By Maara
PG for Violence
A long time
ago, in a galaxy far, far away, the evil Emperor, with Lord Vader at his side,
vowed to purge the galaxy of the Jedi and unleashed a reign of hatred and
violence against the peaceful knights.
The destruction
of the Outbound Flight project, sent the Jedi scrambling into hiding. A
contingent of Jedi Masters, undertook a mission to chart the unknown regions
and explore the galaxy beyond. They never made it. Somehow, they were found
out, and destroyed.
Many of the
Jedi who stood to fight, did so knowing they would die. Still they knew many of
the others would make it away and survive.
The Jedi knew someday, one would rise to defeat the Emperor.
Those who fled,
changed their names and abandoned their use of the Force, for fear of
discovery. Others were more confident in their abilities to shield themselves,
and continued the ways of the Jedi. One
by one, they were hunted down and eliminated by Darth Vader.
One Jedi, who
chose to go into hiding, was Marcus Jadera. He gave up all use of the Force, in
order to conceal his identity. He lived his life on the run, moving form
planet to planet. Until one day, he
came to an Outer Rim world, called Tatooine.
He decided to settle there because the Empire didn't seem to pay too
much attention to it. Only a small
contingent of storm troopers were stationed at the main spaceport.
Changing his
name to Marcus Jasper, he took a job in a supply yard, and did his best to
start a new life. One day the time
would be right for him to do what needed to be done. He trusted in the Force and knew it would guide him and the other
Jedi to safety if he just had patience. Until that time, he was just Marcus
Jasper, supply yard worker.
Marcus was a
rugged man, with reddish brown hair, and blue/green eyes. After
working hard in the hot Tatooine suns, he soon became very tan, blending
in with the locals. He attracted the eye of many a woman in Mos Eisley, but had
no interest in any of them.
Not until he
met Mira. She had just gotten a job at
the market two dwellings over. He first
saw her for the first time on a supply run. Marcus had walked in just after an
irate customer trashed the shop for the 5th time that week, leaving the shop a
shambles. Mira was on her knees, cleaning up the mess. Wanting to help, Marcus
came in and bent down to help clean up the mess.
"Thank you."
Mira smiled softly back at him. She was tall and had reddish blonde hair and
the most amazing green eyes he had ever seen.
Marcus handed
her a packet of ration bars, "you're welcome."
She took the ration bars and turned to put them back on the shelf. When
she turned, Marcus was still standing there.
"Allow me to
introduce myself. I am Marcus Jasper." Marcus extended his hand in greeting to
her.
Mira hesitantly
slid her hand in his, "I'm Mira." smiling she let his hand go. "I've seen you
walking around, delivering supplies. Do you work for Watto?"
"Yeah, I do.
He's getting old, but he can still bargain with the best of them." Mira
laughed, and they talked for quite awhile, as she continued to work behind the
counter. She captured his interest immediately. He began to visit that market exclusively, just so he could see
her.
Mira thought it
was sweet the way he came in all the time.
Mira often had that reaction before from other men, but Marcus was
different. Something about him made her want to know him.
Soon Marcus and
Mira we're inseparable. Marcus knew she
was the woman for him, but wondered if he should get too deeply involved with her.
Part of him feared that eventually, he would be found out, and he was unsure,
if he was willing to put her in that kind of danger. It was then, that he
realized that he loved her and did not want to be without her.
One night,
after being together for only a few months, he asked Mira to be his wife and
she happily accepted.
Marcus told
Mira the truth about himself; he loved and respected her too much to lie. He had to give her a chance to decide if she
wanted to live life continually looking over your shoulder, wondering if the
day will come that he will be hunted down and killed. She was very
understanding, and did her very best to make them a happy life together.
A few years
after their marriage, Mira found out she was pregnant. Marcus was extremely happy. He had always wanted to have children, and
now with his love, his dream came true.
They had a baby girl. They named her Mara, a combination of both her
parents' first names. They couple
wanted her to always have a part of them, in one form or another.
Mara was a
beautiful child, with a thick hair of the most beautiful red-gold color either
had ever seen, and her mother's startling green eyes. Most importantly, she
inherited her father's power of the Force.
Marcus tried his best to shield her, but knew that someday, he wouldn't
be able to, and that they would be discovered.
One day Marcus
developed an uneasy feeling. It was the
Force telling him of something yet to come. Something bad. Marcus told Mira of his feelings, and began
to prepare for the inevitable battle.
Mira packed a few emergency bags and put them in the speeder's storage
compartment, just in case they had to leave in a hurry.
As the days
flew by, and the feelings of foreboding grew, Marcus trained harder and harder,
knowing that the day was fast approaching.
They didn't know how much longer they would have together as a family
and cherished each moment with their daughter, who grew quickly before their
eyes oblivious to the looming danger.
Little by
little, Marcus began teaching a now five-year-old Mara, about her Jedi
powers. She loved how she could talk to
her daddy in her mind. All she had to
do was think about him and say what she wanted to say, and he always heard
her.
