Saga The Way of the Force - (L/M, H/L, Vader, Palpy, Yoda, Rogues) - COMPLETED March 18

Now that was a roler-coaster ride.

I'm very curious to know what will happen next.

 

Talk about ups and downs. So, who shall she talk to? I wonder if it's Vader, Palpatine's other not quite willing yet obedient servant.

 

You're definitely good in writing emotional scenes.
I expected they'd have to trek through jungles like on Myrkr...)) But everything is so logical that now I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

WOW! The ups and downs! Mara is still within Lady Jade and I know Luke will be able to bring her out... after you put us through some more angst.

 

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! You posted early and all I have atm is my nook. There's no way ginchy can flail enough on this stupid keypad. I will be back for insane squeeeeeeeeeeing later. It just took me five minutes to type this. LOL

BUT She couldn't do it!!

ETA: Okay, I'm back. It's been a ringer of a day since I originally posted this. I feel like Mara punched ME in the face. LOL

Speaking of, I love the image of Luke holding his face and grinning. So much our Farmboy. And I love that she turned his homing beacon on. I think she's still in love... Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee from ginchy leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! Oh. Ahem.

Speaking of love, my heart was about constricted out of my chest at the use of the quotes from their relationship!! So bittersweet. I loved them all.

But, I'm thinking maybe Luke needs my brave-hat... or does he??

The upshot here is: I love it!!!

 

Marvy post! I think Mara just had the beginnings of an aha moments - 2+2 is about to equal 4.

If she could disobey now, she could've all along, which means she wasn't a brainwashed enslaved automaton, which also means she could've left all this time! Major duh!

 

What strikes me, and what has struck Luke several times literally, is just how warped Mara has become. She told him to leave her at Bespin. She tried to trick and lure Vader away. The fact that Luke didn't come for her has less to do with his sentiment towards her and more to do with the practicality of it. Could she honestly think he could walk right into Imperial Center and simply take her from Palpatine by himself? When the Rebel Alliance can barely unleash guerrilla tactics on the Empire's outlying forces? When she knows that once she would have rather been taken than Luke: had in fact risked her life and freedom once before against Vader for that exact same purpose?

I know that this is logic and Mara Jade is using anything but logic at this time, but wow ... if she is going to Vader for advice and he has found out about what she tried to do ... She might get a lot more than just a punch in the face. Not to mention if Leia ever runs into her ...

Luke could have easily defeated Mara if he wanted to. If Vader can still defeat her, I would assume that because of his complete training with Yoda he is now more powerful than his father. The fact is, for all Emperor's Hand training is formidable, it does not equal completed Jedi training. If she had had more Force training maybe, but Mara Jade looks like is continuing in her role with more command-responsibilities as opposed to having anything more of that. The only reason she was able to do even half of that stuff to Luke was because he loves her still, and he blames himself for something he had no way of preventing: something even she knows deep down and something that she willingly did back then. A part of me was thinking to myself that if she had killed Luke, it would have been the worst possible thing that could have happened to her.

Sometimes, and this is less to do with your fanfic and more to do with Mara's character in general, I really don't like Mara Jade. Even after the Last Command, she is prickly, abrasive, opinionated, rude, and sometimes outright unpleasant and offensive. I certainly would not have tolerated her for as long as Luke has and sometimes I feel like he must be a very patient and observant man to see the good in her: and this is without Palpatine's extensive brainwashing and torture! I know that she has gone through a lot, but maybe now she will begin to understand that she is just as responsible for her own actions as Luke is ... as Vader is ...

I definitely want to see where the rest of this is headed.

 

Oh wow. What a meeting.

Nice little call back (call forward? call forward-sideways-a-bit? ) to Myrkr there, with the chase and crash (at least, that's how I saw it).

I LOVE LUKE! I mean... wow. His faith is astonishing... and other people can't help but be affected by it.

Poor Mara. So twisted and tormented... she'll remember that she wanted to protect Luke from this. She will. And yay, she couldn't do it! (Not that I ever expected her too, but you portrayed it very well.)

Nicely done, Nanci! (And sorry about not reviewing on the last couple of chappies, work is a bit of a ... pain, at the moment. But I promise I'm always reading!)

 

You've asked these questions FAR better than I ever could, and I completely agree.

Nanci, this was fantastic. And I love that I've been right about Mara so far!

 

Hope you don't mind me jumping in!! I think you already hit the nail on the head. She's not being logical. She's been forced back into a life she hated and through that life she's been raped in body, mind and spirit. She's a strong woman but this time the only thing that got her through was her hatred. Was it fair that it was a hatred of Luke, especially when she is the one who sacrificed herself for him and their friends? No, but again, there was no logic here. Palpatine made Anakin kill younglings with just words and promises. Remember that he invaded Mara's mind and sought out her love for Luke--that's got to mess a girl up. But I don't think that she does hate Luke--she didn't kill him for one (and for it to be true L/M we must have her given the command to kill him, right? LOL) and two--she turned on his homing beacon in the X-Wing so he'd be found. Not the actions of someone who hates someone...

