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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Saga - OT The Journal of the Former Emperor's Hand [L/M] Updated: 12/24/17

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by Carlos Danger, Jan 2, 2016.

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  1. RX_Sith

    RX_Sith Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 13, 2006
    LoL at the TGZ and the ramifications of Mara and Luke's relationship being plastered all over.
     
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  2. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    LOL about the crazy reports and the TGZ [face_mischief] Oooh, the mission with the missing children... Too much a slice of life thing in our time and place, sadly. [face_thinking] Darten and Mara's banter was a fun read; you can feel their respect and ease with one another.
     
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  3. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    You write excellent banter, even though the problem with the missing children looms in the background.
     
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  4. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    [face_rofl] [face_rofl] [face_rofl] Kettch, Hoojibs and more made it to Imperial intelligence reports!!!

    This was priceless – both the fake intelligence and the Dartens watching the gossip news to know what Mara is up to. I wonder who else within the Empire (and beyond) has been keeping tabs on her. Some may not be as well-intentioned as Marta. But then, they don't know that she has Force abilities.

    It's good to see that she trusts Darten enough to tell him more about herself by now, and that this trust is mutual. I think I can see where this missing children story is going – regarding the growth of the First Order of course, but also with regard to Mara's future career path in Imperial Intelligence.
     
  5. Carlos Danger

    Carlos Danger Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Jul 25, 2013
    It does seem odd that nobody figured out about their affair or nobody questioned who the father was. Maybe humans in a GFFA don't have the same fascination with gossip as Earth humans.

    I would think Luke would have people following him just as much as our current celebrities.
    Obviously their relationship is a conspiracy to reinforce the NR and Imperial treaty. :p Luckily Litassa is seen only as an Imperial Intelligence agent. If she was known as the Emperor's Hand people might be more concerned.

    Thanks. I am glad you like it.

    Thanks. The missing children had to start around this time frame for Stormtroopers kidnapped as kids to be grown adults in TFA.

    The fake intelligence is actually stupid things in the EU. You figured out Kettch. The crying mountain, Jaxxon the rabbit, the wooden looking ships of the Tof pirates from the Firefist Galaxy are from the comics.

    Sorry for the short replies. My roommate has been talking the entire time that I have been typing. He is complaining about the realism of the show "Ancient Aliens" that we are watching. He doesn't believe the moon is hollow and filled with aliens. He's a skeptic. :p

    Hey, he brought me some artificial crab. I guess he is forgiven. Mmmmmmm fake crab. =P~

    ________________________________________________________________

    Entry 75

    I looked over the abduction report. As soon as the children were noticed as missing a security lockdown occurred at all spaceports on planet. All speeder-trucks and large recreational vehicles entering and exiting the city were scanned or searched manually. Law enforcement personnel throughout Imperial space were notified to be on the lookout for the missing children and an appeal went out to the New Republic to assist in the investigation. I requested and received a list of all out going ships that left the planet between the last sighting of the younglings and the travel lockdown. In that one-hour window there were hundreds of ships leaving the planet. If the children were transported to a docking bay via speeder, then the ship port couldn’t be more than a four hundred kilometer radius of the last known location of the children. That narrowed the list down to fifty ships. When I eliminated all small ships incapable of hauling more than one or two people the list was whittled down to twenty-three ships.

    I then checked the flight plans of these remaining ships and cross-referenced their reported flight destinations to the five planetary spaceports where we believed the Inquisitors were working. Of course I am assuming this abduction has something to do with the enslaved children Luke and I saw on Rallo V. It is just a hunch, but one worth looking into. There were thirteen ships travelling to those planets.

    Since the known inquisitors are still under surveillance, if the children were transported through to those particular ports there is a good chance we can save them if we could keep the ships from leaving. For the ports on Imperial planets, I requested that those particular ships to be grounded. The New Republic also disseminated that order to the worlds under their control.

    Next I assigned some of my soldiers to scour the security holos from the area the children were last seen. With so many public cameras we should be able to track their movement and hopefully observe the abduction. Finally, I tasked my senior sergeant to act as a liaison between the civilian investigators and Military Intelligence.

