Saga "Training Day" - Mara, Palpatine, Pre-ANH Vignette

When writing my first fanfic, Emperor's Shadow, I thought of Mara's backstory dealing with her training under Palpatine. This story came to mind and I wanted to somehow include it but it just wouldn't fit. My beta, Thrawn McEwok, basically pushed me into writing this as my second attempt at fanfic on theForce.net, or indeed, anywhere. Thanks pal! I'm glad I did, and I hope you all an enjoy.

Training Day

Three long beeps and the door slid open.

Whatever happened to the challenge? Mara thought to herself.

You?ve exceeded my expectations, young one. The Emperor replied.

A few years ago Mara would have jumped at the sound of Emperor Palpatine?s voice echoing through her head. It didn't phase her anymore. She slipped inside the office before the door slid shut again.

Do you remember what you are looking for?

Of course, my Emperor. Mara knew her master could feel her annoyance at such a question. She had been working as his spy for a few years now. Never once had she failed him.

You do well. Palpatine sent a wash of approval.

Mara couldn?t help but smile. Sneaking in and around the private offices of Imperial Senators and Grand Moffs had become second nature to her. Two years ago she probably would have taken four times as long to slip from her group, find her way to the office without being seen, and then slice her way past the security lock. She didn?t even have to call on the Emperor and the force this time.

Finding herself in front of Moff Dorsit?s desk, Mara tapped at the command panel. A few moments later and the security locks were dealt with. Mara reached inside her decorative arm brace and pulled out a modified datacard. She slid it into the data slot and activated the transmitter.

Mara flicked at her nails as she stood and waited for the files to finish sending. Something tugged at the back of her mind.

Stretch out with the force, as I have taught you.

Mara nodded to the voice and called on force. Focusing on the hall outside she could feel one person approaching.

Dorsit, Mara guessed.

What will you do? His tone was almost laughing.

Mara looked down at the datacard. Almost all the files had been sent.

What I always do.

Just as the datacard finished, Mara could hear Moff Dorsit tapping in his code. Hurriedly Mara slipped the datacard back into its hiding place and ran over to a plush double-seat and sat down. She pushed aside the cut lengths of her skirt to reveal her long legs and made sure her dancer?s top was as far down as decency permitted.

Perhaps you could come up with something else?

Why? When this never fails me?

The door slid open and the Moff casually walked in, starring down at his own datapad. At about six steps in he noticed that he wasn?t alone and eyed Mara. She gave him her most innocent and charming smile.

?You are one of Emperor Palpatine?s personal dancers. Shouldn?t you be out there performing for the dedication??

?I could ask you the same thing.? Mara said sweetly, but actually, she really did want to know. Moff Dorsit should have stayed out with the other officers of the newly re-built Imperial Command Center at Bilbringi.

?A Moff?s job is never done.? Dorsit approached her and gently touched her chin, looking at her. Mara?s stomach churned. ?How old are you??

?Fifteen.? Mara guessed. She always meant to ask Palpatine when her birthday was. It just never seemed to be that important when she was around him. It didn't matter now either. She just needed Dorsit to get a little bit closer, that way she could slide her arm around his neck and it would be over.

?Let me guess, this was Jerik?s doing?? Dorsit smiled approvingly at her.

?You don?t miss anything do you?? Mara kept the smile on her face. Once she knocked him out by cutting the blood flow to his head, she would take pleasure in his humiliation. She would strip him of his clothes and lock hi

 

I loved the slight conflict, the planning, the execution. well-done.

 

That was great. You did a great job of showing how Mara was thinking. The fact that she hesitated to kill the moff was rather telling. She's just doing what she thinks is right, like she always has. You really are an excellent writer.

 

Excellent! I love seeing Mara before Luke, watching her become the person who fell in love with the "farmboy."

You can sense that Mara is not evil, she is doing what she has to do. Nice work!

 

RedGold: Yeah, brilliant again. The insight into Mara's mind was impressive, and three things really stood out for me.

1.) Her legs.
2.) The knife going in.
3.) The light in the Moff's eyes as he died.

Great work, as ever. And don't let the fact I keep saying that put you - or anyone else - off...

- The Imperial Ewok

 

Amazing.

Palpatine intentionaly created Mara to be a dancer on thin ice (Love over Gold; Dire Straits, my 'Mara' music). I don't know exactly why he did that, but it seems he expected her to have these doubts and moral dilemas. Twisted pleasure in power and domination games perharps, seeing a mind that basically wanted law and order strugling to cope with the actions he ordered her to do.

This reminded me of the BTEH Nr0 animated comic, that also has Mara questioning Palps like that.

I have a theory that that's what ultimatelty led her to hesitate in killing Luke at Jabba's.




Edit: Yeah, I know you aren't TMcE's fiancee.

 

?Fifteen.? Mara guessed. She always meant to ask Palpatine when her birthday was. It just never seemed to be that important when she was around him. It didn't matter now either.

That makes sense to me. Her age is a part of her identity, and not evening knowing your own age, that's weird.

Very powerful, Mara/Palpatine viggie.

~aeryn

 

DarthIstar - I loved the slight conflict, the planning, the execution. well-done. Thanks! Glad you liked it.

