Beyond - Legends Meant To Be - an AU Luke and Mara story

I think I'll start by admitting that this story is a bit of a departure for me and was written with the intent of attracting a wider circle of readers. My last story had only three faithful readers from beginning to end, well only three that responded that is. So let me start by expressing my great appreciation to padawan lunetta, Raissa Baiard, and Jane Jinn for sticking with my previous story.

I began my ideas for this story by wondering what if things had happened differently at the Battle of Endor. This story begins roughly eight years after that battle, in a universe very different from the one we have come to know. Now on to the story.


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Whoever said it was lonely at the top had obviously never been there. The new Emperor had been inundated with nonstop requests and proposals and other documents that demanded his personal attention since the day he had consolidated his power. For a moment he considered having his personal guards kill the next person who knocked at the door to his private office but decided against it. Not because he particularly cared for any of his aides, but they were experienced at dealing with the bureaucrats and would be difficult to replace. Once again expediency won out over personal satisfaction.

Having recently assumed the throne, the new Emperor had foregone the usual routine of sweeping away all persons loyal to his predecessor. History was rife with examples of extraordinary men who had been wiped out for no reason other than for having previously sworn their allegiance to another. Besides, these aides had sworn to serve his father, and if this new power on the throne couldn?t persuade them to transfer their loyalties to him, he wouldn?t be much of an emperor now would he. It?s not as if there were any other candidates to choose from anymore.

****

Creeping along at a relative standstill compared to the speed the ship was capable of, the small Omicron Class shuttle coasted toward Mantooine?s smaller moon. Following an initial frenetic burst to clear the atmosphere and escape the planet?s gravity well, the pilot had shut down all power to the engines and relied on the shuttle?s momentum to carry her to freedom. It was hard enough to escape from an Imperial garrison, but to escape undetected; now that was a challenge. Sitting alone in the dark of the shuttle?s command cabin, this pilot allowed herself a brief smile at her success to this point. Brushing her coppery red hair behind her ear, she sat back and watched as the moon grew steadily larger through the cabin windows. Another day of flight at this interminable pace and she would enter the moon?s shadow, or more importantly, the sensory blind spot of the orbital space station. Once hidden by the moon?s bulk she could engage the hyperdrive engines and complete her escape from exile.

?Unfortunately this won?t be a triumphant return to Coruscant,? she said bitterly. It was bad enough having to slink away from those conceited pigs back on Mantooine, but to have to sneak into the Imperial Palace, her former home as well as the place where she walked the corridors proudly and watched as others scrambled out of her way, was the ultimate insult.

?Someone?s going to pay for this before I?m done,? she spoke aloud to no one. It bothered her slightly that she had become accustomed to talking aloud to herself. Exiled for eight years with no contact outside of those sent to guard her, talking to herself had allowed her to retain her sanity; or was one of the signs she was losing that prized sanity.

 

Cool. Let me think of something else to say. Hmmmmm. I got it! Cool! More!

 

Wow, a response already. And from an Army of Darkness fan no less.

Thanks so much.

(Hmmm, maybe my incessant neediness is what's driving the readers away. Guess I'd better start playing it cool.)

 

looks good so far herman, so do you want to elude to what all else is different in this universe other than obviously Mara hasn't met up with karrde, and there is a new emporer on the throne in coruscant. (I know I know it's only been one post, but I like stateing established differences/facts.)

Keep it up, looking forward to more!!

 

Hey, cool. Not what I expected when I saw the title, but cool none-the-less. Is Mara going to take the role of Fredom Fighter, or just avenge herself for getting thrown off Coruscant?

But you know what the one problem is so far? NEED MORE! Hehe Scared ya, didn't I?

 

Let me guess: the red-haired is Mara (well, that one everybody already knew), who has been exiled for 8 years (since her last command was to kill skywalker) probably by Vader, who proclaimed himself Emperor after he and Luke killed Palpatine...now that he is dead, Luke is the new Emperor! =)
Well, whatever it is, I think "mesa like it"!
POST MORE! =)

 

AWESOME! I look very forward to this one! More soon I hope!

 

Woah! That would be cool! Army of Darkness all the way (after Star Wars) Don't ya'll to forget to shop S-Mart!

 

The Emperor?s private office, buried deep within the bowels of the Imperial Palace, was quite different from the more ?official? rooms. Those rooms were too cold and sterile for anything other than intimidating others. Here in his private office, the Emperor was allowed to relax somewhat and deal with his aides in a more relaxed manner.


