Beyond - Legends <<Mara>> Chapter 3 up A bring Mara to life story. August 31, 2017. Updated Biweekly.

Title: Mara
Author: DARTH_MU
Timeframe: 60 ABY
Characters: Mara Jade, Jaaina Solo, Joruus C'Baoth, Luke Skywalker, Ben Skywalker. L/M
Genre: Action, Romance
Keywords: C'Baoth. Dimensional Travel, L/M
Summary: Mara Jade will kneel before Joruus C'Baoth. He has foreseen it. Luke Skywalker, Jedi Grand Master has just sent ten Jedi on the search for Abeloth...
Notes: A bring Mara back to Luke story.

 

[h2]Table of Content[/h2]
Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

 

[h2]Prologue[/h2]
Jedi Master Joruus C’Baoth knelt in the cool pool, deep in meditation.

The population of Dellendfu has finally accepted their true master, accepted his wisdom. More importantly, they had taken a step to a larger world, a simple step on their journey to reach full maturity.

Oh, they had tried to resist at first, just like his pride student once did. But in the end she knelt before him. Just as he has foreseen.

Just as she is walking in, when she was told not to disturb the only Jedi Master in the sector.

She had defied him. Defied Joruus C’Baoth. Disturbed C’Baoth’s meditation. So Joruus C’Baoth will teach... What was her name?

Ah yes, it does not matter.

“Master C’Baoth.”

C’Baoth opened both of his eyes. “Yes?”

“Forgive the intrusion, Master. But Jaaina Solo did not attend her mandatory class today.”

“Yes, I have foreseen it.”

Strange, C’Baoth thought to himself. He actually did not.

“Very well.” C’Baoth stood up from the pool, water dripping from his body as he pulled on his gray Jedi Master’s robe, and wrapped it around his body. “You,” C’Baoth pointed to the figure before him.

“You.” C’Baoth pointed. He kept pointing, rage making his face glow, and he felt power only a Jedi Master can channel. Now you will tell me your name.”

“I’m Mara Jade.”

“Of course you are. C’Baoth tied the gold string around his waist. He patted the graying red gold hair of the woman. Mara Jade purred with his touch.

“Now, go, and bring me my Jedi. We will all talk.”

C’Baoth watched as the woman bowed, turned, and quickly left the bath house without a sound. Efficiency. A step toward maturity. C’Baoth approved.

Mara told him something important. Someone did not attend the mandatory class. It was someone important to him. Someone deliberately refused his knowledge, refused maturity.

Unthinkable!

They will be brought to C’Baoth, Joruus C’Baoth, and divulge all their secrets, name all their conspirators. Because they could not have acted alone. C’Baoth smiled, and stroked his beard. Oh think old man only knows how to take bath. Little did they know.
The Yuuzhan Vong? The Killiks? That upstart computer in an iron box? Where are they now? All ended up knowing what a Jedi Master is made of. Luuke had destroyed that squid thing for his Master, oh, a long time ago. Who could remember? Did he ever come back? He must have. As long as all enemy of the Jedi are destroyed, C’Baoth’s legacy is assured. The future of the Jedi is assured. And the entire galaxy shall be moulded as according to the will of the Jedi Master Joruus C’Baoth.

C’Baoth walked over to the tall, iron doors, and pushed. Sunlight hit his medallion. He rubbed it absently, and projected his voice.

People of Dellendfu. It is now time. Bring me your reports for the day. A Jedi Knight will now hear you, and give you justice. Gather around.

Two people, two farmers timidly approached the throne.

“Jaaina, today you will give judgment.” C’Baoth announced.

After five minutes, no one joined C’Baoth on the chair to the right.

“JAAINA!”

A goldenrod droid slowly approached C’Baoth.

“If I may, Jedi Master C’Baoth.” C’Baoth narrowed his eyes, the droid’s voice annoyed him. “Mistress Jaaina is not in the city.”

“Gonk Guunk Gonk Gonk”.

“Duka says there is no sign of mistress Jaaina anywhere within 8 klicks, her maximum range. The goldenrod said, “There is a small town at the edge of the forest to the north 11 klicks of the city. It is possible she is there. Duke said the odd is Four to One, given her recorded message to her brother, Jacen.

