Beyond - Legends Accession (Dark Luke/Mara short story - Complete) ~*~ Thank you! ~*~

Title: Accession
(previously Point of No Return)
Author: Jedi Trace
Characters: Mara Jade, Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader
Genre: AU, drama, romance
Keywords: Dark Luke/Mara
Summary: Luke accepted Vader?s offer to ?rule the galaxy as father and son? and now takes an apprentice of his own.
Disclaimer: George owns it, I don't.


A/N: Apologies to those who?ve read the first incarnation of this story, Point of No Return, elsewhere. After making minor plot changes, the original title didn?t seem to fit anymore. This is a PG/slightly expanded version ? some higher rated chapters will be available via PM.




Many, many thanks to rhonderoo for beta?ing and assisting in the edit to comply with board guidelines, and for still speaking to me after reading the outline.


Special thanks to academygrad88 for the cover art.


[image=http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c228/jadedskies/accession_art.jpg]


Updates will be weekly-ish and can be PM'd upon request. Thanks for reading! Feedback is very much appreciated.

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[b]Tango [/b]


Clattering armor beat a cadence through the otherwise silent corridor as the elite squad of stormtroopers marched with practiced precision into the receiving chamber of the Dark Lord. Halting at the foot of an imposing stairway, the squad parted to reveal a young woman in prison fatigues.

Standing atop the dais with his back to the prisoner, hands clasped behind him, the black clad sovereign addressed her without preamble, ?There is a banquet tonight in honor of my son. You will attend and you will behave in a manner befitting your former status.?

The young woman stared up at him defiantly, ?And if I refuse??

Turning slowly to face her, the ominous figure descended the staircase with grace that defied his armored attire, cape billowing behind him like a bird of prey.

Even with her diminished Force ability, she sensed displeasure crackling around him as he approached, ?Refusal is not an option, Mara Jade.? His gloved hand drifted toward the saber hilt on his belt and she swallowed hard. It occurred to her that she had never seen Darth Vader use a lightsaber, but if the Emperor?s unexpected demise was any indication of his prowess, it would not be a contest to which she wished to be party.

Vader?s baritone voice lowered in an unveiled threat, ?You will learn your place, young one, or you will meet the same fate as the other minions of Palpatine. You are being given the opportunity to prove your loyalty to the new regime. I suggest you use it wisely.?

Straightening her shoulders, Mara answered stiffly, ?Yes, my Lord.? And with a wave of his hand, she was dismissed.



* * * * *


That evening, Mara was escorted into Imperial Center?s Grand Banquet Hall by the same squad of stormtroopers who promptly directed her to an assigned table. She smoothed the shimmering fabric of her strapless ball gown as she lowered herself into the ornate chair, taking in the elegant surroundings at a glance. She was surprised at how few of the Imperial elite she recognized. Much had changed during her years in prison after Palpatine?s death. Lord Vader stood beside the table of honor and pointedly acknowledged Mara?s presence with a brief nod.

Mara had never seen Lord Vader?s son in person and the young man seated at the head of the table looked nothing like she had expected. Shoulder-length dark blonde hair framed his chiseled and surprisingly handsome face. He ate little and spoke less, appearing quite content to casually sip a glass of wine and survey the proceedings with an air of understated authority.

Glancing across the room, his eyes landed on Mara. She froze. The air seemed to shift around her in the private vacuum of his intense gaze. A sudden roaring in her ears drowned out all other sound and her vision tunneled toward him as he approached her table. Holding out his arm, she felt the moment th

 

Ooooh....creepy, dark, and just...sexy.

Me likes! Me likes!

I love your writing here, and the imagery invoked. I think I can actually see them dancing in my head.

Can't wait for some of those PM chapters...

I'm just trying to imagine Luke with ROTS style Anakin hair.

 

Ditto to that last comment.

Have you been spending too much time around Elli lately, dear Trace?

 

Creepy and wonderful! If you send PMs when you update include me in the list. If not, that's cool, too! Bravo!

 

I love this! Your Dark!Luke is so sexy, OMG.

Brilliantly written, Trace, and it sucks you in from the first sentence. Bravo on this masterpiece, girlfriend!!!

 

Must...Read...More...*falls over and dies*

 

Oh! Oh! Sign me up for that PM list!

I also second that Luke-with-RotS-hair comment.

 

Ooh...nice! Love the dark Luke. And I can't wait to see where you're going to go with this. Luke training Mara...interesting. And Vader killed Palpatine? Even better. Wonderful.

 

I thought this looked familiar

I'm always up for a Dark!Luke fic. Bring it on, Trace!

 

ginchy: Thank you! You can blame that chapter on the ?Point of No Return? dance scene in the new movie version of The Phantom of the Opera. (It?s where the original title came from. ) And I?m with you on that ROTS Ani hair.

Pariah: Thanks! Actually, it was the ROTS teaser trailer that birthed this bunny. I could only wish to be as eloquent as Elli.

VaderLVR: Thank you so much! Will put you on the PM list.

roo: Thank you! And, again, for beta?ing. I know Dark Luke isn?t your ?thing.? Thanks for bearing with me through this.

cleveland1000: Thanks! Don?t die yet! There are a few more chapters?

maryaminx: Thank you! Will do!

Alethia: Thank you very much! There?s tiny bit more about Palpy?s demise in the next chapter.

JadeLotus: Yeah, it?s been around for a while. I?m slow. Thank you!!!

 

Wait... does this mean I missed you finishing Point of No Return?

*runs over and looks - nope, still at evil cliffy that out-cliffied the Queen of Evil Cliffies*

Oh... that's evil...

