What if Callista...

Double post.

[This message has been edited by Et Cetera... (edited 04-07-2000).]

 

"Sorry about that," Callista said, slowly lowering her lightsaber. "You took me by surprise."

"No problem," Mara replied, her eyes scrutinizing the lake. "Kirana Ti was here before. I can feel it. But she must've left a few hours ago."

Callista nodded. "I found something strange in the water. Ice."

"Ice?" Mara glanced at her, confused. "Ice, in the middle of a jungle? It doesn't make sense."

"Yeah, I know. I think we'd better warn Luke about this."

"So," Mara said, in an attempt to change the subject. "You and Skywalker are hitched now?"

Callista nodded uneasily.

Mara sighed. "He's a good man," she said.

"Yes, he is," Callista agreed. "He's kind, caring, and courageous. I've never met anyone--man or Jedi--I love as much as him." She looked up at her companion. "And what about you? I heard you and Lando had something going on."

Mara laughed. "Lando? Don't even get me started on that! He actually thinks that I like him."

"Don't you?" Callista asked.

"Uh...no," the red-haired smuggler replied bitterly. "And he won't stop tormenting me. Sometimes I just want to shoot him out of an airlock, he drives me so crazy."

"Well, I would be honored if anyone admired me like that," Callista said.

"Want to trade places, then?" Mara asked, only half-joking.

Callista chuckled and shook her head. "No thanks. I'm happy with Luke."

Mara snorted. "That farmboy? Give me a break."

Callista felt her temper flare at that remark. "Is that why you wanted to kill him Because he was a farmboy?"

Mara narrowed her eyes at the other. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Simple. You were once the Emperor's servant. He wanted you to kill Luke. And you almost succeeded in doing that, until Luke finally knocked some sense into you."

Mara looked away, as if ashamed to have been reminded of her dark past. "Yes, it was a mistake. But I more than made up for it."

"I don't think so," Callista snapped. "Tell that to all the people who died at your hand, all because the Emperor wished it. Even after all Luke did for you, after saving your life, after offering you a chance to redeem your past, you still can't respect him for everything he's done."

Mara glared at her. "Oh, and I suppose you're so perfect. Do not bring up my past ever. You know nothing of what I've been through, got that? It wasn't like killing Luke was my own choice. The Emperor had me brainwashed from the very beginning. I could do nothing about it. You don't know what it's like to have been under the control of an evil man who used you for his own purposes, who took you away from your family, never to see them again."

"I suppose I should feel sorry for you," Callista said angrily.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"Your face is my problem," Callista snapped.

Mara stepped up to her, her face nearly touching Callista's. "Do you think you can take on me?"

"Let's find out, shall we?" Callista said, rising up to the challenge.

As she looked up, she saw a dark shape rise from behind Mara.

"Look out!" she shouted, Force-shoving Mara to one side, knocking her to the ground. If she hadn't moved, the creature would have smashed full-force into her.

Callista sidestepped and slammed her arm into the assailant's chest, knocking it flat on its back.

At that moment, more started to arrive.

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

I suppose I should hide from all the Mara fans...

 

...and all the Callista fans

-----

Another of the cat-creatures sprang at Callista, aiming for her throat, only to meet the sun-yellow blade of her lightsabre. The two halves of the creature dropped to the ground, cut cleanly in two lengthways.
Low snarls marked the appearance of another four from the trees. Green saliva dripped from their jaws as they advanced, their eyes fixed on Callista. Mara scrambled to her feet, igniting her own lightsabre, and the two of them stood back to back as the creatures moved forwards.
In perfect tandem, each of them leapt from the ground faster even than vornskrs. Callista cut apart the two on her side with a single horizontal sweep of her lightsabre, and Mara slashed the head off another. The second succeeded in knocking her lightsabre from her hand and sending her sprawling. It turned for another attack, only to collapse as Mara dumped her holdout sleeve blaster into her hand and shot it right between the eyes.
"I never leave home without it," she said, standing up.

-----

Come on, we need someone else writing this. It's turning into the Jedi15 show!!

 

*GASP* Are you criticizing my writing skills, Commander Antilles?

Anyways, on with the Jedi15 Show... cool.gif

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"Good work, Mara!" Callista said, then jumped aside as another snarling beast lunged forth. It raked its savage claws toward her face, and the Jedi narrowly evaded it.

Her fist struck it in the jaw a second later, followed by a punch to the gut. As the attacker reeled, Callista grabbed it by the head and flipped the monster to the ground.

But as it fell, one of its comrades ambushed Callista from behind, smacking a tree branch in the back of her head. Callista groaned and fell forth, her vision blacking out.

As the monster prepared to hit her again, Mara came to the rescue. Using the Force, she tore the cape the creature was wearing off its back and dumped it on its head, temporarily blinding it. Then, with a powerful Force shove, Mara knocked the feline against a tree.

