The Kiss

by Aria

Chapter 7

The persistent beeping of the incoming call resonated throughout Mara's suite. It was a full thirty seconds before a disoriented Mara disentangled herself from Luke's embrace and in a sleep induced state, made her way to the comm center.

Her hands fumbled on the access panel before she was able to strike the right key. When she finally managed to do so, Gavean Trent's handsome face instantly appeared on the screen.

"Sleeping in, Gorgeous?" he asked, his smile revealing a set of perfectly white teeth.

Mara tried to focus her vision and wipe the sleep from her eyes. "Why in Hoth would you be calling at this ungodly hour, Gavean?" she asked, irritated by his sunny demeanor, "Haven't you got anything better to do with your time?"

She stretched her limbs sensuously, then caught a glimpse of the man still sleeping on her sofa. His right arm was slung over his head and his right leg had slipped off the couch altogether. She could also make out tufts of blonde hair peeking out from behind a couple of the cushions. Mara smiled softly.

"Take a look at your chrono, Mara. It's mid morning!"

Gavean had continued talking but Mara had stopped listening. Memories of Luke's sweet admissions the night before flooded her mind as she watched him sleep, just feet from where she sat. A warm feeling enveloped her and her smile widened. Unconsciously, she wrapped her arms around herself and sighed.

"Mara…?"

Still no response.

"Mara!" Trent all but yelled into the comm unit, his curiosity peeked. Mara Jade was not easily distracted, no matter how early in the day. Something was diverting her attention. Or perhaps, it was someone…

"What is it?" she bit back, annoyed at having been pulled out of her reverie.

Trent skewered her with a quizzical stare. During the last couple of days, he had heard the rumors making their way throughout the former Imperial City of Coruscant. Mara had been seen dining out with the New Republic's Golden Boy, Luke Skywalker. He had initially brushed aside the comments, attributing them to idle gossip. After all, the two had already worked together on a number of missions - always in a military capacity - and had developed a reputation as one hell of a team. Personally, however, their relationship was known to be volatile and adversarial.

That didn't come as a surprise to Gavean. He had known Mara for a number of years and knew her to be fiercely independent. Her only loyalty, it could be argued, was to Karrde and his organization. Still, glancing at her now there was no escaping the realization that there something definitely different about her. An air of peace and tranquility flowed from her, even though her hair was a tangled mess and her cheeks were flushed.

He made a mental note to investigate the matter further before continuing. He needed Mara to get access to the New Republic's administrators if he was to make the break into the Core System's trade organization. Even if she was unwilling to render him any assistance, she was still his ticket to convincing Karrde to put in a good word on his behalf. One way or another, he needed Mara Jade.

From the sofa, Luke Skywalker listened to the conversation intently, straining to catch every word being said. More importantly, stretching his senses to register and interpret every nuance of Mara's voice.

Gavean Trent. Where did he know that name from and why was he calling Mara this early in the morning? An odd feeling made its way through his body and settled in the pit of his stomach. As the conversation continued, the feeling intensified. Soon, jealousy and anger intertwined and rose within him to color his neck and cheeks.

Ruefully, he reflected on just how quickly things seemed to change in his life. The death of his foster parents, the destruction of the first Death Star and the beginning of his journey to learn the ways of the Force now seemed like a blur to him. Just as quickly he had completed his training, confronted his father, learned that Leia was his twin and battled for his life aboard the second Death Star.

The emergence of his Jedi Academy had come on the heels of the fall of the Empire and the establishment of a new government. Since then, his life had been a long series of wars and battles for the control of a galaxy that had been without any justice or order for a generation. His body and spirit bore the scars of his continuing struggle to right the wrongs his father and Palpatine had unleashed on a thousand worlds - unspeakable horrors that had led to the suffering of millions of sentient and non-sentient species.

And now here he was, fighting to control feelings of jealousy and possessiveness over a woman he had known for almost a decade. In fact, he felt as if his chances for love and happiness hung on the words being spoken a few feet from where he lay, pretending to be asleep. A conversation, he noted regretfully, that he had no business eavesdropping on in the first place.

He marveled at how his life continued to take him by surprise.

Mara concluded her conversation, abruptly cutting Trent off for the second time in just as many days, and Luke released a sigh of relief. She had mentioned Karrde's name and so, he reasoned, the call had been of a business related nature.

