Ben Kenobi's Hut; Tatooine
3rd person POV...
Approaching the small, humble looking home of 'Ben' Kenobi, both speeders came to a stop, allowing Mara to climb off of her bike, while Obi-Wan and Luke got out of the landspeeder, helping the droids our as well.
"You take the droids inside Luke, perhaps help to clean them up a little," Obi-Wan says.
"Okay. What are you doing?" Luke asks in confusion.
"I'm going to have a quick chat with Mara here. There are some things that need to be discussed," he reassures him.
Luke looks between the two with a slightly wary gaze of confusion before nodding his head in acceptance. "Well, alright. Come on you two," he says, waving an arm at the droids.
"Oh heavens, I must have my arm reattached soon, otherwise I'll be done for!" Threepio wails.
Artoo beeps back at him heatedly, while Luke rolls his eyes. "Yeah, I know. I can fix that."
Once the farm boy and both droids were inside, Obi-Wan turned to Mara, who looked back up at him with a sense of slight awe, still excited to be in the presence of Jedi Master Kenobi.
"Well then Mara, I must say it is a surprise to be seeing you here, although I am pleased to meet you finally," he says.
"I'm excited to see you too Master. Dad's talked about you a lot," she replies with a smile.
"Oh I'm sure. How is your father doing recently?" Obi-Wan questions.
"He's doing alright, though if it wasn't for the recent battle, he probably would have come here himself," she admits.
Obi-Wan nods his head in understand. "Yes, I can understand that perfectly. Even out here the battle at Scarif has been talked about, and there were rumors that Jarik was a part of it."
"We both were, and it's why I'm here now as well Master," she says.
"Oh, just call me Ben, or Obi-Wan. I'm long past being the Jedi Master that your father remembers," he tells her kindly.
She looks at him weirdly but shrugs in acceptance. "Alright then... Ben," she replies.
"So, you have a reason for coming here; to see me of course, and to retrieve the droid?" Obi-Wan questions.
"Yes Ma- Ben," she quickly corrects. "At Scarif, we helped to acquire plans for an Imperial superweapon called the Death Star. They were sent to a rebel ship commanded by Princess Leia, which managed to escape the system, but just recently my Dad learned that her ship was captured by Darth Vader."
Obi-Wan's expressions shifts to one of worry and hidden fear at the information, particularly at the knowledge that Leia was taken captive by Vader. If he were to find out the truth...
"Do you know more about the fate of the Princess?" he asks concern.
She shook her head. "No, he wasn't able to find out about that. But before being captured, she manages to send away the Death Star plans, which are now being carried by Artoo."
He hums in response. "I see. Yet there is still a question unanswered: why come to me? Surely you and your father would be able to recover the plans more quickly than I could."
Mara glances at the hut, before looking back at him.
"Yeah, there is a reason. Besides Artoo, Dad wanted me to find you and tell you something," she says, lowering her voice. "He says he felt a shift in the Force, and that it's time to start training Luke."
Obi-Wan's expression becomes very serious, and he also spared a look at his hut, before turning back to Mara.
"How much do you know about young Luke?" he asks quietly with caution.
"Only that he's Force sensitive," she replies honestly, but narrowing her eyes in confusion and wariness at his behavior.
He sighs in resignation, and nods his head. "Very well. We better get inside then. There is much to discuss," he tells her.
Obi-Wan then walks inside the hut, and Mara follows after him warily, unsure of what to think. Inside, they see Luke the Threepio sitting on a bench, with Artoo standing nearby, beeping.
"See? Told you I'd have your arm fixed," Luke remarks, fiddling with the droids reattached arm.
"Oh thank the maker. You have my thanks Master Luke!" he replies happily.
"No problem," he responds, looking up when the two entered the room. "Oh hey. I'm Luke by the way, Luke Skywalker," he says in greeting, holding a hand out to her to shake.
She stills for a moment in obvious surprise, recognizing the name, and briefly glances at Obi-Wan, who watches her reaction warily. For a few brief moments she was tempted to burst out with a question to Obi-Wan right there about Anakin having a son. Nevertheless, she smiles at Luke and shakes his hand politely.
"Mara Jade. It's nice to meet you Luke," she replies warmly.
"You too," he questions with a smile, before looking thoughtful. "Should I know you or something...? I feel like I've heard your name before."
Mara frowns warily. "No, I don't think so," she replies.
"I'm sure there are plenty of girls in the galaxy named Mara," Obi-Wan offers as a reply.
"Probably," Mara says in agreement.
Obi-Wan takes off his cloak and sets it on a hanger, going to sit down on the bench. Luke does the same, returning to fixing up Threepio's arm while Mara sits on the other side of Obi-Wan.
"So, what were you two talking about?" Luke asks.
Obi-Wan sends a brief glance Mara's way before replying. "Mara here came here to find Artoo and myself. She's an... agent for the Rebellion."
