Rating: G

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Any and all things Star Wars belong to George Lucas and I do this in fun. I'm not makin' a dime off of this. Mara Jade is the creation of Timothy Zahn. My story belongs to me.

Series: Stolen Innocence

Other Stories in the Series: For My Emperor, Belong

Summary: Mara returns to Coruscant and her Emperor certain that a few careless words have destroyed her future. Sequel to Belong.

Author's Notes: Thank you to my beloved betas Crysta, GillPicard, Sulis, Andorus, and Zabé! Without you, my shortcomings (as few as they are ;-) ) would be out there for all the net to see.

People, I thrive on comments. Please let me know what you think. The rest of this series may not get written anytime soon otherwise. (Yes, I'm serious.)

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Forgiven

By Pseudo Psyche

Mara stepped from the shuttlecraft ahead of Japara in the Emperor's private docking bay on Coruscant. She wished she could say that it was good to be home again, and in a way it was. She had had plenty of time in the cold of space to think of her actions and words while traveling from Corellia to Coruscant, and she had come to a conclusion: she was as devoted to her Emperor as ever. But the guilt from the scene at the Geihidian still lingered.

In her mind, the scene had become known as The Betrayal:

"I belong to myself."

What had she been thinking? How could she have been so stupid? As the hiss of the repulsor lifts died down behind her and she obediently followed Japara, now fully clad in his Guardsman uniform and helmet, out of the landing bay.

To any of the Imperials they were passing, Mara was a common sight: a young girl with a quick pace and a determined visage that made her look much older than her nine years. Her presence among them, when seen, was no longer considered unusual, and as always, was unquestioned. The girl was walking behind an Imperial Guard with determination that could not quite be called submissive despite the traditional position of a servant.

The passageway outside the hanger leading to the restricted area that was the Emperor's Private Receiving Quarters for more intimate meetings was sparsely populated with higher-level officers immersed in the duties of the Emperor. They walked briskly and coolly by the Royal Guardsman and Mara while they attended to the service of the Empire.

Secretly, Mara wondered if they could feel the shame radiating from her, but outwardly, she emulated their pace and bearing and decided that she wouldn't further disgrace her caretaker by any display of weakness. Now was the time to face the music and take her punishment.

Emperor Palpatine had been informed when the shuttle had landed, and Japara had received instructions to go directly to the Emperor's Waiting Room with the child. So there was no wait when they reached the door; it slid open immediately and Japara entered with Mara behind him.

Mara stepped into the Ready Room much as she had months before when she had last seen her benefactor. There was the same sense of dread of rejection now as when Mara felt the last time with one difference. Mara knew this time what her transgression was.

The cool, quiet, sterile environment that Mara had always drawn a sense of familial comfort and security from failed to sooth her this day. Nothing could ally her fears, and they were fears regardless of what Mara told herself, that this was the end of the line for her. Her thoughtless words would cut her off from the only one who had cared for her all these years. Mara shuddered involuntarily.

Emperor Palpatine stood behind his chair at the head of the elaborate table. His cowl hid his face, as was his custom, and for the first time in her young life, it provided a sense of foreboding to the girl.

Japara took a few steps into the room and stopped abruptly at attention. Mara followed his example and stood besides him. No matter what the Imperials out in the hallway and hanger thought, in here, before her Emperor, Mara Jade was not some easily dismissable child, the responsibility of and subservient to the Guardsman who she followed in here just now. And Mara was going to fully enjoy the perks of her position these last few moments if she had any say about it.

She stood before her Emperor and waited for Japara to give her away and the punishment to begin.

The Emperor nodded in their direction. "Guardsman, you are dismissed."

Japara turned and left without a word.

Mara's fear and tension almost choked her now; it would have been easier for someone else to tell on her. She hadn't counted on having to tell on herself, but apparently that was what was expected of her. Mara had no doubt that Emperor Palpatine knew what she had done. He always seemed to know. From the hidden observation room adjoined to this one, she had seen Imperial officers and galactic senators cower in his presence just from the sense of doom that permeated the room without a word being spoken. Mara would not allow such a pitiful state to befall her now. She stood straight and silent as she waited for her own fate.

