replied moving to sit on the edge of the bunk.

"I am impressed," Mara said reaching up to caress his face. "My adorable Farmboy is actually becoming practical." Feeling her body's need to visit the refresher she threw back the covers and brought herself to a sitting position on the bunk. The cold air enclosing her body made her belatedly realize that she was still nude. She was looking down at herself somewhat puzzled when she heard Luke speak.

"You had fallen asleep on the bunk by the time I came out of the shower," Luke said without waiting for her question. "You looked so comfortable I just covered you and left you there. If I had attempted to dress you, neither of us would have gotten much sleep," he added playfully.

As Mara walked to the refresher, she looked impishly over her shoulder. "We’ll have to do something about our inability to stay attired compatibly. A pattern seems to be developing." She winked at Luke and closed the door behind her.

She came out of the refresher to find Luke standing outside the door. "There are two solutions to our current dilemma," he began. "You could increase your clothing level to meet mine or I could decrease my clothing level to meet yours. Do you have any preference on the choice?" he continued with desire evident in his voice.

"I think I will opt for the second choice," Mara said as she began to unbutton his shirt. Remembering the debacle of yesterday, she looked down at his feet as she tossed his shirt on the chair. Seeing that he was barefoot she moved her hands quickly to the fastener of his pants. She had undone the fastener and removed his pants and boxers in a matter of seconds.

"You seem to be very adept at removing clothing, Miss Jade," Luke joked. "Is there something in your past that you should tell me about?"

"We both know that I am a lot more worldly than you are, Skywalker," Mara replied in the same bantering tone. "But I don't believe in kissing and telling," she said as her eyes roamed hungrily over Luke's nude form.

Their playful bantering had actually increased his level of desire and Luke's intense blue eyes devoured every inch of her beautiful body before locking with her passion filled green ones. Without breaking their gaze, he drew Mara to the bunk and laid her softly on it. His hands began roaming over her skin as his thoughts drifted to how ardent his desire for her was. He would like nothing more than to be holding her beautiful body in his arms every minute of the day and night.

Chuckling softly at hearing his thoughts, Mara took Luke's face in her hands before he could break their gaze. "Although I must admit that would be a pleasurable experience," she teased, "it would unfortunately be a rather impractical one, love."

"I can dream, can't I," Luke answered in an equally teasing tone as he began to cover Mara's body with kisses and caresses. He proceeded on his quest across her body, focusing extra attention on her significant pleasure points as she moaned and squirmed beneath his touch.

When Mara could no longer bear the intense feelings he was creating, she flipped Luke off of her and onto his back. She began mimicking his quest with one of her own; planting kisses and caresses all over his body. She was endeavoring to create sensations in him that were as intense as what he had created along her flesh.

These caresses created such an intense level of desire that Luke could wait no longer. He rolled Mara gently onto her side and sheathed himself within her from behind. Spooning his body against hers, he began moving slowly within. Although this experience was nowhere near as frantic as their previous lovemaking, they savored the feelings they were creating and continuously extended those feelings between each other through their bond. After many minutes of this slow but pleasurable pace, they almost simultaneously began to push more ardently against one another. Luke increased his pace and within moments they both felt the beginning tremors of their release. The spasms of Mara's climax sent Luke over the edge as well as he exploded within her.

Mara lay quietly within Luke's embrace for many minutes just savoring the feel of his heartbeat echoing against her back. He was so passionate when they were alone, so unlike the vaulted Jedi Master that she had always believed him to be. When they were alone, he was just her Farmboy. Maybe it had just taken her admitting her feelings for him to bring back the long lost farmboy.

Replying to her thoughts, Luke spoke softly. "Just remember that the Farmboy only comes out for you, my love." Kissing her neck, he removed his arms from around her body and shifted himself into a sitting position on the bunk. "Ready for breakfast?" he asked as he ran his fingers through the hair cascading down her back.

"I think I will take the shower I never got to take last night," Mara responded smugly as she brought herself to a seated position as well.

"I'll go and gather up some items for breakfast while you shower," Luke said. He gathered his clothing and quickly redressed. "Don't take too long," he added as he kissed her lightly on the forehead and walked from the room. From the cabinet, he selected some juice, a melon and a loaf of fruit bread. He cut the melon and placed it on a plate. He gathered it with the other items and walked to the copilot seat. Setting the items on the counter before him, he sat back in his seat to wait for Mara. Looking at the chrono and seeing that it 0815, he turned to Artoo and asked, "how much longer until we are in communication range of Coruscant."

Artoo warbled his reply and Luke was calculating the time when Mara emerged from the sleeping berth. "We will be in communications range of Coruscant at about 1230," he said as he motioned for her to join him. "I told Leia I would contact her with an ETA once we were in communication range," he reminded her. He was surprised to feel regret flicker through Mara's emotions. "What's wrong?"

"I know that it is imperative that we get back as soon as possible so that we can download the copy of the Caamas document that Artoo is carrying but....." Mara stopped speaking and looked at him intently. "I have really enjoyed our time alone together and I know once we get back, I will have to share you with everyone." She plopped into the pilot seat before she continued. "I know that is very selfish of me. We both have responsibilities but I don't want them to interfere with out time together."

"Don't worry, Mara," Luke said as he handed her a piece of bread and a slice of melon. "We will make sure that we make time to be alone together. You have my word as a Jedi Master on that," he added teasingly. "Speaking of getting back to Coruscant, what would you like to do about living arrangements?"

That question caught Mara completely off guard. They each had an apartment on Coruscant. She reached out to probe Luke's feelings as she answered. "I had not even given it any thought but I really don't want us to be living apart."

"Neither do I...." Luke said gently.

"I sense a ‘but’ coming in that statement, Skywalker," Mara said before Luke could finish his sentence.

Luke stopped to choose his words very carefully before he replied. "I just think that, officially, we should keep both apartments until after the wedding." Taking her hand in his he continued, "there are going to be a large number of New Republic officials who are not going to embrace our impending marriage with open arms. Why give them additional fuel to add to the fire." He looked at her intently trying to gauge her reaction.

"You are probably right, Luke," Mara said smiling, "but it doesn't sound like something that the totally open and honest Jedi Master would want to do. Have I corrupted you that much already?"

"No, but I think you have made me more of a realist," Luke said. "If anyone asks me outright I will be honest, but why broadcast the information."

"Okay, I guess I can live with that," Mara answered. "What about after the wedding? Have you given any thought to that?"

"My apartment is bigger and more centrally located, but honestly Mara, I don't care where I live as long as it’s with you," Luke said smirking. "If you want, we could find a new apartment together. I don't see that we will be spending that much time on Coruscant anyway," he added.

"Your apartment is probably the better choice although it will need a few improvements. But that brings up another issue," Mara said. "We will definitely need to do something about your quarters on Yavin. Sparse and barren rooms are definitely not my idea of a comfortable home, Jedi. Maybe they just need a woman’s touch to make them more livable," she teased.

"Within reason, Mara," Luke retorted. "A Jedi craves not material things."

They sat on the bridge, talking about living arrangements, the wedding, and the like until Artoo’s warbling made them look at the chrono. "I can’t believe it is already 1230," Luke said in an amazed tone. "Mara, would you please input the code for Leia’s home? I would like to try to reach her there first."

Mara entered the code and within moments a young voice came through the speaker. "Solo Residence."

Mara could see the smile that spread across Luke’s face and feel his happiness as Anakin’s voice came over the speaker. "Hello, my little Jedi," he said warmly. "How are you? Are mom or dad at home?"

"Uncle Luke," Anakin answered excitedly. "I’m great. Are you back on Coruscant?"

"We are still on the way," Luke replied. "Can you get your mom for me?"

"Is Mara with you?" Anakin asked, ignoring Luke’s other question. He had heard his father telling Chewie that Uncle Luke had gone to rescue her when they returned from Kashyyyk the day before.

"Yes, Mara is with me," Luke answered in a reassuring tone. He could hear the concern in Anakin’s voice. But he wondered how Anakin knew that he was with Mara. "I really need to talk to your mother, buddy. Could you get her for me?" he asked again.

Luke heard Anakin’s voice increase in volume as he called to his mother across the rooms. Luke chuckled at the image of him yelling across the house instead of going into the next room to get her. He really missed his nephews and niece. They held a large part of his heart as he considered them the closest he would ever get to having children. Now all that was changing. He might get to have children of his own after all. He glanced over at Mara to see that she was studying him intently. As he started to ask her what was wrong, a voice coming over the speaker commanded his attention.

"Luke, I have been anxiously awaiting your call." Leia said with relief flooding her voice. "When will you arrive back on Coruscant? There is so much I need to tell you."

"We should be there about 1830," Luke replied. "Can your information hold until then?"

Leia was silent for a moment as she tried to dissect her brother’s emotions. There was something different in his voice. He seemed more relaxed and at peace. Refocusing her attention, she decided her questions and the information could wait. "Yes, it can wait. Call me when you exit hyperspace. We can meet you at the hangar," she said.

"We’ll call when we come out of hyperspace but Mara and I will come to the house. I will need you to arrange a secure hangar for us to land in and transportation to the house if the hangar isn’t within walking distance," Luke said.

"Why the secrecy? What kind of ship are you coming in on?" Leia asked puzzled.

"It’s a long story and I’ll explain when we get there," Luke replied quickly trying to stall any further questions.

"Okay," Leia replied. "I will make all the arrangements. Anything else?"

"Just have dinner ready, okay," Luke said. "I could use one of your special Alderanian meals."

"I think I can arrange that," Leia answered. "We will see you at about 1830, then."

"See you then, Leia," Luke said as he ended the connection.

"What was that all about, Skywalker?" Mara asked trying to read his emotions.

"Leia can read my emotions and feelings almost as well as you can," Luke said. "I don’t want to be standing in the middle of a hangar when I tell her about our plans. I hope you’re not uncomfortable about having dinner there," he added. "I probably should have asked you first."

"Yes, you should have but no, I’m not uncomfortable," Mara responded. "This will probably work out better as I can keep Han and the kids occupied if you want to tell Leia privately."

"So how do you want to spend our last few hours of solitude?" Luke asked impishly.

Luke’s sexual suggestion caused Mara mind to return to her thoughts as he had spoken to Anakin. "There is something I want to talk to you about, okay," she said hesitantly.

"Is there something wrong, Mara?" Luke asked concerned. "Having second thoughts?"

"Nothing like that," Mara answered, rising from her seat and lowering herself into Luke’s lap. She needed to make sure that he understood her reasons for this decision, so she would have to choose her words very carefully. "Luke," she said softly with her eyes locked intently on his. "I know that one of the things you want more than anything else in the world is to have children of your own." She felt the tremor of emotion pass through him as she spoke. "I want us to have children of our own someday too, Luke. I just don’t think I am ready to do that right now."

"Mara,…."Luke began in a voice heavy with emotion.

"Please, Luke, let me finish explaining first," Mara interrupted him. She could feel the pain and concern her words were causing him and wanted to make sure she explained all the reasons behind her decision. "Although I think our relationship has been slowly developing for the past ten years, things have changed very quickly in the past few days. I think we need to adjust to married life, living under the same roof, and many other things before we consider bringing a child into our lives." She took a deep breath and composed her thoughts before she continued. "I have no memories of my parents, no firsthand knowledge of what family life is like. I didn’t even have any playmates my own age as I was growing up. I want to be sure we are stable enough to give our children everything fate denied us both as we grew up. Can you understand how I feel, Luke?" she asked softly, taking his face in her hands.

Luke sat quietly trying to absorb everything Mara had just said. He had wanted children of his own for so long, that he would have been ecstatic if Mara had become pregnant the first time they had made love on Altrann. He had no doubts about their marriage and no concerns about them adjusting to it. But he also knew that he had a much more stable childhood than Mara. Although his parents had not raised him, he had lived in a relatively normal family setting with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. Financially, things had always been difficult but he was loved and nurtured. Mara had grown up with financial stability but with the most evil being Luke had ever known as her only parental figure. He could understand her doubts and concerns. He would just have to support and nurture her until she was ready to take this step. He had waited this long; he could wait a little longer.

Luke focused on sending all his love to her through their bond before he spoke. "Although I would welcome the news with an open heart if we were to find you were pregnant today, I can accept your decision and the reasons for it. I know that your childhood was not a pleasant experience and that is influencing your decision." He kissed her gently before he continued. "Hopefully, you won’t need too much time before you’re ready, but I can wait - whatever it takes. I love you, Mara."

"I love you too, Luke," Mara whispered. "More than ever for understanding how I feel. The chances of me becoming pregnant at this point are very remote but I will go to see Cilghal tomorrow to make sure before I have her start me on repress meds." Looking at him lovingly she added, "how did I ever get so lucky?"

"I think that should be my question," Luke answered as nuzzled his face into her hair. They sat together for quite a while, relishing the love that was flowing freely between them. After a while, Luke began running his hands across her back and, pushing her hair aside, started kissing and nuzzling her neck. He lifted his face and turned hers to him before asking suggestively, "Why don’t we make to most of our last few hours alone together?"

Mara wiggled playfully in his lap before she rose. She walked quickly to the cabinet, grabbing the two bottles of Corellian ale before sprinting to the berth. "Are you coming, Skywalker?" she said as she reached the doorway. "I hate to party alone."

Luke rose and had reached the doorway, almost before Mara had gone completely through it. "I don’t plan on letting you do too many things alone ever again," he said swinging the door closed behind him. Taking the bottles from her, he placed them on the table before drawing her to him. He kissed her passionately as he began unbuttoning her shirt. As he tossed it to the floor, he lay her back on the bunk.

