FOR THE LOVE OF A JEDI Part 5.
A couple of hours later the Solo clan were helping the newlyweds move into their new apartment, another gift from Ciella’s father. It would seem the mineral industry was highly lucrative. Probably explained why Lando Calrissian kept going back to it Luke thought. He knew he should feel incensed by his father-in-laws interfering but he really couldn’t summon the energy to feel anything. Anything that is apart from an enormous sense of loss. He haphazardly moved boxes around, and tried to look interested as Ciella and Leia compared fabric swatches. After a few minutes he became conscious of his brother-in-law watching him closely. He turned to find the hazel eyes of Han Solo studying him intently. Finally he spoke,
‘Hey kid, how about we leave the women to their decorating and you and I go for a beer?’
He turned to look enquiringly at his wife, missing the almost imperceptible nod that passed between Leia and Han.
‘It’s fine with me honey,’ Ciella shrugged, ‘I know you boys needs your little male bonding sessions.’
Luke found his hackles rising. There was something quite patronizing in Ciella’s response. The endearments were also becoming annoying. He could not remember Ciella using his name once in the last three weeks. It was always honey or my love or darling. If he didn’t know better he would think she had forgotten his name. For a moment he longed to be called, Skywalker so badly it was like a punch in the stomach. He turned to his brother-in-law in gratitude;
‘I’d like that Han.’
The two men left, leaving their wives to shake their heads. Ciella went to the kitchen to make a pot of caf and Leia stood for a moment gazing at the door her husband and brother had just departed through. Even if she didn’t share a force bond with her brother she knew she would have to be blind to not see how unhappy he was. Yet Ciella seemed oblivious. Leia began to wonder idly if Ciella was so thrilled with being Mrs. Luke Skywalker wife to the Jedi Master that her husband’s happiness was insignificant.
0(0(0(0
Mara Jade slammed her glass down on the bar trying to get the attention of the barkeeper studiously wiping glasses at the other end. He turned to glare at her;
‘Hey lady you break that glass you’re paying for it!’
‘Then fill the damn thing up!’ Mara snarled.
She was sitting on a decidedly rickety bar stool in a dive of a tavern in the Rystol system. The last three weeks had been a haze of alcohol and grieving. When she wasn’t plastered she was crushed with pain. So she drank to numb her pain. Even though she still hated the taste of the Correllian whiskey it did the job. For a short time it sealed up the gaping wound in her soul. She had not done a single transporting job in that time. She fully expected Karrde to fire her. Yet he remained tolerant with her, clearly waiting for her to pass through this phase. The problem was Mara didn’t feel like it was a phase. She could see her life stretching out ahead of her, an endless series of lonely miserable years. Mara had never concerned herself about the future before this crippling event. She had instead focussed on the present doing her best to create a comfortable stable life for herself. Twenty years of living under Palpatine’s thumb created in her the fierce need for independence and security. Now all she could think about was the future and the bleak emotional wasteland it represented.
0(0(0(0
Luke and Han sat across from each other in a little tavern Han liked to frequent. He had forcibly pushed a small bottle of ale on his brother in law despite Luke’s protestations that alcohol impacted negatively on the force. Han figured things couldn’t be much more negative.
‘Just drink it kid,’ the older man ordered.
Luke hesitantly took a sip and decided he quite liked the malty flavour.
‘So spill it kid,’ Han continued.
Luke looked up at his brother in law in surprise, ‘Spill what?’
Han sighed, ‘Whatever has you looking like a Hutt who just lost his food supply.’
Luke sat for a moment gazing at the table while his fingers idly peeled the label from the beer bottle.
‘Everything’s fine,’ he said finally.
Han raised his eyebrows, ‘Fine is it? So I have a newly married man in front of me looking like he just came from a funeral and you tell me everything’s fine.’
Luke shrugged, ‘I’m just tired it was a long trip back.’
Han surprised him by reaching over and squeezing his hand.
‘Kid, it’s okay,’ he said softly.
Suddenly Luke knew he couldn’t keep the pretence up anymore and his shoulders began to shake silently as the pain of the last two weeks caught up with him. Laying his head on his arms he began to weep quietly. Han was out of his seat in a flash and beside Luke placing a strong arm around his shoulders. He glanced around at the curious stares being directed their way. Turning a lethal glare on the culprits he managed to avert their curiosity. Han saw this young man more as a brother than a brother-in-law and his heart bled for the younger man’s pain. He had also heard the rumours about Mara Jade and grimaced knowing his wife’s meddling had possibly destroyed the lives of two people they really cared about.
Finally Luke raised his head and gazed at his brother in law with his remarkable azure eyes,
‘Oh Han what am I going to do?’
0(0(0(0
Talon Karrde sat in his command chair aboard the Wild Karrde idly drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair. Mara still had not returned to her position and although he couldn’t show it, Karrde was worried sick about her. Although Shada Du’kal was filling her position more than adequately Karrde missed Mara. She had always possessed a level of insight and no nonsense people handling skill that Karrde admired. He had expected her to take the news of Skywalker’s marriage hard but he had not expected the level of despair the news had evoked in her. Normally Mara was so in control of her emotions excluding her temper that he really didn’t know how to even start repairing the damage. Damn, Skywalker he cursed silently. That innocent farmboy persona didn’t fool Karrde for a minute. He knew the Jedi Master had a remarkable astute mind and had been quite ruthless with his campaigning for funding for his Jedi academy. Well it looked like Mara was never going to complete her Jedi training. Karrde’s com board pinged suddenly. It looked like a call coming in from Coruscant, he could only hope it was Mara. He flicked the switch and was a little surprised to see Han Solo gazing at him calmly. He covered his surprise well, merely raising one eyebrow and commenting;
‘Solo’
‘Hello Karrde,’ he responded, ‘you and I need to talk.’
Karrde’s eyebrows shot up at the non compromising tone in Solo’s voice. ‘Do we?’ he responded shortly.