And you're completely right! There's no way Luke could just saunter in and save her. And she knows that, deep down, imo. For Luke Skywalker to be caught and turned to the dark side, what hope would there be for the galaxy?

As for her giving herself up, well... I keep telling Nanci--in this AU, she can't accuse Luke of being self-sacrificing.

 

What an odd twist!... I have never pretended to understand a woman's anger, when my mother was upset, girlfriends or even my wife, just proof that we arent all robots and do exactly the same thing.

 

great post!!!!

lets see a Friend with INFORMATION? Karrde perhaps?

 

This was the most gut wrenching post for me... I hope Luke planted seeds again in Mara's mind.

 

kataja: First! Wahoo!

So perfectly those two!!!

Glad you think so.

So that's what she's been thinking! Yes, it makes sense...

She knows Luke did the right thing - but she still feels so betrayed.

Gotta love her feist!

We wouldn't want her any other way!

And as much as it hurt him, I can almost feel it felt good to her...

I think she may have been imagining Luke was someone else there for a bit.

Now, I'm in complete dark. What will she do?!?? This is awesome!!! Absolutely awesome!!!



Thank you so much!



Hazel: I love roller coasters! What happens next? Well...you'll see.



Curtis: So, who shall she talk to? I wonder if it's Vader, Palpatine's other not quite willing yet obedient servant.

Hmm...that's close...but not quite.



Piper: You're definitely good in writing emotional scenes

Thanks!

I expected they'd have to trek through jungles like on Myrkr...

Hah!



Briannakin: WOW! The ups and downs! Mara is still within Lady Jade and I know Luke will be able to bring her out... after you put us through some more angst.

Thanks! Angst? From me??? That's impossible!!!

Seriously though, you'll soon start to see a light at the end of the tunnel.



ginchy: I hate those ereader keyboards!

And I love that she turned his homing beacon on. I think she's still in love...

You're the only one who caught that! Good job!

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee from ginchy leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

You should get that trademarked!

Speaking of love, my heart was about constricted out of my chest at the use of the quotes from their relationship!! So bittersweet. I loved them all.

I'm laughing because you helped me pick them.

The upshot here is: I love it!!!






Jade eyes: It's so easy for us to say, isn't it? But for Mara, it's completely different. But yes, she's had a much-needed breakthrough.



darth_treyvah: Wow! Thanks for such a thorough response! I love it!

You are exactly right. Mara is warped, and she's not using logic. She did tell him to leave. She knows it was the right thing to do. But, everything has been twisted so much that the only thing she knows how to do is hate. And unfortunately, Luke is the biggest target for her.

Luke is definitely a very patient man. There's a reason he's called Farmboy. But I think - at least, I hope - Mara will grow on you. If not, at least you can understand a bit more where she's coming from. It's kind of like Anakin Skywalker - some people hate him, others love him. We'll see where this falls.

And to point to what ginchy said: she's absolutely right. Does this make it okay for her to hate Luke? Of course not. But we all know she doesn't really hate him, nor does she blame him. But what else can she do at this point?

Well, at this point there's a lot she can do. Let's see. Thank you for reading!



Katana: I LOVE LUKE! I mean... wow. His faith is astonishing... and other people can't help but be affected by it.

There's a reason he'll be my first true fandom love forever!

Poor Mara. So twisted and tormented... she'll remember that she wanted to protect Luke from this. She will. And yay, she couldn't do it! (Not that I ever expected her too, but you portrayed it very well.)

Thanks! It's like I always say - just because you know something is going to happen, for example the survival of a character, doesn't mean it can't be exciting. I'm glad it was!

And don't worry about being busy. I'm just glad you're still reading!



taramidala: Nanci, this was fantastic. And I love that I've been right about Mara so far!

Aww, thank you! And you have been! Let's see if that cont

 

CHAPTER 9





Mara?s fingers flew over the keyboard, selecting keystrokes to call up the patient records from the Lusankya prison. Page after page of data illuminated on Ysanne Isard?s personal computer screen, but Mara still could not find the information she sought. Frustrated, she pushed back an errant strand of red hair and leaned back in the plush office chair. None of her bypass codes were working and she hadn?t been able to hack herself into the records system. She was running out of time, but she refused to leave until she found what she wanted.

Upon arriving at Coruscant, she?d flown her fighter directly from the Chimaera to the Lusankya, located kilometers away from the Imperial Palace and buried deep beneath the planet?s surface. As requested, Pellaeon had not broadcasted their presence in orbit and she?d entered the atmosphere without first contacting the Emperor. It was a huge breach of etiquette on her part, but she was long past caring. The Lusankya?s guards hadn?t questioned Lady Jade when she arrived at the prison and she?d gained entrance to the director?s office without so much as a second glance.