Luke intended to make the most of their last hours before returning to the reality of Coruscant. He trailed kisses along her neck and shoulders before moving on to her breast. Taking the nipple into his mouth, he sucked and nipped at it alternating between gentle and assertive pressure. As Mara began to moan softly, he shifted his attention to her other breast. Once he had duplicated his caresses, he shifted his kisses down her body. He slid her pants and underwear from her body and began nipping at random spots along her stomach and hips. Moving again, he planted kisses behind her knees and along the insides of her thighs until he finally reached the main object of his quest. He nestled his face into her curls and ran his hand along the inside of one thigh until his fingers felt the wetness of her opening. He slipped one finger inside of her and began moving it within her. Within minutes, he added a second and brought his mouth to lick and suckle her. She was moaning and squirming under his touch. She wanted him to continue because the feelings he was creating were so exquisite while at the same time wanting him to stop because she was on sensory overload. He brought her just shy of the edge twice, enjoying the vulnerability in her that his touch was creating. He could feel her need for release as she arched up against his mouth and he intensified his movements until the shudders of her climax engulfed her and more of her wonderful wetness flowed into his mouth. He moved his body up to lay beside her, pulling her into his arms as her breathing and heartbeat tried to return to normal.

Mara was again totally overwhelmed by the exquisite sensations Luke had created in her body. She had not thought it possible for someone to bring so much physical pleasure to her. Now she intended to do the same to him. She unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. Rolling him onto his back, she began by kissing him deeply. She ran her tongue insistently over the inside of his mouth, relishing the blend of Luke’s taste and her own. She was again overwhelmed by how much that excited her. She released his lips and rained kisses along his neck and chest, selecting spots randomly as Luke had on her. She brought her hands to his waist, unfastened his pants and slid his pants and boxers from his body. Moving her lips back towards his throbbing shaft, she decided she would not allow him to deter her as he had before. Wrapping her hand around the base, she gently licked and kissed the tip. She was immediately rewarded by tiny drops of his sweet fluid gliding over her tongue. He groaned deeply in his throat and attempted to pull away from her. *Not this time Farmboy* she sent into his mind. *Just relax and enjoy the ride. * She drew him into the warm wetness of her mouth, sucking and licking him at first gently and then with increased pressure.

The sensations Mara was creating in his body were almost more than Luke could endure. As she increased the pressure, he began softly thrusting in time with her movements. The feelings were so intense that his heart was pounding so wildly he thought it would burst from his chest. "Mara, please…," he moaned huskily as he managed to pull her mouth from him. "I need to be inside you." He took her face in his hands so that he could look into her eyes.

The reaction that her caresses were creating in Luke had increased her desire for him. Mara slithered up his body until her warm wetness was positioned directly over his throbbing shaft. Wrapping it with her hand, she rubbed him against her until he began groaning loudly. She met his lust-filled gaze before impaling herself on his raging hardness. Placing her hands on his chest to still him, she began moving above him. She switched between raising her body until he had almost escaped her to lowering herself so that he was fully sheathed within her. As he felt himself nearing orgasm, he brought his hands to her hips to increase the pace of her movements. Within seconds, he felt the spasms overtake him and he emptied himself within her.

The faster pace brought Mara back to the edge and she began to shudder seconds after feeling Luke’s wetness erupt within her. She leaned into her arms, bracing herself against the spasms that were engulfing her. Looking at him lustfully, she began to smile. "We have definitely created some wonderful memories over the past few days." Reaching to the table, she picked up the two bottles of ale.

Sensing her intention, Luke shifted himself into a sitting position with her still straddling him. Taking his bottle from Mara, he chuckled. "A toast," he said clinking his bottle to hers, "to continuing to create wonderful memories for the rest of our lives." They both brought the bottles to their lips to consummate the toast. They continued taking sips and laughing lightly until both bottles were empty. Looking at the chrono, he realized that they would be coming out of hyperspace over Coruscant in a little over an hour. He rolled her onto her back and disengaged himself from her. "I am going to shower and dress and then you can do the same. " He walked to the refresher, leaving her lying sated across the bunk.

Mara lay back on the bunk, relishing in the afterglow of their lovemaking. She would have enjoyed doing it together but she understood that time wouldn’t allow it. They needed to be ready when they came out of hyperspace. Tonight they would actually get to sleep in each other’s arms, as they had on that first night on Altrann, but only after having dinner with the Solos. Hopefully, Leia would accept their news. She would have to have faith that Luke would help Leia to see that they belonged together. She rolled herself into a sitting position as she heard Luke turn off the shower. As he entered the room, she rose. "My turn," she said kissing him lightly as she walked by.

Luke grabbed clean clothes from the bag and dressed as Mara was taking her shower. His thoughts, as well, shifted to their upcoming dinner at his sister’s. He fluctuated his plans between he and Mara telling Han, Leia and the kids together as a group and pulling Leia aside privately and telling the others after he was sure she had come to terms with the news. He would follow his instincts when he got there. He had just finished putting on his boots as Mara emerged. He smiled at her as he picked up his belt and lightsaber from the table where she had placed it that first morning.

Mara dressed quickly after she exited the shower. She stood up after tying her boots to see Luke holding her belt and lightsaber. He moved to place it around her waist and fasten it. He motioned for her to sit down on the bunk. He picked the hairbrush from the table and began brushing her hair as he had that morning on Altrann. He couldn’t believe how much he enjoyed doing little things for her. Putting the brush down, he twisted the hair into a plait down her back and used the tie to secure it. Pulling her to her feet, his kissed her lightly and said. "Looks like we are ready to go home."

She took his hand and led them back to the seats on the bridge. Mara turned to Artoo as she lowered herself into her seat. "How much longer until we come out of hyperspace?"

Luke looked at Mara as Artoo beeped his reply. "It will only be a few more minutes. Are you sure you are okay with dinner at Leia’s? I can go over by myself if you prefer?" he questioned.

As much as she may have wanted deep down to take Luke up on his offer and bail out of dinner, Mara knew she wouldn’t. They were now a couple and as a result would face everything together. "Sorry, Skywalker," she replied. "You’re not getting rid of me that easily. I need to make sure you present the information accurately and don’t commit us to anything I disapprove of."

"Don’t worry, Mara," Luke said lightly. "I will get permission before I do anything. Are you still comfortable with our keeping the information about Nirauan to ourselves for the time being? I would like to think about it some more before deciding what to do," he added pensively.

"I think that would be best," Mara agreed. "How do you plan on explaining our unique transportation?"

"With as little information as possible," Luke replied. "Leia trusts me enough that she will accept our decision to keep the information to ourselves for now. The New Republic government is another matter. We will have to deal with that situation when it arises," he said calmly.

"Maybe the uproar with the Caamas issue will be enough to keep everyone from being too inquisitive," Mara said hopefully.

"It would probably take another death star to subdue the inquiring nature of that crowd," Luke half-joked. Before he could say anything else, Artoo beeped that they would be coming out of hyperspace in one minute.

"Well, it won’t be much longer now," Mara said as she brought her hand to the hyperspace lever. She watched as the counter scrolled down. Luke began counting out loud from five and at his verbal zero Mara pulled back on the lever, causing the swirls to recompose into actual stars.

Coruscant loomed in the viewscreen before them and Luke switched on the communications console. "Coruscant control, this is Luke Skywalker," he said in an authoritative tone, "requesting landing clearance."

"Master Skywalker," a male voice said through the speaker. "You have been cleared to land in bay 45. Councilor Organa-Solo has also arranged for an air shuttle to be at your disposal when you land. Is there anything else that you require?" the voice asked.

Luke pondered for a moment before speaking. "Could you put me through to General Antilles, please?" Almost as an afterthought, the need for additional security occurred to him. Not one to ignore his intuitions, he knew Wedge would do whatever he asked without any explanations. He could see Mara looking at him questioningly but silenced her questions with a nod.

"One moment, sir," the voice replied. Within seconds, the static of the connection was replaced by a familiar voice.

"Antilles here," Wedge said.

"Hello Wedge, it’s Luke," he said. "I am getting ready to land in bay 45. Could you arrange for a security detail to be assigned so that no one enters the bay after we leave?"

"Sure Luke, whatever you need," Wedge replied. "But who is we and why the need for a security detail?" he questioned.

"The we is Mara and I," Luke responded. "The why is a long story that I can’t explain right now."

"I’ll take care of it," Wedge committed without question. "Get back to me when you can." With everything that had happened recently, he knew that if Luke was asking him to do this it had to be extremely important.

"Thanks Wedge," Luke said sincerely. "I’ll talk to you soon." He turned his attention back to Mara as he severed the connection. "Just a little added precaution. Call it Jedi intuition," he chuckled.

"I know from experience never to question your Jedi intuition, Master," Mara said. "Let’s get this ship on the ground."

As the hangar Leia had arranged was not one that either of them normally used, Luke input the coordinates that the controller had sent them into the computer. Following the directional display, Mara quickly orientated the ship towards the hangar and guided it in. Switching to repulsor lifts, she set the ship down smoothly on the deck.

Within moments, they had shut down the ship’s systems and were releasing their seat restraints. Luke took Mara’s hand as they rose and pulled her into his arms. Kissing her gently, he asked. "Are you ready?"

She smiled warmly as she replied confidently, "ready. Come on Artoo, let’s go," she called as they started walking towards the open ramp.

Exiting the ship, they looked quickly around the hangar. It was small and totally secure, with only one entrance/exit now that the bay door had closed behind them. "This will work just fine," Luke said as they approached the door. Walking through it, they came face to face with two New Republic security personnel. Wedge had come through for him again, even though he had only had a matter of minutes to do it.

"Good evening, Master Skywalker," one of the guards said politely. "General Antilles assigned us to guard the hangar for you."

"Do not allow anyone other than myself or Mara Jade to enter," Luke said with military crispness. "Understood?"

"Understood," the guard replied.

Mara and Luke walked through the corridor to the door leading to one of the city’s elevated walkways. Moving through the doorway, they were quickly greeted by the air shuttle driver. "Master Skywalker?" the uniformed woman said politely but with a hint of question in her voice.

"Yes, I am Luke Skywalker," he replied softly. "And you are?"

"My name is Arianna and I have been instructed by Councilor Organa-Solo to provide transportation for you and your companion to her residence," she responded.

"Well Arianna," Luke replied warmly. "Let’s not keep the Councilor waiting." He stepped back to allow Mara and the driver to enter the shuttle before him as Artoo rolled slightly behind. They were quickly seated and the driver proceeded along the route to the Solo residence. Artoo warbled a question and he replied, "yes, I am sure Threepio is at Leia’s." He took Mara’s hand in his as he could feel her nervousness increasing. "Don’t worry," he said reassuringly, "they aren’t going to have a problem with our news." Artoo beeped in agreement.

Mara began to laugh softly. "If Artoo agrees than I guess everything will be fine. How do want to go about telling them? Do you think it would be better if you talked to Leia alone first?" she asked intuitively.

Luke looked at her intently before he replied. "That would probably be the best way. If she has any concerns it will be easier if it is just her and I."

"I can take care of downloading the Caamas document to Ghent when we get there and that will give you a chance to speak to her alone," Mara said.

They felt the shuttle slowing down and looked up to see they were arriving at Orowood Towers. Luke took Mara’s hand as he stood up. "Sound like a solid Jade plan to me," he laughed. "That is once we get past the onslaught of the children."

Luke turned to the driver as they disembarked from the shuttle. "Thank you, Arianna. Have a nice evening."

"Would you like me to wait, Master Skywalker?" Arianna asked politely.

"That won’t be necessary," Luke replied. "We will arrange transportation when we are ready to leave. We don’t know how long we will be."

She called back to them as they walked toward the house. "Have a nice evening, too." As she walked back to the shuttle, she still couldn’t believe it. She had actually transported Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, one of the most prominent people in the New Republic. Wait until she told her family and friends. And that beautiful redheaded woman that was with him. She had only heard a few words of their conversation but he had called her Jade. She would definitely have to find out who this woman was. Luke Skywalker was one of the most eligible bachelors on Coruscant. She wondered if there was something between the two of them.

They entered the building and rode the lift to the Solos’ apartment, with Artoo following closely behind them. As they approached the door, Luke smiled at Mara reassuringly. Before he could say anything to her, the door flew open and the three rambunctious Solo children poured into the hallway. "Uncle Luke," they all cried in unison as they raced to see who would get to him first. Anakin was the quickest and jumped into Luke’s waiting arms. Mara could see the love he had for the child as he spoke to him. "How’s my little Jedi?" he asked as he ruffled his hair.

"Great, Uncle Luke," Anakin replied, "especially now that you’re here. Hi, Mara," he added looking over to her. Luke put him down to greet Jaina and Jason and he walked over to Mara. "I am glad that you are okay." He looked at her intently as if he was peering into her soul before he spoke again. "You love Uncle Luke, don’t you?"

Mara was overwhelmed by the child’s intuition but as she looked at him she realized she should not have been. Looking into that face that was so much like Luke’s, she knew that he was also like him in many other ways. She squatted down so that she was at eye level with him and composed her thoughts. "Yes, Anakin. I love your Uncle very much but for now can we keep this our secret?" she whispered so that the other two wouldn’t hear.

His face expanded into an impish grin. "Sure, Mara," Anakin whispered in return. "I’m real good at keeping secrets." He took her hand and began leading her to the door.

Luke looked over at them as he and Artoo followed with Jaina and Jacen. He would have to speak to Leia right away. They had to be broadcasting their feelings very strongly through the Force for Anakin to have seen it. But Mara had handled the situation expertly. She interacted with the children wonderfully. He thought back to her insecurities about having children. Maybe spending some time with these three would help her to resolve it more quickly. He would have to see about arranging it.

By the time they entered the apartment, Leia had come up to greet them with Han following closely behind. Leia moved through her children and pulled her brother into her embrace. "I am so glad you are home safely, Luke," she said as she looked up at him. She felt the same strange echoes through his emotions that she had felt when he contacted her from Altrann. "What is it Luke?" she asked gently. As his gaze shifted towards her, Leia realized that she had not even greeted Mara. "Hello Mara," she said. "We’re glad to see you back safely."

"I second that statement," Han added as he walked over to them. "Good to see you, Mara." Putting his hand on Luke’s shoulder, he added. "How are you doing, Kid?" He watched, puzzled, as Luke looked intently at Mara and she nodded her head slightly.

"I’m fine, now that I am home, Han," Luke replied. "Would you show Mara to your communications console in the study so that she can download the copy of the Caamas document to Ghent. I would like to have him decrypt and authenticate it before we share it with anyone on the Inner Council."

"Sure Luke," Han answered still somewhat puzzled. "Aren’t you coming with us?"

"No, I need to talk to Leia for a few minutes," Luke replied. "We will join you shortly."

