This is a short Fan Fic, I hope you enjoy it. Luke and Mara are my favorite SW characters and I like to write about them and every possibility in their relationship I can think of. This story was sitting in my old laptop's hard disk since 2007. I ran into it a short while ago while recovering some files and decided to brush it up and finish it. English is not my mother tongue, so I am doing my best. I write in English as a way of practicing and becoming more skilled in this language. My mother tongue is Spanish - Just in case you were wondering. Thank you for reading and enjoy!
Will be nice if you post your comments in the review section. ;) Thanks!
I do not own Star Wars. The following characters belong to George Lucas and Timothy Zahn. I'm just borrowing them to write my story. Some characters might be of my own inventive. I'm not making any profit out of this whatsoever. I do this only for the fun of it. I'm a Star Wars fan of many years and I'm only writing what my imagination has wanted to happen to the characters in this amazing universe.
I know the first three movies by heart - Episodes IV, V & VI. Not too fond of the prequels or sequels. I haven't read all the literature on Legends, so please forgive any plot changes.
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What are the choices when the dark side of the Force is the only weapon that can be wielded against a mortal enemy? Placed a year after Survivor's Quest.
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Come Back to Me
Act I
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At the New Republic's War Room, the description of the hopeless situation had just ended. Seven planets in four systems had already been under siege and all life forms had been terminated in every one of them, no survivors left. All vegetal and animal life forms in each planet had been destroyed too. The violent menace was rapidly moving towards the core of the Galaxy where the more populated planets were located. The alien race responsible for all this destruction seemed immune to any weaponry the military had used against them. And they seemed to be resistant to any Force attack forms, which did not affect them fully. Some Jedi had succeeded to defeat a group of these creatures using their lightsabers, but it had turned out to be a slow and consuming task.
Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master and head of the Jedi Order, watched in silence, evaluating the holovids, reports and information that had been briefed. This must be the threat the Chiss had so vehemently been warning them about a year ago, and when they had had their early encounters with the head representatives of The Empire of the Hand. It was too late to ask them now, their planet had been one of the first ones attacked, and their all too advanced technology had done too little to help them. Technology was not the answer here… maybe it was all down to lightsabers and the Force. His wife, the Jedi Knight Mara Jade-Skywalker, sat with him also studying every piece of information, all too knowing about the connection with what the Chiss had revealed to both.
The brief was adjourned, and everyone dismissed. Luke and Mara left the War Room and shared their findings and conclusions while walking down the main corridor of the Imperial Palace.
"I can't believe that all of our weapons together are not good enough. We're merely making them itch!" Mara said feeling overwhelmed and frustrated at what she had just witnessed it the holovids shown. "Good thing that some Jedi have managed to get rid of some of these nasty creatures…" She added with a bit of satisfaction. "Perhaps now these moronic bureaucrats will finally understand the importance to have more Jedi in our ranks." In this war, the Jedi available were clearly outnumbered.
For a while now, there had been reluctance from some of the high members in the Senate to increase the number of Jedi. Arguing that having that many force sensitive beings fully trained could represent a threat in the future if some decided to go dark. Their premise was that if there were less fully trained Jedi, they could be watched over more closely, and the probabilities of Sith arising would be smaller.
Mara ranted over this as they walked. Luke seemed absent-minded, with his thoughts on something else.
"Are you listening to me Farmboy?" Mara stopped her ranting and half questioned, half scolded her distracted husband.
Luke stopped walking.
"I think there's one way to put an end to this…" Luke filled in grimly, almost whispering.
"What way?!" Mara said exasperated while turning to face the Jedi and sensing a disturbing thought through their force bond.
"A way that you are not going to like at all." He answered in a calm, but stern tone.
Mara looked deeper into his eyes, she could not clearly understand what he meant, but there was something there that she was not liking indeed. "It has to do with the Force?" She carefully inquired, while glimpsing at something daunting in those blue eyes of his.
"They cannot be killed any other way." Luke earnestly said trying to make Mara understand.
"We're Jedi, we'll kill them one by one!" She offered with pride in her voice, "We'll bring every Jedi in the Academy into the fight!"
"There're too many of them…we're outnumbered as it is." Luke stated trying to show reality to his wife. "And the Force is the only energy that can harm them."
Suddenly, she understood. "No! That cannot be!" Mara commanded in frustration "Are you out of your mind Skywalker?!" she said rising her voice.
