Beyond Destiny's Heir (HTTE AU) Completed 2/19

Miraluka: It's certainly got possibilities.

Liz: Han's gpt reason to worry, but he doesn't yet know why.

VaderLVR: She is, for now, at least.

Jade_eyes: You expected something different? It's still too early to begin leaking answers.

dancing_star: Glad you liked them. More is arriving...now.


Here's the next post!


There was a soft click, barely audible, and the door opened behind Mara. She turned to find her captor standing in the doorframe, as she had each of the mornings. But this time, Shira had appeared without her lightwhip, instead carrying a small, ornate wooden box under one arm. Mara's lightsaber still hung from the other woman's hip. Also, Shira hadn't brought one of the training lightsabers she'd been allowing Mara to use during their practice bouts.

"Tired of making me pay for every mistake I've made?" Mara asked, her fingers massaging the small cut on her left shoulder, a cut left by the flail of Shira's unpowered lightwhip. The thing about the lightwhip, Mara had come to realize, was it was dangerous even unpowered. Shira hadn't chosen a single, woven strand, but a collection of strands that could be alternately powered and switched off. Since the training lightsaber didn't pose any significant danger, Shira had been leaving the power off, and using the whip to lash Mara whenever she allowed an opening to appear.

"I thought we might move to something that would prove a little more interesting. While you've proven that you simply can't handle yourself against my lightwhip, I thought I'd give myself a little lightsaber practice." She held up the box.

"So, you've decided the time has come to start turning me into your own personal Vader?" Mara said. "Thanks, but I like my limbs where they are."

"Awww," Shira said, her lips pouting slightly. "You didn't really think I was going to make you fight with a traning saber if I was using a real blade, did you?" She smiled, and tossed Mara's lightsaber across the room. "Besides, you might even accidentally maim me. Perhaps the hope of escape will be incentive enough to improve your performance."

"As if I needed incentive," Mara said. "You threaten my friends, and hold me prisoner. I wouldn't be much of a Jedi, or even a human being, if I didn't get enough incentive just from that."

"Good," Shira said. "I like seeing that fire in you again." She shook her head. "Leia's made you too passive. To truly understand the Force, you need to be able to let the blood sing in your veins."

"You mean if I want to use the Dark Side, I have to give in to my emotions. I'm not a simpleton, Shira, so please don?t treat me as one," Mara said, igniting the magenta blade. She looked at Shira, who still hadn't drawn a weapon. "You don't really expect me to just cut you down, do you?" She indicated the choke-collar. "I'm not going to be my own executioner."

"I should hope not," Shira said. "You'd be of even less use to me dead than insane." She opened the box that she'd brought with her, and withdrew a small, almost child-sized lightsaber. "I trust you remember seeing this," she said, holding it across the palm of her hand.

"It's our master's old lightsaber. The one he gave you when he declared that you would become Lord Vader's chief agent," she said. "It was the same day he officially designated me as his Hand."

"Good," Shira said. "I have a different sort of initiation in mind for you today. I suppose you could call it a trial by fire. But before we begin, I suppose it's time you learned that I no longer call myself Shira Brie."

"You've chosen a Sith name," Mara said.
"I have, and it is time you started to get used to it. After all, a servant ought to know how to address her mistress."

"Once again, you allow yourself to assume facts not in evidence," Mara said.

"Not yet," Shira said with a predatory smile. "Still, you should get used to addressing me as Lumiya." Then she ignited the lightsaber of the late Darth Sidious, and attacked.

+

you gave us a cliffhanger on purpose, didn't ya?

Mara needs to figure out a way to escape.

This is an indisputable fact. Mara will do herself and others more good if she's able to deal with Lumiya/Shira and help out on the frontlines of the battle...

Hmm...wonder what Mara is going to do with her new information. Good work by the way.

Jedi_Liz: I hope I'm not giving away too much here, but she'll take the first steps in that direction in today's post.

Jade_eyes: Any way you slice it, Mara and Shira are going to have to go at each other. But I think Shira's going to come up with some way to elude the killing stroke, just so that she can menace the New Republic another day.

Miraluka: Well, there's not much more she'll be able to do with Shira's Sith name that she wouldn't be able to do without it.

And here comes the next post!


The Sith Lady came in low, sweeping the blade out in front of her. Mara dropped back, and lowered the tip of her own blade, defending herself against both the attack and a rising stroke. The blades met, crashing together for a second before Lumiya broke the contact, spinning in an uppercut that would have met with Mara's shoulder. Mara's blade was there to block it, and she turned to Lumiya with amusement in her eyes.

"I think I'm insulted," she said, then backed up a step before bringing her blade around, this time in a cut at Lumiya's side. "Or are you just not used to a lightsaber anymore?"

