Beyond - Legends "The Shadow of Fate" (SJRS Challenge: Episode VII) Complete! 29 August

*comes back after standard period of incoherency*

You know why this is awesome? Your Mara is stronger. No, rly, think about it - in TTT, the only way Mara managed to finally get rid of the "last command" was to actually kill Luke...by proxy. A very convenient out was provided for her in the form of a clone.

Here - also unlike the official novels, where she kept threatening up and down to kill him but never made a serious attempt until Luuuuuuke showed up to party - Mara actually tries to kill the real Luke but ultimately decides not to out of her own free will. Granted, he persuades her, but in the end, just as he says, it's her choice. And it really, truly is. We get the double satisfaction of seeing Mara put teeth behind her threats, then overcome Palps' influence without giving in to the act itself, and thus, not giving in to him.



JadeLotus this is where you say, "You're welcome."

 

Totally true Thread. We are spoilt plum rotten!

 

Thanks! All of these random plot things come together at the end, I promise

Thank you! Mara's never had someone so convincingly plead for their life before, but the thing that really got to Mara was that he wasn't talking trying to save his own life, not really, he was trying to save hers. It must be an unimaginable challenge to discover that the greater good you thought you were serving your whole life was actually evil - confronting and not easy to overcome, but she took the first step with Luke here.

Many thanks!

Thank you!

Ain't no reaction post like a ThreadSketch reaction post! I never get tired of that comic, or this tumblr post. Friendship bracelets!

Even for Luke's standards, it's a lot of near-death experiences in one day.

Thanks!

You're welcome!

That is what I was going for, because as amazing as TTT is, the Luuke thing is kind of a cop-out, but it was a necessary cop-out. It helps that in this version the last command is more figurative rather than an actual booming, debilitating voice in her head, which made it easier to work around. The literal last command was necessary to maintain the tension over three novels, because otherwise the will-she-won't-she would dissipate as soon as it became clear that Mara was not going to kill Luke except in (quasi)self-defence. I mean, Mara was still banging on about killing him in DFR and Leia of all people was all "yeah, okay honey."

I can't imagine how dark and depressing reading about Mara overcoming that without killing the clone would be, and obviously it needed to be wrapped up by the end of the trilogy, but given I had the opportunity to re-write her journey (as truncated as it is) I thought I'd give her the chance to break free from the Emperor's hold by choosing not to act, rather than giving in to violence.

Thanks Ny!

 

Tags: Gemma




Chapter 17



1 NRE

When Luke awoke, the first thing he became aware of was a sharp pain through his chest. He struggled to rise, but the pain only intensified and forced him back down. Then Luke remembered the frantic battle with Mara in the rain, the blaster she won from him and her finger tensing on the trigger.

And yet, she had not fired, Luke remembered with relief. He had suspected, but he hadn’t been sure until that moment that Mara had been capable of overcoming her indoctrination and the final order from the Emperor. She had shown a strength Luke felt humbled by.

“I don’t see what you have to smile about,” Mara’s cut through Luke’s musings, and he looked towards the source of her voice. “You’ve been half-savaged by a vornskr.”

Mara was sitting cross-legged against the cave wall, and Luke also noticed that she’d built a fire near the entrance to keep the area warm but to allow the smoke to escape. She looked exhausted, and Luke guessed that she must have tended to him the previous night. His blaster was resting on the ground beside her, as was his lightsaber. Her hands were bandaged, and Luke realised that she must have used the last of the bacta patches on his injuries.

"Being alive is always something to smile about," Luke countered, rolling onto his side and attempting to lift himself up.

“You need to rest,” Mara said and looked conflicted.

“I’m fine,” Luke said as he struggled into a sitting position, not without some difficulty. “We need to get back to the base so they can go get Karrde.”

“You really are unbelieveable, Skywalker,” she shook her head in disbelief.

“How so?” Luke asked.

“Because after what happened yesterday, any reasonable person would have said ‘sod you and your employer, I’m almost dead thanks to the both of you’.”

“You didn’t go through with it,” he pointed out, reaching for the ration pack and opening it. “And I’m still alive.” He ravenously ate three ration bars while Mara watched him incredulously. When he finished Luke looked around for his tunic, for the first time feeling the cold morning air on his bare chest.

“I had to tear it up to treat your injury,” Mara told him. “I suggest you cut a hole in that blanket and use it as a poncho. Hardly in style, I’ll admit, but considering what you were wearing anyway…” She smiled at him, and her saw her teeth for the first time.

“Thanks for the fashion advice,” Luke said dryly, hauling himself up to his feet and grasping the blanket to do as she suggested, wincing as the movement pulled at his injuries. She handed back his lightsaber and he gratefully clipped it to his belt once the job was done. Mara hesitated for a moment, and then held out the blaster as well.

“You keep that,” he said, pushing it back towards her. “You may need it to save my life again,” he added with a grin. Mara merely huffed and holstered the blaster, but Luke was sure he’d seen the corner of her mouth twitch.

They resumed their journey back to the base a short while later, although Luke’s chest ached with every step and they had to walk slowly. The storm the night before had turned the earthy forest floor into a thick mud which further hampered Luke’s movements.

“You should go on ahead,” Luke suggested as he struggled through a bit of bog, the jarring movement making him slow.

“And let you get mauled by the next vornskr that comes along?” Mara shook her head. “If I don’t get to kill you, I’m not about to let some animal do the job.”

They walked in silence for some time, with Luke too exhausted to talk and Mara evidently not inclined to. He’d learned that seemed to be in her nature, despite the change in circumstances.

“Skywalker, “ she said eventually, her eyes on the trees ahead. “I want you to know that what you told me about your father… I won’t tell anyone.”

Luke smiled. “I know.” Somehow, instinct told Luke that he could trust Mara Jade.

Mara huffed and turned away, probably irritated by his declaration. Perhaps he should not have said anything, since it was clearly a large concession on her part.

“I’m not ashamed of it,” Luke told her, wanting Mara to understand. “Or of him. But Alliance High Command thought it best if it was not...public knowledge.”

“Well, they’re smarter than you,” she told him. “People who want the Jedi Order to be resurrected hardly want to see the son of the man who helped exterminate it at the helm.”

“He turned back to the light in the end,” Luke insisted.

“A deathbed conversion doesn’t change anything he did,” she said. “Just like me not killing you now doesn’t make up for all the people I’ve killed in the past.”

“Under the Emperor’s order,” Luke said. “He indoctrinated you.”

Mara sighed and looked away. “No, you were right, Skywalker,” she said sadly. “There were times when I questioned whether what I was doing was right. I saw the evils in the Empire and chose to justify, rather than question them. I always thought I was so strong, but I was nothing more than a puppet - I should have cut the strings earlier.”

Luke put a comforting hand on her shoulder, and although she flinched, Mara did not pull away. He considered that progress.

He heard voices in the distance, and the sound of footsteps through the trees. But Luke was shocked when a small party emerged, some in smuggler’s attire, a few in NR troop uniform, and leading them none other than his sister and brother in law.

"Leia," he called to her, almost collapsing in relief. "Leia, I'm here."

She caught sight of him and smiled brilliantly, crossing the distance in mere moments and throwing her arms around him.

"Luke," she sobbed happily, holding him tightly. “I was so worried.”

Pain stabbed him through the shoulders at her firm embrace, but Luke ignored it, thankful to be with his sister again.

“I’m fine,” he told her with relief, but Leia had noticed his flinch and pulled away.

“Luke you’re hurt,” Leia said anxiously, for the first time noticing his makeshift tunic, and as Luke followed her gaze he realised one of his cuts had started bleeding again, staining the blanket red.

“He’s fine,” Mara cut in. “Karrde’s the one who needs help.”

“That’s right,” Luke turned back to Leia. In the happiness of his reunion, he had momentarily forgotten about Karrde. “Our shuttle crashed and Karrde was injured - we had to leave him there,” he added, then turned to the NR troops. “Can someone go back to the base and inform them, the crash is about one hundred kilometres east of here.”