"Sit, Mara." Palpatine commanded, his voice betraying nothing.

As Mara approached the table, she noticed the traditional tea setting of the Kynrie that recently become in vogue in the Imperial court and that she had mastered better than the majority of her peers at school. She silently took her seat and with her eyes appropriately downcast in the manner of a properly bred calandra, and placed her right hand delicately on the slate gray pot handle once the Emperor had sat in his own chair. Careful not to spill a drop, Mara began to pour the fragrant tea into the Emperor's mug. The movements were precise and automatic, but more with a sense of contrition than she would normally show. With her crime biting at the back of her conscience, Mara felt rather small.

"You are rather quiet, child." The Emperor commented.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Are you well?" The Emperor's voice hinted at false interest, as though he already knew the answer and were only baiting her. Mara had seen the tactic used to lure many an opponent into a false sense of security. She wasn't biting.

"Yes, Your Highness." She replied curtly.

The Emperor leaned back in his chair and placed his fingertips lightly on the edge of the table before he replied. "Good, good."

Mara endured the silence that followed as Palpatine sipped his tea by focusing on the polished stone tabletop in front of her. The slate gray swirled with white chaotically. It was like the heart of an electrical storm, and oddly enough, it brought the girl a strange sense of comfort, ironically understanding her silent plight. Her focus on one blank spot in the stone deepened while she waited.

"So, your time at the Gehidian was well spent?" the Emperor asked suddenly.

Mara came back to reality, mentally using several colorful Huttese metaphors to express her annoyance at her own stupidity. Rule one: Always be aware of where you are.

"Yes, Your Excellency. I used the time there learning how to better serve you." The girl replied, hoping it was the correct response.

The Emperor did not comment further, nor did he move, and his cowl hid his face from her. She waited.

Mara had prepared herself for the moment when she would be cast from her Emperor's presence, but this wasn't right. It wasn't what she had expected. Everything was too calm, too methodical. Mara never realized before how much she admired that about her benefactor. Her stomach twisted just a bit more, she didn't know what she would do without his constant guidance and approval. Mara continued to wait in the deafening silence with her chin held with just a bit of pride.

And then, the storm broke.

From the corner of the room, Mara caught the hint of movement. In the far corner, a small, gray, airborne droid, the size and shape of an utball hovered behind a planted ch'hala tree. It took only a moment for Mara to realize that it's shape conformed to an Assassination Droid, and, what was worse, it had it's blaster cross-hairs aligned on her benefactor. An instant later, she leapt from her chair and faced the unwelcome intruder, upsetting the delicate teapot and spilling its contents on the table. The Assassination Droid, true to its programming, ignored her and went straight for it's target, the only other person in the room. The Emperor never moved as his eminent death approached. Mara was not as inclined to such passivity and used her recently vacated chair as a step to get on the table and leap across it to tackle the machine.

In hindsight, this may not have been the best move. If Mara had blinked at the wrong moment, all Sith Hells would have broken loose. Assassination Droids may focus solely on their target, but they will also dispose of any obstacle with just as much brutal efficiency as they do their intended victim. Not to mention the fact that Mara had no weapons on her. An error that she realized all too late.

Grabbing the sleek, floating droid in mid-leap, Mara pulled it close to her chest and held on tight as her right shoulder slammed into the wall opposite her. Ignoring the sudden pop numbness in her arm, she held the machine away from her body as she slid to the floor and tried to pull the electrical drive lines from their sockets, only to find that one arm wasn't cooperating and the other one was all that was keeping her from being terminated right there. Mara had hit the wall harder than she had intended to, and as the first wave of nausea flowed over her, she realized that the impact had injured her right arm, which throbbed with pain.

With one arm damaged, Mara's only hope was to stave off attack one handed. The droid's blaster would fire once and then self-destruct; taking the droid with it, but it could still defend itself against attack.

Rather than firing on Mara and missing the true mark, it's metal armor began to heat up, first with prickly, electrical bursts, and then steadily began getting hotter, shooting fiery pain up the girl's good arm. If she held on much longer, her major organs would be fried and the droid would be free. If she let go, her Emperor would be killed. Mara was at a loss of what to do.