Luke rolled his eyes, and nervously looking around, grabbed her softly by the arm and led her to the terrace outside, closing the door behind them.
Once they were out alone, Mara paced for a few moments trying to calm herself. Luke simply stood watching her.
"The Galaxy cannot afford to have you playing hero on the loose!" Mara broke the silence "You are not doing that Skywalker!" she demanded standing in front of him, challenge in her stance.
"Mara, is the only way!" Luke reasoned. "You said it yourself, we're just making them itch with our regular weapons! The Force can hurt them but there's not enough Jedi -and not enough fully trained, to take over a whole race of those creatures; and lightsabers cannot be mass produced. And at the rate they're gaining territory, they'll wipe us off before we even get near to succeeding."
"No. There has to be another way! We need to think harder, give ourselves a little more time." Mara managed to say, while every possibility rumbled in her mind.
"We've already done that. You just saw it in there, EVERYTHING has been tried already. The brightest military minds of the New Republic were in that meeting, and no one has come up with a feasible plan."
Mara looked at him, disbelief and despair showing in her face.
"We need the Force, Mara!" Luke urged, paused for a moment and then gravely added, "Although not the kind we're used to call upon."
"That's precisely why I don't like this!" Mara stressed while a sinking feeling settled in her heart.
"I don't like it either! But we must do it! And you know I cannot ask the other Jedi to draw power from the dark… It's simply too dangerous." He countered.
Yes, the idea of having a full Academy calling upon the dark side of the Force was a dangerous one indeed.
"Then let Kyp help you!" Mara urged. "He's also had his brush with the dark side, and so have Streen and Kyle. They'd be prepared!"
Bringing in the more experienced Jedi was a sound idea but letting the ones already enticed by the dark side to play a part in his plan was not something he wanted to consider.
"They could help, yes; but only in the light." Luke stated firmly. "I couldn't ask this from anyone… and no one else can know, we have to keep this quiet… I cannot encourage my students to do this sort of thing in cases of need. What would I be teaching them then?"
"Then let them all three turn dark and then YOU stop them." Mara proposed. She was desperately running out of ideas, and in her own opinion these certainly were becoming stupider by the second.
Luke gave her a negative nod, "Mara, first: we cannot ask something like that of them. Second: even if they agreed, is too risky. We cannot count on them sticking to the plan once they turn; and I rather take the risk myself." And although he was trying to hide it, Mara noticed how a deep sadness settled in his core. "I have to do this alone."
"Let ME do it then!" Mara offered in a last plead, grabbing the front of his tunic.
"Don't be silly Mara," Luke smiled softly while smoothing with his fingers a lock of her red hair, "You couldn't draw upon the dark side even if you tried, you've never been tempted."
"Why you?" Mara questioned in desperation.
"Because I can do it." He put in simply. "You know I'm the natural choice for this… Only a powerful force user could pull this off… My father was a powerful Sith… and," Luke let out a sigh, "It's in the genes, I suppose." He smiled faintly.
"We have to consult with the rest… let them be aware!" Mara proposed trying to calm down.
"They'll all help." Luke agreed. "With the tactics and the military aspect of the whole mission. But just that. We won't tell them about my real involvement in all this."
Yes, no one could know about Luke's plans.
"But… what happens if you can't make it back?" Mara questioned her husband, worried about this whole idea and nurturing the hope of him being able to indeed make it back.
"I am not coming back…" He grimly said. "That's where you come in…"
Mara did not like where this discussion was leading. Not one bit.
"You'll have to take me down." Luke simply added.
Those words were precisely the ones Mara didn't need, nor wanted to hear.
"How can you ask me this?" Mara spat out in outrage.
"Well, I thought you might like to finally get the chance to do it… after all these years." Luke half-teased, trying to lighten up the seriousness of what he was requesting from his wife. Yes, Mara had wanted to kill him when they first met; he had been her mark.
"If you're trying to be funny you're not doing a good job at it!" Mara snapped. This damned fool Jedi. Why did he always get on her nerves? What was all this about? To isolate himself and put his life on the line once again for the greater good? He was definitely out of his mind.
She took a deep breath trying to calm herself and to knock some reason into her strong-headed husband. "Well, you did this at Byss and everything came back to normal… So, you'll do it again… I just don't like the idea of you putting yourself through all of this for the Forces sake! Byss left you devastated, in the brink of going mad!"