One of the lieutenants saluted and started to run back to the base. Mara looked like she wanted to follow, but Luke knew she wouldn’t be able to run easily with her own injuries. That and the way the rest of the NR troops were staring at her, he doubted they would let her go.

“This is the same Talon Karrde who kidnapped you,” Han said sceptically. He had come to Luke's side as well and without him realising it was supporting him by the shoulders. Luke relaxed gratefully into his hold.

“Yes,” Luke nodded. “He needs medical attention.”

“And her?” Han nodded to Mara, his free hand hovering over his holster.

“Mara Jade,” Luke introduced her. “She’s the woman who saved my life.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


29 NRE


Luke, Kara, Eren and Ben were huddled around the small comm station in the main hold of the Fury’s Lament. Illuminated between them were the holographic figures of Mara and Jaina in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, who had been informing them of recent developments.

“We’ve made some contacts on the lower levels,” Jaina reported. “They told us that the two Zabrak who infiltrated NRI headquarters have been recruiting. They apparently are working for someone called the Dark Lady.”

“And they had the Force?” Luke asked.

“Micah seemed to think so,” Mara nodded. “Although they used tech as well.”

“I only sensed two Sith here on Tatooine, and one was only an apprentice, I’m sure,” Luke said.

“Do you know if they were male of female?” Mara asked.

Luke shook his head. “They both had strongly developed barriers, and blocked me as soon as they sensed my probe. This dark lady could be the master and only brought one of her apprentices here,” Luke reasoned. “But why leave one behind? And it doesn’t make sense that she would subvert the Rule of Two.”

“Either Palpatine and Vader clearly did,” Mara pointed out. “One of them had to have trained the Sith you’re sensing.”

“Or perhaps the dark lady is someone else entirely,” Ben spoke up. “Perhaps she’s not a Sith at all - to be frank Micah’s not the best judge of Force abilities,” he continued. “These two Zabrak could just be skilled criminals and nothing more.”

Luke stroked his beard in contemplation. It was true that Micah had stopped attending the Jedi Academy at fifteen, and therefore his Force senses were less refined than Ben’s. Still, Luke trusted his younger son’s instincts.

"Did you know of any other people the Emperor or Vader were training with the Force, Mara?” Eren asked.

"Well there was Shira Brie," Mara said thoughtfully, and gave Luke a look. "But I killed that bitch myself."

"We never found her body, though," Luke pointed out.

"She's dead, I'm positive," Mara said firmly.

"Starkiller was redeemed and died before the Corellian Treaty," Luke added, remembering the events that Leia had related to him. "And Shadowspawn was defeated on Mindor." Both had been secret apprentices of Vader and Palpatine respectively, which only proved that both of them had tried to break the fundamental Sith doctrine of the Rule of Two.

"Anyone else?" Eren asked.

“I’m not sure,” Mara said, her brow furrowed as she was clearly searching her memory. “The Inquisitors were disposed of over the years by Palpatine himself once they grew too powerful. I wasn’t aware of any other Emperor’s Hands or whether they had the Force or not. Sidious guarded his secrets well - he could have had an army of Force adepts, or none, I can’t be sure.”

“My grandfather told me about a few people he thought may have been Palpatine’s protegees,” Kara opined. “Wilan Yoti, Moff of the Atravis sector, for example.”

Mara gave it a few moment’s thought. “Palpatine had a base in that sector, on Mustafar.” She gave Luke a long look, and he knew that she was referring to the events involving his father on that planet. “He might have entrusted it to a dark side ally.”

“Perhaps,” Luke said. “It has a pedigree for a Sith training ground.” It was where Anakin Skywalker had died, and Darth Vader truly born. The mere mention of still caused stab of pain in Luke’s heart, even after all these years.

“Slightly obvious, though,” Mara added. “If Palpatine was truly subverting the Rule of Two you would think he would try harder to conceal the fact from Vader. Who else, Kara?”

“Danguard To, Sacree Opal," Kara listed off her datapad. Luke had heard all of the names already, and hadn’t recognised any of them. But Mara had been firmly entrenched in the Empire, and would know better than anyone if any of Kara’s names were possible options. "Fulton Bha’lava,” she continued. “Fariah Ma, Svel Delrond-”

“Wait,” Mara stopped her. “Delrond?”

“Yes,” Kara nodded, looking down at the notes on her datapad. “The Delronds were once one of the richest families in the galaxy - they were the leading House among the Coruscanti aristocracy during the Old Republic and the Empire. My grandfather was good friends with the patriarch Nic Delrond, but from what I understand he and his five sons all died in the Civil War.”

“I knew a Delrond,” Mara said, and looked thoughtful. “He was an Imperial Commander on the Emperor’s private Star Destroyer.”

“That ship wasn’t part of the Imperial Armada at Endor,” Luke nodded. “But it was destroyed during the Liberation of Coruscant.” He remembered because it was the last ship destroyed in the Civil War as the Alliance had broken the blockade around Coruscant, and their ground troops together with the Resistance movement had claimed the capital.

“Doesn’t mean he was on it,” Mara pointed out, and Luke nodded absently in agreement.

“Was he Force sensitive?” Eren asked.

“I don’t know,” Mara grimaced. “My sensing skills weren’t developed back then.”

“Can you do some research, Mara?” Luke asked. “It’s at least a lead.”

Mara nodded. “Jaina and I will work with Syal and these assets of hers to try and get to the bottom of this.”

Luke did not miss Ben’s flinch at the mention of Syal Antilles, but thought it best to pretend he had.

“May the Force be with you,” Luke told them both as he ended the call. Then he turned to his companions and forced a weak smile. “Good work, Kara,” he addressed his former apprentice.

“I can call grandfather again, and ask him for more information on the Delronds,” she responded, shutting down her datapad.

“Tomorrow, perhaps,” Luke advised. He knew that the old man had never approved of him or his Jedi Order, and didn’t want to press him too hard.

Ben sighed and clasped his hands on the table. “I still think that we should go after these Sith,” he said. “We know where they are now.”

“We don’t know exactly where they are,” Luke reminded him.

“But we could find them easily enough,” Ben added, piercing Luke with a hard look.

“We do outnumber them two to one,” Kara pointed out, and Ben nodded to her in support.

“That’s right,” he said. “And none of us are mere apprentices.”

“If numbers meant anything, the Alliance would have never succeeded at Yavin or Endor,” Luke reminded him firmly. “Palpatine and Vader were merely two, and between them they killed thousands of Jedi. No, it is better to wait, and plan rather than rushing to confront an enemy we know nothing about.” It was a lesson Luke had learned the hard way.

“But it seems pointless to do nothing, knowing that they’re out there,” Ben refused to back down, and Luke could see the thirst for glory in his eyes. “Surely it is better to confront them in a surprise attack.”

“I agree with Master Skywalker,” Eren said evenly, putting a hand on Ben’s arm in an effort to calm him. “We know nothing about this enemy, other than that they are Sith.”

“What else do we need to know?” Ben pressed.

“Firstly, we need to know who they are,” Luke said a bit more sharply than he intended. “What are their motivations? Why are they here on Tatooine? What are they hoping to achieve? When you can tell me the answers to those questions, Ben, we can go after them.”

Ben’s jaw set firmly, and he looked down at his hands, clearly unhappy with Luke response. “Fine,” he said as he stood up and left.

Luke sighed and rubbed his beard again, as if it would help him find the answers.

“I’ll go talk to him,” Eren said quietly, and left the room as well.

Kara looked at him with a mixture of sympathy and concern. “He does have a point, Luke,” she said softly. “What if the Sith leave Tatooine now that they know we’re here looking for them?”

“I suspect they’ve known we’re here for some time,” Luke reasoned. “If not from the very moment we arrived.”

“And what if they attack us?” Kara asked with some distress.

“We will defend ourselves.” Luke sighed and looked towards the empty doorframe where Ben had stormed out. “You know, Kara,” he added wistfully. “We raise our children trying to teach them not to make the same mistakes we did, and yet sometimes they turn out just like us no matter what we do.”

