Saga Alliance of Heroes - post-ANH AU (L/M, H/L, Vader, Palpy, Rogues) - COMPLETE - Part 2 cover up!

you should know, kataja dear, what isn't allowed to happen between commanders and their subordinates...
Hey ? don?t toss that on me - I never made Mara to Luke?s subordinate!!!


Mara was nervous, but still felt no need to hide her feelings from the Emperor. As long as she performed her mission as planned, he would never know her misgivings about whether or not she could go through with it. She would, however, eventually need to tell him about her concerns regarding abuses in the fleet. Just like with her concerns about Alderaan, he was sure to give careful consideration to her misgivings.
Aww, she?s so trustful ? I absolutely love that!

As with every other time they broke contact, she felt a tremendous sense of loss and was forced to lie back, breathing heavily to calm herself.
Heh heh...

Mara was experiencing some doubts and had been presented with truths that had unsettled her. But this was all a test, one Palpatine was certain she would pass. His Hand would betray her associates and venture on to serve her master once more. She would be reminded that her feelings and emotions were inconsequential to the success of her missions. She would reaccept her place in the Empire and her mandate to protect it.
I love this passage - and the fact that Mara & your writing of her makes this absolutely believable - and at the same time the exactly opposite could be possible!


?You may do what is necessary. But take care,? he added, his voice taking on a threatening tone. ?She is precious to me. See that she is well-protected.?
Ah, you want to protect your experiment, Palpy, your invested time... Grrr...


?No way, Dack. Women like older men. Not ancient like our pal Senesca here, but old enough to have some experience under his belt. You know. Like me.? Wes placed his hands behind his head.

?Please. The only experience you have with women is kissing your mom good night.?

?Hey!? Wes smacked Hobbie on the arm. ?You promised you?d keep that quiet!?
Hey! Wes has some self-criticism here


not every woman?s dream is to spend the night with Wes Janson.?

Wes placed a hand over his heart. ?That stings, Luke.?



?Yes. Is there any way we can place listening bugs in the ship, so we?ll have some entertainment while in hyperspace??

Perfect Rogue banter! And perfectly Luke, both the way he addresses them - and asks them to mind the tone when Mara comes around!

Still, it was the Mara & Tycho scene that stole the scene in this chapter! I love the idea of Mara almost breaking down due to her consiousness - and the Tycho comes in, being a true friend as well as the noble officer - and points out Palpatine's responsability for eveything! You really give Mara a hard time! Awesome!

 

definte genius in describing Palpy's mental hold on m
Mara. Almost a lovers caresses of the mind. That controlling stroke to the emotions to soothe away the doubts. Bravo!

The Rogues characterization is excellent. I've always been a fan of the Rogue squadron pro-fic some of the only pro-fic I felt stayed true to the original movie feel.

 

Luna:

I love Mara's misgivings and how Tycho handled them; the way he phrased it has to make her distrust Palpatine even more. I hope it starts bugging her, and I'm looking forward to what would happen if Vader decided he needed to "take care of her."

You will see all of these things.

Palpatine's mind caresses are a little creepy.

Good!


Ocelotl:

seeing her connect the dots on the Palpatine connection was crazy. You could hear the gears turning as you read the post.

Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed it.


Hazel:

I'm mean to Mara, aren't I?

The Emperor is talking about Mara like she?s a droid.

He's her experiment.

No Mara, that uneasiness is your conscience yelling at you.

She's in a bit of a bind right now.


Piper:

Glad you liked the scenes with the Rogues. And yes, Luke is just that kind of overprotective person.

I'm really happy with how the Mara/Tycho relationship turned out.


Jade:

Thank you. I love the Rogues!


jaded:

Oh Palpatine, paraphrasing here but,..."only in your not so young mind" is everything going according to plan.

Haha! "Only in your mind, my very young apprentice."

Go Tycho! Way to tell Mara she has a choice, that obviously poked at something in her.