"This time will be different… because I won't be holding back as I did at Byss." Luke revealed.
It suddenly hit Mara. Yes, he was being dead serious about this. In shock she gave several steps back, trying to recompose. She then stood there, shaking her head slowly in disbelief.
"Listen to me Skywalker!" Mara demanded, "The Galaxy needs you here, safe and sound, to lead and to protect… not to become a martyr!
"No, Mara… What the Galaxy needs is to survive… to get rid of this threat… to be turn into a safe place again… so others can continue to live. I want you to live!" Luke continued stressing in his words the importance of the matter. "We have to be quick! If we don't do this there's not going to be a Galaxy left to be saved… we'll be all doomed!" Luke gave his wife a pleading look. 'You know I'm right about this…' He sent out through the Force.
Mara turned around showing her back disgusted at the thought, feeling devastated at the prospect, but knowing…
Luke walked towards her and wrapped her in his arms, trying to calm down his worked-up wife; and trying to draw upon all of his Jedi calmness.
"I wouldn't ask this of you if you weren't up to the task Mara. Believe me it is not easy for me either. I hate to put you through this, but you're the only one who can do it." He calmly said. "You're powerful in the Force, and you know how to stay cool and focused when things get nasty. You know how to deal with a Sith and this knowledge will give you an edge. Besides, you know me better than anyone." He then turned her around to face him and looked her intensely in the eye, "Use every resource at your hand, but you ought to stop me once all this starts, before it gets too late… before I go too far." He urged.
Mara's world spun too fast around her. Did he just say the word Sith? What was this Sith talk all about? Oh Force! He was being deadly serious about it! But what in the Force was he saying… She couldn't kill her own husband! Was this how it was supposed to be for them? After all they'd been through, was she doomed to fulfill her former Master's last command no matter what?
She was a Jedi Knight, all right; and she had a duty towards the Galaxy. Her skills in the Force were tuned up and ready to go… but to think that she could take down Luke Skywalker turned into a Sith on her own… To kill the man she so deeply loved… She simply resisted to the idea of doing such a horrible thing.
'I can't do it!' She told him without words.
'Yes, you can… and you must… for everyone's sake.' Luke reassured her. 'I might not be myself once I turn, but I will never hurt you… I promise!' He continued while holding her tight against him, 'And no matter how deep in the dark I am, I'll keep my promise. And when the time comes… you have to use this to your advantage.'
Mara held to her husband as tight as it was possible, like if holding him this hard would avoid the imminent loss, not being able to hold back tears that she knew wouldn't help either of them. Because no matter the outcome, turned Sith on the loose or dead, she was going to lose him forever. Luke felt her weep, he knew that what he was asking of his wife was terrible… terrible for both… and the pain was unbearable.
He held her tighter, as the chill breeze of the night softly ruffled their hair. Feeling her warmth against him was comforting. Two years of marriage seemed just too little time…
They simply had to make the most of the little time they had left together.
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oOo
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New Republic Intelligence learnt about the exact location of the next planet where the alien menace was to strike down. As soon as this intel was provided the mission's strategy was carefully planned. A strike team of Jedi – including the Skywalkers, was to be dropped off at Satorac, the next doomed world in the invader's list.
Knowing that the possibilities of ending the alien menace in this mission were minimal, the efforts were focused on retrieving as many alien technology and weaponry as possible to be brought back to the New Republic quarters, to be scanned and studied and to find weaknesses and a possible way to counter-attack.
So, the plan was simple, but not necessarily easy. They didn't know what to expect or what they would find.
Once enough samples could be gathered, they were all to retreat when Luke gave the order. Having his team back to the safety of their ship and on their way out of the planet was important to Luke. With the team safely away, he could then follow through with his plan. He was deeply concerned about any of them getting hurt, once he was not himself anymore.
The Paramount Sentinel – a New Republic battleship, dropped out of hyperspace perfectly cloaked at the expected coordinates, that put a safe distance between it and any hostiles. There was something odd about the planet, the way it looked didn't match the images in the reference data. But the coordinates were right, so this was Satorac.
The Team was at the ready and in no-time boarded an assault vessel. The smaller ship dropped into the planet's atmosphere with all cloaking shields at full power. In the hopes of being able to turn this mission also into a rescue assault, they rushed into the planet. The ship's sensors scanned the surface but were not able to pick up anything left alive to save. The only life signature that could be read was that of the enemy. They were down there, all right. By the hundreds of thousands. Nothing could be saved at this point, they had arrived simply too late. The vegetation of the whole planet had been ripped off too, the once lush agricultural landscape was now stripped down to rock and soil.