“You say that as if it’s a bad thing,” Kara said kindly.

“It is if they take on our flaws as well as our good qualities,” Luke mused, and turned back to Kara with a sad smile. “And I, unfortunately, am hopelessly flawed.”

Kara gave him a knowing look. “You perhaps less than most, Master.”

Luke looked down at his hands, always uncomfortable with the praise of others. Wistfully, he wished that Mara was with him, to deflate his ego in that perfect way of hers which somehow allayed his fears and quashed his doubts.

“I hope that I am like my father in some small way,” Kara said quietly, and Luke looked back up at her. It was a welcome reminder that his problems should not be the sole focus of his attention, to always be comforted and reassured by others. They had their own doubts and concerns which required his understanding.

Luke placed his hand over hers. “You remind me a great deal of him, Kara,” he told her, “and your mother as well.” For in the young woman he saw the fierce determination and bravery of Sidel that had allowed her to defy her upbringing and family to fight for the Alliance at great danger and cost to herself; and also the great heart and generosity of his dear friend Oren, who following the Battle of Yavin had taken the young Luke under his wing.

“But always remember that you are yourself first and foremost,” Luke continued softly. “That is all your parents wanted from you, and all you must do to keep their memory alive.”


*********

The rooms they had rented in Anchorhead were small, and had required Ben to share with his father. It was unfortunate only because of their argument over the best course of action earlier, and tension still simmered between them. When Luke had turned in for the night Ben had already been in his bunk although not yet asleep. But his father had merely crawled into his own bunk across the narrow room and had not said a word, which left Ben lying in the dark to contemplate.

Ben knew that he’d been childish in questioning Luke’s judgement earlier, for he was not only Ben’s father, but Grand Master of the Jedi and head of his order. On quiet reflection Ben had realised the wisdom in Luke’s words, although he still didn’t quite agree with him. He’d been more affected than he should have been knowing that his mother and cousin were working with Syal, which had brought unpleasant memories to the forefront of his mind. That, coupled with Ben’s frustration at the lack of progress since his father and Kara had arrived on Tatooine had steamed him up in an effort to focus on the task at hand. But in the dark, Ben could not control where his thoughts lingered.

“Dad?” Ben called out quietly into the darkness, softly enough so that if his father was already asleep he wouldn’t be disturbed.

“Yes?” Luke called back, somewhat wearily.

“How old were you when you and Mum got married?”

There was a short silence before his father answered, probably taken off guard by the left-field question. “About your age,” Luke said. “A little older.”

“And how did you know it was the right time?” Ben queried.

“Because she said yes.” He could almost hear his father's smile.

“It was that simple?” From the stories Ben had heard, even the highly edited versions of his youth, that could hardly be true.

“No,” Luke confirmed. “It wasn’t simple at all.” He sighed softly, and yet it was a happy sound. “I think I was lucky that the circumstances all came together at that moment - that your mother had agreed to help me establish the Academy, that we were able to spend so much time together, that she was there for me during a low moment which allowed my feelings for her to become unchecked....” His voice trailed off and Luke sighed again, this time wistfully.

“Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if she hadn’t agreed to train with me after Myrkr,” he mused. “Would we have spent years dancing around each other, meeting only on occasion and ignoring the connection that both of us felt but didn’t want to admit? I don’t know.”

“So it was because you were both Jedi,” Ben reasoned to himself.

“No,” Luke said firmly.

“But it made it easier, didn’t it?” Ben challenged him, sitting up in his bunk and leaning against the wall. His father lay in the opposite bunk, staring at the ceiling. “For a Jedi, duty must always come first.”

Luke sighed and sat up himself, swinging his legs down to the floor and folding his hands together, regarding Ben thoughtfully. It was hard to see in the dark, but it almost seemed as if his father was disappointed.

“That is true for many people,” Luke said evenly. “Including Syal Antilles.”

Ben looked away. He’d known that his reaction earlier had made his questions transparent, but he hadn’t expected his father to call him on it.

“The duty of a Jedi is no less important than that of anyone else,” Luke continued, and Ben knew that, of course. It had been drilled into him since childhood, to have a healthy respect for those without the Force. The Jedi were not gods, his father had always told them, and they must never act like them. A Jedi were servants; not a ruling class, and certainly not above any other being.

“I’m sorry about earlier, Dad,” Ben said softly, bringing his knees up to his chest and hugging them as he had done when he was a child. “I know I shouldn’t be so eager to attack.”

“I like to hear your point of view, Ben,” Luke told him gently. “Don’t apologise for that, and don’t feel like you can’t question me. But always examine your reasons for doing so.”

Ben nodded, but then realised that his father probably couldn’t see the action. “Yes, father.” He lay back down in his bunk and pulled the blankets tight around himself despite the heat of the room. Luke did the same, and peace once again settled.

“Do you miss Mum?” Ben couldn’t help but ask. He’d seen the way his father had looked at Mara’s small holographic form earlier, his gaze tender despite the businesslike tone of his voice.

“Yes,” came his father’s soft reply. “I miss her very much. I always do, even if we are apart only a short while.”

“And if you had to choose, between her and fulfilling your duty?” Ben couldn’t stop himself from asking. “What would you do?”

There was silence for a long time. “Goodnight Ben,” was his father’s eventual reply, and Ben heard him shift in the bunk to turn away from him and find his rest.

Ben continued to stare up into the darkness, sleep unwilling to come to him.

 

Wonderful as always. Excellent flashback (and slightly swoonworthy with the way Mara begins to soften!), and I simply adore the conversation between Ben and Luke. Ben has a lot to learn, as most Skywalker children do, but Luke's only going to give him so much. He's got a lot of work to do on his own.

 

Fantab flashback. Liked the talk between Kara and Luke and Luke and Ben.
The latter two have a warm, honest relationship.
Ben's lessons to learn revolve around rushing in headlong and the balance between duty and the choices the heart demands in the romance department and finding out how to honor both a career and family/couple-hood. Luke's observation was well-expressed, that a happy coincidence of circumstance led to him and Mara getting together when they did, to them spending time together instead of tap-dancing around one another. Yayness for JadeLotus' great redo!

 

I loved the flashback!

Yes, that is exactly what would have happened!

 

Thank you! It's not easy being a Skywalker, especially trying to live up to a legacy. I was always a little sad that Ben and Luke had such a strained relationship in the EU, so wanted to make them a bit closer here, although still with issues as every family does.

Thanks! In Kara I wanted to give Luke a bit of a sounding board, but also for him to have a connection to her that is partly because of his friendship with her parents, and partly because of their own apprentice/master history. It was important to me to not have Luke be Ben's Master, but for them to have a good relationship nonetheless. And Luke and Mara...seriously, I think if they'd spent more time together post-TTT they would have gotten together a lot sooner. The exact circumstances referred to be Luke in this chapter will of course be explored later.

I can't seem to stop myself from having little digs at the things I disliked about the EU. As written, I could see why Luke and Mara needed more time to come to terms with each other in Legends, but in my galaxy this is how it happened.

 

Not even a week into grad school and I'm behind with my fanfic. However, you know I love this. And it's my new personal canon. And I love this. And you! Your writing is always a treat, lady. (It's almost as good as Tim-Tams!! )

 

Oh those flashbacks. I would like to see Skywalker vs Jade fighting in the dirt. Mara surely knows how to catch a man jumping on him from the back.Lol!

 

I know you don't have much time, gal, and I so appreciate you reading (again)! Nothing's better than Tim Tams

Thank you! The fight scene confrontation/fight was actually one of the first scenes that jumped into my head for an "alternate" EU - I just really liked the image of them tussling in the mud and Mara pointing a blaster at him in the pouring rain.

