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

Just got caught up on this story - really enjoying it! What a fantastic cliff hanger, can't wait to find out what happens next!

 

Perhaps.

Yeah, that is what I think also. "HA" I am sure that Farmboy charm with overcome Litassa/Mara's defenses.

To be honest I am not sure who I am going to put as that brilliant leader. Snoke might be around this early. I am sure General Hux is still a boy. I considered Admiral Thrawn, but I don't know if that would complicate the story.

You will see in this post.

Thank you. This post isn't that action packed but I am trying to move people about so that the story can progress.

Thanks everybody for reading.


Entry 17

I woke up with a raging headache, my hands and feet shackled and a gag in my mouth. I looked around and found myself lying on a bed in a hotel room. I glanced down and was relieved to find myself fully clothed…meaning I probably wasn’t dragged away by that slimy guy in the bar. Unfortunately, it suggests my captor is probably that rebel I spotted earlier. He must have made me as an Imperial spy. I shouldn’t be surprised. The entire rebel command probably has a bounty on my head in response to me capturing their star rebel, Luke Skywalker.

I can’t believe I found myself in this type of situation. It was stupid—a stupid, stupid mistake on my part. I closed my eyes and silently chastised myself. This would have never happened while I was the Emperor’s Hand. In the last year my skills have waned and I have become sloppy. I should have asked for the ingredients when buying an unknown drink, but I never had such a bad of a response to spice…never. I started wonder if somebody actually slipped something in my drink while I was focused on that Rebel.

I examined my bindings. They were shock cuffs, but the shock part apparently wasn’t activated. I knew how to release cuffs with the Force, so I assumed I’d be out of them quickly. I concentrated, willing the cuffs to release, but nothing happened. It was then I realized these were the same type of Inquisitor stun cuffs I had used on Skywalker. The shocking mechanism was turned off but the field that prevents a person from touching the Force was active.

I sat up in the bed and looked around the empty room. There was one window with curtains drawn and one exit. I struggled into a sitting position intent on shuffling to the door and making my escape. Hopefully I was in a populated area and the local police would release me from my bindings…so I could then hunt down and capture the rebel responsible for my capture. Or better yet, I get out of these binding and call in an Imperial death squad to scour this port for insurgents. I was in the process of standing when the door opened and a man entered carrying bags of what smelled like take-out bantha ribs. He smiled widely when he saw I was awake. “Hello Litassa.”

SKYWALKER! That slimy kriff kidnapped me. I bet I was drugged! He must have saw me and decided to get his revenge. I tried to scream at him through my gag but it all came out as mumbles.

He grinned as he put down the bags of food on a small table in the room. He then pulled out a small blaster from under his jacket. “I’m just setting this on stun, just in case you decide to scream.” His blue eyes twinkled with amusement. He obviously enjoyed being on the other side of the blaster. “If I remove your gag, do you promise not to scream? Because if you do I will be forced to stun you.”

I gritted my teeth angrily, knowing full well he was mocking my little speech I gave him the last time we were together. I gave him a brusque nod of my head. He smiled and removed the gag from my mouth. I glared at him murderously. “I can’t believe you kidnapped me. Did you drug my drink?”

Skywalker waved his hands in front of his body as to ward off the accusation. “Oh no, no, no. I had nothing to do with that. I had a doctor come to the room to check on you and he said it was spice poisoning. He gave you an antidote.” He took on an expression of concern. “That is a nasty habit. You should try to quit.”

“I am not a spice addict,” I growled between clenched teeth. “I’m allergic to spice. I didn’t know the local drink was spiked with it.” I looked down at my bindings. “Didn’t the doctor wonder why you had a cuffed and unconscious woman in your bed…or is that something people expect from rebels.”

He chuckled. “I didn’t cuff you until after the doctor left.” He grabbed a chair from the small dining area, dragged it next to the bed and sat down. “I was surprised to see you in the tavern. When I noticed you were in trouble I thought I would jump in and rescue you.”

“And your idea of a rescue involved stuncuffing, gagging, and throwing me onto your bed?”

“No, but I didn’t want to get another one of these.” He stood and pulled up his shirt revealing a nice set of abdominal muscles along with a large bruise on the side of his ribcage. “You have a wicked jab.”

A feral grin crossed my face. “I’m glad I put up a fight…even if I don’t remember hitting you in the bar.”

He shook his head. “I got this after the doctor left. He said you might be out for hours, so I decided to try to put you into a healing trance. As soon as I reached out with the Force your eyes popped open and you attacked me while screaming, ‘Get out of my head!’ I had to cuff you to make sure you didn’t kill me or hurt yourself.” He motioned to the bindings. “Those are the ones you used on me.”

I rolled my eyes. “How sentimental.” I gazed at him questioningly. “So now that I am awake and lucid, what are your intentions? Are you turning me over to the New Republic?” I looked to him defiantly. “I warn you, you’re not getting any information out of me. I’ve been trained to resist torture.”

He leaned back in his chair and regarded me with a soft smile. “To be honest, I did intend on turning you over to the New Republic…with the condition of no torture or mistreatment of my prisoner, but things have changed dramatically in the last hour or two.” He beamed happily as he used the Force to levitate the holoprojector remote to his hand. He turned on the machine and twitched channels until it came to a news program. There, floating above the projector base was a scene of people celebrating and the scroll at the bottom of the image had the words, ‘Peace treaty signed’.

“While I was out picking up dinner I found out the New Republic and the Empire signed a peace treaty.” His lips curved up into a sincere smile. “Rest assured, nobody is going to torture you.”

My eyelids fluttered shut in frustration. Now I understood what Commander Darten was talking about when he said the New Republic might no longer be a problem. I opened my eyes and focused on my captor. “So, if these cuffs are not to subdue a prisoner…what plans do you have?”

He gave me a sheepish grin. “I have no other plans but to release you and ask you to have dinner with me…unless you consider chargrilled ribs torture.”

I made a scoffing sound. “The food sounds fine, having you as a dinner companion might be considered torture.”

He laughed, slow and easy. “That’s harsh. I thought Intelligence officers were trained to seduce and manipulate.”

“More like track and kill.”

“You didn’t kill me before,” he said softly. ‘Were you tracking me today? Is that why you’re here? Have you become my own personal Imperial stalker? I’m honored that I warrant such attention from the Empire…or are you pursuing me for more personal reasons?”

I rolled on my back and stared at the ceiling. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

He laughed as he motioned to the table. “I got a lot of food, we are no longer enemies, and I thought maybe we can share some information on what is going on in the unknown region. Our intelligence data suggests the Empire is not involved. I suspect you are here doing the same thing I was…spying and trying to find out the reason for all these cargo runs.”

That caught my attention. “Have you found out anything?”

He gave a casual shrug. “I have bits and pieces of information I am willing to share.”

“Fine, release me and we can talk.”