Before Han could say anything else, Mara called to the children. "Why don’t you guys get Artoo and come with your dad and me. You can help us with the download," she added looking back at Luke intently.

Glancing over to see the children looking at them curiously, Luke said. "I need to talk to your mom. We will just be a few minutes." He breathed a sigh of relief as they turned back and moved to join Han and Mara. As he turned back to Leia, he heard a whiny voice call out his name.

"Master Luke, it is so wonderful to see you, safe and sound, "Threepio squeaked as he trundled into the room. "Mistress Mara, you are here safely as well."

Before Luke could answer, Han grabbed Threepio’s arm. "Come on, Goldenrod. You can talk to Luke later." He winked at Luke as the group walked away towards the study.

Luke heard Threepio talking to Artoo as they walked away. He took Leia’s hand and led her to the sofa. He sat down and motioned for her to join him. He saw that she was studying him intently as she sat down. Before he could begin, she spoke.

"Luke, what is it?" Leia asked with concern. "I have been feeling strange sensations coming from you through the Force. Has something happened?"

Luke to a deep breath to compose himself and looked intently at his sister as he began. "When Mara and I were on Nirauan, we were working together to find a way to escape. During the midst of the fight, something amazing happened to us. We bonded somehow through the Force and could feel each others thoughts and see each others movements in our minds." He stopped for a second as could feel her beginning to ask a question. "Please, Leia," he asked emotionally, "let me explain everything before you ask me any questions." She nodded at him and he continued. "It was as if we were two halves of a single being. Instantly, I knew everything there was to know about Mara and she knew the same about me." He stopped again as if looking for exactly the right word. "At that moment I realized that I loved Mara, that I had always loved Mara and that we belonged together. I asked her to marry me and she accepted," he added with his intense blue eyes locked with Leia’s brown ones. "I would like us to get married as soon as we can arrange it."

Leia could feel how desperately Luke wanted her approval but she needed to clarify the situation in her mind before she could even consider doing that. Mara had proven herself time and again and had always seemed to be there when Luke and the rest of them needed her. But, she had been the Emperor’s Hand and had vowed for many years that her main goal in life was to kill Luke. She needed more information. "Luke, this is happening very quickly, how can you be so sure?" she questioned. "Maybe you should both take some time to be sure this is what you want."

Luke took a calming breath before he responded to her question. "I am sure this is the right path for us. It is as if we were always destined to be together but we were just too stubborn to see it." He paused and took her hand in his. "I have always trusted her completely and known that she would be there for me, even when she was holding her blaster to my head on Myrkr."

All she had ever wanted for Luke was for him to be happy, for him to have someone to share his life with, to have children with. Was Mara the person that could give him all that? Leia knew he was an adult and had a right to make his own decisions. But he was also her brother and had suffered more pain and disappointment in his lifetime than any one person should have to endure. She had to know for sure. "Does she make you happy, Luke?" she asked softly.

Luke knew that Leia meant well and was only doing this because she cared so much about him, but he was getting frustrated. He had to make her understand that they belonged together. Suddenly it dawned on him. He would just have to show her. Constructing a barrier to conceal the intimate details of their relationship, he opened his mind to Leia. "Join your mind with mine," he said softly, "and I will show you how much we love each other." He could sense her thinking about refusing so he prodded her. "I need to know that you accept Mara into my life and into the family unconditionally. It’s very important to me, Leia."

Leia stretched out her mind toward Luke’s and felt his force sense leading her into his mind. She was almost overwhelmed by the intensity of his feelings of love for Mara. In addition she could feel respect and friendship that were also there. But she could also feel something else. It was almost as if she could feel wisps of Mara’s presence in Luke’s mind. She felt Luke pull away from her for an instant and suddenly it was as if Mara had entered Luke’s mind as well. She could feel Mara’s emotions clearly; the deep love and respect that she felt for Luke and the gnawing concern that Leia wouldn’t accept her. Not wanting to intrude any further than she already had, she withdrew from Luke’s mind. As she looked at him, she could see that he remained connected to Mara for a few moments more.

Luke felt Leia withdraw from his mind and he hoped that he and Mara had been able to show her what they felt for each other. He remained wrapped in Mara’s mental caress for a few moments until she severed their connection so that he could finish talking to Leia. Turning to Leia, he looked at her intently. "Do you understand now, how I can be so sure that this is the right path for us?"

"Yes, Luke," Leia said sincerely. "Thank you both for sharing your feelings with me. I hope you know that I was only questioning because I love you so much myself and just want you to be happy," she added in a quivering voice as she moved to hug her brother tightly.

"I know that Leia," he said as he eagerly returned her hug. "My love for you is the reason is was so important for me to be sure you understood and approved. Now, let’s go join the others and fill them in," he added smiling brightly.

They walked into the study just as Mara was finishing the download. "Thanks for your help, Ghent," she said. "Contact us at the Solo’s as soon as you have the results."

"Okay, Mara," Ghent replied. "It should only take about an hour or so. Talk to you soon."

Han could see that something had drawn his children’s attention from their task and turned to see his wife and brother-in-law enter the room. The children were studying them intently, especially Anakin, so he decided to be pushy and find out what was going on. "So are you two ready to share the reason for your private chat?"

Luke looked from Leia to Mara then finally to Han and he started to laugh. "You had better sit down, old buddy. " He walked over to Mara and took her hand in his before he spoke again. "Mara and I have finally realized that we love each other and are planning to get married."

"Well its about time," Han quipped. "Congratulations Luke," he said as he pulled him into a bear hug. He turned to Mara and put out his arms to her. "Congratulations, Mara. Can your almost brother-in-law give you a hug?"

"Thanks Solo," Mara barbed as she allowed herself to be drawn into his embrace. "Just don’t get too comfortable doing this." She pulled out of Han’s embrace to find Anakin standing at her side tugging at her sleeve. Bending down, she said, "yes, Anakin."

"Do I still have to keep our secret?" Anakin asked.

"Not anymore," Mara replied, giving Anakin a small hug. "Thank for being such a good secret keeper." As she stood, she saw that Jaina and Jacen had now moved to join their brother.

"Congratulations," Jaina said echoing her father’s words. "Can we call you Aunt Mara now?" she asked longingly.

Mara laughed lightly. "Even though it won’t be official for a little while, I would love it if you would call me Aunt Mara." Luke was second only to their parents in these children’s hearts. They had accepted her upcoming marriage to him and her inclusion into the family without question. They were very special children and she could see that she was going to enjoy spending time with them.

Mara turned from the children to find herself face to face with Leia. "Congratulations Mara," Leia said sincerely "and welcome to the family. I hope you and Luke will be very happy," she added as she hugged her warmly. As she released Mara, she turned and asked. "Is anyone ready for dinner?"

"Definitely," Luke laughed. As the group made their way to the dining room, he realized that his family unit was incomplete. Turning to Han, he asked, "where is Chewie?"

"He should be back any time now," Han replied. "He went down to the Falcon to pick some papers that Leia needed." They had just reached the table, when they heard Chewie enter the apartment. "We’re in the dining room, Chewie," he called out. "Get in here so you can hear Luke’s news."

Chewie growled a reply as he entered the room and moved straight to Luke. Looking at him intently, he growled again when Luke did not start speaking quickly enough.

"Good to see you, Chewie," Luke said. "Mara and I have decided to get married." The roar that came from Chewbacca almost deafening. He picked Luke up as if he were a child and wrapped him in a bear hug. He told Luke how happy he was for both of them.

Walking to Mara, he wrapped her in a much gentler hug as he grunted and growled his congratulations. Although Mara could not speak much Wookie, Luke was sending the translation of Chewie’s message into her mind. "Thank you, Chewie," she said. "Joining this family will definitely be a continuous adventure."

Everyone laughed as they moved to take their seats and Luke chuckled to see that Mara had replaced him as the center of the children’s attention. They were arguing over who was going to sit next to her. Finally they came to an agreement with Anakin and Jaina sitting on either side of Mara and Jacen sitting across from her next to Luke.

As Leia began passing the serving dishes around, Luke addressed her. "All right, Leia, what is all this information you needed to tell us?"

"So much has happened while you have been gone," Leia said. "Thrawn returned, we fought in a major battle over Bothawui, found out Thrawn was an impostor, agreed to sign a peace treaty with the Empire…." She laughed as she continued, "but all that pales next to the news of you and Mara getting married." She and Han laughed harder as they saw the looks of disbelief spreading across both Luke and Mara’s faces.

"Don’t forget making Lando a General again," Han added.

Mara looked at Luke before beginning to laugh herself. "We are out of the picture for a little while and the world turns upside down. Next you’ll tell me they had snow on Tatooine." Winking at Luke she added, "maybe we should go away more often, Skywalker."

"I don’t know if I could survive the shock," Luke retorted. Turning to Leia, he said, "okay, take one situation at a time and fill us in."

So dinner began, with them eating and enjoying each other’s company as the information was relayed. Leia and Han took turns telling them about the riots on Bothawui, the clones on Parik Minor, Lando’s forced meeting with Thrawn, the trip to Bastion, Bel Iblis and his skirmish over the Ubiqtorate base, Karrde’s meeting with Pellaeon, and all the rest. They were through dinner and beginning dessert by the time they had been given just the basic overview of what had transpired.

Luke and Mara were amazed at how much had happened during the past few weeks. Some things did not surprise them that much. Luke had felt the presence of clones on the pirate base. The manipulation of the different cultures into acting on their old bigotry and hatred was not unexpected. The fact that an actor had impersonated Thrawn and caused it was almost unbelievable. But the most overwhelming thought was the idea of peace. Was it actually possible? From the day he had gone into the Dune Sea searching for Artoo until now, all Luke had know for his entire adult life was war. The intensity of the battles had fluctuated over the years but even as the Empire had waned, it had always loomed as a serious threat. Now that threat could be over. The sound of Han’s voice brought them out of their joint reverie.

"Now Kid, are you going to fill us in on where you and Mara have been and what happened?" Han asked.

Luke looked intently at Mara before he answered. "For now, I’ll give you the short version. I followed Mara’s path to the planet and found her. We moved into the alien fortress to check it out, found a copy of the Caamas document, stole one of their ships and came home."

"That seems like a very short version," Han pointed out. Looking at his brother-in-law, he sighed. "But this is the only version you’re going to share with us right now, isn’t it Luke?"

"For now," Luke replied. "But I promise that you will be one of the first people I give the details to when we are ready."

"I guess I will have to live with that," Han said. Suddenly a portion of his conversation with Karrde, from when he told them Luke had gone to rescue Mara, came into his mind. He turned to look at Mara as his face took on a more puzzled expression.

Feeling Han looking at her, Mara turned to meet his confused stare. "What is it?"

"When Karrde came to tell us Luke had gone after you, he said that he had given Luke the ‘Jade’s Fire’ for the trip," Han said. He hesitated, looking intently at Mara as if he was unsure if he should continue. That ship meant as much to her as the Falcon meant to him. "What happened to the ‘Fire’, Mara?"

The expression on her face relayed Mara’s pain so Luke decided he would spare her relaying the details. "In order for us to neutralize the threat of the fortress and escape, Mara sacrificed the ‘Fire’ by rigging it to crash into the fortress." Everyone was staring at her in disbelief as Luke’s words sunk in. He reached to grasp her hand across the table.

Han got up from his chair and moved to stand beside Mara’s. He knew that she had to be feeling an intense sense of loss just as he would have if he had lost the Falcon. Placing his hand on her shoulder reassuringly, he said sincerely, "I am so sorry that you had to make that choice, Mara. I know how important the ‘Fire’ was to you."

Mara took a deep breath to compose herself before she spoke. "It was our only option. I really appreciate your concern but I will be fine." Looking at the gloomy faces around the table, she decided she needed to say something to lighten the mood. "I’ll just have to have Luke buy me a new ship," she chuckled.

"No problem," Luke replied sensing what she was trying to do. "We all know how well Jedi Masters are paid these days."

Leia’s voice broke through the group’s light laughter. "Come on kids, it is way past your bedtime."

The children all moaned simultaneously and began begging their mother for a few more minutes. After repeatedly being denied, they changed tactics. Looking quickly at her brothers as if to secure their agreement, Jaina turned to Luke. "Can you and Aunt Mara come up and tell us a story once we are ready for bed?"

He felt Mara’s mental agreement and checked for Leia’s approval. His eyes took on an impish gleam as he answered. "Work together and send me a mental message when you are ready. If I hear you, we will come and tell you a story." Although the children were too young to begin structured training, Luke used every opportunity to challenge them to develop their force powers.

The children looked to each other for support before Jacen answered. "Okay, Uncle Luke. Just make sure you’re listening."

Luke smiled as he watched them walk to their room. Turning to Mara, he laughed. "You had better start thinking of a story to tell them, Jade. Those three have too much Solo in them to resist a challenge." Before she could say anything he added, "they have already heard all my stories."

Han started laughing with Luke. "Consider it practice for the future, Mara." He reached into the cabinet behind him and pulled out a bottle of Corellian whiskey and five glasses. "Can’t pass up an opportunity for a toast," he laughed as he handed a glass to each of them. Looking at Mara and Luke, he raised his glass. "May the future bring you only joy and peace and may your joint path be smooth," he said reciting the Corellian wedding toast. He clinked his glass first to Luke’s then to Mara’s and motioned to Leia and Chewie to do the same. They raised the glasses to their lips and emptied them of the deep amber liquid.

* Uncle Luke, Aunt Mara, we’re ready * they heard simultaneously in their minds. Luke began to laugh. "I told you they couldn’t resist a challenge. I am impressed that they were able to improvise and send the message to both of us," he added proudly. "Story time," he said to Han as he took Mara’s hand and headed down the hallway.

They entered the room to find the children sitting up in their beds. "So what kind of story would you guys like?" Mara said.

Jaina looked between her brothers before she spoke. "Would you tell us about the first time you and Uncle Luke met?"

Mara shot a quick glance at Luke, then smiled nervously as she sat down on Jaina’s bed. "Uncle Luke and I weren’t exactly friends when we first met, kids. Are you sure you want to hear this story?"