C’Baoth nodded. Of course. Four to one. A good odd. Yes. He will investigate the murder. But first, he and Jaaina will give judgement and knowledge of justice to these people.

“Jaaina, today you will give judgment.” C’Baoth announced.

Back to Table of Content

 

Oh... quite the interesting start!

I got really excited when I saw 'dimensional travel', that's always some crazy fun!

So C’Baoth has himself a clone of Jaina? I wonder who else he might have and what he's up to now??

I'm looking forward to seeing where this goes.

Just a warning, I'm quite terrible with keeping up with longer stories at the moment. I'll do my best, but I'm going to apologise in advance for falling behind.

 

Cool start and just what I love: L/M and romance LOL Dimensional travel -- always entertaining.

 

Joruus C’Baoth is really crazy when he cloned Jaina and obviously Jacen as well.

Shakespear comes to mind: "Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble."

 

mavjade

Thanks. Yes, in this AU C'Baoth is victorious! Well in his dimension anyway. He does have a Jaina clone. He's master of the planet Dellendfu, and half the galaxy, at least, and he has more "Jedi" at his command.
Hm... How many?

WarmNyota_SweetAyesha
Thanks. I have to figure out how to do the Dimensional travel.... Waru perhaps?

AzureAngel2
No, Jacen is not cloned. Only Jaina needed to be.
But C'Baoth got Leia for sure.
Luuke, well, Luuke went to investigate the sinkhole station. Rumors has it that computer in an iron box is back. He hasn't returned.
I know where Jaaina is, but where is Jaina? Hmmmm......

Everyone
Thanks for reading.

 

[h2]Chapter 1[/h2]
Han Solo looked out the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon. The Hyperspace warp pattern greeted the bearded Corellian. He turned when his pilot, Chewbacca growled.

“Yeah, Chewie, you said it. But we have no choice. Jacen was pretty sure the message came from his sister. He says this time it’s genuine.”

“Stand by for sublight.” Han announced. He gently pushed some buttons on the console and pulled the hyperspace lever to the off position.

The Hyperspace tunnel collapsed around his beloved freighter. Starfields greeted the human and the Wookiee.

“Well, what do you like? It is a planet, that’s something.” Truthfully Han himself was annoyed. It had been almost half a century since he had seen her last. Han had given up hope. If Jacen was wrong, again...

“Okay, Callista, do a passive scan on the planet and tell us what we have.”

The Falcon computer spoke with an accented female voice. “Class seven jungle planet. Gravity 1.08 Corellian standard. Air breathable for humans. Chewbacca will need a air tank. A large metropolis is hugging the largest lake on planet. Total of seven rivers spread out from the single continent. Minor towns at the edge of the Planetary Ocean. Technologically primitive. No weapons beyond bows and arrow detected.”

Chewie growled again. Han agreed. “Yeah, lovely.”

Just the type of planet C’Baoth favours.

You really think your daughter is on the planet?” Maris Ferasi stepped into the cockpit. Rak Qennto wasn’t far behind her. He put a hand on his girlfriend’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, boss, if she’s down there, we’ll find her.”

“Go wake up Jacen. Chewie. Maybe he’ll be able to tell us if Jaina is indeed on the planet below.”

By the time Han’s son, Jacen, walked inside the cockpit, it was getting crowded. Artoo was following the mute man, whistling and beeping.

Jacen cocked his head, his eyes half open. Han knew his boy was using the Force, concentrating, attempting to locate his sister.

Five minutes later, Jacen opened his eyes fully, shook his head. Artoo gave out a mournful sound.

“Master Jacen reports that he is quite unable to locate Mistress Jaina. She is not on the planet.”

“Well that’s a bust. Chewie, start the hyperdrive again, I’ll make the calculation to lightspeed.”

“But he does sense C’Baoth. And his enforcer.”

“His enforcer?” Maris asked, “you don’t mean.”
“Yeah, kid,” Han grimaced. Mara Jade is on planet.”

“Callista. Find us a good landing site.” Han rose from the pilot seat. “Come on, everyone. Don’t stand around. Party’s waiting.

