| Author |
Topic:
Tyranny Reborn (L/M, H/L, 12 of 12) - Compl 18 Sep 08
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Rigil_Kent
Registered:
Jan '04
|
Date Posted:
6/21 10:06pm
Subject:
RE: Tyranny Reborn (L/M, H/L, 4 of 12) - 21 June 08
- Date Edited:
6/21 11:11pm (7 edits total)
Edited By:
Rigil_Kent
|
A/N: Major thank you for the nominations. I am honored and humbled that my work is being considered.
And the boards keep choking on a single italics coding instance for Gorgon ... and I have no idea why...
CHAPTER 4
THERE was every reason to smile.
Hands clasped together at the small of his back, Admiral Gilad Pellaeon paced slowly around the holographic tactical display buried deep within the bowels of Allegiance. His steps were slow and measured, so he would not appear hurried or worried, no matter what he was actually feeling. Appearance was all important in a combat engagement like this; if he appeared concerned or overly excited, it would show on his face and the combat controllers who relayed his instructions to the rest of the fleet would either begin to worry or become sloppy in their duties, convinced that the battle was all but won. The ship captains would note the sort of emotions those planners were experiencing when they received their instructions and would pass it on to their crews. In an engagement such as this, fear and overconfidence were contagions that had to be controlled or all was lost.
Despite his innate sense of decorum, however, Gilad found himself struggling to keep his features from revealing the giddiness currently threatening to spoil his poise. It took every gram of his self-control to maintain the stern expression he always wore during a combat operation such as this one. If he cracked a smile though, he somehow doubted the junior officers manning the relay stations around the holographic display could fault him: it wasn’t every day, after all, when everything went as planned.
The fleet currently arrayed against Pellaeon’s battle group was considerable: two Mon Calamari MC-80 star cruisers, a trio of captured Imperator-class star destroyers, and two older assault frigates that appeared to have been refit from Dreadnaught-class cruisers. Spearheading the taskforce was Admiral Solo’s flagship, the renamed Lusankya. Squadrons of A-Wings, B-Wings and X-Wings swarmed around the fleet like angry insects, though these insects could – if not contained – kill a capital ship.
Against the might of the battle group under Gilad’s command, however, it seemed completely inadequate. From the Allegiance, Pellaeon commanded an armada of ten star destroyers, each supported by a trio of Carrack-class light cruisers. Six of the surviving dreadnaughts captured from the Katana fleet over a year earlier only added to the firepower currently arrayed against the so-called Fifth Fleet.
There would be no escape for the Rebels this time.
“Chimera and Inexorable in position, Admiral,” one of the combat controllers announced and Pellaeon grunted in response. The holographic representations of the star destroyers in question were flashing rapidly, an indication that they were still uploading new telemetry data to the Allegiance, and Gilad swallowed the urge to curse at the sloppiness of Chimera’s maneuvers. Now was not the time to chastise her commander, he reminded himself. And besides, he was no longer the captain of that venerable ship.
That thought hurt more than it should.
This was the fifth major engagement against Solo’s Fifth Fleet in the last two weeks, though it was the first one in which Imperial forces were the aggressors. From almost the moment he assumed command, Solo had changed the tempo of the war. Given his background, it wasn’t a surprise that the ex-smuggler turned admiral abandoned the low-intensity proxy war against Imperial logistical lines. What was a surprise, though, was the nature of the war plan the Fifth Fleet promptly implemented: in a pair of lightning strikes that caught the defenders napping, Solo’s battle group drove deep into Imperial-controlled territory and captured two systems, encountering only the slightest of resistance. Gilad shouldn’t have been surprised at the boldness of the plan – there was nothing in Solo’s personality profile to indicate the man had ever suffered from a lack of confidence and, as a Corellian, he was certainly brash enough to to come up with such audacious battle plans – but the swiftness in which the Fifth rallied behind their new commander still came as something of a shock.
Nearly as bad as Solo’s presence was the reassignment of Rogue Wing to the Fifth, especially when Antilles’ group began systematically ripping apart every single TIE squadron they encountered. Imperial casualties were inordinately high, forcing Gilad to relocate his own elite starfighter wing from Bastion over the vocal complaints of the Moff Council. Thus far, the 181st Starfighter Group hadn’t had the effect he would have liked them to have, but then, they had only encountered the Rogues once during the last engagement.
“Send to all ships,” Gilad ordered as he finished his latest circuit around the massive hologram, “engage at will.” A frown crossed the admiral’s face as he observed the unusual maneuvers being undertaken by the Rebel fleet; if he didn’t know better, he’d almost believe that Solo was planning on attacking with his sorely outclassed battle group. Abruptly, his eyes narrowed: the Corellian fool was attacking.
With the renamed Lusankya at the very tip of the flying wedge, Solo’s fleet accelerated toward the coreward edge of the Imperial formation in what appeared to be a suicidal end run. Already, the Rebel starfighters were engaging the TIEs and the holo-display came alive with flashing lights indicating damaged or destroyed craft. Pellaeon’s breath caught as he realized the star destroyer that would absorb the brunt of this assault: Chimera.
"Gorgon to reinforce Chimera," Gilad ordered after a moment of thought. "Send to Stormhawk and Inexorable: Marg Sabl closure maneuver around Chimera and Gorgon. Send to Chimera: begin tactical withdrawal." Pellaeon paced around the holographic display again, frowning again as he studied the abnormal maneuvers of Solo's fleet. At first glance, it appeared to be a haphazard formation, one that implied sloppiness on the part of the fleet commander, but looking at it now, Gilad could see that it was anything but a mistake. "Belay those orders!" he snapped sharply, suddenly recognizing the threat lurking behind the abnormal formation.
By then, it was already too late.
A squadron of B-Wings abruptly wheeled around and raced into the gap of the battle line left by Gorgon’s maneuver to aid Chimera, abandoning their attack runs in order to spew a steady stream of proton torpedoes at the momentarily exposed Gorgon. Dozens of warheads slammed into the exposed aft of the star destroyer with brilliant explosions that momentarily dazzled the holographic display. Under such an intense destructive yield, shield failure was almost instantaneous. The sublight engines of the Imperator-class star destroyer flared brightly and died as even more torpedoes slammed into them, detonating with hull crushing force. Inertia kept the warship moving, but it was vulnerable and exposed. The twin assault frigates suddenly pounced, altering course in radical maneuvers as their turbolaser batteries began ripping into the unprotected star destroyer.
Unprotected, but not helpless. The crippled Gorgon’s retaliatory fire ravaged the smaller frigates, shattering one of them completely and heavily damaging the other. By then, though, one of the Rebel star destroyers had reached optimal weapons range and began unleashing its own considerable firepower on the unshielded Gorgon. It was only a matter a time before the Imperial warship died and already, escape pods were being launched.
Gritting his teeth, Pellaeon mentally saluted his Corellian adversary for the unexpected maneuver. For the first time, he acknowledged that Zsinj’s defeat obviously hadn’t been a fluke brought on by overconfidence and abject incompetence. Still, the crippling of one star destroyer would only delay the inevitable; Solo was outgunned and outclassed. Even as the Gorgon was pounded into submission, the rest of Gilad’s fleet was encircling the Rebels. At this rate, Allegiance wouldn’t even need to get involved.
