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In The Shadows
By Sienn
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Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Spoilers: See Chapter 1
Rating for Chapter: NC-17
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Chapter 12
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Luke Skywalker woke with a start and had to battle against a moment of utter
disorientation. Dream and reality mingled for several seconds and he needed
a while to sort them out. When he had finally managed to, he relaxed and
shook his head in dismay. He seldom had a troubled sleep - visions usually
came to him while he meditated. He preferred them much over dreams.
Those had the habit to be even more mysterious than visions. When he had
visions, they came to him when he was focusing on a certain problem, when he
was actively seeking the counsel of the Force to guide him through difficult
times. In dreams he encountered a wild mixture of current and past problems,
of fears that had haunted him at one or the other point in his life and of
joyful experiences that he held close to his heart, safely tucked away to be
guarded against everything and anything.
It was such a dream that had disturbed him this time around and it had left
him unsettled and annoyed. The Jedi Master turned his head towards the huge
transpariglass windows that made up one wall of the bedroom and watched as
the first flickers of light sought their way into the chamber, weakened by
the dimmers worked into the glass.
There were enough riddles in his life as it were - he didn't need more to
figure out. Three days after the murder of Senator Pwoe and the alleged
accident of Niuk Niuv, there was still no hint as to the puppet player in
the background. New Republic Intelligence had brought the investigation to a
temporary halt - they had come to the conclusion that the Sullustan and the
Quarren had been behind the threats against the Chief of State and that Niuv
had killed his partner in crime after a disagreement. His subsequent death
had been no more than an unfortunate accident. A stroke of fate, they
called it.
Luke did not believe this and Security Officer Ginde Nodan didn't either.
The younger man was not in a position that would have enabled him to insist
on continued research, but he had brought to bear all his limited influence
to prevent a permanent end to the case. Unfortunately, their secret foe had
not sent another holo cube message. Not that either of them would have
expected him to. It was obvious that they were pitted against someone who
was not doing this sort of thing for the first time in his life. They would
need more to get the better of him.
For the time being, though, they had reached a dead end. With the two
Senators out of the game, there was no lead left. They had a name. Efor
Byskaly. And the suspicion of what he probably wanted to achieve. No further
trace that would help to find the guy and no further proof of Senator Cal
Omas' innocence.
The beginning of the Alderaanian's trial was approaching mercilessly and as
things lay, the data Han had brought from Ord Mantell was the only helpful
evidence they could provide their friend with. It wouldn't be enough to
clear him.
Luke didn't even want to think about the danger his twin sister was in for
as long as they could not determine who was trying to take revenge on her.
A sigh escaped the man. Back during the days of the Rebel Alliance, things
had been easier. He had known his enemy. His life and that of his loved ones
had been on stake more often than he could count, but it had always been a
comfort to know against whom or what you had been fighting. Presently, he
was itching to get his hands on whoever was plotting against them.
"That frown does not suit you this early in the morning, my love."
The soft voice of his wife dragged Luke out of his musings and he smiled as
he turned his head to meet her jade eyes. The mass of her hair spilled out
around her on the pillow and the creamy skin of her free shoulders made for
an amazing contrast to the dark sheets they were entangled in.
Mara scooted over to him and pressed a kiss onto his chest, "Especially not
after such a night. I could misunderstand it and you don't want that to
happen."
The Jedi Master laughed and turned on his side, capturing the lips of the
redhead in the process and dragging her closer to himself. "No, I wouldn't.
Of course you were phenomenal." He dragged the word out and nuzzled her
cheek.
His wife shook her head and playfully pinched his neck, "Careful, Master
Skywalker."
He stopped his ministrations and their eyes met.
"Ain't I always?"
His azure orbs twinkled with mischief and desire at her responding snort and
it was almost enough to hide the heavy thoughts that had obviously plagued
him when she had found him scowling at nothing in particular.
Mara extended a hand and tugged a wayward strand of sandy brown behind his
ear. He smiled and tried to kiss her palm, but she cupped his chin and
brought his face back. "What's troubling you, Luke?"
One of his eyebrows rose, "Troubling me?"
"Don't even TRY to lie to me." Mara chided. Her left hand found his other
cheek and her thumbs caressed him softly, "You did not sleep well."
Luke rolled his eyes and laid his head onto her chest, "You don't want to
know."
Mara frowned, "Of course I want to know."