    With any luck we should find these younglings.


    Entry 76

    Images of all the missing children and adults were disseminated to the public galaxy wide. This brought in hundreds of leads, but none helped solve this mystery. A full planetary rotation has passed since the children were reported as missing. Usually if you don’t find an abduction victim within a day their chances of survival drops. In a way, I hope slavers kidnapped the children and not some random psychopath. Slavers will want to keep the children alive and that will increase our chances of finding them.

    Entry 77

    The bodies of the four missing adults were found today behind an abandoned warehouse. They were killed execution style with a blasterbolt to the back of their heads. The coroner believes they were killed shortly after their abduction. Unfortunately, there weren’t any functional security cameras in the area. The warehouse was located eight kilometers from a spaceport. This leads me to believe they may have flown the kids out from that particular landing area. Or, the adults could have been separated from the children, killed and dumped near this spaceport to throw me off their trail. I can’t narrow down my search just yet.

    Entry 78

    I have contacted Skywalker and asked him to travel to Rallo V. I don't know if the suspected enslaved children we saw in the unknown region originated from that planet, but we do know there is an Inquisitor at that location. Luke readily agreed. I will go to one of the other Inquisitor infested spaceports. I don’t want to be recognized, but I also want to find these younglings. To hide my identity I will use face putty, fake tattoos and cranial horns so I appear as a light skinned Iridonian Zabrak.

    Entry 79

    I decided to travel to the planet Bort IV. Three ships leaving Avslort during the hour prior to lockdown had Bort IV listed as their destination. Bort IV was also a location where I identified an Inquisitor working as a port customs agent. Since I have Military Intel agents watching the hanger bays, if the younglings arrived at that location they are probably still hidden inside one of the ships. The media blitz about the missing children makes it impossible to walk the children through the spaceport like they did on Rallo V. To make sure the ships don’t refuel and take off, I contacted the port authority and requested that, along with grounding those ships, all requests for refueling be denied. Bort IV is a neutral planet and not obliged to obey orders issued by the Empire or the New Republic…so they were a bit reluctant to comply. I ended up contacting the planet’s Minister of Transportation and suggested that the Empire might send ships to blockade the planet in an effort to capture possible child abductors.

    This threat convinced the Minister to cooperate. He put guards on the ships I indicated and ordered an exterior scan of all ships landing in the past two days. Of course, a ship that is smuggling kids is probably ray shielded. We would have to tear the ships apart and search for secret compartments. Unfortunately Bort IV’s constitution protects citizens from search and seizure without probable cause and a court order.

    The minister informed me that, “If the scans don’t pick up anything, we won’t have a credible and legal reason to search more thoroughly."

    I shook my head in frustration. I sometimes yearn for the days when I could send in a platoon of Stormtroopers to kick down doors with impunity.

    “Just hold the ships,” I instructed the Minister. “I’m sending an agent to investigate. She’s a Zabrak that specializes in finding missing younglings.”


    Entry 80

    I arrived to the Bort IV starport in a borrowed Avslort Planetary Investigatory division shuttle. Avslort is an Imperial world; therefore I was able to get false identification to match my new Zabrak persona. I was now Celina Marniss, Government Investigator for Missing Children.

    I met with the Port security officer, a chubby but tall Sullustan (tall for his species). He offered me his hand in greeting. “I was told to expect you Agent Marniss. I am Talbot Zawn, port security. We have delayed departure of the three ships you specified, but I must tell you, we have scanned the ships thoroughly and we haven’t found any children.”

    “You do realize they could have shielded partitions. Smugglers can’t make a living without undetectable secret compartments.”

    He ran a hand over his dewflaps as he blinked his large black eyes. “True, but we have no reason to suspect these ships other than they left your planet shortly after the youngling abduction. Invasive manual inspections entail stripping parts off a ship, unscrewing deck plates and possibly damaging electrical or engineering systems. To get a judge to sign off on that requires proof.”

    “I understand.” I gestured toward the docking bays. “Can you please show me the three ships?”

