Saga - OT Crossing Enemy Lines-- AU. (L/M, etc) Complete: 01/16/16.

I am getting back into the swing of things slowly sorry I've been lax folks


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Ny's Note: Hi!!!!! After much looking over and re-looking and tweaking, here it is, great edge-of-seatness if I do say.


~~~~~

Mara's sense of niggling dread only intensified as she neared the Bespin system. Her resolve was no less strong, but she had been plagued by an intuitive foreboding.

Her navcomputer readouts pointed her to the primary world. She laid in the course.

As she arrived at Cloud City, Mara felt cold fingers of dread clench around her throat.

A hulking SSD, the Executor no less, loomed nearby.

She recovered quickly and scanned for the ID code on file for the Falcon; she knew the transponder signals Han used in friendly and unfriendly space.
Mara's tech skills proved useful, once again.
Cloud City was impressive and unique; Mara was struck by how the real thing contrasted with images splashed across the holo-net. She took a handful of moments to scan the computer system for Leia and/or Han.

Their sense of consternation and outrage flowed to her clearly through the Force. She frowned as she made her way to their probable location. The Force was in a tumult and made any clear sensing more difficult than it would ordinarily be.

Mara exited her fighter and made her way out onto the landing pad. She approached an outer hatch and carefully sliced her way into the system that held the door shut. It would have been easier with R2, but she didn’t have the luxury of that now. Besides, R2 was with Luke right now.

She finally was able to gain access to the building, the door 0open as she slipped inside without notice. Mara treaded carefully, making a point of not to attract too much unwanted attention to herself.

This latter objective didn't go without mishap.

Some flunkie, a male with dark eyes, came across her a few minutes in and asked her where she was going. She projected an air of befuddlement.

Using her feminine charm, she batted her lashes. "I am the Administrator's new assistant. But he's nowhere to be found. Where is the main level?"

He frowned as if to ponder her story.

She snatched his 'padd.

"Give me that!" She snapped, projecting an air of authority. “I don’t have time for this.”
She brought up a schematic andheaded to the main levels. She hoped to Find her friends and not attract the Imperials' unwelcome notice.
**

Vader had thought to lay a trap for Luke, the operative who (until recently) the Emperor trusted, as much as he trusted anyone. He wanted to cement Luke's loyalty or remove him, whatever the situation necessitated. He found Skywalker irritating so getting rid of such nuisance was in a sense of no consequence to him.

His master though might want Skywalker alive. That way he could dole out his own personal brand of punishment--and Vader knew very well how much Palpatine enjoyed toying with his possessions.

Part of the scheme to entrap the boy involved a slimy bounty hunter, an unfortunate detail, but instead of Luke walking into the trap, he sensed another presence. This one had a very strong Force aura.

He could feel her--yes, her--drawing nearer, his head turning to look toward Solo and the Princess Organa.

“It appears we have company.” He hissed.

Leia looked to Han uncertainly.

Just then, the door slid open and in strode a woman with brilliant red hair. She looked to the place where Vader was now confronting a defiant Solo and Organa and did her best to look unfazed and undaunted upon seeing him there.

Vader was grudgingly respectful that she didn't flinch.

"One of your brave allies I presume."

**

Leia threw Mara a surprised, hopeful glance.

Mara gave a shrug as if to say: Sorry, I didn't bring reinforcements.

Han gave Mara a cool appraising look as if to say: I hope you have a bright idea as to how to get us all out of this.

Mara paused and considered what she could possibly do to extricate them all. She decided to make a bold offensive.

Han and Leia were important to the Alliance, essential. And she cared about them as friends.

Then, she recalled something else: Han had often mentioned his need to stay at least 3 steps ahead of Jabba the Hutt.

From her vision and now seeing Han in 'binder-cuffs, she put two and two together. Apparently, the guy named Calrissian had made a deal with the Empire: his erstwhile friend for what?

Mara squared her shoulders. She exuded an air of confidence, or tried to.

"Are you doing Jabba's grunt-work now?" She queried Vader. "Surely, you have better things to do for the Emperor?"

"And what would you know of such things?" Vader probed.

Mara scoffed. "Unless you've been demoted, or Organa's and Solo's threat level to the Empire has risen ..."