 

RedGold: No, my plan is to have this one caught up by the time the other one is finished and post the final chapters simultaneously. The good news about that is that there will be less than 2 months between updates. Thanks for reading!!

 

Hello my friend. I really love this story and have been keeping up with it on ff. Are you going to be posting on that site anymore or are you moving it here? By the way on that site I go by Anakim. Please let me know because as I said there, this is one of my very favorite story. Thanks. I should of read your post, you answered my question. Must excuse me because right now I am blind in one eye and it is real hard to read.

 

Lovely cover art. I can definitely see the Phantom of the Opera influence.

Please add me to the PM list.

 

*hums Point of No Return from PotO.*

Okie..I'll cut it out. lol Trace...loving Dark Luke! He gave me a chill. Watching out for more.

 

Intriguing. I'll be very interested to see where you take this, Trace.

 

Oooooh, dark Luke!! I'm liking this already.

 

JEDIFLYSWATTER: It?s nice to meet you, ?Anakim!? I?m glad you?re enjoying the story. (And I hope your eye gets better.)

EnsignThursday: I know! She did a great job with the cover. Thanks for reading! I?ll add you to the list.

MirandaFair: OK, now I?m singing PtPoNR, LOL. I?m glad you?re enjoying it! Chills are good.

Gabri: Thanks! This is an attempt to step out of my comfort zone and write something a bit?gritty.

JediMaster_Jen: Thank you!

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[b]Breathe [/b]




Royal guards escorted Mara to a private training facility adjacent to the Imperial Palace, directing her to the secured entry. Lord Skywalker had transmitted instructions to use the fingerprint recognition pad for access and she entered the spacious dome cautiously.

The room was dark with minimal glow strips around the outline of the floor. As she ascended the few steps leading to the exercise platform, light beams around the walls and ceiling illuminated spontaneously.

It was only then that she noticed Lord Skywalker standing on the opposite side of the room. He mounted the steps casually, ?Let's get this out of the way now, shall we??

Mara eyed him suspiciously, ?Get what out of the way??

He stopped in front of her, adopting an easy stance, ?You want to kill me.?

She shrugged, ?A lot of people want to kill you.?

?True,? he granted. ?But you,? he flicked a finger and a panel opened on the wall beside them, ?are the only one who will have the opportunity [i]today[/i].?

Mara turned toward the wall and felt her jaw go slack. The panel had become a display table for one of the most impressive collections of weaponry she had ever seen: knives, vibroblades, lightsabers, neuronic whips, stun lassos, and force pikes.

Resting his hands lightly on the table, he seemed almost apologetic, ?You?ll pardon me for not including blasters, but I prefer hand to hand combat. It?s much more?satisfying, don?t you think??

Shrugging off his cloak, he flung it away revealing his simple attire of black form-fitting trousers and open-neck tunic.

?I don?t expect that you are proficient with a lightsaber yet,? he continued, ?although you are certainly welcome to use one, but I believe that I have provided a sufficient selection befitting your expertise. And, seeing as how I am not without chivalry, I will allow you to choose the weapon, or weapons, of my destruction.?

Mara eyed him warily. Discarding her own jacket, she rolled up the sleeves of her Imperial-issue jumper and plucked a vicious looking force pike from the table. She turned to face him, and paused. She had fantasized about this moment for years and yet, now that the opportunity was at hand, she found herself strangely immobile.

Skywalker grasped a similar pike and rounded the table toward her. ?Suddenly shy, are you? Perhaps you need a little incentive.? He smiled harshly, ?Did you like your cell mates in prison? I picked them out myself.?

Mara sucked in a breath at the thought of the creatures that had existed with her for no other reason that to make her life a living hell. Gritting her teeth, she tightened her grip on the staff.

?Such noble restraint,? he mocked, stepping close enough to touch her. ?Are you [i]always[/i] so demure?? His eyes traveled freely down her shapely form, pausing to appreciate the feminine contours that even a generic jumper could not conceal.

It was then that she struck; but he was ready. Blow for blow they clashed, the sharp sounds of battle beating a staccato into the silence of the arena.

Mara?s refined combat skills rose easily to the task but were quickly engulfed in the wake of Skywalker?s dark power.

She stumbled slightly and he slammed her against the table. ?I must confess,? he taunted, stoking her fervor. ?The year of solitary confinement was my father?s idea. He said it was incredible what one could learn about oneself while enc

 

I absolutely loved it! These two just have so much chemistry, no matter what reality they are in!

 

This is quite intriguing. I like!

 

Trace! This is turning out to be quite a dark adventure. I love it!

"It was then that she struck; but he was ready. Blow for blow they clashed, the sharp sounds of battle beating a staccato into the silence of the arena."

I'm envious...so simple, but so masterfully done. I didn't read that....I SAW that! lol

"With a cry of rage, Mara pulled the dark Force into herself and pushed, vaulting Skywalker over her head and against the wall. "

No Mara! Don't give into the Dark Side. She has something up her sleeve, methinks. Please add me to the PM list. While Dark Luke angers me...he's still really an interesting character. More soon, please.

 

?I do believe you?ve used one of those before.?

Things are getting interesting...

 

I love your Luke. He's wonderfully deadly. The idea of having Mara kept in solitary confinement for an entire year is so...cold. He seems so callous, but endearing at the same time

Looking foward to more!

 

Ooh, now this is interesting. So dark and wonderful, it seems to just suck you right in. Great beginning!

 

Wow, this story is amazing. I would love a PM from this story if possible! Thank You!