A/N: I've started posting the OCs from this fic in the OC Index - if anyone needed help keeping track of who's who! I know I do, and I'm writing the darn thing

 

Tags: Gemma

Chapter 18


1 NRE

For Leia Organa Solo, life thankfully returned to normal once they had rescued Luke from Myrkr. Well, as normal as could be expected. Luke had agreed to stop traipsing about the galaxy in search of Jedi knowledge and artifacts, and to prove to Leia his resolve to stay he was showing her the new apartment he had rented on Coruscant.

“This is beautiful, Luke,” she said, surveying the plush surroundings and huge open windows where the Coruscant skyline glittered beyond a private balcony and landing platform. It was located in 500 Republica, a highly regarded residence for Coruscant’s political elite and where Leia and Han themselves kept a modest home. “But how can you possibly afford it?”

Luke looked sheepish. “I have my commission.”

“You resigned your commission, Luke,” Leia reminded him. “And I know what the pay for a retired General is.” She looked around at the open veranda where they were standing, the comfortable-looking circular couches and the decor which was warm and inviting. Leia had an overwhelming sense of familiarity that she couldn’t quite place.

“The landlord took pity on me.” Luke looked down at his boots and smiled secretively.

Leia raised an eyebrow at him, crossed her arms and tapped her foot against the polished floor. “Why?”

Luke looked up at her, his blue eyes sparkling, and Leia realised that he’d been waiting to reveal this to her. “Because my mother lived here.”

“Padmé?” Leia was shocked, looking around the room, now again understanding why it had felt so familiar. “This was her home?”

She heard Luke’s unspoken thought which for her sake he did not voice. And our father’s.But Leia couldn’t bear to think of it in those terms, would not let her thoughts contemplate that Anakin Skywalker had once lived in this place with his wife.

“It makes me feel close to her,” Luke mused, and indeed he looked content in his surroundings, as if he had been raised from a child in the luxurious rooms which surrounded them, rather than a barren moisture farm. “I never had any images or feelings of her like you did, and being here…” He trailed off and smiled sheepishly, looking back down at the ground.

“I’m happy for you, Luke,” Leia stepped forward and embraced him. “But don’t lose yourself too much in the past,” she advised as she pulled away, squeezing his arms gently. It concerned her, sometimes, the devotion Luke had to uncovering every detail of their parent’s lives, even if the knowledge caused him pain. She was worried that he wasn’t focusing enough on the present and his vow to rebuild the Jedi Order. Leia knew what an arduous road that would be, and almost regretted her choice to serve the new government in a political capacity, rather than allowing Luke to teach her the ways of the Jedi and help him in his task. But he seemed that he had at least found himself a potential candidate in his ordeal on Myrkr.

“Tell me about this Mara Jade,” Leia implored him, taking a seat on the plush couch. “You want to train her as a Jedi.”

“If I can convince her.” Luke remained standing, his hands clasped behind his back. It was an old habit Luke seemed unable to shake; standing to attention when he felt he was about to be interrogated.

“Who is she?” Leia pressed nonetheless. The tolerance and forgiveness of those who had captured and held him hostage still astounded her, but Luke had insisted that no charges be brought against them. In fact, he had suggested that Karrde was a perfect choice for her plans to regulate the smuggling profession. Leia had only briefly met the man when he’d been recovered from the crashed shuttle and in the medward while Luke was having his own wounds treated. He’d been surprisingly erudite for a smuggler, but nevertheless shrewd and clever.

And then there was the young woman who’d accompanied Luke through their three day trek through the Myrkr forest - Leia had sensed a connection between them, but Luke had told her no more than that she was Force sensitive, and she’d saved his life from a vornskr attack.

“She was an Imperial…” Luke looked away, troubled, and was silent for several moments before continuing. “Have you ever heard of the Emperor’s Hand?”

Leia recoiled. It had been an open secret in the Imperial Court, yet another tool for the Emperor to exert power and incite fear. If Palpatine wanted someone publicly arrested or executed, he would send Vader. It would be official. If Palpatine however, simply wanted someone eliminated quietly, he would send his Hand. That person disappeared, and nothing could be traced back to Palpatine.

“She was the Emperor’s Hand?” Leia was incredulous. “Palpatine’s personal assassin? And you want to train her?”

“Yes,” Luke said firmly. Then he took a seat beside Leia and reached for her hand. “Leia, she’s renounced the Emperor,” she continued. “Mara was ordered by Palpatine to kill me - please let me finish - she had the chance to do it on Myrkr, she had a hundred chances. But she didn’t,” he said emphatically. “Instead, she saved my life. She could have let that vornskr kill me, and her conscience would be clear. I believe she’s broken free of whatever hold Palpatine had on her, and has the potential to be a powerful Jedi.”

Leia was unconvinced - it wouldn’t be the first time Luke’s head had been turned by a pretty face and he hadn’t sensed the woman’s duplicity. And yet from the little exposure she’d had to Mara Jade it didn’t appear that she had been trying to curry Luke’s favor at all. Instead she’d been rather abrasive and rude to him - hardly the actions of someone wanting to get close to a mark. But how could Leia ever trust her, knowing that Mara had been ordered to kill her brother?

“The new Senate and Republic military are full of former Imperials,” Luke pointed out, as if anticipating her objection. “It was a necessity of peace, and I don’t see why Mara Jade should be treated with less forgiveness and understanding than the Moffs, who I assure you were far more culpable for Imperial atrocities than her.”

“But Luke,” Leia protested, squeezing his hand. “The Emperor’s Hand? Who knows how many people she’s killed!”

Luke looked at her sadly. “Less than I have.”

“It’s not the same,” she insisted, although she already knew she’d lost the argument.

“No, it’s not the same,” Luke agreed, his voice growing hard. “I was allowed to grow up in relative peace and made the conscious choice to serve the Alliance. She was a child who was taught that serving the Empire was her only purpose.”

Leia felt her heart twinge with sympathy. “A child?”

“Yes,” Luke nodded. “She was taken by the Emperor from her home and fed Imperial propaganda from the age of five. What else was she supposed to believe?”

Leia was still unsure. “Luke…”

“I just keep wondering what if it had been one of us?” he pressed. “What if Palpatine or Vader had found either of us, and raised us to be Sith? How would we have known that what we were being taught was evil?”

He was right, of course, and Leia felt suitably ashamed. It was a fear that had long plagued her nightmares – that rather than the warmth of Breha’s arms and the wisdom of Bail’s words, she had instead grown up in the cold, dark corridors of the Imperial Palace, Palpatine feeding her anger and hate until that was all she thrived on, while Vader stood aside and allowed it to happen, slowly wheezing with his mechanical breath, saying nothing in her defence. Sometimes, in the still of night, she heard it and feared that they had come for her at last.

“Mara doesn’t agree with me, you know,” Luke told her. “She thinks that she was weak not to break free of Palpatine’s hold sooner.”

“And you’re sure she has now?” Leia pressed, wanting him to be certain.

“Yes,” Luke said again, and then looked down at their joined hands. “I...I told her about father.”

“You WHAT?!?” Leia pulled her hands away and leapt to her feet, her fists clenching angrily. Not only was it not Luke’s secret to tell, but he’d let the information slip to a former Imperial? How would people look at her if she knew she was from the same bloodline as that tyrant? How could she hold her head high in the Senate without someone calling her a hypocrite? “She could ruin us!”

“I know I can trust her,” he insisted, rising as well and taking Leia’s hands again. “I feel it.”

Leia sighed deeply, and looked into Luke’s eyes which held such certainty and confidence. It was simple, either she trusted Luke’s judgement, or she didn’t.

“If you’re certain,” Leia told him. “I trust you, Luke, and so I guess I trust her too.” And just in case, Leia resolved to make friends with Mara Jade as soon as possible.

“Thank you, Leia,” he said with obvious relief.

“I have some good news as well.” Leia smiled, her hands folding lightly over her lower abdomen. “Han and I are going to have a baby.”

Luke’s face cracked into a smile and he immediately leapt forward to embrace her. “Leia, that’s wonderful!” he said with delight, pulling back to arm’s length. “When is..er...it due?”

“He is due towards the end of the year,” Leia told him.