Callista staggered to her feet, her head sore from the attack. She nodded a thanks to Mara Jade, then cursed as another monster attacked. She rolled away from its blow, got up, and plunged her lightsaber into the creature's back, coming out through the chest. The monster howled in agony and fell, slowly bleeding to death.

Mara ran over to the alien she had thrown earlier. It had just gotten to its feet when she threw a kick to its gut, knocking it back into the air. Its head smacked through the branch of a Massassi tree, and he hit the ground, disoriented.

Mara went over to the beast, but he was up too soon. He surprised her with a backhand across the face, sending her stumbling against the tree.

Callista ran over to the combatants to help Mara, but another blocked her path. Grabbing her by one arm, it threw her onto a rock laying right near the lake's shore.

Callista was up again seconds later, and the cat-like creature leaped on top of the rock, ready to take her on. A second later, a kick to the chest knocked him down to the ground.

The battle continued.


[This message has been edited by Jedi15 (edited 04-08-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Jedi15 (edited 05-20-2000).]

 

Tionne watched the small skirmish from the shadows of the jungle, a grin escaping from her lipsticked mouth. Callista Skywalker and Mara Jade were more worthy adversaries than she had anticipated. But the cat-like creatures were strong and agile. If they failed in their mission...

Tionne shook her head. They won't, she assured herself. And even if they did lose, Tionne had a few more tricks up her sleeve.

She heard a twig snap from behind. She turned, hissing, and saw three Padawans walking along a narrow trail, oblivious to the battle raging not far from their location. They were talking among themselves, their lightsabers in hand.

Tionne smiled. Time for some more fun...

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

"Is that the best you've got?" Mara said, rubbing her sore jaw. "Come on, give me your best shot!"

The creature growled and threw another blow at her. Mara blocked it with her arm and cuffed the monster in the mouth. She grabbed him by the arm and threw him into a thorn bush, eliciting a yowl of pain from the alien attacker.

Mara got on the creature's belly and began pummeling him with one fist.

Meanwhile, Callista was holding her own. Still standing on the large rock, she tensed as another cat-like brute leaped up to meet her. She stuck her hand out, shoving the monster away with the Force, crashing him into the lake with a tremendous splash.

But while she was busy, another attacked her from behind. Grabbing her by the back of her shirt, the creature threw her off the rock. Callista cried out in pain as she impacted the ground not so gently flat on her belly.

Before she could get up, the two remaining creatures laid on top of her, hissing in her ear.

Callista shouted for help. But Mara was still busy knocking her own opponent senseless to hear her screams.

One of the creatures breathed into her ear. "Kara sends her best," it whispered.

Callista hesitated, paralyzed with shock. Kara?

Just then, the two monsters pounced.

 

I know, I know...this means I'm turning to the dark side...
--------------------------

The creatures attacked with a ferocity that chilled Callista to Cray's very bones. She tried to deflect each blow as it came, but they were beginning to become too much. It did not help that she could not focus and channel the force to help herself. Yet she fought on.

Suddenly a hiss sizzled through the air and one of the creatures seizured, its body bending backwards before it collapsed at her feet. Callista felt blood hit her face. She cringed, but not before the other beast twisted its head to seek its predator. Obviously, there lay its final mistake. Where it should have ducked, it looked, and that hesitation was all that Mara needed to fire a killing shot.

She strode over to where Callista lay and roughly grabbed her by the hand, hoisting her up into standing postion. She motioned for Callista to follow her and they pushed through the lush Yavin jungle.

"This blasted moon has more nasties than the Emperor's petting zoo," Mara remarked to herself sarcastically. Aside from that, she made no other attempts at conversation. Long minutes passed.

Kara? Callista thought, mouthing the name. She shook her head. What had they meant...

"I can hear your thoughts screaming like a rancor in a bad mood," Mara snapped suddenly. Callista drew back.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"Oh yeah," Mara continued, "you're welcome." Callista bit her lip.

"I . . .Mara."

"Why don't you just call me 'foul-murdering wench'?" Mara suggested in a calm voice. "You've obviously already set your opinion on me. Why try to hide it behind pretty words?"

"I haven't done anything of the sort!" Callista remarked hotly.

"Tsk, tsk," Mara chided. "You're a Jedi Master, anger is very unbecoming."

"I'm not angry. I am frustrated that you aren't willing to communicate with me."

"Me?" Mara retorted. "You're the one that jumped on me about calling your little man a farmboy. Spare me. We are friends, if you haven't noticed." Mara paused. "Unless you have noticed--and that's what's bothering you."

Callista made no reply.