"No, you don't."
"But I do!"
"Trust me, you don't."
There was a not so tender push and Luke found himself on his back. His wife
had placed herself on his stomach and glowered down on him. Her nudity was
most alluring and Luke was unable to keep his fingers from tracing a line
over her throat and down between her breasts. "I don't want to spoil the
moment." He said softly.
Mara caught his wrist. Her glare had not significantly softened, "Maybe you
won't."
"I will."
The redhead cut her eyes at him, "Stop beating around the bush."
Luke closed his eyes and sighed, "Just remember that you made me to." Before
she could give another comment, he went on. "It was really mostly about
what's going on at the moment. Efor Byskaly. the name keeps popping up in my
mind and I feel as if I should know it. Yet I'm sure I don't."
Mara cocked her head to the side, "Seeing that your sister is having the
same reaction, I'd say the two of you should really put some thought into
this. It seems you know already who it is, on a subconscious level."
The Jedi Master nodded, "That's what I'm sure of. It still doesn't help me
to remember. It's as if a spark goes off whenever I see the name, but I
can't follow its trail. Not yet."
"Give it time. It will come to you."
"I know." He tried to free his wrist, but she held it, only gave him the
small pleasure of laying it against her bosom.
"You said mostly. What about the rest?"
He regarded her for a full minute before he answered, "I've been wondering
about it for a long while. I thought I'd never get any answers. That
wouldn't have been so bad. It's simply another piece of the puzzle to fall
into place. It's comforting if blanks are filled, even if the content isn't
as harmless as I'd love it to be."
There was momentary confusion in the emerald gems of his wife, but she
understood quickly and her posture relaxed somewhat. Insecurity replaced the
insistence in her eyes and she released his wrist. Her hands followed it to
his belly. They were cool against his skin.
"Was it bad?" she asked softly.
Luke sat up and swung his arms around her waist. She moved closer and
settled in his lap. Her arms came to rest on his shoulder, but her eyes
never left his face. The anxiousness on her features cut into his heart.
"No," he said, his voice firm. "It wasn't bad. Strange. Scary. But not
painful. It was.." He hesitated, frowned and his blue orbs strayed into
nothingness as he sought for the right word to describe his experience.
"Weird." He finally concluded.
"Weird." Mara echoed. Her tone was not particularly cheerful and she didn't
bother to hide her doubts either.
The Jedi Master trailed his fingers down her exposed back and she revelled
in the tingles this caused within her. She was determined, though, to stay
on track, even though Luke was very good at soothing her ire. Always.
Sometimes she wondered whether he was aware of it or whether it was
something he did not even consciously register.
"The animal itself isn't evil, Mara. You know that just as well as I do."
"I know that animals aren't good or evil." Red hair flew as she slid off him
and leant against the head of their bed, legs drawn to her chest and a scowl
on her beautiful face. "What I'm worried about is its influence on you."
Luke shook his head, "It has no influence on me. Why don't you believe me
when I say that?" The frustration in the former farmboy's voice was obvious
as he slid next to her to put his chin on her shoulder.
"It would have helped if you had asked ME to watch you train with it and not
Han."
The Jedi blinked, "What?"
Mara turned somewhat to look him straight in the eye, "How am I supposed to
believe you if you go out of your way to hide everything from me that's
linked to that thing? That doesn't exactly evoke trust, you know!"
"Is that it?" Luke asked, dumbfounded. "Is that the problem?" When she
didn't answer, the slender man shook his head, rose from the bed with a
fluent movement and padded over the thick carpet in the direction of the
door to his private sanctuary. The air in the rooms was warm and caused no
discomfort to his naked skin. A definite advantage, as far as Mara was
concerned - the view was extraordinary.
If not for the topic of their conversation, she might have beckoned him to
return. As it was, she reacted to his gesture and stood to follow him into
his study. She entered to see Luke fall to his knees in front of his
hovercouch and grope underneath the piece of furniture. The rising sun was
setting golden highlights on his skin and she imagined the way it would feel
against hers. These arousing thoughts stayed with her for several seconds -
until the moment he took the yorik coral box out of its hiding place and put
it into his lap.
He looked up to her, the azure of his eyes sparkling like a living thing
from behind the fringe of his hair, while his hands caressed the organism
that served as resting place for the animal within.
"It's warm to the touch," He said.
