Part 69 ... noice ;)

Also, happy Star Wars Day! May the 4th be with you! :D

The Ewoks were rather welcoming after the initial mishap of trying to impale them on pikes and spears. The march to their village was rather short and it was approaching dusk when they finally saw the ladders and stairs which spiraled up into the tree canopy. For seemingly primitive beings, that didn't mean they were entirely inept - from ground level, their huts were disguised and concealed so well that one wouldn't know they were within their territory until it was too late.

When they finally got there, most of the troopers were told to make camp on the ground so they could patrol the area and keep their prisoners - the ten soldiers that had first greeted them at the ship - under close guard as they would come into play within the night when Mara, Luke and Anakin would set off for their half of the mission.

Their entire village was built into the huge trees themselves, high above ground and deep within the canopy. At first, they had assumed it would just be a small collection of huts with maybe a few dozen inhabitants but the more they climbed, the bigger the settlement seemed to get with perhaps hundreds of the deadly cute furballs.

They seemed surprisingly welcoming upon their arrival as they were taken to what looked like the main plaza of their village. They ushered 3PO towards what looked like a rudimentary throne made of wood and twins, but they weren't really paying attention as someone all too familiar stepped out from one of the huts.

"Leia!" Han exclaimed happily as she quickly came running up to them all.

She wasn't in her camouflaged poncho and Jedi basics anymore, instead she stood there in a rather simple beige dress. Leia wasn't always the most open about her wardrobe and how she did her hair - of course she wore dresses on occasion but was much more comfortable in combat ready clothes, usually conservative and functional - especially after the escapade with the costume Jabba had forced her to wear at his palace. She usually kept her hair up in braids which was the next best thing to just getting it cut short - it would probably be easier for her like that but she liked her long hair, as disfunctional as it was. But her hair was nearly completely down now with just a single braid wrapped over her temples and dangling against her sides - she rarely ever had her hair down when not in the presence of just family and sometimes friends.

She bounded over happily, like she had an extra pep in her step as he threw her arms round Han. They shared a breif kiss and Han picked her up and swiveled her round lightly and kissed her again. Needless to say, he was relived she was safe and sound, not that he didn't believe she could handle herself.

Breaking apart so she could rush over to her dad and brother, she pulled them both into hugs as well before taking steps back awkwardly when the rest of the group arrived. She tugged at the simple dress, her hand absently brushing over the fabric to try and mask the fact there was a slit down the side from her waist which showed off her leg.

"I made a few new friends," she smiled sheepishly as one of the Ewoks came up to her side, cutely hiding behind her slightly at the presence of the new people in their midst.

***

Despite their rocky start to meeting the new people, the Ewoks seemed rather welcoming when they eventually settled down to camp for the night. They doubled up in hits and brought out food for their new guests, it was no wonder Leia felt comfortable there.

They didn't seem like the same 'savages' that had tried to kill them earlier in their trap, but as Mara pointed out, their only other contact with non-indiginous lifeforms was with the Maulian soldiers who she doubted acted friendly to them. They had every right to be afraid of outsiders, but now that initial fear had passed, they doted on their guests generously.

Night fell quickly and it was comforting to spend the night camped in cosy huts with warm fires instead of on the forest floor.

With most of the Ewoks ever the curious type, they gathered around the newcomers with many questions and asking for stories - as 3PO had translated. It wasn't long before most of the group were gathered in one of the main huts - it couldn't hurt to indulge their requests. 3PO stood the in the middle, rattling off stories of the Jedi's previous mission in Ewokees as the fury creatures sat attentively, hanging onto every word the golden droid said.

Leia cuddled up to Han as they listened to 3PO finish the last few tales before they would have to call it a rest as they had a big day to look ahead to. As Leia rest her head on his shoulder, the little Ewok which she had introduced - the one she had initially befriended she called Wicket - came close as well, wrapping it's little stubby arms around Han's knee. He tried to act annoyed but upon seeing Leia's beaming smile he gave in and patted the cute little creature on the head.

With the last story over, some of the leading Ewoks began to chat amongst themselves before turning to the others that were packed into the hut. This was followed by a few cheers and nods of agreement.

"What's going on?" Han asked curiously.

"I don't know..." Leia admitted, both turning to 3PO to translate.