Luke whips his head around to look at her in surprise and fascination. "Really? You're apart of the Rebellion against the Empire?"
"Yeah, and so is Artoo. He's carrying something that everyone is after, which is why I'm here," she explains.
"Figured. Threepio told me something similar," he replies. "Have you been in many battles? No offense, but you seem a little bit young."
"I've been in a few..." she trails off. If only he knew... "But being younger does have its benefits, since I'm not as suspicious looking. Besides, I'm a pretty good fighter."
"So how do you know Ben?" he asks.
"Her father and I were good friends in the past, along with your father," Obi-Wan answers, leaning back in his seat.
"My father?" Luke says in surprise, whipping around to face them. "You know my father?!"
"Not personally, I wasn't born yet," Mara admits sheepishly.
"I did know him," Obi-Wan confirms. "His name was Anakin Skywalker, a good man and a powerful warrior. In fact, he was a Jedi Knight who fought in the Clone Wars, alongside Mara's parents."
"A Jedi?" Luke asks doubtfully. "No, my father didn't fight in the wars. He was a navigator on a spice freighter."
"That's what your uncle told you. He didn't hold with your father's ideals. Thought he should have stayed here and not gotten involved," Obi-Wan replies with a hint of sad disappointment.
Mara frowns, really confused and uneasy about the whole situation. Why would Luke's uncle never tell him who his father really was? And if Luke was Anakin's son, why was she just learning about it? Her parents had to know, since her mother was Anakin's Padawan, so why the secrecy? Sure, Anakin and Padmé had died, but why wouldn't Ahsoka take in Luke to raise as well, having such a close connection?
So many questions...
"You fought in the Clone Wars?" Luke asks, stirring Mara out of her thoughts.
"Yes, I was once a Jedi Knight the same as your father," Obi-Wan replies.
"I wish I'd known him," Luke says sadly, and Mara spares him a sympathetic look, knowing the feeling.
"He was the best star-pilot in the galaxy, and a cunning warrior. I understand you've become quite a good pilot yourself. And he was a good friend," he recalls fondly, trailing off. "Which reminds me..."
Obi-Wan gets up and goes to a chest where he rummages around. "I have something here for you. Your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough, but your uncle wouldn't allow it. He feared you might follow old Obi-Wan on some darned-fool idealistic crusade like your father did," he remarks in amusement.
"Sir, if you'll not be needing me, I'll close down for awhile," Threepio says.
"Sure, go ahead," Luke tells him."
Obi-Wan stands back up and heads back towards the two with something in his hands. Mara recognizes it instantly, widening her eyes in surprise. She and Luke both stand up as well, and he hands Luke the saber.
"What is it?" Luke asks curiously.
"Your fathers lightsaber. This is the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or as random as a blaster," he explains.
Luke pushes a button on the handle, and a blue plasma blade shoots out, humming with energy. Luke waves it around in fascination, while Mara stares at it in interest, curious about the lightsaber her mother's master used.
"An elegant weapon for a more civilized time.
"I've never seen something like this before... what powers it?" he asks.
"Kyber crystals," Mara answers, making Luke look at her curiously.
"Mara, would you like to demonstrate as well?" Obi-Wan asks her.
"Sure," she replies.
She pulls out her own lightsaber, causing Luke to widen his eyes in surprise. She then activated it, allowing a brilliant blade of purple to shoot out, with a much higher pitched hum than Anakin's lightsaber.
"You're a Jedi too?" he exclaims in surprise.
"In training still, but yeah," she tells him, twirling her blade around before deactivating it. "My Dad is still teaching me, since he and my Mom were also Jedi in the war."
"Wow..." Luke breathes in a new sense of awe, turning off his own new lightsaber.
"For over a thousand generations the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire," Obi-Wan says sadly.
Mara could see the same look of sadness that she'd find on Jarik and Ahsoka's faces from time to time. She'd identified it as the look they would make whenever thinking about the Republic and Jedi, before the Empire took over.
"How did my father die?" Luke asks.
"A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights," Obi-Wan says. "He betrayed and murdered your father. Now the Jedi are all but extinct. Vader was seduced by the dark side of the Force."
Mara frowned, not ever recalling Jarik or Ahsoka telling him about Obi-Wan having a third Padawan. Maybe it was before Anakin...? No...
"The Force?" Luke asks again.
"Well, the Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together," Obi-Wan explains with a smile.
"My father says it also has two sides, the Light and the Dark. Simply, the Jedi tend to use the light side for good, while Sith like Vader usually use the dark side for evil," Mara adds.
Artoo then starts to beep urgently, wanting to deliver the message to Obi-Wan as quickly as possible.
Seeing his urgency, Obi-Wan gets up and heads over to Artoo, patting his dome. "Now, let's see if we can't figure out what you are, my little friend. And where you come from."
