Beyond - Legends Hand of the Empress {Your Father's Fate/The True Nature of the Force} Completed 8/31

Wonderful posts, specially liked the Mara one

 

Caught up. Looks like my old friend Queen Ta'achume has gotten herself into a situation I doubt she can escape. I wonder who the new QM will be...

 

Well, I'm actually hopin' that Mara overleeps. So, is Janson gonna pull a prank?

 

Jayden: Welcome back! It's been a while since I've seen you here.

Yes, been lurking But I'd do better with posting replies.

Great postie. Can't wait for Friday.

 

LaYa_: Thanks. Glad you liked the Mara post, as it was quite fun writing it.

yoda: Don't count the old bird out yet. I wouldn't put it past TC to play some kind of trump card.

SilSolo: So you want Mara to miss the party, eh? Don't count on it, though she might be a little late... As for Janson, well, we'll have to see how the story develops.

Jayden: Glad you liked it. And trust me, today's is worth the wait, I think.


"I've long coveted another Wookiee pelt," the Trandoshan hissed as Lando, Panaka, and Typho watched from the shadows. The bounty hunters had come together reluctantly, and it seemed that things were about to get out of hand. "The Trandoshan could be a problem," Typho said in a low voice.

"Just as long as you don't show favor to the Wookiee, you won't have a problem with Bossk," Lando replied. Like the other two, he was cloaked and hooded. He'd decided that it wasn't at all what he'd consider to be fashionable. "But there's somebody missing."

"We can't wait all day," Panaka said. Unlike the others, his face had undergone significant changes. A temporary pattern of tattoos ran across his face in a general hourglass shape. Broad at either side, the dark pattern narrowed as it crossed Panaka's nose. He stepped out, careful to remain just in the edge of the shadows.

"There will be a substantial reward for the one who succeeds in the task I am about to offer you," he said, trying as best he could to recall the words Leia had conceived. "I warn you, the task will not be easy. In fact, I would guess that many of you will survive."

"Speak for yourself," the scarred human, Dengar, muttered. "There's a reason you called us together. What is the target?"

"Your objective is the Hand of the Empress, Luke Skywalker." If silence had reigned before, there was no question of its dominance now.

Dengar laughed. "You're either insane, or else you've got a death wish. The Empire pays us well. Why should we put our lives on the line to stand up against it?"

"The Rebellion that the Empire currently faces cannot last," Panaka said. "You all know this, or your services would have gone just as easily to that side of the conflict. But have you considered what will happen to you if the Empire wins? You are part of the fringe, just like smugglers, con men, and mercs. How long will it be until the Empire comes after you?"

"You're asking us to place a rather large target upon ourselves," the young woman whose companion Bossk had insulted said. "How does removing Skywalker ensure our continued safety?"

"The Empress depends on Skywalker to help maintain order. Remove him, and the Rebellion might continue to exist."


"I want to see your face," Dengar said. "I won't put my neck on the line for someone who's afraid to reveal his identity."

Panaka lowered his hood, and stepped into the light. "I have told you whom the target is. Let me add to it that you will receive half again the amount if you are able to obtain Mara Jade as well."

"And you want them alive, of course," said a metallic voice, coming from the shadows behind the bounty hunters. Zukuss, the Gand closest to the voice, spun, his blaster rifle tracking upward.

"Put the rifle down," the voice said. Panaka didn't recognize it, but the barely audible intake of breath from behind him told him that Lando had. And then, the individual the voice belonged to stepped into view.

"Yes, I want them alive, Boba Fett," Panaka said to the hunter clad in Mandalorian armor. "Your ships have already received the frequency by which you will let me know when you have completed the task. "Good hunting," Panaka said, then stepped backward into the shadows, leaving the hunters to mull over the proposal.

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


That's it for now. It'll probably be Monday before I get the next segment up. Family's going to be around for the holiday.


Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

It was worth the wait. Hmmm, wonder who will be captured first? If one is caught, the other will follow. And Boba Fett huh? Very interesting.

 

Great post!

 

Getting Jade? Watch out for the Hapan Battledragons. They pack quite a punch. As for Janson, I'm ready to lmao.

 

Nice post.

 

Jayden: Yeah, if Fett or the other hunters get a hold of one Hand, the other will follow. You can all but count on it.

LaYa_: Thanks.

SilSolo: The Battle Dragons would be a problem...if Mara were still in Hapan space. But remember, she's on her way back to Imperial Center.

yoda: Glad you liked it.


And now, without further delay...