Mara looked around to the faces of the other Jedi, a calm but concerned expression remained in their faces. Then turned to look at her husband, his face impassive, his mind focused, but she could feel through their force bond that in his heart an eerie feeling of doom sifted upon him.
Luke was well prepared for the task ahead, physically and mentally. He felt no worries about death. Dying had always been a sure possibility in every mission he'd been involved. He was even well known for rushing head-first into every dangerous situation. But this time it was somehow different… because this time he had chosen to die. The reasons for his decision were the ones that disturbed him. His heart dreaded what he was about to do. Once he was taken over by the dark side of the Force, he'd lose control over himself, and the possibilities of what he would be capable of – just like a flipped credit-coin, would lay in the air. It was ironic that the one thing he'd been fending off his entire adult life was the one that presented the only opportunity of survival for the whole Galaxy now. There was no other way.
He snapped out of his musings when he felt the gear of the ship change. They had arrived to the drop off point.
The ship hovered over a small plain surrounded by mountains that gave them a cover and a direct route to the landing spot of the main enemy forces.
Walking behind the rest of the Team, Luke approached the open hatch. Mara was already standing there. She was to remain with the ship until it was time, her own mission to fulfil later on.
They both looked at each other meaningfully in silence.
"Hunt me down until it's done…" Luke whispered to his wife.
Mara reluctantly gave him a positive nod. Looking up she reached his face with her hands and gave him a deep loving kiss. He answered the kiss, with all his love for her. Reluctantly he realized he had to let go, or he'll never leave.
Luke then reached the hatch and turning around sent out a last farewell through the Force, 'Good bye my love.' Not taking his eyes off her he let himself drop.
Carrying military backpacks, lightsabers and their sole command of the Force, Luke and 12 other Jedi, free-falling managed the 100-meter drop without incident.
As they made their way across the plain and up the mountains Luke was able to witness the devastation and the horrors that had been unleashed upon the planet. This time he allowed his outrage, frustration and anger flow freely within, letting himself dwell in these feelings, harboring vengeful thoughts. It seemed hard at first, but once they gained territory and the scale of the massacre was displayed before his eyes, this all-to-well-known anger easily found a place in his heart. And the one thought that made way into his consciousness was one of revenge.
"How is this possible?" Kyle Katarn asked in shock.
"Their weaponry is really powerful." Kyp Durron added.
"The atmosphere is getting poisonous." Streen announced, "We better get moving."
Streen reached up to the Jedi Master who kept the lead. "Luke, we better hurry. At some point we won't be able to breathe."
Luke nodded in acknowledgment. "All right. Listen up!" he called. "There's nothing alive left, so this won't be a rescue mission. Split in pairs and salvage anything of importance as fast as you can. Set your timers at zero-five hundred standard time. When the time strikes, gather whatever you find and get back to the ship immediately!"
Everyone acknowledged in understanding and got busy.
"Kyp!" Luke called the other Jedi, "I'll take this route."
"What? But that will lead you right into their forces…" The younger Jedi warned.
"We need to check them out. I'll see what I can find. Whatever happens, at the strike of time make sure everyone gets back to the ship. Understood?"
Kyp nodded and affirmative response, a little unsettled by Luke's shift in energy. It was a subtle shift, but he noticed. "See you at the ship, then." He replied instead.
Luke was on his own now, just as planned.
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oOo
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Back in the assault ship Mara awaited. They had managed to touch ground in a secluded spot within a short distance from the drop off point, which provided the ship with all the cover they needed. She stood outside by the ship's ramp, looking into the distance.
She had never felt more rattled. Anguish and desperation creeping upon her, it was hard to keep her feelings at bay.
"Jedi Jade-Skywalker." The ship's pilot called after her. "We have remained undetected, but we are tracking a large mobilization of the enemy beyond the mountains. I did not want to jeopardize our cover by using the commlink. I thought you'd want to know."
"Thank you, Sergeant." She addressed the other woman, turning around to face her. "Stand by at the ready. We don't know if we'll have to move before schedule."
The Sargent saluted and went back into the ship.