“I’m so happy for you,” Luke said, and she could feel his joy through the Force. “And yet I sense you are uncertain.”

She should have expected that he would pick up on it. “I tried to look into his future,” she told him with worriedly. “But I couldn’t see anything.”

“Sometimes we’re not meant to see the future,” Luke said seriously.

“I thought you could try,” she pressed. “You’re so much better at this than I am.”

“He’s your child, Leia-”

“Please,” she said, taking his hand and pressing it against her still-flat belly.

Luke sighed in defeat, and closed his eyes. She felt his gentle touch in the Force, that welcoming caress she would forever identify with comfort and family. The small life inside of her jumped at his touch, and she felt it blossom pleasantly, her bond with her brother now extending to her child.

When Luke opened his eyes, he gave her a small smile. “I couldn’t see anything in particular, Leia, but that is not unusual. I did feel his strength,” he told her. “The Force flows through him very strongly.”

Leia was satisfied by that for now. “There will be a lot of pressure on him,” she noted. “To be a Jedi, to embody the hope we all have for the future.”

Luke folded her into a calming embrace and stroked her hair. “Whatever else, he will be loved,” he told her firmly. “And he will always have his family, no matter what.”

_____________________________________________________________________________


29 NRE


Jaina sat cross-legged on her parent’s couch, staring nervously at her hands. Han and Leia were seated across from her, and Leia’s face was wet with tears. The conversation had started out innocently enough, with Jaina telling them about her adventures with Syal and Zeb on the lower levels and their conference comm with Luke and the others on Tatooine. And then Jaina had shared with her parents what she had promised both Mara and herself she would. Granted, it had taken a few days longer than expected, but Jaina had finally worked up the courage.

She told them that she knew about her stillborn brother, about their hopes for him, about her anxieties at not living up to his potential, about the pressure that came with being their only child.

“So I guess that’s it,” Jaina said, looking back up at her parents again. Although Leia had been crying, her face was strangely impassive, and although her father’s eyes were dry his face was contorted in worry and pain. “Except that I wanted to say I’m sorry,” Jaina added. “For blaming you, for not telling you that I knew, for...believing that because you loved him so much it meant you loved me any less. It wasn’t fair.”

“No, we weren’t fair to you, Jaina,” her mother said softly, rising from her spot on the couch and moving to Jaina’s side. She brushed Jaina’s hair back behind one ear. “We thought it would be easier for you if you simply never knew, and I didn’t even think that of course you would feel it. Maybe we made that choice because it was easier for us.” Leia drew Jaina into her embrace and held her tightly, kissing the top of her head and stroking her hair. “You are such a gift, Jaina,” she said softly. “I hope you know that.”

They held each other for some time, and after a while Jaina heard movement from the opposite couch, and then the warm presence of her father as he sat on the other side of her and put his arms around them both.

“We’re a small family,” he said, his voice slightly rough. “But that’s okay, eh? It works.”

Jaina laughed to ease the tension, breaking the embrace since none of them were comfortable with extended displays of affection. "Yeah, it works," she added lightly. "At least I never had to share my toys."

Han ruffled her hair and laughed. "Yeah, you got far to proprietary around them with your cousins."

Leia exhaled and shook her head indulgently as Han and Jaina continued to joke with one another, but Jaina would see the smile on her mother's face and knew that everything was going to be alright. It was as if a burden had been lifted from all three of them, and they could move on. Eventually Han and Jaina's conversation shifted to potential modifications to the Falcon, and Leia began to tap away at her datapad, going through that day's Senate reports and occasionally adding in pointed quips about the Falcon's age and capabilities.

Their chatter was interrupted when Threepio wandered in from the hallway, a collection of clothes in his arms “General Solo,” he called as he waddled over. “How many vests do you require for your trip?” he asked in a fretting tone. “I have packed your full dress uniform of course.”

Jaina raised andeyebrow and gave her father a look. “You’re making Threepio pack for you, Dad?” she asked. “Uncle Luke wouldn’t like that,” she added teasingly. Her uncle thought of Artoo and Threepio like family, and was always firm that they treat them and all other droids with respect and courtesy.

Han shrugged. “I’ve done a lot of things over the years your Uncle Luke wouldn’t like,” he countered. “Giving the golden mouth something to do other than skwark hardly rates a mention. And he’s our droid, isn’t he?”

“I don’t even remember anymore,” Leia said, and began to count off on her fingers. “He was built by Anakin Skywalker, left with grandmother Shmi, inherited by Owen Lars, reclaimed by Anakin, given to Padmé, taken on by Bail Organa, given to me, stolen by Jawas, bought by Owen Lars, inherited by Luke and given to me again.”

Jaina had known that the droid along with Artoo had been through quite a bit, but had never heard it described so succinctly. “You’ve had quite the exciting life, Threepio,” she said with a chuckle.

“Oh, yes I suppose so, Mistress Jaina,” Threepio replied rather regretfully. “Rather more exciting than I would have liked.”

“In any event, he’s communal Skywalker-Solo property,” Han added. “Besides, he likes packing. Don’t you Threeps?”

“I am always happy to be of service, General Solo,” Threepio said, although he sounded put out at the nickname Jaina had given him as a child when she’d been unable to pronounce his full name. Jaina of course had stopped using it at the age of six, but her father seemed gleeful in keeping it alive.

“Pack three shirts and two vests, Threepio,” Leia told him. “Hopefully you won’t be gone very long,” she addressed Han.

“Where are you going anyway, Dad?” Jaina asked.

Han sighed theatrically. “Back to Corellia. Things are still pretty tense.”

The doorbell buzzed, and Jaina reached out to a familiar presence. “It’s Zeb,” she announced, getting to her feet.

“Well what’s he waiting for?” Han said. “COME IN!” he hollered loud enough that Zeb was sure to hear him through the walls. Leia delicately covered her ears and gave Han an exasperated look, and Threepio made small movements with his feet as if the decision on whether to open the door or first deposit the clothes in his arms was a monumental one. Zeb solved that dilemma by letting himself in and sauntering into the living room, greeting them all with a smile and a nod.

“No point standing on ceremony, Zeb,” Han needled him. “You should know by now just to let yourself in.”

Zeb shrugged easilly. “I’ll keep that in mind.” But Jaina knew that he would continue to knock - he was too cautious even though he was practically one of the family.

“Well I think it demonstrates excellent manners,” Threepio began. “A trait sorely missing in civilised society these days.”

“Get back to packing, Threepio,” Han all but growled. “And don’t forget my bloodstripes.”

The droid huffed and waddled back down the hallway, but Jaina was distracted by the small smile on her mother’s face. She realised that Zeb was standing next to her, but much closer than he would have normally. Her new relationship with Zeb was hardly a secret, but Jaina simply did not feel like sharing it with her family yet.

“Do they have any leads on the bombing?” Jaina asked her father, eager to draw attention away from her and Zeb.

“From what Syal Antilles tells me, the Human League,” Han grimaced. “They’ve let my no-good cousin out of prison and he’s back in charge of those sleemos. The cell that’s claimed responsibility is in hiding, and Thracken’s distanced himself from them.”

“But you still think he was behind it?” Jaina asked. She had been just a toddler during the Corellian crisis, and remembered nothing of being captured by her father’s cousin along with Ben and Micah. Rather, she had fond memories of growing up on Corellia after that, as her mother had continued to serve as governor for six years after the crisis.

“I know he’s behind it,” Han said darkly. “I told Syal we’ll have to watch out for him once we get there.”

“Syal is going to Corellia as well?” Leia seemed confused. “I thought she was helping you and Mara with your investigations, Jaina?”

“She was,” Jaina nodded. “But she has to go where NRI sends her, and they were happy to pass the Coruscant investigations over to the Jedi.” She turned her head and smiled. “Zeb’s helping us too.”

“Is he now?” Han raised one eyebrow, and he and Leia shared a look.

“Jaina tells me they’re old friends of yours, Zeb,” Leia said cautiously. “I hope that this isn’t putting you in an awkward position.”

