Welcome back everybody! I am shocked by the positive response I had to the short little teaser chapter I posted last week. It brings a huge smile to my face. Please keep it up!

Things are starting to get juicy for Mara Jade and Starkiller. You're gonna see them in all of their Darkside glory. It's gonna be quite the uphill battle before they redeem themselves.

Also, I will be updating this story weekly, so expect a new chapter every Tuesday.

Enjoy!


Renegade

Chapter 1: New World Order

Mara and Starkiller landed their starship in Empire controlled territory. And yet, it was easy to see that Saw Gerrera and his insurgents had been intent on not giving up Jedha without a fight.

Dozens of Stormtroopers were in the medical bay, dealing with injuries that ranged from splinters to amputations. She had to give Gerrera credit…he worked with a ruthlessness that she could respect and admire.

They continued throughout the barricade until they reached the captain's quarters. The 'Captain' in question was a bald fat man, and was no captain but a Sergeant. Sergeant Nik Wethers.

Wethers had been in control over the occupation of Jedha for the past four months…being promoted after his predecessor met his unfortunate end at the hand of Gerrera's rebels.

And in that timeframe, Empire casualty's spiked drastically. With each rebel victory, the Empire got sloppier. And Sgt. Wethers seemed content to just sit in his quarters all day drinking Mandalorian Ale while the Empire's resources drained.

"Sgt. Wethers…the Emperor has sent two inquisitors to help with our operations." The second in command Stormtrooper informed as he led them to Wethers.

Mara rolled her eyes, she and Starkiller weren't Inquisitors. Comparing a Hand to an Inquisitor was like comparing a tauntaun to a rancor…but she let it slide.

Wethers looked up from his post and did a double take as he took in his 'reinforcements'.

He actually laughed, "That's the best they can give me? We must really be scraping at the bottom of the barrel."

Mara heard explosions and gunfire in the background. "You were saying?"

"I'm sorry you came all this way…but you're help is not needed," Wethers said as he stood up and hiked up his pants, "Everything is under control."

"So you're as incompetent as you are stupid?" Mara asked as if she were reprimanding a child.

The man in question turned the color of Mara's flame red hair. She could actually see his pulse throbbing through his oversized head. "How dare you speak to me that way, Girl! I have been fighting battles since before you were born."

"You've been letting these rebels walk all over you for the past three months…" Mara informed him as she locked her hands behind her back and took in the state of his garrison, "The Emperor is most displeased. He has sent in me and my associate as a way to, shall we say…clean up your mess."

"You're expected back on Coruscant immediately…but don't worry, there's plenty of men needed to work on the sewer systems…so you'll be reassigned to the sanitation department, effective immediately."

Even though her back was to him, Mara heard Sgt. Wethers reach for his blaster…the telltale hum registering in her ears. She reacted in the blink of an eye…slicing her dominant lightsaber through the air.

Sgt. Wethers' blaster fell to the ground…with his arm still attached. He screamed in shock and pain as he fell to his knees, his remaining hand clutching at the cauterized stump her lightsaber had left behind.

"You stupid bitch!" Wethers spat as tears welled in his eyes.

Mara looked down at him unfazed, her lightsabers humming on either side of her. Then she rose her sabers in front of her, crossing the blades and lining them up with Wethers neck…he appeared to register what she was doing.

"No, no, no…I'm sorry…" He begged, "have mercy…"

Mara leaned in closely, so Wethers was the only one who would hear her, "Mercy is weakness...there is no room for weakness within the Empire. That is what the Emperor's Hands do…we find weaknesses…and we eradicate them."

With that Mara sliced her sabers through the air…Wether's head hitting the ground while his body remained upright. She heard gasping in the crowd…and she felt their fear. Fear would make this easier.

On a final note she kicked Wethers body so it was no longer crouched in front of her, but lying on the dirty ground. Mara turned to face the remaining Stormtroopers, "Anyone else have a problem…I suggest you speak it now."

Mara couldn't see their faces under their helmets…but she envisioned them all blanching and sweating. "Are any of you going to have a problem with a girl half your age running this operation?"

Half the men shook their heads rapidly, while the other half simply walked away as if hoping to avoid her fury.

Mara smirked before retracting her lightsabers and clipping them back onto her belt. "Good…because this is the New World Order. You can either die in his world," she said motioning to the decapitated body of the late Sgt. Wethers. "Or you can live in ours."

Starkiller simply crossed his arms as he stood right beside Mara.

"As long as you remember that…than we won't have a problem." Mara wrapped up her speech before letting Starkiller take command, divulging new strategies to counteract the rebels.

Turning to him she informed him that she was going to leave and do some undercover reconnaissance. "The rebels must have sympathy with the citizens of Jedha…they may lead us to Gerrera."

Starkiller nodded, silently telling her to be careful. Mara nodded back before she left the garrison.

oOoOoOo

She lied.

She wasn't leaving to do reconnaissance. She was leaving so she could get a hold of herself. Immediately after killing Wethers, she felt a stab of pain in her chest. As if she were regretting killing him?

Mara had changed out of her military suit and slipped into citizens cloths…so she was technically still undercover.

She limped along, taking deep ragged breaths until she found a deserted alley. She slipped through it, and walked until the voices of people on the street died down.

She fell back against the wall and slid down into a crouch. She took deep steady breaths and attempted to control herself.

What the hell was wrong with her? She had killed dozens of men before…both rebel and empire alike. She did it without hesitation or question. If the Emperor wanted someone dead…she would see it done. But Lately?

Lately she felt as if she were being torn in two. One part of her, relished in violence and killing and power…the side that the Empire nourished. And the other side…felt regret and mercy and humanity. This was the side that was brought out by the visions she had been having. Of that she had no doubt.

Memories of a past and completely unknown life were pulling at her. She had never once questioned her origins…but once she began having dreams and visions of Galen and Lyra Erso…she knew. Deep down she knew they were her parents, and that they loved her…and that she had been taken from them. She had been a child, ripped away from her family…and she was willingly serving the people that had ultimately kidnapped her?

And despite all this? She would not betray the Empire. Darth Sidious and Darth Vader had her loyalty. The Empire was her past, present, and future. For despite this unavoidable pull to the light…the dark side was a drug. It was something she craved…

"Do not attempt to mold yourself into something that you are not."

Mara's head snapped up as she heard an accented man address her. She looked around and saw the origin of the voice.

"Beg your pardon?" Mara asked the man who sat at the edge of the alley. He was dressed in spiritual robes and had a short staff resting across his knees.

The middle aged man smiled, "If the Will is bent too much…you will end up snapping it."

Mara rolled her eyes and stood back up, preparing to walk off, "Crazy locals…"

"Trust in the Force…for all is as the Force wills it."

She wanted to laugh, "What the hell do you know about the force."

She spoke it in a whisper, so she was surprised when he replied…

"A great many things; For I am one with the force…" The religious man prayed, "…and the Force is with me."


Chirrut's eyes see all...

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