"The final reports are coming in, Admiral," Pellaeon said, stepping into the secondary command room. Thrawn had, in the time since assuming command of the Chimeara, turned the room into almost another bridge. Right now, the copy of the Admiral's chair was wrapped in status readouts.

"Do you study art, Captain?" Thrawn asked, his back to Pellaeon. Pellaeon was hung up for a moment, wondering what purpose lay behind the Admiral's question.

"I'm afraid not, Admiral," Pellaeon said, deciding that truth had to be the best decision. "It wasn't something stressed at the Academy."

"A pity, really," Thrawn replied, his voice calm. "It really is the best way to study an enemy." The chair turned, and Pellaeon found himself caught in Thrawn's glowing gaze. "To truly understand someone, you need only look at their art."

"You're implying that art leads to victory?"

"Of course not. But if you can understand where an enemy's breaking point is, it becomes easier to manipulate him. For example," Thrawn said, touching a control on one of the chair's armrests. Holographic representations of art appeared around the room. Several of them were obviously of alien origin. "Those," Thrawn said, indicating a group of pieces to the right, "were taken from Crix Madine's offices on Corellia after his defection to the Rebellion."

"Those," he indicated another group, "were taken from Mon Calamari. While primitive in appearance, they offer some interesting insights into the Mon Cal mind. Finally, the last group were pulled from the black market. They have a rather interesting history."

"What purpose do they serve," Pellaeon asked. He wasn't quite sure where Thrawn was going with all this, but had detected a pattern.

"It turns out they were originally part of a collection own by one of the Hutts, until a human working for the family stole the art. He fled, taking with him one of the slave workers. He then pawned off the art." Pellaeon looked at the Admiral, still confused. "The human who stole the art was named Jenos Idanian, or at least, until he changed all nature of his identity before entering the Imperial Academy on Carida."
Pellaeon scoured his mind, trying to figure out which of the Rebels the Admiral was referring to. "Solo?"

"Very good, Captain. I've been studying the artwork of all three groups, trying to decide what strategy would work best. But my feeling is that this group," he indicated that stolen by Solo, "will be of the most use to us."

"But all the signs indicate that Solo is headed for Sluis Van."

"Just as the Rebels intend. But believe me, Captain, Solo will show up here. And when he does," the glowing eyes glittered, "we will be waiting to destroy his fleet, and the last hopes of the Rebels."

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


That's it for now. I'll try and get more up on Wednesday following my interview.


Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

This short? Maybe I should take a closer look at the cartoons I doodled while I was bored.

 

Great postie again! Good Luck on your interview.

 

SilSolo: Oh, I don't think I'd call it short, but then again, I guess it is compared with some of my other fics. But then again, this one isn't exactly over, is it?

Jayden: Glad you liked it. And thanks for the good luck wish.


No post today, been busy running errands all over town.


Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

Okay, here comes the next post.



Luke's trip back to Imperial Center had not been an easy one. He'd requested, cajoled, and even outright threatened officers in the High Command to obtain the extra forces Admiral Parck would need in order to pacify the Hegemony. He'd been in touch with the Empress through the Force, and learned that Mara too was on her way home.

Two failures, he thought, his thoughts turning dark once more. Granted, he'd succeeded in removing a threat to the Empress by removing Krennel, but the Hegemony was still in disarray. The Empress had seen fit to remove Luke from the situation. Could she have begun to suspect what he himself was worried about. Far too much lately, Luke's anger had been distant, unfocused. He wondered if, in some insidious fashion, the weakness of the Light Side of the Force was trying to work its way in.

I can't let that happen, he told himself. I won't put Mara and Selena at risk from the wrath of the Empress. I won't let myself become weak, like my father did. For weak Darth Vader had become, succumbing to the love for his son at the last moment, and becoming a traitor. But can I remain cold? Luke wondered. Can I shut myself off from the emotions that would create a family? And most of all, he wondered, could he deny Selena a father's love?

All of these thoughts were still churning through his mind as he brought the shuttle out of hyperspace in the Coruscant system. He deftly moved the small craft between a pair of lumbering cargo transports, then slid beneath the planetary shield in the wake of a methane tanker. One of the things the Empress had demanded was that Luke present as low a profile on Imperial Center as possible. His shuttle waited for clearance, then vanished from the approved vector as a Corellian YT-1300 cut him off. A less skilled pilot would find himself swept off-course by the larger ship's sublight engines, Luke thought. But it provided him a diversion, one that Luke used to plot a new course towards the Imperial Palace. He kicked in the repulsors as he neared the structure, cutting off the sublight engines as brought the shuttle down on one of the disguised landing pads.