Maris and Rak exchanged glances and nodded. “For Jorj. For Talon.”

Ten minutes later, the Millenium Falcon silently landed near the town of Gersen. Two dozen beings dressed in various camouflage stalked out and became one with the jungle. One step at a time, they advanced. Their destination was the huge metropolis, with its palace.

BRING ME MY JEDI! Her Master’s voice vibrated inside Mara’s head.

That’s what I’m doing, Mara muttered darkly. I’ll bring you your Jedi. Just like I killed Sky--”

Mara shook her head. C’Baoth’s Jedi...

There was Gantoris on Commenor. Kyp Durron on K’uthel. Who was it on Syned? Cassa and Tryst Veila on Tatooine.

And Jacen Solo. The one who got away. Her greatest humiliation. Mara started the preflight check on the T-47 X-Wing. It purred like vornskyr around her, greeting an old friend. Minutes later, the S-Foils in cruise position, The X-Wing burned skyward, toward the stratosphere.

Something blue flashed at the edge of her eyes. Mara almost didn’t realize that it was a ship. She almost didn’t decide to check it out.

A Corellian Freighter. YT-2400 series. In the back of Mara’s mind something screamed beside her Master’s command, screamed that she should follow the freighter down. Back down to the planet.

She didn’t even land before another mental command hit her. HEAR ME MY APPRENTICES! FIND ME JAAINA SOLO.

Mara winced. She pulled on the stick to avoid crashing the fighter. It was a close thing. Mara sighed. She knew there would be no peace as long as she didn’t find Jaaina Solo, and bring her before C’Baoth. She knew there would be no sleep. No Luuke’s strong arms around her as he visited her in sweet dreams.

Blast it. Luuke, where are you?

After two days without water. Jaina was ready to go back to the palace.

She didn’t remember exactly why she had to leave Master C’Baoth. But it was important. She sent the messages to someone named Jacen. She was her... Brother? He must have been someone important to her. Someone she trusted. That’s why she sent the signal. That’s why she ran when her... Aunt was preoccupied with the thought of her... Uncle.

Jaina tried to remember what her uncle looked like. Ice Blue Eyes? Blonde hair? Black Tunic? Jacen promised her she would see her uncle once she was united... with her family?
So thirsty.

Jaina shivered.

JAAINA! COME BACK AT ONCE! A voice she trusted infinitely drummed in her head.

Jaina didn’t know who Jaaina is, but she wished that she would just go back to whomever was calling for her so that Jaina could go to sleep and forget her thirst.

She bit down hard on the last of her ration bar.

Jaina remembered floating in a bacta tank. Jacen talked to her, made her see how important it was for her to leave Master C’Baoth. Because his apprentice called him slime from a Hutt’s behind. It was important for her to leave the palace before her Aunt found her missing. She should...

Find someone called Allana and take her away from...

So Thirsty.

The Voxyn attack saved her life.

The thing that Master C’Baoth bred from the ... Things, its tail swiping, teeth baring, all of its tricks were no match for Jaina’s training.

Jaina used the last of her despair and frustration to unleash what every Jedi were taught their first lesson. The Voxyn went down. Smokes. Jaina squatted and beared down near the Voxyn’s neck and drank.

The orange liquid went down spicy.

Jaina burped.

When she stood up she was no longer shivering.

She had no lightsaber, so skinning the Voxyn and taking its meat for later was out of the question. Besides, Jaina just wasn’t hungry.

With hunger and thirst out of the way, Jaina found herself with renewed focus. She knew exactly why she had to leave the beloved Master C’Baoth. She needed to find Allana. Because Allana was in danger, and Master C’Baoth always said being a Jedi meant saving people from their immaturity. Having a name such as Allana must meant immaturity.

Jaina needed a ship off the planet.

The flat disk revealed itself and practically landed on Jaina before the sonic boom sounded. Bringing her right hand to shield her face, she called. “HEY!”

Back to Table of Content

 

Thank you for reading everyone.

Apologies as this was supposed to be up Thursday instead of today. This week we visit the Falcon.

