Beyond - Legends The Blood of the Hand (Mara, Luke, H/L, & more) Author's Note 04/05

Title: The Blood of the Hand
Author: MirandaFair
Timeframe: Post Jedi Academy Trilogy/I, Jedi
Characters: Mara Jade, Sly Moore, Commander Pellaeon, Luke Skywalker, H/L, Lando Calrissian, Talon Karrde, Corran Horn (and more OT/EU characters to make appearances)
Genre: Action, drama, some angst, some humor.
Keywords: Mara
Summary: Exar Kun has been defeated, but a new threat waits in the darkness. Can Mara Jade escape her past? Or will she be consumed by the very thing she has tried to avoid her entire life? The Dark Side.
Notes: WIP

Disclaimer: Star Wars is the property of Lucasfilm Limited. No profit is being made. Thank you George Lucas! Also a big thank you to Timothy Zahn.

Author's Notes: Thank you to my Master RedGold and Beta oldjedinurse for being incredibly supportive. You girls ROCK!


Please Read & Respond. It would be appreciated!

If you'd like to be on the PM-update list, just let me know. Thanks once again.

[image=http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/4306/starwars3vc.png]

INDEX
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
[link=http://boards.theforce.net/beyond

 

This looks very promising! Could you PM when you update? Anyways, good work, can't wait for the next update

 

Woah! Very, very nice begining!

Keep it up!

 

Responses? Wow-thank you!

Briman: Thank you so very much. You'll be 1st on the PM list.

Jadie: Aww thank you for reading. I'm glad you enjoyed the first post.

 

YAY! You've posted it! You KNOW I love this...your readers are in for a great story!



~ oldj ~

 

Good..
I want more, could you send me a Pm on the next update??

 

oldjedinurse: YAY! You've posted it! You KNOW I love this...your readers are in for a great story!

Thanks for beta-ing & supporting me oldj. I'm so glad you love the story.


VIII Good..
I want more, could you send me a Pm on the next update??

Sure, VIII, I'd be happy to send you a PM update. Thanks for reading!

 

Oh yeah, posted!

I really like where you are going to go with this fic and I've only seen a few chapters and a rough idead of the rest!

You're doing great, my padawan!

 

This looks very interesting...

I love stories that explore Mara's past and the darker side of her.

Looking foward to more

 

RedGold: I really like where you are going to go with this fic and I've only seen a few chapters and a rough idead of the rest!

You're doing great, my padawan!

Thanks so much, RedGold! I've really enjoyed working with you.

JadeLotus: This looks very interesting...
I love stories that explore Mara's past and the darker side of her.
Looking foward to more

Thank you for reading and responding, JadeLotus. This fic will dive more into Mara's past and become much, much darker. Hoping not to disappoint!

 

Oh my! This sounds forboding, indeed. Great start!

 

Yeah - looking good so far, just remember - we like it dark and nasty! No holdin back on Jades violent potential!

 

Jedi Trace: Thank you!!

Lippy: *writes down "dark" and "nasty"*. Check. I think I could give it a shot. Thanks for reading.


Thank you to everyone for reading. Enjoy Chapter 1!

---

[b]CHAPTER ONE[/b]

Mara Jade adjusted her infrared goggles and continued her search deep in the spice mines of Kessel. The experienced trader and four workers had been measuring for spice dredging lines when they came. No sooner had the team left the mine cars when they were ambushed.

Mara felt a twinge in the Force before hearing the scratching sound of sharpened appendages scar the cold floors. While still new to working underneath the planet, Mara had already had her share of run-ins with the local characters that lay in the darkness. The massive spiders usually hunted alone, but Mara could hear four or five of them. Just her luck they would make an exception for her.

Gripping her blaster, Mara slowly scanned the tunnels hoping to catch a glimpse of her companions. She already knew one crew member was dead.

Something made Mara plunge face first and she tasted blood mixed with the soil. Pushing herself off the ground, Mara swallowed hard as she noticed the culpret that caused her to fall.

"Make that two down," Mara muttered solemnly. The man had been savagely torn apart.

It was a futile effort, but Mara still checked for a pulse. She hated losing people, especially while being in command. Still she had a chance to save the other two men and herself, but she was running out of time.

"This is Jade," Mara whispered into her comm. "Control, do you copy?" The enhanced vision cast an eerie blue glow through the tunnels as she continued to scan for friend or foe. "My team was ambushed by a volley of spiders. We need backup, repeat. Need backup. Control, do you copy?"

Static answered her on the other end of the comm. Mara swore under her breath.

[i]You've always relied on yourself. Why stop now?[/i]

Mara bent down over the remains and cut lose the man's work tag, pocketing it with the other one. With a hand on her lightsaber, and the other one fingering her blaster's trigger, she continued on the winding path.

Mara had not gone more than a few yards when a scream sounded from behind her. Wheeling around, Mara could make out the silhouette of a man running toward her.

"Run!" he yelled. "They're coming!"

The man joined Mara and they took off down the cave in a frantic run.

"How many are there?" Mara asked through gritted teeth.

"Only two. I think," the man said out of breath. "I know I killed one. No sooner had I done the job and this pair came after me. They got to Swagart though."

Mara nodded curtly. "I took down a couple before when they jumped down our throats."

Now it was only the two of them left.

Screeches and rapid ticking on the uneven slate floor joined the miner and Mara's steps.

Mara threw a glance backward. There were two giant spiders and they were getting close.

"Do you have your blaster handy?" asked Mara.

"You bet," the man said. Even in the sapphire light, Mara could see him smile.

"Use it."

The skittering came closer and closer. Mara fell back into a defensive position and ignited her lightsaber. The vibrant beam from her Jedi weapon blinded her. Closing her eyes shut, she felt that the Force was with her. Raising her energy sword, she started hacking at dagger-sharp legs. Bellows filled the stank air as the spiders hissed out from the attack of blade and blaster.