Gritting her teeth, Mara tried another tactic on the computer system. But she quickly stopped typing, having sensed Isard approaching the office at a fast rate. Obviously she?d been tipped off to Mara?s presence. Mara first considered trying to hide or leave the office without being seen, but she pushed aside those thoughts. It was time to use her position as Lady Jade to her advantage.

So she leaned back in the chair and waited for Isard?s arrival.

The older woman practically stormed into the office, eyes narrowing as she took in Mara sitting in her chair. She was clad in her traditional red Imperial uniform, hair pulled back into a ponytail at the nape of her neck. She even looked crazy, Mara mused as she took a moment to regard the intelligence director. With mismatched eyes and white streaks in her hair, Isard resembled an evil witch from a children?s story.

When Mara was a child she had looked up to Isard, as one of the only women of power in the Palace. But it didn?t take long for Mara to realize that Isard was insane and looked out for only one person?herself. To save her reputation, she?d even gone so far as to accuse her own father of treason, leading to his execution.

No; Isard was not the type of woman Mara aspired to be like. Not anymore.

Isard?s eyes locked onto Mara?s. ?I was informed that I had a visitor in my office. Welcome, Lady Jade. I would suggest that you make yourself more comfortable, but I see you?ve already done so.?

Mara rolled her eyes, in no mood for false pleasantries. ?I?m actually glad you?re here, Madam Director. You can help me find the files I?ve been looking for.?

The door shut behind Isard. She moved toward the desk, covering a smirk. ?I was wondering when you?d finally come around to search for your records. I?m sorry to inform you that you won?t find anything there.? She nodded her head toward the computer terminal. ?The Emperor wouldn?t want such prized information to be available so freely.?

Mara smiled tightly. ?Of course not.? She leaned forward, clasping her hands on the desk. ?Tell me about Zurel Darillian.?

Isard was not fazed by Mara?s demand. ?What about him??

?Don?t act innocent with me. We both know exactly what I?m talking about.?

Isard let out a heavy sigh and took a seat on one of the room?s plush chairs. ?I know that he was promoted to captain, right before his untimely death.? She regarded Mara plainly. ?It?s funny, it was as if he dropped dead by some unknown?force.?

?You might say that,? Mara replied softly. ?He told me that, a little over two and a half years ago, he?d been passing along information to you, that led to a confrontation with Rogue Squadron. What were his orders??

?His orders?? Isard?s hand moved to the blaster on her belt, but she was wise enough not to try something foolish. ?I thought you would have

 

Let's see if I can get....... FIRST!

ETA:

tee-hee.

Scary Mara is scary. Not that I blame Scary Mara for being Scary Mara. All this time she has believed herself to be brainwashed and has acted in accordance to that. Only to find out... she never was. And that is the depth of Palpatine's depravity and hold. He's a sick man and I sincerely hope that this is the last time Mara has to see his ugly, wrinkled mug.

I love the section with Luke, Wedge and Tycho. Wedge and Tycho will do a wonderful job with the Rogues but it's always bittersweet when Luke has to move on. But he's smart to do so at the Force's command--and we know he knows how to follow the Will of the Force. I can't wait to see how all of this culminates now that Luke and Mara are seemingly on a similar track out of their lives and on to something more...

Excellent update as always!!!

 

Dang it, I just missed first post.

Very interesting. I'd still call that brainwashing. In any case it's supreme mindf***ery of the worst kind. Keep going!

 

Mara with Isard and then Palpsy !!!!!

More coming together for her I think.

Luke with the Rogues/Wedge.

On a technical/plotting note, you are stellar at mixing drama with lighter moments

[face_chocolate!]

 

AHhhhhh! Mara is scary but determined and I like it. By not brainwashing her, I think Palpy just dug his own grave.

Hehe. In a way, I kinda feel bad for Wedge. Looking after Wes and ordering all that Bacta for Hobbie is going to give him grey hair before he knows it. Hopefully he'll find some hot blond to help him cope

 

I have a bad feeling about this.

 

With mismatched eyes and white streaks in her hair, Isard resembled an evil witch from a children?s story.
I've always thought so too

She?d always assumed that Vader had gotten his information from Darillian, as a way to find Skywalker. But instead it had been Palpatine, wanting to recapture her and using Vader?s desire for Skywalker as a means of doing so. Isard was right; she really shouldn?t be surprised. It was always Palpatine.
Always, always - yet he always manages to make us forget this


Isard nodded in return. She stood, and after a few moments produced a datachip from a hidden cabinet in the office wall. She slid the chip inside of a datapad, which she then placed in Mara?s hands, grinning the entire time.

Mara hesitated, afraid of what she?d see on the datapad, but curiosity got the best of her and she looked down. It was her file from her time on the Lusankya.