Mara is definitely not used to being able to make her own decisions.

Thank you so much!


Katana:

After you write Palpatine, do you feel like you need to bathe in disinfectant? Because you have him down pat - he is so evil and creepy!

Yes, I do. And thank you. I'm cringing thinking about things I'm going to have to write in future scenes.

Luke and the Rogues were spectacular - Wedge, the good XO, delivering the Gibbs-slap for Luke!

I love them so much.

And wow... Tycho, you have no idea of the true turmoil within this new little sister of yours. But you've said the very best thing you could have. This concept of 'free will' is strange to her, and I'm so glad she's being introduced to it this early.

Tycho is just the best, isn't he? :thanks Michael Stackpole again:


Fels:

Love your portrayal of the relationship between Mara and Palpatine.

Thank you!

--not every woman?s dream is to spend the night with Wes Janson.? --
LIES!

Hehe, I admit, I wouldn't mind it.


Briannakin:

Palpatine IS a creeper. So is Old Man Pestage.

--Everything was going as planned.--

Famous last words?

We will see...


kataja:

Hey ? don?t toss that on me - I never made Mara to Luke?s subordinate!!!



Aww, she?s so trustful ? I absolutely love that!

I know, it's so sad.

I love this passage - and the fact that Mara & your writing of her makes this absolutely believable - and at the same time the exactly opposite could be possible!

Thank you. I am glad that I am confusing you.

Ah, you want to protect your experiment, Palpy, your invested time... Grrr...

Of course he does, the big jerk.

Perfect Rogue banter! And perfectly Luke, both the way he addresses them - and asks them to mind the tone when Mara comes around!

You know I love them. And I'm really having a lot of fun writing Luke at this young age. (Although I do have to keep reminding myself that he hasn't been to Dagobah yet, lol.)

Still, it was the Mara & Tycho scene that stole the scene in this chapter! I love the idea of Mara almost breaking down due to her consiousness - and the Tycho comes in, being a true friend as well as the noble officer - and points out Palpatine's responsability for eveything! You really give Mara a hard time! Awesome!

Aww, thanks, I'm glad that Mara's turmoil is coming through! I can't say enough that Michael Stackpole gave me the best possible character I could work with. Tycho is just so noble that it's hard not to see his point. Completely the opposite of

 

CHAPTER 7





It was dark in the abandoned Rebel base, but Mara didn?t mind. The darkness matched her mood.

Blowing out a breath, she rolled her eyes at herself. She needed to quit being so dramatic and just get the job done.

She?d been brooding ever since she and the others had left Commenor. Outwardly, she projected the image of a nervous lieutenant, worried about getting caught by the Empire but still anxious to join the Rebellion. Inwardly, she could not stop questioning how she could possibly do what she was about to do. The only thing that had gotten her through the days was her endless training as the Emperor?s Hand, which kept her acting stoic and in control. Darillian and Ticarus had no idea that Mara was experiencing doubts. Tycho was still overly protective of her, but seemed to buy her assurances that she was okay.

She kept telling herself that she just needed to hold out a few hours longer. Then it would all be over.

Liar, a tiny voice inside her head hissed. She clenched her eyes shut, ignoring it, blocking out everything in the universe but what had become her mantra over the past several days:

You are the Emperor?s Hand. Feelings, thoughts, and emotions do not matter. You serve the Empire and your Emperor. These men are traitors and deserve whatever happens to them.

She repeated this over and over until the butterflies in her belly finally started to subside. She could do this. She knew she could.

??Rogues?classmate Klivian?leader Luke Skywalker??

Mara?s eyes snapped open. What name had Tycho just said? She went through all her memory enhancement techniques and, sure enough, he had mentioned Luke Skywalker. Wasn?t that the person Darth Vader had been researching in the Emperor?s library? He had gone through a lot of trouble to hide that fact. Perhaps Mara could now find out what was so special about this man?