Mara went over and sank down before him. She did not protest as the large
hand of her husband took hers and led it to make contact with the yorik
coral. A tremor went through her, instinctively, but she soon realized that
there was no reason to feel revulsion. The yorik coral was smooth and warm -
it felt as if she were caressing a pet.
"The Yuuzhan Vong as a people are not evil. Nor is their way of living or
the animals they have bred to serve them. It is all very foreign and yet."
His eyes dropped and an affectionate little smile played over his lips, "It
is also quite fascinating. They have reached a degree of symbiosis with
their environment that could be described as total. There is much we can
learn."
"They revere pain. And they claim for themselves to help others by
inflicting it upon them. They are fanatics." Mara's voice was calm, as was
her husband's. After years of marriage and many trials weathered side by
side, their arguments seldom culminated in shouting.
"They have as much to learn." Luke's smile did not vanish as he pressed a
spot that seemed somewhat elevated and the living box opened. The animal
within blinked its small, yellow eyes as its split tongue lashed out to
taste the air. For a moment, it seemed to look straight at Mara and she
tensed, preparing for a quick dive to safety.
It never came to be. Unable to quench a surreal sense of fascination, she
watched as Luke extended his left arm. The amphistaff's head veered
instantly around and it slithered out of its nesting spot with a definite
goal in mind. Its body was black and shiny, a natural arrangement that
conveyed beauty as much as peril, instilled adoration as much as terror. It
moved up the length of the Jedi Master's arm until its head came to rest on
his shoulder. There it settled down and closed its eyes, aware that it was
not needed and content to be in close contact with its owner.
"Have I changed?"
The redhead blinked as Luke's voice sounded through the room. She tore her
gaze away from the animal with some difficulty and focused back on the face
of her husband. He looked at her with the same tender expression he had
been sporting the whole morning. There was no tension to his muscles, no
twitch to any of his limbs. The whole picture seemed natural. The perpetual
need to move that had been a characteristic of Liin Kwaad, the Slayer, was
not there.
Luke's smile broadened, "Have I, Mara?"
She shook her head. When she spoke, her voice seemed surprisingly frail,
"It's still so strange. It could still bring him back - somehow. How can you
be sure...?"
The former farmboy flexed his upper arm and the snake uncurled with a hiss.
Within a mere moment, it had withdrawn to its box and the living container
had been deposited back under the hovercouch. Luke scooted forward until he
was close enough for Mara to feel his breath on her lips.
The expression in his eyes was intense and sincere as he cupped her face.
"Trust me, Mara."
The beautiful woman brought her forehead to rest against his and closed her
eyes, "I do trust you. I always have."
Soft lips pecked hers, her nose and her cheeks as he drew her closer to
himself. "Then do about this, too. There is nothing of Liin left. The
amphistaff is a living being, like you and I, and it cannot connect with me
in a bad way because the Slayer no longer exists."
Long moments of silence passed and he could feel his wife battle with her
fear, with her suspicion and her stubbornness. The Yuuzhan Vong had hurt all
of them badly and although she had befriended one of them, Mara Jade was not
one to easily forgive.
It wasn't so much for his own sake that Luke wanted her to see things for
how they really were. It would naturally be a relief if she were to accept
that this foreign weapon was no danger to her husband and if the constant
potential for dispute would finally leave their relationship.
What the Jedi Master wanted most of all, though, was for his beloved to come
to peace with what had happened after Ithor, the same way he had come to
peace with it. He wanted her to stop worrying, to stop being anxious and
simply see the immense knowledge and wisdom that they could all draw from
the Yuuzhan Vong.
Her emotions were in a whirlwind, but she quietened them one by one,
attacked the doubts with her rationality and the fear with her love and when
her mind eventually relaxed, her body did so, too, in his arms, and she
slumped against his chest. "I have one demand to make." She softly stated.
Her lips tickled his chest. Luke kissed the top of her head and hugged her
tighter.
"Everything, Mara."
She craned her neck and her unbelievable eyes twinkled up at him, "The next
training session you do with that. the amphistaff - it will be with me."
Her husband smiled. Instead of an answer, he bent down and they sank into a
passionate kiss, a deliciously long kiss that left them with swollen lips
and panting for air. Luke's eyes were dark with desire - just as she was
sure her own were - and the rising sun caught painted shadows over his naked
form that were, if anything, only accentuating his built.