He completed the shutdown procedures, then donned a cloak as he descended the ramp. How many times did my father walk here? he wondered. It didn't really matter, he knew, but just a connection with Darth Vader seemed to reawaken certain feelings in Luke. He was angry at Vader for his betrayal. If it hadn't been for that action...

He shook the thought from his mind as he summoned a turbolift. He stepped in, counting down the seconds until the lift opened on the floor containing his suite. He stepped out to find the nanny... What was her name again? Borealis, the thought came.

"Lord Skywalker," she said, turning with a slight start. He knew he'd arrived a little early.

"I hope Selena hasn't been too much of a problem."

"Of course not," Borealis said. "She's a wonderful child."

"I'm glad to hear that," Luke said, wondering why it was that something about the woman seemed just a bit wrong. "You may go. I presume that the Empress will summon you should your services be required again."

"As my lord wishes," Rima said, stepping into the vacant lift and disappearing. Luke, meanwhile, shucked off the cloak, and made his way into his daughter's room. Almost instantly, the warmth of her presence swept over him, and for that moment, Luke's doubts and fears melted away.

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


That's it for now. More will be coming on Friday, after I get through a couple more interviews.


Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

I meant short as in that part was kinda short. Don't get too weak, Luke. That very weakness is what got my sister hacked to pieces.

 

Great posts!

 

That was a really nice post. Luke finally got home to his daughter. Poor Luke! Hopefully the Emperess can be defeated soon. Say, did we ever find out who the father of her son is? I'm slow and forgetful in my old age.

 

18/06/2004
Good insight by Ysanne Isard to realise that the Hands are a potential danger, though it is a shame for her that her agent spying on them is actually a Rebel and a servant of the House Organa.

21/06/2004
Nasty. Ta?a Chume doing her best to put the blame on ?the people? (the families think this, the people think that) and the Empress seizing every chance to try to crush Ta?a Chume?s illusions of independence. Not sure how hard the Empress can push this though before the Hapans reach their snapping point (with their long traditions of nobility it would be especially galling that they are being dictated to by someone whose throne is only two generations old).

23/06/2004
Love the idea of Typho and Panaka thinking Leia would be as gung-ho as Padmé was on occasion. Do feel a little sorry for the bounty hunters, with the possible exception of Boba Fett (who is as good as Jango was, and Jango had killed Jedi) they are just SLIGHTLY outclassed.

25/06/2004
Poor Han, he has a very important operation to plan so he can?t go help Leia himself but because Leia is endangering herself he has trouble concentrating on his military planning. Like the idea of Han?s temper being at least as fiery as Chewies.

28/06/2004
Poor Mara, even with the force a small childs demands can make you weary. Rather relieved though that Was she just getting tired, or was there something more serious? wasn?t some sort of sleeping gas. Spooky vision with Luke not being able to save Selena.
I like the fact that Luke is still quoting Yoda even if he is supposedly a Dark Jedi now. Shows that he is more like a Grey Jedi, willing to use both sides of the force to achieve his goals.
Wise of the Empress to let Mara leave, had she not and something had happened to Selena then Mara would have slowly gutted Kanti with an assassins knife (hmm...have a ysalamiri, neither of them would have the force but Mara would have her combat training )

30/06/2004
I agree with Wedge about morale suffering when the commander starts suffering from insomnia and drinking heavily. Tends to make subordinates feel that if their commander is that depressed then they are all doomed! Might be an idea, even if details can?t be given, to start a rumour to let people know Han was worried about Leia?s chances rather than their mission?s chances.

02/07/2004
Liked Lando feeling that the disguise wasn?t very fashionable. Also liked Panaka?s disguise, very unlike how he normally looks (which of course is the point). Enjoyed the bounty hunters response to the idea of hunting Luke Skywalker.
Young woman with a Wookie companion? Elscol Loro and Groznik? With the stronger Empire their rebellion in Cilpar could have been crushed and them forced to flee, and since they wouldn?t have hooked up with Wedge the events of The Phantom Affair where Groznik died wouldn?t have happened.

05/07/2004
I like the idea of Thrawn studying the art Han stole, although Han would have been looking at the collection more from how much each piece was worth and which pieces would be easiest to carry he was very rushed. This would therefore be a test of what pieces would catch his eye the most when he was under pressure (as opposed to normal art collections where the collector has time to plan and consider).

