Ocumwhowurst
{"Yellow Wolf" in Cheyenne.}
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A/N1:Major AU story!
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This is my first published attempt at a crossover, so please bear with me. This is also my first time publishing an unfinished multi-chapter story (one single story, not a series of one-shots). I promise to finish this story, however long it takes, so please be patient with me as I normally wait to publish until I finish a story . This is me stepping out of my comfort zone.
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A/N2: I do not own Star Wars.
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Please note: This story is rated 'M', not due to explicit content or particularly disturbing images, but due to the more adult nature of the issues the characters will be facing. There are adult themes in my story, yes, but they are done tastefully and without going into the gory details. This story borders the PG-13/R line, and I went with the safer side, just in case.
Chapter One:
"Just come along, Mara!" she huffed around her efforts to swat away the multitude of blaster bolts coming their way. "We're just going to negotiate with them!"
Luke Skywalker threw her a wry look. "What are you talking about? We are negotiating."
Mara Jade lifted one skeptical brow, not daring to look away to shoot him her trademark glare. "Oh, really?" she asked dryly.
"Yeah… we're just doing it aggressively." Luke finished with a staccato laugh.
Mara had the energy to roll her eyes, which she knew Luke would sense. In return, she felt his roguish grin.
Their banter was short lived, however, when a yellow laser bolt from a native blaster rifle slipped inside Mara's defenses and grazed her bicep. Mara bit down the instinctive yelp of pain, focusing instead on staying alive.
Luke's concern drifted to her, but she ignored that too, not wanting any more distractions. She felt his mood shift slightly, and then with a surge of Force-imbued energy, the entire throng of foes went flying backwards.
Mara nearly missed the final bolt shot off by a stunned opponent in her shock. She waited a heartbeat before lowering her sapphire blade and turned to Luke.
"Was that you?" she asked.
"Yes, let's get out of here." Luke gestured to the forest, the only clear line of escape. "We can circle around the landing pad and come in behind the Jade's Fire."
"Fine." Mara agreed, breaking into a sprint half a step behind Luke.
They crashed into the foliage just as the first shots were fired by those struggling to their feet.
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Sar Tanliss turned to his brother. "Come Xel; let us release our secret weapon."
Xel offered a confused look. "Secret… oh!" a look of comprehension dawned, and then an evil grin snaked its way across his features. "Yes… yes indeed."
The brothers sped to the village medical center, a small building with a secret underground area for … disabled patients who were beyond the help of normal medicine. The medical staff kept certain patients on hand to research, and that is where much of their village's medicinal knowledge came from.
Sar and Xel had a special patient living in a deep, dank cell in this basement where he could be himself once a month or as the occasion called for it.
Sal looked in on the sleeping figure on the dirty floor of the cell. "I think these pesky Jedi can do us a favor and dispel of our friend here."
Xel nodded. "Yes, then we can devote our funds to better activities."
Sar unlocked the cell's heavy door and opened it.
"Rise." He commanded.
The figure on the floor rose wearily to his feet, his haggard and worn body sagging from lack of nutrition.
"There is a pair of Jedi running through the woods: they have caused trouble for us. Kill them, and you will be granted your freedom." Sar informed the man.
"Freedom?" the man asked in a voice hoarse from disuse.
"Provided you never return to this village." Xel added.
The man looked between the two, his desperation to run wild obvious. Finally he nodded, and Sar extended a hand which held a cloth napkin.
"This is the female Jedi's napkin. Get her scent, and then go kill her and her mate."
"I will do as you order."
"I know you will." Sar said arrogantly.
The man staggered from the cell, but with each step toward the outdoors, his strength returned until he was running full-out by the time he reached the exit.
Once outside, the ragged man felt the cramps take over, and his hearing sharpened into keen focus as his body morphed painfully. At the last moment, he let out an inhuman scream which ended in a loud, keening howl.
The black beast charged headlong into the forest, his sharp nose catching the woman's tasty scent from miles away.
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Luke felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, and he glanced around nervously. Something was approaching, and very quickly.
He and Mara were only minutes from the landing area, where they planned to sneak onboard Mara's vessel and blast for open space and the safety of lightspeed.
"We should go faster." Luke warned, putting actions to words as he moved from a fast walk to a quick jog.
"I know, I can sense it too." Mara grunted as she kept pace. "I knew they let us get away too easily."
Luke probed the area with the Force, and caught wind of snapping branches coming from their rear. He frowned when a loud howl reverberated around the trees, causing all animal life to go ominously silent.
