Auld Acquaintance ((RP for emperors_hand))

[the_starkiller]

OOC: Follows this thread.

Galen pulled at his collar, trying to get himself some breathing room. Ten seconds later, he did it again, to just as little effect. He understood that it was a losing battle, trying to get comfortable in this new skin, but it wasn't one he was willing to give up just yet. With more than a little chagrin, Galen realized just how well that idea summed up most of his life.

As he and Mara approached the hotel, Galen's eyes picked out at least two entry points they could have used without rousing the least bit of suspicion. A little push of the Force to influence a few lazy-looking security guards and they could have been inside the hotel and free to roam almost totally undetected. But no, for once, it was Mara whose plan involved a kind of frontal assault: walking in the front doors of the ballroom with forged invitations.

He felt like the country cousin, invited to the big city. If Galen had been from one of the backwater Rim planets like Tattooine , he couldn't have felt more out of place in his stiffly-ironed tunic and trousers, tall leather boots that were so new they almost creaked with every step, and a collar that felt as though it were digging into the skin under his chin. Mara, for her part, not only looked stunningly beautiful, but utterly at home. If he hadn't known better-- and, truth be told, have been having particularly enthusiastic sex with her on a regular basis since leaving the medical ship-- he would never have recognized her.

They were ushered into the main ballroom and Galen gratefully took an offered glass of some bubbling alcoholic drink. As he raised it to his lips, he thought he caught a familiar silhouette out of the corner of his eye. Shaking the phantom off to nerves, he glanced back at Mara. "I hear Rion VII isn't one hundred percent stable, tectonically. The whole hotel could be leveled in seconds and no one would suspect," he whispered, half-joking.

Comments

[emperors-hand.insanejournal.com]

Mara had smiled and curtsied to the right gentlemen on the way in, made notes of the entire floor plan compared to the one she'd memorized before going in, and then remembered Galen finally. It was his first mission undercover, and she felt the nerves running through him. She took a glass of the liquor and placed a hand over his reassuringly with a smile.

"You're doing great," she whispered so only he could hear, then answered his question. "And yes, I've heard those rumors, too. Simply rumors, sadly." After all, this was their main mission for the Emperor. He wanted them to work together and wanted this mission to see how the diplomats were acting in public compared to private, as well as their financial situations. Hence, the reason they were there at the ball instead of simply sneaking inside.

Mara's part was to act the role of the Duchess and learn what she could from certain men, distracting them as well so Galen could sneak into their offices. She'd had the plan the other way around at first, but figured he would be better at breaking and entering than mingling undercover.

"Stop playing with the collar," she added as she sipped her drink casually, then followed his eye line. Her eyes turned to his with an eyebrow raised. "Is something else the matter?"

[emperors-blade.insanejournal.com]

His teeth ground a bit. As much as he would have loved leveling the building with the Force or at least some well-placed thermal detonators, Galen understood why Mara had laid out the plan this way. This time, at least, they were being instructed to find proof of guilt before any sanctions would be carried out. Galen supposed that if they were to comm back to Imperial Center that Consul Kratos was guilty of embezzlement that their mission would immediately turn into an assassination, but that order had not come down. Yet.

Galen's thoughts on the matter were ended when he caught the glimpse. He did his best to calm the tingling in the back of his neck. "It's nothing," he answered a bit too quickly, "just nerves."

A few minutes of mingling later, Galen's instincts warned him just a moment before he heard the second voice, too late for him to steer Mara in another direction. Not that it would have happened, since the first voice belonged to Consul Kratos himself.

"Ahh, you must be the Duchess. Welcome." The man attached to the voice was the sort of smarmy, polished political animal that Galen had always done his best to avoid. They played betrayal and power games like Sith, but even less trustworthy. But the Consul wasn't Galen's concern. It was the woman on Kratos' arm.

While Mara's gown was beautiful and highly flattering to her shapely figure, the other woman's seemed designed to expose as much of her taller, lankier frame as possible without involving the authorities. Large expanses of light gray skin were on display under a few shimmering patches of black sequined fabric. Ostentatious jewelry in tones of obsidian and crimson completed the "trophy companion" look, as did the deceptively bemused and airy expression in the red eyes and horned face.

"And you must be the Duchess' plus one," purred Maris Brood, showing no outward signs that she recognized Galen, "Viscount Netal, isn't it?"