Slowly, she made her way to where Tycho was talking to Darillian and Ticarus. They were eating some sort of dried rations and playing what looked to be sabacc. Tycho gave her an apologetic look when he saw her approaching. ?We didn?t wake you, did we??

?No, I couldn?t sleep.? Tycho passed her a ration bar, and she gratefully accepted. She needed to build up her strength for tomorrow.

If he only knew that he was contributing to his downfall by being so nice to her?

?So what are you guys talking about?? Mara asked casually, hoping that Tycho would mention Skywalker again and she wouldn't have to awkwardly bring up the topic.

To her relief, he did. ?I was just telling Rade and Zurel about some of the pilots who?ll be picking us up.?

?Oh??

?I went to the academy with one of them?Hobbie Klivian. He?s part of an elite group of pilots now, called Rogue Flight. There?s only six of them, so who knows, maybe we?ll be able to join their group.?

?Maybe,? Mara mused.

?Anyway, their leader is Luke Skywalker.?

?Never heard of him,? Mara lied. ?Is he good??

Tycho laughed. ?You could say that. He came to the Alliance out of nowhere, and ended up getting their biggest kill yet.?

Mara stared at him blankly for a moment?and then everything suddenly clicked. ?You mean?the Death Star?? Her voice was incredulous, and she didn?t even need to feign her surprise. Her master had tasked Vader with uncovering the Rebel pilot?s identity, since Isard and the rest of Intelligence couldn?t seem to come up with such a simple piece of information. Upon his attack on the Rebel base, Vader had said that all the Rebel leaders had been killed and he?d been unable to extract the information Palpatine wanted.

But yet Mara had met him in the Emperor?s private library, and he?d been searching for this Luke Skywalker. It was too big of a coincidence. Vader knew the pilot?s identity, and he had lied about it. To Palpatine! The implications were incredible.

Tycho nodded, unaware of Mara?s internal revelation. ?Like I said, he got the big one. As you can imagine, I?m hoping

 

Han and Leia are so CUTE. In a 'are they going to kill each other or kriff each other?' kind of way.

But Mara... oh, the star of the show, Mara. Her angst, her realisation.

You write Tycho so well. And you're right... Compelling should be his middle name. I wish I had as good a handle on him as you do.

Lovely work, and poor Mara.

 

I loved seeing the interaction between Han, Leia, and Chewie. It was perfect and very much like in the movies, before they really start to fall in love, and so cute.

I feel really bad for Mara and I can't wait to find out what she decides to do. I keep thinking she's going to change her mind but she's hard to know for sure. Looking forward to the next chapter to find out! Great update.

 

PLEASE NOTE: I am going to start posting two chapters per week, on Tuesday and Friday. Enjoy!
No complaints from this one!



The darkness matched her mood.

Blowing out a breath, she rolled her eyes at herself. She needed to quit being so dramatic and just get the job done.
Ha! Awsome point! Yes, I could well imagine Mara to have a dramatic stroke!


She clenched her eyes shut, ignoring it, blocking out everything in the universe but what had become her mantra over the past several days:

You are the Emperor?s Hand. Feelings, thoughts, and emotions do not matter. You serve the Empire and your Emperor. These men are traitors and deserve whatever happens to them.
I like this ? it?s like lying first time, or stealing or killing first time, the more often you do it, the easier it?s supposed to get (unless you somehow manage to dig your heels in). I suspect that?s what Palpatine?s counting on; that her training and loyalty will bring her through the first time ? and that her morals will erode slowly form there.


Yeah. So this Skywalker guy,? she said, unable to drop the subject. ?Besides blowing up the Death Star, what?s so special about him??
Never impressed, are you Mara? What's special about him? I trust you find out...


Her room had previously been one of the ship's holds, but since Leia had been flying a lot with Han recently, it had been converted into spare quarters and had unofficially become hers. When she?d entered the ship a few days ago, the room even looked like it had been cleaned, and there were some artificial flowers on the makeshift bedside table.
Heh heh?