"Wonderful!" 3PO exclaimed as one of the creatures began to beat on the drums triumphantly, "We are now a part of the tribe."

Many of the little furballs jumped around excitedly, one flinging onto Han's lap, taking him by surprise but he couldn't be mad at them for long as he breifly hugged them back with a short smile.

"Just what I always wanted," he chuckled, Leia joining in at the adorable sight.

Luke smiled along with the rest of them, looking to his father and Ahsoka which looked just as thrilled; they doubted the Ewoks would be as useful a force as proper troopers but help was help nonetheless and it was uplifting to know friendships could still be forged out of war.

But as Luke turned to see where Mara last stood, his smile faded slightly when he saw the mat she had been sitting on now empty. He wondered when she had slipped away - and how she could have done so when they were stuck in such a small hut - but he knew she had probably tapped into old skills of hers, tactical skills like how to pass unnoticed (although that could have just been Luke too distracted by the Ewoks around him).

***

Leia and Han walked absently down the little paths of the Ewok village, her arm slung around his middle and his around her shoulders. At first, neither of them could speak as they just basked in the beauty of the Endor night sky as they both thought about what the next day would bring.

Leia worried not just for herself but for her father and brother. She knew they could handle themselves but Maul was not to be underestimated - though uncle Obi-Wan had been warning them about that for years.

The first time she had properly met Maul - besides the first heist of the three Jedi Cruisers on Corellia (which she found out used to be Han's homeplanet) - he had captured her after her fighter had been incapacitated. She had woken up in her cell, tortured for information and then given a demonstration on exactly what the Project Krystal was.

The next time she had come into contact with the sith had been back on Cloud City - memories she didn't really want to dwell on because of the pain they brought. Leia had always been more of a closed off kind of person, but for the first time in her life, she was finally letting someone past the icey barrier; she loved Han, and Maul ripped him away from her. First he tortured Han, not to get any information out of him, it was to get her to talk - he was a manipulative beast and knew that she could take any physical pain so the next best thing would be psychological.

The thought of Han being pushed into the center of the carbon freezer, their 'last' kiss lingering on their lips as he was lowered down on the platform, the next glimpse of him a frozen slab on the floor - it filled her with bike at just the mere thought.

Maul was not to be underestimated nor was he predictable.

She clung to his arm tighter, like she never wanted him out of her sight again. He stopped and looked at her with an awe of amusement, turning to her with a gentle smile.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere, remember?" He chuckled, loosening his arm a little.

"Sorry, just a little on edge. Worried about tomorrow is all." She mused, slipping her arms around his middle and resting her head on her chest, "Hold me..."

"Everything will be fine, I'm sure of it." Han said quietly as he held her close, absently running his fingers through her long hair, "I may not have the force or whatever, but I can just tell - everything will be fine."

"Promise?" She joked, knowing it probably wouldn't make any difference but wanting to hear it anyways.

"Promise." Han kissed her forehead with a smile.

But a forehead kiss wasn't enough for the titular Jedi. Instead, she stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. Leaning down slightly so she didn't have to be on her toes anymore, Han smiled into the tender kiss - to think only a few years ago he was a common backally smuggler.

***

Noticing Mara's absence and stretching out with the force, Luke could tell she was growing anxious as the night progressed. To anyone else it may have just been restlessness, and he couldn't blame them; no one seemed to be able to sleep properly, especially with the buzzing excitment and dread that was the fact they would be potentially die the next day either in victory or in defeat against Maul. As much as the troops probably needed rest to keep them fresh and on their toes for the battle ahead, most found it difficult to sleep even if they forced themselves to.

But Luke knew that Mara's anxiousness was not just pre-battle jitters. Luke, mara and his father would be leaving for the base by themselves soon, perhaps within the hour. She would be yet another step closer to taking revenge on the person who had manipulated her all her life. He had volunteered for the mission alongside her because he knew she would probably think herself silly to ask for help, but he knew she needed and he was glad to give it. She may be the most stubborn person he had ever met besides his own twin sister, but she wasn't exempt from worries.

Knowing she was probably having another period of doubt, as Luke had noticed throughout the entire mission so far, he discreetly snuck out from the crowd gathered in the hut and followed where he had seen her disappear off to.

