Beyond - Legends "Their Master's Voice" ~ Bad to the Bone challenge ~ Mara, Talon AU

Title: Their Master?s Voice (AU)
Author: divapilot
Characters: Talon Karrde, Mara Jade
Time frame: pre-TTT
Summary: In an alternate universe, Karrde has made himself the most powerful information broker in the galaxy. His techniques are simple: divide and conquer.

A/N: Written for the Over 30 ?Bad to the Bone challenge.? ?Take a Star Wars character and write an AU where this person has gone bad. Jedi, pilot, princess or pirate use your creativity to portray a canon personality in all their evil glory.?

Happy Halloween!

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Talon Karrde sat patiently at his desk, sorting through an array of documents, waiting for the knock at the door of his private suite. The documents were from many different sources and points of origin, yet Talon knew that if he looked closely enough, there were prizes to be won: patterns that would emerge, glimpses into carefully concealed weaknesses and implied rumors of secrets yet unrevealed. Beside him lay his vorsknr, Sturm, his lean head resting on Talon?s booted foot. The creature slowly directed his vision to Talon, waiting for a cue or command from his master. Satisfied that Talon desired nothing from him at the moment, the canine curled the remains of his docked tail around his hindquarters and sighed, contented simply to be in the man?s presence.

Suddenly the vorsknr let out a low growl and raised itself, placing its body between Talon and the door. ?Easy, Sturm. Sit.? Talon said quietly. The beast bared a fang and sat obediently. Talon looked at the entryway. A moment later, the sound of a determined rapping came through the carved door.

With a press of a button, the doorway opened. A young woman, still dressed in the dark reflective-sealed catsuit of night stealth clothing, walked into the room. Talon heard Sturm?s breathing grow agitated as the creature sensed her Force sensitivity. Even though Talon had personally seen to the painful amputation of the vornskr?s tail, which gave it the advantage of sensitivity to the Force, both Sturm and his companion creature Drang still distrusted the woman. ?Welcome home, Mara,? Talon said kindly. ?I see you came directly to me. I assume that the mission was a success??

She stood silently, feet spread shoulder-width apart and her hands clasped behind her back. Her military bearing at once reassured and unsettled Karrde. Mara was a powerful ally. Power needed boundaries, he mused. Boundaries made the difference between surgery and butchery.

He waited for her reply.

Eventually, the red-haired woman cleared her throat and began to speak. ?The mission started under the anticipated conditions. I befriended the woman, Mirax, and gained access to her father?s ship. They signed me on, mainly as a favor to her.?

Talon leaned back in his chair. So she was retelling the story, he thought to himself. This did not bode well. Had she been successful, the answer would have been a simple ?yes, sir.? He nodded and let a corner of his mouth upturn into a small smile. ?Good, good. They trusted you, as we planned.? He tilted his head. ?Then what??

Her chin lifted. ?I waited until the time was appropriate. One evening, on a shore leave, Mirax and I were going to a party. I offered her a ride. As we passed through an isolated section of the city, I dispatched her with my vibroblade and left the body in a back alley.?

Talon smiled warmly. ?Excellent. I see that you have considered all of the angles necessary. Remove the second in command, so that when you dispatch the leader, the organization has no back up.?

Mara swallowed and began her report again. ?I came back to the [i]Errant Venture[/i], ready to eliminate Terrik. He was not in his quarters as expected.? She lowered her gaze. ?It did not go according to plan. He had already learned of his daughter?s disappearance and had begun a search for her. Part of that search was looking for me.?

?Because you were her friend. You would know what her plans were and if she had run into trouble,? Talon concluded.

The woman?s pale h

 

Very well done divapilot!!! I don't think I've ever read "dark" Talon before--but you make it work...

 

This is a very interesting spin on things, since Talon in canon has a moral code of the Han Solo and not Palpatine brand. What changed in his past to harden him and bring out the darker side of that finely analytical mind? Was it back in the days he served under Car'das? Was it in the chaotic aftermath of his old boss' disappearance? Or before it all? Interesting how the lack of focus to Mara's nightmare command makes it so much more agonizing to live with. The concept of a drug tying her to him is classic--a nod to Dune and other sci fi greats, perhaps? The use of the vornskrs to highlight his character is effective and scary. This looks fantastic. Looking forward to it.

 

Ooooooo, scary MEAN Talon! So cold and cruel in a completely plausible What If. Loved the interaction with Mara: a parallel to the first time we see them together, but a reverse image in so many subtle ways.

You're evil, diva. It's perfect!

 

Evil, evil Talon! You nailed this challenge, Sister-pilot! And I imagine it was loads of fun to write!

Bravo!!

 

Bad Karrde! Go to my room! What a perfect character to take and make evil--and to make it thiiis close to canon, to make it all the more scary and realistic. I really loved your look inside this Karrde's head, and how he perfectly used everyone to his grand design. If he'd had Force powers.... Wow.

Great response to the challenge, lady!

 

Fascinating! It doesn't really surprise me that Talon works so well as bad - he had a hint of that possibility already in TTT - but I'm amazed by how evil you've managed to make him - and with what a grace you make it work! Mara, Aves, the vronskr - everything is taken an twitched! Missa like!

Great work!

 

*cackles* Evil is fun Little late to replying, but wanted to say good job on this ... well done diva!

 

An excellent piece.

I think, perhaps, I sometimes forget that Karrde is not opposed to working the angles. He was willing to give Luke up for a reward in TTT, IMHO.

Here ... he's chilling. The Karrde of canon is more often a noble rogue; here, the master manipulator is clearly out in front. And what makes him so effective here is his lack of Force powers.

It doesn't take a Vader or even a Palpatine for personal magnetism and cunning to be effective. You've captured that quite well.

Respectfully,
Onderon1