Luke and Mara shared a worried glance. And as the sounds grew closer, a mutual, knowing thought came to them: they weren't going to make the landing pad without a fight.
Thinning her lips, Mara came to a halt, drawing both her unlit lightsaber and hold-out blaster. Luke followed suit with his own unlit blade, taking up a position a few paces away to give her swinging room. Next he scanned the forest with his natural senses and the Force, honing in on the approaching presence.
"Whatever it is, it sounds big." Mara commented, tightening her grip on her weapon.
Just as she said it the noises stopped, and the night grew deafeningly still. Both tensed in readiness, waiting to see what the natives had sent their way. She heard a crash to her left and spun that direction, seeing a shadow sneak behind a tree. Mara leveled her blaster and was pulling the trigger when Luke loosed a shout.
"Mara, look out!"
She spun in time to see a hairy face full of razor-sharp teeth bearing down on her. Her surprise at the creature itself stunned her for precious seconds so that she wasn't fast enough in defending herself.
Mara unconsciously braced for impact, gritting her teeth. And though she did get hit, it wasn't by a mouth full of teeth. A scream of agony ripped through the thicket as she thudded to the forest floor.
Mara brought her head up to see a beast that was half-humanoid, half-canine with its jaws sunk all the way into Luke's shoulder. The Jedi Master's face was alight with pain as the beast started to shake its head, Luke still trapped in its bite.
"Luke!" Mara leapt to her feet and took aim at the creature's face.
A red blast hit the animal in the eye, and it immediately began to howl angrily. But it refused to release Luke, who was unable to lift his injured sword-arm. He compensated by calling his lightsaber to his left hand and igniting the emerald blade.
The creature jerked back without releasing its hold on Luke, eliciting another tortured cry from the Jedi. Mara ignited her own blade and leapt in to help her friend.
She swung at its neck, but it rose onto its hind haunches, towering well over Mara's head, so her swing ended up grazing the beast's hip instead. Luke swung his legs up and around the beast, using his weight to throw the animal off-balance.
Mara could feel Luke losing strength, though. She came at the beast again, yelling as she went, and swung at its ankle. The thing backed fearfully away from her blade, remembering the pain it had caused moments ago.
After the creature stared at Mara's blade for a heartbeat, it turned tail and began to run away.
"Oh no you don't!" Mara hollered. "Get back here!"
Mara put on a burst of Force-augmented speed, and caught up to the swiftly moving canine. Luke caught her eye from over the animal's shoulder and she was afraid of the fading light she witnessed in his blue gaze.
When she caught up to them, she leapt high and landed with a stabbing blow on the creature's back, driving her blade deep into his chest. Luke dredged up enough energy to direct his own weapon through the creature's neck before he went limp.
The creature's dying howl faded with its last breath.
Mara wasted no time in racing to Luke's side. He lay unmoving with the head still clamped about his shoulder, while blood seeped into his clothing from the edge of the wound.
"Luke!" Mara patted his cheek, and then slapped it harder, trying to get a reaction.
He jerked, opening his eyes. Mara wanted more than anything to remove the nasty head from Luke, but if she took the teeth out, he could bleed to death.
Mara offered a smile she hoped looked more confident than she felt. "Hey there! Let's get you out of here."
She hefted him carefully to his feet. Luke leaned heavily on her, the weight of the head adding to her burden. His own head lolled slightly, but Luke managed to keep his feet under him, although Mara could feel him drawing heavily on the Force.
Mara had a thought, and levitated the beast's body, bringing it with them as they limped their way to the ship. Mara nearly lost her grip on both Luke and the carcass twice, but finally they arrived at the landing pad.
She was out of breath by this time; although she was more concerned that Luke's breathing was far from normal.
A trio of guards roused at the sight of her and Luke, so she put on a burst of speed. They arrived at the hatch and quickly entered the security code.
Blaster fire began to sound, and though they were too far to actually hit her, their aim was disconcerting. She willed the boarding ramp to move faster, and nearly sprinted up when there was enough space to fit both her and Luke.
With no time to properly secure him, Mara dropped the carcass on the deck and hit the ramp close, then dragged Luke to a corner.
"Go." Luke panted, waving her off. "Get us out of here."
Mara didn't waste time arguing. She raced to the cockpit and drew the ship to readiness moments later, wincing as blasterfire pinged against the hull. She lifted the ship without warning and blasted for the stars, breathing a sigh of relief when nothing chased them there.
When lightspeed was finally reached, Mara slumped in her seat with an exhausted sigh.