He must have detected the sincerity in my words because he removed the stun cuffs, but I noticed he kept his blaster by his side. I massaged my wrists where the bindings had rubbed harshly against my skin. Skywalker noticed my movement and frowned. “Sorry. I didn’t think they were on that tight.” He pulled out a chair from the table, offering me a seat. I accepted the chivalrous gesture without comment. He grinned as he grabbed his chair and sat down across from me. “I hope you like ribs with sauce.”

“ I do,” I admitted reluctantly. He opened up a container with steaming meat sliding off the bone and a handed me a plasto plate and a stack of napkins. We ate silently for a few minutes before I looked up to him and forced a smile on my lips. “Thank you for saving me from that lecher. I can’t believe I took a drink without asking the ingredients.”

“I think you were distracted by one of my fellow Rebel pilots.” He wiped a gob of sauce off his face before continuing. “Thank you for deactivating the cuffs before you turned me over to your superiors. Did you get your promotion?”

I nodded.

He smiled widely. “Good. It all worked out then. And I’m glad we are no longer adversaries.”

I gave him a frigid stare. “The New Republic and the Empire are no longer enemies. That doesn’t mean we are going to get all chummy. What information do you have about what is going on in the Unknown Region?”

I saw his jaw tighten. I think he wanted this to be some sort of date.

‘Yeah, Dream on Skywalker.

He leaned forward in his seat. “We believe somebody is building another Death Star.”

I laughed so hard I almost choked on my food. “The first two didn’t work out, why would anybody think they’d get it right on the third try?”

Skywalker picked up a rib and pointed it to me. “Well, somebody is building something big out there. The cargo list includes massive weapons systems, ore shipments, computer systems, and the list goes on. What can you tell me?”

I gave an apologetic shrug. “Nothing more than that, but there is chatter about a new leader amassing troops out there. After the Emperor’s death we had a few Moffs defect and move their fleets to parts unknown. It could be the Moffs grew a brain and decided they were more effective working together. If that is true, they are operating independent of the Empire.”

“That’s not much information.” He blew out a frustrated breath, before returning his attention to me and smiling. “Tell me a little more about yourself.”

I shook my head. “The treaty does not make us friends.”

He looked down at his plate and smiled sadly. “Okay.” He took a few more bites of his food before leaning back in his chair and gazing at my curiously. “Is there anything you want to know from me?”

I wiped the sauce off my face and nodded. “Yes, I would like the location of all New Republic bases and a list of your military assets.”

“I meant about me.”

I took another bit of ribs while contemplating what to ask him. “Who trained you to be a Jedi?”

“A Jedi Master named Yoda who survived the Jedi purge.”

The name meant nothing to me, which isn’t a surprise, Palpatine had the Jedi Temple burned to the ground and all references to the Jedi removed from the library databases years before I was born. “Did you start training as a boy?”

He shook his head. “No, I didn’t even know I had Force abilities until I was eighteen.”

I looked at him incredulously. “How is that possible? Usually a child will utilize the Force by accident and eventually see the connection between cause and effect.”

He shrugged. “I think it has something to do with living on a desert world. I was told ‘the Force is generated by all living things’. Tatooine is not abundant in life. From my house I could look in all directions and not see another living soul. I think it mutes the Force. I suspect I was brought to Tatooine to hide me and the fact I was a Force adept.”

“Did your sister grow up there with you?”

He shook his head. “We were separated at birth. She grew up on Alderaan.”

I grimaced. The destruction of Alderaan was not a popular subject even among Imperials. Most of the Moffs had at least one friend, relative or casual acquaintance on the planet when it was annihilated by Tarkin’s unjustifiable show of Force. “Sorry. It’s good she wasn’t on the planet when it was destroyed.” I took a sip of the drink Skywalker bought for me. “Why was she allowed to live on a highly populated world? Couldn’t somebody figure out she was a Force user?”

He swallowed the food in his mouth before answering. “My sister’s grasp of the Force is tenuous. She is a Force adept, but only a fraction of what I have.” He gave a good-humored grin. “But she makes up for it in other ways. She is a lot smarter than me.”

“That shouldn’t be hard to do,” I quipped. “Did she have her baby?”

Through the Force I could feel pure joy radiating from him. “Yes. She had a healthy baby boy she named Ben.”

I gave him a curt nod, “Good.” I wiped the sauce off my hands and face with a napkin and stood. “That was a lovely meal. Thanks for saving my butt, but I have to go.”

“Wait, wait,” he stood hands out pleading. “I want to talk to you about leaving the military and possibly training with me.”

I raised an eyebrow and smiled in amusement. “My job with the Empire pays forty-five thousand credits a year, plus room and board…what are you offering?”

His eyes went wide. “The Empire really pays that much?”

“They can afford to build two Death Stars, money was never an issue.” I shook my head and laughed. “Of course, that big promotion helped. It came with an enormous pay raise. So I have to thank you for that.”

“You’re welcome,” he said dryly before shoving his hands deep in his pocket and staring at the floor in thought. “Litassa, there is more to life than money.”

I scoffed and began walking to the door. “Those are the words of a man who can’t pay a decent wage.”

He moved past me and blocked the exit. “Have you considered becoming a Jedi and working for the good of the Galaxy? I can train you.”

I scowled as I reached forward and pushed my finger against his chest. “First of all, I already work for the good of the Galaxy. We are the legitimate government and you are rebels.” I stepped back and looked him up and down. “Second, I really doubt a person who learned about his Force potential just a few years ago can possibly teach me anything. I have been training all my life.”

He looked a little crestfallen. “But you said I was one of the strongest Force adepts you’ve seen.”

“Yes,” I said forcefully. “And that makes you a very dangerous man. An ill-trained, extremely powerful Force user is just as safe as giving a child a thermal detonator and telling him to go outside and play. You are partially trained and you want to teach other Force users? That is a recipe for disaster. You need to go back to your Master and train for another dozen years and maybe…just maybe…you’ll be ready to teach.”

His head drooped in defeat. “My Master is dead. I am the last of the Jedi.”

I moved around him and opened the door. Before I departed I looked back and gave him a stern warning. “Maybe it is best that you keep it that way.”

As I walked out of the hotel room he called out to me. “Litassa, stay and we can train together. I’m sure there is a lot we can teach each other.”

I stopped and turned. “I don’t want to be a Jedi.”

“Why?”

“I’ve seen up-close and personal what the Force can do to people. The darkside is tempting. It’s like spice. I managed to fight the temptation…but I am tired of fighting. I don’t want to train to increase my power and risk…everything.” I glared at him accusingly. “And neither should you!”

With that I left, leaving Luke Skywalker sulking in the doorway.

 

Terrific back and forth and superb insights into Mara's motives and opinions!

 

Really enjoyed this entry! It's really interesting getting to know these new versions of the heroes we used to know - seeing how differently they could develop in a different context to the old EU. Mara's warning to him about the dangers of trying to train others as Jedi is nicely done in context of what happens in both time lines.