?The prisoner I mentioned to you last night has been brought per your request, my Emperor,? Telin Kropf uttered hastily. His bothersome tone of voice, as well as his terrible habit of looking at his feet as he spoke, would need to be broken if Telin wished to continue to serve the Emperor. His voice had a high warbling pitch, reminiscent of a strained power coupling just before it blew. And though he was now serving as an aide to the new Emperor, he refused to look his master in the eyes. A certain degree of awe and trepidation was to be desired in a proper servant, but when it got in the way of doing one?s job, that?s where the Emperor drew the line.

?Is he shackled?? the Emperor asked without bothering to look up.

?Yes my Emperor,? Telin said to his shoes. ?Binders around his ankles and wrists.?

?Very well. Bring him in,? the Emperor commanded with a negligent wave of his hand. Despite being the most powerful man in the galaxy, he was not looking forward to this.

The prisoner was prodded into the room by two scarlet robed guards. He held his manacled hands over his eyes to shade the bright ceiling lights. Obviously this prisoner hadn?t seen light in quite some time; or a washcloth for that matter. Around his eyes were several noticeable lumps and bruises. Dried, caked blood was matted among the stubble framing the prisoner?s face.

?You?ve been captured again Han. When will you learn?? the Emperor questioned. ?I only allow your continued existence because of what we once meant to each other. My patience is not without limit however. Soon I will no longer be able to look the other way.?

?Shove it, kid,? Han Solo responded, enunciating the work ?kid? so that it came across a curse, rather than the friendly nickname it had once been. For his impudence, Solo received another session with the stun sticks the guards carried. Despite the screams of his former best friend, the Emperor just sat by and watched. When it was over, his spirit remained unbroken, but he chose his next words more carefully.

?If you want to kill me then get it over with. Even death would be better than this,? Han declared when he regained his composure.

?If I wanted you dead, do you think you would be standing here now?? Emperor Luke Skywalker said without a hint of compassion. ?Despite my repeated warnings as well as my past generosity in forgiving your treasonous acts, you continue to smuggle weapons to the pitiful remnants of the Rebel Alliance.?

?Hey, I?m in it for the money, remember.?

?The Rebels have no money Han. They are nothing more than a few scattered cells making periodic raids on commercial traffic. No one supports the Rebellion anymore. They?ve learned what happens to those who do.?

?Yeah,? Han exhaled with a defeated smile. ?You and your old man sure got that message across.?

Luke?s upraised hand caused the guards to pause as they stepped forward to punish Solo for his disrespectful reference to the previous Emperor. Had it been anyone but Han, Luke would have let the guards have their fun. However the Emperor needed his former friend conscious, so he decided to let the matter slide. Another gesture excused the guards from the room, allowing the Emperor the opportunity to speak alone with his prisoner.

 

Well maramijade, I hope that post went a little ways to explaining the difference in this universe.

Basically the change occurred when Luke met Vader on the landing platform on Endor. There Luke took his father up on the offer Vader made to him at Cloud City.

Consequently the Rebellion was crushed that day and is now just a pale shadow of what it once was.

For more information you'll just have to wait a bit, or read the post by TheRealMaraJade. She seems to have it pretty well figured out so far.

 

Great job herman! Now, I gotta get my butt moving on my story....

 

Wow, awesome start Herman, writing a story to attrract attention..*waggles fingers* I hope you get it, this is very creative and good!!! Post more!

 

I'm such a sucker for a Dark Luke story. Uppers!

 

Hmmm I'm guessing that 'Emporer' Luke still has a soft spot for his sister?, Seeing as he won't strait out kill Han, Leia must still be alive. I'm guessing from the title that Mara will become the REAL 'Emporer's' hand, (sorry I know that was gross but I couldn't resist)

 

You have a dirty mine maramijade. I'm not saying that's necessarily a bad thing though.

Wow, there's almost too many of you to thank, but let's see if I can pull it off.

Leia Walker, thanks for being the first to respond.

maramijade, thanks for being a two time responder. And I will soon be more specific as to the differences in this universe.

Womp_Rat 208, I'm glad you like it so far even though it isn't what you expected.

TheRealMaraJade, your guesses so far have been right on the money. Hopefully I will be able to surprise you at least once in this story.

Knight Obi Wan, thanks for your encouragement, I hope I don't disappoint.

Queen_Pixie, you're too kind. Now get to work on your own story.

padawan lunetta, you've been a great reader of mine for a while now. I can't say enough good things about you.

DesignSith, I'm a sucker for Dark Luke stories too. Ever since reading Dark Empire so many years ago.

Now I promise to get the next installment out as quickly as is humanly possible.

