Chapter Two - Friendship

Luke had returned into the kitchen but the image of Mara clad in only one of his towels would not leave his mind. He had thought she would wear her usual attire not something as intimate as a towel and a familiar though long forgotten feeling surged through his body.

"It's just Jade," he whispered to himself as he stirred the contents in the pan but try as he might the image of a freshly showered Jade wrapped up in a towel still danced around in his mind. Luke wondered if her skin felt as creamy and soft as it had looked like and frowning he tried to suppress his errant line of thinking.

But the image lingered and with a sigh, Luke squeezed his eyes shut to get rid of it but the image of her towel clad body seemed to have burned into his retinas. With a groan, he let the fork fall into the pan and braced his arms against the edges of his cooking unit.

A Jedi feels no passion, he recited silently, calming his troubling thoughts with this little mantra. He didn't know how it had happened but recently he had these little out takes as he called them every time he was around Mara. He didn't know how or why he had them, but if he didn't get them under control, he knew he would pay dearly for it. After all, he chided himself silently. You do not romance Mara Jade without loosing a limb or two.

"You okay, Skywalker?" Mara's voice cut through him like a lightsaber and he whirled around, staring open-mouthed and round-eyed at her, like a baby Bantha caught in the lights of a landspeeder.

"What?" he managed to choke out. Mara was standing just under the door jamb to the kitchen, her arms neatly folded across her breasts, pushing them involuntarily upwards so that Luke was graced with a nice view of her ample cleavage peering up from beneath the soft shirt she was wearing.

"Skywalker, you really are skittish. I asked you if you are okay, but obviously you are not," Mara answered his question and walked over to him. Suppressing a groan he turned towards his cooking unit again.

"I'm fine ... I'm just not used to having someone other than Artoo around the apartment, that's all," he managed to say, congratulating him silently upon that feasible reply.

"Farmboy, if you feel uncomfortable with me staying here, I can return to the Fire," Jade said and leant against the counter not far away from where he was staring into the pan. "I know how awkward it can be, I always feel like that when I stay aboard the Wild Karrde nowadays. It's sort of home but not really home and I always think I invade Karrde's privacy... So if you rather stay by yourself, I can understand that ..."

"NO," Luke almost yelled and sighed when he noticed her raised eyebrow. "No," he repeated more softly again. "I was just surprised that's all. I like having you around, Jade," he added sheepishly.

Mara grinned at that, and bent forward to look into the pan. "Well if you like that, you should feed your guest properly, because if you keep those steaks in there, they are inedible soon."

The Jedi Master followed her gaze and quickly served the steaks before they burned too badly. He had set the small kitchen table earlier and motioned Mara to sit down. He had already poured her a glass of Cin'chi juice just like she had ordered and he grinned when he saw her eyes lighting up. In a way, he thought, It will be interesting to have Mara as a sharer. I never knew she liked sweet things and it is a chance to get to know her better ... as a friend.

"So where is Artoo, I didn't see him around?" Mara asked after she had helped herself to a fair share of the food on the table, but still not as much as the Jedi Master.

"He is with Threepio, it is their weekly get together, and when you were in the shower he trundled off by himself. Threepio briefs Artoo on all the things happening in the Solo household and vice versa, though there is not much to talk about from Artoo's point of view," Luke said and sipped at his drink.

"Well, Goldenrod doesn't give Artoo a chance to have anything to share anyway," Mara retorted and watched the Jedi sitting in front of her. Mara had known the Jedi Master had some particular strange tastes but the blue liquid in his hand piqued her curiosity.

"What is this?" she asked, pointing her fork at the blue milk-like liquid in this glass.

"Inuoie milk, it's from Tatooine," Luke replied and proffered the glass towards her. "Here, it doesn't bite," he added when Mara drew back slightly.

"Milk?" Mara asked again, raising an eyebrow. "That looks more like ... like ... I don't know what it looks like, I haven't ever seen something like that."