“Admiral!” Lieutenant Petothel called out from the far side of the hardened room. At Pellaeon’s glance, the woman continued. “Priority signal from Bastion! They’re under attack!”
Gilad’s blood ran cold. He half-ran to where the lieutenant stood, abandoning his careful image of poise in his urgency.
“Have you confirmed?” he demanded sharply. The muted worry in her eyes gave Pellaeon pause and, a moment later, he recalled that her records indicated she had a husband and child on Bastion.
“Sir, I-” she started to say but broke off when her console began chirping. “Incoming transmission!” Petothel identified and hit the ‘receive’ button. Instantly, the nearby hologram pod crackled to life and a life-sized image flickered into view. Gilad recognized the man immediately: Grand Moff Ardus Kaine, one of the most powerful members of the Council on Bastion. To say the man looked worried was an understatement.
“Pellaeon!” the image of Kaine nearly bellowed. “We’re under attack! Dozens of star destroyers and MC-80s have dropped out of lightspeed!”
Anger pulsed within Pellaeon then, nearly washing away his common sense with its power. He shot a quick glance at the tactical display, suddenly realizing why the Corellian ex-smuggler hadn’t tried to punch his way out and flee at earliest opportunity.
This entire engagement was a distraction.
“Acknowledged, sir,” he said tightly before turning back toward the officers standing around the display, awaiting his instructions. Grimacing, Pellaeon gave the order no fleet commander ever wanted to give.
“Send to all ships,” Gilad said calmly, “immediate retreat. Emergency recall to Bastion.”
For a heartbeat, the ensigns and lieutenants standing around the tactical display hesitated and Pellaeon felt their surprised eyes on him. Gilad’s expression darkened at their delay and they sprang into action, quickly relaying the instruction to all ships. Almost instantly, he could see the fleet responding on the holo-display as they began maneuvering for an escape vector. The small dots representing TIEs rapidly changed direction and raced back toward their mother ships as the capital ships began reorienting away from the Rebels.
“We’re on our way, sir,” Pellaeon added to the image of Kaine. With an almost regal nod, the Moff ended the transmission. “Send to bridge,” Gilad said, this time directing his comments to Lieutenant Petothel. “Set intercept course for Rebel flagship. We’ll draw their fire while the rest of the fleet evacuates.”
“Yes, sir,” the lieutenant responded crisply.
“Is that wise, Admiral?” The emotionless voice of Major Torul nearly caused Gilad to jump and he shot the ex-storm commando a dark look. It wasn’t a surprise that the major was present; as the commander of Pellaeon’s security detachment, Torul went almost everywhere with him since Gilad’s unexpected promotion to admiral in the wake of the failed Rebel assassination attempt. What was a surprise was how easily the younger man could fade into the background and virtually vanish. “By putting Allegiance into the engagement zone like this, you’re endangering your life,” the major continued. He wasn’t wearing his helmet today, but somehow managed to appear even more lethal without it.
“It is standard procedure,” Gilad pointed out. “Allegiance is a dreadnought, capable of sustaining heavy damage.” Not for the first time, he wondered why he was so willing to explain these sorts of things to Torul. Perhaps it was because the major saved his life?
“With respect, sir,” Torul hissed, “it’s risky and unnecessary.”
Pellaeon gave the holographic display another look before exhaling bitterly. It was risky and unnecessary. If Solo acted like he had in the previous engagements, he would order his forces to stand down the moment they confirmed the Imperial withdrawal wasn’t a tactical ploy. He nodded grimly.
“Lieutenant Petothel,” he stated calmly, “send to bridge: belay intercept course.” The woman obeyed with a sharp nod and Pellaeon gave his bodyguard a fierce glower. “Don’t ever question my orders in front of junior officers again,” Gilad said softly, his voice pitched for Torul’s ears only. He leveled a hard stare at the younger man but wasn’t surprised when the major didn’t react.
“My job is to protect your life, sir,” Torul replied, equally soft. His eyes might as well have been cybernetic implants for all the warmth they reflected. “Even if that means questioning your orders, Admiral.” The onetime storm commando offered a bleak smile that didn’t have any trace of actual human emotion behind it. “In the future,” he offered, “I’ll be more discreet.”
“In the future,” Gilad corrected, “you will be more discreet.” He stalked away from the commando, glowering at holographic display as he tried to comprehend how he could have been outmaneuvered so easily. His instincts had told him this was too easy yet he hadn’t listened to them. Why? A dark thought occurred to him then: was Skywalker within the Rebel battle group? Pellaeon had seen firsthand the effect a powerful Force user could have on a fleet action when Thrawn enlisted the C’baoth clone and Gilad couldn’t help but to wonder if perhaps Skywalker was now doing the same by clouding the admiral’s judgment with those unnatural abilities of his. Perhaps the highly publicized breach between the Jedi and the Rebel leadership had just been part of a greater plan to lure the Empire into a false sense of security?
The holographic image representing the Stormhawk abruptly vanished from the tactical display, an indication that the star destroyer had made the jump to lightspeed. Almost immediately, the Rebel battle group began pulling back to regroup, thus allowing Pellaeon’s fleet to make good their retreat without further conflict. It was another thing that set Solo apart from Imperial commanders: standard military doctrine called for a continued harassment of the retreating force for as long as possible so as to inflict maximum damage.
Chimera limped out of the engagement zone, flanked by the Inexorable and two of the smaller Carrack-class cruisers that served as picket ships. To Gilad’s disgust, Gorgon was lost; escape pods were launching from the star destroyer nonstop as internal explosions ravaged the mighty warship. It was small consolation that both of the Rebel assault frigates were beyond salvage or that the Rebel star destroyer responsible for Gorgon’s state had suffered heavy damage as well.
“All hands, stand by for lightspeed,” a disembodied voice warned from concealed speakers.
Forty seconds later, a subtle shudder vibrated the deck plates as Allegiance made the jump to hyperspace.
With a flicker of pseudomotion, the last of the Imperial star destroyers made the transition to lightspeed but Han Solo couldn’t tear his eyes from the slow self-destruction of the second assault frigate.
Around him, alarms were still blaring as the crew raced to combat the battle damage inflicted upon the Independence during the fight, but Han’s attention was riveted on the distant frigate slowly breaking apart. Even in death, he realized with horrified disgust, the graceful-looking ship retained its beauty. Great gouts of flame could be seen as fires raged on all decks and the dorsal solar fins slowly broke free of the once mighty craft. Mere seconds remained before the engine core went critical.
“Get to the escape pods,” Han urged, balling his hands tightly into fists as he leaned toward the main viewport. “Get to the escape pods!” he repeated, sensing rather than seeing Chewbacca’s worried glance in his direction. As in defiance of Han’s pleading, the assault frigate violently exploded, vanishing instantly in a fierce ball of fire that sent debris tumbling through the void.
There were no escape pods.
“There was nothing you could do, Han,” Chewbacca pointed out but Solo ignored him. Five thousand sentients, dead in an instant because he had failed them. He glanced to where the first assault frigate had once been and silently amended that casualty count upward.
