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‘Kriff! I’m going to die of heat exhaustion,’ Corran Horn thought as he gazed out through a thin opening in the black silicon fabric that surrounded his current hillside observation post. The lookout point was nothing more than a hollow rock shelter overlooking the Bankort Valley on the rimworld planet Teorra. To keep his shelter hidden it was wrapped in a thin, flexible, thermal barrier capable of obscuring a person’s heat signature from active and passive sensors. Unfortunately, but it also made the interior of the hiding spot unbearably hot.
Corran looked over to his friend sitting beside him and frowned. “How come you’re not sweating?”
Jedi Master Luke Skywalker smiled knowingly. “Corran, I’m from Tatooine. This is Tatooine light-coat weather.”
“It is also Corellia heat stroke weather,” Corran groused as he looked out the opening in the fabric to a winding road running through the valley below. “I still think we could have used probe droids to recon the valley.”
Luke shook his head. “The Tzag-tik crime syndicate is careful. They heavily scout out their convoy route before they move their human cargo. They would be able to detect our sensors, but what they can’t sense is someone scanning the area using the Force. We need to stop their slave trafficking operation.”
Corran gave a curt nod knowing his master was right. He decided to change the subject to something a little more lighthearted. “Mirax has a cousin visiting next month. You should meet her. She’s single, your age, and good looking.”
The Jedi Master frowned. “Corran, you are as bad as my sister. Why does everybody want to hook me up with random women. I am capable of getting my own dates…if I so desired.”
Corran wiped away the sweat dripping down his forehead. “I know that Luke, but it has been two years since the fiasco with Mara Jade and you haven’t ventured back into the dating pool since.”
Luke turned away from his friend and Corran flinched when he felt Luke close himself off in the Force. He sighed deeply, knowing the mention of the past situation might be painful to his friend.
“First off,” Luke finally said. “There was no fiasco with Mara. She just got tired of the sludge media making up stories about us.”
“No fiasco? She left the academy in a huff. She won’t even deliver supplies we purchase from Talon Karrde’s organization; she gets Aves or Chin to fly cargo to the Academy. Face it, she avoids you like the plague.” He reached out and put a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “All your students could see how much she meant to you. You might deny it, but it was obvious you really liked her. Luke, I consider Mara my friend…so I don’t want to speak ill of her, but you can’t spend the rest of your life pinning over somebody that would rather cut ties with you than endure the ever-present paparazzi that follows you around whenever you’re in the public eye.”
“Corran, don’t judge her!” Luke shot back. “The Galactic Herald had photo-manipulated absolutely scandalous and indecent photos of us supposedly…” Luke stopped and shook his head. “They were making up vulgar stories about two people who were platonic friends. I could see them alluding to something more passionate if we were at least dating, but we were only good friends at the time. Mara and I both knew that if we did become more than friends the stories would become more shocking and lewder. I’m a public figure. I have to endure the media frenzy, but if I could I would happily live my life in obscurity. I don’t blame Mara for opting for a quieter life.”
Corran shrugged not knowing exactly what to say to make his friend feel better. Suddenly, his head jerked to the side when he sensed something in the force. He turned and looked at Luke wide-eyed. “I sense Mara! Sithspit, it’s like she knew I was talking about her.”
“She might have.” Luke smirked. “Don’t underestimate her power in the Force. She scares me sometimes.”
“Frack! Something bad must have happened for her to show up here.” Corran pulled on his lightweight mimetic suit in preparation to meet her. “I’ll go out and see what’s the problem.” He activated his stealth suit and crawled out of his hiding place and walked through the rough brush and trees in the direction he sensed his old friend.
He had gone less than a half kilometer when he saw her step out from the shadows wearing a Dark Cloak…a stealth outfit that was once used by Imperial assassins.
“Mara, what’s wrong? Is there a problem back in the core?” he asked anxiously.
Mara peered out from under her hood. “Corran, you wife started having contractions. It might be false labor, but the doctors think she could give birth soon. I was nearby so I volunteered to relieve you.”
“She’s three weeks early. Is the baby alright?”
“The doctors didn’t seem too concerned.” She pointed in a southernly direction. “You can take my swoop bike at the end of this trail. It isn’t exactly stealth, but his has exhaust bafflers and a thermal distorter to reduce the heat signature. You should be able to get out of here and to your ship without blowing your cover. After the mission I’ll get Luke out of here on my ship.”
“Okay,” he nodded, anxious to get to his wife, but then hesitated. “Mara, I know you had a falling out with Luke, but be nice to him. I can tell he feels terrible about that nasty story the Galactic Herald ran.”
Mara’s face was partially concealed by the cloak, but Corran could see a hint of a smile. “Don’t worry Corran. I’ll be gentle with the Jedi Master. You need to get home to your pregnant wife. You may be able to get there in time for the birth.”
Corran smiled widely. “Thanks Mara.” He then took off down the trail.
Mara pulled her cloak around her tightly before moving toward Luke’s location.
.
.
As she slipped into the concealed observation position the sun was starting to set causing the sky to light up in a beautiful orangish-red glow. She nodded to the Jedi as she settled down in the canvas folding chair vacated by Corran. “Skywalker,” she said softly as she dropped the hood of her cloak revealing her red gold hair and piercing green eyes.