    He nodded and motioned me to follow. The first ship we came to was an Allanar N3 light freighter. I reached out with the Force, but couldn’t sense any sentient beings on board. In fact, I was sure it was unoccupied. I mentally checked this ship off my list. The second ship was a Corellian YT-2000 light freighter. When I reached out through the Force a cold shiver ran down my spine. I sensed terror coming from a number of people inside. It is difficult to differentiate adults from children, but the number of Force signatures on the craft was consistent with the amount of missing children. I pointed to the ship. “Can I talk to the Captain of this vessel?”

    The Security Officer pulled out his datapad and fiddled with it before shaking his head. “The Captain and crew left the ship without giving us any contact information.”

    I looked back at the freighter. “Is there anybody on the ship?”

    “No. The crew gave us permission to scan the ship and then departed. I suspect they may be holed up in a cantina nearby.”

    ‘More likely they abandoned the ship so they wouldn’t be arrested for slave trafficking,’ I thought.

    “And the scanners picked up nothing?

    He shrugged. “We sensed a few small life forms, probably rats or spider-roaches, but nothing else.”

    This was frustrating. I couldn’t come out and tell him, ‘I can sense the children through the Force’. I could try to mind-trick him, but if anybody asked to see a copy of the nonexistent warrant there would be questions. I hoped to do this legally without having to use the Force.

    I decided my best bet was lying. “We received an anonymous tip stating children were seen loaded onto a ship matching this description.“

    The Sullustan sighed deeply. “I really doubt anonymous sources will convince a judge to sign off on a search order.”

    I was thinking the same thing when a thought occurred to me. “If I could get Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker here and he sensed the presence of the children…do you thing the judge would listen?”

    The alien smiled under his dewflaps. “The hero of the Rebellion? I’m positive the judge would listen to him.”

    “Good I’ll request his presence.” I pointed to the ship. “I want this ship to remain grounded. All others can be on their way. And I want guard droids around the ship. They don’t fall asleep or have to leave to use the ‘fresher.”

    “It also would also prevent an Inquisitor from doing a Force mind trick on the sentries,” I thought.


    Bort IV is about a five-hour jump from Rallo V. Hopefully the kids have that much time. If not, I may have to do something desperate… or foolish. I’m not sure which yet.
     
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  6. DARTH_MU

    DARTH_MU Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 9, 2005
    They were after the kids! :_|

    Adults killed execution style. Have they no mercy?

    Inquisitors.... Turncoats?

    Also Bort IV? Bort? lol
     
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  7. Carlos Danger

    Carlos Danger Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Jul 25, 2013
    It is a play on words. Bort IV is Bort Four which is similar to Bortfor which is Norwegian for abduction. I stopped trying to use real SW planets because I don't know which ones are still canon.
     
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  8. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Excellent orchestration of the details of the investigation and I really think Litassa has come up with the actual culprits/perpetrators. =D=
     
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  9. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    Hopefully the children are onboard but if there are slaves onboard at least they will be freed. I honestly wouldn't put it pass them to have logged a false flight plan knowing that someone would follow the trail and might even be aware of the earlier visit made by Mara and Luke so why not lead them on a wild bantha chase and then laugh at them when they think they have rescued the children and instead it's just a bunch of slaves.

    For whatever reason I am rooting for them to fail; I'm not quite sure why, it might have something to do with my darker side.
     
  10. RX_Sith

    RX_Sith Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 13, 2006
    Hopefully Mara and Luke can rescue the kidnapped children.
     
  11. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    This is very clever of you, Carlos Danger. Well done! You are a linguistic genius.

    I also think it was not easy for you to write this update. It deals with very ugly things that also happen in RL: abducted children.

    But you do this in a very dignified way. @};-
     
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  12. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    Oooh, nice, fat update! Good to see Mara in action here, she's really very efficient and good at her job, and her connection to Luke is going to come in handy! (plus, more L/M time ahead, which is always a bonus ;) ) It was also fun to read her musings about how much easier things were back when she could call a squad of stormtroopers and break the door :p

    I'll bet she's torn now between waiting for Luke and going to look for the kidnappers... Also, I have a question: I don't remember her mentioning earlier that Inquisitors had gone in hiding in specific places, did I miss something? (though given how I've been on and off the boards since you started this story it could be that I simply forgot) At any rate, the chances of Luke running into a real Inquisitor just went through the roof, so I'll be eagerly waiting for more.
     
