Part Eight – Conclusion
Talon was surprised to receive an invitation to lunch from Leia and his growing concern for the absence of his second in command made him eager to press Leia for information.
Leia shifted uncomfortably as she waited for Talon to arrive. When he approached her table she rose to her feet and held out her hands to him. He took them with in both of his hands, not even showing the slightest hesitation and then released them as he sat down across from her.
"About that night at the party. . . "Leia began.
"Don't. I think it's better left forgotten." Talon assured her.
"Han feels horrible about punching you." Leia turned her head away, unable to look him in the face.
"I know he told me last night." Talon's voice was warmly amused.
"Last night?" Leia's eyes widened and she turned to face him directly.
"He stopped at the Wild Karrde to apologize. He was also looking for Mara."
"What did he want with Mara Jade?"
"I never found out. Mara hasn't returned to the Wild Karrde since the night of the party." Talon said pointedly.
Leia groaned. "Then she's taking it pretty hard."
"Yeah. I don't think she'll ever forgive our interference."
"I haven't seen Luke either since that night. He hasn't returned any of my calls and he's blocking me through the Force."
Talon looked thoughtful and Leia played with the condensation on her cold drink, as if the trails of moisture would give her an idea out of their predicament. They sat there in silence for a long moment.
A loud gasp echoed through the quiet restaurant followed by the sound of chairs being pushed abruptly away from a table. "How dare..." a voice hissed, the sound carrying.
At first they paid little heed to the noise but as it grew more intrusive Leia lifted her head to look for the warring patrons. "Someone else having a fight?" she murmured wryly. She ran her finger around the rim of her glass. "At least we're not the reason for that argument."
Karrde lifted his head as the commotion just a couple of tables away became louder. "I suppose that's something to be thankful for."
Leia turned her head and suddenly caught sight of a familiar blond form. She sat upright and exclaimed, "Luke!"
"Luke! Where?" Talon twisted around in his chair to see Mara and Luke standing face-to-face glowering at each other.
Leia and Talon scrambled to the table, but Luke and Mara did not appear to notice their arrival.
"I can't believe I actually felt sorry for you Skywalker when I thought that you were in love with me. You're nothing but a no good son of a Sith!" Mara growled.
Talon winced and Leia gasped.
Luke's face twisted, and he said, "You! Ha! I'd rather kiss my droid!"
Leia sighed heavily and Mara's mouth twitched in amusement. Just when Leia thought that they might make up Mara said, "That explains why Artoo is always at your heels."
Luke snorted and turned away. His snort had almost sounded like a laugh, but one look at his face made Leia's heart drop. Mara swiveled around on her heel and stormed away in one direction. Luke headed off in the other.
After standing still for a shocked minute, Leia and Talon returned to their lunch, stunned.
"That's not good." Leia finally said.
"It's even worse than I thought." Talon agreed. "I thought they might manage to be civil. They knew it was our fault."
"When you invited me here." Leia said, "I thought we could try to find them and apologize, clear the air so that there wouldn't be any hard feelings."
"Wait a minute." Talon interrupted, "I didn't invite you, you invited me here."
"No. I didn't. Didn't you invite me?"
Talon shook his head slowly.
A thoughtful look crossed Leia's face, "If you didn't invite me, and I didn't invite you then who. . . .?" A hopeful smile spread across her face. She leapt to her feet and ran outside.
She stopped abruptly and Talon almost collided into her. She hardly noticed Talon's presence as she took in the scene before her. Luke and Mara were locked in a passionate kiss, their arms wrapped around each other.
Leia's jaw dropped as the couple continued to clutch at one another with desperation. "That is my brother."
"And the woman he's... Well, she certainly resembles my second-in-command."
Leia stretched out with the Force towards her brother and immediately withdrew, embarrassed colour staining her face.
"We've been had." Talon said with amusement.
Luke pulled back to regard Leia and Talon, not bothering to remove his arms from around Mara. Mara smiled secretly as she watched the exchange. "By the very best." Luke said emphatically.
Talon and Leia laughed. Luke and Mara smiled, pleased at their success.
Phase Three Complete.
The End.
I hope you have enjoyed this story. I don't know if I'll be writing any more. Thank you for all of your feedback.
Take care!
