A/N: Still working on this one, guys. It will be a long and slow process. I hope you bear with me!

Chapter II

Not quite lost in his own thoughts, he sensed her approaching, so he didn't look up immediately, but merely let her Force-sense ebb into him, like a soothing mist staining his soul. Her presence was comforting somehow, and he inhaled again deeply, taking in the scent of the wildflowers that littered the garden before he stood up to face her. Ironically, he was unsure if he even wanted to speak to her now. His thoughts were all focused on his Father.

She waited a beat before speaking.

"I needed to get away, too." She said, her voice soft and musical. She sounded far younger than she looked, and that was only about as old as Leia. Her deep blue gown was almost black in the dusky twilight of the garden. It was simply cut, and of a style that could be worn to almost any function on any Core-system planet. He cocked his head a moment to better take her in. She laughed at him, and gave him an arched eyebrow in return.

"See something unusual?" she said.

He smiled self-consciously...he'd been caught gawking. "Yes... I mean, no." Luke stumbled over his own words, feeling a bit like an awkward schoolboy. "I'm sorry, it's just... I've never seen someone with that particular shade of hair before. It's very exotic. Unusual..." he rushed on as she gave him an odd look. "Unique...in a good way." He ran a hand through his hair and laughed softly. "I apologize. I'm a little off tonight. What I meant was it's a very beautiful colour, and I've never seen it before." He shrugged his shoulders with a self-effacing honesty she found refreshing. "I like it."

She walked over to stand next to him, leaning up against the fountain, and trailed a hand through the water. The ripples radiated out from her fingertips and intersected with the ones created by the gently gushing stream from the fountain. The water-flowers strewing the surface bobbed easily in the wake of the two currents. Luke had never been so entranced by anything in his life.

She seemed far more relaxed than he was. "Thanks," she replied. "I like it too, although it can be more trouble than it's worth." Luke gave her a quizzical look. "Well, it attracts a lot of attention," she said, "and not always in a good way." She echoed his words from before and smiled at him.

He nodded slowly. "I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable back there...in the ballroom, I mean. You certainly had my attention... but I didn't mean anything by it. I'd just..."

"I know, I know. Don't worry, I understand...and anyway, I can take care of myself." She sounded very confident, and Luke believed her.

"I'm sure you can." He rested his elbows on the fountain's edge now, and tried to relax. "Anyone who gets invited to a function like this must've proven themselves somehow...Rebel or Imperial."

She gave a snort of amusement. "That's true enough... so, what did you do to deserve it?"

"Deserve it?"

"The honour of an invitation, of course." There was gentle humour in her voice.

He looked at her directly for the first time at such close range, and could sense no deception in her. Could she really not know who he was? Her green eyes sparkled with amusement, and she was eagerly awaiting his response. So, she didn't know who he was. Luke was glad she had not noticed his lightsabre, but he'd made sure his cloak covered it well. "Enough..." was his response. "I'm...Luke." He left it at that.

She seemed to understand. "Hello, Luke." She extended a well-manicured hand to him, sapphire bracelet twinkling softly in the moonlight. "I'm Mara."

He smiled at her, and tried the name out for himself. He liked the sound of it. "Mara... that's a beautiful name." He took her proffered hand in his.

She decided he sounded as naïve as he looked. This whole mission might be far easier than she anticipated. Ironically, she felt comfortable out here with him. For the moment, Mara didn't really care if he was the target she was after or not. It was rare that her quarry was so cooperative.

It was a shame he'd probably die, in the end…

"This place is really amazing... don't you think?" Luke ventured into the silence. He let her small hand go with reluctance.

He received a short laugh. "No more amazing than the floating rock gardens on Ryloth, or the nature preserves on Vlassy. They're just as impressive, and quite a bit older, too."

Luke cast his eyes down, into the water. "I'll have to take your word on that..." he almost sounded dejected. "I...umm, haven't traveled too much. At least not to places like that."

He received a surprised look from Mara. "Really? I'd have thought you did a lot of moving around... what faction are you here with, anyway?" Bait the hook…..

He smiled at her broadly. "And here we were doing so well. Why bring politics into our conversation now? No, no, no. I came out here to get away from all that...didn't you?"

Mara nodded at him, conceding Luke that much, at least. "True, true. I agree. No political discussions outside that ballroom." She turned up the corner of her mouth. "But that makes questions like, 'so, what do you do?' and, 'tell me about yourself' harder to answer."

Luke shrugged. "I suppose you'll just have to ask more interesting questions than that then, Mara. Or I'll just have to find delicate ways of answering them."