  13. Carlos Danger

    Carlos Danger Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Jul 25, 2013
    In entry 38 this is written:

    My theory was there were Inquisitors at five major distribution centers. They would mind trick the crew into inputting coordinates for a drop off to happen at a certain place and then at the final drop off point in the unknown region they meet another Inquisitor and are mind tricked into forgetting where they dropped off the cargo.

    I just realized I wrote the suspected slave children were seen on Rallo V. That is incorrect. It was at the mysterious drop off point. I fixed it. Mara thinks they could have originated from Rallo V.
     
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  14. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    Oh, right, I remember now. Thanks :)
     
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  15. Darth_Drachonus

    Darth_Drachonus Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Oct 4, 2005
    Outstanding! I'm hooked!
     
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  16. Carlos Danger

    Carlos Danger Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Jul 25, 2013
    Adults were witnesses. It makes sense that somebody willing to work in the slave trade would be willing to kill.
    She is using her training as the Emperor's Hand to good use.
    That is dark. [face_worried] Poor kids.
    Thanks. I'm glad you are enjoying the story.

    I was going to say, "Of course they will be saved, that would be pretty dark if they didn't". But then I remember the younglings slaughtered at the Temple in the movies and also the deaths of so many of the young Jedi in the EU. Star Wars got really dark after the OT. And yes, I know a planet was destroyed in the OT, but we never saw the faces of the victims, so it wasn't traumatizing to the viewer. :(
    Thank you. Google Translate is the linguistic genius, though. :p
    Yeah, it is a pain not being able to kick down doors. It must be frustrating having to obey the rules of various planets. She probably could have found another way, but I want to get Luke back into the picture.

    Thanks everybody for reading.

    ________________________________________________

    Entry 81

    Skywalker arrived in record time and if he didn’t tell me which docking bay to meet I would have never found him. He was cloaking his Force signature heavily so not to alert the Inquisitor of his presence. I had done the same since my arrival, but I was surprised at how well he hid himself in the Force. He has come a long way since his first lesson.

    As he climbed down from his X-Wing we gave each other curious looks. He smiled widely while raking his gaze down my body. “You look good as a Zabrak.”

    I gazed at him guardedly, not at all delighted with his outfit. “Jedi robes? When did you start wearing those?”

    He looked down at his clothing and frowned. “Prior to leaving for Rallo V. My sister thought if I was going investigate as a Jedi Knight I should play the part.”

    That made sense. Both Rallo V and Bort IV were independent planets. An appeal for cooperation from an outside government might not be appreciated…but the words of a Jedi might be heard. After all, that is exactly what I hope would happen today.

    I gave him a curt nod. “Sounds good.” I turned and started walking. “The ship is on the other side of the port. I have it guarded. Sensors didn’t pick up any life forms, and we can’t locate the captain and crew, but I do sense dazed and frightened individuals onboard. If they aren’t our missing younglings then they are some other unlucky group of people in the need of saving.”

    I fell into step next to me. “What happens when I do sense the children?”

    “I have the security officer waiting to put in a call to a local magistrate. They can authorize the entering and searching for hidden ray shielded compartments almost immediately.”

    “Good.”

    When we entered a more populated section of the star port he pulled the hood of his cloak up and over his head, presumably to disguise his identity from the general public.

    As we approached the ship I waved to the port security officer waiting at the rear of the craft. He was standing with a group of men wearing technician outfits. The alien smiled broadly upon seeing Luke. As we reached his position I made the introductions. “Talbot Zawn, this is Luke Skywalker. Jedi Skywalker this is the port security officer, Talbot Zawn.”

    Zawn grinned ear-to-ear as he grabbed Luke’s offered hand in an overly enthusiastic handshake. “I’m deeply honored to meet you. I have read about your amazing military achievements and your determination to bring back the Jedi.”

    “Thank you.” He let go of the Sullustan’s hand and turned to the ship. “We can talk later. The search for the children is priority.”