[emperors-hand.insanejournal.com]

"Consul, I'm delighted to meet you finally. What a charming home you have." Mara caught the tension radiating from Galen as he had told her it was nothing, and then she saw the girl on the Consul's arm. Mara quickly eyed her and knew she was not royalty whatsoever. In fact, she could feel some sort of Force radiating from her.

Still keeping her smile on her face, she decided to continue with the plan. "Yes, may I introduce you to the Viscount. He has been kind enough to accompany me to this gala." Mara's eyes fluttered downwards as if she were shy. "He has been most gracious." It was all part of the act, but she had to play it out. As for the woman, Mara knew she couldn't keep a Force-user distracted herself, so it would have to be up to Galen to do it.

"Consul, could you give me a tour? I would appreciate it so much." The Consul nodded enthusiastically, took Mara's arm, and led her away... leaving the scantily-clad woman alone with Galen.

She just prayed that he knew why she had left him alone and that Galen would be able to handle her...

[emperors-blade.insanejournal.com]

It was odd, almost troubling to see Mara Jade acting the demure noblewoman, but Galen supposed that the distance between that character and Mara's actual personality was the whole point. No one would ever have suspected the beautiful, if reticent, Duchess to be the Emperor's Hand. Not that he had much time to consider the subtleties of covert work, not with a powerful old adversary staring back at him, an equally troubling mask of harmlessness affixed as well.

Mara led the Consul away, giving him a brief look. Splitting up had always been part of their plan, but to give him the freedom to make his way through the place on his own, rather than each of them being accompanied. But he knew Mara must have felt Maris' strength and was probably intending for him to deal with the Zabrak woman. Galen gave Maris his best empty smile.

"Shall we...?"

Maris, still playing her part, took Galen's arm. "Dienna," she replied, giving him her patently false name. A few moments and they were in a corner of the ballroom, far enough away from the tables to converse quietly, but still in nonchalant view of the party.

"They said you were dead, Starkiller," Maris whispered. "At least, the one or two people who actually knew you existed at all."

Galen's response was curt. "What are you doing here?"

The Zabrak gave a flicker of hurt. "I had to eat, had to survive. So I decided to hide in plain sight. Kratos hired me as security. As far as he knows, I'm just a very good shot with excellent reflexes."

"Fine," he answered through his teeth. "Just stay out of my way, then. And look for new employment."

Maris' hand on his arm stopped Galen before he could turn. A slight wave of her emotions touched his Force sense. She had never been entirely stable, and her feelings were still erratic. "You know," she said softly, reaching a hand up t his face, "I never thanked you for letting me go on Felucia."

Galen swallowed and tried to think of a way out, all while trying to pretend he didn't feel the gaze drilling into the back of his head from across the room.

[emperors-hand.insanejournal.com]

The familiar hand on Galen's arm did not go unnoticed by Mara on the other side of the room as she made some pleasantries with a few other delegates there. She politely excused herself, because a woman with Force abilities at this gathering could ruin everything -- especially if it was someone who was familiar with Galen on a... personal level.

Mara walked carefully, drink in hand, and smiled prettily to the other woman as she placed her arm over Galen's possessively. Later, she'd wonder if it had been because of the plan or because she was truly jealous...

"Hello again, I'm so sorry to tear the Viscount away from you, but we do have other people to mingle with. Perhaps later I can sit down with you and we can chat?"

With that, Mara didn't wait for the woman to answer her -- she simply took Galen away and once they were far enough that Mara hoped the other female wouldn't hear them, she squeezed his arm as a warning. "Go. Get the job done, and afterward, you'll tell me all about her. In the meantime, stay focused or the Emperor will discover us. Understand?"

[emperors-blade.insanejournal.com]

Maris' expression went vacant and friendly again as Mara came and went, Galen in tow. "Of course," she called to their backs, "Duchess. I can't wait." The Zabrak woman drifted off, the sequins on what there was of her dress tinkling as she moved. Galen breathed a sigh of relief and let Mara lead him off as far as she wanted. He was about to thank her for the rescue when she addressed him, with a voice that clearly told him she was unhappy.

"I was trying to get rid of her without making a scene," Galen answered. It wasn't entirely true, since he'd been so taken aback by Maris' presence and typically erratic behavior that he hadn't been sure what to do. "But yes, fine. I'll find you when it's done."

It wasn't hard for him to find the offices he needed. Galen assumed that the people whose secrets he was about to pilfer thought that as long as the security at the front door was working, then everything inside the building was safe. A few minutes' search of the Consul's workstation turned up nothing. Reaching out with the Force, Galen tried to tune into some kind of intuition. That led him to a hidden safe, and to the data cards hidden inside. One of Mara's devices made quick copies, and Galen was back in the ballroom in less than an hour.