"Ben's not going to wake for an hour or two yet." He said.
Mara merely smirked and laughed softly as he scooped her up into his arms,
effortlessly. It was the only moment where she loved it to feel small - to
merge against his chest, to feel safe and to have his physical strength
surround her, protect her. Jealously guard her to him, even.
She closed her eyes as he placed her on the hovercouch, with a reverence
that he had never lost and that was so genuine that Mara was flattered by
it, every time, regardless of how often she had heard his hushed
compliments, his words of adoration that he whispered into the air with a
trembling voice.
It was a trail of fire that his mouth left as he knelt on the piece of
furniture and let it wander over her face, her throat, down her upper body
and deeper, with agonizing slowness. He lingered at her navel and gave it
special attention, his lips and tongue hot against her skin. She shuddered
at the sensations, rode the pleasure and buried her hands in his hair.
Luke was too absorbed in her scent and her warmth to bother and she yanked a
little bit to get his attention. The Jedi Master lifted his head and the
impish grin he was giving her prompted a shaky gasp on the part of the
former Emperor's Hand. He moved up her body with the grace and speed worthy
of a cat and she let her hands slide alongside his physique as he did so,
imagining every sinuous muscle and every speck of hot flesh that he sported.
Her world shrunk to no more than his mouth on hers, the taste of his lips
and his tongue, and the spark that shot through her when her hardened
nipples brushed against his chest.
Her muffled groan as he penetrated her did not leave the confines of the
room and clung to him as he started to move in a slow rhythm, a sensuous
rhythm. Each of them swallowed the other's cries as they kept clinging to
each other in a never-ending kiss and during the short moments they needed
to come up for air their sounds of bliss and ecstasy only heightened the
passion.
*~~
Dullness. It had been dominating his days ever since his fall from grace and
there was not much that he loathed more. The occasional flicker of
excitement, the distraction it offered to him when he took matters into his
own hands and took a break from delegating errands, were by far not enough
to keep him satisfied. Especially not if they proved to be no challenge.
Pwoe, the Quarren, had been a pitiful sight during the last minutes of his
life. He had given the amphibian alien the opportunity to explain himself,
to find some kind of excuse for the blunder he had allowed himself with
Skywalker and his wife. There had naturally not been a satisfying answer
from the alien's part and his right to live had been forsaken.
Loyalty did not mean much to him, so he did not demand it from most of his
employees. He had his means to ensure their obedience and their secrecy.
True devotion was not necessary and he felt no desire to provoke it in
others. Betrayal was not an emotional sacrilege for him. If Pwoe's slip, his
arrogance, had not endangered his overall plans, he might have let the
Senator live. Bad luck for the Quarren that he had deemed his mistake to be
perilous for his success.
Niuk Niuv's death had not even offered a fraction of the pleasure he had
found in the other Senator's assassination. It had had to be impersonal - he
had been deprived of the opportunity to see the beady-eyed Sullustan realize
what had happened. The little alien had become too nervous. His
partner-in-crime's death had unsettled him, scared him, and he had been
afraid he would be next. So he had tried to withdraw from the arrangement he
had accepted months ago.
He shook his head and rose to stand at the window, looking out on the city
landscape below. Niuv had been a fool. He had not understood that by this
very try he had spoken his own death sentence.
Were there only idiots left in what had once been a body of
highly-intelligent, exceptional beings from all over the galaxy? He had
always suspected that most of the Senators were not overly bright, but to be
a first-hand witness to such stupidity was disconcerting. It added a lot of
details that he had to look out for - he could never be sure that there
wouldn't be another slip, another dangerous misjudgement that could
jeopardize everything he had so meticulously prepared.
Millions had he invested into this scheme, half of his considerable wealth
to see those brought down that had taken from him what was rightfully his.
He was still richer than any of his enemies would ever be, and yet, what did
it mean, in the end? For as long as his thirst for revenge was not
fulfilled, he would not find joy in the luxury he could afford, could find
no rescue from the shame that had fallen over him.
He had thought that with allies, everything would be easier. Safer for him,
too. But he had been mistaken. Hiring henchmen, relying on others, had only
brought difficulties with it. The experience had been filed away in his head
and he had long since vowed to be a solitary fighter from now on.
There was only one man left that was doing his bidding and even this one did
not enjoy as much trust as he though. He was under constant surveillance and
his value to his superior was still pending. The decision would be made soon
and it might not be in the petty servant's favour.