“It’s unavoidable,” Zeb shrugged. “We all make our own choices.”

“Please be careful,” Leia pleaded.

“We will, Mom,” Jaina assured her.

“Trust me, Leia, the lower levels are a dream compared to the Senate,” Zeb joked, which seemed to cheer Leia up.

“Well, you two are off somewhere I suppose,” Leia composed herself in an instant and waved them away. “You better get going.” Then she resumed her work tapping on her datapad.

“Come here, little wonat,” Han held out his arms for Jaina, and she went into his embrace. He hadn’t called her that since she was a little girl, so named for the small Corellian animal with furred toe-pads which allowed it to creep about silently, and Jaina’s childhood tendency to sneak up on her father from behind to scare him.

“Clear skies,” Jaina told him. “Maybe when you get back we can work on getting those repulsors on the Falcon like I was telling you about?”

“Yeah.” Han patted her head gently. “I’d like that.” He pulled away from her embrace but kept his arm draped over her shoulder. “Now listen here,” he said seriously, his gaze drifting over to Zeb. “It sounds like this mission of yours could be pretty dangerous, so I want sharp eyes and cool heads, alright? And Jaina, take care of our boy here.” He grinned and clapped Zeb on the shoulder, who smiled and rolled his eyes.

Jaina laughed and pushed him away playfully. “Dad,” she chastised him.

“You let your old man have his fun,” Han swatted her hand away. “And you go have yours,” he said as he pushed them towards the door. However, just as they were exiting, Jaina heard his final, anxious call behind her as he belatedly realised what he’d said.

“But not too much fun!”

 

I loved seeing the huge difference between Leia's misgivings and perception of Mara all those years ago, compared to how they're practically sisters now. And it's heartbreaking how happy and hopeful she was for her baby back then, when we know what happened later.

And, wait, hold up - Leia was governor of Corellia for six years? Now that's interesting!

 

I love this chapter so much! From Luke moving into their mother's apartment to his and Leia's conversation about their family and her baby. Leia's introspections are particularly wonderful. (oh, what might have been in profic!)

The "present" stuff with Jaina, Han, and Leia was also really great. Parents and children need to be honest with each other.

 

The delightful feels with Luke and Leia! Topped only by the wonderful family moment in the "now" scene. They'd all better be careful!

 

Great fic! I just read the whole thing, and I love your take on the characters, particularly Mara. The interaction between Leia and Jaina in the most recent chapter were wonderful. Love it!

 

Thanks! Leia losing her child was really the catalyst for most of the changes in this galaxy - she took a different path than in the EU because of it. I always liked the friendship between Leia and Mara (although we saw precious little of it) - she's a bit les inclined to trust her here than in TTT, but that will come.

Thank you! Everyone always goes on about how much Luke is like Padme, but we don't get to see him thinking about her much - since of course his connection with Anakin was the strongest in the OT. But I think once he found out about her, he would search for that same connection. Plus, it's a beautiful apartment and I like the idea of Luke living there!

Thanks! We needed a family moment before everyone heads out on their respective missions - Jaina especially needed to come to terms with her parents.

Thank you! This fic is my baby, my tribute to the EU as well as the ST - well, what it would look like if I were writing it

 

I am enjoying your back story of Luke and Mara. And am trying to keep up with the current part of the story.

 

Thank you! I'm glad you like the backstory - I know the present day story is a little unwieldy, but I promise it's going somewhere!

Chapter 19



1 NRE

Talon Karrde sat in his office on Myrkr, catching up on various reports and requests that had gone unanswered during his convalescence when Mara Jade strode into the room and took a seat in front of him. It was unlike her not to knock, but Talon sometimes wondered if she deliberately changed her habits occasionally to prevent people from anticipating her actions.

“How nice to see you, Mara,” he told his second in command, although she’d been by his side during most of his time in the medward while his broken leg mended enough to walk.

“You’ve removed the ysalamiri from the base,” she said shortly, and although Talon prided himself on his deductive reasoning when it came to human nature, Mara frequently confounded him.

“Yes,” Talon nodded. “I thought it would make things easier for you, and there is no further use for them now Skywalker is gone.”

“You didn’t care about them affecting me before,” Mara said, her green eyes flashing with what could be anger, but could also very well be gratitude.

“I didn’t realise how much they did,” Talon said carefully.

Mara looked away. “So Skywalker told you did he?”

“As a matter of fact, we were able to have a lengthy conversation while we were both in the medcentre.” When Talon had first awoken after his bacta treatment and seen Skywalker unconscious in the bed next to him with what looked like half his chest ripped out, Talon had been afraid that Mara had indeed killed him. Oh, Talon had always known that Mara was the Emperor’s Hand, and had guessed that she had been ordered to dispatch him, which was why she’d been so desperate to find him when when they’d met on Sullust. Talon had provided information to Mara on several occasions in the years prior, but he had never seen her so unsettled as that time before the Battle of Endor.

“Skywalker is a strange man,” Talon continued, and watched Mara closely for any reaction. He’d always been impressed by what he’d heard about Skywalker, and yet he’d known better than anyone that propaganda machines, be they Imperial or Rebel , were by their very nature generous and overly flattering to those they depicted. So he’d been curious as to the real Luke Skywalker, the rebel hero, the Jedi, the only man ever to survive the Emperor’s wrath.

It had surprised Talon greatly to find that Skywalker quiet and unassuming, and yet firmly skilled and capable - one had to be to survive a few days in the wilderness with a woman like Mara Jade. And yet it was Skywalker’s odd compassion that intrigued Talon the most - the request that his droid be returned to the New Republic no matter what happened to him, his willingness to help Talon when he’d been injured, even though he was his captor. And the way he had spoken of Mara, telling Talon that to those with the Force the presence of the ysalamiri was not as innocuous as he had assumed. The absence of the Force could be very painful, Skywalker had said, and although ostensibly he was speaking of his own experiences, Talon had understood his subtle hints. Mara never would have said anything, but the ysalamiri had clearly been affecting her for some time, and so Talon had removed them from the base.

“I offered to exterminate the ysalamiri,” Talon added, thinking that the offer was very generous given that the creatures could be used so effectively against Jedi. “For a price, of course. He refused.”

Mara looked back at him, and yet she did not seem surprised. “Wasn’t willing to pay?” she smirked, and yet something in her tone conveyed that she didn’t believe it for a second.

“He told me that he didn’t want to be responsible for the massacre of beings who, through no fault of their own, posed an inconvenience to him.” Talon had of course pointed out to Skywalker that blocking his access to the Force was a severe threat rather than a mere inconvenience, but the man could not be swayed. It was the final act that had earned Talon’s respect. “But he offered to pay me not to sell the information about the ysalamiri’s affect to anyone else.”

“Ah,” Mara nodded. “How much did you ask for?”

“Nothing,” Talon said, and finally Mara looked surprised. “I swore to keep the information confidential to repay my debt to him. He did save my life after all.”

Mara crossed her arms. “I did have some involvement in that, Talon.”

“Of course, Mara,” Talon nodded. “I’m very grateful to you as well.” He wanted to tell her how proud he was of her, for shaking off her final ties to the Emperor, for not going through with an act that he was sure would have haunted her for the rest of her life.

“What else did Skywalker tell you?”

“Nothing of import” Talon waved his hand. “But I know Skywalker’s asked you to train with him.” He’d relied on his own sources for that information, since Skywalker had been tight-lipped on the subject.

Mara exhaled harshly. “He’s a damned fool,” she said shortly. “I’m not going to train with him.”

“So what if you do?” Karrde opined. “It doesn’t mean you have to be a Jedi.”

‘When I make a commitment, Talon, I stick to it,” she said firmly. “You know that.”

Karrde nodded, and her words made sense. Mara didn’t do anything halfways, and if she committed herself to training with Skywalker, she wouldn’t simply use him for her own purposes and then abandon him.

“Well we’ve both been invited to the Liberation Day ball next month,” Karrde told her, passing over the invitations with the signature of Leia Organa Solo at the bottom. “A good opportunity to let him down gently. Or not.”