Mara turned around and continued scanning the surroundings as far as she could reach using her Force sense. She could still feel her husband's Force signature in the flow of all things, when she perceived a subtle shift in his energy… So, this was it. The beginning of the end.
At zero-five the team should start their way back to the ship, and once they were all back she was expected to do her part.
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oOo
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After reaching the zenith, Luke walked down the hill letting himself connect unrestrictedly with the Force. Backpack already left behind, as he walked he looked down at the barren ground beneath his feet, it was supposed to be covered with crops. The landscape should have been adorned with scattered farms and fields teeming with vegetable, animal and sentient life. Now there was not a trace of what this place had once been. He let himself connect with the anguish and pain of all the souls that had lost their lives in this very same place just a few hours before… and to the rage that this provoked in him. He felt the anger sipping in. An alarm in the back of his mind called for caution, but this time he opted out from listening to it. Each step took him further and further. He let it all in, willingly.
He soaked himself in the energy of this Force, which provoked something to stir deep within. An array of thoughts and emotions showed themselves, once they were not contained, not censured. So, was this part of being a Sith? To live without censorship? This felt somehow… liberating.
A halo of yellowish energy circled his eyes, trying to set in.
He walked further down, carefully assessing the area. He could sense the presence of the alien creatures nearby. There was no trace of where the buildings of this settlement might have been, it all seemed to be a continuation of the barren land he had been walking on since he arrived on the planet.
Something caught his eye. As he approached he realized it was a big pile of corpses. All the sentient beings in the area had been gathered there and unmercifully executed, then piled up, like some sort of trophy. Innocent civilians of every age lay there. He clenched his fists and felt the brooding anger.
Luke followed his Force sense tracking the spot where the alien creatures had gathered. Using a Force Cloaking technique, he remained undetected. When he reached the clearing where they all gathered, he found creatures like nothing he'd seen before. And an unexpected realization unnerved him: The signature of the creatures' vital energy was in the dark spectrum of the Force! So, this was why the other Jedi had had such a hard time using their Force techniques against them or tracking them down. But then, why was he getting away with it? He then realized why… The cold tint of the dark side was already with him… very deep within. He felt an automatic reflex to untangle from this cold embrace… to break free… No! He must not! He'd come this far and had reached the point of no return. He had to see this through!
He looked down at the timer in his chrono. It was exactly zero-five hundred. The time to act had come, no point in hiding any longer.
Luke showed himself on top of a nearby high boulder. The hundreds of creatures wailed in surprise at the stranger's presence. A dozen guns pointed at him and fired. He had his lightsaber at the ready and deflected every single bolt. The fire power of these guns did not look or felt familiar at all. He let himself draw limitlessly upon the dark side. When he charged, the bright white-green blade hummed furiously as it made its way through the massive aliens leaving behind lifeless lumps.
Luke dispatched the first wave of creatures with ease. After all he was the best swordsman in the Galaxy, and he was just going to show them what that meant. He'd finish them all!
He realized his instincts had been right. These creatures were not affected by the light side of the Force, but the dark side seemed very effective. The darker the energy he drew from, the easier to go against them. Luke felt how his danger sense, his speed, his accuracy, his strength got all enhanced as he drew more and more dark Force energy. He felt inflamed with raw power.
These vile and hideous creatures deserved to die for what they've done to this and the rest of planets they had set foot on. This time it was all in his hands, he'll show them a massacre of his own making. Fueled by a sentiment of righteousness, Luke charged again. They had to pay for what they've done! Frenzied by his need of revenge, this time he was a bit faster and a bit more effective. The aliens started to scatter all over the area, retreating when realizing that their attacker was relentless and could not be stopped.
With the closing of his left fist Luke created a dome of energy covering the whole area, cutting the enemy's route of escape. Unable to see the dome, the creatures crashed dramatically against the edges.
"Bring your master to me!" He commanded in the aliens' native language.
Too busy running for their lives, the creatures were dumfounded in fear, squashed together against the limits of the dome.
'BRING YOUR MASTER TO ME!' He hammered the order into the aliens' minds, making them hurt. The beasts wailed in pain, unable to make sense out of what was going on.
When they stopped screaming, the creatures hesitated, not yet recovered from the display of massive power they had just endured. Still, they did not provide their enemy with an answer.
Luke shook his head, "No use." he said in contempt.