"Please, Aunt Mara," Anakin whined. "We really what to hear this story."

Luke looked at her sympathetically as he sat down on Anakin’s bed and plopped his younger nephew into his lap. *Try to edit out the death threats* he sent teasingly.

*That’s pretty much the whole story, Skywalker* Mara sent back. Jaina leaned against her and Jacen sat next to Luke on his brother’s bed as she began telling the story. "I was flying in the ‘Wild Karrde’ with Talon and other members of the crew when I sensed a mind reaching out through the Force." She told them of how she had led the ship to where Luke was stranded in his X-wing and the rest of the details on bringing him aboard, detaining him, and bringing him to Myrkr. She continued with his escape from the holding area, his flight into the forest, and her search for him. She gave them a rather broad overview of the actual events, not exactly lying but deleting many details. She did not mention her intense feelings of hatred, the constant threats she made, that they had locked him in a storage shed and much more.

Mara stopped speaking and looked at the faces of all three children. They were totally enraptured by her tale. The boys had snuggled closer to Luke as if trying to protect him. Jaina was looking intently at him even though her head was resting on Mara’s shoulder. Checking the chrono, she realized almost an hour had passed. "It’s getting really late," she said softly. "The rest of this story will have to wait for another time."

"Please, Aunt Mara," Jacen cried, "you have to finish the story."

Luke slid Anakin from his lap and placed him under his covers. He rose, took Jacen by the hand and led him to his own bed before he spoke. "That’s all for tonight. It’s way past your bedtime. We will come over later this week and Mara will finish the story." He tucked Jacen into his bed and kissed him on the forehead. Moving to Jaina’s and Anakin’s bedsides, he repeated the ritual. He watched as Mara copied his movements, moving from one child to another. Taking her hand, they walked to the door before turning back to look at the children again. "Pleasant dreams, my little Jedi, I love you," he whispered.

"Good night, Uncle Luke, we love you too," they called back in unison. "You too, Aunt Mara, thanks for the story."

"You’re welcome, kids, sweet dreams," Mara replied warmly. As they walked from the bedroom, she looked at Luke. "That was fun, they are really great kids."

Luke could sense the tremors in Mara’s emotions that her unexpected response to the children had caused. Trying to lighten the mood he teased, "they get all that Skywalker charm from their uncle."

"We are going to have to do something about that inflated ego of yours, Skywalker," Mara retorted as they rejoined the others in the living room.

"That was a long story, guys," Han said. "Did you tell them the entire history of the Rebellion?"

"They picked a more complicated topic than that," Luke chuckled. "They asked Mara to tell them about the first time we met."

"Now I wish I had joined you guys," Han said laughing heartily. "That story must have required some major editing as it was told."

"Mara did a very good job of skipping over the numerous death threats, etc," Luke replied. "Shows how much she has mellowed over the years."

The look Mara flashed between Luke and Han caused them to laugh harder. Slapping Luke on the back Han said, "if that look was any indication, she hasn’t mellowed as much as you think, Kid." Chewie’s bellowing laughter joined with theirs as he walked to stand beside them.

"If you boys are quite finished, I would like to know if Ghent got back to us," Mara bit out sarcastically.

Rolling her eyes in disgust at her husband and brother, Leia answered Mara. "Ghent said that the document is authentic and does give the names we were looking for. I have set up a meeting with the Inner Council for 0900. Is that time okay with you?"

"A little early, but I guess it’s okay," Mara replied. Turning to Luke, she added, "Are you ready to call it a night? I am looking forward to sleeping in a comfortable bed."

*Whose bed? You plan on sleeping?* Luke sent. "I’m ready, we will see you in the morning," Luke said. "Okay if Artoo stays here for tonight?" He walked over and hugged his sister before they headed to the door.

"That’s fine. Goodnight, you two," Leia and Han said almost simultaneously. Chewie added his goodnight as Luke and Mara closed the door behind them.

Chewie grunted a goodnight to Han and Leia and headed off to his room. Taking his wife’s hand, Han led her towards their bedroom. "Calling it a night sounds like a good idea," he said huskily. "This has been a very interesting evening. Though I imagine life is going to get much more interesting for your brother as time goes on."

"Luke’s life will become very interesting indeed," Leia laughed. "Though it seems like you have some interesting plans of your own, Captain."

"Yes I do, Mrs. Solo," Han said as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. "Yes I do."

Luke and Mara walked down the hallway, hand in hand. "So where do you want to go now, Mara?" Luke asked.

"Well, I could just go back to my apartment and get some sleep," Mara teased. "Then I can meet you in the morning." The look on his face was priceless. "Don’t worry, Farmboy, I don’t plan on letting you out of my sight. Let’s stop at my place so I can get some clothes for tomorrow," she said smiling. "I think it would be best if we slept at your apartment just in case someone tries to reach you."

"You’re probably right," Luke said. "Do you want to find an air shuttle or just walk?" They reached the door and exited the building onto the elevated walkway.

Before Mara could answer, an air shuttle pulled beside them and they heard a voice call out. "Master Skywalker, do you need transportation?" She turned to see Arianna gesturing towards them. Well, they might as well have her take them at least as far as her building. "Could you take us to the Aranti building?" Mara asked.

"It would be my pleasure," Arianna replied. Luke and Mara entered the air shuttle and were quickly transported to her building. They thanked Arianna, exited the shuttle and entered the building. They rode the lift to her floor and entered her apartment.

Luke stopped just inside the door and looked around the room. Although Mara had been in his apartment a few times, he had never been in hers. The living room radiated her personality - functional yet classic and beautiful. He followed her into her bedroom and found the décor to be much of the same. Looking at her furnishings, he wondered how her colorful, classic items would meld in with the more austere furnishings in his apartment. His apartment could definitely use some of her touches. Suddenly he felt Mara staring at him.

"What are you looking at so intently, Skywalker? she asked. She continued putting clothes and toiletries into a bag as she waited for his answer.

"Just admiring the décor," Luke replied. "Maybe we should reconsider and keep this apartment."

Zipping her bag, Mara flung it over her shoulder and walked over to Luke. "Don’t worry," she said. "Once I get through with your place, you will hardly recognize it."

"That’s what I am afraid of," Luke teased as they left the apartment. They walked the two blocks to his building and within minutes they were entering his apartment. He began to laugh as they walked in. "This is much more austere than you are accustomed to, Mara. Hopefully you will be able to adjust."

Grabbing his hand and leading him to the bedroom, Mara chuckled. "As long as you are part of the décor, I won’t have any problems." She dropped her bag on the bed, pulled him into her embrace and kissed him passionately. "Let’s get ready for bed, Farmboy."

"As you wish, my love," Luke said. He walked to his dresser and rearranged some items to clear two drawers. "You can put your things in here." He walked to the refresher, leaving her to put away her things.

As she placed the items from her bag into the dresser, a feeling of disbelief again enveloped Mara. Although she was certain this was the right choice for them, the speed with which it had happened was somewhat frightening. Keeping out a sleeping shift, she sat on the edge of the bed and removed her boots. She had undressed and was pulling the shift over her head as Luke came back into the room. She kissed him as she walked past him on her way to the refresher.

Luke watched as the door closed behind her. Just seeing her changing, was causing him to become aroused. ‘Living with Mara is going to require me to work on my level of control,’ he thought. He changed into sleeping pants and had flopped down on the bed by the time she came out.

Mara looked at Luke lovingly as she reentered the bedroom. Lying back on the bed, he looked so innocent and relaxed. It was as if the years of struggle and pain he had gone through had been erased from his face. She turned off the light and walked over to the bed. "Do you have room in there for me?" she whispered.

Luke got up, flipped the covers back and lay back down. Patting the space next to him, he said softly. "There is always room for you, wherever I am." He rolled onto his side and pulled her against him as she got into the bed. Wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, he nuzzled his face into her hair. "This is so nice," he whispered. It felt so good just to lay there with her in his arms. He moved one hand from her waist and began softly caressing her face. Mara reached back and placed her hand on his hip, stroking it with feather-light touches. She could feel his heartbeat against her back and his slow, deep breathing. She felt so safe and secure snuggled in his embrace that she wished she could remain there forever. *I agree,* Luke sent. Feeling her breathing slow, he knew she was almost asleep. *Goodnight, my love* he sent. That was his last conscious thought before he drifted off to sleep as well.

Luke woke, surprised to find the sun streaming across his face. He was usually up way before the sun would reach his bed. Looking at the chrono he saw that it was 0800. Touching Mara’s face to gently wake her, Luke said softly. "Wake up, sleepyhead. We need to get moving if we are going to get to that Inner Council meeting on time."

Mara turned toward him, rubbing her eyes. "Normal people don’t get up with the sun like you do, Farmboy. What time is it anyway?" she asked.

"You must be a bad influence on me," Luke said, "it’s 0800. That only gives us an hour to get to the meeting."

With a hint of regret passing over her face, she kissed him lightly and pulled out of his embrace. She would have liked a more leisurely start to the morning, one that included them making love, but it was not to be. "Seeing we can’t just not show up, we had better get moving. Let’s go shower," she said as she got out of bed.

"A real shower will be nice," Luke said. They had not taken a real shower since the left Altrann. "We will just have to make sure we don’t get distracted," he teased.

"Unfortunately, we can’t afford to become distracted," Mara replied. "Dealing with these bureaucrats will take all of our skills, Master." She pulled her sleeping shift over her head and threw it on the dresser. She turned back to see him looking at her intently.

"Having you standing naked before me is not helping me to keep my focus, Jade," Luke said in frustration.

"Yoda kept telling you that you needed to work on your control," Mara teased. "Consider it a training exercise." She walked to the refresher and waved at him to join her.

With a long sigh, Luke tossed aside his sleeping pants and followed her to the shower. ‘I don’t think this is the type of control Yoda had in mind,’ he thought. They showered quickly, both fighting the urge to give in to the wants of their bodies. They returned to the bedroom, toweled off and got dressed. Mara selected a dark green jumpsuit and Luke opted for his normal black Jedi Master regalia hoping conservative dress would help keep the focus off of them. There would be ample concern over the information they were bringing to the council.

Once they were dressed, Luke looked over at the chrono. It was only 0830. "Since I have been gone for weeks, there is nothing here for breakfast. If we leave now, we can stopped and get some," he said.

"That is probably a good idea," Mara said. "With this group of bureaucrats, we could be in this meeting for a long time."

They left the apartment, stopped at a small cafe for caf, pastries and fruit and walked to the meeting chamber. Leia and Han were waiting for them in the hallway when they arrived. "Good morning, you two," Leia said. "Are you ready for this meeting?"

"As ready as we can be," Mara replied. "Why don’t we just give you the information and we can be on our way," she teased.

"No way, Jade," Han retorted. "If I have to sit through this torture, so do you."

Leia turned to Mara as they walked to the door. "Karrde called this morning. I let him know that you and Luke had arrived back safely. He arrived back on Coruscant about an hour ago."

Mara turned to look at Luke and nodded. "Thanks, Leia. I will get together with him once we are out of this meeting."

"Let’s go then," Leia said. "Everyone else is already inside."

The four of them entered the room to find the rest of the council already seated. It consisted of New Republic President Gavrisom, General Bel Iblis, Councilor Fey’lya, Admiral Ackbar, Admiral Drayson and two other people that Luke had seen before but whose names he did not know, plus Leia. "Good morning," he said.

Most of the group returned his good morning but he found Borsk Fey’lya staring intently over his shoulder with rage apparent on his face. "What is she doing here?" he bellowed, pointing at Mara.

"Mara was instrumental in helping me to recover the Caamas document," Luke said seriously.

Before he could say anything else, Admiral Ackbar addressed him. "Maybe it would be best if Ms. Jade waited for you outside, Luke."

Taking Mara’s hand and pulling her forward to stand beside him, Luke took some calming breaths before he spoke again. "No, she will not wait for me outside. Mara has completed her training and is now a Jedi Knight." He looked over at Mara before he continued. "She has also agreed to be my wife and we will be married within a few weeks. Everything that I am involved in, will include Mara." He looked around the table and met the gaze of each person with an expression that belayed discussion.

Only Borsk Fey’lya was foolish enough to challenge the Jedi Master. "There is no way I will allow that Imperial harlot to be involved with any New Republic operations."

Leia could feel the anger swirling through Luke and stepped forward. "Mara has been there for my family and the entire New Republic for many years. How dare you speak about her in such a disrespectful manner." Han moved to stand beside his wife and they both looked intently at Fey’lya.

President Gavrisom stood up and looked at Luke and Mara. "Let’s move on to discuss the Caamas document and how you came upon it."

"Not until we resolve this issue," Luke said, with barely contained anger. Looking intently at Fey’lya, he added. "You will apologize to Mara for your lapse in judgment, Councilor." His blue eyes bore into those of Borsk Fey’lya as he waited for his response.

Fey’lya shivered as Luke stared at him. Maybe this was not the right time to pursue this. "I apologize for my discourtesy, Ms, Jade," he said in a voice that lacked all sincerity.

Luke took a step forward before he felt Mara’s hand on his arm. *Let it go, Skywalker. It is not worth getting into it with that twit,* she sent. "I accept your apology, Councilor Fey’lya," she said coldly. She took Luke’s hand and moved them to sit in the seats directly across from Fey’lya. She may have acquiesced verbally but she every intention of making him as uncomfortable as possible.

As Han and Leia took their seats, Luke began to speak. "Last night, we had Ghent authenticate the copy of the Caamas document that we obtained. It does provide us with the names of the Bothans involved. At this time, I do not wish to divulge the source of the document." Luke stopped for a moment to see if anyone else would speak. When they did not, he continued. "We came back in a ship from the planet. The technology of the ship is unlike anything I have ever seen before. Admiral Drayson, once we remove our belongings from the ship, you are free to inspect and study it."

"Where is the ship located, Luke?" Admiral Drayson asked.

"It is secured in bay 45," Luke replied. "General Antilles has assigned a guard to the bay. They have been instructed not to let anyone but Mara or myself into the bay. That order can only be countermanded by Wedge or myself." Looking intently at Drayson, he added. "I would suggest that you keep it under wraps for the time being."