    I saw a slight blush cross the aliens face. “Oh of course. Just let me know how I can help.”

    Luke stepped forward until he could reach out and touch the ship. He closed his eyes in a display of Jedi concentration. I knew he probably sensed the children almost immediately, but people have preconceived notions on how the Jedi do things. Luke was putting on a show to further convince the security officer to assist us. Luke opened his eyes and turned to the alien. “The children are on board. They are lying semiconscious near the bottom of the ship, probably in a smuggling compartment. I believe they are ill or drugged. We don’t have much time.”

    “Oh, of course. The Sullustan pulled out his datapad and typed in some words. A few minutes later he rotated the device so we could view the approved search warrant. He then turned to the group of men, “Tzan, Robbet, slice the lock and open the doors.”

    Two human males walked up to the doors and within minutes the boarding ramp was descending. Luke and I walked onboard followed by Zawn and then the search team. Luke strode down the corridor and into the Captain’s cabin before pointing to the deck. “They are under there.”

    The members of the search team moved forward and started using battery-operated screwdrivers to remove the metal plating. Before they could lift up the flooring a tall, dark haired man in a customs uniform ran up the ramp and pushed his way into the cabin. “What is going on here?”

    The Sullustan turned and addressed the man while holding up his datapad. “Agent Klav, we have a search warrant to do a manual top-to-bottom invasive search.”

    I recognized the customs agent as a former Inquisitor. He didn’t even glance at the datapad. “You don’t need to search this ship.”

    The Sullustan’s eyes glazed over. “We don’t need to search this ship,” he repeated dully before turning to his men. “Stop working.” The workers halted their progress and were getting to their feet when I said something.

    “No, we do need to search this ship,” I said adamantly.

    The Inquisitor head snapped in my direction, his expression a combination of surprise and anger. “You do not need to search this ship.” He enunciated each word slowly and I could feel him attempting to cloud my mind with the Force.

    “No,” I heard Luke say behind me as he dropped his cowl of his cloak. “We will search this vessel.” Luke stopped Force shielding letting the man know he was now facing the last known Jedi Knight in the galaxy.

    The Inquisitor’s eyes widened in surprise before they narrowed and brimmed with unbridled hatred. He quickly reached under his jacket and pulled out a lightsaber, igniting the crimson blade. Luke’s own saber flew off his belt and activated as it slapped to his palm. I wasn’t carrying a lightsaber and I had no desire to get between the dueling weapons. I backed up and dropped into a crouch and started firing with my blaster as I screamed a warning for the crew to flee. I didn’t have to tell them twice; they ran off the ship without looking back.

    The inquisitor deflected my shots back in my direction but they never reached their mark. With a flick of his wrist Luke froze the blasterbolts in midair. The Inquisitor stared at the frozen blue beams of light in utter shock. As the bolts dissipated into nothingness I had to grin at Luke’s impressive display of his Force abilities. I was almost looking forward to seeing the Jedi fight the Inquisitor, but Luke decided to end the conflict quickly. He thrust out his left hand and Force shoved the customs agent against the ship bulkhead, dropping him to his knees in a daze. He then used the Force to pull the crimson lightsaber away from the Inquisitor, deactivated the blade and tossed the weapon to me. I stopped firing, but kept my blaster ready just in case I had to rearrange the man’s innards.

    “Tell us who you work for!” Skywalker demanded.

    The Inquisitor’s face twisted into a scowl. “I’ll tell you nothing.”

    I chuckled. “How about if we turn you over to Agent Kyramud?” I smiled when the Inquisitor blanched. “I see you have heard of his abilities.”

    He struggled to his feet while glaring at me. “I’ll die before talking.”

    I smirked evilly. “That can be arranged also.”

    A strange expression crossed his face before his eyes bulged out and his hands shot up to claw at his neck. It was like somebody was Force choking the man.

    Luke turned to me wide-eyed. “Are you doing that?”

    I shook my head. “No.” I took a tentative step forward as the man dropped back to his knees. “Maybe he is doing it to himself.”

    I switched my blaster to stun and shot the man hoping it would end his suicide attempt. He fell to the deck unconscious, but his breathing remained raspy until all air flow to his lungs ceased followed by the sickening sound of crushed tracheal cartilage.