She paused for a beat.

"You're now resorting to colluding with bounty hunters, I see."

**

Vader's attention sharpened. This outspoken new arrival shone through the Force, not like someone unaware of their abilities, either.

He reached out to her, attempting to bend her, as the Emperor did. This one could be a worthy ally or a pliant tool, either way suited. Or possibly a hindrance.

He already had Skywalker to deal with after all.

The woman’s shields went up instantly after only a split second of surprise.

Vader tamped down his feeling of astonishment.

Yes, she was good, and had even more potential.

Mara spoke softly to the hulking bounty hunter who had succeeded in binding Han. "You will release him."

Vader rumbled a chuckle. "Your petty attempts at Force-influence are no proof against all the credits I've handed over, young lady. These are self-interested mercenaries."

She provided a bit of misdirection. Vader saw her movements and the plans floating in her mind and thought she had been about to attack the goons directly.

That was until Mara whipped out her lightsaber and with deft moves severed the Solo’s binders.

He cursed inwardly and looked toward the woman, impressed. So, she knew how to project a false strategy to her adversary.

Definitely worthy.

The bounty hunter and the rest gave him berth as he ignited his own 'saber. He could feel the tension from the young woman as he waved the lightsaber in a deliberately threatening yet listless manner. He could feel Solo and Organa but barely, his focus was directed elsewhere.

He knew they were going to get away--or would attempt to do so..

The woman lunged toward him, intent on catching him off guard. His blade intercepted hers in a shower of sparks. He stared into her green eyes that radiated a certain intensity. Her brow set in a determined manner as she pulled back and struck again.

Her technique was flawless, and she seemed to know all the saber variants, but he was more cunning.

**

It happened in a flurry, all hell breaking loose. Han wasted no time, and neither did one of Lando’s men. He quickly tossed a blaster to Han and the smuggle deftly caught it. His Wookie partner had a blaster rifle leveled in his paws which caused Fett to pause, now freed from his binders.
Calrissian, who wanted to vindicate his early treachery, called for backup to deal with the rest of the mercenaries. He unholstered his own blaster as Leia looked up at him suspiciously; well aware they were surrounded.

Blasterfire ricocheted throughout the room as Fett and the rest attempted to halt their escape

Leia listened to the drone of saber against saber.

Fett seeing he was unbearably outnumbered cursed. He watched as the other mercenaries scrambled backwards when confronted with a raging Wookie. They weren’t so brave no that Chewbacca was free.

The door suddenly slid open and Han and Leia turned, ready to face an onslaught of Troopers. What they didn’t expect were Lando’s guards. They immediately took up position firing on the the retreating mercenaries, but mostly their blasters were trained on Fett himself.

Han looked to Leia and Chewie; this was their way out. Grabbed Leia’s arm, heard her toward the exit.

"Let's get outta here while we still can.” He told them.

Chewie rumbled an agreement. Leia hesitated.

Han hurriedly insisted: "Mara's giving us a way out. She can hold her own. Let's get a safe distance away and see how things go for her. If she needs help, we can call for more back-up."

"They won't arrive in time!" Leia objected, even as he pulled her away.

"And even as good as we are, we're no match for a fully loaded SSD and their squadrons." Han insisted.

Leia glowered, but if they all wound up dead or captured, what good would they be to the Alliance?

**

“Your skils are most impressive.” Vader hissed as he blocked another attack.

Mara circled him; she needed only to keep the Dark Lord busy so her friends could escape.

“I have to wonder where you learned such skill,” He murmured and batted aside her blade, as he knocked her to the ground.

She stared at him. What exactly was Vader’s game? Was this a method to toy with her head? To distract her? She watched him circle around her like a predator. Her eyes tracked him wryly as she got to her feet.

“Obi-Wan.” He hissed, plucking the name from her mind.

Mara slammed her shields back up, cursing herself for letting them slip. She brought her lightsaber back into a defensive position, gauging him. Not yet…

“He must have taught you well before he slipped away.”

Not yet..

Vader was taunting her.