Leia had to hand it to Han; he could be quite the charmer when he tried.

?Just move the damn piece, Chewie!?

But more than often, he was incredibly frustrating and annoying.



??Shut up?? Wow, Chewie. I must have gotten her pretty upset for her to resort to such uncouth language.?
There's something familiar with that scene...


?That actually sounds lovely, Captain Solo. And if you win??

?Oh, nothing special. How about if I win, I get to take you on a date??
Aww - Han's actually cute there! And perfectly Leia to just start laughing!


He had expected that it would be easy, but either Leia was a natural at dejarik, or she had been feigning ignorance before.
Whihc we know she hasn't. Another great point - I really think Leia woul be a great strategist!



The smuggler settled back in the captain?s chair and watched the patterns of hyperspace out of the viewport. If she doesn?t like you, why does she keep flying with you? his old friend had asked. Briefly, Han allowed himself to consider that Chewie was right. If Leia didn?t like him, why else would she agree to fly with him on all these missions? She was a High Councilor in the Rebellion; surely she could demand a different escort if she really hated being around him so much.

Han huffed at himself and forced himself to forget about her. She was only flying with him so he'd stick around in the Rebellion. That was it. After all, she was a Princess, and he was a smuggler. She was infuriating, stuck-up, and conceited beyond belief. Definitely not the kind of woman he?d ever want to be with.

And he couldn?t stop thinking about her.
This scene is perfect!!! Han, Chewie - and H&L's romance in canon!


I mean, look at the people Palpatine surrounds himself with. Are they noble? Are they honorable? None of them are. And as my father always told me, you can tell a lot about a man by the people he surrounds himself with.
A classic point - but one I'd never thought of when it comes to Mara and Palpatine! And one very likely to impress Mara!


But what if...what if she had been wrong all along? What if, instead of being the noble, honest man she'd been led to believe...what if the Emperor was just

 

I am going to start posting two chapters per week, on Tuesday and Friday. Enjoy!



I will!


*

You're probably tired of hearing this from everyone, but great job showing Mara's inner conflicts. Really great job!

I love the Han and Leia banter, it's almost endearing to watch them fight like that.


Her comlink beeped softly, insistently. Mara glared at it for a moment, then a switch flipped in her mind. Her jaw set in determination and her holdout blaster jumped to her steady hand.

Rising to her feet, the Emperor's Hand clicked her comlink once in affirmation, then followed Tycho and the others into the morning sun.

Perhaps she did belong with the Empire after all.



Oh, Gods! She did it?

 

Mara, Mara, Mara?Luke is special b/c he is the love of your life but neither of you know it yet. Well that and the fact that he?s Vader?s son, but really which one is more important?

Han cleaning and putting flowers in Leia?s room?OF COURSE Han is trying to charm you Leia?I doubt he?d do that for just anyone.

Han, Leia, Chewie, and Threepio all in the same room and no one was injured?SHOCKING!!
Lovely scene with the dejarik game! Actually I loved the whole Falcon scene.

NNNOOOO!! You just had to leave me hanging didn?t you? Amazing ending to the chapter, being inside Mara?s head is so interesting and realistic?kind of scary to?but I love it!

Once again amazing job!!

 

These two are soooo adorable.

I've been awfully light-headed lately. I always knew that I love Luke, Han and Wedge. And Corran. And Anakin Solo.
Now first I'm falling for Hobbie, then Tycho...It's all your fault!

Tycho reminds me of the Kights of Round Table...

 

Love Mara's continued quandry Very well detailed. Your Tycho is one of the best I've read.

H/L are a true caution at this stage

 

Once again you have done a fantastic job with Mara's inner conflict. I do believe it is much more realistic that she stay the Emperor's Hand a little longer. It usually takes multiple instances before someone can overthrow such deep seated beliefs. although Tycho is very compelling

Nice job with Han and Leia. Poor Han has it bad doesn't he? I've always seen so much of their arguing as the 5th grade boy who pulls the girls pig tails so she'll pay attention to him. Young love!