Luke grinned at the droll expression on her face and held out the glass closer to her. To his surprise Mara bent forward and instead of taking the glass from him, she put her lips against the rim and let Luke tilt it back slightly. The Jedi Master was so surprised by her behaviour and complete, unknowing trust, that he almost let the glass drop when he saw her licking her lips. Immediately, the image of her clad only in that towel appeared in his mind and he had to use all his will power to hold on to the glass, while Mara took another sip. Quenching the passion that threatened to destroy his calm, he tore his gaze off her lips and the rosy tongue of her mouth he concentrated on her as she drew back into her chair again.

"Verdict?" He asked softly and saw Mara nodding.

"A bit richer than normal milk but tasty," Mara said and Luke let out a breath of relief.

"Want some later?" he inquired and Mara nodded.

"But I want it straight, not as hot chocolate ..."

Both burst out laughing and Luke spilled some of his milk. "No way, even I wouldn't drink it!"

"Glad to hear that, Farmboy," Mara said and smiled. She was still surprised as how easy it was around him. She had felt awkward around him since his split-up with Callista and she had always doubted they could return to their easy banter way back from Wayland. But here, sitting in the Jedi Master's kitchen, it seemed as if their friendship could be resurrected. Mara Jade was glad, because more than once in the past two standard years she had regretted the things she had told him about Callista. Not that they had not been true, she told herself silently. Callista turned out to be the body snatcher she was, but I hurt Luke and I would gladly take that pain back.

She watched as Luke dug into his food, eating with an efficiency that reminded her of him handling a lightsaber. Jade had to smile at that. Ever the farmboy.

*I can't change my upbringing, Jade*, she heard his voice in her head and for a moment a deep fear threatened to break to the surface of her demeanour. She quickly caught herself and smiled shakily.

*I wasn't admonishing your upbringing, Farmboy,* she spoke through their bond. *I was merely commenting about your insatiable hunger ... and now stay out of my head.*

Skywalker's head snapped up and for a moment their gazes locked. Blue eyes met green until Mara thought she had to close her eyes against the brilliance of his deep blue ones.

"Sorry, Jade." Luke whispered sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders. "I always forget not to pick up on your thoughts."

After their dinner, where Mara helped Skywalker clear away the used dishes and cutlery, the young man felt at a loss.

Sure, he had spent many days and nights with Jade together on various missions but never had they shared any down time and having a decidedly female companion in his bachelor's quarters threw him off a bit. When Jade told him she had to check some of the lists she had brought, he was almost grateful.

"Sure, do that, I just go back onto the balcony," Luke said and sauntered off into the general direction of the sun-filled balcony.

Sitting in the late evening sun, which was already setting in the far distance of the Manarai mountains, he could hear Mara moving inside his apartment. At first, he frowned at that but after a while he felt a soothing calm coming over him and for the first time since Mara had come this afternoon, he could control those images rising in him and sat back in his chair.

Strange, he thought, I never thought I'd actually feel comfortable with someone moving around in my apartment without me in there. He had to grin to that. Even when Callista visited me I was anxious of her not to go on snooping.

Sipping on his Cin'chi juice, Luke relaxed even more when he heard the soft beeping of a data pad, as Mara seemed to scroll through page after page. The sound actually lolled him into a soft slumber and he was surprised when he felt her voice, unusually soft, inside his head after a while.

*Can I join you?* Mara sent to him through their Force bond and he sent her an affirmative nod.

When Skywalker opened his eyes all he could see at first were bare feet, and when he opened his eyes fully, he had to blink against the glare of the setting sun that was reflected from the other living towers of Coruscant.

Flopping into the seat beside him, Mara Jade filled her own glass with Cin'chi juice and drew her legs up to her chin. Luke almost gaped at her, because he could have sworn he had never seen her that relaxed and without her obligatory blasters strapped to her thigh and wrist.

"I'm always amazed how beautiful such a moloch of a city can be," Mara commented softly and turned her head slightly to look at Skywalker. "Must be a far cry from where you are coming from, huh?"