I also really liked these lines:

'He laughed, slow and easy. “That’s harsh. I thought Intelligence officers were trained to seduce and manipulate.”

“More like track and kill.”'

Because they retain one of the wonderful things about Mara, which is that she was never a femme fatale using her womanly wiles to get what she wants, but instead relies on competence and ability.

 

The beginning was suspenseful and I'm glad that there was a rather reasonable explanation for the cuffs.

I actually like Mara's comment at the end it hints at the events of TFA and so much more.

 

Great interaction between Mara and Luke. Hopefully, circumstances will allow them to meet again soon.

 

All caught up!

I've said this already, but this story is a great re-imagining of what Mara could be in the New Canon. Fantastic debriefing with her superior officer a few posts back -- she actually has reason to believe in the Empire, working with people like that. Her reaction (or lack of reaction) to the peace agreement says a lot, she wants a new life away from Galactic upheaval and Force users who could meddle with her mind. I loved the little anecdote of how she reacted to Luke trying to put her in a healing trance.

And some stern words of warning there, at the end of the last post. She knows enough of the Dark Side to see how things could go wrong...

 

Thanks. Since this is different from canon I have Mara respond differently. She was under the hold of an evil Force user. She saw him as a father figure, but as the months drag on she is realizing she was used. In my mind she is determined to never be used by another Force-user again. She doesn't even want to use the Force. Not only because of the purge the Moffs conducted destroying the Inquisitors (that isn't canon...just my story idea), but she doesn't want to risk a slip to the darkside.

That is true. That is why what is going to happen in this entry is going to irk her immensely.

I have to base this story on my short story, so I need a reason for Mara to become a traitor along with a reason to hide her pregnancy and then hide her child. I hope by the end of the year I will succeed in making these events understandable.

This is basically a love story, so they will be bumping into each other a lot.

Thanks. I had to put in "Stay out of my head, Skywalker" or at least a version of it. After reading fanfic for so many years I don't remember if that phrase is actually canon or I just saw it in fanfic so many times that it becomes my own canon.

Thanks everybody for reading. I have been terribly busy, so this is a short entry. I have some time off from school in July and August. I hope I can take that time to get far ahead so I won't feel rushed during the busy days.

Thanks again to all my readers!

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Entry 18

After leaving Skywalker I went back to my hotel to contact my commanding officer. The peace treaty between the New Republic and the Empire could result in a modification of my orders and a change of my current mission.

When I arrived to my room I locked the door and pulled the shades. I then retrieved my encrypted portable transceiver from the hidden compartment in my luggage and keyed the code for Commander Darten.

Eventually the image of my senior officer appeared above the transceiver projection base. He smiled good-naturedly. “You must have heard the news, Colay.”

I nodded. “Yes sir. Do I continue on my current mission?”

He rubbed a hand over his chin in thought. “Yes, continue what you’re doing. There’s something going on in the unknown region. Either it is a wayward Moff consolidating power, the New Republic, or some entirely different entity amassing weapons and technical systems in that area. We need to know what’s out there. Have you had any progress?”

I shook my head. “The traders delivering products to the region said they don’t know the coordinates of their destination. They were told to go to a specific area in space and wait to be contacted. I haven’t found anybody who has previously made the trip, but I haven’t heard any rumors of missing cargo haulers. If people were going into the unknown regions and not coming out, we’d hear about that.”

“That’s true.” He gave a curt nod of his head. “When our recon group didn’t return that definitely didn’t go unnoticed.”

I drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I need to report that the rebels are here investigating the same thing I am…specifically Luke Skywalker.”

Commander Darten smiled widely. “Oh, is he now? That gives credence to the notion that the New Republic isn’t involved with the shipments.” He leaned forward toward the transmission camera and grinned. “Did he see you? I bet that put a scare into the man.”

I glanced away, embarrassed that only a peace treaty prevented me from becoming the rebel’s prisoner. “He saw me sir. He didn’t appear to be nervous.” I hesitated for a moment. “You’re right, sir. He did try to recruit me again.”

Commander Darten continued to grin and his incessant smile was beginning to unnerve me. “He is insistent.”

I averted my eyes. “I said no, and quite emphatically, sir. I don’t know why he continues his recruiting attempts.”

Darten laughed. “Have you looked in a mirror lately? He’s a young man. I suspect his interest in you is more personal than professional.”

I gritted my teeth as a blush heated my face. “I assure you sir, I am not encouraging him to…pursue me in either capacity.”

His smile turned into a lopsided grin. “Maybe you should.”

I went slack jawed by that comment. “Sir, I hope you are not suggesting…”

“Wait, wait, wait,” he said with a wave of his hand. “I am not suggesting you bed the man, if that's what you were thinking. Stang, all I need is a sexual harassment complaint this close to retirement.” He forced out a breath and composed himself. “What I am suggesting is you talk the man up. Find out as much as you can about the New Republic. Peace treaties are known to falter. Know your enemy and your allies because the two can switch readily." He pointed a finger at me. "But there's another reason I want you to cultivate a friendship with Skywalker. The man has close ties to General Han Solo—who's a former smuggler. If anybody can get a cargo run into the area it would be him. See if Skywalker is working with some of Solo’s smuggler friends. He might have a plan to infiltrate and investigate these shipments. If so, I want you in that loop, if possible.”

I inwardly groaned and closed my eyes so my commander didn’t see me roll them. “You want me to become friendly with Skywalker.”

“Professionally friendly. You can determine the depth of that camaraderie.”

I heaved a sigh. “He’ll immediately suspect my change of heart. He’s not a fool. He’ll know I want to get close in order to spy on him.”

Darten threw up his hands in a ‘who cares’ gesture. “Do you think that’ll dissuade him? Is he going to push you away, knowing your true intent?”

I grimaced. I doubt anything short of shoving a blaster against Skywalker’s head and threatening to kill him would diminish his interest in me. I am probably the first Force-user he has encountered since the death of his master. He desperately wants somebody to help him in his foolish journey to Jedi-hood. “No, his interest in me was undeterred by the fact that I captured and turned him into the Empire. I could probably tell him I was ordered to spy on him and he’d be delighted.”

“Then do it. Find out everything you can. Your connection to the man will put you in a unique position. He is closely connected to just about every high-ranking rebel leader. If he begins to trust you, the rebel leadership might lower their guard. As long as you keep our secrets safe, it is an excellent position to be in.”

“I don’t want to be in any position with Skywalker,” I muttered under my breath. I guess I didn’t grumble that softly enough because it provoked a fit of laughter from my commander.

“You’ll be fine, Colay. We’re at peace and Skywalker doesn’t appear to hold any animosity toward you. Use him to further your mission. Let me know if you discover anything.”