Gathering her composure, she made her way back to the sofa and sat on the edge, reaching out to sweep a strand of hair from his face. Luke opened his eyes, smiled and admired the woman sitting next to him. The sun streaking through the windows caught strands of her hair and set them ablaze. He reached out and wordlessly pulled her gently down to lie beside him.

Ten years, he reminded himself yet again. How had her incredible beauty escaped his notice?

"I'd love to just lay around here with you, Jedi," Mara whispered, looking down as her index finger traced a line down the center of his chest, stopping at his stomach, "but I've business to attend to."

He reacted instantly to her touch and Mara pulled her hand away, slightly embarrassed by her brashness. Since when had she felt comfortable enough with Luke Skywalker to caress his body like that?

Luke brought his lips to the top of her head and whispered into her hair, ignoring her bashfulness. "I've a couple of matters to attend to myself. Not the least of which is to review the new list of addendums to the Firrerrean peace accord. Still," he added, "I'd much rather stay here with you."

"You'd have better luck striking up a treaty between the New Republic and the remnants of the Empire, Farmboy!" Mara responded chuckling.

"Meet me for lunch later then?" he asked meekly.

Mara pulled her head away and glanced at her chrono. "That's only a couple of hours away, Skywalker. I need to put in a full day of work on these accounts and transmit some status reports to Karrde before the trade conference. The man doesn't pay me to sit around Coruscant and keep you company!"

"Dinner then?" Luke asked undeterred, his face erupting into that heart-melting grin that sent the butterflies in her stomach aflutter. He lifted her chin with one finger and rested his forehead on hers.

She smiled, but kept her gaze downcast. There was no resisting Skywalker when he was like this, she'd discovered. It was one thing to bicker and banter with him when he was spewing his Jedi philosophy at her, but when he was Luke - just plain, Farmboy turned Rogue Squadron pilot - he was damned near irresistible.

She wondered just how many women he had made feel the same way.

Mara looked up from behind her lashes and raised one eyebrow at him, doing her best to affect an air of doubt and indecisiveness she didn't really feel.

"C'mon, Mara," he whispered, moving her hair aside to reveal her neck before planting a kiss on the soft skin beneath her jaw. Her skin erupted into a series of goose bumps and she made a half-hearted attempt to break away from him, laughing as he tightened his grip with one hand and ticked her ribs with another.

She struggled a bit harder, trying in vain to control her fit of laughter but Luke managed to grab a hold of both of her hands in one of his own and continued his assault. They both writhed, giggled and tried to outdo the other for several minutes before a winded Mara mockingly brought one of her knees to his crotch. Competition, it appeared, would always be at the heart of their relationship.

"You win!" he conceded, releasing her hands and holding his palms up in a show of defeat.

"I thought so," she responded just as he brought his arm around to the small of her back and pressed his lips to hers in a feather light kiss. He followed it with another, softly taking her upper lip between his own and nipping at it gently.

"Say you'll have dinner with me, Mara," he entreated, his blue eyes boring into hers, pleading for her give in.

This time, she didn't look away and simply nodded in agreement. As she stood, she offered him her hand which he took and brought to his lips.

Once on their feet, they continued to gaze longingly at one another, their hands intertwined, neither knowing what to say, but both relieved that they had resolved their latest argument. After what seemed like an eternity, Luke placed a kiss on her cheek and made his way to the door.

"1900 hours?" he asked, taking a moment to glance behind him. Mara stood where he had left her and nodded again, smiling softly.

Luke grinned from ear to ear and exited her suite, his heart so full of joy he felt sure it would burst. He was a block away before he noticed the strange glances he was getting from alien and human alike. Looking down at himself for the first time, he was shocked to discover that he had been making his way in nothing but his old pair of swimming trunks and little else.

***

"He was what?" Leia Organa Solo screamed incredulously at her husband who stood before her with the look of a man on the brink of a fit of laughter.

"That's what I hear, Sweetheart," he responded chuckling so hard Leia had a hard time making out the words, "Kid was seen bouncing out of her apartment in his skivvies in broad daylight!"

Leia's mouth hung open and she shook her head disbelievingly. "Han, it couldn't have been him," she argued, turning away and taking a couple of steps to sit on the couch, "It doesn't even sound like Luke!"

Han cocked his head at his wife and tried to cover his grin with his hand. "He's a grown man, Leia," he reminded her softly, "he's a right to a little diversion if the woman in question is amenable."

"Not that part, you old Pirate!" she scolded him, "the part about him walking around in his underwear!"