 

[h2]Chapter 2[/h2]

The strike team was barely gone for fifteen minutes when Artoo rolled into Engineering.

His sudden beeps and whistles took Kelli by surprise. She bumped her head onto the low deck.

Wincing, she massaged the developing bump, and turned, “What’s up?”

Artoo turned rotated his dome and kept on whistling. “Slow down.”

“You want to play dejarik? Right now? I have got to tune the hyper drive. Wait, one beep at a time. Oh Kay. Huh.”

Kelli decided that when Jacen comes back, she would ask for his copy of Droid Speak 102. Right now though, it seems Artoo is saying either dejarik right now or some strange noise is coming from the cockpit.

Did Dakela break out the playroom again? Kelli had asked Han for a childproof lock on the playroom, but the way things are going for the Resistance, Kelli knew that she was lucky just to get a crib for her daughter.

She took off the welding helmet and climbed out the hyper drive unit hole. The last rung creaked.

Sighing, she grabbed the belt on the floor and attached it to her hip. “Okay, let’s go and check it out.”

By the time Kelli straightened, she heard the commotion too. Something, or someone, is definitely in the cockpit.

The Falcon was supposedly empty beside her, Artoo, and Dakela.

Kelli ran toward the playroom, and bowled the door open. For a second relief filled her. Dakela was fast asleep, hugging Mister Toydarian. Kelli gently hugged her daughter and pulled her into the crib, and pulled up the blanket. Dakela moaned.

A huge crash reverberated in the entire ship. Dakela opened her eyes, and started to cry. But Kelli was already gripping the Blastech 9-C, running toward the cockpit.

The Duglud 5999 series security door it took Han and Bria 10 thousand credits and Kelli an entire week to install were blasted open, so much junk pieces laid on the floor, a humanoid shape stared back at Kelli’s stomach.

Jomarkian accented curses attacked Kelli’s ears. She stepped inside the cockpit, the blaster positioned and ready.

A below average height young woman with wild, shoulder length brown hair had her back to Kelli. The woman was on her haunches and kept muttering to herself.

A gray rectangular shape that looked suspiciously like Callista’s innards was chopped in half. Wires sticking out.

“Stop screaming! I don’t know who Jaaina is! I’m not her. Who are you? Where’s Allana? Jacen?”
“Okay, that’s enough of that. Stand up! Turn around!” Kelli ordered.

The woman stiffened. She turned around. There was nothing but crazy in her eyes.

Kelli gasped. It was her. Her husband’s murderer. Kelli brought switched the power level from stun to kill, and aimed. The same instance C’Baoth’s infamous number two hit woman pounced.

**

“Hey!” Jaina yelled at the disk. It kept its former trajectory and landed mere meters from her, unleashing a string of sonic booms and deafened Jaina for minutes.

She dropped flat down on her stomach.

Grateful for the momentary sensory loss, Jaina shook her head. The gravely voice that kept on calling for someone named Jaaina Solo hasn’t come back.

When her nose twitched, Jaina smelled dirt and jungle grass. She crawled toward the ship.

Upon close inspection, Jaina realized that the disk shaped ship was a Corellian YT series freighter. She had the strange feeling she saw it before somewhere. It took her moments to figure out that there was no way she could unlock the freighter and let down its landing ramp from the outside.

Using the Force, she channelled her frustration and jumped. As she hoped, the circular acess port was exactly where she remembered.

Why would she remember anything about this freighter? She shook her head again. It’s not important.

Jaina! It’s me!

Jaina almost dropped the lightsaber she was going to use to cut into the freighter. She was sure it was Jacen’s voice. She peered into the dark, watching.

Neither the grave voice nor Jacen’s voice sounded again. Jaina brought her breathing back in control. She activated the lightsaber again, and its purple blade cut into the freighter bulkhead. A circular hole smoothly formed, the duracrete material disappeared like so much margarine.

Jaina jumped in.

She took in the surroundings. Faint melodic music blasted from some kind of speaker. The walls were in unpainted gray. By the left wall there was a wooden crib. With blanket decorated by banthas. Turning her head to the right, she paused.