“Yes, Sir.” When my commander disconnected the signal I suppressed the urge to throw the transceiver against the wall.

I didn’t want to chat up Skywalker and become his fake friend.

And I definitely don’t want to be around another Force-user, especially one that is untrained, impulsive and possesses an incredibly strong connection to the Force. Those three things are never a good combination unless you want a visit from the darkside.

The last thing the galaxy needs is another Darth Vader.

 

I'm happy that Mara is basically being forced to get close to Luke whether she currently likes the idea or not; because eventually she'll let her guard down and further entanglements can then ensue.

 

LOL Darten is perceptive all right! And his strategy a sound one. And whew, Mara's thoughts at the end there, especially about dangerous combinations true about someone who is "untrained, impulsive and possesses an incredibly strong connection to the Force."


You have her tone perfectly. It's very much in character.

 

Mara having to work with Luke?

Ha ha h-

I mean, it doesn't look like things are going the way Mara hoped they would.

She's very perceptive and once again right to be cautious in everything.

I look forward to your continued build up of Mara's character and her thoughts.


Sent from my iPadd from another galaxy using Tapatalk

 

This Darten fellow is very smart and perceptive -- maybe a little bit too much, actually. It's as if he suspects that Luke and Mara would make a fine team. What he doesn't know yet is that they could be much more!

Good luck with school until it gives you a break!

 

Thanks! That is the goal of this story--getting those two crazy kids together.

Thank you. Darten is a smart and competent man and he knows a lot more than Mara gives him credit for.

Thanks. It has to drive Mara crazy. I know she thinks Skywalker is lonely for another Force user, but in a way, I think Mara feels lonely not being able to talk about her past and revealing her abilities. So far Skywalker knows more about her than anybody else alive. He doesn't know much, but he does know she is a Force user and as far as Mara knows...he is the only one with that knowledge. I think she is pulled to him a little bit. They have something in common.

Sorry for such a long delay. I have been so busy with work and school. I didn't have anything written this morning so I forced myself to put words on the computer screen. It is not a long post, but it will set them up for their next adventure.

Thanks to everybody that voted for my story, Reunion, in the fanfic awards. I was really shocked and happy to get a win.

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Entry 19

I didn’t leave my room right away. Skywalker remained most likely in his hotel room and there was no way in the Nine Corellian Hells that I was going to trot over and knock on his door. I tried to convince myself that it would appear too suspicious, but I knew I was simply stalling and hoping he would blast off planet giving me an excuse not to interact with him again.

There was something about Skywalker that made me uneasy.

I didn’t feel threatened by the man, but there was an oddly familiar sensation in the Force radiating from him. This sense of familiarity was strange. I know I haven’t personally met Skywalker before his capture on Hodk II, but from the first time I laid eyes on him I’ve had this bizarre feeling that we have met before. I shook my head tearing myself from my musings. I probably was on the same battlefield as Skywalker at some point. That must be it.

I blew out a frustrated breath and readied myself to follow my orders, rolling my eyes at my unwillingness. Commander Darten was only asking me to talk to Skywalker, not marry him. I have no idea why I was so reluctant.

I exited my hotel room and made my way down the street.


Entry 20

I waited in the alley across the road from Skywalker’s hotel with the intention of following the rebel when he exited the establishment. I knew he was still there. The lightside of the Force practically oozed from the building. I don’t know how Emperor Palpatine failed to notice this threat. My old Master could reach out across the galaxy and communicate with me. He must have sensed Skywalker. Why didn’t he send an Inquisitor or Darth Vader to deal with the rebel? I sighed knowing the answer to that question died with the Emperor.

I saw movement through Skywalker’s window and eventually he exited his room. I pulled back into the shadows waiting for him to leave, but instead he looked straight in my direction, smiled and waved.

Gods, I hate that man!

I thought I had shielded myself adequately in the Force, but obviously I didn’t. I walked out of the alley, knowing there was no use in continuing to hide. As I crossed the street the pleased expression on Skywalker’s face annoyed me to no end and made me want to stun him just to see that smile disappear.

“Litassa, it is nice to see you again. Did you change your mind about training with me?”

I gave him a cold glare. “Sure, let’s go back to your room and talk.”

His self-satisfied smile dropped from his face as he looked at his wrist-chrono. “Now?” He glanced down the street toward the pub he was at earlier. “I’m a little busy. I’m supposed to meet someone.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Sorry. I don’t want to interfere with your love life.” I knew he was probably going to meet rebels, smugglers or some other contact, but if I came right out and asked him who I doubt he would have answered. I wagered putting shy-boy on the defensive would garner me some answers. I wasn’t disappointed when he blushed.

“No, I’m not meeting a woman…ah…at least I don’t think it is a woman…it may be a woman, but I’m not meeting a date. I’m not dating anybody.”

I suppressed a smile. I think Commander Darten is correct when he inferred that Skywalker’s interest in me was more than professional. “Ah,” I said knowingly. “Rebel business. I can understand you not wanting to have an Imperial tag along. After all, we’ve only been allies for less than a day.”

His brow furrowed and I could see he was torn as to what to do. “Can I meet you sometime later?”

I shook my head. “I came here to find out where those shipments are going. Since I didn’t have any luck, I am going back to my headquarters and await further orders.” I started to back away from the rebel, but he stepped forward and grabbed the sleeve of my tunic.

“Wait. What if we make a deal? I’m meeting somebody that might have information on the shipments to the unknown regions. Let me talk to my contact and then I’ll let you know what I found out.”

His bright blue eyes looked at me hopefully, almost pleading.

“Sure,” I said. “When do you want to meet?”

He smiled widely. “How about my room in an hour.” He hesitated for a second. “Unless you want to meet somewhere more public. I can understand you not wanting to meet in such an…um…private location.”

I knew he was going to say ‘intimate location’, but his farm boy upbringing prevented him from even suggesting such a thing. I grinned at his shyness. “Private is fine,” I said slowly. “It’s not like I haven’t been in your bed before.”

A blush rose from his neck to the crown of his head. “Litassa, you like teasing me don’t you.”

This time I was the one who broke out in a wide smile. “I enjoy seeing your calm demeanor falter every once in a while.”

“Yeah, well. You don’t know me very well. My Master used to admonish me for my lack of control.”

I chuckled under my breath. “If you have trouble controlling yourself…then maybe we shouldn’t meet in your hotel room.”

He became even more flustered. “That is not what I meant. I lacked control in the Force.” He shook his head in frustration. “You are doing it again.”

I smirked at his discomfort. “Go meet your contact. I’ll see you in an hour.”

He nodded his head before jogging down the street.

I walked back to my hotel. An hour gave me time to shower and change and prepare myself for our next encounter.

 

Oh that was perfect -- the teasing, the flusteredness

 

Awkwardness to the max for Luke as Mara teases his weakness.

 

Me thinks Mara had too much fun at Luke's expense but I don't blame her!