Mara began to curse her own stupidity and lack of training when suddenly the droid ceased all activity and fell cold and still from her aching palm.

Mara looked from the droid to her master, still seated in his chair.

"Tell me, girl, what is the meaning of this?" The Emperor began in a deadly tone.

Still feeling small, and now utterly humiliated sprawled on the floor with two aching, useless arms, Mara answered with just the barest tremble in her voice. "The droid was coming after you. You were in danger, my master."

"And did you not think that I was capable of taking care of a pitiful little droid?" The reproach was heavy in his voice. Shame now burned on her face.

"No, Master." She whispered, her head held down.

"What?"

Mara raised her head slightly so she could look up at the Emperor. And answered more loudly, "No, Master."

"Then why did you rush at it and not only injure yourself, but make a fool of me?" disapproval still permeated his voice.

"I'm sorry, Master. My only thought was to protect you." Came Mara's hopeless reply

"Why?"

"Because you are my master. I serve you. I. . .I didn't think."

The Emperor's voice came soft, almost pitying. "No, child you didn't think. There seems to be a lot of that going around lately."

Mara looked away in self-reproach.

"Child, look at me." The Emperor commanded. Mara obeyed and he continued. "Actions speak louder than words. You are my loyal subject. I know that. And now you do too."

The realization of the test she had just been put through and her success of passing it dawned on the girl suddenly. Rather than berate her on her foolish comment at the school, the Emperor had shown her what she already knew, she belonged to her Emperor.

The Emperor stood and held the girl by the shoulder. The electricity that passed through her stung, and she winced at the pain, but when it was over, she was able to lift herself off the floor using her stiff, and still aching arms.

Palpatine returned to his chair, and Mara returned to hers, ignoring the spilled tea that had run in a rivulet to the opposite side of the table. She kept her face steady as she adjusted the position of her injured arms next to her body. The Emperor did not ignore her effort though.

"It will take a few days of rest for your arms to completely heal." He said.

Mara grimaced slightly, she hated waiting around, useless.

"Oh, but you'll have things to do." The Emperor continued, as though reading her mind, "I expect you to research effective methods of disposing of Assassination Droids in my library."

"I will not fail you again, my master." Mara said, some of her old spark back in her proudly held chin.

"I know, child. Which is why, when you've recovered, you begin your new phase of training with this." He smiled. "Consider it a Get-Well-Soon gift."

From his robe, Emperor Palpatine produced a metal cylinder about 28 centimeters in length and placed it on the table horizontally in front of Mara.

Without picking it up, Mara observed that it was a tool of some kind with a rubberized grip and a button. At its base were two deep gouges that were obviously not part of the original design. Whatever it was, it was second-hand and well used. Mara wondered at it's past owner and if the violent-looking scratches had anything to do with the loss of ownership. A perturbing sense of awe came over the girl as she stared at the object. Despite its harmless appearance, this was something powerful indeed.

"What is it?" she queried.

The Emperor's response was simple as he watched the girl closely from under his hood.

"It's a lightsabre. A powerful weapon from a more brutal age."

Mara placed her right hand on the handle and a sudden sense of the red-haired woman from the dusty planet flashed in her brain and was gone. Mara started at the sense as if in pain, and hoped her liege thought she was reacting to the prick of discomfort she felt as her still-sore fingers closed around the cylinder. He made no comment as she held it away from her body and pressed the button.

A humming blade shot from the hilt and glowed magenta in front of her. She meant to try it out a bit, but she was already fatigued with the strain of holding it steady, and shut it down a moment later. Practice would come in a few days, as her master had said.

"Thank you my master. I appreciate your kindness." She said.

"This is a weapon, not kindness, girl. I expect you to use it well." Said Palpatine sternly.

"Yes, Master."

He nodded and dismissed her to her room to recuperate.

As Mara left and the door closed behind her, she rubbed her dully-throbbing shoulder with her free hand and stared at her new acquisition in her other. She was sore all over and wanted nothing more than to reach her quarters so she could sit down with a bacta pack and maybe get something for the pain. Her sore limbs were the only thing keeping her from walking briskly down the hall in relief. Things had gone much better than she expected. She still belonged to her Emperor.

Mara was glad.

The End