I Challenge Death
PART 1
Chapter 1
I don't know where I came from. I don't know how I got here, or if my name is really what I was named at birth. I am sixteen, and people say my hair is red. It is brown. It is red because of the fires that burn beside me. By my side I have my best friend, my lightsaber. It was given to me by the only person I know that is close to me. And he is a Sith. My Lightsaber is known as Breaker Blade. And my name: Mara Jade.
Emperor
She has just gotten back from an attack. Mara's eyes are still vacant, but in them I see strong force signatures. She tells me about the attack. I nod, and she leaves, her long brown hair is waving as she trotted out. I can always tell the dark side of the force in her. Her bewilderment, her pushed out fear, her tolerance for the Empire, and merciless hatred for the Rebels. The dark side is surging in her. I know that I must someday help her to control her powers. She is strong in the Force, more strong than I have seen, except for Darth Vader, maybe, just maybe.
Mara Jade
She walked into my room. It was all gray and empty, except for a bed, a desk and chair, some Data Pads rearranging themselves, a brush, and a closet. But everything wasn't sitting still. It was upside down, and right side up at the same time. The bed was on the ground, the data pads where going up and down, the clothes in the closet where rearranging themselves, the desk and chair were on the ceiling, and the brush was just floating. She had changed gravity in her room with the Force. Mara flopped down on the bed. It was hard day: finding the Rebel base (and not quite succeeding), she had flown to Tattween and got attacked by sand people, and then she had gotten a surprise attack from the Rebels but hadn't been able to track them. But suddenly, she felt a Force signature. She sat up and with a swipe of her hand, the door opened to reveal Darth Vader. To the emperor, he thought that Darth Vader was rather sentimental. He had taken a liking to Mara ever since she could remember. There was a pause. Then Vader spoke up. "We have found the Rebel base." She raised an eye brow in response. "The Emperor has chosen you to lead the attack." At this, she sulked and flopped back down. She was tiered, but then thought. The Emperor had shown favor to someone. "I'll do it," she said. Under his mask, he smiled. She walked past him, and as she did, a stab of pain struck him again. Every time he saw her face a word came into his mind: Padmay.
She smiled as she saw Hauth. Snow was a thing that took a liking to her, and she to it. She had hidden this thought from the Emperor, because if he knew she had a small bit of joy, he would destroy it. She and the rest of the Rebel ships raced towards the planet. The Imperial Walkers had already been dispatched. But the Rebels had already sent out the X-wing Fighters. Ty Fighters had taken care of them, but there was one ship that was surviving. She eyed it wearily then zoomed towards it. She pilot had apparently not suspected this, so she had the upper hand. His second pilot had been killed, and her ship was a one fighter. He turned his ship around over her, and then he shot at her. She felt something strange, a feeling she couldn't describe. But an injured left wing had brought her back. She used a technique that had knocked him off guard. She spun her ship under his, then spun left as he tried the same trick. She was back on the winning side again. Then she got an idea. Using her strong wit, she directed the other ship back to its base. He saw the danger of crashing by the cliff and turned up, but she turned him back around. Then he turned upside down, and shot her engine. The ship exploded. She tumbled out of the ship, and landed hard. The other ship flew off. Mara had no other way to go, except into the Rebel base. Without making any sound, she ran along the corridors to the hanger bay. Then she saw a ship, and attending to board it, she ran towards it. But the cave shook violently, and the ceiling clasped. Something hit her head hard, and lights out.
Luke
Luke paced the ship. After his encounter with the Ty-fighter, he was restless. On their way to the Mallanion Falcon, they had seen someone unconscious on the ground. Han picked her up, and carried her onto the ship. She was in the medical bay, Leia attending her.
Mara Jade
Ow! She had tried to move, but her head was killing her (almost literally). She opened her eyes. Everything was a blur. She could make out someone in front of her, but it looked like a man with two rolls on the side of his head! Wait a minute, this was the Alderan style, but for girls. She knew of no Alderanians in the Imperial fleet. "How are you feeling?"
"I can't see anything. Everything's blurred."
"Oh, well, you received a bad head injury. Lie still." Reluctantly, she obeyed. She manly didn't quite like to be still, she was rather rambunctious. Just like Luke. What? I don't even know Luke, she thought to herself. She had heard of a Luke Skywalker, but had never met him. "How is she doing?" A boy's voice had entered, and Mara had felt a force signature, almost as strong as hers. "Um, Luke," the girls voice said, "We need to talk."
"Later. Attend to her first." She could see a blur of gray and blond sit down. "What is your name?"
"I'm Leia Organa. What is your name." Mara thought that they would know them, after all all the imperials knew her. "I am Anika Starhiker." Leia raised an eye brow. What a weird name. "Luke, may we talk now."
"Alright," he said, finally obeying. "I don't like this. She's an Imperial!"
"Her features are like Mara's, but her hair isn't Mara Jades. Besides, we'll keep her under surveillance till she gets her sight back. How long will it be?"
"I'd give it two weeks to a month."
"And when she's regained her sight, then she might have switched back to-" Luke trailed off. Leia's face darkened. "There is no hope for Mara, Luke."
"But she said her name was Anika too. Leia, there is still good in her."
Mara Jade
Mara rubbed her eyes, trying to improve her sight. It didn't help. She wasn't blind, but everything was so blurred, she could barely tell if a person entered the room. How long till she could see again? She must have endured a pretty hard hit on the head. Any other person wouldn't be alive, but she was force sensitive, and so that meant she could endure a harder blow.
Han Solo (Uh Oh)
(Majestic and amazingly handsome Captains blog)
So there I was, minding my own business, when all of the sudden, Her Worshipfullness walked into the room, and demanded I watch the patient we found. "But why do I have to do that?"
"Because Luke and I are busy."
"But who's gonna fly the ship?"
"Well, Chewy is doing a great job at it while you are leaning back in your chair doing nothing." That was a blow no one could survive from, and, friend, I've survived a lot. "Alright," I snapped, jumping to my feet, "But you owe me one."
"Oh, don't be all dramatic!"
"I'm dramatic! You're the miss Drama Queen!"
"Excuse me, but-"
"RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" Chewwy had all of the sudden decided that I would go take care of the Patient, and stop the argument. So, very very very reluctantly, I walked into the Medical Bay. I was about to say something teasy, when I saw who was sitting there. I instantly walked out to Luke. "Did you see who was sitting there!?"
"Yes-"
"Then why aren't you doing something about it?"
"I can't, she's half blind."
"Oh, so we're going to play hide and seek until she gets her sight back?"
"Just go watch her, and don't say anything."
"Don't get snappy with me, Kid. You're sounding like Leia." I stalked back into the room.
Mara Jade
A weird man walked in, ran out, then walked back in again. "Well," he said, as if he hated being there, "I'm in charge of watching you."
"Uh, I don't think I need watching, thank you very much."
He huffed. "Well, then did you get blind because of not needing anybody. Han Solo."
"M- Anika Starhiker." Something jolted inside of her. Han Solo. That sounded so familiar. Why? The blur of white and black in front of her had had the same feeling. "Hey, you alright," asked Han. That shook her from her daydream.
Authors Note
Sorry this chapter is rather short. I can't promise anything for the next one. I'm having writers block! :( Please tell me what you think of this. This is my first publishing of fanfiction. :) I'll try to write soon!