 

Thanks. Farmboy will get his revenge, I am sure.

Thank you. I'm glad you liked it.

She liked the man, she just won't admit it.

Thanks everybody for reading and reviewing. It is much appreciated. I have the weekend off so I did some writing. I hope the entry meets your approval.

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Entry 21

As I prepared to leave my hotel room I glanced in the mirror for one final inspection of my attire. I want to keep Skywalker off balance, so I decide to use his obvious personal interest in me to my advantage. I had cast off my common trousers and tunic I had worn to blend in with the local commoners and instead donned at sleek, form-fitting, black leather, zip up body suit over knee-high black leather boots. It was an outfit I wore when I was the Emperor’s Hand. It was practical, durable and turned more than a few male heads when walking in public. It also gave me an aura of power. Assassins, pirates and bounty hunters normally wore leather. It had become the apparel of dangerous people…especially Darth Vader—a leather-clad psychopath who instilled fear in all he met.

In this case, I wore it to distract Skywalker, not to intimidate and especially not to seduce. I wanted him to be preoccupied with thoughts other than my motives in reestablishing contact with him.

I smiled at the mirror as I readjusted my blaster belt. Usually I have a hidden holdout blaster, but with this outfit there really isn’t any place to hide a weapon. I picked up a small satchel containing my communication device, credits and a fake Identification, threw it over my shoulder and left the room, making my way down to Skywalker’s hotel.

It was a short walk to Skywalker’s location. I knocked on his hotel door and waited and waited and waited. I didn’t know what was taking so long. I knew he was inside the room. I could feel his presence through the Force. I ended up pounding on the door before Skywalker finally answered. When I saw him I understood the delay. He was standing in the doorway, dripping wet while clutching a small white towel around his waist.

“Sorry Litassa. I thought I had enough time to shower before you arrived.” His tanned skin turned a deep red as he ushered me inside. “I’ll just take me a minute to dress.” He quickly moved to his bed and grabbed some clothing before disappearing into the ‘fresher.

I sighed in frustration before closing the door behind me. I intended on showing up and flustering the former farmer with my tantalizing outfit, but he one-upped me by opening the door nearly nude, water glistening over his toned body and with the smell of citrus scented body wash clinging to his skin.

'Damn, I hate that man!'

I have no idea if his naiveté charm was a facade or not. It is hard for me to believe that somebody as outwardly trusting as Skywalker could have survived this long without somebody putting a vibroblade in his back at some point. He exited the ‘fresher wearing snug utility trousers but remained nude from the waist up. He looked at me apologetically as he pointed to clothing perched on the room’s dresser. “Sorry, I forgot my tunic.”

As my gaze raked down his pectorals and abs I seethed with irritation. “Really?” I scoffed incredulously. “Can you be more obvious?”

He must be a great actor because the look of confusion on his face seemed genuine. “What? What are you talking about?”

I pointed to his half-dressed state. “You come to the door wearing only a towel knowing full well that it was me standing on the other side and then you conveniently forget your tunic so I can get a second gander at your toned abs. You are doing this to put me off balance. It is straight from the espionage playbook.”

He looked me up and down and smirked. “Is that your reason for the skintight leather outfit?”

'I am really starting to despise this man.'

I turned around giving him some privacy while shaking my head in annoyance. “Just get dressed.”

I could hear movement of fabric and a soft chuckle. “Sorry.” There was a slight pause before I was given the all clear. “Okay, all done.”

I turned to find him admiring my clothing. “I like your outfit. It’s…ummm.”

I could see him struggling to find complimenting words that wouldn’t offend or come off as sexist.

“I’m not sure how to describe it,” he finally said.

I looked down and spread my arms to the side, giving him a clear view. “I had a male coworker once tell me it looked Vader-esque. Is that what you were thinking?”

He laughed out loud. “Believe me, the last person that pops into my mind when looking at you is my father.”

‘Father!’ My face went slack in shock. He blanched, obviously sensing my surprise through the Force. “You didn’t know?” he whispered. “The Emperor knew. I thought Imperial Intelligence also knew.”

It took me a moment to regain my voice. “They may, but I didn’t. I am only privy to information on a need-to-know basis. I obviously didn’t need to know about that.” I looked over to the small table where we ate our meal earlier that day. I pulled out a chair and sat down heavily taking some time to process this information. Everything was starting to make sense. He was hidden on Tatooine. That meant somebody knew he would be strong in the Force and would gain the attention of the Emperor. I looked over to him. He was sitting on his bed, a guarded expression on his face. I could tell he was concerned about my reaction to the news. “Did your father hide you on Tatooine to keep you from the Emperor?”

He shook his head sadly. “No, I was brought there by a Jedi Knight named Ben Kenobi. He gave me to family members. Vader grew up on Tatooine. He supposedly hated the planet and vowed never to return. I assume my old master thought the desert planet would be the best place to hide me.”

“So,” I muttered while desperately trying to put the pieces together. “The Jedi kidnapped you from your father?”

“No…I wouldn’t call it kidnapping. My Master Yoda told me Vader believed my mother died before she gave birth. Darth Vader not only didn’t know that I lived, but that my mother was carrying twins. My father didn’t learn about me and my sister until after the destruction of the first Death Star.”

“And your sister? Who’s your sister?”

His eyes went wide, his mouth opening and then closing. “We thought the Imperials knew…but if they don’t, maybe it is best it remains that way.”

I thought back to the things he said about his sister. She was raised on Alderaan, she just gave birth to a baby boy she named Ben. My brow shot up as I remembered a holonet news show I watched a few weeks ago. “Princess Leia? Your sister is Princess Leia, Han Solo is your brother-in-law…and Darth Vader is your father!”

He put a hand up in a shushing gesture. “Not so loud. We figured the Imperials may have known, but we definitely don’t want the general public to know of our heritage.”

I leaned back in my chair and guffawed. “I can understand that. Two of the key members of the New Republic are the children of the third most hated Imperial in the Galaxy after the Emperor and Grand Moff Tarkin.”

He blew out a breath. “Litassa, I’m not like my father. You have to believe that.”

I let out a short laugh and shook my head. “I know that. I have dealt with your father more than once. You are the polar opposite of the man.” I stopped, now realizing what that eerie familiarity in the Force came from. “When I met you I thought you felt familiar in the Force. Now I know why. If you stripped away Vader’s malignant darkside stench, his Force signature would resemble yours.”

He rubbed his hand over his chin while staring at the room’s stained carpet. “He once was a good man. A Jedi Knight.” He glanced up at me. “I guess this lowers my chance of convincing you to train with me. When you came earlier you said you changed your mine…or was that just a ruse to get some information out of me?”

I gave an apologetic shrug of my shoulder. “It was a ruse. I wanted to see if you found smugglers to bring you on a trade run to the Unknown Region. If so, I wanted to tag along.”