Jedi BMX - You did a great job of showing how Mara was thinking. - Thanks! This is the template I use when trying to think of Mara's psyche.
You really are an excellent writer. -

AnakinsHeir - I love seeing Mara before Luke, watching her become the person who fell in love with the "farmboy." - I like to think of it as the reasoning behind her falling in love with the farmboy. But thanks, I'm glad you liked the read!

Thrawn McEwok - You asked for legs, so I gave them to you. You crazy little furball. But hey, thanks again for getting me posting.

Benjour45 - Twisted pleasure in power and domination games perharps, seeing a mind that basically wanted law and order strugling to cope with the actions he ordered her to do. - And people wonder why she's just a little off sometimes? I always liked her because of stuff like this. I imagen that her background is more deep and psychological then any of the other characters and for the reason you so eloquently wrote here.
This reminded me of the BTEH Nr0 animated comic, - I'm ashamed to say I have no idea what you are talking about, but I would like to hear that theory.

AERYN_SUN - That makes sense to me. Her age is a part of her identity, and not evening knowing your own age, that's weird. - Yet another way he keeps control of her. Sometimes I wonder if Palpy isn't afraid of what she might become if he doesn't keep her in check. I'm glad you liked the fic.

 

Brilliant.

 

Excellent vig! My favorite part = the final sentences each beginning with "Somehow" and then

Somehow, it was easier after that.

A potent ending. Great job!

 

SpeldoriontheBlended - Thanks!

Jedi Trace - My favorite part = the final sentences each beginning with "Somehow" and then Somehow, it was easier after that. A potent ending. - I'm glad you like it. I have to actually thank McEwok here for that last sentence. The last Somehow was written differently, same idea though, but it just wasn't working. When McEwok beta'd it he suggested changing it to "something like this:". Normally I don't take his suggestions straight like that but it worked so well, so simple and pure, that I could have kissed him. But that would have been gross, and so wrong, so I just said THANKS!

 

I loved the somehows at the end of the vig. Nice tie-in to Shadow.

 

StarFighter5 - Nice tie-in to Shadow.

Thanks!

I have a few others I'm working on now, thanks to the support of all you cool guys here on the forums.

 

That was really good RedGold. Very eerie that she gets used to hearing the Emperor's voice in her head and those last words...'the next time it was easier.'

 

Good job! Very much showing how brainwashed and how "motivated" Mara was.

Of course, as she got older, such thinking would become natural to her, so Palpatine wouldn't have to make her murder traitors, etc., anymore.

Keep writing!

 

tangled_sphere - Very eerie that she gets used to hearing the Emperor's voice in her head and those last words...'the next time it was easier.' - Exactly what I was going for. Thanks!

MistiWhitesun - Very much showing how brainwashed and how "motivated" Mara was. - I love the psychological aspect of Mara, precisely for this reason. Glad you liked!

 

There are two to control a person. Using their own weaknesses against them and then there are mental ways. I think Palpy would use both to control Mara.

~aeryn

 

There are two to control a person. Using their own weaknesses against them and then there are mental ways. I think Palpy would use both to control Mara.

I couldn't agree more. But both of these merge at some point. Mostly I think Palpy would use mental manipulation because he wouldn't want someone with too many weaknesses. The weaknesses Mara gains would steam from Palpy's psychological control, i.e. her fear of failure. But then to Palpy, a weakness that Mara has is her sorta/kinda "compassion" that keeps her from going darkside.

Okay, I think I just talked myself into a headache there. I hate to be in Mara's shoes during all this.

 

Nicely done Red. I like legs too

 

Spike2002 - Why am I not surprised? I'm glad you are liking my stuff!

 

wow- this was a great fic, RG. The number one thing which got me was how you gave us insight into Mara's frame of mind and her thinking. She seems hesitant to kill at her master's wishes, and even though she gives in to his commands, you still get that sense that she's not certain about what she's doing.

Mara turned away from the body and every step to the door was forgotten. Standing out in the hallway she looked down her dancer?s costume. Somehow she had managed not to get any blood on herself. Somehow she managed to find her way back to the dedication without getting caught. Somehow she managed to finish off the final dance routines before the ceremony was complete. Somehow she managed to act shocked and surprised when word came that Dorsit had been found murdered, evidence of his traitorous ways found with him. Somehow she managed not to cry that night.

Somehow, it was easier after that.

Excellent paragraph. As I said, Mara hesitates, but still does. We get a feel for how Palpatine dominates her, but it also gives us a glimpse at the good heart she has within which Palpatine could not conquer completely

 

Vivid_Scripts - wow- this was a great fic, RG. - Thanks!

The number one thing which got me was how you gave us insight into Mara's frame of mind and her thinking. She seems hesitant to kill at her master's wishes, and even though she gives in to his commands, you still get that sense that she's not certain about what she's doing. - This is how I view Mara and her life under Palpatine when reading the Zahn books, etc. I wasn't sure if I could express it but by yours and other's posts I must have done something right. Thanks!

but it also gives us a glimpse at the good heart she has within which Palpatine could not conquer completely - Exactly! If you like my take on Mara here you might want to catch some of my other stuff with Mara (see Profile).

 

Me like!

My favorite part was probably at the end, where she thinks he's dead, then realizes no, he's not - a mere moment passes, and then he is. A nice detail, but also very telling about Mara's state of mind.

 

Oba

I'm glad you like it!

Means a lot to me.

And no... you're not insane...

 

Upping to see if anyone is interested now adays...