He lifted one of the creatures using the Force and brought it before him. He studied it carefully. They were built of organic matter, just like every other sentient being. "I wonder…" In the eye of his mind he visualized ashes, dust, particles, molecules, the smallest composition of anything organic. The creature slowly disintegrated in front of him.
Menacing yellow eyes, sunken face, dark aura… A deep darkness showed in his features and a halo of dark-red energy enveloped him. With a gradually changed physiognomy, he paused and looked at the remaining creatures… There were thousands of them before him, all frozen in panic. He then waved his hand before the rest of the alien creatures inside the dome he had created, and they all slowly disintegrated too. An eerie silence fell upon the area.
Well, it seemed now that he was going to have to find their leader himself.
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oOo
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The scout Jedi were coming back from the mountains now, each carrying a backpack full of everything that had been catalogued as forensic samples and was considered useful. Each Jedi went up the ramp without stopping, time was of essence and they needed to leave quickly. Mara had stayed at the top of the ramp, the Jedi brushed past her as they boarded. Her heart ached knowingly, Luke was not coming back with the rest.
The sun was low, announcing the mid-afternoon in the planet. In a moment, a soft but violent wind started to blow, the color of the sky changed too…. The energy of the surroundings shifted, and suddenly a huge disturbance was felt. Feeling a shiver going down her spine Mara called out the tech crew, "Monitor that nothing comes in or leaves the planet." She gave the order.
The rest of the Jedi had also reacted to the dark shift.
"Where is Luke?" Streen asked.
Kyp approached the redhead, "Mara, Luke is up to something and it cannot be good!" he expressed concerned.
"I'll take care of it." She bluntly answered. Hurriedly she brushed past him and walked down the aisle heading to the weapon's bay. She opened a big metallic cage and retrieved a med-pack along with a set of small explosives, stun devices and other gadgets.
"I'm coming with you!" the young Jedi offered.
"No, stay put! It's an order!" Mara snapped.
"But, Mara…" Kyp objected.
"Cut the buts, Kyp; and do as I tell you!" Mara ordered, "The most important part of the mission now is to take back the forensics to the New Republic's Head Quarters." She reasoned.
Kyp assented in understanding.
As she walked back out Kyle Katarn approached Mara quizzingly. Both men followed her to the bottom of the ramp.
"As soon as I'm gone, take off immediately and get out of here. Right after you dock the Paramount Sentinel let President Organa-Solo know about what has happened. Tell her Luke and I stayed back to contain the threat, but that she'll need to move fast and blast off the whole planet if you don't hear from me in two hours." She instructed while attaching a blaster to her holster and going through the items in her utility belt, making sure her lightsaber was safely attached.
"What's going on Mara?" Kyle asked his former classmate. "What is this darkness?"
"You don't wanna know," She shook her head as she finished with her utility belt check. "And I don't wanna tell you." She countered matter-of-factly. "If we make it back, Luke will tell you."
Then she addressed both Jedi, "The Order will need you." Softening her demeanor, she added, "Make Master Skywalker proud."
Kyp and Kyle nodded in understanding and snapping a soldier's salute to Mara Jade they headed back up the assault vehicle.
Mara saw the vehicle lift in the air and be gone into the sky.
Now, she had a duty to full fill… one settled upon her by the highest command of the Jedi Order. Mara Jade always obeyed orders and saw her missions through.
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oOo
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Identifying the source of the threat the alien creatures had mobilized to their enemy's encounter. The weaponry attacks splashed harmlessly against the bubble of red energy surrounding Luke. Wave after wave, the former Jedi had managed to neutralize each one with his new-found power.
At one point in the battle, Luke had the malign creatures literally pinned down with the Force. The dark side came to him so easily, so naturally. He wondered if this was indeed his true destiny.
Luke sensed another group of malevolent aliens moving towards him, this group larger than the ones before it. He waited until he spotted them approaching downhill.
It wasn't long before he found the alien's first in command.
In a Force jump Luke covered the several meters that separated him from the creatures' leader. He landed right in front of it, a couple of meters apart. He eyed the massive creature, clearly larger in size than the rest. But size was never a matter in the dealings with the Force.
"I am Luke Skywalker from the New Republic, the organized ruling power on this side of town." He introduced himself speaking in the aliens' mother tongue. His tone was serious and commanding, but it held an underlaying mock.
The creatures' eyes opened wide, evidently surprised when listening to someone foreign speaking their ancient dialect.