Luke straightened and nodded. "Yeah, Mos Eisley and Anchorhead never had this beauty, there were more a necessity."

He watched Mara carefully and for the umpteenth time he knew her, he wondered what she had been like when she was a small child. He knew she had been raised in the Imperial Palace and from her comments earlier, he concocted that she thought of Coruscant as her home.

"Is it still the same like you used to know it ... I mean this place?" Skywalker suddenly asked and bit his lip, when he felt a flash of regret coming from Mara.

"Yes, and no, Farmboy," she replied. She juggled the ice cubes in her glass and balanced the glass on the top of her knees in front of her. "Things have changed since the Empire went down, but some things haven't ... I don't know," she looked over to Luke and their gazes met for a short moment before both looked over the scenery of the city in front of them. "I guess the city itself hasn't changed much ... or maybe I'm the one that has changed." She shrugged her shoulders, the movement disturbing her drink and the ice cubes jingled together with a soft sound.

"I was not allowed to go into the city unguarded. As a matter of fact, all my childhood memories about Coruscant are about places like this one. Balconies, arbours, landing pads. Most of the time I spent my days secreted away in training rooms deep in the bowels of the Palace here anyway." Mara closed her eyes for a short moment while images of her childhood days appeared before her mind's eye. Days had been tedious and challenging at the Palace. Early on in her life she had to learn that life at the Palace was also dangerous. People, servants she knew and had started to trust were likely to vanish in the middle of the night only to be rumoured to have been executed. Yes, many things have changed, she thought.

Luke could feel the pain emanating from her and for a moment he considered reaching out a comforting hand, but he decided against it. He wanted to have a limb left after all.

"Sounds pretty grim," he said softly which earned him a snort from the red head across the small table.

"It sounds worse than it actually was, Skywalker," Mara tone a tad too sharp to cover up her own regret and pain. "I didn't know any different, so I didn't know what I'd miss." The young woman bit her lower lip.

Rising gracefully to her feet, she sat the glass down with an overly loud crack before she turned to face the young Jedi.

"Anyway, I better turn in, Skywalker," her usually cool demeanour securely in place again.

Luke rushed to his feet but hesitated. He knew she was tired but he didn't want to end this evening this abruptly. He couldn't put a finger to it, but he wanted to spend the evening with Mara Jade, he wanted to get to know her better.

"What?" Mara asked, rising an exasperated eyebrow.

"I thought we might just talk," Luke blurted out and blushed. "You know, we never ... ah ... forget it, Jade."

Mara watched the deep blush on the Jedi Master's face then leant against the railing of the balcony, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Out with it, Farmboy, what is it?" she asked.

Luke sighed and shook his head. With his back to the cityscape he hoisted himself up easily onto the marble balustrade that surrounded his balcony and dangled his feet.

"I just thought ... as you go looking for a hotel tomorrow, why don't we talk tonight. You know we never seem to talk," Luke hesitated slightly, then continued. "You know like friends' talk, do friends' stuff."

Mara Jade almost gaped at him but she caught herself and smiled. So the great Skywalker is lonely, she thought and the way Luke's head snapped up, she knew he had picked up on that.

"I'm not lonely, Jade," Skywalker snapped and blushed when Mara rose an eyebrow that signalled Stay out of my head! clearly. "Sorry."

Silence spread between then as thick as a slab of durasteel, until Mara sighed softly and rubbed her eyes wearily.

"All right, Skywalker," she said and grinned at his dumbfounded expression. "Let's have a friends' evening. So what do you want to do?"

"Let's go out and have dinner? My treat!" Luke said and Mara laughed at that.

"Trust you and your stomach to come up with dinner ... and, no, Skywalker, that would be a date not a friendly get together." Her green eyes sparkled when grinned.

"A date?" Luke asked, his cheeks flushing brightly. "No ... I mean ... that wasn't what I had in mind."