He was intent on ripping through her defenses---she blocked a strike from the Dark Lord--as well as battering her psycically. He would retreat and strike, using the pattern over and over again as he interlaced it with taunts. This was not like Vader at all...what was happening.

“Or perhaps, it is not Obi-Wan who presides over your thoughts, girl.”

Luke.

She had hesitated for a moment, smelling the scent of burnt hair as the tips of hers were singed. She had ducked Vader's striking blade just in time.

It had missed her skull by mere centimeters.

She was lucky it had only been her hair. Vader had several decades on her, and was thus very powerful from an objective point of view. No, she corrected, he was underhanded, using every trick he needed to beat down her guard--and she’d let him get to her….

Mara cursed once more.

She couldn’t let Vader win, couldn't let him draw her into his web of trickery.

And most importantly, she couldn’t let him win this duel; her friends depended on her….

Luke, her brain sputtered again.

“Luke.” Vader repeated. “You have strong feelings for this boy. Foolish.”

Foolish?

“Do you really think he is capable of caring for you the way you feel for him….He is playing with your heart and mind. Skywalker is not capable of such softer emotions...”

He’s wrong, she denied, refusing to believe Vader’s taunts. He was trying to trick her, draw her into despair and anger, everything that went against the Jedi Code.

“Nor has he love for your pitiful Rebellion. He is simply doing what our Master bids him to.”


“Lies.” She snarled, finally losing it.

Mara charged forward recklessly, swinging wildly at Vader. He used this moment to step back, and strike an injuring blow. It was enough to send her body into sudden shock.

Mara cried out in pain and landed unconscious on the floor.

It was not a fatal blow, Vader determined.

He examined her prone body, mulling over the potential of the situation. Whether Skywalker had strayed or not, the girl would be recompense to the Emperor either way.

He had ultimately failed his mission.

Vader ordered his minions to take her to the Executor.

***

Standing aboard the Executor, Vader could sense the Millennium Falcon getting further away. No matter, he would deal with the Rebels later. After all, he had a trump card.

The Alliance’s beautiful double edged sword.

One which he would use against them, to hold at their throats.

The fools.

He turned to walk off the bridge, cloak swishing behind him. The Emperor would be contacting him with a demand for a status update within the hour, so it would be best if he were well back en route to Imperial Center.

_____

Tagging:

Hazel Briannakin Falcon

Juliet316 Carlos Danger newdawn12

Jedi_Lover

ginchy ? &


P.S. If I've missed anyone or anyone doesn't want a tag, please let us know.

 

EEEPPPPP!!!!!!!

 

Vader has Mara? So not good. Moře soon

 

Very nice update. I am tagged in your post, but I didn't receive an alert. This system is screwed up sometimes.

 

Hi, thanks for the reviews. Re-tags for Briannakin and for Hazel ... just in case

 

Oh boy!! That is not good!

 

I'm almost done with writing a fic of mine, so we should be starting the next part this coming week. and hopefully it'll be out before the end of the week.

 

way over due for a post....

waiting anxiously

 

you Falcon

 

you too Nyota

 

Mara's in for an interesting conversation later: 'Oh, the guy you're in love with? Yeah, he's working for me.' -- Chancellor Palpatine

I think that'll hurt more than any torture Vader could come up with.

 

Yuppers, SiouxFan, the entire situation certainly is fraught with

 

where's that update

please

 

Cowers) sorry sorry it's my fault


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99 beers of bottle on the wall 99 bottles of beer
take one down and pass it around
98 bottles of beers on the wall

 

I was tagged, too, but didn't get a message. Weird! Anyway, sorry I have been gone so long. Darth RL, you know how it is!

I can't believe Vader has Mara. That description of her as a 'beautiful double edged sword" that he'd cut their Alliances throat with was great! I can't wait to see where this is going!!

 

That's all right. I'm glad you liked that line..I first read that metaphor in a book called Assassin's Apprentice

 

Hi all. LOL Ironing out the last few details -- what should and will happen. The plot will be getting thicker too LOL

 

Thicker? Ny, this thing is already about as thick as bad oatmeal! The only thing that could make it thicker is if it turns out that Shira's a double agent or something. Wait…she's not, is she?