A toddler was sucking her thumb, a blue sheet held by her nose. She stared at Jaina in wonder.

Jaina held her index finger to her mouth, and motioned for the toddler to keep quiet. Pulling a toy from the crib, a Toydarian, she closed the distance between her and the toddler.

Neither of them spoke as Jaina pulled the thumb out of a eager mouth, and put the stuffed Toydarian around the toddler. She struggled as Jaina put her palm against the top of her head for seconds.

Once Jaina was sure the toddler was sound asleep, she put her on her back and went for the door.

The door clicked open and Jaina walked out. She noticed the entrance side of the door had a sign, written in Stencil in a child’s hand, “Dakela Dorth’s play room”.

JAAINA! REPORT AS I HAVE FORESEEN!

Jaina dropped to her knees. “Okay. You win. Just... No more. I will find your Jaaina.”

Almost immediately, the old, grave voice returned.

Excellent. Where are you?

“A ship. Disk shaped. In the jungle. So you’ll get out of my head?”

You will gain control of the ship and then bring it back to the palace. Do not fail.

“Wait! Who are you? Who’s Jaaina?”

Silence.

Jaina dared to breathe.

TAKE CONTROL OF THE SHIP! NOW!

Jaina headed to the cockpit.

**

“Artoo. You are cheating again.” Callista said.

“Ah, you caught me!” Artoo beeped. “Another hand?”

“Perhaps, as long as it’s just the two of us, might as well. If you lose again, promise me you’ll try and convince Han to fix the dejarik ta--”

“Intruder! Artoo! Go! Find Dorth!”

“I’m going! This would be faster if we had refuelled me!”

“I’ll try to slow her down! Damn it! She has a lightgsaber! Faster Artoo!”

Artoo rolled with his wheels all the way to engineering. Kelli Dorth was still tweaking the hyper drive like Han told her.

He tried to get her attention by making the loudest noise he could.
Kelli Dorth appeared minutes later, too long, nursing the back of her head. Times wasted. “Intruder! She’s heading toward the cockpit! You have to stop her!”

“What’s up?”

“Intruder on board!”

“Slow down.”

“There’s no time! Callista is telling me she’s cutting through the Duglud!”

“You want to play dejarik? Right now? I have got to tune the hyper drive.”

“Oh for the Resistance’s sakes!” I’m not getting through, Artoo thought.

“Wait, one beep at a time.”

“Intruder. Heading. Toward. Cockpit.” Please Please Please understand.

“Oh Kay. Huh.”

The Dorth woman took her sweet time, and there was a time wasting detour to the play room. Finally, as Artoo feared, the intruder was already laying waste to the cockpit. She had already destroyed the decoy.

The intruder was squatting, muttering to herself. Artoo didn’t quite hear what was said, something about screaming and Jacen.

“Oh, thank the Resistance you found her, Artoo! She’d already destroyed the decoy unit.” Callista told Artoo.

“Okay, that’s enough of that. Stand up! Turn around!” Dorth ordered.

Shoot her! Artoo thought. Shoot her already!

The intruder turned around, and pounced.

Dorth’s shot went wide, destroying the cockpit windshield. Callista screamed.

Dorth brought her blaster to bear again, but the intruder activated her lightsaber. Artoo recognized it right away. Not that it mattered too much at this point. He knew what would happen.

He extended his grappling hook to help Dorth even as the lightsaber cut Dorth’s blaster in two.

Dorth, bless her human heart, didn’t wait for the pieces of the ruined blaster to hit the ground before dodging the potential killing blow and fished out the portable lightsaber resistant vibroblades from her boots.

The two women are locked together for a life and death competition of strength, but Artoo knew it was only a matter of time before the Force sensitive Dark Jedi would win against the Empire trained former stormtrooper.

His grappler took a hold of the intruder’s brown hair and pulled.

Dorth’s vibroblades managed to cut open her opponent’s poncho from the neck down. The apparel disintegrated as the intruder craned her neck with the help of momentum supplied by Artoo. Too late did Artoo pushed the grappler forward instead of back.

The intruder performed an impossible athletic backward strike and took Artoo’s grappling hook straight off from the base. He screeched as the Dark Jedi unleashed the signature Force lightning.