07/07/2004
Poor Luke, he gets cut up by a YT-1300 and he can?t indulge in ?road? rage (which for a Dark Jedi would be something to be applauded). Even if it was useful his attitude could have been ?That SoB got in my way!...but at least I can do this.? Interesting that Luke felt that his fathers last actions in throwing off the darkside, which is more often considered as a sign of strength of will, was giving into weakness.
Liked Luke?s thoughts with him keeping on feeling a connection with his father and making comparisons and keeping on fighting against these connections and comparisons.
Also liked that Luke can sense something wrong about his nanny.

 

SilSolo: I don't thing we want to see what would happen should Luke allow himself to slip too close to the Light.

LaYa: Thanx.

Jayden: Yup, Luke got home to Selena. And no, I haven't revealed who the father of Selena's son is. I'm still keeping that one in reserve.

_JM_: Wow, lot of replies for me to answer. So here goes...

18/06/2004
Yeah, Isard may be perceptive in some ways, but can't seem to catch the Rebels sneaking somebody into Intel.

21/06/2004
Ta'a Chume is, despite any signs to the contrary, simply seeking a way to avoid getting tossed off the throne. She's still as power-hungry as ever, and likely has designs on the Imperial throne.

23/06/2004
Can you blame the two Naboo captains? They know she's Padme's daughter, and Typho once remarked that Padme was more reckless than Anakin. As for the bounty hunters, well, somebody might surprise us.

25/06/2004
Yeah, Han might find himself introuble because of his attention being drawn to places other than where it needs to be, especially with ol' red eyes on the scene.

28/06/2004
I have no doubt that Kanti and Mara have butted heads before, and Kanti apparently came away with a simple idea. Don't argue with Mara Jade. As for the vision, I wanted to aim for something reminiscent of the cave vision on Dagobah in ESB.

30/06/2004
Han's mood definitely needs improvement before they try and defeat Thrawn, though I couldn't put it past Wedge to come up with some explanation for the commander's behavior.

02/07/2004
Can you really blame the hunters? Luke even evaded Boba Fett.
That young woman would be Tinian I'att and Chen, her Wookiee companion. Look up Bossk's tale in Tales of the Bounty Hunters for more details.

05/07/2004
Even looking at stolen art would probably give Thrawn some ideas about Han. They may be wrong, which I'm sure some are hoping will be the case...

07/07/2004
It would have been nice to see Luke blow up on Imperial Center, wouldn't it? I can just picture a headline: "Hovercar vanishes in blaze of lightning: No survivors found." As for sensing something wrong with the nanny, is it a case of too little, too late?

Whew! Glad to see you're back!



Okay, now onto the post. It's short, I know. But in this case, I don't think it would have been good to drag it out.



The Grand Admiral was in a conference, the young lieutenant knew, and interrupting such could be a fatal mistake. But the comm signal that had come across his status boards was one that had him thoroughly confused. The elements of the task force had been given their assignments, and the only thing remaining was to wait for the Rebels to fall into the Imperial trap.

Which, the young lieutenant knew, was the reason for his confusion. The Rebels wouldn't even come near Eriadu if they knew of the Imperial presence, and the strength that waited there to smash them. All the captains knew this, and while some might question Thrawn's methods, none of them would dare to question his orders. So from whom was the signal coming?

The lieutenant tried to run a trace on the signal, but the trail ran cold almost instantly. Furthermore, the signal was heavily encrypted, and contained a prefix that the officer didn't recognize. Or was it simply that he'd never seen it in use before? He wracked his brain, trying to figure out the answer when it came to him, almost like a turbolaser blast firing across his mind. He signaled the Grand Admiral.

"Lieutenant Tschel to Grand Admiral Thrawn."

"Go ahead, lieutenant," the admiral's voice said smoothly.

"Admiral, we're receiving a signal. It's from the Empress, sir."

"Patch it through to my command room," Thrawn said. "Do not attempt to decrypt it, lieutenant." The threat didn't need to be spoken. Thrawn's voice said it all.

"Understood, Admiral." Tschel cut the communication. But somehow, he wondered just why the Empress was interfering, now of all times.

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



That's it for now. More to come Mond

 

Kanti's fraid of Mara? What's she gonna say? I thought that post was short, but apparently, it's long compared to this one.

 

SilSolo: I won't say she's afraid, but knows that Mara's instincts are usually quite good. Sorry about the short post, but that's the way it worked out.


And here's the next post!


The image of Thrawn, down on one knee, blossomed into existence before the Empress. "Rise, Admiral," Kanti said.

"What is your command, my Empress?"

"The Alliance fleet will have gathered by now. Your orders remain unchanged. You are to defeat them, and break the back of the Alliance. One small modification is required. It is highly probable that the Millennium Falcon will be involved in the conflict."