 

There is so much sexual tension on the Falcon, Chewie could put it on his toast.

You write Mara's inner conflict so well, I love it. I only WISH I could write like you.

And Tycho is just too cute. Will Winter be making an appearance?

 

Katana:

Han and Leia are so CUTE.

They are, aren't they?

But Mara... oh, the star of the show, Mara. Her angst, her realisation.

I'm glad it came off this way!

You write Tycho so well. And you're right... Compelling should be his middle name. I wish I had as good a handle on him as you do.

Aww, thank you. Honestly it's really easy to write Tycho because he's just so - Tycho!


Luna:

I feel really bad for Mara and I can't wait to find out what she decides to do. I keep thinking she's going to change her mind but she's hard to know for sure.

Excellent.

Looking forward to the next chapter to find out! Great update.

Thanks!


kataja:

I like this ? it?s like lying first time, or stealing or killing first time, the more often you do it, the easier it?s supposed to get (unless you somehow manage to dig your heels in). I suspect that?s what Palpatine?s counting on; that her training and loyalty will bring her through the first time ? and that her morals will erode slowly form there.

That is exactly what Palpy's counting on. Mara has never failed him and, even if she was struggling internally, she's been trained so well that she would kind of fly on autopilot.

Never impressed, are you Mara? What's special about him? I trust you find out...

Maaaaaybe.

--??Shut up?? Wow, Chewie. I must have gotten her pretty upset for her to resort to such uncouth language.?--
There's something familiar with that scene...

Oh? Is there?

Another great point - I really think Leia woul be a great strategist!

Once Leia figures out the workings of dejarik, she could probably beat the grand master of the universe!

This scene is perfect!!! Han, Chewie - and H&L's romance in canon!

Awww, thanks.

--I mean, look at the people Palpatine surrounds himself with. Are they noble? Are they honorable? None of them are. And as my father always told me, you can tell a lot about a man by the people he surrounds himself with.--
A classic point - but one I'd never thought of when it comes to Mara and Palpatine! And one very likely to impress Mara!

It really hit me when planning out this story, that Mara was never very impressed with anyone that worked closely with Palpatine. I often wondered how that would affect her, once she got it all figured out in her head. She respects the Emperor so much that it would be really hard for her to realize that he's just like the people he surrounds himself with.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wrong conclusion! Wrong conclusion!!!




Hazel:

You're probably tired of hearing this from everyone, but great job showing Mara's inner conflicts. Really great job!

Nope, never get tired of it.

Oh, Gods! shock She did it?

Unfortunately, that plan was already in motion, even if she had wanted to stop it.

But what will happen once everyone else arrives...?


jaded_jewel:

Lovely scene with the dejarik game! Actually I loved the whole Falcon scene.


Thanks! I have really enjoyed writing Han/Leia scenes. I was really intimidated at first, because living up to the movies is a lot different than living up to books.

NNNOOOO!! You just had to leave me hanging didn?t you?

Yup!

Amazing ending to the chapter, being inside Mara?s head is so interesting and realistic?kind of scary to?but I love it!

Thank you! And I love being in Mara's head. I've kind of gotten used to it by now, with how much I've written her. LOL.


Piper:

I've been awfully light-headed lately. I always knew that I love Luke, Han and Wedge. And Corran. And Anakin Solo.
Now first I'm falling for Hobbie, then Tycho... love It's all your fault! not_talking



I'm sorry...but it's not my fault! Tycho was that way in canon!


Jade:

Your Tycho is one of the best I've read.

Awww, thanks. I j

 

CHAPTER 8





Blaster firmly in hand, Mara felt calmer than she?d been in weeks. All her training took hold and she settled into her old mindset, separating her thoughts from her actions and focusing on the task at hand.