It was but a nuisance, though. More important events were coming his way and
it was on those that he needed to focus. His revenge was close, closer than
it had ever been, and he was willing to ignore the danger to his own person
if it meant he could see her face when he destroyed her life.
He turned his head and nodded to the droid that was waiting in a corner of
his elaborate study. It gave a short bow of its head and stalked away. In a
matter of minutes, his personal speeder would be ready and he would leave to
face his nemesis. Eventually.
It was about time.
*~~
He reached for the mild soap that was precariously balanced on one corner of
the bathtub. Without so much as a gust of wind to disturb the air around it,
it wavered and slid into the warm water before he could get a hold of it. It
went under with an audible plop.
"Ben!" Luke Skywalker's voice was pending between exasperation and amusement
as he did his best to give his toddler son a chiding glare and crossed his
arms in front of his chest. The one and a half year old cocked his head to
the side and mirrored the gesture of his father, melting the Jedi Master's
heart in an instant.
Luke laughed and shook his head, scooting closer to the bathtub to grope for
the missing piece of soap. It was improbable he would be able to clean his
son without it. It had been one of Ben's favourite plays to use his
fledgling Force abilities on the soap - allegedly produced to fit the
demands of a human toddler to a tee, it seemed to provoke nothing short of
disgust on the part of the Skywalker offspring and Mara had already said
that it had been the last time they had sent C-3PO to shop for the infant.
However, for the moment, this was the only soap there was and Ben would have
to put up with it. The blue eyes of his son followed Luke's every movement
and the way the Jedi's face lit up as his hand found the fist-sized chunk.
Whether he knew what he was doing or not, the toddler pushed another time
with the Force, not very strong and not very aimed, but it sufficed to
propel the soap out of his father's hand. Ben Skywalker giggled at the
unnerved expression on the adult's face and flailed with his chubby arms in
delight.
Water splashed in all directions and Luke quickly retreated, congratulating
himself that he had been wise enough to shed his shirt before he had brought
his son to the bathroom. When he had rubbed the water out of his eyes, he
found Ben looking at him with a wide grin on his face, doing more flailing
and kicking. Luke felt the Force sing around the young child - it was an
uncontrolled use, like a toy speeder that bumped against walls and chairs
and tables left and right, but wasn't stopping. Every so often, the picture
of the soap would come to the boy's mind and a tiny strand of the
all-encompassing energy would branch out in that direction, without a
definite purpose in mind. It was still very effective and Ben was a quick
learner.
The father knew that his offspring would try to keep the soap from him again
as soon as he'd start searching for it. Luke regarded his son with pride
shining in his eyes - Ben would make a mighty Jedi and a smart one on top of
that. A smirk invaded the man's features - for the time being, though, he
would not allow a tiny toddler to outsmart Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.
Sending out his own Force senses, Luke effortlessly found the soap and let
it rise to the surface of the water. Ben immediately groped for it, but his
father was quicker. He lifted it out of the water entirely and moved it in
front of his son's eyes. The child groped again. The soap flew away and drew
circles in the air, rotated, plopped into the water and sprang out a second
after.
Ben sat transfixed, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. He followed every
movement and when Luke let the formerly loathed piece of hardened cleaning
solution hover right in front of his son's nose, the toddler grabbed it and
turned it around, mustered it with an interest that had not been there
before.
Satisfied, Luke dared approach the bathtub again and gently took the soap
from his baby. Huge eyes looked at him, questioning and astounded and Luke
ventured into an explanation of what he had done while he washed his
precious. He knew, of course, that Ben would not understand everything, but
the voice of his father soothed the child and he did grasp many of the
words, filing them away for reproduction whenever he would be in the mood.
The shocked awe Ben had been in came to an end when Luke lifted his small
form out of the water and placed him gently on a warmed towel nearby. The
drying up was a play of adult fingers tickling and little legs kicking and
who would give up first until the powder entered the game.
From the same production line as the soap, it didn't meet with Ben's
approval. "Daddy, no," he wailed, unknowingly delighting the Jedi Master.
With every day, the word seemed to come out somewhat clearer. Ben pinched
his nose closed with his right and shook his head ferociously. "Smwells," he
said.
Luke sniffed and drew his eyebrows together. "Not so wrong there," he
murmured. Putting the substance away, he looked around somewhat helplessly.