"I'm still more than capable of defeating you," Lumiya said, flipping the hilt and stabbing at Mara. Mara spun, again avoiding the scarlet blade. This time, however, she brought her own amethyst blade around, scoring Lumiya's cortosis armor.

"Most unprofessional of you, milady," Mara said with a smirk. She nearly had to eat her words as Lumiya dropped, sliding towards Mara with the blade raised. Mara sidestepped it neatly, but the blade nicked the edge of her boot, opening a smoking gash. Mara kicked off the boot, then her other one. She'd have to continue this fight barefoot.

"When dealing with a professional, sometimes it pays to try the unexpected. That's one thing that I'll have to teach you, once I break you down."

"I thought you didn't want to break me," Mara said, dodging a slash from Lumiya's blood red lightsaber. "I thought that it wouldn't serve your purposes."

"I'd like to have you join me of your own volition," Lumiya said, throwing up a parry as Mara lunged. "But I'll have you as my servant, one way or another."

"I'm not going to join you, so you'll just have to take your second option," Mara said, stepping back as Lumiya strode forward, her blade dropping towards Mara's knee. Mara pivoted, taking the leg out of range of the lightsaber, then finished the circle, coming round kick Lumiya in the small of the back. It sent the Sith Lady sprawling, but she leapt to her feet almost immediately. When she turned to face Mara again, there was murder in her eyes.

She leapt forward, the blade spearing towards Mara's face. Mara let the blade come, knowing that she was taking a huge risk. If she misjudged her movement my only the slightest amount, Lumiya's blade would spear through her throat. She felt the heat of the blade, and felt the slightest pain as the lightsaber grazed her neck. But even as it did so, she knew the scar would be worth it. The Force flooded through her as the choke-collar fell away.

"You should be more aware of the consequences of your actions," Mara said, leaping high over the Sith Lady, forcing Lumiya into a defensive position. "Now that we're again on even terms?"

"You'll never be on even terms with me, Mara," Lumiya said. "Not until you're ready to embrace the whole of the Force, both its light and dark sides."

"I'll stay away from the dark, thanks," Mara said, bringing her blade forward to block an attack from the Sith Lady. She held the contact, looking across the blades into the eyes of her opponent. "You are what I might have become if I'd staying in thrall to the Emperor," she said. "I'm glad that Leia was able to pull me away before I was lost forever."

"And you don?t know the power you've denied yourself," Lumiya said. "You could have been raised to rule. Now you will merely serve, or you will die. The Sith are rising, and this time, we will not be stopped."

+++++++++++


Yes, I k

Lumiya sounds pretty confident that she can back up her threats there. And for the time being, she's probably right...

Super couple of posts!! Don't worry about the delay- real life comes first , but I'll be patiently looking forward to your next post!

Amazing update. Marvelous duel and great conversation. Only Mara and Lumiya could do both so skillfully at the same time LOL

go... whoever's gonna win this!

Wow! Excellent scene!

Miraluka: She may think she can back up her threats, but does she really have what it takes?

dancing_star: Glad you liked the last couple, delays and all!

Jade_eyes: I don't know, Vader was pretty good at fighting and takling at the same time.

Sil: Unless there is no clear winner...

VaderLVR: Glad you thought so!


Okay, today's post is a bit short, but it does begin to wrap up Mara's thread for this portion of the tale.


Mara shook her head. "No, Shira," she said. "You're wrong. The Sith can't rise, because the Sith can't rule. You're like a monster that feeds upon itself. In time, you'll devour all that makes you alive."

"I'm already dead in my heart, Mara. The only thing that keeps me going is seeing my Master's dream made a reality. The Sith will rule, because it's the only way to ensure that the galaxy doesn't slip into chaos."

"You'd kill millions, just to be able to pretend that things are the way they're supposed to be? Shira, that's insane!"

"Shira Brie died on Endor, Mara. She was murdered by the Rebel Alliance. I rose from the ashes of her life, a stronger, clearer instrument. I sought out the knowledge of the ancient Sith, and went beyond even Palpatine's teachings. I have read the Book of Anger, and found it incomplete. I have researched the life of Darth Plagueis the Wise, and found it misguided. I sought the wisdom of the Korriban Sith, and found it useful, but not what I sought. I then realized that the time had come for a new Sith, a Sith unfettered by the mistakes of the past. I'd hoped you could see that."

"Shira, the essence of the Dark Side if selfishness. You can't be a good ruler if you're only looking out for yourself. That's why every time the Sith come to power, they fall."