Shifting his gaze around the table, Luke was amused to see Fey’lya shifting uncomfortably in his seat. He found Mara was looking at Fey’lya intently. He joined with Mara and stared at Fey’lya. After a few moments, Fey’lya diverted their gaze and began studying the document before him. Luke laughed silently and felt Mara do the same. *Hopefully he has learned not to mess with us, Skywalker,* she sent. *I don’t think he is that smart,* Luke sent back.

Luke turned to Admiral Ackbar and spoke again. "I had to abandon my X-wing on Nirauan so I will need you to secure a replacement for me."

"I will arrange it, Luke," Ackbar said.

"If no one has any other questions, I have a couple more things I would like to discuss," Luke said. When no one spoke he continued. "I would ask that you keep the information about our wedding confidential, for the time being. We will be making an official announcement shortly." He looked over at Mara and smiled. "I also am planning on making some changes to the structure of the Jedi academy. I would like to have the more advanced students, working one on one, traveling with the Knights as they did in the Old Republic. These changes will be implemented over the next few months. Once we are ready to start, we will need a couple of small shuttles assigned to the Academy."

Borsk Fey’lya started to speak but thought better of it as Mara intensified her stare. Deciding to make him sweat even more, she said. "Did you have a question, Councilor?"

"Not at the moment," Fey’lya said. The small tuft of fur standing up at the back of his neck betrayed his nervousness.

"I will look into obtaining the ships for the Academy," Ackbar said.

Looking directly at President Gavrisom, Luke said. "If you don’t have any other questions, we will take our leave."

Gavrisom looked around at the others seated at the table. When no one voiced a question, he rose and extended his hand to Luke. "Thank you once again for your valuable service to the New Republic, Master Skywalker. Thank you also, Ms. Jade."

As they moved away from the table, Luke heard Admiral Ackbar’s voice. "Could I speak to you for a moment, Luke?"

Luke looked to Mara and moved towards Ackbar at her nod. "Yes Admiral," he said, respectfully.

"Luke, I have known you for almost twenty years," Ackbar began quietly. "I know we are not as close as we once were, but I am concerned about you. This relationship seems to have developed rather suddenly." He looked intently at Luke with emotion evident in his bulbous Calamarian eyes. "Are you sure this is the right choice for both of you?"

"I appreciate your concern Admiral, but this relationship has been developing for years," Luke said. "I am sure that this is the right path for us. We love each other and the Force has shown me that we definitely belong together."

"Then I hope you will be happy, Luke," Ackbar said sincerely. "You have suffered more than your share of pain and sorrow."

"Thank you, Admiral," Luke said. "I am sure we will be."

Luke moved back to where Mara was standing with Han. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, I am ready," Mara replied. As they walked to the door, they heard Han call to them.

"Wait up, you guys," Han said. "Leia needs to stay for a while longer. Are you planning on heading back to your secret ship?"

Looking at Mara, Luke asked. "Do you want to do that now?" She nodded her agreement and Luke turned to Han. "Okay buddy, come with us and I will show you the ship. Then we can turn it over to Drayson." As they walked down the hallway, Luke remembered that Wedge’s office was in this building. "Why don’t we see if Wedge is in and can join us?" Luke said.

They walked to Wedge’s office and were greeted by his aide. "Is the General in?" Luke asked.

"Yes he is, Master Skywalker," the aide said. "One moment please." He pushed the intercom button on his desk and Wedge’s voice came over the speaker. "General, Master Skywalker and General Solo are here to see you." Send them in, Wedge’s voice replied. At his invitation, the group moved through the door.

"Hi Luke, Solo, Mara " Wedge said. "What brings you here?"

"We just got out of a meeting with the Inner Council," Luke replied.

"You have my sympathies," Wedge chuckled. "What did you do to deserve that type of torture?"

"Mara and I found a copy of the Caamas Document and turned it over to the council," Luke said. His face turned to a grin as he added, "Would you like to see what I asked you to guard for me?"

"That should help the situation in the New Republic immensely," Wedge said. "I would love to see the ship my people are guarding."

Han looked intently from Mara to Luke. "Aren’t you going to tell Wedge your other news?"

Luke started to laugh. So much had gone on this morning that he had forgotten that they hadn’t told any of their friends. "Mara and I are getting married."

Wedge looked at Luke in disbelief for a moment before his news sunk in. "Congratulations," he said sincerely. "This is great news. I am really happy for you both. Though I have seen this coming for a while, so how come it took you so long?" Wedge wrapped Luke in a bear hug. He turned to Mara and hugged her too. "Iella is going to be so excited."

Mara turned to Wedge. "Could you please not say anything to her yet? I would like to tell her myself."

"No problem, Mara," Wedge replied. "Please just tell her before I go home tonight, okay. She gets upset when I keep things from her," he teased. "Come on, I will get us a transport to go to bay 45."

Wedge secured a transport and within minutes the group had arrived at bay 45. Greeting the guards that stood there, they entered. Luke could see both Wedge and Han intently studying the ship. "Let’s go inside," he said. He led them inside and showed them around the small ship.

Looking at the controls, Wedge said. "I have never seen a ship with this type of technology. Am I right to assume that for now the tour is all we get?"

"For now," Luke replied. "I promise to fill you in on the rest of the story at some point."

Wedge turned to face Luke. "So what do you want to do with the ship now?"

"I told Admiral Drayson that we would turn the ship over to him once we got our things," Luke said. "I suggested he keep it under wraps for now. Hopefully, he will take my advice."

"I am sure he will see things your way, Luke," Wedge replied. "So have you shared your other news with anyone else?"

"Only you and the family so far," Luke said. He turned to look at Mara and smiled. "Though I think that is going to change shortly."

"Han, did Leia say if Karrde was staying at the Coruscant Towers?" Mara asked.

"Yes, he and Shada are staying at the Towers," Han said.

"Who is Shada?" Mara asked, somewhat confused. They did not have anyone in their organization by that name.

"Karrde’s newest recruit," Han answered. "We must have forgotten about her when we filled you in last night."

They gathered up their personal belongings into the bag they had gotten on Altrann. Luke slung it over his shoulder and they walked out of the sleeping berth. "Well we had better be off," Luke said. He turned to Wedge and added, "could you keep the news of the wedding to only our group of friends for now? We won’t be making the official announcement until after the treaty is signed."

"No problem, " Wedge replied. "Would you like me to drop the bag off at your building?" he asked as Luke and Mara started walking out of the hangar.

"That would be great," he replied. As Luke got to the door, he spoke to the guards who had been assigned there. The rest of the group followed close behind.

"You can add General Antilles and Admiral Drayson to the list of people who can access the bay," Luke said. "Admiral Drayson will be taking over responsibility for the ship at some point later today or tomorrow. If you have any concerns, contact General Antilles and he will be able to reach me."

"The ship will remain secure, Master Skywalker," the guard answered.

Luke and Mara said goodbye to their friends and walked out the door onto the elevated walkway. They realized that the Cosruscant Towers was only two blocks away but was one level down. Luke looked at her and smiled as he vaulted the railing and jumped to the walkway below. Before he could look back up, he heard Mara land softly behind him. "That was fun," Mara chuckled, " but not a good move if we are trying not to attract attention." She swung her arm to show Luke the group of people who had stopped on the walkway behind and in front of them.

"Even the Master needs to play once in a while," Luke teased. *You have been playing quite a bit in the past few days, Master, * Mara sent. *This should give the holovid gossipmongers something to print. Hopefully no one had a camera. *

Luke took her hand and they began walking to the Towers. Hearing the whispers of the people around them, he knew that he had been recognized instantly but most of those watching were wondering who his companion was. * We knew we would eventually end up in the spotlight, but I am sorry my impulsiveness made it sooner than necessary, * Luke sent back.

Turning his face to hers, she kissed him gently. "I think I like this new impulsive side of you, Farmboy," Mara said. "Just make sure you keep it in check while we are talking to Karrde." They entered the hotel and approached the front desk. "Is Karrde in his regular suite?" Mara asked the young man at the counter. Any time Karrde was on Coruscant, he usually stayed in this hotel.

"Yes, he is, Ms. Jade," the clerk answered, recognizing her from previous visits. "Would you like me to call up and let him know you are coming?"

"No, thank you," Mara replied. "I would like to surprise him."

As they walked to the lift, they could hear the whispers behind them. Is that Jedi Master Skywalker with Ms. Jade? Have you ever seen him with her before? Wonder why he is here…… Luke and Mara chuckled as they entered the lift. "So much for keeping our relationship a secret," she said.

"Oh well," Luke replied. "Would you like to talk to Karrde alone? I can wait out here," he added as they entered the hallway.

"Why don’t we both go in and greet him," Mara said. "You can take a walk onto the balcony when I am ready to talk to him." She walked to the door of the suite and knocked softly. Within a moment, she saw the door opening before them.

Karrde’s expression instantly changed from one of annoyance to one of pure joy as he realized the identity of his visitors. He pulled Mara into his embrace and hugged her tightly. "I am so relieved that you are back safely." Releasing her, he turned to Luke and grasped his hand firmly. "I am in your debt, Skywalker. Thank you for finding her and bringing her back."

Luke smiled warmly at him before he spoke. "No thanks are necessary, Karrde. It was our destiny." He could see Karrde looking at him rather puzzled. He shifted his gaze to Mara and saw her nod slightly. "I will leave you two to talk." He caressed her face with the back of his hand before walking out on the balcony.

Karrde watched Luke walk out of the room before turning back to look at Mara. "Looks like we have quite a bit to talk about, my dear."

Moving to sit on the small sofa, Mara motioned for Karrde to join her. He sat in a chair directly across from her and looked at her intently. "A lot has happened in the past few weeks, Talon. Many of these things will have a directly impact on you and the organization," she said softly.

"Are you going to keep me in suspense?" Karrde asked.

Mara took a deep breath before beginning to speak again. "I was surprised when Luke showed up on Nirauan and more so when he said that you had arranged it. At first things were as always, working together well but annoying each other at every turn. Then things started to change. I saw another side of Luke and found that he had grown, learned from his mistakes as it were." She stopped for a moment to organize her thoughts. "When we were fighting to escape, we bonded somehow within the Force. As a result, I know everything about Luke and he knows everything about me. We also realized that we love each other." She looked intently at Karrde and said, "Luke asked me to marry him and I accepted."

Mara could see the conflicting emotions playing upon his face as Karrde pondered her words. He rose from his chair and came to sit beside her. "I think you and Luke have loved each other for a long, long time. I just think you were both too stubborn to allow yourselves to see it." He stopped speaking when he heard Mara laugh lightly. "What’s so funny?"

"When Luke and I were on our way back, we talked about how the people who are important to us would feel about the change in our relationship," Mara replied. "He was concerned about your reaction and I told him you would say that you knew we had feelings for each other all along."

"You know me pretty well," Karrde said. "I care about you Mara, first as a long time associate but more importantly as my friend. I see that one of those relationships is about to change drastically. Let me finish," he said as he could see her looking to interject. "The underlying sadness that has always shadowed your eyes has disappeared. If you are sure this is what will make you happy, you have my blessing." Karrde’s voice had become laced with emotion as he spoke those words. He again pulled her into his embrace and hugged her tightly.

"I did not know how much I was missing by cutting myself off from emotional attachments," Mara whispered. "When Luke and I connected, I realized that I wanted this. This is the right path for us, Talon. He completes me. I love him with every fiber of my being. " She smiled at him with an expression that betrayed all the emotions within her. Deciding that she had ignored his second question long enough, she continued. "Our business relationship will be coming to an end. I am a Jedi now and that is the path that I must follow, with Luke by my side of course." Her emerald eyes locked with his as she took his hand. "Our friendship is something that I treasure beyond words. I hope that it will continue for the rest of our lives."

"Our friendship will always endure, Mara," Karrde said softly. "Though it will take me time to accept my change in position as the most important man in your life," he teased.

Mara chuckled. "You’ll adjust. There is one more thing I would like to ask you. You are the closest thing to a real father that I have ever known. Would you honor me by walking me down the aisle on my wedding day?" she asked in an emotionally charged voice.

"The honor will be mine, Mara," Karrde answered in the same emotional tone. He rose from the sofa and began to laugh lightly. "And talking my responsibilities as father of the bride seriously, I need to speak to Skywalker."

"Be gentle with him, Karrde," Mara laughed in return. "You know how overbearing you can be sometimes."

"He is a Jedi Master, Mara," Karrde chuckled. "I am sure he can handle it." He smiled at her and walked to the balcony.

Luke had kept his senses extended to Mara throughout her conversation with Karrde. While he had not eavesdropped on their conversation, he had monitored her emotional shifts carefully. He knew they had finished talking and could feel Karrde approaching. He turned to face the man as he entered the balcony. "Karrde," he said seriously.

Skywalker," Karrde returned in an equal tone. "I think we need to talk."

"Yes, I thought that you would want to do that," Luke replied.

Karrde looked at Luke intently, his expression completely serious. "Mara is very important to me, Skywalker. She told me that she loves you and that you are planning to marry. I need to be sure that your feelings for her are as strong as her feelings for you."

Luke returned Karrde’s gaze with an equally probing one. "Our love has been growing for the past ten years. Even before we accepted it, we would have laid down our lives for each other. I will love, cherish and protect her, always." He took a deep breath and his lips began to turn into a slight smile. "You don’t have to worry Karrde, I would never do anything to hurt her."

"You had better make sure of that, Skywalker," Karrde retorted. "If you ever do hurt her, even your skills as a Jedi Master would not protect you from my wrath." His lips also formed into a wiry smile. "As long as you remember that, you and I will continue to get along just fine." He turned to extend his hand to Luke. Grasping it firmly, he said. "Congratulations, I hope you will both be very happy. You are a very lucky man."

"Thank you. I am the luckiest man in the republic," Luke said. "Let’s go in so that Mara can see that we have both survived," he chuckled.

Mara turned to them as they walked in from the balcony. "So father," she teased as she reached Karrde’s side, "are his intentions honorable?" She looked over at Luke and winked. Suddenly, the image of Luke nestled between her legs came into her mind. *I don’t think honorable properly describes my intentions towards you.* he sent. She struggled to suppress her laughter.