“Mission accomplished, sir,” Commander Loran announced as he approached, still wearing the Grand Moff uniform he had donned moments earlier. The Wraith Squadron commander was peeling off the prosthetic disguise he’d used to impersonate Ardus Kaine and his eyes glittered with satisfaction at a job well done.
“I’m not going to ask where you got the uniform,” Han began, eyes never leaving the shattered debris that had been the frigate Price of Duty. He hoped the ship’s name hadn’t been an omen. “But I would like to know how you were able to fool the Allegiance’s comm. officers,” Solo added. Loran’s smile was broad.
“Trade secret, sir,” the onetime holovid star replied smugly. Han’s expression darkened slightly and he gave Chewbacca a glance. Recognizing Solo’s intent, the Wookiee crossed his arms and growled softly, baring his fangs in an unmistakably intimidating manner. The Wraith Squadron commander gave him a startled, wide-eyed look.
“I’m afraid I must insist,” Han said softly, his voice hard and cold. “I’d hate for Chewie to lose his temper.” As if on cue, the Wookiee growled again and began cracking his knuckles. Loran visibly swallowed.
“We have an operative on the Allegiance,” the commander answered, frowning as he spoke. He glanced over his shoulder, as if to make sure no one could hear his words. “She’ll need to be extracted now…”
“We?” Han repeated. Anger began swimming in his stomach and he fought against the urge to slug the younger man.
“Wraith Squadron,” Loran expounded. “I’m sorry we didn’t tell you, Admiral,” he apologized, expression remorseful, “but my superiors in Intelligence didn’t think you needed to know.”
For a long moment, Han was silent. The Wraith Squadron commander shifted uneasily as the moment stretched out and even Chewie gave Han a sidelong look of concern.
“Look out there,” Solo ordered softly, “and tell me what you see.”
“Sir?” Loran was confused and didn’t try to hide it.
“I said look out there!” Han nearly snarled. He grabbed the commander by the arm and half-dragged him to the viewport. “There,” Solo said, pointing to the wreckage that had once been Price of Duty. “And there,” he snapped, shifting his aim to the remains of the other destroyed ship, Tyrant’s Bane. They had been sister ships, with crews drawn mostly from Mon Mothma’s homeworld Chandrila; Han had liked both of their captains immensely. “Do you have any idea what the crew complement is on one of those ships?” he demanded.
“No, sir,” Loran replied meekly.
“Look it up,” Solo said angrily before letting go of the man’s arm. “And then double it. That’s the number of sentients who died today because I didn’t need to know.” The younger man recoiled from the comment, a sick expression suddenly appearing on his face.
“Sir, I-” Loran started to say but Han spoke over him.
“You are dismissed, Commander,” he said harshly. When the younger man hesitated, Chewbacca dropped a hairy paw on his shoulder.
“You should leave,” the Wookiee said flatly, “before I lose my temper.”
Loran left.
“You were pretty hard on him,” Chewbacca remarked a few moments later. His comment was soft, pitched only for Solo’s ears.
“Not as hard as I’m going to be on those twerps in Intelligence,” Han growled. It didn’t surprise him in the slightest that Drayson and his cronies at New Republic Intelligence kept something like this from him; not providing the fleet commander with a full overview of all assets on hand was something so staggeringly stupid that only a group of spooks could come up with it and think it was a good idea. Well, Han thought darkly, they don’t call it No Real Intelligence for nothing.
“It’s more than that, isn’t it?” Chewie asked, his words causing Solo to grimace slightly. He should have known the Wookiee wouldn’t let it go.
“Admiral,” a feminine voice called out, rescuing him from an uncomfortable conversation he didn’t want to have, and Han turned his attention to the speaking officer. A few years younger than him, Captain Kaiya Adrimetrum had served with Judder Page’s commandos before transferring to fleet operations. How she ended up as the commanding officer of Independence Han didn’t know. At his look, the dark-haired woman continued. “A single Imperial dreadnaught is still in-system, sir,” she stated and Han blinked in surprise. Without comment, he followed her to the security foyer and the waiting communications/sensors arrays within, Chewbacca trailing behind him like a giant furry shadow.
“Incoming transmission,” a comm.-tech announced as they approached. The Bith pressed a button on his console and a life-sized hologram flickered into existence, coalescing into an image of a striking woman wearing an Imperial uniform with captain’s rank. Solo felt his stomach lurch uncomfortably when he recognized her.
“This is Captain Natasi Daala of the Imperial dreadnaught Redemption,” the hologram stated calmly, “to New Republic fleet. We do not have hostile intent. Repeat, we do not have hostile intent.” There appeared to be no trace of concern on the woman’s face but that didn’t surprise Han; Nat had always been cool under even the most intense pressure. “We are requesting permission to conduct search-and-rescue operations for Imperial pilots.”
“That’s pretty brave of her,” Chewbacca commented and Adrimetrum nodded in agreement.
“No, it isn’t,” Han replied grimly. “She knows exactly what she’s doing.” He exhaled in frustration. “She always does,” he added, drawing a curious look from the Wookiee that Solo ignored. Instead, he stepped onto the holotransmitter and waited until it lit up to indicate that it was transmitting his image.
“This is Admiral Solo to Redemption,” he said flatly. “Permission granted to conduct rescue operations.” A sudden idea occurred to him and he went with it. “Rogue Squadron will provide you with close-in support,” Han added, knowing Daala would recognize his lack of trust for her in the ‘helpful’ assistance. It wasn’t entirely intimidation tactics though; with Lieutenant Horn in the cockpit, the Rogues had the best chance of detecting any subterfuge on Daala’s part after all. “General Antilles, you have the ball.” Without further instruction, Solo stepped off the transmit platform and glanced to Adrimetrum. “Inform all group commanders I want a full combat assessment in one hour.”
“Aye, sir.”
Chewbacca followed him to the office set aside for his use without comment, but Han knew the Wookiee was just waiting for the right moment to resume their conversation, no matter how badly Solo didn’t want to have it. The moment the door slid shut behind them, Chewie spoke.
“Are you going to start talking,” the Wookiee queried, crossing his arms as he did, “or do I have to rough you up a little first?”
“Talk about what?” Han asked as he activated the tactical display on his desk. Instantly, a holographic display of the entire battle group snapped into existence and Solo spent an unnecessarily long moment studying it.
“Don’t try to snow me, Han,” Chewbacca growled, a hint of actual anger leaking into the Wookiee’s voice. “It doesn’t work.”
“It never did,” Solo muttered. He sighed and gave his old friend a frown. “What the hell am I doing here, Chewie?” he asked rhetorically. When the Wookie hesitated, Han continued. “I’m not a fleet commander!” He gestured sharply at the hologram slowly orbiting his desk. “Pellaeon proved it here! We should all be dead!”
“But we’re not,” the Wookiee rumbled. “The fleet respects you, Han. They’ll follow you all the way to hell if you ask them to.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Han replied. “I’ve got no business leading these people, not against a man like Pellaeon.” With a grunt, he collapsed into the nearest chair and glowered at the hologram as if he could find his answers there. “An ex-smuggler against a man who was eating, drinking and breathing tactics when I was still in diapers,” Solo muttered. “Explain to me how that’s a good idea.”