He fell silent for a long moment. “Can I assume any interaction with me is strictly business and that you are still in spy-mode?”

I nodded. “I’m always in spy-mode. What I am not in is kill or capture mode. The peace treaty brought an end to that.” I gave roll of my eyes. “You make it sound like I’m doing something unseemly. I can guarantee if I breached Imperial security protocol and spilled some information vital to the rebel cause you wouldn’t hesitate to pass on that information.”

He pursed his lips in thought before giving me a soft smile. “You’re right.”

“So,” I said slowly. “Do you have a way to get into the Unknown Region? Is that why you met your contact?”

He nodded slowly. “I have a way in. I’m willing to share with you any information I discover.”

I shook my head emphatically. “No, I should go with you.”

“You can’t. I don’t know the smugglers doing the run. Han made arrangements for me…just me. He’s no fan of Imperials…and you can imagine, my sister is not too fond of the Empire either. There is no way they would help arrange passage for you.”

I leaned forward in my chair. “Then don’t tell them who I am. I have alias documentation. Tell them I am another rebel.”

“My sister would know you aren’t a rebel. She keeps track of those things.”

“Tell them I’m a new recruit.”

He shook his head. “They still wouldn’t feel comfortable. Besides, I don’t want to lie to them.” He glanced up suddenly as if an idea just took hold. “I did tell them about you and your Force abilities….off the record of course. They know I am trying to get you to train with me. They may overlook your Imperial ties if they knew we have an arrangement to train together.”

I made a sound of disgust. “Please stop trying to nag me into training. The Force corrupts. It gives people too much power. You of all people should know the danger of the darkside. Your father, who I assume was trained from birth, slipped into the darkness. You have only…what…a year or two of formal training under your belt. You are a prime candidate for Sithhood. You are messing with something very powerful.”

He looked at me pleadingly. “That’s why I need you. You've been trained and you haven't turned to the darkside. If I am an accident waiting to happen, then help me. Help me learn to control my power. Help me make the galaxy a better place. Help me keep the peace between our governments.”

I didn’t want to say yes. I really didn’t, but I know this is exactly what my commander would want. He’d want me to start working with Skywalker, earn the trust of the New Republic officials and learn everything and everything about their military just in case the treaty failed.

“I’ll train with you, but we have to keep it secret. The Moffs’ goal is to eradicate all Force users from the Empire. If it becomes known that I have Force abilities it would endanger my life.”

He grinned happily. “Sure, anything. We’ll use one of your aliases when on this mission. Maybe we can make up some excuse to spend time together alone to train…like we’re dating or something.”

I groaned. “No.”

“What other reason we could give for sneaking off to a private location and spending time together?”

I folded my arms across my chest. “Maybe we can say I am your psychiatrist and we need time alone for your therapy sessions. You must be suffering from some psychological disorder, maybe Combat Stress Syndrome or some phobia…perhaps rancorphobia.”

He gave a snort. “So when it comes to a cover story you want to say I have a psychological disorder instead that we’re in a relationship.”

“That’s sounds good to me.” I smirked. “Listen, we don’t have to explain anything to anybody. The first rule of undercover work is don’t give more information than needed. Let people assume what they want and leave it at that.”

He looked over to his comlink sitting on his dresser. “If I do this, you have to promise me you won’t tell your superiors anything about me, my family or any rebel intelligence you happen upon. You’ll only report on what we discover in the unknown region.”

I thought about that for a while. “My people probably already know about your family history.”

“Just in case they don’t. We always assumed they did, but if they don’t, I would like to keep it that way. I want to keep my nephew safe. There’s that new cult of Vader that has been growing in numbers and lunacy. They worship my late father like some dark prophet. They don’t believe he’s dead or if he is he’ll return in some other form. All I need is those lunatics getting the idea to kidnap Darth Vader’s grandson.”

I nodded knowing full well what he was talking about. After the death of the Emperor and Darth Vader a group of Sith wannabe’s started appearing all over the galaxy. Most didn’t have a milligram of Force ability, but they prayed to the Darkside asking for riches, revenge or anything else that popped into their deranged minds. They were rumored to pay huge prices for what they consider religious relics…meaning anything related to the Sith. It was reported that somebody found Vader’s melted armor and helmet on Endor, which was ridiculous. Vader was vaporized when the second Death Star exploded. There was no way his suit survived the blast and then the descent through the planet’s atmosphere. “I promise to keep your family affairs out of my report to my superiors. As for not reporting rebel activities…as long as I won’t endanger the Empire by doing so I can agree to that.”

“Okay. We're in agreement.” He stood and grabbed his comlink that I assume is slaved to his ship’s transceiver. “I’ll talk to Han.”

 

Nice to see an equal amount of discombobulation And a sensible arrangement

 

Looking forward to their new collaboration together.

 

Sorry I have taken so long to read and review; I had a date yesterday.

Oops, looks like Luke accidentally gave things away but if he thought it was known by Imperial Intelligence . . . he still should have been more careful.

I will pretend I didn't laugh at the whole 'Vader died on the Death Star so there's no way his armor could have been found on the Forest Moon of Endor.

I WILL admit to laughing when they were trying to come up with cover stories.

 

Thanks! I'm glad you like it.

I do to. I need to get them out and doing something.

Congrats on your date! Luke is not a trained spy. He lets things slip out. I think he is relying on the Force to sense her intentions and he trusts her. That sounds like a stupid thing to do, but in the novels he was just as trusting and back then Mara wanted to kill him.

I don't know if the Imperials know that Luke took Vader off the Death Star. In fact I don't know if anybody knows. In the scene from ROTJ it looks like he was burning the body away from the celebration. I assume Leia and Han know, but if Luke wanted to keep his parentage a secret he might have burned the body away from the Ewok Village to avoid any awkward questions. Anyway, if Mara hears that some of Vader's melted Armor was discovered on Endor she would assume it would have had to survive not only the blast of the Death Star but it falling through the planet's atmosphere. This was also a nod to the wild rumors that were floating around when it was announced that the Sequel Trilogy would be made. Early reports were that the opening scene was of Luke's lightsaber floating in space (some stories had Luke's hand attached to it) and landing on a planet where it is found by the protagonist of the film. Everybody was saying, "A lightsaber wouldn't survive reentry to a planet's atmosphere!"

Thanks everybody for reading. I have been crazy busy with work and my summer session of college. I am going to try to write more short entries since I can't manage to sit down and write for a long duration.

Here is a short update. I could have left it out, but I couldn't help but harass Luke some more.


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Entry 22

Skywalker went into the ‘fresher with his comlink saying he wanted a private conversation with his brother-in-law. Obviously he didn’t realize seedy, inexpensive hotels don’t invest credits in insulating and soundproofing their rooms because I could hear every word of the Jedi’s side of the conversation. I wish I could have made out what Solo was saying because, by Skywalker’s reaction, the former smuggler was teasing his friend unmercifully.