"Well, wasn't exactly in his underwear. More like his swimming trunks or some such thing," he clarified, waving his hand in the air dismissively.

Han watched as Leia processed the information. Leave it to Luke to get his sister this up in arms about one thing or another. Still, he had to hand it to the Kid. If he had managed to bed Mara Jade, and survived the task, he was certainly due another medal for bravery in the line of duty. It was his apparent lack of discretion that had surprised Solo. That was certainly not like Luke. Grown man or not, Han knew Luke to be modest and reserved - if not about his flying ability, then definitely about his private life. It had been months before the family had been informed that Callista had left the academy and even then, Luke had refused his sister's repeated invitations and had chosen to remain working on Yavin.

He sat on the arm of the sofa and looked down at his wife who was still having difficulty digesting the information. He couldn't be sure which part of it bothered her most - the fact that Luke was finally emerging from his self-imposed reclusion after the Callista debacle without her help, or that it had been Mara Jade, and not she, who had helped him do so. Either way, the Kid was in for some serious flak from his twin and of that, Han Solo was certain.

"This has gone far enough," he heard Leia mutter, her arms crossed determinedly. He knew that look all too well. "It's time I had a talk with my little brother."

Han let out a sigh and shook his head. "Sweetheart, leave the man alone. Isn't it about time he joined the land of the living?"

His brother-in-law had been the galaxy's "go to guy" for too long and in Han's estimation, the kid was more than overdue for some recreation - even if it did come by way of the most dangerous woman in the galaxy. Hell! In that regard, it appeared both were ideally suited for one another. If nothing else, both of them had been born lacking the self-preservation gene.

"Han, you don't know Luke the way I do," Leia tried to reason with her husband, setting her hand on his knee. "He's a kind, gentle man! A woman like Mara Jade can't possibly appreciate such qualities!"

Han Solo took objection to his wife's comment. Luke was like a blood-brother to him, but arguing about it with her wasn't going to get him anywhere so he shrugged his shoulders in response and contemplated the situation. Luke was a man like any other and as such, was just susceptible to charms of a beautiful woman - Jedi or not. And they didn't come more visually striking than Mara Jade. Besides, if anyone could tame that spitfire, it was Luke. His Brother-in-Law could talk residents of Hoth into buying ice cream if the mood struck him.

"He may be just the kind of man she needs, Leia. The all mighty Empire is a thing of the past and the galaxy doesn't have much need for former Emperor's Hands, y'know!"

"Besides," he continued, raising his palm before his wife could interrupt, "she and the Kid work well together."

Leia's eyes widened and she threw him a questioning glance. "I know, I know…so they argue and fight like Hutts most of the time. Point is, sweetheart, they understand each other."

"I don't know, Han…"

"Look at it this way," he concluded, reaching out to pull her head against his thigh and caress her cheek. "Who else could put up with either of them for long?"

Leia pulled back from him roughly and stood to glare at her husband in mocked disbelief. She hated to admit it, but he was starting to make sense. Even so, it was best she have a talk with Luke regarding the matter. Deciding to court Mara Jade was one thing, but a Jedi walking around the Galaxy's seat of government in his underwear was quite another.

***

Another long day of negotiations, and the Firrerreans were no closer to settling their discord with the Sullustans than they were the week before. A group of New Republic officials, along with a tired and frustrated Luke Skywalker exited the meeting chamber and exchanged glances. Time was running out and if no agreement could be reached, chances were that the Firrerreans would be taking matters into their own hands, as it were. Already they had intimated as much, and true to form, the Sullustans had responded in kind. Of course, both sides were in agreement over one thing: the new government was not doing all it could to do right by either side.

Luke squeezed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger and exhaled a rush of air from his lungs. This was not where he needed to be, he told himself. He was needed at the Academy, where he could unburden Corran from his rigorous schedule of all-day classes and surround himself with people whom he understood and whose questions he could answer.

But what of Mara?

He knew that a herd of rabid Banthas couldn't drag her to Yavin IV under any conceivable circumstance, though he was sure she'd learn to enjoy the peace and quiet that several secluded spots on that planet could afford. If she could only get past his group of devotees, as she called them, and their philosophical discussions.

"Missing Yavin IV?" he heard a female voice ask.

Luke looked up to see his diminutive sister leaning against one of the massive black stone pillars decorating the Imperial palace's mezzanine. His face lit up by a bright smile but he could immediately see that the gesture was not returned. Instead, his sister's eyes remained locked on his, her head tilted to the side, and a conspiratorial expression was etched on her face.