He was there in time to see Maris Brood moving quickly through the crowd, her red eyes intent on the back of Mara's head. The Zabrak woman radiated anger. Galen hoped he could get there fast enough.

[emperors-hand.insanejournal.com]

Mara kept her pleasant smile on her face until Galen left, then she walked back to the men she was speaking to before. She'd gathered most of the information that the Emperor would need -- these men were loyal to the Empire on the outside, but spoke about a rebellion. They would, according to her former Master, have to be reprimanded and reminded who was truly in control.

Her part was done, and she only hoped Galen would have success as well. As she turned, she saw both Galen approaching as well as the scantily clad female from before. Her eyes... Mara couldn't place the look, but she felt the waves rolling off her. Why did she want Mara dead? It was the only explanation...

She approached the woman, still smiling, and asked, "Did you wish to speak with me? We can go outside, perhaps, where there's more privacy...?"

"How do you know Starkiller?" the woman hissed at her quietly.

Mara sighed inwardly. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean," she answered evenly, just as Galen approached them bot. She placed her hand on his arm and kissed him possessively, a look of "love" in her eyes. "The Viscount is my fiancee. You must be mistaken."

[emperors-blade.insanejournal.com]

She could have brained him with a force pike and Galen couldn't have been more surprised and confused. He returned Mara's kiss, though, and her use of his false title jarred him just enough that he didn't start asking questions immediately. Still, he was startled, and was sure he was doing anything but a good job keeping up his cover, though Mara seemed to be doing enough acting for the both of them. Galen turned to Maris, who was wearing just as shocked an expression.

"But... But..." The Zabrak woman fumbled for her thoughts. In a way, Galen was sympathetic, not really sure how to react himself to Mara's sudden, though supposedly false, possessiveness. Maris took a deep breath. Galen could feel Maris calling on the Force for calm, and he was sure Mara did, too. Finally, the vapid arm candy mask resumed. "Yes," said Maris brightly, "let's go outside."

Galen was sure that both women had talked all the way across the room and onto the secluded balcony, but he couldn't recall any of it. Empty, meaningless chatter meant to cover their movement, he guessed, but nothing he himself would have been capable of. Once there, Maris turned cold and hard again. "Now. Explain."

Before things could get out of hand, Galen raised his left hand and used the Force to restrain and silence Maris. "Please don't fight me, Maris, I'm not here to kill you. We're here to do a job, just like you. Now let us be on our way, and I'll make sure you're not implicated."

Maris looked softly at him for a moment before her eyes narrowed in anger. Galen was getting tired of trying to keep up with the Zabrak's mood swings, but Maris' focus switched to Mara. "Fine. You, I'm fine with. Who's she?" Maris asked with venom.

[emperors-hand.insanejournal.com]

Maris. Mara made a mental note of that for later, so she could look up more information on the woman. As for her connection to Galen, that was a different matter that she'd discuss with him once they were back on the ship. The fact that Maris knew his name as "Starkiller" was enough familiarity that it worried Mara.

She watched as he calmed Maris using his good arm, and Mara tried to think up an explanation as to who she was. She had never had to worry about it before, but her cover was going to be blown quickly if Maris didn't buy it.

She sighed. "I'm a friend of Starkiller's, and he's right. We're on a mission and we don't mean to bother anyone. Like he said, you won't be implicated in anything. We just need to get back to our ship quietly."

Mara hoped that, by deferring to Galen, Maris wouldn't object. After all, she reminded herself, she wasn't in charge anymore anyway. They were equals, partners, and Mara had to trust that Galen could pull off his end just as well as she could.

It wasn't a position she found herself in often, and she didn't like it very much. But, she had to learn to. Mara looked at Maris pleadingly, hoping that earnestness came through as she held Galen's hand to assure him that he was doing well, too.

[emperors-blade.insanejournal.com]

It was a night for surprises, apparently. Galen tried to remind himself of the speech Mara had given him back when they'd left the Caedus on this mission: they were supposed to be partners and equals, and that they would be working together. Mara would still have last say on things he didn't understand, but that didn't mean that she was his master, the way Emperor Palpatine had ordered. What had just transpired was the first moment he had really felt that.