    “Oh kriff,” I whispered in horror as I realized what occurred.

    “What just happened?” Luke asked nervously. “Did he kill himself?”

    I blew out a breath, feeling queasy. I was fairly certain I just witnessed a murder. Somebody blindly reached out with the Force and choked the Inquisitor, but who and from where? Luke was the only other Force user I could detect nearby.

    “Do you know what happened?” Luke repeated. “Was this suicide?”

    “I’m not sure…it’s possible. Or maybe somebody killed him. I know your father could choke people on other Imperial ships, but he was usually visualizing them over a holonet transceiver. If he didn’t do this to himself, then somebody very strong in the Force killed him.”

    Luke looked back to the man. “How strong?”

    I felt a growing sense of dread. “Stronger than you or me…stronger than Vader.” I turned and looked Luke in the eyes. “Possibly stronger than Palpatine.”

    Before I could comment further two uniformed port security guards ran up the ship ramp. The two young humans gazed at the dead customs officer slackjawed. “What happened?”

    “He’s a former Inquisitor and part of a child slavery ring.” I stated matter-of-factly while gesturing toward the floor. “Get the technicians back in here to remove this decking. We have children to save.”
     
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  17. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Super action and ominous conclusion about the adversary but I'm glad the younglings will be rescued.
     
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  18. RX_Sith

    RX_Sith Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Mar 13, 2006
    Great resolution to the Inquisitor showing up, but then obviously someone even stronger in the Force took him out.
     
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  19. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    Oh boy, even though they saved the children they have more questions than answers.
     
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  20. Cowgirl Jedi 1701

    Cowgirl Jedi 1701 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 21, 2016
    Snoke!
     
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  21. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    Ooooooooooh! SNOKE? Nearby? Or maybe not so nearby, maybe he's figured out a way to control (and choke) his henchmen from a distance? This is an AMAZING plot twist!

    Love how Luke and Mara managed to bring out the Inquisitor in the open while rescuing the children at the same time. Also, neat to see Luke blocking blaster bolts in mid-air, I'll bet he taught that skill to someone down the line ;)

    Now they're going to have to find a new clue to the mysterious Force user they know nothing about...
     
  22. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    “He’s a former Inquisitor and part of a child slavery ring.” I stated matter-of-factly while gesturing toward the floor. “Get the technicians back in here to remove this decking. We have children to save.”

    Ah nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition... no wait the Sith Inquisition! :p Except our heroine, being dressed up as a Zabrak. This is fun. I can´t wait what happens next.

    The kindergarten teacher in me is worried though about the mental & physical health of the children.
     
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  23. Theodore Hawkwood

    Theodore Hawkwood Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Jun 17, 2014
    I have to say this is quite an interesting start for a fanfic (I've read the first chapter thus far). I had wondered how Mara Jade would be handled, if she made any appearance at all, in the new canon, but this fic provides a plausible way for her to appear before TFA.

    I will be most interested to see how this story proceeds from here.
     
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  24. Carlos Danger

    Carlos Danger Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Jul 25, 2013
    Thanks! I really need to start writing more before the new movie comes out.

    That was Mara's first impression, but she might be wrong. She is
    second-guessing herself. I think she doesn't want to believe there is somebody out there that powerful.
    That is true.

    You guessed it. I assume Snoke is a Force User and possibly a Sith. But I am not sure. He might be something different.
    The hard part is figuring out what the Resistance knows about Snoke in TFA. I think a lot of scenes ended up on the editing floor. He is a mystery. I have broken down and bought some of the new canon books...unfortunately, I have yet to get through one. They just don't have the same magical quality that the Thrawn Trilogy had. :(
    Yeah, they are going to be traumatized...especially the kids who lost their chaperoning parents. [face_worried]
    Thank you! I appreciate you reading and taking time to review. I hope you enjoy the story.