"Don't worry about that," Mara said in a softer voice. "He married you. He loves you." She continued to look straight ahead as she spoke. Then she snorted. "He hardly pays any attention to me when I am here anyway. You have no solid reason to feel threatened by me, unless you're challening me to a fistfight. Then, you should start worrying."

Callista managed a weak smile. Perhaps she had jumped to conclusions. Maybe she just had too much on her mind right now....Kara...?

"I still don't completely trust you," Callista finally replied.

"It's understandable," Mara answered with a shrug. "You don't know me. I don't know you. I don't trust you either. But Luke trusts us both, so go on that. And he trusted me to work with you. I doubt that he would have dared to part with his new bride if he had any reservations that I might just murder you and dump your body into a lake." Realizing how cold-hearted she was beginning to sound, Mara laughed quietly to herself and changed her tone to a more neutral one. "Remember, we're working together to achieve the final goal. Don't let your anger and your prejudices cloud your judgement and your actions." Mara cut through into a small clearing. "From Skywalker, that much I learned at least."

"Luke..." Callista said faintly, smiling.

Then there was movement a little bit beyond them. Mara stiffened. Callista turned and they stood, back to back, weapons drawn and on the defensive.

"Sithspawn," Mara cursed, "can we go a few minutes without having to fight? This is getting obnoxious."




[This message has been edited by Jaded (edited 04-08-2000).]

 

Welcome to the club, Jaded!

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"Do you think Kyp and Kirana Ti might be dead?" Rama asked as he walked alongside his companions. "I mean, if Master Skywalker can't sense them through the Force..."

"Don't think that, Rama," replied Chir'aka, a female blue-skinned Twi'lek who slashed a vine that blocked their path. "We'll find them. Don't you worry about that."

"We should be near the Massassi Lake now," said Mormer, the only human in the trio. "This is where Kirana Ti usually hangs out in the morning."

"I'm sure that if anything happened to her, she can take care of herself," Rama said, not entirely convinced.

Something stepped out of the bushes, startling the three Padwans. The students gasped and stepped back, readying their lightsabers. Rama sighed when he realized it was just Tionne. "Tionne," he sighed. "You scared us."

"Fear leads to the dark side of the Force," Tionne said, a faraway look in her eyes. "Best you remember that, Rama."

The Dug nodded uneasily. He didn't know how to explain it, but something didn't feel right...

"Have you found Kyp yet?" Tionne asked.

Chi'raka shook her head. "So far, nothing. Not a single trace. We were heading for the lake, hoping that Kirana Ti--"

"She's not there," the silver-haired woman interrupted. "I just over there."

"Oh." The Twi'lek hesitated. "Then I guess we'll have to look someplace else."

"I'll come with you," Tionne offered, withdrawing her lightsaber. A feral grin spread across her face. "The jungle can be a very dangerous place for young Padawans."

Rama felt a shiver rush up his spine at those words. Just in case, he kept his lightsaber out.

The group then set off.

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

Tionne watched as the three young students led the way through the jungle, cutting through the thick outcropping. She smiled as she walked up behind Mormer, careful not to draw attention to herself. This one will be the first to go...

As they stepped over an enormous log, Tionne wrapped her arm around the human's neck, choking him. At the same time, she plunged her lightsaber through his back, slicing his spinal cord in half and cutting through his chest. Mormer uttered a single groan of pain, then the life went out of his eyes.

Chi'raka and Rama spun around, stunned, and Tionne kicked the corpse to the ground. She then turned to the other two Jedi. "Next!" she shouted, leaping over the log.

Chi'raka screamed in anger and charged toward Tionne, brandishing her saber. Tionne merely smiled as blue lightning poured from her fingers, striking full-force into the young Twi'lek. Chi'raka shrieked in agony as the fire melted into her flesh, burning her entire body. Within seconds, she had been reduced to a skeletal corpse.

Tionne laughed. "What did I tell you about anger, you little fool?" She then looked up at Rama, the last survivor. "Care to give it your best shot?"

As Rama stepped away, her body stricken with terror, Tionne advanced toward him...

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

Mara and Callista heard the scream half a mile away. "What the hell was that?" Mara said, looking out into the jungle.

"I don't know," Callista said, feeling her throat tighten. "But I'm gonna find out." She began running through the dense forest, her lightsaber cutting through any barrier that stood before her. Mara followed suit.

Within seconds, they arrived at where the scream had originated from. Callista was totally unprepared for the sight that greeted her.

Three corpses of Jedi Padawans lay strewn on the ground like discarded trash, smoke rising from their lifeless bodies. She recognized one of them as Rama, his body lying in two neat pieces, as if something sharp had cut him in half.

A lightsaber...

"In the name of Chad," Callista whispered, one hand going up to her mouth. "How horrible."

Mara looked away from the onslaught, a look of shock and disgust on her face. "All right. This is getting a little out of hand. Whoever did this sure has a really sick sense of humor."