"Trouble?" he asked as he neared her. He could sense nothing of the sort from her but knew that something had to be amiss for her to appear out of nowhere in the middle of the day.

"For you, maybe, little brother," she responded, reaching up and pulling him down for a kiss on the cheek. "Especially if the rumors I keep hearing are true."

Luke looked down at his twin and couldn't help but break into a smile that extended from ear to ear. Leia didn't have to ask another word. The joy that emanated from him spoke volumes and her own heart swelled in response. No matter what her opinion of Mara Jade was, it warmed her to see her brother so happy. Immediately, the irritation she had felt earlier melted, and she hooked her arm around his and began to lead him out of the building and to a place where they could talk quietly.

***

"I wasn't in my underwear, Leia!" Luke told her for the third time in a row, exasperated by her questions, "I was wearing my swimming trunks!"

Brother and sister sat side by side on a courtyard bench overlooking the government center. Luke dropped his head into his hands and sighed in frustration.

"We'd had an argument," he continued, "and I rushed off after her to straighten things out before she could…"

"Blast out of Coruscant?" she finished for him. Typical Mara, she thought to herself. She also thought about the number of times one or the other had run off after a disagreement. This whole matter should have come as no surprise to her, she realized. The signs had all been there; she had just been too busy to notice. Suddenly, she felt guilty for not having taken more of an interest in her brother's life.

"Don't, Leia," he whispered, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and squeezing her against him, "It's not up to you to take care of me, you know…even if you are the oldest."

Leia looked up at her brother and smiled. It had never been determined what the order of their birth had been but if behavior were any indication, it was almost a certainty that Leia had been the first born. The over protectiveness she felt for her brother had been a constant in their relationship before they even knew of their parentage. Her assumed status as the older sibling had become her trump card, and their own private joke.

"I'm older, that's why!" she would assert whenever they disagreed over anything.

"But I'm bigger," would be his reply.

Now, she looked at her brother's face and was filled with the hope that his happiness would last. Knowing the both of them like she thought she did, if the process of falling in love didn't kill them, they might have a chance at a long-lasting relationship.

"Just promise me you'll be careful," she pleaded, resting her head on his shoulder.

"What's there to be careful about?" he asked, wrinkling his brow. "I'm dating a woman, not going off to battle."

"She tried to kill you once," Leia reminded him. "Or have you managed to forget that's how you met in the first place?"

"She still is," he answered sheepishly, a huge grin on his face. "She's just using a different method!"

Leia pulled away from his embrace, mouth agape, "Luke Skywalker! You've been hanging around Han too long!"

***

For the next couple of weeks, Luke and Mara settled into an easy routine of early afternoon lunches, various dinner dates and almost nightly work sessions, during which they would both settle in one of their suites and work quietly, side by side, stopping only to order dinner and have it brought to them.

It was the work sessions that Luke enjoyed most. Though very little was said between them, just being in her company made him as happy as a Jawa in a droid parts bazaar. Once in a while, he would reach out and impulsively caress her cheek, forcing her attention away from her data pad then pull her in for a kiss, before she would push him away good-naturedly and go back to her work. If it was a good night, and their work was done, he'd succeed in leading her out to the balcony by the hand and wrap his arms around her while they stared out at the night sky. It was these moments filled with kisses and gentle caresses that were the most cherished by him and they sustained him on the days when her demeanor was not quite as agreeable.

Then there were the little things he did to brighten her mood, like arranging for her favorite dessert to be brought to the suite while they worked. Or the various and sundry parts he'd show up with for the Jade's Fire to improve its performance, navigational system or handling. Mara Jade didn't spare herself any expense when it came to her ship, but Luke always managed to come up with something she hadn't thought of.

Once, he'd even shown up with a beautifully wrapped box of green gem-studded hair clips, which he stated, would look beautiful against her red-gold hair. She was amazed that Luke had taken notice of the way she continually pleated her hair behind her head as she worked, only to have it eventually fall out of the braid and back onto her face again. The mere thought of Luke Skywalker trouncing around in a ladies' accessory store was enough to send her into hysterics and for a moment, she was afraid she had hurt his feelings.

But his universe had righted itself when she had shown up at his apartment the following evening, wearing the clips, along with a dark green top to match. Luke's smile lit up the entire room and she was once again taken aback at how easy it was to please this man who ostensibly, held the power of the galaxy in his hands.