Artoo hated any kind of electrical field, but Force lightning were the worst. Before he could rotate his dome back to flee position, he was immobilized.

He could still hear.

Grunts and groans told Artoo the two women went hand to hand in their struggle.

“Artoo. The decoy box. The wires. Can you activate your rockets and light them up?”

“Artoo?”

“Artoo!”

Artoo wasn’t able to answer Callista.

“Oh no! Look out!” Callista yelled.

A thump.

A body fell on the floor.

Dorth is down. Dorth is done.

Artoo can’t see, but the unmistakable hum of a lightsaber is coming ever closer.

He struggled and went down.

He felt no pain as the lightsaber cut him in half.

**

“Damn droid.”

Callista looked on through the cockpit security camera, helpless as the intruder kicked Artoo’s remains away from Dorth’s prone body. She brought her lightsaber up for another strike.

Callista did the only thing she could think of, she disabled the power to the brig section.

Return to Table of Content

 

Very interesting. Poor R2! I can't wait for more!

 

Riveting action & LOL Callista is the name of the ship's computer system. Yikes, poor R2 indeed.

 

With you as an author on the Doctor Who team episodes with Peter Capaldi would have been more fun, action & logical.

Cool that you manage to drag Callista into the story as well.

Can´t wait for more.

 

Darth Drachonus,

Yes. Poor Artoo.

WarmNyota SweetAyesha,

Thank you for your compliment regarding the action scenes. Callista, I think they may have taken the computer system of the Eye of Palpatine when they last refitted the Falcon And Artoo? Maybe his memory core is still intact, you never know with these droids.

Azure,

Aw shucks. Thanks.

Regarding Callista, Yep.

Here's another update.

 

[h2]Chapter 3[/h2]
The planet had no moon.

Therefore there was no moonlight for the strike team as they the Falcon.

Han Solo decided to let his son take point, and everyone else should hold the man or woman's shoulder to advance. It was slow going, but steadily they did make progress.

Han Solo scratched his beard. Jacen was sure that this was the right planet, and that Leia was here, within his reach. It was true that there was a huge palace within two kilometers of the largest river on the planet.

Leia.

Han was no fool. He had no fantasy of things was going to be easy. It seemed only yesterday that Leia went with Chewie to meet with Khabrakh on Honoghr. Has it really been twenty years since he laid eyes on his wife? In his mind's eye Han could still see her brown eyes, full of determination and stubbornness. He cursed and thought again that he should have stopped her. If only.

Han shook his head. He must do what he must. He will succeed. Provided the young man in front of him really was Jacen.

Almost five years ago the mute man found Han under a table of Mos Eisley cantina. He looked like Han enough, maybe a hair shorter, but it was Artoo who convinced him that it was indeed Jacen.

Through beeps and whistles the little droid interpreted Jacen's signs.

Jacen had gotten away from C'Baoth while the mad man had one of his episodes. He almost was able to save his sister, but Mara Jade intervened. It was pure luck that Jacen was able to take the lambda shuttle at the end.

The silhouette of a structure came into view

His son signaled in front, and the whole column stopped.

“Stay sharp,” Han whispered, interpreting Jacen’s signs, “Senta, take your team and scout the vall--”

Han never got a chance to finish the command as a blade of red came out of nowhere to cut Santa into two.

“Lightsaber! Lightsaber!” Han screamed, “Ambush!”

“Slughthrowers only!” He ordered, and dropped down on the ground as he took the safety off the Blastech.

“Argh!” Someone else went down. Out of the corner of Han’s left eye he saw Jacen had already activated his own blade and crashed into their ambusher. The enemy screeched like a Mynock in heat. Han wasn’t entirely sure, his ears were assaulted by the cacophony of the slugs and it might have been the sounds of Lightsaber crackling together.

Chewie growled and pushed Han down. He was buried in wookiee fur.

“Chewie! Come on! Get off!”

“Cease fire! Cease fire!” Someone ordered.

“Belay—urk” It was someone else. Han wondered if it was G’dan.