Endor in the sunlight had been beautiful, lush and green with plants which filled the atmosphere with an aura almost magical. Having grown up on Coressant, the forest moon seemed so exotically beautiful. That wasn't to say Coressant couldn't be majestic in its own way, but Endor seemed like a haven that should have been left untouched by the rest of the galaxy; except it wasn't. Maul had set his base in the middle of the greenery and had disregarded its beauty and life for his own gain. But still, Endor was beautiful.

Night had fallen and Luke saw Mara leaning against one of the trees, her head of red hair haloed in the moonlight. The distant fires of the Ewok camps peaking through the canopy of the trees dotted the horizon like stars against the dark of the forest. She stood facing away from him, her arms crossed and closed in on herself with her hair covering most of her face like she was ashamed to be seen and wanted to blend on with the trees.

He knew she could he was there because he felt the harsh force barrier around her mind snap shut momentarily - though it wasn't as robust as it had been in previous years. This was always her reaction in times of vulnerability when she felt someone get too close but thankfully, she immediately loosened that barrier when she realised it was Luke, there was no use in hiding anything from him, he was too understanding a person not to figure it out by himself so she might as well let him get close eitherways.

"I just needed some air," she half joked as she turned to him with a we-both-know-that-is-not-true smile which prompted a skeptical eyebrow raise from the Jedi, making her chuckle lowly, "Yeah, nothing gets past you does it?"

"Should I be complimented or insulted?" Luke threw back absently as he joined her by her side as they looked through the trees at nothing in particular.

"Both." She replied with a smirk, sending them back into a short silence where they just stood there, not sure what to say to the other.

"Nervous?" Luke mused playfully, hoping to break the ice gently.

"We're about to face Darth Maul, a man who has been at war with half the galaxy, killed thousands and has kriffed up most of my life. Nervous doesn't even begin to explain what I feel right now..." She sighed in defeat, slumping against the bark of the tree as she looked absently out to the dark horizon.

"Revenge is not exactly praised amongst Jedi," Luke mused, hoping to assure her, "But Maul... He deserves everything coming to him, not just for the war but what he had done to you..."

"But what if - I don't know - what if I'm weak and he's able to get inside my head again. What if my brainwashing isn't entirely-" she rambled desperately but was immediately cut off.

"No. That will not happen. I've never known you to doubt yourself, why start now? You're not weak, you're strong in more ways than one - you're one of the most determined people I've ever met and I will not let you sink into a deeper hole than the one Maul had already thrown you into."

Silence fell over them again as Luke focused his eyes off to the tree canopy as though he was actively avoiding eye contact with the redhead. She, on the other hand, turned to him with curious eyes, studying his face after his outburst. He didn't his best not to blush but failed as he could almost feel her eyes on him, silently watching him.

He was right of course, she just didn't realise how much he genuinely cared. He looked serious but carefree. He looked determined but humble. He looked worried but at the same time calm... He looked handsome...

"Luke..." She sighed, blushing slightly as she nudged a little closer to him and patted his arm so he had to turn to her.

"Mara..." He replied, finally looking her in the eye, she could see something genuine in them, something akin to both understanding and admiration.

Tentatively, she took another step forward so the gap between them was practically gone and she was close enough to recount exact details of his features. His lips curled slightly at the edges in a subdued smile and his eyes widened minimally. Slowly, she brought her hands up to place gently on his chest as she felt his hands enclose around her middle as her eyes involuntarily closed.

His lips were soft and sweet, unsurprisingly in retrospective but nearly a shock when she felt them pressed against her own for the first time. They lingered there for a few moments, their lips barely touching as if both were waiting for the other to pull away and awkwardly come up with some excuse as to their actions.

But when neither pushed away from the kiss, they finally accepted it, their lips moving in rhythm to each others. Mara had kept up her guard for practically her entire life and had made a habit of not letting anyone get too close but as she tasted Luke's sweet lips against her own, she crumbled and everything tense within her dropped immediately.

Her arms snaked around his neck and pulled him close - now she finally had someone, she wasn't letting him go any time soon if she could help it.

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And if you can't tell - Luke X Mara Jade is one of my all time favourite ships in star wars and Mara definitely needs a live action debut!