It was blank.

Mara blinked, staring at the datapad for long seconds, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. Her hand came to rest on Isard?s desk, or else she would have collapsed right to the floor. ?What is this?? she bit out.

Seeing her confusion, Isard gave another insipid smile. ?It is your file, Lady Jade.?
Wow - low voiced drama!!! I have a baaad feeling growing...


She had taught him that he had to be calm and focused when feeling the Force, and not to give in to his emotions. Mara was doing exactly the opposite now, but she didn?t care. She was too far gone to care. She wanted vengeance against the woman who?d ensured she stayed in the Empire, and she was going to get it.
Feeling growing....


?So that?s what this is all about. Revenge??

?It?s all I have, Ysanne. He?s taken everything else. Surely you can understand
Growing... But how it's artistically done!!!

She shook her head, a look of sadness crossing her face. ?No, Ysanne,? she said softly. ?I?m no Jedi.?
This - is either good - or a complete catastrophy!

Or both!


?Well, what if I refuse this appointment? Then what??

Luke smiled. ?Then I?m still in charge and I?ll write you up for insubordination. How does a year of kitchen duty sound to you??

?That?s blackmail and you know it.?

Luke?s smile grew even bigger. ?Exactly. Put that in your pocket for future reference when dealing with Wes.?



?And then??

Luke looked down at his feet, an odd expression coming to his eyes. ?I?m going to go wherever the Force takes me.?

?That sounds?ominous. Is there something you?re not telling us, Luke??

Luke shrugged. ?I dunno. I guess we?ll find out, right??
I guess you showed your cards already, Luke


Mara had hoped that Palpatine would send her away. Everything was going as planned. Now, she just had one more step to go. ?Thank you, master.? She bowed, then rose and left the Throne Room. Before stepping through the large doors, she allowed herself one last glance at her former master.

Hopefully it would be the last time she ever saw his wrinkled face.
What the heck is she planning?!? Can't wait to find out!!!

 

Never cared much about Isard anyway. But Mara, she's learning. Manipulation for Manipulation. Good on her!.

 

Definitely a twist!... No denial of killing Isard (he should have given her a medal)

But now what will Mara do?

 

^^ This. My thoughts exactly.

OH MY FLYING GUNGANS! Mara, you go girl! No Iceheart to capture Corran... No Iceheart to capture Tycho! No Iceheart to capture and twist DIRIC... Wow. I love the way Mara is figuring everything out.

WEDGE AND TYCHO! Luke, you just did the best possible thing for the Rogues. You go be a Jedi; your 'merry band of reprobates' is in very (very very very) good hands.

Good job, Nanci, as always. (I am always always reading. How could I not?)

 

That was awesome. I have to say, Mara Jade was incredible here. I love how when she could have simply Force-choked Isard, or eviscerated her with her lightsaber, she let go of her and shot her with her own blaster instead. Like she wasn't even worth an elaborate death. Just death. She simply hunted her down like an animal. It was really satisfying to see.

Also, the truth about her brainwashing makes a lot of sense. Isard's work would have probably damaged Mara's natural born and trained abilities--if not been totally ineffective on her--and Palpatine was the one who trained her to begin with, so why send her to someone of less mind-kriffing ability when he is the Master himself?

This was just really well done. I enjoyed reading this part a lot. Though I do wonder about something: and it is something to do with Palpatine. He is not a stupid man. He likes his plans within plans and manipulations. I get this feeling that he knew Mara would fail in killing Luke and that this was never the plan at all. It's the same in the EU canon too. He has very formidable farseeing abilities. I remember he tested Anakin by sending Ventress to kill him, though we all knew he was interested in Anakin as an apprentice.

I wonder if that was why he sent her, the EU, to Jabba's Palace as his own test against Luke. If Luke died, then he wasn't worthy, but if he survived that was a different story entirely. And then there is your AU, where Palpatine knows what Mara is capable of and he may well have anticipated her seeing through his scheme.

While I admit seeing her leave would be awesome, I also wonder if this isn't exactly what he wanted to begin with. Because where is Mara going to go? Who wants to find Mara badly again? And who wants to find the person who wants to find Mara and who wants to find that same person as well and have time to engineer the proper situation for it?

Maybe I'm--again--projecting too much here. But this makes me think a lot more about what's going on. As for the character of Mara Jade and the post on her that I made earlier, I wasn't criticizing the Mara in your fic so much as her character in Star Wars. Even so, I do like her. She has a lot of very cool moments and awesome qualities, but like I said before she is not for everyone. I know there are people who still wonder how she ended up married to Luke to begin with in the EU considering their interactions, and sometimes the lack thereof. That said though, it also makes a lot of sense why they are together and she is a really awesome character.

Something tells me that relatively soon, it is all really going to hit the fan. I look forward to that.