"I think I know who it

 

Terrific posts, Jaded and Jedi15! I like how you have Mara and Callista interacting with each other!

 

Hey, are we dissing my good name here?

___________________

Luke walked silently through the jungles, hoping against hope that everyone was still all right. Streen walked tensely at his side, his eyes darting nervously back and forth. As they passed a placid crystal lake, Luke frowned at the chunks of ice floating in it, like a behemoth glass of iced tea. He heard a sound--not far away.
The sound of evil laughing.
Accompanied by a terrifying chill in the Force, as if someone had tossed him in the lake at his left.
"Master, did you--"
"I did, Streen. Come on!"
They took off through the jungles.

The Temple was the one Tionne and Kyp had discovered merely three days ago. He had never felt the dark side emanate from someplace so strongly. Not even Palpatine's sanctum on the Death Star. It was a mere second.
He entered cautiously, pulling out his lightsaber but not igniting it. Streen remained outside, standing guard in the chance that whoever it was should return. The meager light spilling through the holes in the ruined ceiling manifested strange, feline heiroglyphics along the wall and floor.
A floor bathed in human blood.
His breath growing shallower, he followed the trail of red liquid behind a pillar.
And what he saw nearly knocked him over.
Hanging by their necks from sharp, rusted hooks, were the desecrated bodies of Kyp Durron and Kirana Ti.
A cry must have erupted from his lips, because Streen barreled into the temple, lightsaber drawn. "Master, what is it?" He then saw what Luke had found, and he staggered back in disbelief. "No...no!"
"Yes!" Came a new voice. Streen turned upon the woman standing in the shadows behind him, only to come in direct contact with her lightsaber. Streen's decapitated head rolled to Luke's feet. His face had frozen in shock and horror.
His killer emerged from the shadows.
"Tionne!"
"There is no Tionne here. Only Kara."
Luke frowned. "Who?" He brought his lightsaber up closer, ready to draw it at a split-second's notice.
"Tionne's" face radiated a smug smirk. "Go ask your dear wife. You know her as Callista. But to me, she will always be Mother." The remark was puctuated with another evil chuckle.
"You're lying. Callista would have told me--"
"If she cared! As it is, she doesn't care about her own daughter! Or her dear husband--her real husband. If she had she wouldn't have killed him!"
"Geith." Luke understood. Callista had had a child with Geith before they'd perished in the Moonflower Nebula.
Did she really not care?
Or was Kara just another of the memories that had escaped her dwindling spirit?
She saw his hesitation, and lunged. Luke barely managed to activate his own lightsaber before she was upon him. "It's her time to join her family! She doesn't belong here!"
Luke blocked a second round of lightsaber attacks. "She's part of our family, now, Kara. It's not yet her time!"
"You fool! You've taunted the Force! You must pay!"
She attacked again, and he could not stop her.

Luke will die...
"Luke?" Callista whirled, swearing she'd heard him. She stretched out with her mind, focusing on his presence in the new temple. "Mara! Luke's in trouble! Come on!"

Kara attacked again and again, overpowering Luke until she'd succeeded in knocking him to the ground. She chuckled and kicked his living weapon away, then planted a foot on his chest. "You seem to have lost, Master Skywalker." She raised her lightsaber in preparation to decapitate him.
"Kara!"
Kara spun. Callista and Mara stood in the doorway, bathed in the sunlight. "Your fight is with me, Kara." Callista said as she walked closer. "Come to Mama."

_________

And I'm spent! cool.gif
CALLISTA RULES!!!!!

 

We're not dissing your good name, Cara. We're paying tribute to it!

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

Callista entered the ancient temple, her lightsaber in hand. Mara ran past her to help Luke, who was still lying on the floor, literally shaking from fear.

That left her alone with Kara.

Her daughter.

"You seem surprised to see me, Mother," Kara hissed, a sneer forming on her lips. "You shouldn't. I was going to find you sooner or later."

"It was you in my nightmares," Callista accused, pointing a finger toward the demonic woman. "You tried to make me think it was my mother doing this the whole time."

"Oh, yes. Didn't work, obviously." Kara laughed.

"I don't want to fight you, Kara," Callista said gently, shutting off her weapon. "I still am your mother, and I still love you."

"You do?" It almost sounded sincere. "Even after you abandoned me!"

"I thought you were dead!" Callista shouted back, tears falling down her eyes. "Please, Kara, if I had known otherwise, I never would have left you. The Eye of Palpatine, it had to be destroyed--"

"Is that all you care about?" Kara snapped furiously. "Saving the lives of millions of people you have never met and never will? More important than your own daughter?"