 

98 beers of bottle on the wall 98 bottles of beer
take one down and pass it around
97 bottles of beers on the wall

 

Luke opted to return back to the hangar where his X-wing was docked instead of retreating into his room. He didn’t feel like talking to anyone as of yet.
The High Command had not been forthcoming with any further information; but he was sure they were holding off information. He had sensed Mon Mothma had wanted to divulge the secrecy beyond Mara’s mission. Yet she hadn’t given in to that urge and had instead preferred to keep him out of the loop.
If he was being truthful, it stung that the woman didn’t trust him with such information. Especially as it pertained to Mara.
Once again, had he really expected it to turn out any differently given his current status? Even when he was working for the Emperor—wasn’t he still though?—he had a bit more leeway, but as a non-ranked soldier his privileges were minimal. In other words, he had none.
He was positive, though, if he had carried an actual rank it was possible he might have been made privy to the secrets-and that was a very heavy might Just because he had the status didn’t mean the privilege was easily given.
He began to climb up the ladder, laying a gentle touch against the canopy. It popped open with a hiss. He stood at the top of the ladder for a second before hoisting himself up and getting inside of it. He settled in, lying back and trying to make himself comfortable. His X-wing seemed to be the only place Luke felt truly at peace. It helped ease his mind when it was constantly racing.
It also helped him sort out the lingering feelings he’d been having recently.
Feelings about these people, the Alliance’s cause, and his purpose in life. He thought about Han, Leia, Wedge, Hobbie, Wes and all the rest.
Most importantly he thought about Mara, and what his feelings for her meant.
“Mara…” He murmured aloud.
In Mara, he found an amazing, seductive and intelligent woman. Was it any wonder the high command would entrust her with such a delicate task?
He pressed his lips together; therein still laid the crux of the matter.
His mind began to ponder once more what had transpired and was transpiring with Mara. As much as he gave Mara the benefit of the doubt there was still something extremely wrong about the entire situation.
He drummed his fingers restlessly against the paneling.
“What to do?” He mumbled.
The “new” Luke would have left well enough alone and let the High Command keep their dirty little secret, but the old Luke….the true Luke—whatever that was—wasn’t about to let this go.
Now, it all came down to what to do with this information.
He immediately thought of the Empire. His allegiance was to it, it always had been, but somewhere along the way his mind became twisted.
True he no longer saw the Rebels as a hindrance. He had seen into them and saw what they were capable of and what they represented. They weren’t specifically here to wreck havoc needlessly with the Emperor’s plans. These people’s cause was in hindsight just and inspiring. They had a certain touch of something to him that his Master had failed to see.
These people were not spineless.
He bit hard into his lip until he drew forth blood. Luke tasted the tangy iron taste on his tongue. He let it be for a moment before wiping it away with the back of his hand.

Whatever he decided on, he knew he’d have to act fast. He had to act fast before the current situation became more complicated.

**

Luke had barely made it out of the X-wing’s cockpit when an unimaginable pain assaulted his brain. He felt as if a haze had engulfed him and he sank to his knees. Flashes of light and color appeared behind his lids, vivid images distorting one minute and becoming clearer the next. The images were hazy but he could not dismiss the prodding feeling that entered his mind. Once more the feeling of pain and terror rolled through his mind; piercing it.
Luke gasped under the visual and kinetic assault. Never before had he felt such acute sensations when assaulted by visions.
Mara was in pain.
In his mind’s eyes, Mara lay unconscious as a dark shadow stood over her; that familiar loathsome presence sliding against his senses.
He shuddered.
His hands were braced against the sides of his head as he struggled against the continuing pain.
His senses were overpowered with the deluge of images as they replayed over and over again as if in a dramatic holoshow. He tried to draw breath, but it was all too much and Luke felt as if he were being drowned.
He reached out with his mind and pushed as he tried to break the vision’s hold on him.
He gasped once more—he could finally breathe.
The pain subsided—but barely—and he opened his eyes tentatively. He could feel his heart pounding rapidly in his chest and gave a brief look around. Seeing he hadn’t drawn attention to himself, Luke dropped his hands from his head and slowly got back to his feet.
He drew his deep breaths, willing himself to remain calm. He stared at his hand’s noticing the visible shake in his fingers. Calm, he repeated, clenching his fists in frustration.