"I have to do what I think is right for all, Mara," Lumiya said. "I'm sorry if you won't help me. But I'll leave you with this thought: I had you, and I could have broken you. But I didn't." Then she turned, and with a burst of Force-aided speed, ran for the hanger. A few moments later, as Mara tried to figure out Lumiya's latest ploy, the B-Wing she'd arrived in lifted off, soaring away from the planet.

"Sithspawn!" Mara cursed, racing for the hanger. Sure enough, there was nothing left there. Great, she thought. Now I'm going to have to summon someone to give me a ride off this rock. I hope Shira installed some communication equipment when she took up residence.

She found what looked like a modern Imperial setup quickly enough, then spent the next half-hour reconfiguring the system so that it wouldn't bring the entire Imperial military machine down upon her. Then she sent a coded signal to Coruscant, then copied it to Nkklon, hoping Lando would be able to get word to Luke. Then she sat back, and began to wait.

++++++++++++


That's all for now, I'm afraid. More will be coming, but probably not until next weekend.

Force be with you,

Tych_sel

Very nice. Looks like Luke will be coming to Mara's rescue sometime after all. Cann't wait to see the next twist.

Oooh, what does Shira have up her sleeve? Glad Mara was able to send a signal out anyway.

well, Mara's stranded, but at least she's free of that collar, right? I hope Shira won't try to impersonate Mara.

"I have to do what I think is right for all, Mara," Lumiya said. "I'm sorry if you won't help me. But I'll leave you with this thought: I had you, and I could have broken you. But I didn't." Then she turned, and with a burst of Force-aided speed, ran for the hanger. A few moments later, as Mara tried to figure out Lumiya's latest ploy, the B-Wing she'd arrived in lifted off, soaring away from the planet.
I have a bad feeling about this.
Wonderful update!!

I wonder what Shira will do next? Great post.

Fascinating! I can't wait to see what kind of havoc Lumiya will wreak now...

Miraluka: Well, somebody's going to have to come to her rescue.

Jade_eyes: I'm not telling what Shira's got planned, but it can't be too good.

Jedi_Liz: I think Shira's smart enough not to try and impersonate Mara, at least with those who know Ms. Jade.

dancing_star: You do know what happens when you say that, don't you?

VaderLVR: Glad you liekd it.

SithGirl: Well, you'll have to wait a little longer, I'm afraid. We're headed back to Myrkr for a while.

Okay, here comes the latest post!

Chapter 27

"You do realize that there's still one problem with this plan. The Imperials know what I look like, and whoever's sent them down here is going to have made sure they're on the lookout."

"Only if he didn't believe Karrde's story," Nera said, though she herself knew that such a thing was a false hope. Thrawn wouldn't have fallen for a story, no matter how plausible it might have been. No, the Imperials were waiting, and they'd be looking for Leia. Nera could simply proceed, and put this whole business behind her, but the fact that C-3PO had been used to deliver the warning about the stormtroopers suggested Karrde had let Leia's friends in on her current status. Unfortunately, that meant that things wouldn't go well if Leia simply disappeared into the hands of the waiting Imperials.

"Somehow, I doubt they'd have such a large force on the ground if they weren't thinking Karrde was lying to them. Although standard Imperial practice would be to take things out on Karrde."

"In case you haven't been paying attention, the current Imperial commander doesn't always play by the same rules the others always have," Nera said. "But you're right, we're certainly going to have to do something about that face of yours." She looked around, her eyes finally coming to rest on a spiny looking planet with broad, green leaves. "That should do nicely," she said, striding over and pulling a few leaves free. "Rub these on your cheeks, but be careful not to get any in your eyes," she said.

Leia looked at her cautiously, then took the leaves. She gingerly rubbed one across her left cheek, and then pulled it away, pain clearly written across her face. Already, her cheek was beginning to swell. "Is this some kind of joke?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"No," Nera said. "And while I realize it's painful, the reaction should guarantee that you look nothing like the file photos the Imperials are likely to be working from."

"You're not serious about this," Leia said, wincing.

"Do you want to survive this, or not?" Nera asked. Leia met her gaze, then looked away. "This is the only way I can come up with. Besides, the swelling won?t leave any permanent marks. It'll be gone in a day or so."

"Then I suppose we'll have to hope that the Imperials have cut us loose by then. If they realize who I am?"

"I'm sure that Karrde's taken care of everything," Nera said as Leia dabbed the rest of her face, the plant causing her skin to swell and puff. By the time she was finished, she looked nothing like herself. "I think you may have overdone it a bit," Nera commented.

"Well, then I'll look even less like Leia Skywalker Solo, won't I?" Leia asked.

"I suppose you're right," Nera said. "I suppose you'll want to try switching roles?"

"It might make things easier if we run into trouble," Leia said. She held out her hand, and Nera reluctantly handed the lightsaber over.