“Do you want my opinion?” Chewbacca asked and Han shot him an annoyed look.
“What kind of stupid question is that?”
“You have a tendency to ignore my perfectly reasonable suggestions,” the Wookiee remarked with a shrug. Han opened his mouth to defend himself and then quickly shut it at his old friend’s amused look. Memories of far too many instances where he done just that came to mind and Solo smirked, wondering if he and the Wookiee were thinking of the same things.
“Suggest away then,” he remarked.
“You’re not a conventional officer, Slick,” Chewie immediately pointed out, using an old nickname of Han’s that had turned into the Wookiee’s private joke. Solo had never found out why his old friend found the name so amusing, though he suspected it had to do with Han’s lack of fur. “Stop trying to act like one and play to your strengths.”
“Which are what exactly?”
“You excel at causing chaos,” the Wookiee snickered, his tone wry. Despite his foul mood, Han had to chuckle at the comment. “And you never, ever do what everyone expects you to. To an Imperial flag officer like Pellaeon, unpredictability is dangerous.” Chewbacca uncrossed his arms and gave Han a long look. “Now if you’re done feeling sorry for yourself,” he remarked, turning toward the closed door, “I’m going to go help with repairs and maybe see if I can’t salvage some new shield generators for the Falcon.”
Solo grunted, wanting nothing more than to join his old friend and bury his dark thoughts in work. Instead, he returned his attention to the hologram still revolving slowly over his desk and barely noticed the Wookiee’s silent departure. Chewbacca was right, Han realized with a frown. He’d let Pellaeon maneuver him into this battle when every instinct in his body had told him it was a mistake.
This would be a whole lot easier if Luke was around, Solo reflected sourly. It had been over two months since he’d recruited Jade to find his errant brother-in-law and now, she’d completely vanished too. There had been rumored sightings of Luke on Genesia some weeks back and the last Jedi was a person of interest in a cantina massacre that had claimed the lives of some thirty individuals; Skywalker wasn’t believed to have been the instigator and there were shaky eyewitness accounts of multiple lightsabers being involved, but it was still troubling information.
As he sat before the tactical display, Han found himself staring at the holographic representations of the X-Wings currently circling around the Imperial dreadnaught. If only I could clone the Rogues, he mused before quickly shuddering at the mental image of multiple Wes Jansons. Despite his best efforts, though, he couldn’t entirely shake the notion and Solo leaned back in his chair to think. How would the Imps react to multiple Rogue Squadrons? A grin started building.
He had an idea.
This certainly hadn’t been her best idea.
As she slowly picked her way toward their destination, Mara was yet again reminded of why she’d always hated Byss. Located in the Deep Core, it was a living moon orbiting one of the ugliest gas giants she’d ever had the misfortune of viewing. Viewed from space, there was little to recommend Byss for habitation and that opinion only intensified the closer one got to landing. Rocky terrain dominated its surface, with towering mountains littering the landscape and climbing into the sky. Earthquakes sporadically rattled the ground and the nearly constant rain of frozen carbon dioxide – spewed into the atmosphere by the thousands of active volcanoes where it promptly froze – mixed with hot springs and warm lakes scattered around the moon, resulting in persistently dense fogs that turned already treacherous terrain into positively lethal death traps. And, although the system’s sun was a dull red dwarf, the relative proximity of so many other stars this deep in the galactic core meant the moon was perpetually shrouded in a hazy twilight.
In retrospect, Mara mused, it was no wonder Palpatine had kept a secret fortress here.
“Are you sure you know where you’re going?” Luke asked, his voice sounding distorted as it emerged from the rebreather he was wearing. He was standing less than a meter behind her, dressed in a gray ensemble cut in the same fashion as the pseudo-uniform he’d worn that day at Jabba’s palace all those years ago. A large, padded glove covered his right hand and arm nearly to his elbow, protecting the cybernetic limb from further damage. Olmahk – the Noghri medic on Khabarakh’s team – had managed to restore the hand’s functionality after Luke’s self-inflicted damage but had been forced to remove the faux flesh to do so. So far, they’d not had the opportunity to visit an actual medical facility to replace the limb which had prompted Skywalker to begin wearing the protective gauntlet. For some reason, the glove seemed to bother him more than he wanted to admit and Mara caught him constantly fiddling with the small clasps that kept it secured.
“Pretty sure,” Mara replied crossly before resuming her scramble up the mountain pass. A moment later, Luke began following.
Venturing to Byss had been Mara’s idea once she had a better idea about what Luke had faced on Genesia. Like the now Republic-controlled Wayland facility, it had been one of Palpatine’s secret facilities known only to a select few; Mara had been here twice in her capacity as the Emperor’s Hand, once to eliminate a disloyal senior administrator named Sly Moore who had overstepped her boundaries and once while accompanying the Emperor in her usual guise as palace dancer. As far as Mara knew, she was the only one still alive who had knowledge of the Byss complex, but it seemed the most logical place to start looking for the source of the clones. She’d never gotten around to mentioning this complex to New Republic Intelligence mostly out of spite; Admiral Drayson especially had frustrated her during his endless debriefings and it never seemed like a good idea to reveal all of her secrets to a martinet like him.
On any other planet, Mara would have preferred landing her ship closer to the complex instead of hiking across this desolate wasteland but the Emperor’s notorious paranoia had convinced her otherwise. The moment they hit the atmosphere, alarms had begun sounding as planetary defense systems began tracking them. No ground-based weapons had fired upon them and she wasn’t even sure if any such weapons were still functioning, but Mara wasn’t willing to risk the Chance and made the decision to land several kilometers from the facility.
“You’re thinking too hard,” Luke abruptly declared. He had drawn abreast of her and Mara gave him a sour look in response. It was spoiled by the rebreather that covered most of her face, but his eyes glinted with amusement nonetheless, evidently recognizing her annoyance. “Relax. Take a deep breath. Let the Force be your guide.”
“That’s your solution to everything, isn’t it?” Mara grumbled, not really expecting an answer. To her surprise, Skywalker shook his head.
“Not everything,” he replied, “but combine it with common sense and you’ll be surprised at what you can accomplish.” He closed his eyes, drew in a deep breath and held for several seconds. “Faith and reason are the shoes on my feet,” Luke stated, as if quoting something or someone. “I can travel farther with both than with just one.”
“Where do you come up with this stuff?” Mara wondered aloud. “The Jedi Handbook of Trite Sayings?”
“Tenth edition,” Skywalker responded, eyes twinkling. “I’ll lend you my copy when we get back to the ship.” His good humor faded and his eyes narrowed. Mara could feel him reach out with the Force and instinctively followed suit. A wave of warmth washed over and through her, beating time with her heart, and washing away all of her concerns. Luke’s presence in the Force sang to her, a gentle whisper of light and sound that hinted at the strength of his soul. For a single, extended moment, she lost track of everything around her as the subtle power that was Luke Skywalker dominated her perceptions. In that moment, it was impossible to focus on anything but him.
“We’re running out of time,” Luke suddenly declared, his eyes distant, and Mara snapped out of her reverie. Mortified at her inattention, she flushed though Skywalker didn’t seem to notice, so intent was he on whatever it was he had detected. Getting distracted is a damned good way to get killed, she reminded herself darkly before concentrating on extending her perceptions beyond Luke’s intoxicating Force presence.