Before Callista could reply, Kara's hand was already thrust out, calling upon the Force. Callista cried out as she was thrown back through the air and hit the ground. Pain shot through her entire body, and for a moment, she actually thought she was paralyzed.

When she got up moments later, Kara was gone.

Luke and Mara ran up to her. "Callista, is it true?" Luke asked, confusion evident in his eyes. "Is Kara your...your--"

"Yes," Callista said hoarsely, the tears falling faster now. "Kara is my daughter."

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

I'll let someone else explain the who? what? where? when? why? and how? Until then...

CALLISTA RULES!!! cool.gif

 

Kara strode through the jungle, not stopping until she reached the Great Temple. When she arrived, she saw her feline henchmen surrounding a group of Jedi trainees. All the Jedi were disarmed and bleeding from various injuries inflicted upon by the cat-like creatures.

The cat leader, Crios, stepped forth and acknowledged Kara. "My Queen, the Temple is now ours."

Kara nodded. "Good. Lock up all the Jedi in the detention cells. We'll wait for Skywalker and Mother to return. And when they do, we'll slaughter them all."

Crios nodded, and he led the Padawans away.

Kara turned back to the jungle and smiled. "Come on, Mother," she whispered. "You don't have much time now. I'll be waiting for you..."

 

"Geith was the father," Callista confessed, refusing to meet Luke's demanding eyes. "It was months before I died on the Eye of Palpatine. Back when I was driven by lust rather than love. We...made love one night. And...I later found out that I was pregnant with a child."

She hesitated, wiping tears from her eyes. Mara placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, silently urging her to go on.

"I went to see a doctor, and he told me that it was going to be a girl. No one knew, but somehow I felt that this unborn child was strong in the Force. I felt that if I raised her properly, I could teach her the Jedi arts, and she could someday fight evil side by side with me."

"What happened?" Luke asked.

"Well, when the time came...it was weeks before my death. Geith was there by my side the whole time. It was the most excruciating experience I've ever known...But the moment she entered the world, I felt peace. A feeling I have not experienced since then and never will. I was a mother. I now had a child."

Callista sniffed, unable to control her raging emotions. She finally let it all out. "But then we were attacked. Imperials came...from the Eye. They killed my doctor and took everyone from the hospital. And imprisoned them on that horrible ship. Geith and I fought them, but...we were knocked out. I heard Kara scream, and I lost consciousness.

"When I woke up, I was lying in my apartment with Geith. Kara was missing. I looked everywhere for her, day and night, not resting, not eating, noting but looking for my child. But I never found her."

She sighed, brushing aside more tears. "I came to the conclusion that my daughter had been killed in the attack. It was devastating. It tore something away from me forever...something I'll never recover. All that was left in me was...emptiness."

"You didn't care whether you lived or died at that point," Mara said. It was not a question.

Callista nodded. "Yes. You're right. When Geith and I arrived on the Eye of Palpatine, I was determined to put an end to this threat once and for all. I didn't care if I lived or died; my only wish was to cause the Imperials as much suffering as they did me.

"And I got my wish."

The chamber remained silent for a long time. Callista looked up at her husband and said, "Please forgive me, Luke."

Luke, however, was unwilling to accept it. "Why didn't you tell me before?" he demanded. "You never kept secrets from me before. Why now?"

"It was too painful to talk about," she replied.

"But look at what's happened!" Luke said, near-shouting. "I can imagine how horrible it must have been for you to carry such a burden on your shoulders! Why couldn't you have shared it with me?"

"It wasn't any of your business," Callista said sternly. No anger was in her voice. It was the truth. Luke had no reason to know about it.

"It is now," Luke shot back. "We're married, remember? Three of my students are now dead, thanks to your daughter! And you want to know why? Because she had no one! No one to care for her. No one to guide her. No one to teach her right from wrong. No one to love her!"

"Hey, farmboy, cut her some slack," Mara snapped angrily. "Callista had nothing to do with her daughter's actions! She didn't even know Kara was still alive! And I seem to recall a certain Jedi Master whose father had once been a Sith Lord and had committed unspeakable crimes against the galaxy."

Luke's face reddened at the rebuke. His eyes met Callista's, anger and accusation replaced with compassion and sorrow. "Callista, I'm sorry," he said softly. "I don't know what came over me. I just--"

"Okay, hate to break this up," Mara interrupted, "but in case you guys forgot, there's a psycho girl out in the jungle, and she's probably up to no good. What are we going to do about it?"

"I'll think of something," Luke said, looking around the temple. "These ruins are infested with the dark side. It's the focus of Kara's power, much like Exar Kun's connection to the Massassi temples. The key to defeating her lies somewhere in this temple."

"Well, we'll leave that to you," Mara said. "Me and Cal

 

Jedi15: wow, you've just said everything I've always wanted to say to that, um... "woman" (there, that term won't offend anyone or be censored LOL).

