Chapter 2

Half a kilometer away, in a clearing, the shuttle had finally landed. Mara Jade looked out the cockpit. This whole jungle can rot for all I care She thought. She motioned to the pilot to open the hatch, and after waiting for her stormtrooper escort to walk out, she disembarked. She walked up ahead, where Colonel Rerth was waiting with his two stormtroopers at the edge of the clearing.

"Ah, if it isn't Mara Jade" He sneered "I thought that we were supposed to stop this rebel patrol, not sneak aboard and find out where they land."

"I'm here because a Jedi is part of that patrol. Now move out of my way." She reached out with the Force and squeezed his throat, then let go of it after entering the forest.

Balthazar stretched back in as his comlink chirped. It was Page. "Captain Nyl, do you read me. Captain Nyl."

"This is Captian Nyl, I copy." He answered.

"We're almost finished loading up the ship. Estimated time of completion at 150 standard minutes."

"Well I'll call you then. If I don't then it means someone's gotten to me. Come back and get me if that happens okay."

Page chuckled "Balthazar, you always know how to make me laugh. I'll be sure to do that. In fact, I'll call you then, and if you don't answer, I'll come get you."

"Alright. Captain Nyl out." He closed the link. The whole time, his eyes had been closed. And then the presence hit him like a sack of bricks.

"Looks like I've found you Nyl." Mara announced "Time for you to go back to the grave where you belong."

Balthazar grinned. Trying to talk in riddles, he replied "You've found a Nyl, yet it is the wrong Nyl."

He knew the shock she felt, because she broadcast it like a distress beacon. "No," she realized "It can't be-Balthazar?"

Opening his eyes, he turned to face her. "Welcome home Mara." He said.

It seemed that Mara had become very attractive over the last 6 years. "It seems you've grown from the nice girl who was my best friend, into a beautiful young woman."

He must have struck a nerve, because what happened next was a shock. "If you think I'm still nice, then think again." She said, turning on the magenta-colored lightsaber.

"I was hoping it wouldn't have to be this way." Balthazar responded.

Mara ran from the spot where she stood, and slashed down. Balthazar dodged with plenty of time to spare. "Must you really kill me?" he said, jumping to dodge the trip kick Mara did.

"You…are…a…Jedi!" she yelled, continually trying to land a hit on Balthazar. The only thing she really did though, was cut up the forest around them.

"Fight me like a Jedi!" she yelled, throwing her lightsaber at him. Balthazar ducked, and rolled back, down a hill of sorts.

At the bottom, he noticed a familiar scene. Giant roots of an oversized tree had stopped him, and after walking a few feet, he spotted a familiar hole.

"I never thought I'd be back here again" he said aloud. He knew for a fact that he was too big to fit into the crawlspace.

Jumping on a low-lying branch, he could see Mara below, very confused. "Where am I?" he said aloud, making sure the sound carried softly in the wind.

Mara looked up, and straight into Balthazar's eyes. Looking down, he could partially see down her shirt.

She lunged after him, jumping up from the roots to another branch, and sped after him.

The chase had taken them through the tree branches, with Balthazar activating his lightsaber about halfway through to start cutting the branches he leapt from with the Blue-white blade.

Eventually however, they ran out of tree to run through. With only one place to go, he took her into the clubhouse.

The place hadn't changed much. All of their stuff was still in it's place, yet was kind of dusty. A few items were toppled over, and the cooler had an avian nest inside it.

Balthazar looked around. He'd had his first kiss with Mara in here. Surely this location would have some meaning with her. If not, then it seems the brainwashing done by the Empire had done it's job.

Turning around, he saw a confused Mara. "You remember this place don't you?" He asked.

Instead of an answer, he just got a dazed look. "We had our first kiss in this place, and watched my father get killed by Vader from here." He explained. The look he got was one of angry disbelief.

"I know you've come to kill me, that much is very clear. Yet what isn't clear is how you don't remember any of this."

The response that came next was as big of a shock as any. Mara had pushed Balthazar with the Force so that he was blown away quite literally. The next thing he knew, he was against a surrounding tree, and sliding down to it's base.

Mara came rushing out from the tree, finally slowing down to make eye contact with Balthazar.

He looked up "Why Mara, why?"

She looked back, and said with a scowl, "Because you are a Jedi, and I'm an extension of the Emperor's will across the galaxy. And the Emperor's new order does not want Jedi" She then stabbed him in the left side of his chest. Blacking out, he was sure he was dead