At the very edge of her awareness, Mara could almost detect a flicker of … something. It vanished nearly as soon as she sensed it but was most definitely there. She shivered though she wasn’t cold.
“What was that?” Mara wondered, giving her companion a quick glance. Luke shook his head.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Khabarakh,” he spoke into his comlink. The response was instantaneous.
“Yes, Jedi Skywalker?”
“Stand ready,” Luke ordered. “We may need an emergency pickup.”
“As you wish, Jedi Skywalker,” the Noghri replied, no trace of emotion in his voice. He had been more than a little displeased when Luke instructed him to keep his team aboard the Chance and visibly angry when Mara reminded him of their earlier agreement about the chain-of-command, but had obeyed without too much grumbling.
“And if you scratch my ship,” Mara added, instinctively reaching out to cover Skywalker’s hand and prevent him from deactivating the comlink, “I’m going to leave you on this miserable rock.”
“It will be as you command … Jedi Jade,” Khabarakh responded, ending the transmission with that hissing laugh of his. His decision to address her as Jedi instead of Captain was a relatively recent change, brought on by the Noghri’s unusual sense of humor as well as the training Luke had been giving her over the last month. Mara wasn’t sure exactly how she’d found herself back in the role of student but, to her surprise, was enjoying it more than ever before. It didn’t hurt that Luke was such an exceptional teacher and more patient with her foibles and temper than he had any right to be.
“How much farther?” Skywalker asked, prompting Mara to realize she was still holding onto his gloved fist. His eyes were dancing above the rebreather and she hurriedly let go, face flaming with embarrassment.
“Thirty minutes,” she muttered in response before resuming the climb.
As it turned out, her estimate was off by nearly an hour. The steepness of the pass – both climbing and descending – was pure torture for leg muscles too long imprisoned aboard a small tramp freighter and, by the time they reached the base of the pass, both of them were breathing heavily. To Mara’s disgust, Skywalker appeared to be in better shape than she was and she made a mental note to intensify her morning exercise regimen.
The route angled down sharply, descending toward a jagged canyon larger than many cities. As they drew closer, Mara could see their destination. In its prime, it had been an awe-inspiring sight. A trio of angular, pyramid-shaped towers jutted out of the fog-shrouded canyon like the teeth of some primordial beast of legend. They were arranged in a triangular shape, with enclosed skybridges connecting them like the arteries in a massive heart. In the very center of these towers, a domed building could be seen, though it was mostly concealed by the dense fog climbing out of the canyon. A single walkway extended from the canyon ledge to the squat building.
Its days of glory were long past, though. The outer walls of the three towers – once a glistening ebony color – were now pitted with damage and decay. Entire chunks of the surface had crumbled away, leaving the internal skeleton of the buildings exposed to the unforgiving elements of Byss. Though the roof of the central building was still intact, it was worn and battered, with great gouges torn free from tumbling tower debris. If anything, the whole complex now seemed like a pitiful remnant of a past better forgotten rather than the glorious vision of power it had been years earlier.
“Such lovely décor,” Luke commented as they approached the walkway. He kicked a loose stone over the lip of the canyon, frowning as it vanished in the fog. The frown deepened as they slowly crossed the walkway and approached the main entranceway to the central building; Skywalker’s unease seemed to be contagious and Mara found herself uncharacteristically fidgeting in place. Her hand instinctively sought the lightsaber hanging at her waist for comfort. At once, her finely honed sense of irony flared when she realized how she was seeking out an artifact of Darth Vader’s to assuage her growing fear. It was almost enough to make her laugh.
“This is lightsaber damage,” Skywalker abruptly declared, his eyes riveted on the open entranceway. One of the massive double doors had fallen onto the skybridge while the other was in exceedingly poor shape. Great rents and scars covered its surface and large chunks of it had been sliced free. The entire entranceway was littered with debris, though none of it appeared new. Kneeling, Luke studied the fallen door, reaching out with his left hand to touch its pitted surface. Instantly, he snatched the hand back as if it had been burned and gave Mara a sharp look. “Be mindful of your thoughts,” he warned, not sounding a bit like himself as he spoke. “The Dark Side is strong in this place.”
“Be mindful?” she repeated, hiding her worry behind sarcasm. “Can you be any more specific? That’s not particularly helpful.” Skywalker rose to his feet, detaching his saber from his belt.
“I wish I could,” he replied apologetically before offering a weak smile that didn’t touch his eyes. “Just be prepared for anything.” Without waiting for her response, he stepped over the rubble and entered the central building.
“I’m always prepared,” Mara muttered darkly as she followed him.
Immediately beyond the doorway were rough-hewn stone stairs leading down into darkness and Luke ignited his saber to illuminate their path. Twice, he nearly lost his footing on the slick steps as they descended deeper into the building; from where she walked behind him, Mara had the advantage of knowing which stairs to avoid so her own passage was much smoother. By her estimation, the stairwell descended a good four meters before ending at another double doorway. Like the one above, this entrance had long ago been hacked open by a lightsaber. Skywalker barely gave the fallen doors a second glance before stepping through the archway and into the building proper. Without comment, Mara followed.
The room before them was immense, easily twenty meters across at its narrowest point and perhaps as much as thirty at its widest. Shadows draped over much of the chamber, making it difficult to determine its true shape and dimensions though this seemed an intentional design element. The vaulted ceiling seemed to vanish into darkness, held aloft by arched columns that were so disturbingly irregular in shape it seemed impossible for them to exist. Silver walkways, held aloft by forcefields or some other esoteric technology, ran between those curving columns and they too appeared geometrically unfeasible. The recessed floor was constructed of some transparent material and presented an impressive view of the fog-shrouded canyon below. Like an ancient auditorium, the floor slanted down toward an elevated dais that, coupled with the floor’s construction, seemed to be almost suspended in mid air. Mara was instantly reminded of an ancient temple complex.
“It is a temple,” Luke responded with a frown when she mentioned her thoughts. Mara gave him a sidelong glance, noting how he was studying the architecture with discomfort lurking in his eyes. “A Sith temple,” he continued as he deactivated his saber, “from a long time ago.” Gesturing toward the elevated dais, Skywalker spoke again. “The Master as head priest dates back to before the time of Darth Bane and the Rule of Two.”
“So Palpatine didn’t build this place,” Mara mused. In retrospect, that actually made sense. This place was too … chaotic for Palpatine who had, above all else, desired absolute order.
“Not likely,” Luke replied. Reaching out with his gloved hand to touch a crooked column, he traced a line in the dust there before rubbing his fingers together. “It doesn’t look like anyone has been here for a while.” Mara exhaled in disappointment.
“Well,” Mara remarked, “I guess this was a complete waste of time.” She glowered at the raised dais.
“Not necessarily,” Skywalker said softly, igniting his saber once more. His eyes were locked on something behind her. “Prepare yourself,” he warned.