"Relax, Farmboy," Mara replied and stepped over to her glass she had left on the table earlier. "We could play a hand of Sabacc and have a look at what the holonet offers on holo dramas. And, of course, we could open a bottle or two."

"Jedi don't drink, Jade," Skywalker said with a grin and watched as Mara's face screwed up in disgust. "But I guess I can join you for a drink or two."

"Excellent, now come, oh great, stuffy Jedi Master, let's do friends' stuff."

Luke had never thought that Mara was actually fun to be with. All the times before they had only be on missions together and these were not seen as fun. After they had retreated to his living quarters, Mara had found a pack of Sabacc cards in her duffel bag which were put to good use.

The Jedi Master had known that Jade was a shrewd Sabacc player but after only five games, he had lost all the Jocat nuts they had used as stakes. He watched as Jade raked in her wins of nuts, while popping a nut into her mouth. She grinned devilishly and Luke laughed at that.

"Remind me never to play with you in earnest for credits," Luke commented and Jade laughed.

"Ah, I would be really easy on you, Skywalker," Mara retorted with a wink. "I'd only take off half your credits. So, how much does a Jedi Master earn?"

Skywalker laughed at that. "Jade, you make more money with just a boring Corellian run in a month than I do in a year. A Jedi strives no..."

"... riches," Jade finished for him and smirked. "I know why I never want to be a Jedi and that reason is top on my list."

*Don't say it, Skywalker,* Luke heard Mara's warning through their Force bond and he shut his mouth again. He knew that Mara Jade was growing tired of his constant reminder of her becoming a Jedi and for tonight he decided to let it drop. He had too good a time as to blab his mouth and destroy the bantering mood Jade was in.

"I wasn't going to say anything, Jade," the young man raised his hands in mock-defeat and pushed himself to his feet. "You said something about drinks, care for one?"

"What do you have?" Mara Jade queried and followed him over into the kitchen where she watched him rummaging in a storing cabinet. Luke Skywalker got several bottles and canisters out and Mara started when he brought out a strange looking glass container with a deep lilac liquid swirling in it.

"Skywalker, how did you get this?" she started and picked the container off the counter. Luke peered over the edge while he still squatted in front of his storing cabinet and shrugged his shoulders.

"I think Han left it here. What is it?" He got to his feet and lightly brushed the liquid with the Force. The beverage was strong, stronger than anything he had drunk during his wild times as a Rogue.

"That, Farmboy," Mara Jade said and held the container against the artificial light of the kitchen lamp. "Is the best booze this side of the known regions. If I'm not mistaken this is Anoatian Liqour, you can drink it either straight, though one glass and you are out or as part of a cocktail. It would go well with the Cin'chi juice..."

"Anoatian Liquor?" Luke's voice clearly stated that he had never heard of it before.

"It's rare, but you will love it, Farmboy," Mara said with a wicked grin and rummaged through his cupboards for glasses. "Can you get me the Cin'chi juice? And if we don't have much of that one, can you do some more?"

Stunned at first, all Luke Skywalker could do was stare at the woman who sprang into action as she directed him to get her this fruit or that utensil. They worked side by side in unison and amiable silence and soon the young Jedi Master found himself deeply emersed in the calm presence of Mara working on the cocktails as she had called them.

"So how come you know so much about this stuff?" Skywalker asked after a while.

"I have worked undercover in a bar in the Codru System, so I learnt to mix all this kind of beverage," Jade replied and winked. "I know about 480 different recipes to mix cocktails, not too bad a cut for a non-pro. Now, grab some pillows and blankets and let's go."

The young man watched her as she sauntered off with a tray with glasses and the carafe. Heeding her demand, he grabbed a couple of pillows from his sofa and a dewback blanket from the closet, then quickly followed her.

"Where are we going?" he asked when he had joined her in the turbolift.

"Patience, Farmboy, you will see soon enough," Mara Jade said as she pushed the button for the roof top.