    __________________________________________________________________________________


    Entry 82

    Medics arrived just as the heavy deck plates were removed revealing a secret, ray-shielded compartment crammed with children. The stench of urine drifted out of the hold causing me to gag and press the sleeve of my tunic against my face to filter out the smell. We are not sure what drugs were given to the younglings to keep them in a dazed state, but at least they were alive. Luke levitated a number of the victims out of the hold until there was enough room for medics to jump down and assess their condition before moving the remaining children.

    The local media and law enforcement arrived shortly after the medics. The docking bay was filling up so fast that police had to break out the stun batons in order to make a hole for the ambulances.

    When the last child was evacuated and we finished giving a report to the police we were finally cleared to leave.

    “I’m glad the children didn’t have any serious injuries,” I commented to Luke as we walked down the ship’s loading ramp.

    “Yeah,” he mumbled absently, obviously troubled by the Inquisitor’s death.

    When we were out of the ship I reached out and touched his shoulder. “Luke, we should talk about this.”

    He nodded silently.

    “I have a shuttle. Follow me.”


    Entry 83

    “So you think a strong Force user killed the Inquisitor?” Luke asked as he removed his cloak and took a seat in my shuttle’s small galley dining area.

    I sat across from him and sighed. “I don’t know. I suspected that the Inquisitors might be getting their orders through the Force. The Empire had them under surveillance and we’ve been monitoring their transmissions and with the exception of ordering food or calling an occasional girlfriend there was no indication as to who was giving them their marching orders.”

    “Do you think their leader was monitoring the Inquisitor and decided to kill him so he wouldn’t talk?”

    I shrugged noncommittally. “The Force choke didn’t start until I mentioned Agent Kyramud, the Empire’s most successful and feared interrogator. I think the death is directly related to my comment. Whether his demise was triggered by himself or another Force user is in question.”

    “But you think it was caused by another person, don’t you,” Luke ventured.

    “Yes,” I said softly. “If he was using the Force to commit suicide I shouldn’t have felt his surprise when the attack started. Plus the assault continued even after I rendered him unconscious. If he kill himself it wasn’t voluntarily.”

    He looked at me questioningly. “Is it possible for a person to commit suicide involuntarily?”

    “Maybe, if it was a Force suggestion planted deep within his subconscious…sort of like Han and the Hoojib mind trick. Somebody could put in a suicide command to be carried out if he was captured. The Inquisitor might not have known about it and if the suggestion was buried deep enough within his subconscious he could possibly have carried out the order while knocked out. Either that or somebody very powerful reached out blindly through the Force and snuffed out his life… and I don’t even think Palpatine was capable of that feat.”

    “Why do you say that?”

    I rolled my eyes. “Because you’re alive. If he could Force choke people without seeing them he could have crushed the life out of the entire Rebel leadership.”

    Luke thought about it. “If there is a link between the Sith and the Inquisitor…could that act like a transceiver communication? Maybe he doesn’t need to visualize the victim if he is in communication with him through the Force...but I suppose this skill would only work against other Force users and only those who he has an intimate connection with.”

    That word unnerved me. “Intimate?”

    He made a questioning gesture. “I assume there has to be a close link between the Force users for communication to take place. Sort of like us…or me and my sister.”

    I shuddered at the thought. I never considered my relationship with Palpatine ‘intimate’. “I am fairly certain a leader-subordinate relationship is all that is needed.”

    “Either way, there is a Sith out there." Luke pulled in a deep breath and blew it out. "We need to Force train so we can defeat him.”

    I gave a grunt of disapproval. “If he is as strong as I think he is…we can’t defeat him one-on-one.”

    “That is why we need to train. With your help I can become powerful enough to defeat any threat.”

    I ran a frustrated hand over my face. “Listen to you. That sounds like something Darth Vader would say.” I leaned forward and gazed at him intently. “Once you kill the Sith, then what? Are you going to become our benevolent Jedi leader and savior? Luke, I don’t think you have any idea how dangerous the Force can be. It is pure power and power corrupts. I don’t know how I managed to avoid the darkside.”

    “You said you were taught from a young age to not use the light or the dark, but something in between. You can teach me that.”