Karrde laughed heartily. "I think he fully understands the consequences of any misbehavior, Mara. Now tell me about what happened to you on Nirauan."

Mara filled him in on the events after she had lost consciousness in the cave. She omitted the information about the Chiss, Baron Fel and the Hand of Thrawn. After finishing her tale, she turned to Karrde." I hear you were pretty busy while I was away. Finding proof that Thrawn was really an elaborately coached actor. Convincing both the Imperials and the New Republic to back this joint intelligence venture. Maybe you should become a diplomat or maybe even a politician, "Mara said, laughing lightly.

"Mara," Karrde said in an exasperated tone. "I can’t believe you would insult me like that. I thought you were my friend." His face took on a sulky expression.

"Stop pouting and tell me the story," Mara said.

They sat down comfortably in the sitting room and Karrde proceeded to tell her about the things that had occurred while she was gone. He told her of his meeting with Luke on Cejansij, his meeting with Leia, Shada’s unexpected visit, his trip to see Jorj Car’das, joining Bel Iblis at the Ubiqtorate base, his meeting with Pellaeon and the rest.

As he finished, Luke was the first one to speak. "Sound like life has been eventful for all involved during the past few weeks." Noticing the chrono, he turned to Mara. "Although this has been a pleasant afternoon, we had better get going if you wish to speak to Iella before Wedge gets home."

At Luke’s comment, Mara glanced at the chrono and was surprised to find they had been there over two hours. "Yes, we should. Karrde, I will see you again soon," she said as she hugged him.

Karrde returned her hug and began to speak as she pulled away. "Do you have any plans for the evening?"

Mara looked at Luke. Although they had not said anything, she knew that they would both like a leisurely evening to replace what they had missed out on this morning. "Not really," she said. "Why?"

"How about a little get together to celebrate your news?" Karrde asked. "We can get everyone together in one place and you can share with the ones that you haven’t seen yet." Smiling warmly at Mara, he added. "Come on, it will be fun and it will give you the opportunity to meet Shada."

She looked at Luke and saw a momentary flicker of regret flash in his eyes before he nodded. "Sure, we would love to," Mara replied, feeling her own twinge of regret. She wanted to share their news with all their friends but also wanted time alone with Luke. They had barely been back for a day and she already missed the time alone they had during the trip.

"I will arrange everything," Karrde said. "Just let me know who you want me to invite." They took a moment to assemble the list then walked to the door. "I will arrange a private dining area in the hotel. I will see you both around 1930."

"Thanks, we will see you then," Mara replied as she and Luke walked out the door. She took his hand as they walked to the lift. "Disappointed?" she asked softly.

"A little," Luke said. "We will just have to make up for it later," he added huskily.

As they exited the hotel Luke asked, "do you want to walk or grab an air shuttle to go to Iella’s?"

"Let’s walk, Skywalker," Mara replied. "It looks like the only way we will get to be alone today." As they walked, a thought came to her brought on by Karrde’s comment about meeting Luke on Cejansij. "How did you end up on Cejansij?"

"When I had the vision of you on Nirauan, I also saw quite a few other things," Luke said. "Han and Leia facing a mob, Rogue Squadron in battle, my Jedi students, you, me. But after the vision as I tried to decide what I should do, I realized that the only place I saw myself was on a balcony against a canyon wall. Artoo found a match in the database so I decided that I should start there." He squeezed her hand as he continued. "Shortly after I arrived, I intervened as two people were being attacked. It turned out that the woman was one of Karrde’s associates, Moranda Savich, and her Noghri bodyguard. I was with Karrde when he got the message about your disappearance."

"You will have to teach me this trick of always being in the right place at the right time," Mara laughed. Suddenly, she stopped and looked over at the building to her left. It was the medical building in which Cilghal had her office. "Would you mind if I stopped to see Cilghal?" she asked hesitantly.

"No, that would be fine," Luke said using calming techniques to keep his voice even. He had accepted her decision but he did not really like it. "Would you like to go to see her alone?" he asked softly.

She looked at him lovingly as she brought his hand to her lips. "If you don’t mind," Mara answered.

There was a small garden across from the building and Luke pointed to it. "I will wait for you over there."

Mara walked into the building and quickly found Cilghal’s office. Entering, she approached the aide seated in the reception area. "Would it be possible to see Cilghal? Please tell her that Mara Jade would like to speak with her," Mara said.

"She is with a patient now," the young woman replied. "If you will have a seat, I will check with her as soon as she is through."

Mara sat in the waiting area with her mind racing. She knew that she was doing the right thing for her but also knew that this wasn’t what Luke wanted. Her thoughts shifted between those opposing views until a voice caused her to look up.

The welcoming gaze of the Calamarian healer met hers. "Hello Mara, what brings you here?" Cilghal asked warmly.

"Hello Cilghal," Mara said. "Do you have a few minutes for us to talk privately?"

"Sure," Cilghal replied as she led Mara into her office. "Is there something you need?" she asked perceptively.

"Yes," Mara said softly. She began by explaining the change in her and Luke’s relationship and their marriage plans. She took a deep breath before she continued. "I would like to start using repress meds, but first I will need you to do a pregnancy test."

Cilghal was overjoyed that Mara and the Master had finally found each other. But she knew that he would not be too enthusiastic about this decision. "I can do that for you Mara," she said. "But are you sure this is what you both want?"

Mara smiled at the tactful way Cilghal had posed her question. Luke selflessness inspired his friends to care for him deeply and as a result they could be very protective of him. "We have discussed this and it is what I need to do, at least for now. He knows I am here and is waiting for me in the garden," she answered, trying to alleviate the healer’s concerns.

"If you are sure," Cilghal said. She motioned for Mara to follow her and they entered an exam room. She asked Mara some basic questions pertaining to her health as she drew the blood for the test. Inputting the sample into the testing unit, they waited only a few moments for it to confirm Mara’s knowledge. She had not become pregnant during the past days. They discussed her options for meds and finally opted for one with weekly self-injections. This type took effect quickly but also would purge out of her system more rapidly than most when she decided to stop the meds. She instructed her on how to administer the injections and oversaw as Mara gave herself the first one.

"Thank you," Mara said softly.

Cilghal handed her a small box that contained three months worth of the meds. Looking at her intently, she said. "I am very happy for both of you, Mara. Please relay my congratulations to the Master."

"You can tell him yourself," Mara laughed. "He is in your waiting area." She had sent Luke a mental message to join her when she felt Cilghal’s concern that she might be deceiving him. She did not want the healer to feel torn between commitment to her as a patient and her loyalty to Luke.

They reentered the waiting area to see Luke leaning against the wall. Cilghal walked over and hugged him. "I am so happy for you, Master," she said sincerely. "Is this wonderful news public knowledge?"

"Thank you Cilghal," Luke said warmly. "The public announcement won’t be made until after the treaty is signed. We have shared our news with only those close to us for the time being."

"Thank you for sharing it with me," Cilghal said. "Mara, please call me if you have any questions or concerns."

Taking Mara’s hand, Luke led her to the door. "Goodbye Cilghal, we will talk to you soon," he said. As they entered the hallway, he turned to her. "Are you ready to go to Iella’s?"

Mara looked at him with a rather perplexed expression. "Don’t you want to know what happened during my visit?"

Luke looked at her lovingly. "I trust you completely, Mara. I would like to know but only if you truly want to share it with me."

Looking at him, Mara again thanked the Force that they had realized their feelings for each other. As they walked to the Antilles’ home, she told him about everything that had happened at Cilghal’s office. She felt his surge of emotion when she explained that she had chosen the medication that would purge out of her system the most quickly. They continued on, sometimes talking and sometimes in silence, until they reached Wedge and Iella’s building. They were standing waiting for the lift when they heard a voice behind them.

"Are you two just getting here now?" Wedge asked as he walked over to join them.

"Yes," Mara replied. "Our other stops took longer than we anticipated."

As they entered the lift, Wedge said. "Iella is really going to be excited by your news. Luke and I will play with the girls so that you two can speak privately." As he opened the door, he called out. "Anyone home?" Within seconds, Syal came running into his arms, as Myri toddled along behind her. Once in her father’s arm, the little girl noticed the others behind him.

She smiled brightly and yelled "Mom, Mara and Luke are here."

Iella entered the room just as Myri reached Luke and held out her arms. She smiled as he scooped the child up and kissed her gently on the cheek. "Glad to see you both back safe and sound. What brings you visiting today?" she asked.

Wedge looked at Mara and winked. "Syal, let’s go show Luke the new X-wing model I brought you."

As Luke and Wedge left the room with the girls, Iella looked at Mara questioningly. "Whatever brought you here must be something big and also something that Wedge already knows about. "

Mara thought for a moment and decided to just blurt it out. "Luke and I are getting married," she said softly.

It took only a moment for Mara’s information to sink in. "I am so happy for you," Iella said as she hugged Mara tightly. "When did all this happen?"

Mara proceeded to tell Iella about everything that had happened over the past few weeks. She explained the bonding they had undergone as best she could and how they had realized their feelings for each other. She told her about the stop on Altrann and the trip home. She confided that they had consummated their relationship without going into the intimate details. She also shared her decision to wait to have children. She and Iella had grown very close over the past few years but Mara was still somewhat surprised how comfortable she felt talking to her.

Iella listened to Mara intently. After hearing the entire story, she asked. "Have you set a date yet?"

"We are hoping to be able to get married within the next six to eight weeks but are not going to make the public announcement until after the treaty is signed," Mara said. "Luke is going to ask Leia to help organize and plan the announcement and the wedding. Neither one of us if very good with all the protocol and etiquette."

Wedge walked over to his wife as he, Luke and the girls came out of the playroom. "Great news isn’t it. By the way, we are going to a dinner party tonight. I already arranged for a baby-sitter."

Seeing the confused look on Iella’s face, Mara spoke. "Karrde is throwing a little get together in honor of our news. Just a small group of our closest friends."

"That sounds like fun; we will be there," Iella said. She then turned questioningly to her husband. "How did you find out? Did Karrde tell you?"

"No, I told him earlier today," Luke said. "Most people at the dinner are not going to be aware of our news as yet. If you could not say anything until after dinner, we would appreciate it." He walked over to Mara and took her hand. "We had better get going. We will see you two later tonight."

They left the Antilles’ home and began walking back to Luke’s apartment. "Could we stop back at my place on the way?" Mara asked. "I need to pick up something appropriate to wear tonight. Too bad the dress I bought on Altrann is in the bag with all those sweaty clothes."

"Only if you plan on modeling the options and allowing me to choose," Luke teased.

"We will never get to dinner if we do that, Farmboy," Mara retorted. They walked the rest of the way, laughing and just basking in each other’s company. Within a short time they had reached her apartment. As she closed the door behind them, Luke pulled her into his embrace and kissed her deeply. He moved his lips to her neck and rubbed suggestively against her. "Don’t start something you can’t finish," she said breathlessly. "We only have about an hour to get ready and get to dinner."

"We are the guests of honor. I think it would be acceptable for us to be fashionably late," Luke said in a desire-laden voice.

"Late would possibly be acceptable, not showing up at all would not," Mara said. She winked and rubbed herself against him as she whispered. "Consider this a promise of things to come." She sent him a vision of them intertwined together across his bed.

"I will need to wear my robe to hide my anticipation, if you keep that up," Luke warned, in return. He followed her as she walked to her closet and began looking through her clothing. He pulled out a yellow dress and turned to her. "How about this one?"

Mara laughed. "I hate that dress, I don’t even know why I keep it." She continued looking through the items in her closet. She pulled dresses out, one at a time and looked at them intently. Of those she looked at, she handed three of them to Luke. All were sleeveless and had low necklines. The first was a short, black silk, the second was a mid calf, dark blue silk that was slit to mid thigh, and the last was ankle length, a cream colored iridescent clingy fabric. Turning to him, she asked, "do you have a preference?"

"You sure you wouldn’t be willing to model them for me," Luke said huskily.

"No," Mara said, ginning impishly.

"Then if I have to do this sight unseen, I would choose the blue one," Luke said. "But I am sure whatever you wear, you will look beautiful."

Mara laughed, "did you see Lando today when I wasn’t looking? I think I will bring all three and decide when we get back to your apartment." She threw shoes and accessories into a bag, took the dresses back from Luke and draped them over her arm. Motioning for him to grab the bag, she moved to the door. "Let’s go," she said.

They walked back to Luke’s apartment hand in hand, talking softly the entire time. When they reached the building, they stopped at the desk and retrieved the bag Wedge had dropped off. They continued to the apartment and walking straight to the bedroom upon entering it. Hanging the dresses, Mara turned to Luke and kissed him softly. "I am going to shower, we don’t have much time."

Luke looked at her with a pouting expression. "That plan does not include me, does it Jade?"

"Not this time. But I will take pity on you and undress in the refresher," Mara replied with a wink.

"Thanks a lot," Luke chuckled. Walking to his closet, he pulled out black pants and his black dress boots. Pushing aside a bunch of clothes, he pulled a cream colored silk shirt from the back of his closet. Leia had given him the shirt for his birthday last year and, as he normally dressed exclusively in jedi black, he had never worn it. Tonight he would wear it. He undressed to his boxers and waited for Mara finish her shower.

Mara came out of the refresher, with only a towel wrapped around her body. Luke caressed her face and kissed her gently as he walked past her. "My turn."

Mara dried her body and rubbed the towel through her hair to pull out the excess water. Walking to where she had hung the dresses, she stood before the mirror as she held each one in front of her nude body, trying to decide. Looking over at the shirt Luke had placed on the bed, she smiled and made her decision. She would wear the long cream colored one. She hung the remaining two dresses in the closet and took the other things out of her bag.

She had put on her undergarments and was drying her hair when Luke finished his shower. Unlike her, he had already toweled off and she looked at him lustfully as he got a pair of boxers from his dresser. He smirked as he felt her stare bore into him. "What are you looking at, Jade?"

"You are not the only one who enjoys nice scenery," Mara teased as she went back to drying her hair.

"There is still the option of being fashionably late," Luke laughed. He turned to face her as he pulled on his boxers so that extent of his arousal was blatantly evident.

