Vision of the future

'We'll have some problems,' Karrde conceded. 'She was running a good deal of the organization, after all. But we'll adjust.'

'Besides, he's got someone new to take her place,' Leia couldn't resist adding. 'Shada's officially joined him—had you heard that?'

'Yeah, I did,' Han said, giving Karrde a highly speculative look. 'You know, I asked you once what it would take to get you to join the New Republic. Remember? You asked what it had taken to get me to join up—'

'Yes, I remember,' Karrde cut him off, an uncharacteristic note of embarrassment coloring his voice. 'Kindly bear in mind that I have not joined the New Republic. And my relationship with Shada is nothing like that.'

'Neither was mine,' Han said smugly, putting his arm around Leia. 'That's okay. Give it time.'

'It's not going to happen,' Karrde insisted.

'Yeah,' Han said. 'I know.'

* * *

On the ship's layout map, the room was called a forward visual triangulation site, for use in line-of-sight weapons targeting if any enemy managed to knock out the main sensor array. But for tonight, at least, it had become a private observation gallery.

Mara leaned against the cool transparisteel viewport, gazing out at the stars. Wondering at the right-angle turn her life had just taken.

'You realize, of course,' Luke commented as he came up behind her with their drinks, 'that they're all probably wondering where we are.'

'Let them wonder,' Mara said, sniffing the air appreciatively over the mug he handed her. The courtiers of Palpatine's court had always been openly contemptuous of hot chocolate, considering it beneath the dignity of elite such as themselves. Karrde and his people, like the good smugglers they were, had turned up their noses at all nonalcoholic drinks in general.

But the drink fit perfectly with Luke's farm boy past. It gave her a warm feeling, evoking a sense of comfort and stability and security. Simple necessities, which she'd missed so much throughout most of her life.

She took a sip. And besides that, the stuff just plain tasted good.

'Has Leia talked to you about the wedding?' Luke asked, sipping from his own mug as he leaned against the viewport facing her.

'Not yet,' Mara said, making a face. 'I suppose she's going to want some big blowout High Alderaanian ceremony.'

Luke grinned. 'Wants, probably. Expects, no.'

'Good,' Mara said. 'I'd rather have something quiet and private and dignified. Mostly dignified, anyway,' she amended. 'With New Republic dignitaries on one side and Karrde's smugglers on the other, we'll probably need a weapons check at the door.'

Luke chuckled. 'We'll figure something out.'

She eyed him over the rim of her mug. 'Speaking of figuring things out, have you decided what you're going to do about the academy?'

He turned his head to gaze out the viewport. 'I can't just abandon the students I have there,' he said. 'That much I know. I was thinking maybe I could slowly turn it into—oh, call it a pre-Jedi school. A place where beginning students can get the basics, maybe learning from older students, and do a little practicing among themselves. Once they've passed that stage, you and I and other instructors can complete their training. Maybe in a more personal one-on-one arrangement, the way Ben and Master Yoda trained me.'

He looked back at her. 'Assuming you want to be involved with the training at all, that is.' She shrugged. 'I'm not completely comfortable with the idea,' she admitted. 'But I am a Jedi now—at least, I assume I am—and until we can swell the ranks of instructors I suppose teaching is going to be part of my job.' She considered. 'At least, it will be once I've got a little more training of my own under my belt.'

'Private training, of course?'

'I should hope so,' she said. 'Before I can do that, though, I'll need time to gracefully disengage from Karrde's organization. I've got responsibilities I have to transfer over to other people, and I can't just let them slide.' She smiled. 'Responsibility and commitment, you know.' There was a flicker in his emotions. 'Yes,' he murmured.