"I am Wohima, mighty warrior of the Hashta-Zan." The creature growled in its own language. "And we are here to conquer and destroy this and every planet." It eyed Luke with a terrible warrior-like and ferocious stare. The dark signature in these creatures was phenomenal indeed.
"Well, Wohima; as you can plainly see," He tranquilly gestured towards the subdued aliens he kept glued to the ground, "You and your kind are not welcome here." Luke replied in the same ancient language.
"It does not matter. You will not stop us," The beast threatened, "We will not rest until we achieve our ultimate goal: to remain the one and only race existing in every known Galaxy!" It cried.
They wanted it all for themselves, all right. In some way Luke could now relate to the creature's sentiment.
For a few moments they keenly looked at one another, studying the other intensely, measuring each other up… Luke smiled to himself, 'mighty warrior' or whatever it liked to call itself, this beast was not his match.
The tension hang in the air for a moment, like invisible discharges lashing out in anticipation...
And then… mayhem exploded.
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oOo
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Mara followed the dark signature in the flow of the Force. She knew this Force energy signature all too well. Back in her days with the Empire, as the Emperor's Hand she had been trained by Palpatine himself to track it across the Galaxy, so she could hear his calling.
As she made her way, all she could find was bundles of ashes scattered throughout the terrain. What was that? She wondered while a feeling of unease creeped in. She had expected to find hundreds of creatures sliced by lightsaber power, but this… It was all too disturbing.
A sudden flicker in the Force sprung her senses. She could perceive the emotions laying in the air: rage, surprise, disbelief, fear … but most of it, a primal sense for survival. The noise of multiple stomping footsteps caught her attention… running footsteps… and these were coming directly at her! She started her way towards the pounding noise, and in the distance, she discovered numerous creatures coming hurriedly in her direction. Had they located her without her realizing it? The aliens gained terrain and there was nowhere to hide or find cover in the small plain she had reached. She would have to face them head on. Still the creatures where not shooting at her despite their urgent pace. Bracing herself she swung her lightsaber as the white-blue blade came into existence with the motion and then awaited in an Ataru combat stance. When the distance was right, Mara sprang herself towards the enemy. As she struck down the first blow of her lightsaber she gasped when the blade did not connect… just a brash cloud of gritty ash swept over her. She covered her face with her free hand trying to see among the projected ashes. The creatures… where not there! Not even one. For reasons unknown they had just vanished. Mara grew even more troubled. What was Luke up to?
She found him in the center of a great plain, more piles of ashes in the vast surroundings, plus several creatures limp on the ground, still breathing but uncapable of moving. Among the haze of the destruction she could make him out talking to a strange alien looking creature he had pinned up in the air in a Force grip. The alien creature was terribly wounded and visibly in pain, dripping purple blood. The creature had a deep dark signature in it, but the dark aura that irradiated from Luke was overwhelming. For an instant she felt her determination falter… She never expected to find Luke this far gone… never expected he would go this deep under. With desperation she tried to reason with herself, she could not let him be, not like this. Many things were at stake. She simply couldn't… She shouldn't! With renewed determination she moved in closer, keeping her cover and shielding in the Force tightly. She wanted to listen to what was going on, and then make her move.
"It's not nice when you are not the bully anymore, isn't it?" Luke matter-of-factly conversed with the alien leader. Now speaking Basic, but simultaneously translating into the alien's mind with the aid of the Force. "You are such a fool Wohima… Thinking that you could over power the dark side." His voice sounding dangerously quiet. "Eye for an eye… Have you heard of that? Well, this is what you're getting for slaughtering my people."
The beast spat something in a strange alien language, its voice deep and frightening. "It does not matter. You, taking me down. You cannot stop us. We will come back in greater numbers!" It menaced Luke.
Mara could only understand half of the conversation, but she could sense through the Force what was really going on.
Luke stared at Wohima. "I think not." He declared.
Brazenly reaching in, Luke pried into Wohima's thoughts. The creature screamed wildly while the Sith probed its mind. Everything he needed to know was in there and he was going to take it.