He glanced over to her and smiled. “Good to see you again, Mara. What’s the reason for this surprise visit?”
She stood and looked out the slit of the silicon fabric to watch the sun settle over the valley below. “Corran’s wife went into labor early. I was the closest Force-user in the area.”
Luke closed his eyes and shook his head. “How exactly did the Academy figure out you were nearby?”
“They didn’t.” She gave a halfhearted shrug. “Mirax is my friend. I may have told her I was going to be in this area…for a supply run.”
He made a half smirk, half incredulous expression. “Really? Is that the story you went with? You told Mirax you would be traveling in the same quadrant as me and her husband and she didn’t find that strange?”
She turned, crossed her arms across her chest and glowered at him. “Why would she find that strange?”
Luke chuckled under his breath. “Why? Because there are no trade hubs near this rimworld cesspool, that’s why. We are literally located at the edge of the galaxy. Aren’t you afraid she’s going to think you are some lovelorn stalker longing after the sexy Jedi master?” He gave her a mischievous wink before flashing a devastating smile.
She barked out a scathing laugh. “No, I’m not afraid that she’s going to believe that.”
Luke didn’t let the subject drop. “With you conveniently nearby, she might believe you are having an affair with her husband.”
She made a pffft sound. “Not likely.”
His eyes narrowed as he stared at her intently. “You told her, didn’t you?”
Mara’s mouth pressed down into a thin line before she threw her hands up in the air. “Yes,” she admitted before settling down in her seat. “She’s my best friend.”
He chuckled. “I thought the former Emperor’s Hand would be better at keeping secrets.”
“I guess I’m getting lackadaisical when it comes to operational security.” She rose from her seat and moved to Luke before dropping down on his lap and kissing him soundly. Luke eagerly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight and deepening the kiss. She moaned in pleasure as his expert touch brought every nerve ending to life. After a long lustful moment, she untangled herself from his arms, stood, and started peeling off layers of clothing.
Luke’s brow shot up. “As tempting as it is, Mara, we can’t make love here. This mission is too important for distractions…even incredibly hot distractions.”
She gave him an exasperated look. “Hot is the keyword. I have no intention of having sex in this sauna. I’m trying to strip down to shorts and shirt, so I don’t get heat exhaustion.”
Luke opened his mouth to say something, but Mara silenced him with a warning glare. “I swear Luke, if you say this a Tatooine parka weather I will turn to the darkside and neuter you with my lightsaber.”
The Jedi Master made a show of closing his mouth firmly before breaking out in a wide grin. “We don’t want that. After this mission I’d like to bring you back to our ship and help you get cooled off before I warm you up again.”
She rolled her eyes as she shrugged off her camouflage coveralls revealing loose shorts and a sleeveless undershirt. “Our ship?”
“You have to admit, that’s my home away from home. I have my own closet. My toothbrush sits next to yours in the ‘fresher. Plus, I paid to have that oversized bed installed in the main cabin.”
She heaved a sigh. “Okay, maybe it can be considered ours.”
She settled back down in her seat, but then stood quickly. She turned and looked at the canvas back of the chair. “Why is the chair wet?”
Luke glanced over. “I think that’s Corran’s back sweat.”
She made a noise of disgust before moving to Luke and dropping back onto his lap.
“So,” he said slowly. “Why exactly did you tell Mirax we’re an item?”
She shrugged. “I was with her talking about the pregnancy and I started thinking about our situation. Hiding our love affair is fairly easy. I meet you at random spaceports, we fly around the galaxy making love, and nobody is the wiser…but if I wanted something more…if I ever wanted kids…that kind of life would be impossible to conceal.”
Luke’s jaw dropped. “You want kids?”
She averted her eyes. “I don’t know. It could be Mirax’s pregnancy hormones are rubbing off on me. The feeling might pass as soon as I hear her screaming baby and get a whiff of a soiled diaper.”
He embraced her as a grin split his face. “Then I better keep you away from the Horn’s shrieking and defecating bundle of joy…because I love the idea of children.”
She giggled as he leaned in and nibbled her earlobe. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“Are you saying you want to go public with our relationship?”
She thought about it for a long moment before nodding. “Yes.”
“Do you want to slowly let people see us out on the town…or should we reveal that we eloped last year?”
She laughed slow and easy. “Why don’t we let your family know the truth now and then gradually let the public see us together.”
Luke nuzzled her neck before asking, “What if the Galactic Herald writes another Imperial dominatrix/Jedi Master story.”
She blew out a frustrated breath. “I got upset over them writing lies. Now that we are a couple…it may not bother me as much.”
“Good.” Luke leaned forward and left a trail of kisses along her collarbone. “You know, if the lying part is what upset you about the Galactic Herald story…well, you do have leather outfits and I can buy some fur-lined stuncuffs and make that fictitious story a reality.”
She smirked. “Once we’re done with this mission and off this sweltering hill…maybe I’ll take you up on that offer, husband mine.”
His blue eyes lit up with passion. “I look forward to it.”