"Your wish is to have the ship destroyed?" Pellaeon asked. Thrawn had permitted Pellaeon to remain, in the event that that the admiral was somehow incapacitated.

"Absolutely not," the Empress hissed. "That is the worst thing you could do. I want the ship captured, and its crew brought to Imperial Center."

"Empress, that may prove impossible."

"See that it is done, Admiral," Kanti said, and cut the transmission. Thrawn would understand the need, and he would succeed, even if it required more difficult planning. She knew that he could be counted on. He was, after all, the best she had.

But now, more immediate matters required her attention. The situation on Hapes was far from settled, but something was brewing on the throneworld. She had sensed it, both from Skywalker and from Jade. Both had somehow become aware of some threat. So why did she only have the vague feeling that something was about to go disastrously wrong? She summoned one of the Guardsmen from outside.

"Return here with Ta'a Chume," she said. "The Hapan guards will give you no trouble." And if they do, she thought darkly, Ta'a Chume would pay the price in full. The guard did return, the Queen Mother following, trailed by four of her own bodyguards. "Your guards will remain outside, Ta'a Chume," the Empress said. The old queen looked as though she were actually going to argue the point, then gave the smallest nod. "Leave us," Kanti told the Guardsman.

"What is your wish, Empress," Ta'a Chume said, with just enough respect that Kanti would find it difficult to take offense.

"Your Cluster remains in turmoil, Ta'a Chume. Tour very hold on the throne grows weak. Your life, shall we say, hangs by a thread. One tug in the wrong direction, and the Cluster will fall into anarchy." Kanti's green eyes bored in the Hapan Queen. "This will not happen."

"Understood, but..."

"No," Kanti said, her voice soft, and dangerous as a sleeping snake. "If the Cluster falls, the Empire loses. I will not allow that to happen. Should the Cluster even appear to fall, I shall be forced to take action. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," the Queen said. "I retain full power over the Cluster?"

"For the moment," Kanti said, making it clear who was mistress and who was servant. "I do not wish to hear of further difficulties. It would be unfortunate if I had to remove all of Hapes' freedoms." She then turned on Ta'a Chume, dismissing her without further comment.

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

I'll try and get something up on Wednesday, but my schedule this week doesn't allow for a whole lot of writing time, as I'm spending most of my time driving to and from interviews. If nothing's up Wednesday, count on something Thursday.


Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

Good posts!

 

LaYa_: Thanks!



For those who might be thinking I've abandoned Han, here's a post with him front and center!



This isn't going to work, Han thought, blanking the screen on the datapad once again. He'd been at this for hours, trying to find some way to sneak a force deep into Imperial territory. No matter what I do, they're going to see we're not heading for Sluis Van, he thought. No matter what he tried, it seemed it always ended the same way.

"Nobody said this was going to be easy," he finally said, looking around the room at the commanders of the various elements to what was called a fleet. Little more than a picket group compared to what the Imperials can put on the table, Han thought. "In fact, I'd call it impossible on the face."

"The problem is going to be isolating the Imperials," said Captain Onoma, bobbing his head in some Mon Calamari gesture. "If we can keep them from calling in the rest of the Fleet, we might be able to achieve our goals."

"And nobody said we have to hold the planet," Captain Judder Page added. "All we need to do is show that we can still pull off a strike. I know there are worlds growing tired of the Imperials."

"Corellia among them," Wedge said. "If we could get Corellia, or one of the other major Core systems to turn its back on the Empire..."

"Let's step back for a moment," Han said, seeing just where this was going. "We can only succeed by keeping the rest of the Fleet out. How do we accomplish it?"

"Surprise," Wedge said. "We jump in, and hit whatever they've got there. Not separate elements, no warning. Just the heavy end of the hammer, no less."

"That means we'd be going in blind," Onoma said. "Do we have any idea what the Imperials have insystem?"

"No," Han said, "and therein lies the crux of the dilemma. We don't know what the Imperials are planning, but hopefully, they don't know what we've got in the works either. I think a quick strike is a good idea, but I intend to hold Mon Remonda back. The fighters will jump in, supported by the gunships and two Star Cruisers." He looked around the room. "I don't think I need to remind you that the future of the Rebellion may depend on what we do now."

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



The next part should be ready by Friday. A Luke post has been teasing me as of late, so expect to see the Hand of the Empress in action.


Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

Okay I'm back from vacation and waiting to see the next part

 

Alright! Great work? Do we ever get to see Kanti use the Force?



Is she stronger than Luke?!