Go Callie

 

Hmm... If I must be completely honest, I'm not sure I like the development of a daughter she that she never told Luke about--somehow that seems to undercut the kind of relationship they have which has always built on honesty and openness, BUT since we've already gone down that path, I'll see if I can work with it

====

A daughter...

Luke could still scarcely believe how his life had just been turned upside down in the last few minutes. The revelation rocked him to the core--jealousy, anger, resentment... As much as he hated to admit it, he felt them stirring in his blood even as he looked at her and knew the anguish she must have felt.

Another man had touched her. Another man had given her the one thing he had always wanted to give her--a child. But he couldn't think of his hurt now. She was out there somewhere, and she was going to pounce again soon.

Talk to me, Luke...

Her voice resonated in his head and he looked sideways at her and saw the tears in her eyes.

I know how much this hurts you. Please don't shut me out... Don't hate me please--I couldn't bear that...

His hand reached for hers instinctively and he pulled her into the dark, dense jungle, where the sounds of wildlife surrounded them.

I could never hate you, he whispered back to her through the Force. And he meant it. He meant it, despite the rawn nerve of emotion he felt at the moment. He realized, it wasn't just his pain he felt, but hers as well: the pain of thinking her child had died; the pain of knowing what she had now become.

"She's out there somewhere," Callista said, "I can feel her..."

The words sent icewater running through Luke's veins.

"I... think she's ready to kill someone again, Cal," he murmured, looking around them. A thick silence blanketed them all around, broken only by the cries of animals in the distance.

"Do you feel that?" he said. There was a rumble of terror that gripped him--and he was sure it gripped her too.

She nodded, her hand turning cold in his. "She's here," she whispered.

"You're no fun to hide from," a voice suddenly ripped out into the stillness.

Luke pivoted behind him and saw Kara, hair in wild tangles, eyes glinting with evil glee.

"Nice to see you again, mother," she said, stepping forward just a bit closer. "And what do I call you?" she said to Luke. "You're certainly not my father... Mother took care of him, didn't she? You'd better watch out, Jedi. Her lovers always seem to end up dead."

"Leave Luke out of this," Callista said. "This is between you and me."

No, Callie, Luke whispered to her. He knew exactly what she was trying to do. You are not alone in this... I am here now, and we will do this together...

"That's right, mother," Kara said, shooting a sickeningly sweet glance at Luke. She winked at him, and Luke could feel his stomach twist inside. "Your Jedi is right. You're not alone in this. I'll take both of you on if I have to..."

"NO!!!!!!!!!"

====

Oh and btw, I personally would not have been as nice as Callie was to anyone who judged my beloved Luke. Someone calls him "farmboy" or anything else that shows a complete lack of respect for him and I'd kick their a** so fast they'd wonder what hit 'em LOL.

NO ONE disses Luke, that's the #1 rule with me LOL, and believe me, I do not forgive easily when it comes to that--if I ever do.

[This message has been edited by Jedi Callie (edited 04-09-2000).]

 

Hey what happened to my post?? I just spent the last 20 minutes slaving over it and now it's disappeared LOL!

 

I can see your post just fine, Jedi Callie. I can see why you may be upset with this new plot twist, but just imagine it like Vader's revelation to Luke in TESB. It adds a malovolent darkness to our story.

Speaking of which, I have more to add...

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"Callista!" Luke shouted, moving forth to slash Kara. His lightsaber flashed like a bolt of lightning, cutting into the demon's midsection--

--and disappeared as if it had never been.

Luke looked around and saw that he was back in the temple again. Callista, Kara, the jungle--it had all vanished. And it dawned on him; Callista and Mara had left moments ago, far away from the ruins.

A vision. It had been a vision.

Luke shuddered at what he had seen earlier. Kara needed to be defeated--and fast.

And the key to it was somewhere in this temple.

As Luke headed up the stairs, he hoped that if Callista had run into Kara, she would be all right.

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

"Kara, it does not have to end like this," Callista said, her lightsaber inches from her daughter's chest.

Mara stood next to her, her Jedi weapon out as well.

Kara smiled and laughed. "It's too late to change the past, dear Mother. What's happened is done, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Callista gulped, a shiver of terror rushing through her blood.

Kara then hesitated. "But perhaps you are right. Perhaps it doesn't have to end this way." Her eyes blazed. "I won't kill you after all."

Callista sighed in relief, lowering her lightsaber.

"I'll have you kill each other."

Callista gasped. "What?"

But Kara was gone.

Callista turned to Mara to see if she had heard what Kara had said--

--and ducked as Mara slashed toward her head.

Callista rolled away, aghast at what her companion was trying to do. When she met Mara Jade's eyes, she realized something.

Her eyes were black.