The conversation as I heard it, sounded like this:

“Han, Luke here. I need to ask you a favor. Can you arrange for your smuggler contact to bring an extra person to the unknown region?”

There was a slight pause before Skywalker spoke again. “It’s Litassa, the Imperial I called Leia about this afternoon asking if I should release her.” –Pause—“No, she’s no longer stun-cuffed in my bed.” –Pause—“Han, don’t be crude. The only reason I put her there is I know from experience that the carpeted floors in these cheap hotels reek.”—Pause—“I’m going to tell Leia you said that.”

I could hear the frustration in Skywalker’s voice. I know I should be irritated that Solo was talking about me, but hearing the self-proclaimed Jedi all flustered was hilarious. “Han!” Skywalker raised his voice a bit. "No Han I haven't...we're not...please stop humming skinholo music."

There was a long pause followed by Skywalker’s irate response. “If you're done laughing can we get on with business? Time’s short. Can you arrange for her to accompany me? We don’t need to let anybody know she’s an Imperial.” –Pause—“Because the Empire is also investigating these shipments.”—Pause—“What does that matter?”—Pause—“No, I’m not answering that.”—Pause—“ Okay, if I tell you will you stop teasing me and actually help?” There was a slight pause before I heard the Jedi’s whispered response. “Yes, she’s beautiful. There, are you happy?”—Pause—“But that’s not the reason. She’s Force-strong and trained. Han, she may be the only person alive that has long-term formal Force training. I don’t want to lose this opportunity.”—Pause—“I think if she was planning to kill me she would have done it when we first met.”—Pause—“Yes I trust her.”—Pause—“You will? Great…what? No I am not planning to pump her for information. Han, just make the arrangements. I’ll send you her alias info.”

Skywalker stayed in the ‘fresher for another minute; he was probably waiting for a blush to fade from his skin before exiting. When he did emerge he put on a nonchalant smile, pretending all was well. “Han said he’d make the arrangements.”

I could barely contain my amusement. “Is that all he said?”

The Jedi looked down to the ground and shook his head. “Did you hear the conversation?”

I laughed. “Only your side of it. Does Solo think you are so hard up that you need to stun-cuff women to your bed to get a date.”

Skywalker groaned as he plopped down on the edge of his bed. “Han is…well, Han is Han.” He looked up at me and smirked. “I’d hate to see all three of us in a room together. I can imagine you two taking turns harassing me.”

I was about to make a flippant response but then caught myself. I was letting my guard down and becoming chummy with this rebel. I needed to stay on top of my game. “Thanks for bringing me along.” I picked up my satchel and rummaged through it until I found an acceptable fake identification. I tossed it over to Skywalker. “This is the counterfeit freighter’s license I have been using while here. You can give that name and ID number to Solo.”

He looked over my identification. “Your alias is Senni Kiffu.” He looked up to me. “Is there any significance to that name?”

I shook my head. “None. I realize the smuggler’s know who you are, but what name are you going to be flying under on the flight manifest?”

He reached over to his jacket lying on his bed and pulled out an identification, which he tossed to me. I looked it over and grimaced. “You name is Luke Dunerider?” I passed it back. “I’m sure nobody would suspect Luke Dunerider could possibly be Luke Skywalker from the desert world of Tatooine.”

He gave an apologetic shrug of his shoulder. “That’s all I got.” He slipped the ID in his side trouser pocket as he stood. “We leave in an hour—docking pay fifty-two.”

 

So begins Senni Kiffu's and Luke Dunerider's new journey.

 

Okay, I'm done laughing and probably in time to save my neck.

Yeah, probably no one but Luke and possibly Leia and Han know the exact events that transpired on the Death Star and know that Luke burned Vader's armor on Endor so unless one of them talks or something everyone will, hopefully, think that anyone claiming to have Vader's melted and charred armor is loony.

 

Well, I think that, with these last few entries, you proved once more why your win for Best Legends Inclusion was well-deserved! It's great how you have Mara/Litassa knowing some things but not others, and piecing things together from a combination of the Legends storyline and the new storyline And Senni Kiffu... hmmm... I know that name from somewhere

 

I hope I can come up with an entertaining journey.

That's is what I thought.

Thank you. In the government you not only need a top secret clearance to to view highly classified material, but a need to know. As the Emperor's Hand she might not have needed to know about a whole assortment of things. She didn't know about the other Hands (in Legends) and she didn't know Luke was related to Vader in the professional novels. So obviously she was only given information on a need-to-know bases. Now that she is starting over with a new identity she would only be privy to information needed for her job. Of course she can slice information out of the computers if she needs to. And, yes, Senni Kiffu and Litassa Colay were names seen in the EU.


Thanks everybody for reading.


Entry 23

I arrived to the docking bay after Skywalker who I spied across the bay dressed casual with a small duffle bag slung over his shoulder. On his hip he had a common blaster—no lightsaber. I wondered if he carried the Jedi weapon on these missions. He saw me and gave a quick smile and wave. I walked over while watching the pilots, mechanics, traders, security personnel and passengers coming and going from the port. This wasn’t the most covert place to meet, but that might be done on purpose. Often security personnel become lax during midday in very public venues, assuming any illegal operations will occur in isolated, dimly lit locations.

“You pack light,” he said while looking at my small satchel and a medium sized travel bag.

I looked down at my gear. “I have the essentials. I don’t need luggage slowing me down.” I glanced down at the line of ships. “Which one belongs to your contact?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I was told they would contact me once they know we haven’t been followed. I guess we wait.”

After a few minutes three men approached our position. They were light-skinned humans in their mid-to-late thirties. One was blond-haired and blue eyed like Skywalker, the other two had dark hair and light colored eyes. I could tell immediately which one was their captain. He was the black haired man with neatly trimmed facial hair, a rakish smile and the swagger of a leader. I caught myself admiring the man’s weapon, a sleek-looking, modified Westar-34 blaster pistol strapped snugly to his hips…that is until I felt a flash of annoyance (or maybe it was jealousy) through the Force. I turned to Skywalker who immediately averted his eye.

‘Farmboy is getting a little possessive,’ I thought with a smirk.

“Hello, I’m Hal Kort, Captain of the cargo ship Habcamber.” the handsome smuggler introduced himself to Skywalker with outstretched palm. As he shook the Jedi’s hand I noticed the rehearsed way he had said his name. I am sure it is an alias…but that wouldn’t be surprising.

He motioned toward his dark haired associate. “And this is my Chief-of-Operations, Hoku”. He then gestured to his blond crewman. “And this is Adar. He’s my pilot and communications officer.” He turned back to Luke and smirked. “You I know by reputation and the thousands of Imperial Wanted-Dead-of-Alive posters littering every spaceport in the galaxy, but you…” He turned to face me. “You I don’t know, and usually I would balk at taking on a stranger, but Solo explained the situation.” He looked back-and-forth between Skywalker and me. “Congratulations on your engagement. I only wish I had better sleeping arrangements than a cramped crew cabin for you two to share. It has bunk beds, but you two are slim; you may be able to squeeze into one bunk.” He smiled widely and gave Skywalker a wink.