"Or we just don't bother with those questions at all." She turned back to the fountain and sent ripples across it again, pushed back and moved several paces away from him. "So..." she began, tilting her head to catch the sound of the Imperial Orchestra as it drifted through the trees, "they sound wonderful, don't they?" She lifted her chin in the general direction of the music. "Have you ever heard them before, I mean live, on Coruscant?"

Luke grinned at her. "Is that a searching question, Mara?"

She gave him a smug look, then feigned innocence. "Absolutely not. You could have traveled to Coruscant on holiday, or maybe you live there. Or perhaps you've heard the orchestra on one of their very rare tours." She gestured elegantly with her shoulders. "I'm just trying to make conversation, that's all."

Luke gave her a long look, and then finally answered, "No. I've never seen them perform live before. I think I've heard them... one of my …friends, enjoys more classical music, and she's probably played me a recording at one time or another."

She arched her eyebrow at him again, a quirk Luke found charming. "A friend? A classical music-loving friend? What's her name...this girlfriend of yours... and how long have you been together?"

Luke blinked in surprise. "No, no. It's not like that." He held up his hands. "I...can't tell you her name...you'd just figure out what faction I'm with then. And we're outside the ballroom, so no politics here. And she's only a friend, a very good friend." Luke paused a moment. "Actually, she's really become more of a sister to me as of late..." He trailed off, mulling over some absent thought.

"Well, Luke-with-no-political-affiliation, did your friend ever teach you the steps to this particular tune?" She was being genuine, no sneaking information search now.

Luke quieted a moment to catch the song, then broke out into a wide grin. "Actually, she did. I'm not completely hopeless, even if I look like it. I have been taught all the required formal dances which may be played at functions such as this. If only to keep up appearances." For a moment, he thought it sounded like something 3PO would say.

Mara laughed again at his humour, and extended her sapphire draped wrist out to him, unfolding her elegantly manicured hand to his. Luke seemed taken aback. "You want to dance...with me?" He asked incredulously.

"Sure, why not? It is a formal ball, they are playing music to which we both know the steps, and," she turned gracefully in a circle, peering into the dark undergrowth, "I don't see anyone else here but you. So I am asking you." She grinned slyly again. "Why, are you afraid of me?"

Luke gave her a sidelong look, still unsure. "No...not afraid. Respectfully wary, I'd say." Still, he took her hand in his, the other going to her waist, and, counting the beats in his mind, started the steps that Leia had taught him. It wasn't too complicated, but Luke remained silent, concentrating on keeping the rhythm of the dance and performing the steps correctly. Completing one cycle of the dance, he relaxed into it more as the music repeated itself and the steps began again. By the time they finished, he was entirely at ease, enjoying the feeling of being alone and anonymous with the strange woman in his arms.

The music stopped, and they could hear the applause coming from the palace. Strains to another tune began, but they merely stood closely, still holding their positions from the waltz.

"See?" Mara whispered, "You're still in one piece...I'm not that dangerous after all."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," he murmured back.

Mara broke contact first. It was foolish, what she was doing. Silently chastising herself, she took several steps away from Luke until her back pressed into the fountain. It was unlike her... so unlike her to be acting in this way. She was here on a mission for the Emperor. She'd always kept her head about her, never let anyone distract her. So why was this Rebel she was charged with bringing back to Coruscant making her lose her focus? Mara had read his files, she knew everything about him. Knew he was responsible for the destruction of the first Death Star. Knew that Lord Vader was desperate to find him before the Emperor did. Knew that her Master was just as desperate to prevent the Dark Lord from reaching him first. It didn't seem to matter. All she knew was that there was a familiarity about him, and she needed to know why. Asking him to dance with her here had been impetuous at best, and she could forgive him for thinking her too forward. Stang...she wouldn't blame him if he thought she had some kind of ulterior motive.

It was the first thing she'd have thought.

And, technically, he'd have been right.

She shivered in the cool night air, the warmth she'd felt from the dance and his arms leaving her like her sense of reason had. He noticed, of course. Luke hadn't been able to take his eyes off of her since she'd entered the clearing. Taking off his dark cloak, he moved to her side and wrapped it around her. She smiled graciously at him. "You can get it back to me... whenever. I'll be here for the whole summit." Luke said to her quietly.

"Thank you... I... I really should be going back. I'll be missed...I'm expected..." but she trailed off, afraid to reveal too much. Mara pursed her lips, trying to think of something graceful to say to him, a way to leave the situation with some sense of dignity, although why she should feel ashamed, she was uncertain. Her eye caught a glint of silver in the darkness, and she narrowed her eyes to locate the source. She drew in a practiced startled breath. "A lightsabre? Luke, is that a lightsabre?" Her eyes found his, questioning. Of course, she knew what it was. But she had to keep up her charade.

