RESCUE MISSION

(or: NEVER TRUST WOMEN WITH RED HAIR)

This is the story I wrote for over a year ago (Actually I've started writing it almost exactly two years ahgo), and published it on the 's fan fiction forum (Jedi Council Forums) under the nickname masterjade.

Now I'm reposting it here, with some small changes and corrections.

I hope You'll anjoy it.

Disclaimer: Star Wars belongs to George Lucas. Mara Jade belongs to Timothy Zahn, and Kyp Durron to Kevin Anderson. I own nothing.

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Chapter 1

Little Ben was missing.

Mara looked frantically around at the whirling crowd of children's heads, but couldn't spot the reddish-gold hair of her little son. Tentatively, she reached through the Force, trying to find his signature.
Blank.

Oh, she could sense some lightly Force- sensitive presences, but in comparison to Ben's they were nothing. Ben's signature in the Force was like a small, burning and sparkling glowpoint. Impossible to miss out, if he was anywhere around.

And now it was missing.

Mara opened her eyes, and started towards a pretty large, furry being with many tentacles she used to hug kids or wipe their noses with, who appeared to be in charge for the children by now.

"Where is my son?!" Mara demanded, her voice husky with angst and anger.

Furry creature turned her attention from the little Togorian she was stroking, and looked at Mara, startled.

"Oh, good afternoon, Mrs. Skywalker! How can I help You?"

"I've come for my son. Where is he?! He's not here, I can't sense him!"

"He's not here? But...it's not 4 o'clock yet. He should be here" the being said, her voice a little bit surprised.

"Yes, he should, but he isn't! That's exactly my point" Mara's voice grew angrier "So I'm asking You where he is for Force's sake!" She had to fight the need to grab the furry being (Mara didn't even know what species it was, and she actually didn't care) by the shoulders and shake her heavily.

"Well... hmmm... " creature's voice became somewhat unsteady. Facing angry Mara Jade Skywalker was definitely not a reassuring experience. "I think... I guess..." She looked at the children , not finding Ben either. " I guess he must have disappeared... I mean, he must have left kindergarten earlier somehow...I mean...somewhere... when I ..eh.. somehow... " Now she was plainly scared and couldn't stand Mara's deadly glare.

Mara herself was right now questioning Jedi teachings about not giving oneself into anger. Just now she thought they weren't worth more than bantha poodoo, and she was sure that the Jedi of Old Order who invented them, truly must have lived a monks' life to avoid nasty feelings when something happened to their children.

For a while she pondered what Luke's reaction to the situation would be . He was nearly always so calm that it almost got on her nerves. But now even he would get anxious and angry at that incompetent woman, wouldn't he?

It was futile wondering about it, though. Luke wasn't at Coruscant. He has gone on some insignificant 'mission', leaving her alone with all this.
As if any rumors about potential Force-users somewhere in the Outer Rim could be more important than their son and his safety! But of course- Luke had to leave just now and check it personally! Can this blasted man never learn that he doesn't need to do everything himself?!

Mara got angry with Luke for him not being there, almost as much as she was angry with the teacher from the kindergarten, yet she realized it wasn't Luke's fault at all. He couldn't have known that somebody would kidnap Ben from the full of children kindergarten's square in the middle of Coruscant centre.

Finally, she managed to suppress the negative emotions, for the time being at least, and decided to turn for help to someone from the Jedi Council.
She was not an expert as far as sensing somebody's presence from a long distance was concerned. She needed to get in touch with a Jedi who was better at it.

With the last threatening look at the furry kindergarten supervisor, and murmuring under her breath something like:
"I've always known one couldn't trust public kindergartens !", and " Leia is gonna pay me for this! Showing New Republic citizens how egalitarian we are! Ghrrr!! " She turned and left the kindergarten, heading for the newly rebuilt Jedi Temple.

xxx

Jedi Master Kyp Durron turned his datapad off as he finished sending requested data files to Master Solusar, and was getting ready to leave the Council Chamber, when he felt a tornado of emotions quickly closing up.

He didn't know what caused this outburst of anguish , but he did recognized who those emotions belonged to. He stood up preparing himself to meet the tornado eye to eye.

He had bad feelings about this...