One day, while
at the supply yard, Marcus was suddenly overcome by a strong feeling of evil
and hate. It was very close. Dropping
his load, Marcus took off running towards home. //Vader was here. By the
stars, so was the Emperor! They must
have been shielding their presence, too!// Marcus thought, a cold fear stabbing
through his heart. He called out to
Mara, **Mara, tell mommy to run!
Now! They're here!** At first Mara didn't respond, then when her
response did come, it wasn't what he wanted to hear. **Too late, daddy.** He ran faster, putting the power of the
Force into his legs.
Mara was
helping her mommy clean up the lunch dishes, when she started to frown. Mira had just put away a dish she finished
drying, and turned to see Mara's face pinched in a deep frown.
Mira put her
hand on Mara's shoulder and gave her a gentle shake. Turning to face her
mother, Mara said, "Mommy, bad people are coming." That one flat statement caused Mira to jump, grab Mara and run
towards the back exit of their dwelling.
She stopped suddenly when Mara grabbed her arm. "We can't get out that way mommy. They're out there."
Looking at
Mara, Mira tried to think what to do next. The small girl had a far away look
on her face. "What is it, Mara?"
Looking up at
her mother, Mara answered, "Daddy says to run, but I told him it was too late."
Fear stabbed
Mira's heart. "What do you mean it's
too late?"
"The man
outside told me. They want us to come
out." Mara replied. She looked at her
mother, "I don't like him mommy, he feels mean." Mira hugged her daughter
tightly, as she tried to think of a way out.
Marcus ran as
fast as the Force would carry him. When
he approached his dwelling he saw the Emperor and Vader, standing ten meters
from their shuttle. Coming to a halt,
Vader turned and started towards him, pulling out his lightsaber. Marcus closed his eyes and took a deep
breath, letting the Force flow freely through him. He had to protect his family.
He started towards Vader as he stretched out his hand, calling his
lightsaber to him from it's hiding spot outside in the speeder shed.
Vader ignited
his red saber as he advanced, clearly intent on murdering the Jedi. Marcus ignited his blue bladed saber as
Vader struck. He fended off blow after blow from the Sith Lord, fighting for
all he was worth. He saw the Emperor
standing back and watching the battle as if it was a dance, a malevolent grin
on his face and an demonic laugh echoing across the sands.
Mira and Mara
heard the snap hiss as lightsabers were activated, and went to the window to
peak out. Marcus was fighting a big
man dressed from head to toe in black, a flowing cape twisting around his body
as they fought.
She willed
whatever she could towards her husband, wishing she too had the Force as her
ally, so she could help him. Mira
decided to try to sneak out to the speeder while they were all
preoccupied. She snuck through the
dwelling and opened a window. After setting Mara down on the ground, she
climbed out herself. She scooped the
little girl up and turned to run, coming face to face with the hooded man.
He stood five
meters away from her and Mira stood rooted to the spot with fear. "Going somewhere?" The hooded man asked, laughing maniacally.
"What do you
want?" She demanded, even though deep down she feared she knew the answer. "I just want to leave with my daughter."
"Ah, but it's
not him I want." he pointed to
Marcus " I want the girl." , he laughed
again, reveling in the feeling of terror he felt course through her.
Fear shot
through her once again. "What do you
want with Mara?"
"That is of no
concern to you, I have long had plans for her. I have no need for you,
however." He turned to look at
Mara. "Come here child." Mara immediately clung to her mother. The hooded man looked at her hard. "Now," he said firmly, in a deep threatening
voice.
Mira tried to
hold onto her, but couldn't move.
Something restrained her. Mara
slowly slid down her mother, clinging to her like a Tuskeon Raider trying not
to fall into the Rancor pit.Moving in a strained manner, clearly making an
effort to stay with her mother.
When she
reached the hooded figure, she looked up at him, "Who are you?" She asked defiantly.
The man pulled
back his hood and stared at her with his piercing yellow eyes, "I am your
Master, you will be my Hand." He placed
a crooked hand on her forehead and she fell to the ground unconscious.
Picking her up
the Emperor handed her over to a waiting guard, who then headed towards the
shuttle with her. He turned to follow, when Mira screamed, breaking loose from
his slackening hold, running up to him from behind intent on getting her child
back. He had expected this, so he was
ready. When she got closer he turned
around and lightning shot from his fingertips, penetrating her heart and
killing her slowly and painfully.
He heard a
scream and turned to see the fight between Vader and the Jedi Jadera.
Marcus and
Vader fought hard, each trying to gain control over the other. Marcus hadn't had much practice in the
Force, so it was easy for Vader to best him.
He managed to avoid a few of the flying objects thrown at him by his
opponent mentally, but was growing weary, and knew he couldn't keep this up
much longer. He just hoped Mira could
get away with Mara.
Suddenly, he
heard Mira scream. He turned in time to
see her cut down by the Emperor's powerful lightning bolts. As his wife's
lifeless body fell to the ground, he could see a guard boarding the shuttle with
Mara. Grief pierced his heart, as did
Vader's saber. With his last living thought he begged the Force to be with his
precious child.
Then he was
gone, and Mara was beginning her new life, as the Emperor's Hand.
The Emperor takes a Hand
By: Maara