During their nights out, Luke would always contrive to walk instead of taking a transport so that he could extend their time spent together. Of course, Mara was aware of his tactics and of the motivation behind it, but she allowed him to have his way nonetheless. On occasion, she'd even concede to him holding her hand as they walked, especially if the streets appeared relatively empty and quiet. While walking back to their suites, Luke would coax her to a window display or some such curiosity, only to pull her into a darkened corner or alley way and steal a kiss. Mara would pretend to be appalled by his behavior and try to pull away from him but deep down, she secretly waited for those moments with a great deal of anticipation.

When she allowed herself to reflect on their newfound relationship, Mara had to admit that she was enjoying herself immensely. No other man had ever paid her so much attention - not without wanting something in return. More importantly, she liked how his whole universe seemed to revolve around her, and her alone. Mara Jade was used to commanding attention, but usually it was through fear and intimidation, never from simply existing. It was a feeling she was beginning to appreciate.

Then there were the intense moments when his soft kisses, which always started as innocent signs of affection, deepened and immediately sent her body into a flurry of mixed emotions. There was no denying her lightning quick reaction to his touch and she had to fight to control the overwhelming desire to simply go along with the demands of her body and heart, and ignore the apprehension of her rational mind.

It was during those tense minutes when both their hearts thumped loudest in their chests, and their bodies melded together seamlessly, that she could feel Luke's hopes soar. In the battle that ensued between her heart, body and mind, it was her mind that always won out, forcing her to break away from his embrace. His disappointment was almost palpable but he never failed to defer to her wishes. Instead, he'd cradle her loosely in his arms and sigh contentedly, forcing his body to cool down.

As their slow courtship continued, both were oblivious to the continued rumors and heated debates regarding their alleged relationship. The topic of conversation might have been on the lips of every life form inhabiting the galaxy's government center, but nobody was foolish enough to dare approach either of them about the matter.

If the inhabitants of Coruscant had a new rumor to keep them entertained, the Senate and other governing bodies were paralyzed with worry and trepidation as the news spread and gathered momentum. Having their hero and resident Jedi work alongside the unscrupulous Mara Jade for the benefit of the New Republic was an acceptable, if not always desirable, circumstance. However, the mere thought of a possible romantic attachment between the two, struck fear into the hearts of many and invoked visions of a disastrous and imminent fall from grace for the Jedi - and for the rest of the galaxy.

There were many who reasoned that his sister, the Chief of State, would never allow for such a union to take place. Still, there were just as many who questioned if the former Princess of Alderaan would have the ability to deter a Jedi with such a powerful command of the Force from doing anything he set his mind to - even if that Jedi was her twin brother.

***

As the Trade Conference date approached, Mara's workload increased. The fact that she would not be in attendance didn't spare her the task of preparing the summary reports that would be required if Karrde was to negotiate intelligently for the most profitable routes and wealthier Core systems' business. That Talon would arrive on Coruscant just in time to attend the event while she had done the Gamorrean's share of the preparatory work did not upset Mara in the least. The fact that Talon entrusted the information gathering side of their operation to her suited her beautifully. Besides, she considered herself better designed for the surreptitious fact finding side of their organization than she was for the glitzy, smooth-talking show that Karrde would have to put on in order to negotiate with the oily politicians and business owners that attended these conferences.

What she was beginning to resent was the fact that her increasing workload had kept her away from Luke for several evenings. She would have rather take her chances in a Sarlacc pit than admit it, but she had become accustomed to his warm and comforting presence, which seemed to envelop her in a protective cocoon whenever he was nearby. She had even come to miss his pleas for a kiss here and there, and his passion for late evening walks to his greenhouse, where he would labor and fuss over those Cyandria flowers that Mara knew for certain, would never bloom.

Still, it amused her to sit and listen to him rattle off plant-life facts and weave in stories of his childhood spent on Tatooine. They were small tid bits of a personal history filled with the cuts, scrapes and mishaps of most kids and their adventures at that age. But they were also the tales of a young boy, an outcast, who spent his days daydreaming about becoming a pilot, while being misunderstood and ridiculed by his friends and caregivers. It was a childhood, she reflected, much the same as her own.

Simply put, she missed him deeply.

She had even found herself expectantly looking around as she worked, hoping that he would show up with his blue eyes full of mischief, to whisk her away for a couple of hours. Unfortunately, the peace negotiations he had been mediating had also added to the time they were forced to spend apart.