Sometimes later, Han wasn’t sure how long, he risked activating the portable light. Yellow light came from the thin stick.

Bodies on the ground.

Thankfully neither Chewie’s nor Jacen’s was among them. His son walked over to him with help of the light, and started to hand Han a cylinder without a sound.

The Wookiee slapped it away.

By now they know we are here. Jacen signed. C’Baoth will be alerted. Element of surprise gone.

“At least we know we are definitely on the right planet.” Han grimaced. “We can risk a bit of light, everyone, start the count. See how many casualties we have.”

Ten minutes later, Han found out it was worse than he thought.

We lost Senta, G’dan, and Korstal. The most damaging casualties however, was among the former Stormtroopers under Dorth’s command. Seven former Imperial commandos were cut down within minutes. The chestnut haired woman was going to kill Han, if somehow they survived the mission.

Chewie was growling softly, Han was sure he was nursing a slug wound on his right shoulder.

“Lieutenant Gess, you just got promoted.” Han said to a surviving commando.

“Come on, lets get out of here.” Han said.

Jacen? He signed, His son wasn’t yet moving.

“What is it?”

That was. That was Tenel Ka, I think. It had to be her. She was. My friend. Give me a minute.

Han sighed. “Okay. I understand.”

&&

Mara banked the old X-Wing starboard and landed it right beside the Corellian freighter. She felt energized. More at ease. It had been long ago since she felt this way. Maybe, just maybe, Luuke?
Silence greeted her.

It was something to try anyway. Mara didn’t really think it would work.

But she was going after Jacen. The brat! The humiliation came back just thinking about her one failure.

Except she failed before. Mara was sure of it. She failed The Emperor. When was the first time she failed Emperor Joruus C’Baoth?

She was going after Skywalker… No, she was after Jacen. So why didn’t she land the X-Wing in the forest?

The Corellian freighter filled the X-Wing cocoon cockpit.

Oh my shavitty shavitty shavitting MOM! HELP! Stop! Ah, get it off, get it off!

Someone was screaming in the Force, inside the freighter. It was a familiar presence.

The Force came when Mara called for it, and she jumped inside the freighter.

She was inside some sort of nursery. A toddler was fast asleep, sucking at her thumb, the blue blanket enmeshed in her hand moved up and down with each suck.

A soft music played in the background

“De Haizi Xiang Gen Cao…. Li Kai Ma Ma De Huai Bao, Xin Fu Na---”

A Corulag lullaby, Mara was sure of it. She left the room.

Blood covered the wall, it covered the floor horizontally, diagonally, vertically. A pattern, going from somewhere, toward the direction of the cockpit.

A scream, inside the Force, begging Mara to help.

She followed the trail.

To what was left of the cockpit.

The Duglud series security door was hacked to pieces by someone, maybe by lightsaber. Mara went through the human shaped hole into the space. The remains of what might have been a blue and white astromech droid was all over the floor. In the center of the area a woman maybe in her thirties lay. Her eyes were closed, grayish skin, blue lips. yet she almost looked peaceful. In death. Mara decided after stretching out with the Force. Not a drop of blood inside the carcass.

Whatever killed the woman was obviously went the opposite direction.

Stop it! Stop it please! I’ll go back. I’ll call myself Jaaina. I don’t care anymore, just stop!

Someone was still alive. The one begging for help is still alive. Yet. Mara knew, just knew that whoever it was, it was not Jacen. She could also sense that Jacen was somewhere else on the planet. Getting farther away. From her.

“Ma?” Somehow Mara was in front of the nursery. The toddler was walking toward her, the blue blanket still held in her hands.

The toddler rubbed her eyes. “Have you seen mother? I hungry, and she forgot to fill jar.”

The kid looked around, discovering the blood all round them. “Did you color walls? I thought uncle said no wall coloring.”

“Go back to sleep, kid.” Mara said.

“No sleepy. Will you find mother and tell her to fill jar for me?”

For mercy’s sakes, HELP!

“Kid, I got to go.” Mara followed the blood trail. The kid followed her.

Mara sighed. “Go away.”

“You no nice. I’ll tell mom to fire you from the troopers.” The kid walked toward the direction of the cockpit.