Rhea
Talon was surprised to receive an invitation to lunch from Leia and his growing concern for the absence of his second in command made him eager to press Leia for information.
Leia shifted uncomfortably as she waited for Talon to arrive. When he approached her table she rose to her feet and held out her hands to him. He took them with in both of his hands, not even showing the slightest hesitation and then released them as he sat down across from her.
"About that night at the party. . . "Leia began.
"Don't. I think it's better left forgotten." Talon assured her.
"Han feels horrible about punching you." Leia turned her head away, unable to look him in the face.
"I know he told me last night." Talon's voice was warmly amused.
"Last night?" Leia's eyes widened and she turned to face him directly.
"He stopped at the Wild Karrde to apologize. He was also looking for Mara."
"What did he want with Mara Jade?"
"I never found out. Mara hasn't returned to the Wild Karrde since the night of the party." Talon said pointedly.
Leia groaned. "Then she's taking it pretty hard."
"Yeah. I don't think she'll ever forgive our interference."
"I haven't seen Luke either since that night. He hasn't returned any of my calls and he's blocking me through the Force."
Talon looked thoughtful and Leia played with the condensation on her cold drink, as if the trails of moisture would give her an idea out of their predicament. They sat there in silence for a long moment.
A loud gasp echoed through the quiet restaurant followed by the sound of chairs being pushed abruptly away from a table. "How dare..." a voice hissed, the sound carrying.
At first they paid little heed to the noise but as it grew more intrusive Leia lifted her head to look for the warring patrons. "Someone else having a fight?" she murmured wryly. She ran her finger around the rim of her glass. "At least we're not the reason for that argument."
Karrde lifted his head as the commotion just a couple of tables away became louder. "I suppose that's something to be thankful for."
Leia turned her head and suddenly caught sight of a familiar blond form. She sat upright and exclaimed, "Luke!"
"Luke! Where?" Talon twisted around in his chair to see Mara and Luke standing face-to-face glowering at each other.
Leia and Talon scrambled to the table, but Luke and Mara did not appear to notice their arrival.
"I can't believe I actually felt sorry for you Skywalker when I thought that you were in love with me. You're nothing but a no good son of a Sith!" Mara growled.
Talon winced and Leia gasped.
Luke's face twisted, and he said, "You! Ha! I'd rather kiss my droid!"
Leia sighed heavily and Mara's mouth twitched in amusement. Just when Leia thought that they might make up Mara said, "That explains why Artoo is always at your heels."
Luke snorted and turned away. His snort had almost sounded like a laugh, but one look at his face made Leia's heart drop. Mara swiveled around on her heel and stormed away in one direction. Luke headed off in the other.
After standing still for a shocked minute, Leia and Talon returned to their lunch, stunned.
"That's not good." Leia finally said.
"It's even worse than I thought." Talon agreed. "I thought they might manage to be civil. They knew it was our fault."
"When you invited me here." Leia said, "I thought we could try to find them and apologize, clear the air so that there wouldn't be any hard feelings."
"Wait a minute." Talon interrupted, "I didn't invite you, you invited me here."
"No. I didn't. Didn't you invite me?"
Talon shook his head slowly.
A thoughtful look crossed Leia's face, "If you didn't invite me, and I didn't invite you then who. . . .?" A hopeful smile spread across her face. She leapt to her feet and ran outside.
She stopped abruptly and Talon almost collided into her. She hardly noticed Talon's presence as she took in the scene before her. Luke and Mara were locked in a passionate kiss, their arms wrapped around each other.
Leia's jaw dropped as the couple continued to clutch at one another with desperation. "That is my brother."
"And the woman he's... Well, she certainly resembles my second-in-command."
Leia stretched out with the Force towards her brother and immediately withdrew, embarrassed colour staining her face.
"We've been had." Talon said with amusement.
Luke pulled back to regard Leia and Talon, not bothering to remove his arms from around Mara. Mara smiled secretly as she watched the exchange. "By the very best." Luke said emphatically.
Talon and Leia laughed. Luke and Mara smiled, pleased at their success.
Phase Three Complete.
The End.
I hope you have enjoyed this story. I don't know if I'll be writing any more. Thank you for all of your feedback.
Take care!
Rhea