Having done his homework as a father, he had memorized every step that was
displayed in the holochips as to how to bathe a toddler. And there was
always some kind of powder or lotion involved. Infant skin was tender.. And
it needed moisture.
"Improvise, Luke, improvise," the former farmboy murmured as he rose. "You
stay right there." He told his son. Ben nodded and watched his father as he
rummaged through Mara's part of the bathroom drawers. When he had finally
made a find, Luke returned to the boy, opened a bottle and held it under the
tiny nose.
Blue eyes lit up, "Mommy!"
The Jedi Master beamed, "That's right. Come on, little one, let's hurry a
little. When your babysitter arrives, you need to make a good impression and
Daddy needs to get dressed, too."
"Dwessed," Ben echoed.
Luke nodded, "Mommy and Daddy are going to go to a celebration this
afternoon. An important celebration. 'Cause your Daddy blew up the Death
Star and that means he can't bow out of it and stay with you instead." He
folded the creamed baby into its little bathrobe and left the chamber, "I'd
much rather stay with you, Ben."
"Luke?"
He turned to see his wife stand in the doorframe. She gave him a loving
smile and waved at the child in his arms. "The Noghri are here." Mara came
over to him and gently took her son, "I'll bring him over and you get
dressed. We're late, so please try to hurry."
The Jedi Master frowned, "You aren't dressed yet, either."
"True, but I don't have to dry up first." She pointedly looked at the damp
places on his pants before she strolled out of the room. Luke grimaced,
"Next time I'll wear underwear. Less space to hit."
*~~
The Commenorian Embassy was a heavy construct of dark transparisteel that
was testimony to the barely developed sense of creativity this planet was
known for. The high, gloomy corridors were not adorned with pieces of local
artistry. There were no sculptures or drawings of famous Commenorian
painters. Instead the walls were lined with portraits of the wealthiest and
most successful merchants the planet had to offer - their family pedigrees
were displayed via huge picture galleries.
The carpet was thin and of a deep midnight blue. Together with the black,
polished marble that had been chosen for the floor and the ceiling the
environment did not invite a joyful celebration.
Their small procession was moving in a sedate pace along the Grand Corridor,
on route to the Grand Chamber that would house several hundred guests as
well as the honor ceremony for the heroes of the Rebellion. Leia had taken
up the head and was walking next to the Commenorian Chief Secretary who had
been assigned to them as an escort. She was a picture of utter loveliness
all in white, with her brown hair falling down in all its splendour,
highlighted with silver strands woven into braids that begun at her temples.
Han was walking only a step behind her, less because of protocol as because
of the boring chatter the Chief Secretary was bestowing up his wife. The
Corellian shot his brother-in-law an annoyed glance every so often, complete
with an undignified role of his eyes that told all too well just how much he
was looking forward to all this.
Luke Skywalker grinned. Following the advice of his wife, he had once again
discarded his preference for black and had instead chosen the midnight blue
combination that he was using for Senate occasions. His cloak had been left
at home. It was warm and the festivity wasn't supposed to be all that
formal, seeing that most of the guests were Rebellion veterans that stemmed
from the military and did not care all too much for pompous clothes.
Mara had gone for a pitch-black gown of simple cut that hugged her breasts
and upper body tightly to fall in waves to her ankles. Her shoulders were
free and her hair drawn back by fine pins of gold whose only decoration were
small emerald gems at the top. They set breathtaking highlights into the
fiery hair of the beauty but paled in comparison to the charm she wore
around her slender neck. Luke smiled as memories came to him, memories of
the day he had given Mara this necklace. His wife caught his thoughts and
reciprocated his smile. It had been a special day and it had been a special,
highly valued present, too.
Luke's lightsaber dangled at his belt - for effect, as Mara had commented -
while hers was hidden in a holster on her right thigh. She could have worn
it out in the open, but she preferred it this way. A gown, she said, was not
meant to be spoiled by a weapon. And many people simply did not expect what
they did not see. Her husband hadn't found any reason to argue with her,
even if he might have found it nice if she had openly displayed her status
as a Jedi Master at his side.
Luke shook himself out of these musings and forced his thoughts back into
reality. He was supposed to be the polite Jedi Master, the Jedi Ambassador
with perfected manners and with gratefulness for the celebration that was
held largely to his honour, even if he was by far not the only one that
would be cheered upon this evening.