In the alien's mind Luke found everything that needed to be known: their ships' locations, their bases and the location of their home world. He saw a world that did not resemble anything he had seen or heard of before. The atmospheric conditions, the vegetation, the animal life forms, the creatures themselves… The culture and social structures of its inhabitants were different and unrecognizable to him. Startled, he witnessed their sanguinary ways, their lack of compassion and kindness, their brutality. Only the strongest survived. There was ritual and honor. Advanced in their technology, but primitive in their ways. Yet, the alien creatures organized and lived in certain harmony, supported one another and thrived; how they achieved that was unconceivable to him. He hesitated for a second – they were sentient beings, like any other in the universe… But what they had done to Satorac and the other planets… the disruption, the carnage… No! These creatures did not deserve his compassion or second thoughts. The outrage and frustration of what he had just witnessed occupied his soul and mind. These creatures deserved to meet the same fate as Satorac, they were a menace for his or any other Galaxy.
They had to be stopped, for good.
Going in deep beyond what he could had ever thought possible, he dived in the dwellings of the dark side. He felt something disjoin deep within his heart… he ignored the feeling and looked back into the darkness. The surge of dark power made him quiver. In his mind he visualized desolation, lifelessness… just like the one he sensed on Satorac; with a projection of his mind he willed this same energy of death to reach the alien battleships… then the alien bases… and finally the alien world. As he completed his feat, Luke placed every image of what he was doing in the leader's mind.
In the eye of its mind, the alien saw his remaining troops erased off existence, along with their ships above, their weaponry... Remotely, using the dark side of the Force, the now Sith reached their bases at different locations and lastly their home world, turning into ashes every creature, inhabitant or remnant of their race. Drowned by the visions, Wohima screamed in terror and rage. Impeded from moving in the strong grip the Sith was holding it in.
Wiping this whole race out of existence had been incredibly easy, Luke mused in wonderment. He had always been a fast learner, and now with the power of his mind fueled by the dark side he learnt even quicker. Today he had made possible what a few days ago seemed impossible. He had been right, the key to get what was needed relied upon using the other kind of Force; and as from now it would also give him everything he wanted.
Wohima slowly recovered, breathing with difficulty it declared, "You have gone far protecting your precious Galaxy." The creature panted in exhaustion.
Luke pondered at the battered creature's statement. No, the Galaxy did not feel precious to him anymore. "It is not precious to me. I just want it to go my way." He simply replied.
For the first time in many years he saw a clear path towards achieving peace in the Galaxy. He was so sick and tired of the pettiness and the bickering. He'd simply squash the trouble makers and the rest would have to go by the rules, his rules.
Softening his grip, slowly Luke levitated Wohima down and held the limp creature close to him, eyeing it. He could tell the proud creature would not last much more.
"I do not know what you are… or what you abide by." Wohima stated perplexed.
Luke humored the dying alien, it was in a sense part of the last courtesies that a victor owed to the defeated enemy. "I guess I should honor the knowledge of the Sith Lords of the past," he pondered over his own words, "but being frank, I'm not sure of that much just yet." He said answering to the alien's curiosity.
Looking back through slit eyes Wohima spoke, "It is never a good thing to live without a beacon or purpose beyond oneself," it coughed. "As for me, I can say that I served my Nation my whole existence and I served it well." Then continued drawing in the last traces of strength, "I die now and will be resting with the gods of old." Having said its last words, Wohima expired.
"Go to your gods now." Luke coldly said. To experience the death of others now that he was on the dark side of things, was new to him. Now it did not pain him, it felt natural, a part of the full circle.
The Sith then willed the creature to turn into ashes, letting these, drift softly in the air. The rest of the remaining creatures also dissolved.
"A handy little trick this is…" Luke said absent mindedly while watching the ashes blow in the wind. The feeling of absolute power intoxicating his mind, his soul, his whole being... Yes! He could make the Galaxy go his way now… Just how it was meant to be. He would force things to be how they should. How right had Vader been when he offered this to him back at the cloud city of Bespin, but he didn't understand then. He'd bring peace to the Galaxy and get rid of those who opposed it. Peace at last! It was… so simple.
Absolute silence reigned across the expanse.
Mara watched in terror as the ashes of Wohima and the rest of its compatriots floated away. Luke had killed the beasts so ruthlessly… Proof that the man she loved was lost and gone forever.
"Ashes to ashes… some say." Luke murmured, putting up his hand and rubbing his fingers one onto the other, contemplating the fine dust on them. He was all covered in creature dust and his skin was starting to itch, so he better got to it. His real attention was now on something he had perceived from the moment she had reached the clearing.
"I know you're there." Luke calmly called out.
.
.
To Be Continued…