?They?re here,? Tycho announced, voice suddenly somber and grave, but also determined.

Mara glanced into the sky, shielding her eyes from the bright sun, and saw a Corellian YT freighter approaching from the south. There was no sign of the accompanying X-wings, but Mara could sense that they were around, somewhere, waiting to strike if necessary.

Before she could think further on a possible firefight, the freighter touched down and the landing ramp lowered slowly. At the top of the ramp stood a petite, brown-haired woman. Her hair was twisted into a braid worn around her head and she was clad in a plain white flightsuit. For all intents and purposes, she seemed to be a technician or aide, but Mara knew that looks could be very deceiving. She?d seen this woman before. It was Leia Organa.

Mara placed her finger closer to her blaster?s trigger; even at this distance she?d be able to burn a hole in Organa?s chest without even trying. Slowly, she kneeled to the ground, ready to steady her hand and get a shot off?





It took a few seconds before her eyes adjusted to the bright Dantooine sunlight, then Leia walked a few steps down the ramp, still overly aware of her surroundings but committed to the task at hand.

All she saw were four pilots standing about fifty meters from where the Falcon had touched down. At least it didn't seem to be an ambush.

?Recognition code?? Leia called.

One of the pilots, a blond man with the typical build of a fighter pilot, yelled back. ?Mern-dorn-jenth-aurek. Reply??

?Peth-besh-forn-usk.?

The blond man glanced to his companions, then nodded. ?Permission to come aboard??

Leia nodded back and pulled out her comlink, ready to call to Han and Luke to take off as soon as the defectors got on board?

She turned, a shiver suddenly running down her spine, almost like a premonition that something was horribly wrong. She had never felt anything like it in all her years in the Rebellion?it was like a whisper in her mind, telling her to run, and that something very bad was about to happen.

Her astute brown eyes surveyed the area and she still saw nothing...then her attention was drawn to the young woman with flame-red hair, kneeling in steady concentration. Was that?was she holding a blaster?! Leia reached for her own and opened her mouth to scream?

And then a loud explosion rocked the Falcon from behind. Leia almost toppled off the ramp but caught herself at the last moment.

When she glanced back to the others, the redheaded woman was on her feet, blaster brandished towards the oncoming stormtroopers, her face twisted in absolute, pure rage.

Leia didn?t have a chance to think on that before Han?s voice started screaming out of her comlink and the Falcon began to rise back into the air.





Admiral Ozzel stepped forward on the bridge of the Executor, to the man in black standing stoically in front of the viewports. ?Our fighters have begun their attack, my Lord.?

?Good,? Darth Vader replied without turning. ?Inform General Veers that his troops may begin their surface assault.?

?Yes my lord. And the informant?? Ozzel had been made aware that a high-ranking Imperial agent was accompanying the defectors on the ground. He certainly did not want to incur Vader?s wrath by having the agent?s death occur on his watch.

To his surprise, Vader simply waved his hand in complete disinterest. ?The troops have their orders.?

Ozzel?s brow furrowed in confusion, but the past few months had taught him not to question Vader. Those who did usually ended up dead. ?Yes my lord,? he repeated, before heading to the comm station to relay the message to Veers.





?That was weapons fire!? Han yelled. ?What the hell is going on, Chewie??

 

That was thrilling! I loved Mara's reeling emotions and what caused her to feel like she had to leave. If she does end up talking to Palpatine, I'd love to hear that conversation. But I loved Leia, Han, and Luke in this rescuing everyone--it was so exciting, and I can't wait for more! This was a bunch of fun.

 

Great to see Mara's roiling conflicts and Vader's thoughts on Luke, etc., I love his plotting and scheming to unseat the Emperor



Great action there in getting away with the defectors.

 

Great sequence

Somehow, I knew Mara would end up getting shot. Love that Luke had to rescue her, though.