“You almost sound as if you want me to go with him,” Mara accused, flicking an eye over the invitations and then looking away.

“I do not,” Karrde answered. Mara was one of the best employees he’d ever had, and he was loathe to lose her “But I do want you to be happy, Mara - I don’t want you to squander any opportunities you may someday regret.”

Skywalker had only spoken of Mara’s Force potential when Talon had prodded him. Mara had been there for a short while, but she and Skywalker got into a somewhat terse conversation over Mara not getting her own injuries to her back and hands treated properly, and she’d stalked out of the room in a huff. Talon had watched Skywalker’s gaze follow her, and then linger on the empty doorway through which she’d walked. Curious, Talon had asked him just how strong Mara was in the Force. Skywalker had been quiet for a few moments, still watching the empty door, but then had said; “Stronger than she knows.”

Talon had not pressed him further, but had been ruminating on the thought for several days. He’d been a boy during the Clone Wars, and all too well remembered reading about the thrilling exploits of Skywalker and Kenobi, the last great heroes of the Old Republic.

"I must admit, tales of the Jedi always intrigued me," he continued conversationally, and Mara rolled her eyes. "And Skywalker seems a decent sort."

“He certainly is that,” Mara said, but out of her mouth the words sounded like an insult.

“Shall I accept on your behalf?” Talon asked. “To the ball, I mean.”

“Fine.” Mara rose and strode out of the room as tersely as she had entered it.

********

With a perfectly executed roundhouse kick, Mara knocked her sparring partner to the floor and then stood in a defensive stance in case it wasn’t sufficient to end the match.

Shada D’ukal lay on the training mat and, looking rather annoyed with herself, raised her hands in submission. Mara sighed with disappointment as she leaned forward to help Shada to her feet. She could have kept going.

“What’s gotten into you today, Mara?” Shada asked, flipping her sleek black ponytail over her shoulder. “That’s the best I’ve ever seen you fight.”

Usually Mara and Shada were pretty evenly matched, which made them excellent sparring partners. In fact if Mara was honest Shada tended to best her more often than not. But for this session Mara had dominated in intensity and skill. Maybe it was the pent up anger she had at the entire situation; at Organa Solo, at Karrde, and especially at Luke Skywalker. Or maybe it was the return of the Force, that additional energy back in her blood which made her stronger, faster and more reactive.

Karrde had always suspected her Force sensitivity, of course, but had never thought that the presence of the ysalamiri had done anything but block access to it. He’d never known the empty feeling it had caused, the wry pain in her heart, the coldness of her blood. And she’d never said anything, soldiering on because she told herself it was unimportant.

She hadn’t realised exactly how much she’d missed the Force until she’d stood with Skywalker in that sliver between the ysalamiri bubbles. In that moment she’d felt Skywalker’s mind brush against hers, and she’d been too slow to block him. He’d seen the darkness in her as well as her complete and utter hatred for him, and yet he had not recoiled. He’d kept reaching out to her.

“Ready to go again?” Mara asked, her pent up energy not yet spent.

Shada cocked her head to the side. “Always.”

They began to spar again, and Mara channelled her drive into the movements; block, block, kick, strike, block. Her muscles relaxed into the movement, and Mara gave herself over to the movement as her opponent matched her move for move.

Shada had been with Karrde’s organization for around six months and had little time for pleasantries. As such, she and Mara got along very well. Shada was exceedingly skilled, which was to be expected as she too had once been a mercenary. Of course, neither Shada nor Mara ever discussed their similar pasts, although Mara had investigated Shada’s history with the Mistryl Shadow Guard when she’d joined Karrde’s organisation and had no doubt that the woman had done to same for her. There was a level of professional courtesy between them which could be mistaken by others as friendship.

“So I heard you and Karrde were invited to the Liberation Day celebrations,” Shada said conversationally as she attacked Mara with a perfectly executed punch combination which took Mara some effort to block.

“Yes,” Mara confirmed as she swerved to the side and reformed herself into a defensive stance and then launched forward with a high kick.

“It’s quite an honour,” Shada pointed out as she crouched into a low position to avoid Mara’s blows.

“So they say.” Mara had mixed feelings, about returning to the city which had once been her home, about attending an official function inextricably linked to the rise of the New Republic. A year ago, Coruscant had fallen, marking the official end of the Empire. Those few who still held Imperial sympathies had called it an invasion; the rebels had called it a liberation, and so marked it as a national holiday. It was embarrassing, really, how quickly the Empire had fallen after Endor. Without the central leadership of Palpatine and Vader, many had switched loyalties to the Alliance which already had overwhelming public support. There were still some Moffs or those of Imperial rank out there in the galaxy, jealously guarding a few systems, but they were warlords now.

“I’ve heard that Skywalker wants to train you as a Jedi,” Shada said between kicks as the two continued to spar, although now she was slightly out of breath. Mara should have expected that she’d discovered that information, although she was sure neither Skywalker nor Karrde had talked. She respected Shada’s abilities in that regard, and her lack of shame in asking Mara about it directly. Although she didn’t like it.

“Yes he does,” Mara said.

“Are you going to do it?”

Mara smiled wryly as she twisted Shada’s arm around her back, temporarily immobilizing her. “Gunning for my job, Shada?”

Shada twisted out of her hold and spun around, so the two women were face to face. “Only if there’s a vacancy.”

Mara laughed and released Shada, somewhat admiring her forthrightness. She crossed the sparring square and grabbed her water bottle, taking a long drink. Shada joined her, eyeing Mara as she drank.

“So are you going to see him?” Shada wiped her mouth and looked at Mara expectantly.

Mara exhaled harshly. “At the ball? I’m sure we’ll cross paths.”

“He’s good looking,” Shada gave her a wicked look, although the muscles of her face barely moved. “I wouldn’t turn down his offer to train me, if you know what I mean.” She winked, and the tiny corner of her mouth turned up slightly. On Shada, the look was practically lascivious.

“Well you’re welcome to him,” Mara told her shortly.

Shada tossed her ponytail again. “I don’t have the Force.”

Mara shrugged, ready to end the session and escape Shada’s questioning.

“So what are you going to wear?” Shada pressed, switching as was her habit from one topic to another in an instant.

“I...don’t know,” Mara said, realising that she hadn’t thought that far ahead. She knew from experience that such functions were to some extent a fashion parade for the Coruscanti glitterati, and she would be representing Karrde’s organisation so she would have to fit in.

“You can buy something when you get to Coruscant,” Shada suggested. “Or you can borrow something from me. In fact,” she added, giving Mara a rare smile. “I have the perfect thing.”

_______________________________________________________________________


29 NRE

Luke walked slowly through the throne room of Jabba’s Palace, his boots clacking against the floor and echoing through the empty chamber. It was much as he remembered it from thirty years earlier when he had boldly stood before the Hutt and tried to bargain for Han’s life. Although that time the chamber had been full of beings, and Luke remembered how the presence of so many at such a tense moment had clouded his Force senses slightly. Perhaps that had been the reason why he’d never picked up on Mara’s presence there.

Smiling to himself, Luke turned to the corner where the dancing girls had been grouped, whispering quietly to one another. Mara had been there with them, appraising him, waiting for her opportunity to strike.

But now he was utterly alone in the empty chamber. The remaining Hutts had abandoned the place, thinking it cursed. That was probably the reason why no other opportunistic crime organisation had tried to move in, and the only current residents of the planet were the womprats that scurried around the deepest bowels of the place.

Luke walked over to the grid in the floor and the chasm below which had once held the rancor. On the trip to Dagobah he’d gone over the events of the day in his mind, examining his actions for mistakes and possible remedies. He’d realised that instead of throwing a rock at the sensor which controlled the large gate, he could have easily manipulated it with the Force. At the time, he’d chided himself for panicking in the heat of the moment and not using his abilities to their full extent.