 

?How?s Leia?? Luke asked, staring somewhere around Solo?s knees. For some reason he couldn?t make himself look Han in the eyes when he asked such a personal question. Luke?s last meeting with his sister had been a disaster. It had occurred shortly after the Battle of Endor, where the Rebel Fleet had been decimated by the Imperial Navy and the second Death Star. When Leia had learned that her newly discovered brother had turned the commando team over to her also newly discovered father, she flew into a rage. Screaming curses, she flung herself at him and rained blows upon his shoulders and head. Unwilling to strike his sister, Luke absorbed the punishment ? deflecting many of the punches with his arms and hands ? until a stormtrooper stepped forward and hit her in the back of the head with the butt of his blaster rifle.

During her brief imprisonment, Leia had resolutely refused to even see, much less speak to, her traitorous brother. For weeks she just sat in her tiny prison cell, not even speaking to the guards who brought her food and water. Finally Lord Vader was able to consolidate his power and became the recognized Emperor of the galaxy. In a gesture of magnanimity ? predicted to pacify the citizenry as well as allay any fears the populace might have about their new Emperor ? some of the Rebellion leaders were granted their release and a pardon of all crimes against the Empire. Luke had suggested this to his father as a way to allow Leia her freedom as well as to show contempt for the Rebellion. By releasing prisoners, the Emperor showed that the Empire didn?t consider the remaining Rebels to be any threat to him.

?How do you think? You hurt her kid. Hurt her bad. When you left the Ewok village that night, she felt sorry for you. Sorry for the burden you were forced to bear. Apparently it was too much for you.?

?Hardly,? Luke answered. ?It made me open my eyes to what was going on. Opened my eyes to the true burden that waited for me. It made me see that this was the only way to end all the fighting.?

?Whatever you say,? Han returned, not wanting to argue semantics at the moment. He then shifted gears and returned to the original question. ?She won?t even say your name anymore, just your new title. She?s working hard trying to reorganize the Rebel Alliance to fight against you. If you two ever cross paths again, my money?s on her.?

?Her feelings toward me can?t be helped. It was something I knew when I made my decision. Is she trying to learn to use the Force on her own??

?No. According to her ?the Force? is part of the problem, not the solution.?

?It?s just as well,? Luke whispered. ?In her probable state of mind she?d be ripe for a fall to the Dark Side.? Han wasn?t sure if Luke meant for him to hear this or not, and decided to pretend he didn?t.

?Is there anything particular you want, or are we just going to stand here and chat like it?s old times?? Han challenged.

?No, there?s nothing else. You?re free to go Han,? Emperor Skywalker informed Solo. With a negligent wave of the finger, Luke released the binders that had shackled his former best friend. ?Please don?t let me hear about you getting caught smuggling for the Rebels again. My patience is finite.?

?If you don?t want to hear anything about it then don?t listen,? Han spoke over his shoulder as he stumbled toward the door. Like the time before, the guards outside now had their weapons holstered, and one of them led Han to the nearest lift. From there he would take a transport to a secluded hangar and leave aboard his ship.

Luke had barely returned to the reports from his admirals when Telin returned. For possibly the hundredth time, Luke wondered how Telin had survived this long. He had begun his service as a page during Emperor Palpatine?s reign. When Vader killed Palpatine at the Battle of Endor, he did away with the entire staff of the Imperial Palace. Those who had been too unimportant and escaped Vader?s notice quickly filled the power vacuum left behind by their predecessor?s deaths. Telin was among them.

 

Damn, count me in as a sucker for a Luke & Mara story too. And count me in for a sucker for a good story in general. I really like this AU thing (but you beat me to the punch on the Dark Luke story--darn! But now I get the pleasure of reading this).

I'll be sticking around for this one, Herman Snerd. I am mondo impressed. Keep it up!

=jaded=

 

Wow, this is soo good Herman!! Although I must admit I hope to see Lukie turn good.

 

It'll be good when Luke finally meets Mara...he'll realize she has potential and craft her into a devious dark sider
i love au

 

His care for his sister will be his pull to the light. But knowing his sister it'll be tough to win her back, Hmmmm. . . Luke seems to be afraid to look in Han's eyes, as if he'll see how wrong he was to defect to the empire. Bad Bad Lukie, now go to your room and think of what you've done. (hmmm this will be a twist, Mara bringing Luke to the light not Luke bringing Mara to the light. HMMMMMMMmmmmmm. . . )

 

Ah Coruscant. The planet that never sleeps.

That?s not entirely true, Mara thought as she wound her way towards the Imperial Palace. As a planet, Coruscant was long dead, crushed under the weight of the city sitting on top of it. To be honest the city itself wasn?t exactly the picture of health either, it occurred to Mara as she looked around her. Here she was less than an hour?s walk from the Palace and she was parading through a dank, filthy alley. In the old days such an atrocity was not allowed. Evidently Emperor Palpatine?s successors didn?t care a whit about appearances.