He had to stay calm; he had to regain control.
This wouldn’t do at all. Pushing with his mind, he dispelled the final remnants of the heavy feeling that threatened to suffocate him. As the vision finally dispersed, he released the breath which he’d been holding and cast one more glance around.
No one.
Good, the less people to see him reduce to his knees, the less people to question him. He didn’t need that. Not now.
Now, the stakes were increasingly higher than before.
In a moment of clarity, he knew what had to be done.

--------

The Millennium Falcon was lucky to remain on the fringes of sensor range. It allowed them the advantage of watched when the Executor vacated the area without being spotted by it.

As she watched it disappear, Leia couldn’t shake the feeling of dread, because deep in her heart, she knew Mara had been taken. She also knew that Mara's bold heroism earlier on Cloud City was the reason for it. She was grateful but felt a pervasive ache of worry.

"We have to get Mara out—somehow." She muttered aloud. "The Rogues will be up for it ..."

Han scoffed. "They're up for just about everything. We have to warn the higher-ups first. Let them set things in motion."

Leia bit her lip. "That’s going to take too long...”" She gnawed on it with worry, and then brought her head up, eyes flashing. "And since when have you been one for the legit and proper way of handling things?"

"I'm reckless, not stupid." Han retorted.

Leia sighed.

She had to agree with the sensibleness. Now, all there was to worry about…was Luke. Her stomach soured when she thought of him. Force knew how protective he had become over Mara.
Leia knew without a doubt that he would have something to say about the entire situation when he heard of it.
She looked toward the back of the cockpit at the lifeless protocol droid. Thankfully, 3PO was still in shutoff mode, so they didn't have to listen to his gloomy prognostications.
“We need to get out of here first.” She decided. “Then we can contact Mon Mothma and the rest…”
***
Han relaxed back in the pilot’s seat and glanced at Leia.
“You’re all clear, Princess.”
Leia nodded her head and reached over to the comm station. Leaning over, she opened a secure and scrambled channel directly to the high command, it was a channel to be used only in the strictest emergencies.

It took longer than Leia anticipated and with each passing moment, the princess became more agitated. When Mon Mothma came onscreen, she released the breath she’d been holding.
The look on the woman’s face said she immediately knew something dire had happened. She looked at Leia expectantly.
Here goes nothing, she thought.
Answering Mothma’s unvoiced inquiry, Leia began to debrief her concisely on the current situation—i.e. Mara’s capture.
Mon Mothma frowned in concern. "This has potentially disastrous consequences to the Alliance." She said with a heavy sigh. "We have to decide quickly the best course of action to save Mara but also to avoid jeopardizing our overarching goals."

"And we don't need to bog down in committees, either." Han groused in a cynical mutter.

Leia shot him a quelling look.

"We're heading back to the rendezvous now. Chewie and Han will get us there as quickly as we can get there." Leia answered. She winced as she added. "Someone needs to tell Luke." She didn't envy that person at all.

"We will invite him to the briefing for when you get here." Mon Mothma decided.

Leia nodded. “Leia out.”

When the channel cut, she looked back to Han, still dreading the events.

“Don’t worry, Princess, we’ll get Mara back.”

“I know, but..”

“And don’t worry about the kid, he’s stronger than you give him credit for.”

She regarded him for awhile. She knew what Han said was true, Luke was strong, but she had a feeling the possibility of Mara’s abduction leaving him unaffected was nill.

***

While Mon Mothma and the high command were making preparations for Han and Leia’s return and Mara’s rescue, Luke had other plans. He had to move fast if he wanted to slip away unnoticed. He didn’t know when the high command would call the pilots into action, but wasn’t about to take chances.

Luckily, Luke found his quarters entirely empty. He breathed a sigh of relief then crossed over to his assigned locker and pulled out his assigned duffle bag. He opened it for the first time in a long time and carried it over to the bed. Unzipping it, he felt along the wall of the bag and ripped a loose thread, revealing a self-constructed compartment within the lining.

Sticking his hand down deep, all the way to the crease at the bottom, he fished out what he was looking for. Throwing another look over his shoulder, he turned his attention back to the item in his hand.
