1 Year After the Battle of Endor
Entry 1
It is amazing how much difference a year can make. A year ago I had power and prestige. I lived the good life in the Imperial Palace on Coruscant. I was a professional that took great pride in my work, having trained for years to become a highly skilled Force-strong assassin and enforcer for the Emperor. But then came the destruction of the second Death Star and the death of the Emperor. This tragic event fueled uprising-after-uprising across the galaxy and left a void in leadership, resulting in intense infighting among the Moffs. Eventually the Empire became a fragmented and ineffectual government.
Some Moffs took their naval fleets and moved to wild space. There, they set up their own personal kingdoms, leading with an iron fist over their domains.
They were fools.
United the Empire could have thwarted the Rebel Forces over time, but as a divided force they were easily defeated by a ragtag band of insurgents that, I grudgingly had to admit, had exceptionally shrewd leadership. Leia Organa, the Princess turned General, was very effective in inciting dissidence on strategic worlds. Industrial planets such as Kuat, Balmorra, Bakur, Tyre and Corellia threw in their lot with the Rebels and when they did the rebel forces effectively controlled the Kuat Drive Yards and a majority of the weapons manufacturing plants.
The Empire needed a strong leader, but every time a Moff came forward to fill the role of supreme leader another Moff –hoping to claim the office himself—assassinated him.
I was at a crossroads. I worked deep undercover for the Emperor...so I didn't have any status in this new Empire. In fact I was certain that the few people who did know of my existence would undoubtedly attempt to kill me if they realized I survived. I came to the conclusion that I needed to change my appearance, identity and start over.
My decision to stay with the floundering Empire was a pragmatic one. I knew the political and social structure of the Empire. I understood how it worked. I was familiar with many of the key players that remained in power, even if they didn't know me- and the Empire was recruiting heavily. With a new identity I could begin anew. My intensive training in piloting, slicing, and surveillance, along with my fluency in multiple languages should equate to quick movement up the ranks.
It was then I had an epiphany…it was a plan to ingratiate myself to the new Empire and secure a position of power. I would first join the Empire under a new identity. Then I would capture Luke Skywalker, the Empire's most wanted Rebel, and get myself on the fast track to promotion. Skywalker was the pilot who destroyed the first Death Star and was rumored to be a Jedi, but I truly doubt he had any formal training. The Jedi Order was decimated during the Jedi purge and any survivors were quickly hunted down and killed by Darth Vader's Inquisitors. Intelligence reports indicated he was a former moisture farmer from Tatooine—meaning he is probably was some bucktoothed, rimworld bumpkin with bad hygiene, a primary school education, and a total lack of culture. The only thing going for him was undoubtedly some minimal Force ability, which allowed him to get that lucky shot during the Battle of Yavin.
He shouldn't pose a problem for someone of my abilities.
First I needed to establish my new identity and the best place to find unneeded official identification is in the aftermath of a combat zone. When traveling through a war torn world of Chibias I came upon the body of a woman with my approximate height, age, and who had a passing resemblance to me. She was slightly heavier than I was, but people are known to lose weight during time of war, and when they do, their facial features change. I believed I could pass for her with some modification of my appearance. I stole her identification and then dragged her body to an abandoned speeder and stuffed her into the trunk. After a few days in the oppressive heat she would no longer be recognizable by anyone.
I sliced into the government computer systems and made sure she had a clean record. I was thrilled that she was a college graduate, never arrested and didn't have her fingerprints or DNA on record. She was a blank slate that I could work with. I looked down at the identification card and smiled. The woman had the same eye color as me. I simply had to dye my hair black to complete the transformation.
I would become Litassa Colay, Imperial new recruit, and say goodbye to my previous identity, Mara Jade, the Emperor's Hand.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: This fic is part of a writing challenge over at TheForceNet. I have to write two entries per month for an entire year in a journal fashion. This Journal is a prequel to a short story I wrote titled: Reunion. That story can be found here on this site.
The story Reunion has a few movie spoilers and takes place during TFA. This fanfic takes place prior to TFA and since I haven't read the new canon novels I am not sure if this fanfic is going to have anything that goes counter to new canon novels. This is basically an AU story, but I will try to keep with new canon. Since books are being released every day I don't know if I will be able to keep up with the new stuff written.
I know this is a pathetic attempt to bring Mara Jade into the new canon...but I am an unrepentant L/M 'shipper. Hopefully I will be able to keep this story going for a year.
I go by the screen name Carlos Danger over at TFN. I share this FFN site with my roommate who goes by the TFN screen name Ewok_Slayer. We act as each other's betas.