Slowly, things began to sink in. Kara had now possessed the female smuggler.

As Callista pondered what to do, she suddenly felt something fiery hot pass through her body. It was almost like a black smoke, entering through her nostrils, ears, and mouth. She tried to fight it off, but the smoke continued slithering into her body.

Seconds later, Callista's dark gray eyes had been replaced with black irises.

She turned to glare at her opponent; Mara's face mirrored her owns.

Seconds later, they attacked each other.

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Geneva,Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Oh and btw, I personally would not have been as nice as Callie was to anyone who judged my beloved Luke. Someone calls him "farmboy" or anything else that shows a complete lack of respect for him.

I really don't see that as the case. Mara obviously respects him, and farmboy is the least of the things she could sling at him.

Ok, off my soap box--this is for another thread entirely.

=jaded=

 

Luke entered the tallest room in the ancient temple. What he saw inside shocked him.

Standing on a golden pedestal was a crystal ball made of emerald. It seemed to glow with its own internal light, bathing the entire room with a gorgeous greenish-yellow glow. The Force emanated from the crystal, sending goosebumps on Luke's skin. The emotions bursting from it--fear, terror, anger, betrayal--staggered him.

Luke stepped closer to the crystal, cautious. He didn't know what to expect from it. As he looked closer, he saw the faces of Kyp, Kirana Ti, and Streen masked in agony and fear.

Kara hadn't killed them.

She had taken their spirits away from their bodies.

And placed them in this crystal..

Luke was filled with a new sense of hope. There had to be some way to free their spirits from the crystal ball. The question was, how?

Smash it, his mind whispered.

As Luke prepared to do just that, a shadow appeared from behind him, and when the Jedi Master turned around, Kara snapped a high kick to his face. It felt like a battering ram had smashed full-force into him.

Luke cried out as he flew backwards through the air and hit the opposite end of the room. His hand went up to his face and came away smeared with blood. He slowly staggered to his feet, and Kara laughed.

"Awww, did I hurt the little Jedi Master?" she taunted, advancing slowly toward him.

Luke gave her a confident grin. "It's over, Kara. I know the key to defeating you."

Kara didn't seem the least bit intimidated. "Well, then, I guess I can't allow you to leave this temple alive."

With that, she sent blue rain of fire toward Luke.

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

Callista shrieked as she clashed blades with Mara Jade, swinging an arc toward her left thigh. The other brought her blade down and blocked it, sending sparks flying toward the ground. Callista spun and send a slash toward Mara's side, this time aiming for her hip, but the blow was effortlessly deflected away.

Even as Callista fought furiously, hacking and slashing, she tried to suppress the anger bursting from her, tried to snuff out the evil taking over her body. She almost succeeded several times, but each time the darkness overwhelmed her, growing stronger with each passing second. In no time, she would be helpless to resist it.

Callista snapped the topaz laser blade down in an uppercut toward Mara's jaw, intending to slice it off. The smuggler counterattacked with equal strength, blocking it with her own blade. She spun and backhanded Callista across the face with a closed fist, staggering her back.

Callista's mouth stung by the punch, but she recovered within seconds and attacked with even greater ferocity, determined to put an end to this selfish little b*tch's life. All the while, she struggled to fight this burning hatred, but it was fruitless to resist.

Perhaps the dark side was stronger after all.

Callista slashed twice, one aimed at Mara's chest, the other at her forearm. Both blows were blocked, and Callista tried a forward lunge, jabbing the blade toward Mara's stomach. The woman sidestepped and crossed Callista's blade with her own, knocking the saber out of the woman's hands.

Callista looked at Mara in surprise for a quick second. As she closed in on her, Callista threw a roundhouse kick across her face, splitting her lip open. She spun, and a second kick to the jaw sent Mara stumbling against a tree.

Callista cackled and moved in for the kill--then gasped as Mara's foot kicked her in the gut. The force of the blow knocked her to the ground.

Mara bent down to retrieve her weapon, and Callista responded likewise. They then faced each other, their faces showing uneasiness, as if both knew they didn't want to do this, but the darkness inside them was too great.

Within seconds, they were at each other's throats again.

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

Luke rolled aside as the lightning bolts burned a hole through the stone wall, sending debris and dust flying in all directions. Luke had managed to avoid the blast--just barely, though.

Kara didn't

 

OK, OK, no fighting here please, Callie and Jaded.
I didn't bring Mara into this just to dredge up the rivalries between their fans.

 

Luke grunted, using all his strength to grab onto the whip and yank back. Kara was taken by surprise and stumbled forth, unable to control her momentum.

Luke brought his fist fast and punched the woman across the face, spinning her around. His foot then kicked out, swiping Kara's feet off the ground.