His attention returned to Maris. Galen summoned the few Jedi-influenced abilities he still might have had and tried to calm her emotions directly. It helped a great deal-- although still surprised him further-- when Mara took his hand. Maris, though, seemed to relent.

"All right. All right, I said." Galen loosened his hold, but was ready if Maris made any sudden moves. Maris looked at them both. "Get out of here. Kratos is half-drunk by now, I'll make sure he gets the rest of the way, and then I'll disappear. Now," she said, glaring at Galen, "we're even."

He wasn't ready for Maris to use the Force to push against his hold, only to reach for a weapon, so when she shook his grip loose, it worked. Maris planted a momentary kiss on his mouth, then ran off back into the ballroom, giggling. Galen wiped at his lips and looked worriedly at Mara. "Let's go."

[emperors-hand.insanejournal.com]

Normally, Mara would have been grateful and ready to get out the place as quickly as possible, but she was too stunned by the kiss Maris had given to Galen to really do much of anything except let her mouth hang open in anger and jealousy. When he said it was time to go, it broke her of that and she returned to business-mode.

"Right. Right, I got my intel, and it sounds like you got yours. This way."

She led the way back to their ship, and she plotted a course for... somewhere. It didn't matter where, really, because they still had some time to waste before reporting back to the Emperor on the mission. Which meant she, at least, still wanted to learn more about what the Emperor really had in store for Galen... and for her, as well.

That meant it was time to do some research.

But first things, first, she figured. Mara swung the chair around once they were safely away from the planet and placed her hands on her knees. "So, who is Maris, why does she know you, and can you tell me what that kiss was all about?"

[emperors-blade.insanejournal.com]

Galen ran a hand over his close-cropped hair and loosened his collar finally. He'd have gladly fought a few junk titans over doing anything like that again anytime soon. Unfortunately, his sense of relief was short-lived as soon as he got a good look at the expression Mara was blasting him with on the bridge of her ship. An explanation was to be expected, but Galen hadn't anticipated how upset she seemed to be.

"Her name is Maris Brood," he began, surprised at the weary tone in his voice. "About two years ago, she was the apprentice to one of the last Jedi to survive the Imperial Purge, Master Shaak Ti. Vader sent me to the planet Felucia where they were hiding to finish the job. Shaak Ti sent Maris into hiding. I didn't know Maris existed when I..."

Galen bit his lip. "... when I executed Master Shaak Ti." He took a deep breath before continuing. "A few months later, I went back to Felucia to rescue Senator Bail Organa. Maris had turned to the Dark Side and was holding him for ransom. She and I fought, and I beat her. When I decided that with the planet as strong in the Dark Side of the Force as it was, I let her go free."

He frowned deeply at the end of Mara's question. "And I don't know why she did that. She was unstable at best when we fought, maybe a little insane. I guess that never got better. Believe me, the only thing I ever wanted from Maris Brood was to learn how she turned invisible."

[emperors-hand.insanejournal.com]

"Invisible?" He couldn't mean literally, could he?

Again, Mara filed away the name for later research. Maris Brood. Someone who was an apprentice to a Jedi that Vader had wished dead. She shook her head. Sometimes Mara still wondered why Vader was so worried about his position -- she certainly didn't want it.

"You don't need to be shy about saying you killed a Jedi around me, you know," she pointed out, then wondered why he seemed so upset.

"Okay, I might be slightly upset about the insane half-naked woman kissing you. That aside, is there something else you're not telling me, Galen?"

[emperors-blade.insanejournal.com]

"Probably more like messing with my perception of her rather than actually bending light or anything..." Galen muttered then shook his head, getting himself back on the topic, which then swung away from him again when Mara brought up his hesitation.

"I'm not shy about it," he sighed. "I don't know how I feel about it. I don't think I'm proud of it, but I'm not ashamed, either. Those were days when I didn't know any different, and I was doing the exact job I had been trained to do-- raised to do. I don't know." He leaned back as far as his chair would let him, wondering if he'll ever stop seeing the faces of Kazdan Paratus and Shaak Ti in his nightmares. Of course, those weren't the worst.

His eyes opened when Mara's words sunk in. "You weren't... jealous, were you?"

Galen shook his head firmly then relented with another sigh. "I had a premonition that something was going to go wrong with this mission-- just a bad feeling, really. I suppose it could have been a lot worse."

[emperors-hand.insanejournal.com]

"I'm an assassin, Galen. These things don't bother me, unless they're being done for the wrong reasons. Is that it?" She wondered half to herself, half to him. "You think you killed people that you shouldn't have?"