Two days! She reminded herself. Two days and the conference would be over and her life would return to normal. What she suddenly realized was that now, normal meant sharing her life with Luke Skywalker.

Mara shook her head and cast the notion out of her mind. She had work to concentrate on, reports to compile and…

"Blast it!" she spit out through clenched teeth, looking at her chrono. Talon would be arriving in an hour and she had agreed to meet him at his docking bay for an update on several late changing accounts. Mara chastised herself for her carelessness. It wasn't like her to miss appointments or have details slip her mind so easily. Then again, it wasn't like her to while away her time thinking about a man, either.

Irritated, she slammed her data pad closed and rushed out of her suite. If she hurried, she could still catch him before he was cleared by customs. Thankfully, with Talon, customs checks ran longer than the tails on a T'wilek!

***

As she neared the Custom's bay, a lone figure distanced itself from the crowd and began making its way to her. Gavean Trent's large frame undulated as he walked, his long legs rounding to the side as he took each step. There was cadence of self-reliance to his gait that had always rubbed Mara the wrong way. Had she still been in service to the Emperor, she would have arranged for Trent's disappearance - and the galaxy would have been the better for it.

Instantly, she could hear Luke's words in her head. That's the dark side talking, Mara!

Mara folded her arms before her and stood squarely to await him to make his way to her.

"Just what do you think you're doing here, Gavean?" she asked. In the past week, she had seen Gavean Trent enough times to last her a lifetime.

"Red!" he exclaimed, reaching for her hand, his smile widening. "What a pleasure it is to see you…again!" His dark eyebrows arched and Mara felt a pull at the pit of her stomach. The man simply repulsed her.

She kept her arms folded and glared at him, "Cut the Bantha fodder, Gavean. I don't see any wealthy widows in the near vicinity, what brings you?"

"Actually, gorgeous, I should be asking you the same thing," he whispered, leaning in slightly, "I don't see the vaulted Luke Skywalker anywhere so, ah, what brings you here?"

Mara's heart skipped a rapid beat, but she maintained her demeanor. The gears in her mind, however, were spinning furiously.

"Speak Basic, Gavean!" she seethed, " What are you talking about?"

"Why, my dear," he continued, bowing his head even lower to whisper seductively into her ear, "the word is out all over Coruscant! From Emperor's Hand to Skywalker's concubine, they say. You certainly don't skip a beat, do…"

Mara's closed fist connected with his windpipe before he was able to finish the sentence. His body bowed forward from the waist and he fell to one knee, clutching at his throat as he did so and gasping brokenly for breath.

Numerous pairs of eyes turned their attention to the scene before them just as Mara began patting Gavean's back.

"You really should stay away from the cuisine here, Trent!" she shouted over his retching. "It's not for those lacking intestinal fortitude."

She helped him to his feet, fixed him with an angry glare and pushed him towards the exit. Halfway there she issued another shove into the center of his back and watched him stumble out of the double doors and into the corridor.

Her head was swimming as she turned to walk toward to custom's waiting area.

'Skywalker's concubine,' her mind repeated, 'from Emperor's Hand to Skywalker's concubine…'

She could feel her face flush hot and she was convinced all eyes were still on her as she tried to steady her gait. She looked down at her hands and noted that they trembled with barely contained anger.

'Not his friend, nor his work partner but his…concubine! The whole of Coruscant, and by now the galaxy at large, considered her Luke Skywalker's concubine!'

There was a time when Mara Jade commanded respect and compliance throughout Coruscant - if not through the strength of her own reputation, then certainly through her intimate connection to the Emperor and his great power. The Empire's finest assassin had her position firmly entrenched in the upper echelons of the government's military as her Lord and Master's most secret weapon. Now, she was simply being referred to as Skywalker's concubine…his whore.

It was too much to be assimilated at once.

Talon Karrde caught a glimpse of flaming red-gold hair and instantly recognized his second in command through the crowd.

"Mara!" he shouted, raising his arm and trying to weave in and out of the bodies.

She looked up at the sound of her name and spotted Talon, impeccably outfitted, making his way to her.

She took in a deep breath and stood erect, silently thanking the gods for the crowds that would afford her a couple of extra seconds to compose herself.

Talon finally reached her and with a lopsided grin, took her arm and began leading away from the throng of people. "So," he asked, pulling her closer by the arm. "What's this I hear about you and Skywalker?"

On to Chapter 8