Like silent ghosts, five figures stepped from the shadows. Mara recognized two of them – Kenobi and Windu – instantly from the records Luke had in his possession, but the other three were unfamiliar to her. One was a Cerean male, one was a Rutian Twi’lek female, and the third was a human male with light brown shoulder-length hair. All five were wearing dark robes and, without a sound, they ignited their scarlet sabers in eerie unison.
Before Mara could speak, two of the clones – the Twi’lek and the Cerean – surged forward, blades scything toward her. She reacted without thought, igniting the weapon that had once been Anakin Skywalker’s and leaping backwards into a somersault that carried her away from the duo. Like fierce kath hounds, they pursued, easily jumping the distance that separated them from her, and Mara ducked beneath a wild decapitating stroke from the Cerean before bringing her own blade up.
Her danger sense flared and she threw herself into a lunging tumble as the Rutian Twi’lek twisted around the briefly off-balance Cerean, crimson blade howling. Mara rolled once before spinning to her feet just in time to catch the Twi’lek’s follow up attack with a parry. She danced back, blocking the aggressive swings of the blue-skinned clone, and then sprang back and up, twisting in mid-air to land on one of the suspended walkways. Already, her two foes were following suit and Mara grimaced as they landed on opposite sides of her. Their blades were scarlet blurs and she somersaulted over the Cerean to avoid them, lunging forward the moment her feet touched the walkway. He twisted in place to avoid her disemboweling attack and awkwardly knocked away her blade.
As if in silent mockery of Mara’s previous somersault, the Twi’lek leaped over the Cerean as he attacked with a ferocious overhand strike. Landing lightly behind her, the Rutian brought her blade up to attack but Mara reacted first, thrusting out her left hand and directing a wall of Force into the clone that sent the Twi’lek tumbling backwards. Almost instantly, the Cerean intensified his vicious attacks, his saber flashing and humming as he drove Mara back. She backpedaled rapidly, not even trying to counterattack as she parried his violent strikes. Her eyes darted as she studied his attack style and sought a weakness that could be exploited. Suddenly, she saw her opportunity.
Ducking under one of his attacks, she pirouetted in place and knocked his feet out from under him with a low scything leg sweep against his ankles. He fell hard, smacking his head against the walkway with an audible thunk before bouncing forward and off the suspended bridge to hit the floor some two meters below. Mara recovered quickly and jumped toward him, her saber poised for a killing stroke.
And in that moment, a wall of Force slammed into her like a runaway speeder.
Stars danced in her vision but Mara blinked them away. Her eyes narrowed at the outstretched hand of the Twi’lek clone and anger flooded through her.
“All right, you filthy schutta!” Mara nearly snarled as she scrambled back to her feet. She lashed out once more with the Force, fury giving her strength.
The result was unlike anything she could have imagined.
If it had been an airspeeder that had knocked Mara flying, it was a star destroyer that struck the clone. The Twi’lek flew backwards, smashing into one of the geometrically impossible columns with bone-crushing force. She crumpled into a heap, her legs twitching spasmodically, even as the column collapsed around her. Based on the unnatural curve of the clone’s back, it was clear her spine was shattered.
Mara blinked in surprise. I did that, she realized with slight awe. With a wave of her hand, she had killed an annoying non-entity who had dared to attack her. The decaying tendrils of the psychic inhibitor suddenly came alive, resonating with the Dark Side energy swirling within the temple complex and releasing a torrent of revitalizing energy and strength within her that washed away her fears. Even now, she could feel the additional power lurking there, waiting to be used by someone strong enough to control it. She could be strong enough. No, Mara corrected herself, she was strong enough. A smile started to appear on her lips as she turned to face the Cerean. Her hand came up and he froze in place, suddenly struggling to breathe.
“No!” Skywalker’s voice snapped her out of the dazed fog and Mara jerked in surprise when his hand – his real hand – touched hers. He was staring at her with wide eyes and, behind him, she could see the crumpled bodies of his foes. “Don’t do this, Mara,” he pleaded. “You’re stronger than this.”
“But I can be stronger,” she murmured as she watched the Cerean gasp like a fish out of water. The Sith inhibitor within her mind seemed to beating time with her heart, pounding in her ears and making it hard to think. “I can be the strongest Jedi ever.”
“Not like this,” Luke replied. “The Dark Side is never the answer,” he continued fervently. “If you go down this path, it will consume you. Vader once thought he could control it,” he said softly and Mara winced at the truth she could feel in his words. “And in the end, he became a slave to the darkness.” Skywalker’s hand touched her cheek. “Let go, Mara,” he urged. “Please.” Coming from the man who had saved her life and her soul at Wayland, the plea was impossible to ignore.
So she let go.
The power drained away from her like water through a sieve, leaving Mara so exhausted she collapsed to her knees. Suddenly horrified at what she had nearly done, she closed her eyes to hide the tears threatening to spill down her face even as she felt the inhibitor’s tendrils once more wither away to nearly nothing. Would she never be free of it? The sound of twin lightsabers echoed around her, but Luke’s Force presence never wavered so she knew she was safe. Seconds later, she felt Skywalker’s arms wrap around her.
“It’s okay,” he murmured as Mara fought to recover her control against the anger and despair that seemed to shroud her. She felt filthy, as if she had just bathed in raw sewage, and the taint seemed to be have seeped into her very soul. The urge to vomit tickled the back of her throat, but she pushed it back.
“We need to get out of here,” Luke informed her as he helped her to her feet. “There will be more clones here soon.” Mara nodded as she secured her saber to her belt. Automatically, her eyes sought out the unmoving Twi’lek and she shivered. Why did this one death bother her when she already had so much blood on her hands?
“I’m sorry,” she whispered to Luke as they neared the door and he gave her a confused look.
“For what?”
“For being weak,” Mara replied darkly. “For not being able to-”
“You are not weak,” he interrupted sharply. “This was my fault. I shouldn’t have let you enter this place once I sensed the Dark Side inside.” Skywalker exhaled bitterly. “You weren’t ready to face it, not while still recovering from the Sith inhibitor.” He gave her another wide-eyed look. “So I failed you, Mara. Not the other way around.” Luke gripped her hand tightly. “I suspect the purpose of this temple,” he theorized grimly, “was to tempt Force adepts and you didn’t give in.”
“But my anger,” she started to argue. Again, Skywalker cut her off.
“We all get angry, Mara,” Luke pointed out. “I nearly killed my father at Endor because I was angry.” He offered her a smile. “You slipped,” Skywalker admitted, “but didn’t fall.” His hand tightened on hers. “I’m very proud of you, Mara,” Luke said and she could tell he meant it. His smile pushed back the darkness a little bit and Mara could feel the dark urges dwindling as they began climbing the stairs. She felt more in control of herself and clung to his words hopefully.
Still, she didn’t let go of his hand until they exited the temple.
Once outside, Luke activated his comlink. “Khabarakh, we need pickup,” he declared.
“En route, Jedi Skywalker,” came the immediate response. “Two minutes to your location.”
A tremor in the Force caused Mara to shiver. More clones were indeed approaching, though Khabarakh would be here long before they were. Had they been waiting on Byss for her and Luke? If so, that implied a greater threat, someone with resources far beyond what they currently had. The first step, of course, would be to give the Chance a thorough once-over for any homing beacons that might be hidden there. And then? Mara exhaled in frustration as she realized how little information they actually had at their disposal.