"Patience, Jedi," Mara said. "All good things come to those who wait." She felt his light touch on her shoulders as he moved behind her. He moved her hair aside and began kissing her neck and shoulders. Rising from her chair, she took his face in her hands. "We don’t have time for this, Luke," she said with mock severity. "So you must behave." She released his face and moved to put on her dress.

Luke sighed heavily as he walked to the bed and picked up his pants. He dressed quickly and was pulling on his boots when Mara appeared before him. She had pulled her hair over her shoulder and he saw that the back of her dress contained a row of tiny pearl buttons. "Would you fasten these for me?" Once he had fastened the buttons, she handed him a fine, gold chain. "Would you also help me with this?"

Luke turned the chain in his hand searching for the clasp and saw the charm that hung from it clearly. It was an open gold heart with a small green-bladed lightsaber hanging from the top. "This is exquisite, Mara. Where did you get it?"

Mara’s face took on a very pensive expression before she answered him. "I honestly don’t know, Luke. I have had it since I was a little girl." She touched the charm in his hand before adding. "I replaced the chain with a longer one when I came across it in my things a few years ago. I must have been wearing it when Palpatine took me from my family."

Luke secured the chain around her neck and turned her to face him. Kissing her gently, he placed his hand over the charm and said. "We always suspected that at least one of your parents had to be Jedi, this reinforces that theory." She walked back to the dresser and picked up her hairbrush. She had started to twist her hair into a plait when Luke’s hands stopped her. "Leave it down, please," he said softly. "You look absolutely beautiful."

"Thank you, " Mara whispered as she turned to look at him. She had always dressed just for herself and was still somewhat surprised how important it was that Luke like the way she looked. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she tied the straps on her shoes and rose. Looking at the chrono, she saw that it was already 1930. "Are we ready to go?"

Luke looked at her longingly before he answered. "Not really, but I guess we must." He took her hand and led her out the door. They exited the building and Mara was surprised to see an air shuttle driver standing there. She looked at Luke questioningly and he chuckled. "I called while you were in the shower. I knew we would not have enough time for a leisurely walk." The driver held the door for them as the entered. Within minutes, he was slowing down at the entrance to the Coruscant Towers. They exited the shuttle, Luke thanked the driver and they walked into the hotel.

A hotel attendant greeted them just inside the door. "Good evening Ms. Jade and Master Skywalker," she said politely. "If you will follow me, I will take you to the private dining area."

"Thank you," Luke replied, smiling warmly. He took Mara’s hand and they followed the young woman. After traversing numerous corridors, she stopped, opened a door and motioned for them to go through it.

Talon Karrde was standing just inside the doorway. "The guests of honor have finally arrived. Well within the acceptable parameters for being fashionably late," he added in a teasing tone. He pulled Mara into his embrace. "You look gorgeous and are radiating happiness," he whispered. Releasing her, he extended his hand to Luke. "Good evening, Skywalker."

Hello, Karrde," Luke said. "Thank you for arranging this get together for us." He looked around the room and was pleased to see all their friends were present. Those who knew about their relationship, had not paid much heed to the fact that he and Mara entered the room arm in arm. The others had looked at them somewhat puzzled. Luke looked at her and smiled before he walked away from her.

Most of their friends had broken off into small groups and were talking animatedly. Luke approached a group that included Wedge, Han, Chewie, Corran, Tycho, Gavin and Ghent, greeted them and joined in their conversation. Across the room, he saw that Mara and Karrde had moved to join a group that included Faughn, Dankin, Shada, Chin, Winter and Iella. The third group included Leia, Mirax, Lando, Booster, Tendra and Sera. Luke noticed a waiter moving around the table pouring Alderanian champagne into fluted crystal goblets. Once the waiter finished, he approached Karrde.

The tables in the dining room were arranged into a horseshoe shape. Karrde took Mara’s arm and walked to the top table and said. "If all of you could take a seat, I would like to propose a toast." Couples rejoined as everyone selected seats and Luke moved into the one to Mara’s left. "This war has raged for most of the adult lives of everyone in this room. Finally, there will be peace with the Empire." He looked at Mara and Luke before he continued. "The Force had been with us and has kept us safe. A toast, to the safe return of Mara and Luke and to peace." He touched his glass first to Mara’s then to Luke’s before raising it before him. He watched as everyone around the room mimicked his gesture before bringing the glass to his lips. "To peace," Karrde said again emotionally before he emptied his glass. He motioned for the waiter standing off to the side to refill the glasses as he sat down. Everyone took their seats and once the glasses had been refilled, Karrde nodded at Luke.

Luke smiled lovingly at Mara and rose to his feet. He looked intently at everyone around the table before he spoke. "Thank you all for joining us here tonight. It lightens my heart to see the faces of everyone who is important to us." He touched the side of Mara’s face gently before he continued. "I have been embroiled in this war since the day Artoo came into my possession. Many in this room, have fought as warriors by my side over the years. So much has changed for me over the past weeks. Along with this much anticipated peace, something else has occurred that will change my life drastically but definitely for the better." He pushed back his chair and moved to stand directly behind Mara. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he again met the gaze of each person around the table. The last person he looked at was Leia and she sent warm reassurances to him across their bond while smiling warmly. "While we were away, Mara and I realized that we love each other. I asked her to marry me and she has accepted," he said in an emotional tone. He leaned down and kissed Mara lightly on the cheek.

The people already aware of their news were grinning openly while the others were looking at each other wearing expressions showing varying degrees of disbelief. Corran was the first person to regain his composure and speak. "It’s about time. It amazes me that two intelligent people were too blind to see what was staring them right in the face. Congratulations," he said sincerely as he took Mirax’s hand and walked to Mara and Luke.

The rest of their friends followed Corran’s lead and soon almost everyone was standing around Mara and Luke. The only ones who remained seated were the people they had already told. After allowing a few moments for hugs and congratulations, Karrde spoke. "If everyone could retake their seats, I have something I would like to say." He waited for everyone to be seated then took Mara’s hand in his. "Mara has honored me by asking me to take on the role of father of the bride. I have fulfilled the first obligation of this position by making Skywalker fully aware of the penalty for causing Mara any unhappiness," he said chuckling softly. He waited until the laughter in the room had subsided before he continued. "If everyone could take their glasses and stand. To Mara and Luke, may their future bring them only joy and happiness and wipe away the painful memories that filled their pasts." He raised his glass before him and the others in the room echoed, "to Mara and Luke."

Once everyone had sat back down, the waiters began serving the first course of the meal. The group talked among themselves about the upcoming peace and wedding. It had been so long since they had been able to relax and enjoy each other’s company, that time was passing quickly. Mara and Luke made an effort to talk with everyone at the table but by the end of the third course they were just talking softly to each other. Corran was the first to notice them and alerted the others. All at once, the room became uncomfortably silent. When Luke and Mara looked up, everyone was starting at them. Corran chuckled, "So Luke, when do we get to see you kiss your bride-to-be?" The rest of the group began laughing and heckling with him.

Mara glared at Corran before saying, "don’t be so childish," but that only seemed to rally the cry. Finally she looked at Luke and shrugged.

Luke took Mara’s face in his hands and kissed her lightly. As he released her, Wedge’s voice rang out. "You call that a kiss, Boss? You can do better than that."

Luke sighed and brought his lips to Mara’s again. This time he kissed her deeply and they became totally enraptured with each other. They seemed to forget about everyone else in the room as they became consumed by the kiss. Each person seated at the tables could feel the love radiating off them through the Force. It was almost overwhelming. When the need for oxygen finally overtook them, they separated. When they finally came back to reality, they both blushed deeply. Finally, Luke started to chuckle. "Was that better Wedge?"

"Much better, Boss," Wedge laughed and the others joined in. They all continued chatting as the waiters brought dessert.

As the waiter put down his plate, Han spoke to him. Within moments, he was refilling everyone’s champagne flutes. Once he had finished, Han rose and looked intently at Luke. "When we first met on Tatooine almost twenty years ago, you were a naïve farmboy. I have watched you grow into the powerful Jedi Master. But through it all Luke, something was missing. You have found that missing piece of yourself in Mara." Han shifted his gaze to Mara. "You have always been a loyal friend and ally, even when you vowed to kill Luke. I think you knew even then, that he was the other part of your soul." He raised his glass before him. "May you both know only happiness in your life together." Han turned to Luke and winked. "And Kid, may the Force protect you if you ever make Mara angry."

The others laughed then raised their glasses to Mara and Luke. When they had finished drinking, Luke said. "Thank you all for being with us tonight so that we could share our joy with you. There is only one small dilemma. We need you to keep this news exclusively within this group for the time being." He paused as groans were heard around the room. "We want to wait until after the treaty is signed to make the public announcement."

The group moved into a sitting area off the dining room, talking and enjoying each other’s company until the wee hours of the morning. Finally Wedge, Corran and Tycho approached Luke. "As we are still in the military, it is almost time to go to work," Corran joked. "So unless the General here wants to give us the day off, we need to call it a night."

Corran’s comment made everyone aware of the time and they began their goodnights. Within moments, only Luke, Mara and Karrde remained in the sitting area. "Thank you again for arranging this party for us, Karrde," Luke said. "Are you ready to head home, Mara?" he asked.

"Yes, I am, " Mara answered. She turned to Karrde and hugged him. "This was a wonderful evening. Thank you for everything, Talon."

"You’re welcome, Mara," Karrde said as he kissed her cheek. "I will talk to you soon." He turned back to Luke. "There is an air shuttle waiting outside to take you home."

"Thanks, Karrde," Luke said. He wrapped his arm around Mara’s waist and led her back to the entrance. They were met at the door by the shuttle driver and escorted to the shuttle. Mara snuggled against Luke until the shuttle slowed in front of his building. She yawned as she rose from her seat. Luke thanked the driver and they entered the building. As they walked to the lift, Luke said softly. "Looks like you are ready to go to sleep."

Mara pulled away from him so that she could look into his eyes. "Not on your life, Farmboy. I seem to recall us having plans for when we got back that will be much more enjoyable than sleeping," she said seductively. They rode the lift and within a few moments were entering Luke’s apartment. She turned and pushed him against the closing door. "You’re not planning on pooping out on me, are you?" She brought her lips to his and initiated a deep probing kiss. Her tongue pushed passed his lips and began exploring every inch of his mouth and tongue. As she prolonged the kiss, she rubbed her body suggestively against his. He responded immediately, wrapping his arms around her to pull her more closely to him. A verbal response to her question was no longer needed. Luke had allowed his body to answer for him.

Once he finally broke the kiss, Luke took Mara’s hand and began leading her to his bedroom. "Although I could easily continue this right here, I think the bedroom would be a much more comfortable location." He winked at her and added, "plus we still have not properly initiated the bed as we only slept in it last night." When they reached the bed, he pushed her gently into a sitting position and knelt to unbuckle her shoe straps. Once he finished, he pulled her back into a standing position and turned her away from him. He pushed her hair to the side and undid all the tiny peal buttons he had fastened earlier in the evening. He moved around her and pulled the dress over her head. After draping it carefully over a chair, he brought his hands around her neck to remove the chain.

Mara reached up to catch his hands. "Leave it on, please. Although I replaced the chain a few years back, tonight is the first time I have worn it. It is the only tie I have to my childhood but it is also more." She took a breath to rein in her emotions before she continued. "I never felt I had earned the right to wear it before. I know I have used the Force for many years but only now am I a Jedi." She took his hand in hers and brought them to where the charm laid against her skin. "It belongs here now, just like I belong with you." She leaned her head against his chest and they stayed in that position with their hands trapped between their bodies.

After many minutes had passed, Luke used his free hand and tilted her chin upward. He brought his lips to hers and sent all his love to her through their bond. * I love you, Mara Jade, more than you could ever know* he sent. * Remember that I know everything about you, Skywalker and I love you too* she returned. She used her free hand to unbutton his shirt and push it open. She ran featherlight touches along his chest while their lips remained locked together.

When they finally separated, Mara gently removed Luke’s shirt and draped it over the chair with her dress. She pushed him on the bed and removed his boots. Reaching her hands to his waist, she unfastened his pants before pulling him from the bed. Once he had stepped out of his pants, he lay back on the bed and pulled her on top of him. Wrapped securely in his embrace, they could feel their hearts beating against each other and relished in the feeling. Luke nuzzled his face into the soft skin of her neck and began kissing and nipping it. He moved to nestle his lips into the hollow of her neck and felt her pulse beating against them. As he moved them lower, his lips encountered the heart hanging there and he smiled. He knew that they belonged together, forever. But the idea that she had healed enough emotionally over such a short time to incorporate her past into their future enveloped him with total joy. He kissed her through the charm and rolled her gently onto her back.

Luke turned on his side and propped himself on one elbow. Looking at her lying beside him, he grinned wickedly and touched the lace that covered her breasts. "Any objection to me removing this?" He kissed the valley between her breasts as he slid his hand to her hip. Grasping the band that began there, he added, "or this?" He took her soft moan as an agreement to his request and moved his hand back to her breasts. Unclasping the lace covering, he tossed it to the chair. Within seconds, he had done the same with the lace at her hips and looked down on her lovingly. "You are absolutely beautiful," he whispered huskily. Bringing his lips back to the heart hanging at her neck, he resumed trailing kisses across her neck.

The path of kisses that he was trailing across her skin, created searing heat everywhere his lips touched. Mara was moaning and gasping as she squirmed beneath him. As Luke’s path of kisses was progressing more slowly than she wanted, she shifted slightly beneath him so that his lips came into contact with the nipple of her left breast. He reacted as she had hoped and drew her nipple greedily into his mouth, alternating between sucking it and flicking it with his tongue. She wrapped her fingers into his hair to draw him more securely to her and he responded by increasing the pressure of his lips. She whined as he pulled his lips from her only to moan again when they connected with her other breast seconds later. Once he was sure he had equaled his attention there, he brought his lips back to hers and kissed her deeply.

In that moment, she slid her hand between their bodies and under the band of the only fabric remaining between their flesh. Mara reached in and grasped the hard shaft contained within and it was Luke’s turned to groan and gasp. She ran her fingertip over the slit and spread the escaping wetness over the head with her fingers. His deeper groan released itself into her mouth. He tried to pull away from her but she would not allow it. She used her free hand to try to push down his boxers without releasing him. Finding she was not succeeding, she reluctantly released him and used both hands to remove his barrier. Once done, she pulled him atop her so that his manhood rested between her thighs. He slid upward and began rocking gently against her. Within moments, neither was able to make any coherent sound and the room became a melange of groans, moans and gasps.