Mara held back a shiver as she opened her eyes and could see herself and her lightsaber reflected in a cluster of black, inky eyes. The spider must have saw Mara pause and swung around a bent leg, kicking Mara aside. With the wind knocked out of her, Mara hit the tunnel wall and tumbled to the ground. Her goggles tore away from her, flying out into obscurity. Her spare hand felt for the breathmask on her face and pulled it closer. She was now truly blind, but the Force didn't desert her.

To Mara's side, she could hear her ally yell and rapidly fire

 

Did I tell you how much I love your Mara/Lando interaction?

 

Wow! You've got a great story going here! I can't wait for more!

 

Great, another very good post.
I can´t wait for more...

 

RedGold : Did I tell you how much I love your Mara/Lando interaction?

*blushes* Aww shucks...lol.

VaderLVR64: Wow! You've got a great story going here! I can't wait for more!

Thank you so much for reading/responding. I was searching for an original storyline. After seeing RotS in the theatres, four, maybe five times.. ..Sly Moore was aching to play muse in my head and conjured up a plot, she did.

VIII: Great, another very good post.
I can´t wait for more...

Thanks for stopping back. I'm so happy you're enjoying it.

 

Even better! You write Mara well, and Lando too.

 

I hate spiders!

Nice chapter. The action was nicely written, and I loved Lando's appearance there at the end. The interaction between him and Mara was great.

 

Briman: Even better! You write Mara well, and Lando too.

Thanks for stopping back. Lando is always so much fun to write. Mara is also another favorite.

JadeLotus: I hate spiders!
Nice chapter. The action was nicely written, and I loved Lando's appearance there at the end. The interaction between him and Mara was great.

JL, I'm not a big spider-fan myself. I kept getting chills when typing them. *shivers* Action has always been something I've had to work on. A very big thank you for saying that.

 

Well I asked and you delivered!

WELL DONE LUV!

Nice and dark with added arachnophobia!

Applause all round.

 

That's all I'm saying...

oldj

 

Lippy: Well I asked and you delivered!
WELL DONE LUV!
Nice and dark with added arachnophobia!
Applause all round.

Lippy, thank you! I'm so glad to have delievered on that chapter. Hopefully this new one will sustain you till the next update.

oldjedinurse: That's all I'm saying...

oldj

oldj, thank you. I do love applause!

********

If you aren't on the PM list, and would like updates, please let me know. Thanks for reading! Enjoy this short chapter.

---

[b]CHAPTER TWO [/b]

Nearly a standard month had passed since his first meeting with the Emperor's former aide as Commander Pellaeon sat comfortably in his private quarters aboard the [i]Chimaera[/I]. Soon his fleet could have its first victory in a long time.

Pellaeon was highly respected among his crew and peers for a reason and usually he'd share such information of joining forces with the remnants of the fallen Empire. This time, however, Gilad Pellaeon felt too much was at risk.

The Imperial Moffs had become power hungry, all fighting for a chance to take the helm of the Empire. The Commander wasn't interested in personal glory, he just wanted things to be the way they once were. The Moffs certainly wouldn't be happy to hear that someone who knew the Emperor as well as Moore did had risen from the ashes.

Sly Moore was part of a grand past and Pellaeon felt Moore understood what direction the Empire needed to go in. Events over the recent month had made him see that he wasn't the only one who longed for a thriving Empire, but he'd begun to lose faith in the very thing he joined so long ago.

It was a strange alliance, decorated Imperial war veteran and highly intelligent diplomat. Both had much to offer. Pellaeon promised to provide resources in finding Mara Jade as well as continuing to stir up conflict around those loyal to New Republic. Sly Moore promised a fleet that the dwindling Empire desperately needed and the means to provide a crew for them. Things that weeks ago seemed achievable only in dreams were now within the grasp of his fingertips. The Empire was close to reinventing itself.

Pellaeon stepped onto the holocam field and initiated the transmission. The holonet made its shortcut through hyperspace and a connection was established. The air turned silver and shimmered as Sly Moore, hooded and cloaked, appeared from nothingness.

Pellaeon bowed, "Your Excellency."

"Commander," Moore said. "Has your contact located Jade?"

"Yes Madam," Pellaeon nodded with satisfaction. "Mara Jade is currently en route to Coruscant onboard a ship called the [i]Lady Luck[/I]. The tracking device that was secured on the hull shows her current location to be in orbit around the planet Contruum. I've called to inform you that our troops are now in the area and are on their way to collect Jade."

"Very good, Commander," Moore said with a desire seething inside her. "Tell your men not to underestimate Mara Jade. She is a formidable opponent. Our Imperial soldiers will not be any good to us if she kills them all, will they?"

"Certainly not, Madam." Pellaeon tried unsuccessfully to hide a shiver that ran up his neck.

"When you have Jade, contact me," Moore continued. "I trust you have brought some Ysalamiri onto the Chimaera?"

Pellaeon nodded, suddenly wary about having a force-sensitive assassin on his ship.

"You must take all the precautions. Once we have Jade, we can work on getting you that fleet I promised."

Pellaeon tried to calm his racing heart. "There's a man traveling with Jade. What should be done about him?"

"Kill him, and bring Mara Jade before me. With Jade in my hands, you get the Ghost Fleet and I get the beginning of a new Dark Order."

 

Great...
I will love to see how this is going to continue..

 

Oops! Missed a post.

"Kill him, and bring Mara Jade before me. With Jade in my hands, you get the Ghost Fleet and I get the beginning of a new Dark Order."




*whistles* You don't waste any time in building the suspense, do you? Can't wait to see where this goes!