?I?m Luke Skywalker!? he yelled. He bit down on his tongue to keep the rest of that old declaration from coming out of his mouth.

[face_pouts] Mara only got half of Luke?s farmboy-to-the-rescue line.


Now I'm wondering how the Emperor will react and what will he do.

 

Getting caught up!

Chapter 5

?Oh?yeah. Mmm, she looks hot in that flight suit.?

Random pilot is going to die a horrible, horrible death.

As she walked past them she moved closer and wiggled her hips, enticing them to reach out and grab her?

One of them was stupid enough to try. As he leaned towards her, Mara used the Force to lift up the corner of his chair ever so slightly. Caught unawares, the sorry excuse for an Imperial lost his balance and fell flat on his face.

Or injured. Close enough. Lesson? Don't piss off Mara.

She had been onboard the Accuser for three months, and it seemed that every day she learned something new about the Empire.

Things she had never wanted to learn.

Welcome to the darker side of the Empire

The rest of the Empire was not nearly as efficient. Perhaps things were different on Vader?s flagship, but on a standard fleet Destroyer such as the Accuser, bureaucracy reigned supreme.

Hence why the decentralized, nimble Rebellion keeps throwing them for loops

It took three months for Mara to wonder if she really, truly belonged in this Empire, a thought that staggered her to the core. The reason for her questioning came from a source she would have never expected: Tycho Celchu.

Hon, you made a biiiiig mistake selecting him as your target.

What did that say about the Empire, that someone like Tycho had lost faith? If someone like him could want to defect?couldn?t anyone?

Anyone with any sense of justice and morality.

But on the beginning of her fourth month infiltrating the Imperial fleet, the Emperor?s Hand began to wonder if the life she thought she knew had ever been real at all.

Perspective. It's rough.

Tycho had grown extremely protective of her since she told him she wanted to defect with his group. He constantly asked her how she was holding up. She?d even heard that he?d gotten into several altercations on Mara?s behalf. Apparently he also didn?t appreciate the way other officers spoke about her.

Well, Tycho is fiercely loyal

Mara had never gotten Tycho?s entire story out of him. All he would say was that his family had died on Alderaan, but she knew there was more to it. There had to be, to make such a loyal Imperial want to defect from the Empire.

Oh Mara. You bet there's more to it.

?Thank you for coming, gentleman,? the Intelligence director started. ?I?m sure you?re all wondering why I called you here. Well, everyone except for Lieutenant Klivian, that is.?

What's going on and why is Hobbie in on it?

Cracken nodded at Hobbie, indicating for him to speak. ?I?ve been in contact with an old friend from the academy. It appears that he?s changed his mind about defecting to the Alliance.?

Oooh right, they were both at the Academy together!

Glancing at his chrono, he briefly wondered why Leia wasn?t participating in this meeting. Then he remembered that Han was due back from a supply run, and Leia had probably gone to meet him and help unload.

Yeah. 'Unloading.' I gotcha, flyboy.

Of course Wedge, being the exemplary executive officer that he was, immediately picked up on the shift in Luke?s mood and decided to make it his life?s work to get Luke a woman.

Uh oh. And Wedge has friends. Friends with insane drive. Like Wes. You're screwed, Luke!

e had punished his XO with an endless amount of kitchen duty?and by dragging him to this meeting, along with many others.

Watch this backfire in your face, Luke

?Good.? Luke preferred flying with Leia and Han more than anyone in the Alliance, even if they did tend to bicker senselessly. Thankfully, Luke would be far away from them during the journey, safe and sound in his X-wing.

I dunno, you might need a few star systems between you just to be safe.

Once again he wondered what everyone saw in him, and why he didn?t have the same confidence in his abilities as they did.

Death star. You blew one up!

Chapter Six

Mara felt the familiar approval wash over her bond with the Emperor,

 

Mara in this part is truly shocked isn't she? Better for her to remain in the rebellion then returning to the torture chamber named the Empire. Great imagery, JediMara77

 

BRILLIANT!! Loved every word of the action! Amazing work!!