The Jedi’s face reddened and he opened his mouth…probably to clarify the situation…when I interrupted. “Thank you Captain Kort. My fiancé and I greatly appreciate your hospitality.”

Skywalker looked at me in surprise, but thankfully kept his mouth shut. Obviously Solo really had to sell the man on taking on another passenger…or he wanted to embarrass his brother-in-law. Either way, I didn’t want to answer questions as to my real identity. I offered him my hand in greeting. “I’m Senni Kiffu.”

“Sure you are,” he chuckled as he shook my hand. He threw a thumb in Skywalker’s direction. “Let’s get you and Luke Dunerider to my ship before somebody spots him.” He turned and signaled for his silent crewmembers to follow. He pointed down the docking bay to a large rust colored ship. “That’s my modified Corellian Action VI Transport ship,” he said proudly. “It can hold over ninety-thousand metric tons.”

I fell in step next to the man. “By modified, do you mean weapons?”

He grinned. “Turboblasters, holonet transceiver, hypercomm array, and warship-grade shielding and sensors.” He pulled a device out of his pocket and remotely lowered his ships boarding ramp. Skywalker and I followed him up the ramp and into his expansive ship. “It has a class three hyperdrive, but it underwent some after-market modifications so it flies more like a Class 1.”

“Han claims the Millennium Falcon has a rating of zero-point-five,” Luke said quietly, speaking to the Captain for the first time.

The man stopped and turned to Skywalker before giving an amused snort. “Solo also claimed he did the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs. His ship is fast, but not fast enough to outrun the pull of a blackhole. The minimum safe approach is fourteen parsecs. So unless the law of physics don’t apply to Solo’s ship…he’s exaggerating.”

Skywalker shrugged. “I don’t want to argue. I wasn’t there, but he swears it’s true.”

The other two-crew members chuckled before disappearing in the direction of the flight deck.

Captain Kort shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t know how close you are to Solo, but I can tell you he has reputation for being a braggart.”

Skywalker smiled. “That may be true. How long have you’ve known Han?”

“Never met the man,” Kort admitted. “We only know each other by reputation.”

I almost laughed when the Jedi’s jaw dropped. “What? Han said he trusts you explicitly.”

The smuggler captain tried to suppress a grin. “I really doubt he said that.”

“No, really,” Skywalker insisted. “He said you are trustworthy.”

Kort gave a toothy grin. “Oh he may trust me, I just doubt he used the word ‘explicitly’.”

Skywalker laughed. “No, he said you were the only slaghauler he’s ever known that never stole a shipment, welshed on a bet or backstabbed a partner. He assured me that you and your crew wouldn’t kill me in my sleep and sell my body parts to the Church of the Force as religious relics.”

The older man laughed hardily. “Such high praise from Solo.”

“I just don’t understand why he picked you and not one of his other dozen smuggler buddies.” Skywalker paused, waiting for an answer.

Kort ran a hand over his facial hair contemplating an answer. “Whoever is out there in the unknown region, they don’t contact New Republic traders or haulers working with the Empire. They also avoid any smuggler who has ever had any connection with Solo and the Rebellion. I’ve avoided working with the Empire or the New Republic. I stayed mainly in the mid-rim and expansion region and dealt with neutral planets. I could have played both sides, selling to the Empire and Rebels, but often the victor remembers you supplied weapons to the enemy. I think my lack of contact with the Empire and New Republic and having no known ties to Solo is the reason I was contacted.” He turned and moved down the corridor until he was in front of a cabin door. “Here’s your cabin Luke Dunerider and his beautiful companion, Senni Kiffu. There is a metal carrying case in there provided by Solo, he said you would know the code to open it.” He took a step back. “If you excuse me, I have to help prep the ship for lift off.”

As he disappeared down the hall Skywalker turned to me. “He seems friendly.”

“Yes, maybe too friendly,” I said cautiously. I opened the cabin door and then stepped away. It had the lingering smell of cigaras and aftershave. “I think they were going to have you bunk with one of the crewmembers before I showed up.” I stepped in scrutinizing my surroundings. It looked like the previous occupant grabbed all of his belongings and moved out hastily, leaving random bits of trash and cigara ash littering the floor. The cabin had a sink, storage cabinet and next to the room’s bunk beds was a silver alloy hard-shell trolley suitcase. “What did Solo send you?”

Skywalker shrugged. “Something to hide my identity…hair dye, clothing and maybe a false prosthetic eye.” He hesitated before changing the subject. “I’m sorry that Han said we were engaged. I hate that you are put in this uncomfortable situation.”

“He did what he had to do,” I muttered while starring at the case. I would think the Jedi would have used its contents to avoid discussing his brother-in-law’s ruse to get me on board and our current living arrangement. Instead he is trying to convince me a heavy metal case—the type used to transport sensitive equipment—contains hair dye and clothing. I sense deceit.

‘How very un-farmboy of him.’

“You’re lying about what’s in the case… or am I reading you wrong?”

He blew out a breath before sitting on the bottom bunk. “There is a disguise, but there is also come surveillance equipment...prototypes. New technology.”

“We are at peace,” I pointed out.

He grimaced. “For how long?”

I scoffed. “All this talk about trusting me and wanting me to train with you…”

“I do,” he protested. “It’s just. I don’t know if showing you is a decision I am allowed to make on my own.”

I tossed my satchel on the top bunk, claiming it as my own. “You’re a Jedi. You should be able to sense my intentions.”

He shook his head. “I sometimes have difficulty sensing you in the Force. It’s like your Force signature is muted.” He gazed at me questioningly. “Do you know how to hide yourself in the Force?”

I looked at him dumbfounded. “What did your Master teach you? Obviously not Force concealment. That explains why I can probably sense you halfway across the planet. You are like a Force beacon.”

“Can you teach me?”

I thought about it for a while. Skywalker was right; our peace treaty might end badly. In that case, would I be teaching him a skill that might put the Empire or me in danger?

“You don’t trust me?” he asked when I didn’t answer.

I made a face. “I trust you just as much as you trust me.”

His shoulders slumped in defeat. “I understand.”

“But I will teach you,” I continued. “If there are any Force-users in the unknown region, your cover is blown, and that means I’m also in danger. I need to get you up to speed before we get to our destination.”

A wide, enthusiastic smile blossomed across his face. “Thanks, Litassa.”

“Senni. It’s Senni. Don’t call me by the wrong name on this mission. You might get me killed.” I closed my eyes and shook my head; his novice skills in espionage could mean disaster. We had a lot of work to do.