"The Grand Chamber is situated in the middle of the building," The Chief
Secretary was saying. He was a small, heavy-set man with greying locks and
beady, grey eyes whose tone suggested that he was absolutely persuaded to
convey information Leia and her entourage had been dying to hear ever since
they had been born. "It has been built on the only floors that offer a free
view over the skyline. You will be most impressed by the arrangement. This
whole complex has been renovated according to Senator Rodan's personal
wishes only several weeks ago, and if I may say so, I think the Senator's
taste is superior."
A sound suspiciously resembling a snort escaped the tall figure of the
Corellian, but he had quickly covered his mouth and gave the Secretary a
look of suffering, "I'm sorry. A cold, you know. Very persistent."
"Of course," The Commenorian inclined his head frostily, but continued as if
nothing had happened, "I hope you will be recovered soon."
"Thank you so much," Han nodded with the kind of exaggerated acceptance that
could trigger a laughing fit in Luke whenever he did it, but the former
farmboy bit the inside of his cheek and felt his sister do the same. Mara
simply glided alongside him with a smirk on her face that she didn't bother
to hide.
After several more minutes of walking and listening to the brilliant changes
the Commenorian Senator had ordered to be made, they arrived at an elevator.
The Chief Secretary scurried forward and hammered a code into the key pad
next to it. The doors slid open and he bowed in deference. "Your Excellency,
General Solo, it was a pleasure to meet you. The elevator will bring you
straight to the Grand Chamber and Senator Rodan will be expecting you." He
turned and gave another bow, "Master Skywalker, Master Jade Skywalker, it
was an honour to me."
The words sounded as if he had studied them a thousand times in front of the
mirror. Luke was sure he had. No Commenorian politician had any more love
for the Jedi than the Senator himself. Luke was sure it was a basic
requirement for anyone who wanted to get into Rodan's staff.
He still nodded, still smiled, and only pursed his lips in annoyance when
the lift had started to move and they were alone for a while. "I'd really
prefer if they just told me in the face they hate that I'm here." There was
no bitterness to the statement. Luke simply despised this kind of hypocrisy
- mainly because it forced him to be a hyypocrite in turn.
"They hate that WE ALL are here," Leia said. She smiled, "You need to change
your attitude, dear brother. You need to start having FUN torturing them
with your presence."
Han grinned and kissed Leia's check, "I love you." The Princess laughed
softly and took his hand.
Luke, for his part, was shaking his head at his twin in mock-outrage, but
the twinkle in his eyes gave him away.
The lift descended for another few moments before it opened into the Grand
Chamber. The sudden onslaught of noise was deafening as they entered right
in the midst of hundreds of humans and non-humans. The hall was wide and
floored with black marble, just as all the corridors had been that they had
so far seen. Tables were strewn all over the place, arranging for groups of
six or ten to sit together. Servant droids were milling about with glasses
of wine and champagne.
A huge, round transparisteel window dominated the wall opposite the lifts.
It gave a view on the late afternoon skyline of this part of Coruscant City
and was an impressive background to the speaker's podium in front of it. It
was located on an elevated pedestal that curved about three meters into the
air and offered room for the speaker and for two more persons that could
wait next to the microphone.
The banners of the New Republic, stitched in gold onto midnight blue, hung
from the ceiling and if not for the dark colours that had been chosen, the
arrangement could have been quite charming.
Ere long, they spotted Fyor Rodan weaving his way through the crowd towards
them, as always splendid in expensive, pompous cloth. His eyes flashed ever
so shortly at Leia as he stepped before her and bowed curtly, but he had
noted the cold gazes that were aimed his way from both Han and Luke and
swallowed whatever audacity he had intended to let loose.
"Your Excellency, it is good to see you." The insincerity in his voice was
poorly concealed, but he did a good job of putting up a show for the benefit
of the guests that stood in close proximity. If it was at all possible, his
expression merged into an ever deeper form of disgust as he turned to Luke.
Yet he was guarded, doing an effort to project a harmless attitude.
Luke smiled in satisfaction - a satisfaction that only deepened when Rodan's
eyes flashed in correspondence to that gesture. The arrogant man knew very
well that Luke could feel the discomfort and the fear that he harboured. As
great as the rage towards the head of the Jedi Order was, Fyor Rodan could
not deny the power this man possessed and the dangerous enemy he could be.