“I think we need help,” she admitted softly and Luke nodded silently.
“We do,” he agreed, his eyes already turning to seek out the approaching Second Chance.
And high overhead, the distant red star watched with impassive disinterest.
-----signature-----
The Dark Side is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be ... unnatural. -Darth Sidious. Tyranny Reborn: http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28516174/p1 Shattered Dreams: http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/2926341
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Jaina_and_Jag
Registered:
Apr '03
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Date Posted:
6/21 11:39pm
Subject:
RE: Tyranny Reborn (L/M, H/L, 4 of 12) - 21 June 08
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Great post!!  I love the Pellaeon you've created here. It's so much like Zahn's, but yet he's slightly different. More developed than Pellaeon in TTT. And Han as an Admiral is definitely interesting to see. I love how Chewie is giving him advice. Chewie is pretty dang wise! And I just loved the trickery they used. Playing dirty, I see.  The Luke/Mara stuff was definitely interesting. I loved that it was from Mara's POV.  It looks like they aren't much closer to figuring out where those clones are coming from though.  Hopefully whoever they go to get help from actually yields some results. Mara's slip was scary! She has a definite power in her! Good thing Luke is there to temper her.
Well worth the wait. Thanks for the PM! 
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Robimus
Registered:
Jul '07
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Date Posted:
6/22 1:35am
Subject:
RE: Tyranny Reborn (L/M, H/L, 4 of 12) - 21 June 08
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Beauty Eh!  You've done a lot of homework, great story.
-----signature-----
I am forever seeking the damutek of Hooley Krekk
Oh, woe! Oh, misery! Oh, unhappiness. Hooley Krekk where are you?
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Jade_eyes
Registered:
Aug '04
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Date Posted:
6/22 3:45am
Subject:
RE: Tyranny Reborn (L/M, H/L, 4 of 12) - 21 June 08
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First... major league congratulations!!!! I am so not not not surprised. 
The Han/Chewbacca scene was terrific. I love fics that show their friendship off in all its depths, but very very few authors give Chewie "actual" dialogue 
The Luke/Mara scene was brilliant. The inclusion of the inhibitor clarifies a great deal and also adds to the complexity of her sturggle against her past. Her wondering if she'll ever be free is quite telling in that respect. The reader is also asking the same question and hoping she will.
And, I too shudder at the thought of multiple Wes Jansons 
-----signature-----
Luke/Mara--without end forever ginchy, Irish =I Squggles before I read a word
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dancing_star
Registered:
Feb '07
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Date Posted:
6/22 3:52am
Subject:
RE: Tyranny Reborn (L/M, H/L, 4 of 12) - 21 June 08
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Really liked seeing Han as an Admiral and the conversations with Chewie too. He's become a lot more selfless at this point and I feel bad for him taking on guilt for the people under his command he couldn't save.
“You are not weak,” he interrupted sharply. “This was my fault. I shouldn’t have let you enter this place once I sensed the Dark Side inside.” Skywalker exhaled bitterly. “You weren’t ready to face it, not while still recovering from the Sith inhibitor.” He gave her another wide-eyed look. “So I failed you, Mara. Not the other way around.” Luke gripped her hand tightly. “I suspect the purpose of this temple,” he theorized grimly, “was to tempt Force adepts and you didn’t give in.”
“But my anger,” she started to argue. Again, Skywalker cut her off.
“We all get angry, Mara,” Luke pointed out. “I nearly killed my father at Endor because I was angry.” He offered her a smile. “You slipped,” Skywalker admitted, “but didn’t fall.” His hand tightened on hers. “I’m very proud of you, Mara,” Luke said and she could tell he meant it. His smile pushed back the darkness a little bit and Mara could feel the dark urges dwindling as they began climbing the stairs. She felt more in control of herself and clung to his words hopefully.
Very nice Luke/Mara interaction too! Really well done, as the whole story is!
Wonderful update!!
And congratulations on your nom! Totally deserved!  
-----signature-----
See my updated bio for fics  God bless America and our troops. "The LORD gives strength to his people. The LORD blesses his people with peace." Ps 29:11 ~~~ Drabbles!! http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/29148282/p1/?9
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JediNat
Registered:
Jan '08
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Date Posted:
6/22 5:22am
Subject:
RE: Tyranny Reborn (L/M, H/L, 4 of 12) - 21 June 08
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Amazing update!
L/M interaction was great! Glad Mara didn't give into the dark side.
-JediNat-
-----signature-----
May the Force be with you!
I'm a little teapot short and stout here is my handle and here's a note from my shrink he says I'm getting better. Last week I thought I was a toaster oven *crazy laughter* -Dot
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Gonkdroid27
Registered:
Mar '07
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Date Posted:
6/22 6:17am
Subject:
RE: Tyranny Reborn (L/M, H/L, 4 of 12) - 21 June 08
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Wow! Great Update! Love the action and dialogue. Thanks for giving Chewie dialogue and impact in the story.
This chapter had a great balance between the different settings and elements of the story. Can't wait to read more.
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cggunnersmate
Registered:
Jul '07
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Date Posted:
6/22 8:34am
Subject:
RE: Tyranny Reborn (L/M, H/L, 4 of 12) - 21 June 08
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Wow! There's so much to comment on. I loved the whole thing, the battle between Solo and Palleon, the after math, L/M as always. I did wonder why Petothel was back in Imp service, now I know who the Wraith's insider is. I started laughing my head off as soon as I read of Solo seeing Loran come in wearing an Imp uniform. I new he had doubled the Moff. Palleon is going to be sooo pissed when he realizes how badly he was duped. And it would appear that Han knows Daala and even calls her Nat. I wonder what happened there. Academy classmates maybe? And Han's scheming about multiple Rogue Squadrons, this should be good. Loved Chewie's counsel.
L/M on Byss and Mara was briefly seduced by the dark side, that was a little scary but she came around with Luke's help. I loved the whole thing, how she's already drawn to him but won't admit it. And even more clones! Where is he/she/it that's behind this mess getting all of this Jedi genetic material? Now we've got clones of Ki Adi Mundi and Aayla Secura (I'm guessing) and also someone who (by description) could be Anakin Skywalker (though maybe not, you didn't say if Luke recognized him and I think he'd have found records of the great hero from the Clone Wars).
Well I definitley can't wait for more!
-----signature-----
"I got him! I got him!" Chris Griffin as Luke Skywalker
"Great Kid! Don't get penisy!" Peter Griffin as Han Solo (Blue Harvest)
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DarthXan318
Registered:
Sep '02
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Date Posted:
6/22 8:34am
Subject:
RE: Tyranny Reborn (L/M, H/L, 4 of 12) - 21 June 08
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I love how you did Mara's brush with the dark side. Beautifully executed. The Han-Pellaeon dynamic too - how you showed the same battle from both sides, and (ironically) both men coming away feeling as though they were outclassed.
And the Wraiths get a look-in! Nice to see you've had Face handle the Lara deal better than in canon ... or did they repair the breach after, perhaps?