    “Yes, I was part of my training,” I said while throwing my hands up in frustration. “But I must have been taught that technique at a very young age. I don’t remember the training. All I know is I automatically avoid both extremes of the Force. I don’t think I could teach you how to circumvent the darkside.” I paused in thought before continuing. “Luke, you are the son of a Sith and exceptionally strong in the Force. I don’t want to train the next Darth Vader.”

    I could sense his irritation with that comment. “Litassa, being a Sith is not genetic. I am not fated to become my father.”

    I closed my eyes and sighed deeply. “Luke, you found out about an enemy and your first thought is to defeat him using the Force. You never once considered a conventional way to fight your foe. There is a myriad of ways to kill a Force user. The Jedi Purge is proof enough of that. Every Force strong person in the galaxy has the potential of turning to the darkside and if you turned…the results would be catastrophic.”

    He laughed sardonically. “What about you? You are extremely strong in the Force. Why is it okay for you to have all the knowledge?”

    I scoffed. “What do you want me to do? Perform a memory wipe on myself? I already have the knowledge. I am talking about halting the proliferation of Force knowledge.”

    “Then why did you teach me anything?” he said, raising his voice slightly.

    I didn’t have an answer for that. I kept telling him the Jedi and Sith should end, but I continued to train him. “I don’t know.”

    He slouched in his seat looking defeated. “Why are we fighting?”

    I shrugged. “The Force choking business was disturbing.” I motioned to his clothing. “And you know my concerns about the resurrection of the Jedi, but you show up in Old Republic Jedi robes. It tells me you are determined to restart the order.”

    He shook his head. “I haven’t made any decision regarding the Jedi.”

    “Please. A man doesn’t invest in a complete Jedi outfit if he hasn’t made a decision.” He chuckled at my comment, which only raised my ire. “What’s so funny?”

    He looked down at his robes. “These aren’t my robes. They belong to somebody else.”

    “What? Who would have Jedi robes lying about for you to use?”

    He grinned. “I borrowed them from a Clone War reenactor.”

    I know my expression must have been one of skepticism. “I don’t believe you.”

    His grin grew wider. “It’s true. There are groups of people who dress up like Clone Troopers or Jedi and they do mock battles against reproduction battle droids. When Leia suggested that I go to Rallo V garbed as a Jedi I contacted the president of the Historical Reenactor Society and within hours he found somebody on Chandrila that could lend me an outfit.”

    I glared at him silently, not caring that they were borrowed. I still hated the robes.

    Luke, sensing my annoyance, rose out of his seat, unbuckled his weapons belt and removed his tunic. “I can see we won’t have a civil conversation until I am out of this outfit.”

    A slight smile tugged at the corner of my lips as he continued to undress, kicking off his boots and unbuttoning his trousers. Once he was down to a pair of boxer shorts he held his arms outstretched and turned in a circle for my inspection. “There, are you happy now?”

    I chuckled, my irritation with him fading quickly. “That is much better.” I stood and moved toward the ‘fresher. “I guess I should get out of my disguise.”

    Luke rose and quickly intercepted me. “No.” He reached up and caressed a cranial horn. “I think this is sexy.” He reached around my waist and pulled me into his embrace. “I’ve never made love to a Zabrak.”

    I made a halfhearted effort to pull away. “You won’t find it too sexy when you get poked with a horn.”

    “Then we’ll just have to be careful,” he said softly before he captured my lips with his own, drawing me into a tender lingering kiss.

    I allowed myself to enjoy the sensation for a moment before pushing him away. “You are trying to distract me from our conversation.”

    He gave me an exaggerated pout. “I don’t like fighting with you, Litassa.”

    Damn, those soft blue eyes always melt my resolve. I sighed deeply as I leaned in and laid my head on his shoulder. “I don’t like it either. Let’s work on finding the Sith, if he even exists, and worry about how to stop him at a later date.”

    His strong arms enveloped me in a warm hug as he leaned down and kissed the top of my head. “That sounds good to me.”
     
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  25. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    I am glad that the children are safe. Even though it might take some of them a life time to recover from their trials.

    Like Luke and Litassa I wonder who killed Agent Kyramud.

    The "making out" scene, when I am allowed to call it thus, was sweet, funny & sexy alike. [face_love]
     
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