It was a lightsaber, crudely constructed given his circumstances but still very much serviceable. It wasn’t his regular saber but the circumstances of this mission hadn’t made bringing it along possible.

He had constructed this one using spare parts left over in abandoned bases; every time they fled one base, he ended up scrounging for usable lightsaber parts. He was able to find enough to construct a working lightsaber in time. He had gotten the crystal from a brief stint for the Alliance on some mining world.

He couldn’t recall the name though. Not that it mattered in the long run.

He set the lightsaber aside and stowed his bag back in his locker. He wouldn’t need it after all. Not for what he was about to do. He took his modified flightsuit out of the locker and laid it down next to the lightsaber.Stripping out of his Alliance uniform, he donned the neutral colored flightsuit.

He’d taken an extra uniform and covertly converted it into a flightsuit/jumpsuit. It was nondescript enough to pass for a regular spacers outfit--or even an Imperials. He pried open the flap to a large pocket near his thigh. Instead of a pocket most would expect, Luke had engineered it so that he could safely carry his lightsaber around without suspicion. A makeshift lightsaber holster if you will.

He palmed the saber and slipped it into the pocket, hooking it onto the strap fashioned to the inside. Luke closed the pocket and turned toward the door. He cast out his senses

He sensed a few presences lingering but mostly everything was silent. Good. Casting one more glance around the room, he left the room and carefully made his way out of the residence area. With stealthy feet, he made his way back to the hanger, making certain not to be seen. He couldn’t be seen at the point.
--------

His priority had been to leave as quickly as possible, but first he needed to do two things. Number one, find a transport, number two, disable the shields to the hangar bay. The first task was easy enough, and Luke already had in mind what he was looking for; a nondescript shuttle would or small transport.

An X-Wing would arouse too much suspicion and stuck out as much as the Alliance orange flightsuits.

The second task would take all his ingenuity; that is...a little Force persuasion.

**

Well, that had been easier than he anticipated. The control operator had been extremely weak minded, making his leave all the much smoother. Of course, it had been touch and go there for awhile. A spike of fear as he began to worry he’d been found out. It had turned out to be nothing.

He had gotten free of them.

A smile curved to his face.

Luke had more power than Palpatine gave him credit for; he had underestimated his true ability regardless of being minimally trained.

“Now, let’s begin…” He murmured.

Once he was secure in hyperspace and thus far away from the Alliance, he reached out with the Force, hoping to catch his Master’s attention.

Skywalker… The dark man rasped. You dare show yourself after your abysmal failure.

Luke held his tongue, resisting the urge to cheekily point out the error in the Emperor’s statement. There was many things he disagreed with the Emperor about, but now wasn’t the time.

I apologize, my Master. I was merely biding my time, waiting for…

I want no excuses, Skywalker.

Of course not. He said quickly, then paused for a moment. I have some information I think might be of interest to you.

What is it? Palpatine snapped, sounding more annoyed with his hand than interested.

The location of the Rebels, Master.

Luke felt the hot sting of suspicion laced within Palpatine’s Force aura.

As a token of my fealty. He added softly.

Fealty. His master spat.

Yes.

Luke could feel his irritation rising at being questioned as per usual. Palpatine’s suspicion though was expected. He had been gone for a long time. So much so that his Master had seen it as a failure.

Palpatine, of course, wasn’t letting himself be swayed so easily. He waited patiently for the answer.

Can you be trusted, I think is the matter at hand? Palpatine asked, almost as if speaking aloud to himself.

Luke remained silent.

Allow me to prove myself. I’ll give you the location and anything else you wish. He insisted calmly.

More silence on the other end. It was obvious Palpatine’s need to have the location of the base lent credence to his final decision.

Very well, his Master acquiesced. But tread lightly, Skywalker, I will not take any further failure.

Yes, Master.

Now, tell me of these Rebels…

++++++

Tagging and thanks to:

Hazel
Jedi_Lover

SiouxFan

Briannakin
Juliet316 & Falcon (it's here!)

 

Yikes!! I sure hope Luke knows what he's doing... It's all coming to the fore now....but what will be the damage?

 

I'm wondering how Luke will get out of this one. Then again, maybe he's not