As Kara laid there, stunned, Luke picked her up by the Force and slammed her none too gently against the wall. Then, still maintaining his invisible grip on her, he tossed across the room. Kara screamed as she impacted the oppsite wall and slid to the floor.

Luke finally unwrapped the whip around his neck and faced his opponent, who was now up again, furious. Without waiting for her to attack, he swung the whip in her direction, striking her sharply across the face. Kara was sent stumbling to the floor.

Luke twirled the whip around, preparing to strike her again. But Kara was up within seconds, showing no indications of a cut or bruise on her face.

Lightning exploded from her fingertips, hitting Luke squarely in the chest, throwing him back. Luke hit the ground, second-degree burns all over his chest. Slowly, he staggered to his feet, wincing at the extreme pain it caused him.

She ran toward the Jedi Master and leaped high into the air. Before Luke could move away to safety, her foot struck him squarely in the chest, throwing him back.

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

The fight between Callista and Mara grew more intense as the anger and hatred in them grew stronger and stronger. Callista tried to continue shutting away this evil in her, but every time it came back with a firmer grip on her.

Mara stepped forth and swung her blade. Callista saw it coming through the Force and leaped back, the blue-white blade sailing under her feet. When Callista landed, their blades clashed again, producing a loud sizzle that echoed in the thick jungle. Mara's face was livid with pure hatred as she lunged once more, but Callista parried the blow, grinning.

Finally seeing an opening, Callista flipped over the woman, landing right behind the smuggler. Before Mara could turn around, Callista kicked her in the small of her back, sending her stumbling forth.

Mara whirled around, enraged. Her foot snapped into Callista's gut a second followed, followed by a kick to the chest, then another to the head. Callista tripled over in pain. It was gone within seconds, and she turned and sent her fist into Mara's face.

It connected cleanly, snapping the woman's head back. Mara turned and responded in kind, taking Callista by surprise with a backhand and nearly dropped her down. With a inhuman screech, Callista smacked the hilt of her weapon across Mara's face with all her strength. Something cracked--probably Mara's jaw--and Mara nearly fell.

One hand going up to her mouth, Mara glowered at the Jedi, and dropped her with a kick to the head. Callista fell, her vision blurring.

When she looked up, Mara was standing over her, a triumphant grin spread across her face. Thinking fast, she brought her foot back and smashed it into Mara's chest, driving her back.

Callista rolled to her feet and faced her nemesis. By then, the dark side had completely taken over. Callista was now a slave to its power.

Thinking of nothing more than slaughtering this woman, Callista charged forth.

[This message has been edited by Jedi15 (edited 04-14-2000).]

 

Commander Antilles: I wasn't fighting; I was just expressing my feelings... This has been a pet peeve of mine ever since I can remember. Heck, it took me years to like Han because I didn't feel he was giving Luke the respect he deserved. Yes, I'm a zealot when it comes to Luke, and anything resembling a diss really ticks me off.

Certain words and certain actions get reactions out of me.

And that's all I'll say about that for the sake of everyone on this thread so that it doesn't escalate.

 

I forgot to mention (I would edit my post to add this, but my post hasn't shown up yet and I'm running late LOL) that my comment was not directed at that character only (therefore not intended to start any sort of debate or fight), but rather at ANY CHARACTER that disses Luke--be it Kyp, or Corran Horn, or Han, or WHOEVER. Heck, even Callie could end up on my **** list if she ever said anything like that to Luke.

I just really, really, really, really, really don't like it when people do that to Luke. The character of Luke may not be flawless, but nonetheless it bothers me to no end when his friends (or people who claim to be) throw these "flaws" (and personally I don't think of them as flaws, and perhaps that's the real issue) out at him. If anything these are the things that make him who he is and endear him to his fans, so for those very things to be used against him as a way of knocking him down a few pegs--let's just say it brings out my ire.


(Oh yes, by the way, did I mention I really don't like it? )

[This message has been edited by Jedi Callie (edited 04-10-2000).]

 

I have/had no intention of fighting, so fear not. As Jedi Callie made her views clear, I did mine. That's all. I respect her opinion. We just happen to see things differently, that's all.

This is a Callista thread after all. I am merely here to make sure that Mara will be presented fairly--or else wreak vengence if necessary

JediCallie--I understand where you're coming from, but I see joking with friends(farmboy) and blatant disrespect as different things. I suppose it's all relative.

=Jaded= (returning to the MJ fan club...)

p.s. if Mara survives, which she better --may I lobby for the right to write her send-off scene?

 

Wow, I never knew someone could get so worked up over the word "farmboy"

 

Jaded: thanks so much for your gracious response . I really do appreciate it, and I respect your opinion also and by no means am I trying to influence yours or anyone else's. And rest assured, I won't be writing any death scenes for her--I was just teasing earlier

Commander Antilles: you're skating on thin ice, buddy