The tall Senator's cheek twitched, but his self control was admirable.
"Master Skywalker. Master Jade Skywalker." He gave two more curt bows before
he straightened and made a wide gesture towards the speaker's podium.
"In light of the recent misunderstandings between Commenor and the Jedi, I
have taken the freedom to arrange for a slight change to the program," A
short glance to his right gave Rodan away. The holo-reporter was eagerly
assembling footage of the legendary Jedi Master, the famous General and the
adored Princess and Luke harboured the suspicion that Fyor would even go as
far as to embrace him if it served his public image.
Luke inclined his head, indicating that he was willing to listen.
Rodan sneered at him in the small moment the reporter was focused on Han.
The Jedi Master simply smiled.
"I thought it would be a symbol to the peoples of the New Republic if you
were to open the festivities, Master Skywalker."
Luke felt his eyes widen and was stunned speechless for a moment. Fyor
Rodan, who was just about violating every ounce of his personal honour code
to put up a nice face for the newsvids gave up on the honor to open the
celebration - which would have been his, really, as the host - to bestow it
upon one of the beings he hated most?
The world seemed to have turned upside down all of a sudden and Luke sent
his sister a stupefied, questioning gaze. Leia's surprise was as obvious as
his own must have been and she was mustering Rodan suspiciously. However,
there was no immediate reason why her twin should decline. It WOULD be an
impressive sign, no matter whether it was an honest one from Rodan's part or
not.
She nodded to Luke.
The Jedi Master turned to his wife and kissed her cheek. "Make sure there's
some sweetberry juice left by the time I get to our table." He said aloud.
In the Force, he added, 'Look out, will you?'
She nodded to him and pressed his hand, then watched him as he followed Fyor
Rodan on a winding line through the guests. Wherever he went, people bowed
and expressed their respect and admiration and Mara grinned as she felt Luke
battle down his embarrassment and the blush that wanted to colour his
cheeks. He would never get used to this and he would never enjoy it. She
shook her head - he was one of the most refreshing people she knew.
While she accompanied Leia and Han to their table, she never left him with
her eyes.
*~~
The view from the speaker's pedestal was astonishing. The whole chamber
seemed not as dark and gloomy anymore, regarded from an elevated vantage
point. As he mounted the steps, he noted that there was a wide, deepened
portion of the floor between the pedestal and the window.
Several rows of chairs and a number of instruments suggested it would be
there that the hired orchestra would perform once the celebration had been
opened and the guests of honor would be presented. For the moment, it was
empty.
It seemed specifically designed to hide the orchestra from the view of
guests. A small wall that was overflowing with greenery did not even give
any hint as to what was behind.
The whole arrangement seemed weird to Luke and set his senses on fire, but
he could not place his suspicions. Everything seemed wrong and not as he had
expected it to be and he became aware of the scowl that had worked its way
onto his features.
He made an effort to wipe it off his face and mounted the speaker's podium
as Rodan gestured for him to do so.
Seeing the Jedi Master in person, the crowd fell silent and turned expectant
gazes towards him. He saw Mara, Leia and Han settle at a table in the middle
of the room. His sister was smiling at him, sending her encouragement. Mara
was doing much the same and Han was crossing his arms in front of his chest
and cocked an eyebrow, a mock-challenge that had Luke bite the inside of his
cheek once more.
Steeling himself for what was to come, Luke folded his hands over his
stomach and opened his mouth. He was halfway through the very first word
when he saw Fyor Rodan scurry away from the pedestal as fast as he could
without making it obvious.
The doubt within him morphed into a full blown hunch of disaster - there was
no time to react.
*~~
The explosions came out of the blue. Strategically placed charges ripped
apart whatever was in their way - tables, chairs, living beings.
The hall that had been bathed in the hushed reverence the crowd had held for
the Jedi Master erupted into terrified screams and howls of pain. Dust was
rising quickly and obscured the cameras that had been built into the
ceiling.
He glanced down on the small display of his remote. All explosives had
successfully detonated.
He pressed another button on the device and a red line appeared on it. He
nodded to his underlings and started moving. The time of revenge was close
and all the pieces set for a phenomenal success.
His eyes narrowed in anticipation. All of his servants had their orders. And
he had a goal in mind with not as much time as he'd have liked to reach it.
----------------- To be Continued...(next chpater NC-17)