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Jade_Pilot
Registered:
Dec '05
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Date Posted:
6/22 9:12am
Subject:
RE: Tyranny Reborn (L/M, H/L, 4 of 12) - 21 June 08
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Wow! Rockin' update RK and congrats on your well deserved nom! This is really a great all around fic. It has everything, including humor!
LOL Moment: “Where do you come up with this stuff?” Mara wondered aloud. “The Jedi Handbook of Trite Sayings?”
“Tenth edition,” Skywalker responded, eyes twinkling. “I’ll lend you my copy when we get back to the ship.”
Bravo!
-----signature-----
I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult. - Rita Rudner
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ccp
Registered:
Apr '05
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Date Posted:
6/22 10:22am
Subject:
RE: Tyranny Reborn (L/M, H/L, 4 of 12) - 21 June 08
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Great update
Can't wait to see what Han has up his sleave.
-----signature-----
Padwan to Big Fatty
If someone says, "Have a nice weekend," I never say, "You too." Because I never know if, perhaps, by the time the weekend rolls around, I will have other plans for that person. Come Friday, I may wish to have them slain. - George Carli
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MaraJade001
Registered:
Jun '07
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Date Posted:
6/22 12:04pm
Subject:
RE: Tyranny Reborn (L/M, H/L, 4 of 12) - 21 June 08
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Once again an incredible chapter!!
I love how you've given Chewie a "voice." Very few pro authors do that, and I think it really adds to his characterization. Now instead of being in the background, he can take a real active role in the story. Bravo!
I also have to mention how much I'm enjoying ALL the parts of the story. With many fanfics I tend to skim the non-L/M parts, but yours are so well written and fun to read I'm enthralled with all of it!
But naturally your L/M scenes are awesome! I especially like how Luke said "We all get angry" in response to Mara's apology. Too many pro-fic authors have implied that any anger is of the Dark Side. I've always felt that removing a real human emotion from the Jedi was unrealistic and dehumanizing. It's natural to be angry... it's when you ACT on that anger against someone that you get into trouble.
At least that's the way I always thought of it.
Rigil, you truly are an incredible writer! Reading this has brought me out of my post-Sacrifice EU depression. As long as I stay away from the pro-fic and only ready your (our) EU, then I'll remain happy.
And Congrats on the nomination!! You deserve it!!!
-----signature-----
~Mary~
"Hi, I'm Mary, and I'm a Mara addict."
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ginchy
Registered:
May '05
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Date Posted:
6/22 7:58pm
Subject:
RE: Tyranny Reborn (L/M, H/L, 4 of 12) - 21 June 08
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Oh, I am still loving this. I never thought I'd say that to something about Luke on Byss, but there you have it. I loved how you did Mara's temptation with the Dark. For her and Luke it seems the temptation could always be there, but they can fight it, and are even stronger in fighting it together. Excellent!
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tato82
Registered:
May '08
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Date Posted:
6/22 8:22pm
Subject:
RE: Tyranny Reborn (L/M, H/L, 4 of 12) - 21 June 08
- Date Edited:
6/22 8:25pm (2 edits total)
Edited By:
tato82
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Ah, more skulls to adorn the throne of the true power.  Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne! You've made Khorne very happy today, Rigil.
And let us not forget about the sweetness for the L/M Throne. 
-----signature-----
Burn the emo. Cleanse the yaoi. Kill the Mary Sue.
Warhammer 40K - where the genocidal, fascistic, xenophobic, ultraconservative zealots with a morbid fear of technology and an unhealthy fondness for burning things... are the good guys.
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Rigil_Kent
Registered:
Jan '04
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Date Posted:
6/23 7:20am
Subject:
RE: Tyranny Reborn (L/M, H/L, 4 of 12) - 21 June 08
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Jaina_and_Jag posted:
And I just loved the trickery they used. Playing dirty, I see.
It's the only way to play...
Jade_eyes posted:
The Han/Chewbacca scene was terrific. I love fics that show their friendship off in all its depths, but very very few authors give Chewie "actual" dialogue
It's always bothered me not knowing what Chewie says. Take that scene in ESB where Leia kisses Luke and Chewie grumbles something to Han, resulting in Solo giving him a look. What the frak did the Wookiee say? Was it 'Hey, maybe I can get a kiss from her after all!' But seriously, it just doesn't make sense to me for his dialogue to not be written if the POV character speaks/understands Shyriiwook.
cggunnersmate posted:
I did wonder why Petothel was back in Imp service, now I know who the Wraith's insider is.
I actually had to do some research for her name since I've misplaced my X-Wing books in the wake of my most recent move. I remembered the character and the vague resolution in regards to her, but couldn't for the life of me remember her damned name. Thank God for Wookieepedia...
cggunnersmate posted:
And it would appear that Han knows Daala and even calls her Nat. I wonder what happened there. Academy classmates maybe?
Maybe ... suffice to say, Daala has a role to play in this little mad scheme o' mine. While I loathed the canon version of her (aka, the psychotic whorish incompetent war criminal), I like the concept behind her and as a guy who likes strong female characters (wish Hollywood would pay attention to that), I'm going to be doing my part to completely redo her character so she doesn't suck. Hence, the name of her ship...
cggunnersmate posted:
Now we've got clones of Ki Adi Mundi and Aayla Secura (I'm guessing) and also someone who (by description) could be Anakin Skywalker (though maybe not, you didn't say if Luke recognized him and I think he'd have found records of the great hero from the Clone Wars).
I intentionally left it open for interpretation who the third guy was. It could be Cin Drallig, or Nejaa Halcyon or Ranik Solusar or ...
DarthXan318 posted:
Nice to see you've had Face handle the Lara deal better than in canon ... or did they repair the breach after, perhaps?
The breach was repaired. While the Wraiths aren't going to be a major component of this story, I did want to play around with them a little bit...
MaraJade001 posted:
I especially like how Luke said "We all get angry" in response to Mara's apology. Too many pro-fic authors have implied that any anger is of the Dark Side. I've always felt that removing a real human emotion from the Jedi was unrealistic and dehumanizing. It's natural to be angry... it's when you ACT on that anger against someone that you get into trouble.
IMO, the attempt to remove emotions from everyday life is one of the reasons the Jedi Order fell because they were trying to turn sentients into something they're not: flesh robots. Sure, a Jedi would need to keep himself under control but completely suppressing all emotions is never a good thing (unless one is Vulcan, I suppose - they'd make fantastic Jedi I think). I know of a lot of instances where somebody had a heart attack 'cause they suppressed everything and let it eat away at them.
So my version of the Luke Jedi Order will be different than the Branch Yodavidian we saw in the prequels...
MaraJade001 posted:
Reading this has brought me out of my post-Sacrifice EU depression. As long as I stay away from the pro-fic and only ready your (our) EU, then I'll remain happy.
Glad I could help. Perhaps my own avoidance of all things profic has helped my mindset. The last official SW thing I read was the ROTS novelization (which I liked a lot better than the movie ... though that's probably 'cause I love Stover's writing style throughout that book) and since I have no intention to read any new profic (does the KOTOR comic count? Hope not 'cause that's the only thing apart from fanfic I'm reading), I should be okay...
I hope.
ginchy posted:
I never thought I'd say that to something about Luke on Byss, but there you have it.
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