Crouching down, Luke ran his fingers over the grating, calling to mind old memories long buried. He’d changed his mind later yet again, realising that using the Force was not always a necessity, and that his basic survival skills needed to be honed and utilised just as much as his Force abilities. It was easy to be a powerful Jedi; to be a well-rounded Jedi was more important.

It was likely Mara’s influence, he mused to himself. He’d once been so young and brash and full of his own power, certain that he was right in every instance simply because of his deeds and his extensive study, first of Yoda’s holocron, then of others as he had discovered them. But looking back Mara had taught him so much - he had received just as much benefit out of their training together as she had. Sometimes Luke wondered at the kind of man he would have become without her, but quickly pushed that thought aside. It was not pleasant.

At the fringes of his senses, Luke felt something odd; almost familiar. And yet it was clouded in darkness, trying hard to conceal itself behind a wall of hatred. Luke didn’t move from his position, or make any move to tighten his internal barriers. Rather, he let the darkness flow through him, explore him, and pass over him.

As it did, Luke realised that he had been wrong before. He was not alone.

************

Eren Pax felt uneasy exploring the former palace of Jabba the Hutt. There had been several discussions about the place, and it was the next obvious location to search now that they had exhausted all avenues of enquiry in Anchorhead. There had been no new visitors, other than herself, Ben and Luke Skywalker and Kara Ravenlok, and no one had seen or heard anything out of the ordinary. They had briefly visited Mos Espa, but that was a metropolis compared to Anchorhead, where the residents seemed even less inclined to talk.

Now they knew that the Sith were hiding out somewhere in the Jundland Wastes, it made sense to search the area. They knew that the Sith had visited Ben Kenobi’s hut, and it seemed logical that they would also visit Jabba’s Palace.

Eren had decided to search the tower adjacent to the main rotunda, which held a viewing platform at its very apex looking out over the entirety of the Dune Sea. The hot south wind whipped through Eren’s short hair, and it almost reminded her of her home on Utapau. She'd grown up in the rocky crevasses with the tribe of humans descended from settlers who had crashed on the planet quite by accident hundreds of years before. They had been refugees fleeing their war-torn homeland, and without the supplies necessary to repair their vessel, they had made the sinkhole covered world their own. They had lived in harmony with the native Pau’ans, even interbreeding with some of the Ancient Ones over time; the humans sharing their technology and building ingenuity, and the Pau’ans sharing their wisdom gained in their long lifespans.

It was this intermingled heritage that Eren felt compelled her to be a Jedi. Tribal life was much like the life of a Jedi of the Old Republic, with little importance on blood or family ties and great emphasis on the survival of the group as a whole. Eren did not even know who in her tribe had been her mother and father, and this mattered little; they were all her family and all equally important to her.

Eren forced herself away from her musings and resumed her examination of the tower, seeking any evidence that the Sith had been there before them. Although the only sound Eren could hear was the whistling wind around the cupola above her, a deep unease settled in the pit of her stomach.

She had a bad feeling about this.


**************

On the east landing platform of Jabba’s Palace, Ben Skywalker tried to quell a surge of glee which flowed through him as he found a vessel docked in one of the bays, certain that it belonged to their quarry.

Ben looked over the sleek hull of the ship and shivered. It reeked of the dark side. And yet he could sense no specific presence within. Whoever the Sith were, they were not at home.

Boldly, he approached the ship, recognising it as a Sorosub 2000, a top of the line luxury yacht. It was impeccably kept, and yet Ben could see the age of the vessel nevertheless, and guessed it had to be at least forty years old. He ran his hands lightly over an unfamiliar crest painted on the hull, depicting a black clawbird with gold strands clutched in its talons. The name of the ship, Peerless Joy, was inscribed in High Galactic rather than Aurebesh, and Ben traced the letters gently.

The ship was sealed, but Ben had a way with machines. He placed his palm on the keypad by the ship’s ramp which was currently flush against the hull and barring any entrance. Reaching out through the Force, Ben became one with the machine, the conduits and passages extensions of his own veins, it’s internal mechanisms in sync with his brain.

It did not take too much effort for the gangway to disengage and slowly lower itself down onto the landing platform. And yet Ben hesitated.

It would be prudent to call his father and the others on the comm for backup, and yet Ben knew that the Sith could return at any moment. He also knew that the Sith were loose inside Jabba’s Palace, and could be engaging his comrades at that very moment. Perhaps he should go help them instead, or at least comm them. And yet Ben was acutely aware that his father and Eren were Jedi Masters, and Kara a knight of some skill. He didn’t want to draw attention to any of them with a comm call if Sith were nearby, or interrupt any plans they may have in place.

What would his father do? Ben centered himself, and sought guidance. His father was always telling him to be quick to think, and slow to act. To learn as much as he could about an enemy before engaging them, unless there was no other option. What would serve the mission, rather than his own desires to help his friends and confront the Sith? Ben looked up into the ship, knowing that he may never have another chance to access it. The answer to all of their questions could be inside that vessel.

Deciding, Ben quickly typed a message on his commlink and sent it simultaneously to Luke, Kara and Eren. Sith inside the palace. Be careful.

Then he walked up the gangplank and into the Sith’s ship.


**************

Kara Ravenok was quickly regretting her offer to search the lower levels of Jabba’s Palace. The stink was incredible, and dirty-looking water pooled around the edges of her boots as she walked through the droid foundries filled with spare parts and robots who had long since run out of power. She had found nothing in her search so far, and Kara moved on to the remaining subterranean chambers.

It was empty and cavernous, with a stone staircase leading up and out to what she recalled from the blueprints was an outdoor courtyard bracketed between the main rotunda and the secondary tower. On one wall was a collection of what looked like preserved brains from the ancient monks who had built the palace. Kara had felt queasy hearing about them from Luke, but seeing them was another matter entirely.

Her wrist commlink beeped, but before Kara could check the message, a shiver went down her spine and her mouth turned to ash. It was the same disturbance in the Force she’d felt that day in Anchorhead. In an instant Kara had spun around, her lightsaber ignited to illuminate the chamber with a ghostly blue glow.

Before her stood a man she guessed to be in around his late fifties, dressed all in black. He was pale skinned, and his dark hair was streaked with grey. A black lightsaber hilt hung at his side, and yet he made no move to grasp it. Instead, his dark eyes tinged with yellow-orange rings bored into hers.

“Hello, Kara,” he said, his lips curling into a smile. “We finally meet.”

 

Liked very much Talon's musings about Luke, Mara, training and otherwise. The Mara/Shada conversation and spar Yay, is Shada matchmaking?

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and The currently occurring scenes. All four of them are in tight jams! Ben, Eren, Luke and Kara, so that's one massive cliffie.

 

Love the flashbacks. Watch it, Shada. Mara will be on you with the matchmaking soon enough.

I also love the commentary about Mara and the ysalamiri. After rereading Heir to the Empire recently, I was struck with the fact that not only would Luke be unable to access the Force on Myrkr, but so would Mara--yet that's never mentioned. I always assumed she preferred being near the ysalamiri because she didn't want to access the Force, and the feelings that it evoked. At the same time, not being able to access the Force, both because of the effects of the Emperor's death as well as the ysalamiri, had to be awful for her.

Gack! Sith in Jabba's Palace. They're worse than the old Hutt himself!

 

Thanks! I really love Shada, and enjoyed including her at at earlier point in the timeline. And yep, evil cliffie

Yep, Shada is L/M shipper No. 2 (as per your HttE recaps of course, Han is L/M shipper No. 1 ) I think prolonged absence of the Force would have been pretty upsetting to Mara, although I agree at first she probably welcomed it because it was easier to block everything out. Thanks for the review!

 

Great update! I especially like the flashbacks.

 

Shada and Mara's friendship, like many other friendships, should have been explored more. *sigh*

Jabba's palace...in the words of Threepio, "Oh dear oh dear oh dear." Kara!!

 

I loved this part of the sparring. And then later when Shada offers her a dress --- that's like match making in my book.
____

Kara, I think you're going to need help. And what lies on that ship for Ben??