Luke was torn between continuing to pleasure her and burying himself fully in her paradise. Mara made the decision for him. She pushed gently on his shoulders and bent her knees slightly as she opened herself to him. This was all the persuasion he needed and he sheathed himself within her. Resting on his forearms, he stayed without moving for a few moments to regain his control, then began thrusting gently. The exquisite feelings that the wetness surrounding him was creating totally dissipated his tightly held control. His thrusts became faster and deeper and he knew he was approaching his peak. Shifting his weight slightly, he moved one hand between them and rubbed his thumb over her bud. Within moments, he felt her join him at the edge and after a few more hard thrusts he buried himself as deeply as possible within her and stilled. As her climax overtook her, the spasms of her muscles pulled him along with her. She drew from him until he was empty and softening within her, without any movement on his part. He allowed his body to cover hers and lay with his head resting on her chest. Her heartbeat pounded in his ear for many minutes before it finally slowed.

Luke finally rolled from atop her and onto his side and turned her to face him. He caressed her face with his fingertips as his still passion darkened blue eyes stared into her emerald ones. "I never thought my love for you could feel any stronger than when I realized my feelings for you in the cloning chamber." His voice quivered as he continued. "But I was wrong. Each time we give ourselves to each other while making love, it continues to flourish and deepen. I will love you always and forever, Mara." He could see that she was touched by what he had said but there was something more in her eyes. "Mara?" he asked softly.

"Did you ever dream that it could be like this for us, Luke?" she whispered. "We have both suffered and lost so much. I never thought either of us would be able to get past those things and give ourselves completely." She kissed him lightly as she added. "I love you, Farmboy, and although this may be the only time you ever hear me say it, I know now that I was wrong."

Luke chuckled as he leaned his forehead against hers. "I will have to store the memory of this admission of error so that I can refer to it again. I don’t see too many possibilities of repetition." When he pulled back, he saw her eyes were beginning to close. "Goodnight, my love," he said softly as he wrapped her more securely in his arms. She nestled her face into his chest and murmured a rather incoherent reply. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes as well.

Luke woke to a buzzing sound he could not quite place and sunshine steaming across his face. As he cleared the sleep from his brain, he realized the buzzing was his comlink. He looked down to see that Mara was lying across his left arm and pondered a way to get up without waking her. He nudged her with a soft force push and slid his arm from beneath her. She stirred but did not wake. After a quick trip to the refresher, he pulled on his boxers and removed the comlink from his pants. He walked into the common room, before answering it. "Skywalker, here."

It was a moment before he got a response. "It’s about time, Boss," Wedge chuckled. "I was getting ready to come over there to make sure everything is all right." The smirked he was wearing was evident in his voice as he added. "I have been calling for hours. Isn’t it unusual for you to sleep this late?"

"It was rather late when we finally went to sleep," Luke said laughing lightly. "What time is it, anyway? Is there a reason for this call or is this a continuation of last nights antics?"

"It is 1030," Wedge replied. "I would not be so cruel as to do this as a prank although Corran might. No, Admiral Drayson asked me to call and see if you would meet him at the ship sometime this morning." He laughed before he added, "he has a few questions for you."

"That is late," Luke said. "Mara must be a bad influence on me. Tell the Admiral that I will meet him at 1300. I have a few other things I need to do first."

"I bet," Wedge laughed. "He probably won’t be happy at the delay but he will survive. See you this afternoon, Luke." As he ended the connection, he smiled. It had been too many years since he had seen Luke happy. He was certainly glad they had found each other.

As Luke started to walk back to the bedroom, he noticed the message light on the holonet terminal was blinking. There were numerous messages but one was marked urgent. As he pressed the button to retrieve it, he saw it was from Han. He smiled as Han’s face filled the screen. "Good morning, Kid. As I don’t think you were planning too far ahead last night, I made some arrangements for you. You will find breakfast waiting outside your door. I am sure all that exercise has made you quite famished. Talk to you soon." Luke smiled as Han’s face blinked from the screen. The rest of the messages could wait until later. He was starving. He went to the door, opened it and saw a catering cart in front of it. Pushing it into the room, he picked up the note leaning against a vase of yellow roses. ‘Congratulations again, you two. Love, Han and Leia.’ He smiled as he read it.

Luke pushed the cart into the bedroom and saw that Mara was beginning to stir. She turned to face him and smiled. "My, we have been busy this morning. What time is it?"

"It’s a little after 1030," Luke said, "but I can’t take credit for this." He handed her the card and gave her a chance to read it. "That was very thoughtful of them wasn’t it."

"Yes it was, "Mara replied as she pulled on the sleeping shift she had worn the morning before and headed to the refresher. Upon coming back out she asked, "so what are the plans for today?"

As they enjoyed their breakfast, Luke told her about his meeting with Drayson for that afternoon. He also told her that he wanted to contact Yavin and let everyone there know of their plans. Mara wanted to meet with Karrde to talk about a plan to turn over her responsibilities in the organization. They also need to pick up some food items to stock the kitchen and she wanted to bring a few more things over from her apartment.

Luke showered and dressed first, then checked the remaining messages and contacted Yavin while Mara was showering. He spoke to Kam and told him of he and Mara’s plan to marry within the next few weeks. Kam was ecstatic for them and Luke told him that he would be back in touch within a few days. Kam agreed not only to pass along the Master’s news but also to keep it quiet within the academy for now.

Once Mara has dressed, they made a plan to complete their errands. They would do some things together such as shopping and picking up the things from her apartment. Those things they would save until later on. They would start with Luke meeting Drayson while she met with Karrde. She called to make sure Karrde was available and decided that Luke would meet her at his suite once he was done with Drayson.

Before they left to walk to the Coruscant Towers, Luke contacted Wedge to have him pick him up there. Once that was arranged, they left the apartment. As they walked, he told Mara about his conversation with Kam and extended everyone’s good wishes to her. She bounced ideas of him about a plan to turn over her responsibilities. Mostly, they just enjoyed each other’s company.

When they reached the building, Luke saw Wedge waiting by a transport. He walked Mara to the door and kissed her goodbye as she entered. He joined Wedge and they left to meet Admiral Drayson. The meeting with Drayson took up a good part of the afternoon. The Admiral asked numerous questions, some multiple times, before he finally accepted the fact that he would get no more information. Wedge tried not to show how much he was enjoying Luke keeping Drayson at bay.

Wedge returned Luke to the Coruscant Towers and he went up to get Mara. They chatted with Karrde for a little while before leaving to complete their errands. When they had finally completed everything, it was early evening.

They got back to the apartment and Mara put away her things as Luke put away the grocery items. They put together a light meal and ate while talking more. They were both surprised by how comfortable they were together, whether conversing or just sitting quietly enjoying each other’s presence.

They spent the next two days in much of the same manner. Visiting friends, attending meetings and enjoying being together. Only one night remained before the signing of the treaty the following afternoon. They had plans for dinner at the Solo’s. They wanted to talk to Leia about the wedding plans and announcement and had been repeatedly bombarded by the children to hear the remainder of Mara’s story.

Luke and Mara walked into Orowood Towers hand in hand. They arrived at the door of the apartment and saw it open before they even knocked. The children had used their fledgling Force powers to sense their uncle’s arrival. Greetings were exchanged and the group chatted animatedly about many topics throughout dinner.

Finally, Leia addressed the children. "Time to get ready for bed. No whining or you won’t hear the end of the story.

As the kids walked towards their room, Luke called out, "we will be there in a few minutes." He turned back to address his sister. "Leia, Mara and I would like to ask you a very big favor. We feel there will be quite an uproar when our wedding announcement is made. You are so much more knowledgeable in the area of proper protocol." He gave her his best baby brother smile before he asked. "Would you be willing to make the announcement for us?" Before she could answer him took a deep breath and added. "Also, Mara and I would like to be off Coruscant when you do."

Leia smiled warmly at Luke and nodded. "I will gladly make the announcement for you but why don’t you want to be here?"

Mara smiled at Luke before responding to the question. "Although Luke has been in the limelight most of his adult life, I have never done very well being the center of attention. We feel if we are unavailable when the news breaks, the frenzy of the holovid gossipmongers will have abated by the time we return." She looked at Leia with an almost pleading look before she added. "Please tell me you think that it can make a difference?"

Leia looked back at Mara and smiled. With her brother’s stature as Hero of the Rebellion and Jedi Master and Mara’s background as the Emperor’s Hand, she didn’t think a full-scale disaster could take any of the focus of this wedding. But, she did not know for sure so she might as well try to alleviate some of Mara’s nervousness. "It might make it easier," she replied. "Where do you plan on going?"

"I need to make a short stop on Yavin and then we were thinking of heading to the nature preserve on Garqi," Luke replied. "Our only dilemma is procuring a ship. Mara is going to ask Karrde tomorrow if he has one available."

"You can use the ‘Alderaan’ if you would like," Leia said. "I have no travel plans and we still have the ‘Falcon’ if we need it."

"Thanks, Leia, that would be great," Luke said sincerely. He turned to Mara and laughed. "We had better get moving, your audience awaits."

As she watched her brother and Mara head down the hallway, Leia took Han’s hand in hers and squeezed it gently. "Isn’t it wonderful to see him finally happy." He nodded and kissed her, then pulled her into his arms. They were content to sit quietly on the sofa until the others returned.

Luke and Mara entered the children’s room to find them waiting almost patiently. They were grouped as before with Jaina on her bed and Jacen seated with Anakin on his. Luke joined the boys and Mara sat with Jaina. "Now, does anyone remember where we were in the story?" she asked.

"You had chased Uncle Luke into the forest after he escaped," Jacen said proudly.

"Okay," Mara said. "Myrkr is a planet with two very unusual animals. One is the ysalamiri, an animal that creates bubbles of space where the Force does not exist. The other is a vornskr, an animal that is uses the Force to hunt it prey." She told the children the tale of their trek into the forest and how she found Luke. She mentioned the constant attacks by the vornskrs and their inability to use the Force within range of the ysalamiri. She mentioned their father’s presence at the camp, using Artoo to relay information and the fact that Thrawn’s stormtroopers were waiting for them to emerge from the forest. They laughed when she told them about using the poisonous plant to alter Luke’s appearance so that they could switch roles. Finally, she told them about how Luke had taken out a chariot full of stormtroopers by cutting through an archway with his lightsaber and collapsing it on them. "Luke’s actions had saved many of the group so Karrde allowed him to leave with your father, Lando and the droids. We had to abandon the base at the same time as Thrawn had a pretty good idea that Luke had been there. And that kids, is the story of how your uncle and I first met," Mara ended.

Jaina looked intently at Mara. "Do you ever do anything the easy way?"

Mara and Luke both began to laugh. "Easy isn’t the way of the Jedi," he said. "Sometimes things end up very differently than they began," he added softly. At that he repeated his bedtime ritual of the previous visit, tucking one child at a time into bed. Once they had finished, he said. "Goodnight kids, we will see you tomorrow."

Luke and Mara walked back to the common room where Han and Leia were waiting. They set up a time to meet the next day to get the ‘Alderaan’ and said their goodnights.

They talked about the treaty signing on their way back. They entered the apartment and went straight to the bedroom. "Are you ready for bed?" Luke asked softly. At her nod, Luke stripped to his boxers and Mara changed into a sleeping shift. They got into bed and snuggled into each other’s arms.

Suddenly Mara looked up at Luke with an impish grin. "Do you realize that this will be our last night in this bed for a couple of weeks?" They were planning on leaving for Yavin as soon as the treaty ceremony was completed.

"Then we had better put it to good use," Luke chuckled. They quickly divested themselves of what little clothing they were wearing. They began kissing and caressing each other until they moved on to slow, ardent lovemaking. Once spent, they snuggled back against each other and slept satedly until morning.

Luke was the first to awaken in the morning as his body had finally readjusted to his farmer’s chrono. He showered, dressed and went in to prepare breakfast for them. He almost had it on the table when Mara emerged. After breakfast, they packed the things they needed for their trip and headed out to meet Han and Leia at the ‘Alderaan’.

Once they had stowed their belongings, they escorted Han and Leia back to the ‘Falcon’. "We will meet you on the ‘Chimaera’," Luke said. "This will be a momentous occasion."

They walked back to the ship and quickly began the preflight sequence. Looking at Mara intently, Luke sat down in the copilot seat. "This is the beginning of a new era for the New Republic. Hopefully, peace will bring with it a renewal of hope and prosperity. It is almost hard to believe that the war with the Empire is actually over," he added softly.

Mara requested clearance for take off as she lowered herself into the pilot seat. Once approved, she immediately engaged the repulsor lifts and exited the hangar. "It is also the beginning of our new life, Skywalker," Mara said. As she moved the ship through the atmosphere towards their assigned landing bay on the Chimaera, she added. "I know your sister feels that to many our wedding will be looked upon as symbolic to that peace. But I really do not care how others will look at it." She reached across the space between the seats to take his hand. "When we return to Coruscant, we will begin planning our wedding. That day will be the beginning of our future. Together and forever."

"Always, together and forever," Luke echoed as she brought the ‘Alderaan’ into the landing berth. "Whatever new goals and challenges the Force has in store for us, we will face them together."

Luke and Mara secured the ship and walked, hand in hand, along the designated route to the secondary command room where the treaty would be signed. He could feel the twinge of nervousness that was enveloping her and looked at her intently. "Would you like to take a few minutes before we join the others?" he asked softly. At her nod, he lead her into a small visual site room that he sensed was unused. "Are you okay?"

"I will be fine," Mara said. "Walking the corridors of a Star Destroyer is just reemphasizing how much my life has changed." She stood and stared at the stars outside the viewport. Turning back to Luke, she took his face in her hands. "But change is good, right?"

"Yes, change is very good," Luke replied softly. He put his arm around Mara's waist and turned them back to gaze at the stars. "Change can be very good, indeed."

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