Not that she really cared either. To someone who didn?t know better, Mara would appear to be an easy victim for the sort of scum that she knew was hiding in the shadows. She was only of average height for a woman and her physical regimen kept her slender. Her flight suit hid the tight, wiry muscles of her arms, shoulders, and legs. To offset this enticement to possible assailants, Mara carried an overly large blaster on her hip and a no nonsense look on her face to match. Only one fool had accosted her since she had landed on the planet. In a few months he should be able to feed himself again.

As she rounded a corner, it came into view: the Imperial Palace. Actually it was visible from horizon to horizon, but Mara?s route had kept her view limited. That didn?t matter. The building looked exactly the same as it had when she was forced to leave it eight long years ago. Hopefully, for her, the interior remained as unchanged as the exterior.

Almost two hours later, several detours had been necessary to slip past the half-awake guards in their observation towers, Mara arrived at her destination, no longer carrying the blaster. The sensors in and around the Palace were especially good at sniffing out any weapon requiring a power source that didn?t have the proper identification chip implanted in it. Relieved of the extra weight, Mara caught her breath and once again thought through her plan to infiltrate the Emperor?s home.

There would be no sneaking in through the garbage chute for her, she merely waited outside the rear entrance used by the servants and cleaning staff. No guards bothered to watch the door because, well, who cared about servants. Besides, the door was locked from the inside and any attempts to bypass the lock would set off enough alarms to raise the dead on the other side of the planet. Mara knew as well as anyone that guards, especially those assigned to sentry duty, quickly became bored with their jobs and eventually quit doing that job as it should be done. More than once she had used this knowledge to slip past some guard who had probably been assigned the duty as a form of punishment.

She hadn?t been waiting very long before her years of patience was rewarded. Out through the door walked a young woman wearing the unflattering uniform of the cleaning staff. Waiting for her prey to walk by, Mara crouched behind the immaculately trimmed hedges. The groundskeepers? pride in their work also made it more difficult for security to monitor the exterior of the Palace. When the precise moment arrived, Mara leapt from her hiding place and violently grabbed the helpless young woman. A quick jerk of her arm followed by the cracking of vertebrae ended the brief struggle.

 

Even though I prefer Luke on the light side, I am enjoying your story. It is well written and interesting. Keep up the good work.

 

Like RebelMom I'm not exactly a fan of Dark Luke stories but this one is very interesting, to say the least. I hope you post again soon. :~)

 

?Now let?s see who you are. Or rather who I now am,? Mara whispered aloud. According to the identification card she was now Yinalla Annakerrie Kuremina. Great, Mara thought, I would get the one person who uses the entire alphabet to spell her name. Cursing the woman and her name, Mara stripped her of her uniform and put it on in place of the flight suit she had worn for the past week.

Hiding the former Yinalla Annakerrie Kuremina?s body among the shrubs that bookended the flower garden, Mara/Yinalla returned to her former position and waited. It took roughly twenty minutes for the servants and cleaning crew whose shift had just ended to exit the Palace. When the service door remained undisturbed for more than five minutes, Mara/Yinalla decided to make her move. Scurrying up to the door and looking frantically through her bag, for the entertainment of whoever was monitoring the exterior security cameras, Mara/Yinalla used her ID card to activate the comlink.

?Yes, what is it,? the tired face on the tiny screen asked.

?I left the keycard to my apartment in my other bag,? Mara/Yinalla stammered, trying to put a hint of panic into her voice. ?Could you let me back in so I can get it? It?s important.?

?You know the rules,? the Face said again, now not even bothering to look into the video pickup. ?No one gets in except at the start of their shift.?

?Couldn?t you please make an exception?? Mara/Yinally pleaded. ?I?d be so grateful if you did.?

The mention of gratitude caught the Face?s attention. Mara/Yinalla could almost hear his mind working as it tried to figure out how to use this ?gratitude? to his own advantage.

?All right I?ll let you in,? the Face finally answered, though the door still didn?t open. ?Maybe we can get together when my shift is over and decide how you can repay me for my kindness.?

Wonderful, Mara thought. Some slobbering pig who can?t get a woman except by coercion. Oh well, it?s not like I?ll ever have to deal with him anyway. Trying not to let too much of her revulsion show on her face, Mara/Yinalla agreed to meet the Face at a tavern a few blocks north of the spaceport. Finally the door opened and Mara/Yinalla entered the service corridor. She immediately went to the coatroom set aside for the servants. She made a show of searching an open locker and appearing to find her missing keycard. Mara/Yinalla then returned to the exit, opened the door, and closed it again from the inside.

 

hold on, Luke may be emperor but that may not mean that he turned totally and completely to the dark side. (one can hear the gears in maramijade's head spinning.)