A simple growl halted both Mara and the toddler in their tracks. The kid bolted toward the cockpit.

Mara cursed and started after the kid, but then she was enveloped almost immediately in shadow.

She turned around.

A bantha, round eyes and sharp horns was rushing toward her. Its snout kept on snorting. The stench was horrible. It unleashed another roar. Mara have never seen a Bantha behave like that, but it didn’t matter. She stood her ground and activated the violet blade and started chopping the creature from forehead to neck.

The blade touched the creature, but did creetle. It may have only tickled the monster as it opened its mouth. The herbivorous teeth graced normal Banthas have been replaced by sharp, neatly lined claws. They snapped down as the Bantha tried to bite into Mara’s stomach.

Mara retreated, flipped, and used the Dark Side to stick herself on the freighter’s duracrete ceiling.

The bantha closed its mouth and crawled away. Its crawling speed was faster than Mara could walk without the Force. It was headed toward the cockpit, ignoring its former prey.

So much blood… Why didn’t you help me? Why didn’t anyone he--

Mara looked toward the cockpit, and toward the cargo hold where the pitiful cry for help.

“Sorry,” Mara muttered. “Can’t help.”

She ran.

She found the toddler very quickly.

The Bantha was on its front knees, and purring. The kid was literally petting the thing, brushing errant furs from its twin horns..

“Hello again.” The kid says to Mara. “Met Shalu? Say hi, she bite no. Pet?”

Mara was speechless.

“Allie says mother asleep. I no go into cockpit. She fought bad woman. Need rest.”

“Okay.” Oh kid. That was your mom? Mara thought, she’s not waking up.

“My name is Dakela, yours?”

The Bantha rose, and blinked its eyes. Dakela regarded Mara expectantly.

“Mara.”

“Oh. Pet Shalu? She say gutted bad woman for mother. Mara? What’s gutted?”

“Uh…Does Shalu know where bad woman is gutted? Mara will check to make sure she’s okay.”

“Why want to find bad woman okay?” Dakela asked. “Are you a bad woman too?”

“No. But bad woman still need our help.”

Dakela seems to consider this. Then pointed toward the cargo hold.

“You’ll be okay, Dakela, with Shalu?”

“Mm Hmm.”

Ten minutes later, Mara found Jaaina. What’s left of her anyway.

“Oh, kid. Why did you run away?” Mara checked for pulse.

She found none.

Jaaina’s eyes opened nonetheless.

Their gazes locked.

Jaaina stood up. And held Mara in place. Mara’s legs sagged. Strength sapped from her. She saw the young woman with no pulse opened her mouth wide, black smoke erupted from it.
“Hyah!”

Jaaina’s hold was broken. The spell was no more. The corpse fell.

“Wha?”

“Mara, okay?”

“What the kriff was that?” Mara blinked her eyes. Dakela.

“I punch!”

“What the kriff was that?” Mara repeated.

“That was Abeloth.” A voice called out from the intercom.

“Huh?”

“Apologies. My name is Callista Ming. Jedi Knight.”

Mara knew all of C’Baoth’s Knights, she never heard of any Callista, Ming or otherwise.

“Mara Jade.” Mara said. “What’s the situation onboard this freighter?”

“Dakela, honey, why don’t you go back to your playroom. Remember to take Shalu back to hers.”

“Okay, Allie.” The toddler bounced away.

“Well?”

“A minute please.”

“An intruder came onto the freighter, did some serious damage, killed two of my friends. I had no choice but to open the brig doors to unleash the Ganmu Soo and Abeloth. They killed the intruder.”

“Uh huh.”

“Then another intruder came onboard.”

Shavit!

“You don’t serve Master C’Baoth, do you?”

The heavy blast doors dropped down, giving Mara her answer.

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You write things that blow my mind. That space battle was breathtaking. And then bewildering events that I needed to read three times, because it was so awesome. Abeloth, you really have woven Abeloth into this fic.

 

I'm pleased to see an Alive! Mara fic, and her confusion you write especially well. The action particularly came across well, very 'Star-Wars-y!' Also, good ol' Joruus never fails to tickle me.