Again, Mara was learning more and more about the man she had once looked up to with nothing but utter respect.

She looked up at Galen and shook her head. "No. No, I'm not jealous. Why would..." She sighed and looked away. "Fine, yes, there's a half-naked woman kissing you in front of me who you apparently know, right after what we... shared together, here. It bothered me. There, I said it, okay?"

Mara let out another sigh, too. "Great. Premonitions. Any other ones I should know about, or was that it?"

[emperors-blade.insanejournal.com]

Galen shrugged. "Part of me wants to say that yes, I was wrong. That these weren't my enemies but Vader's and ultimately, the Emperor's. He was using me as a weapon. But then I've done some research of my own. The old Jedi order wasn't corrupt, exactly, but it does seem like it wasn't the guardian of justice it was supposed to be. I just don't know."

Shaking his head, he loosened his collar some more. "No, nothing since then. Although I have to say my feeling was pretty bad, and all things considered, we got off pretty lightly."

He leaned forward, fixing Mara with his gaze. Galen couldn't help but start to smirk a little bit. She was showing him gaps in her armor, like when she'd spoken to him after the medical ship, and he wasn't about to ignore it.

"Well, well, well... Mara Jade jealous." Galen raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't do a damn thing with Maris Brood, I'll have you know. I prefer my women with a lot less insanity." He smirked some more. "Although the lack of clothing does make things convenient..."

[emperors-hand.insanejournal.com]

She didn't know, either. "Okay, we'll just have to do some meditation on it. Maybe something will come to us, maybe we'll have to do more research through the Emperor's personal libraries... we'll figure it out somehow."

Mara was glad to know that there was nothing else they'd have to worry about and so she relaxed slightly before tensing up again at Galen's next words. She leaned back automatically as he leaned forward.

"Shut up," she nearly snarled, angry at herself for telling him that much of her feelings. Mara stood and was ready to walk past him when she stopped and looked down. "For your information, I'd bet I would be much better than anyone you could ever possibly hope to have. Frankly, I think you're just becoming addicted to the sex."

[emperors-blade.insanejournal.com]

Galen grumbled and reached a hand out to stop Mara as she passed him. He looked up at her from his chair, trying to radiate calm as best he could. Maybe he was no Jedi, but he might at least be able to help her listen.

"I was thinking about you," he insisted, then shook his head. "And that's the last time I ever try to make a joke."

He thought hard about what she'd said though, about becoming addicted. It wasn't as though Mara didn't have a point. It had been on Galen's mind a lot, and he had suspected from the start that it wasn't just because he'd never had another lover.

"Maybe you're right," Galen finally said. "But what about you? Are you telling me you want to stop? Because you know there's a lot more than sex going on when we go at it."

[emperors-hand.insanejournal.com]

"Oh."

She'd known it was a joke, but Mara tried to play it off so as not to hurt his feelings. Why she cared about them when it came to matters of sex was beyond her, but it did. She just hadn't wanted him to know how right he'd been in calling her out on it all.

"Jokes are fine." They were. Typically. When she wasn't in this strange, jealous mood.

"I..." Mara looked away, even as Galen held her in place. She felt a strange sensation of calm wash over her and nodded her head, not realizing that it was his doing. "I know. I don't know how or why, but it's unlike anything I've ever experienced and no, I don't want it to stop." Honesty. Mara looked back at him, feeling very vulnerable.

"So... now what?"

[emperors-blade.insanejournal.com]

He sensed it, that feeling that Mara had let down her defenses for a moment. Galen could also feel how much she hated doing it, so he tried to react as little as he could. No sense in drawing attention to something she resented, he figured. Simply nodding at her admission and acknowledging it, he hoped she didn't think he'd stepped over the line.

Galen shook his head, not sure at all how to respond. "Things we need to do are look through the data we collected, transmit a report to the Emperor and set a course for somewhere to wait for instructions." All that were the practical considerations, and he was sure that Mara had already gave them thought, but he wanted to help.

"As for what we should be doing," he said, standing, "that I'm not sure. " He reached out a hand and laid it against Mara's cheek. "I don't want to... ruin... anything."

[emperors-hand.insanejournal.com]

"That's not a problem. Like I said, I can communicate with th Emperor anytime, anywhere in the galaxy. If we need more time, I could always lie to him, say I'll contact him in a few more days." She shivered a little. Lying to Emperor Palpatine. It wasn't a thought she'd ever given much consideration to before, but she knew it had to be done now. Her whole world was different.