"I'm putting my trust in you not to wreck my life a second time," Nera said.

"I never intended to wreck it the first time," Leia said. She turned the astromech. "Artoo?" The droid obediently wheeled over, and one trapezoidal panel slid aside, revealing a long, deep storage area.

"I'd always wondered how you managed to get your lightsaber into Jabba's when you went to rescue Solo," Nera said. "There's no way the Hutt would have let you walk in with it."

"I knew that," Leia said. "I trusted that Artoo would know what to do, and when the time came

Very nice. Artoo definitely comes in handy.

so Leia's going to do the same thing that Luke did in the original. I am sure Artoo can be counted on to help. I hope Mara's able to escape off planet to be able to join them later.

Ooh, this is the most entertaining part of the Myrkr trek

Miraluka: He certainly tries to make sure that he's useful. After all, with all the hauling Leia's just done, he better!

Liz: Even if the Republic has to come fetch her, Mara will have proven her worth with the info on Lumiya.

Jade_eyes: Yes, but we're goign to take a step back after today's post.


Leia heard the whine of the speeder bikes before the scouts actually appeared. "It's showtime," she said to Nera, keeping her voice low. "Might as well call out to them, I guess."

"Have you gone brain-dead?" Nera said, her voice low as well, but sharp with sarcasm. "It's not as if we're simply out for an afternoon jaunt with nothing to hide."

"Yes, but if we call to them, rather than let them discover us, we might belay some of their suspicions," Leia said. "After all, what kind of Rebel would willingly bring the Empire's finest down upon herself?"

"I can think of a few," Nera muttered. "All right, but keep in mind that this was your crazy idea, and I tried to talk some sense into you."

"Noted," Leia replied. As the first of the bikes came into sight, she called out, "I hope you brought an escort. I'm 'bout walked off my feet." The biker scout pulled up in front of them, bringing the bike to a stop so that it blocked their path.

"Hands up," he said, drawing his blaster pistol. Leia raised her hands, as did Nera, though the motion was bit different, since Leia had tied Nera's hands in front of her with a vine.

"Got a gift here for Talon Karrde," Leia said. "He's expecting to hear from me."

"Quiet," the trooper said. He activated a comlink, calling back to whatever base the Imperials had set up. "This is scout trooper SX-2389, bringing a pair in." He turned back to the two women. "All right, put your hands down. You're coming with me." He got back on the bike, keeping its speed low so that he'd remain close to Leia and Nera. As they moved through the wood, the party grew. By the time they'd gotten in sight of the city, the party had swelled to ten biker scouts, and twenty stormtroopers. The grouo came to a stop as they approached the walls of the city, where a larger group of troopers waited.

"These are the prisoners?" a hard-faced young man wearing major's insignia

"Hey, wait a minute," Leia said, letting just the slightest hint of indignation into her voice. "Her, I can understand. But she's my prisoner."

"For right now, you're both prisoners until we can ascertain some identities," the major said, and the two troopers closest to Leia raised their rifles, as if to underscore the officer's point. Not that Leia needed any convincing.

"What's there to doubt?" Leia said. "I already told your scout that I work for Talon Karrde."

"Yes, but there are certain questions that need to be answered before we can turn you over to your employer," the major said. Such as why you were so quick to run when a search party was sent out to recover you."

"We're smugglers, Major. Even when we're supporting the lawful rulers of the galaxy, we're still running the occasional side job. Those sort of things get us locked up, and Karrde doesn't like having to fetch his people."

"So the fact that we're holding someone who claims Karrde orchestrated the whole charade to hide his activities was telling the truth?" the major said, and Leia could feel a withering glare from Nera.

"I said sometimes, Major," Nera said.

"And I said that we had things to sort out. You're not going anywhere, with anybody, until we do. Put these two with that rat Chin brought. The next time we contact the Grand Admiral, we'll let him sort this out."

Leia wondered what she could possibly do. If the Imperials locked them up, she might as well admit to being a Rebel. Then, as she and Nera were roughhoused to the center of the group, she caught sight of the other prisoner, the rat that the major had mentioned. The profile looked familiar, and it was all Leia could not to blurt out a name.

"Hi there," Han Solo said.

++++++++++++

Very nice. Love the Nera/Leia banter. And how Han just kind of 'popped up' there. How'd that happen?

If Han is there, then Luke has to be around somewhere. Perhaps on the ship?

Then, as she and Nera were roughhoused to the center of the group, she caught sight of the other prisoner, the rat that the major had mentioned. The profile looked familiar, and it was all Leia could not to blurt out a name.

"Hi there," Han Solo said.
Interesting. And yeah, Luke mustn't be too far.
Great job!! Can't wait to see what happens next!