 

Farm boy to the rescue! I loved it.

Great action. But Mara has some tough choices to make: hot farm boy or wrinkly old man?

 

And of course I read it already yesterday ? only too busy to reply properly.

Wow ? amazing chapter! I loved the twists, from Leia suspecting Mara to Mara realizing she was under attack and having to side with the rebels. And of course the whipping on the ryshcate was the twists it took when Luke had to rescue Mara and she so boldly teling him to leave her? Ohh, their connection!

I can?t wait to see what for and againsts there will be when it comes to Mara ? she?s awoken some supsicion ? but also acted completely against it.

Blaster firmly in hand, Mara felt calmer than she?d been in weeks.
Others cuddle with a stuffed toy, Mara with a loaded gun?


?Good,? Darth Vader replied without turning. ?Inform General Veers that his troops may begin their surface assault.?

?Yes my lord. And the informant?? Ozzel had been made aware that a high-ranking Imperial agent was accompanying the defectors on the ground. He certainly did not want to incur Vader?s wrath by having the agent?s death occur on his watch.

To his surprise, Vader simply waved his hand in complete disinterest. ?The troops have their orders.?
Vader, you... I should have known?


The chaos as Falcons lifts off first time is just perfect ? I can just hear the yelling and screaming ? particularly Han! Also lovely to see Han & Leia yelling at each other in the Falcon while Luke?s saving the day outside. Now that?s my cup of tea!

Run.

Mara jumped, startled beyond belief at the voice inside her head. In all her life, she had only heard one voice speaking in her mind?Palpatine?s. His voice was all encompassing, oppressive, and demanding of her attention. Whenever they broke contact, she felt lost. It was like an addiction, and even throughout this mission that had shaken her to the core, she couldn?t go more than a few days without the barest amount of contact with her master.

But this voice?this was pure, like sunlight, not demanding or harsh, but encouraging, helpful, and full of hope. It was a voice that promised freedom and a life of her own, away from those who strived to control her.

She glanced up to the X-wing circling overhead. It was far away, but she could still see the man inside. Even through his helmet, she could sense his eyes boring into hers?

Run!

She heard the voice again, and this time she knew?

The pilot circling her was Luke Skywalker, the Rebel that Vader had lied about to the Emperor?

Awww...! And even better is of course Luke & Mara?s instant mind connection! Yum, yum!

It was the Emperor's training that ultimately caused Mara to turn her blaster on her fellow soldiers. She had been trained to be ruthless, and taught never to risk her life for those who threatened her. These Imperial troops, no matter whose orders they followed, had done just that. They had fired on her. By doing so, they had forfeited their right to live.
Ah, that irony! Love it!

He could so clearly feel her pain and her emotions?what did that mean?
It means she?s the love your life, Lukie boy? nothing more, nothing less?

?I?m Luke Skywalker!? he yelled. He bit down on his tongue to keep the rest of that old declaration from coming out of his mouth.


He pulled her off the ground with surprising strength and placed her gently over his shoulder. If any other man had ever tried to do a similar thing, she would have most assuredly hurt them?but times had changed, it seemed.

Skywalker ran fast, covering the distance to the Corellian freighter in seconds, his lightsaber held to guard the entire time. Mara watched it as she bounced against his back, and wished that she had kept her own, but hoping that she would never need it again.
Good grief, I? d like to actually see that? Not the most proud entrance to the Rebellion, Mara my dear?

You coward! Lu

 

WHAT did Mara do to Vader that he does his best to get rid of her???

Luke...
Han...
Tycho...

 

hmmmm nice twist for Mara. Having Vader try to get rid of her definitely gave her a little push away from Palpy... I sense much conflict coming up for her. I'm not usually a big Mara fan but you do her very very well. Can't wait to see how you play with her loyalties. I expect great writing on this from you based on what i've seen so far...