Luke took several steps back from her, instantly regretting his decision to remove his cloak. Another Padawan mistake. He answered her slowly. "It is... but I think if we speak about that we're going to tread dangerously close to our bargain about no politics in the gardens, Mara." He tried to lighten the mood with his humour, but it fell flat under the scrutiny of her suspicion. He eyed her critically. "Besides... how do you know what it is? No one's seen a lightsabre in at least... twenty-some years. And you can't be older than that."

"I'm no fool, Luke. I've read my history. Besides, Lord Vader carries a lightsabre...and," and I carry one myself sometimes, she thought.

"And...what? So I'm an Imperial now, because I have a lightsabre? Maybe I carry it because I have an affinity for history. Or maybe I have it because it's some kind of family heirloom. Or maybe..."

She cut him off. "Or maybe you're a Jedi, Luke….or a Sith."

He fell silent, gritting his teeth in frustration. Well, she'd have found out anyway, right?, he asked himself. Eventually Mara would have learned who he was. He was simply sorry to lose his anonymity with her. Luke sighed deeply and shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe I am, Mara. Is that a crime?"

She shot back, "Actually, it is. Or are you so lapse in your history that you forgot about the Jedi Purges... and the Imperial Edict against using the Force?" She shivered again, pulling his cloak tighter to her. It was comforting somehow. "Luke... walking around a ballroom full of Imperials, whether you are one or not, wearing the symbol of the Jedi is dangerous. You are tempting fate, Luke. It's...suicide."

Luke laughed shortly. "I'd have to agree there. I did come here with what could be construed by some as a death wish." He looked at her quizzically. "You really don't know who I am, do you?" She slowly shook her head, seemingly baffled. "Listen, Mara... let's just forget about this now. You need to get back, I need to get back. But maybe..." he stepped closer to her, "maybe we could meet again. I'd like to have a real conversation with you. Explain a few things. Get to know you better..." he trailed off into uncertainty, looking very dejected. "Tell you about myself before you hear it from someone else."

Mara inhaled deeply, weighing his words. Finally she answered, against her training but going with her gut. "Alright, Luke. Tomorrow night, after the dancing has started... meet me back here." She took a hesitant half step toward him, then backed off. "We can talk then..."

He nodded once, agreeing. "Tomorrow then..." he trailed off into silence as she tugged his cloak closer and disappeared into the dark. For a long time he simply stood there, staring into the night at the trail Mara had gone down. He fought the urge to follow her. He needed time to organize his thoughts, figure out what to tell her tomorrow. And what to tell his Father.

Back in the ballroom, Wedge was still guarding the arched entranceway. His attention was caught by the stately figure of Darth Vader re-entering from the garden several doors away. Chilled to the bone, Wedge realized with horror that he hadn't been attentive enough. Somehow, the Dark Lord had slipped past him and entered the garden. Exactly where Luke was... Kriff! Wedge's heart dropped to his feet...Vader had come back to the ballroom alone... where was Skywalker? Wedge spun quickly in his polished boots and rushed headlong into the darkened foliage, thinking only absently of finding Han or Chewie. He didn't make it far. Ahead of him the darkness erupted with a flash of green and a familiar snap-hiss. He skidded to a halt, pebbles flying.

"Stang, Wedge...you sounded like a raging Tauntaun...what's gotten into you?" Luke still held his lightsabre at the ready, concern spreading over his features.

Wedge breathed a sigh a relief. "Vader. I saw him come in from the garden... and you weren't back yet. I panicked..."

"I can see that. I appreciate your concern, Wedge." Luke shut down the sabre and returned it to his belt.

"What happened? Did he find you?" Wedge was running a critical eye over his friend, assuring himself that Luke was alright.

Brushing his hair back from his face, Luke replied grimly, "Yes, he found me."

Wedge waited pointedly for his friend to continue. Luke realized this with chagrin... he'd have to tell him something. "He found me and we...talked. Nothing's been resolved, nothing's been decided..."

"What do you mean, decided?" Wedge asked with concern.

"It doesn't mean anything, Wedge..." Luke gave a weary sigh and placed his hand on his friends arm, turning him back toward the ballroom. "Listen, I promise I'll tell you everything later, but right now, I don't really feel like speaking about this..."

"I understand, Luke." They walked a few paces together in silence, then Wedge said. "Listen... you look like you need to relax a little...what do you say I get you that Corellian whiskey and you go and find that redhead..."

Luke only laughed in reply...