"As for our own side-mission, if you've got ideas for where we should go, be my guest. Plug the coordinates into the navacomputer and we'll just wait it out." She was still doing her best to remain equal to him, so she offered him that much, hoping it would smooth things out a bit.

Mara stared into his eyes as he touched her, gently. Gently. She leaned into his hand automatically, as if she'd never had a kind touch, ever. Maybe she hadn't; she really couldn't remember. "You're not ruining anything," Mara told Galen quietly as she placed her own hand on the side of his face, mirroring his touch.

"You never have."

[emperors-blade.insanejournal.com]

"Thank you," Galen said quietly before making the decision to step just a little bit forward and close most of the gap between him and Mara. He leaned down, hand still at her cheek, and kissed her softly. It was something he had never done, and had never considered. Kisses he'd had until then had all been desperate in one way or another, and never soft. But it seemed right for that moment. The Force only knew where that instinct had come from.

"I think after all of this," said Galen, gesturing at the navigation controls, "that maybe we should lay low for a little. To be honest I don't think I've relaxed a day in my life."

He closed his eyes, trying to remember the snippets of other peoples' conversations he had heard over the years, the few that had not been about his training or his missions. "I hear the sweet water springs on R'alla can be very relaxing," he offered.

[emperors-hand.insanejournal.com]

Mara nodded her head and then shut her eyes as Galen kissed her -- again, softly, gently -- and so she responded in kind until he pulled away from her. She wasn't sure which was more confusing, having any sort of feelings for the man or touching him, kissing him, in this way. Surely he heard how loud her heart was pounding in her chest?

She nodded her head again, not trusting her own voice just yet, then watched as he shut his eyes. She reached her hand to his eyelids, carefully skimming them, then pulled away as he spoke.

"Sounds good." She coughed, trying to regain her voice and strength. "R'alla it is, then." But he'd broken something inside of her with that kiss and touch, giving her something she'd never had, and she wanted more of it. Mara stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips back and forth, slowly, across his.

[emperors-blade.insanejournal.com]

((<--bump (http://emperors-blade.insanejournal.com/1698.html?thread=16802#t16802)))

[emperors-blade.insanejournal.com]

There was a new, unfamiliar and very different tension in the air of Mara's ship. Galen could feel it pulling taut between them, feeling different in almost every way from the hot, red vibrations when his Dark Side energies met hers. He didn't know it, didn't understand it, but didn't want to make it go away, either. Mara's touch was as light as a whisper over his closed eyes, and it made Galen's heart stop for a moment. What were they doing? What was going on?

All he knew was that even as questioned and now malleable as Mara's connection to Palpatine was, it was still there for her, along with her belief in the Empire. At least, that was his assumption. Galen had nothing and no one, and didn't know what he'd do without Mara.

Mara's lips against his warmed him, an entirely new warmth. He leaned away, glancing down only long enough to key in their destination into the navicomputer. He could feel the ship's engines beginning to hum and power up. "Thirty-two hours to R'alla," he whispered, then stood close enough again to Mara to feel her against his chest. "What would you... like to..." Galen's voice trailed off, uncertain.

[emperors-hand.insanejournal.com]

"I..." She stopped and nodded at him after she noticed that he'd put the coordinates in. Auto-pilot. The ship ran alone, not needing anyone's help, and that was pretty much the way that Mara had been acting her whole life.

Until now, with Galen Marek of all people, with someone who could touch the Dark Side of the Force in ways she knew she would never be able to... but someone who was also capable of tenderness, too. Mara couldn't run on autopilot anymore, somehow.

Her hands went up his arms slowly because for the first time, she was scared he'd turn her down. Why that was, she had no clue, but Mara licked her dry lips and suggested, "We could spend some time together... just... feeding our addiction."

[emperors-blade.insanejournal.com]

Galen's hands found Mara's slim waist, a gesture that was far more familiar and comfortable with her closer rather than further away. It was amazing, Galen thought, how easily it was coming to him to do these things. Someone who had known so little kindness and tenderness should never have found it so simple, and yet here he was. Maybe Vader hadn't taken away all of his humanity, after all.

Leaning down, he kissed Mara again, this time a little longer and a little more intently, but still a far cry from the hungry, desperate ones they had exchanged before. "Mutual addiction it is," said Galen, breathing against her mouth.

It seemed as though ever day, they were finding themselves in strange, unknown territory. But Galen couldn't think of anyone better to explore with.