"I saw part of the message he was..." Luke trails off
"I seem to have found it," Obi-Wan interrupts, sitting down on the storage chest as the hologram of Princess Leia comes up.
Luke stops his work as the Princess Leia's image flickers before his eyes. Mara also looks on in concern and with some curiousity, having never seen Leia clearly before.
"General Kenobi, years ago you and Jarik Shan served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed. I have placed information stolen from Scarif with the help of Commander Shan, which is vital to the survival of the Rebellion, into the memory systems of this R2 unit. My father will know how to retrieve it. You must see this droid safely delivered to him on Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope."
The hologram of another woman comes up behind Leia, gently laying a hand on her shoulder. Moments later, the Princess bends down to grab something, and the transmission flickers out of existance. Obi-Wan leans back, scratching his beard in concern and shares a look with Mara. She gestures with a brief flicker of her eyes to Luke, and he nods in understanding.
"You must learn the ways of the Force, if you're to come with me to Alderaan," he states simply.
"Alderaan?" Luke says with a disbelieving laugh. "I'm not going to Alderaan. I've got to go home. It's late, I'm in for it as it is!"
"I need your help, Luke. She needs your help. I'm getting too old for this sort of thing," Obi-Wan reasons.
"Well, I-" Luke protests nervously. "Why can't Mara help you? She's free, knows the Force way better than I do, and is an agent of the Rebellion!" he argues.
"It's not the simple Luke, and besides, I am a little bit too well known within the Empire. I'd be tough for me to help out despite my skills," she replies.
"But I thought you said they wouldn't suspect you as well! And find Artoo was your current mission assignment, right?"
"Well, there are limits," she admits. "Besides, I could be called on another mission any time."
Luke sighs in frustration, torn between what he was supposed to do. "I can't get involved! I've got work to do! It's not that I like the Empire. I hate it! But there's nothing I can do about it right now. It's such a long way from here."
"That's your uncle talking," Obi-Wan say
"Oh, gosh, my uncle. How am I ever going to explain this?" he groans.
"Learn about the Force, Luke," Obi-Wan insists.
"Look, I can take you guys as far as Anchorhead. You can get a transport there to Mos Eisley or wherever you're going," he offers.
Obi-Wan lets out a defeated sigh, sharing a worried look with Mara, who is just at a loss of what to do.
"You must do what you feel is right, of course," he eventually says.
Death Star; Space
3rd person POV...
Eight Imperial senators and generals sit around a black conference table in heated discussion, while Imperial stormtroopers stand guard around the room. Among those in the room is ISB Agent, Colonel Yularen.
He surveys the other men present with a firm gaze, thinking about the present situation. The loss of the Death Plans to the rebels is a very worrying situation, and leaves them at risk, something the other officers don't seem to believe, aside from Commander Tagge. It was especially concerning to know that his former ally of ages past, Jarik Shan, played a major role in stealing the plans.
He sighed quietly to himself, recalling his time in the Clone Wars for a brief moment. He didn't know Shan too personally like he knew General Skywalker or Commander Tano, but he's worked alongside him in enough battles to know how skilled he was, even as a Padawan. It was unfortunate that the Jedi Order was destroyed, becoming the enemy. Shan would have made a good ally for the Empire to have.
He shakes himself out of his reminiscing thoughts when Commander Tagge starts to speak, sharing his concerns.
"Until this battle station is fully operational we are vulnerable. The Rebel Alliance is too well equipped. They're more dangerous than you realize," he warns the group.
Across the table, Admiral Motti frowns, brushing his worry's aside uncaringly. An action that has Yularen also frowning, but in disapproval.
"Dangerous to your starfleet, Commander, not to this battle station!" he retorts.
"I would recommend caution, Admiral. The loss at Scarif proves how dangerous they are," Yularen points out.
"That battle was only lost due to the arrogance of Orson Krennic," he replies dismissively. "But now that this battle station is complete, the Rebellion can't hope to stand against us!"
'As if you're any less arrogant,' Yularen thinks to himself in irritation.
Tagge shared the sentiment, fuming in annoyance. "The Rebellion will continue to gain a support in the Imperial Senate as long as..." he exclaims.
"The Imperial Senate will no longer be of any concern to us," a stiff voice says.
All heads turn when Commander Tagge's speech is cut short as Grand Moff Tarkin, governor of the Imperial outland regions enters, followed by Darth Vader. Tarking moves to take his place at the head of the table while Vader stands behind him, his presence along making the officers nervous.
"I've just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away," he announces.
"That's impossible! How will the Emperor maintain control without the bureaucracy?" Tagge questions in surprise.
Yularen is just as stunned, although he hides it well.
"The regional governors now have direct control over territories. Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station," Tarkin informs them, eyeing everybody in the room with a stern gaze.
"And what of the Rebellion? If the Rebels have obtained a complete technical readout of this station, it is possible, however unlikely, that they might find a weakness and exploit it," Tagge suggests. "The chances are even greater if Jarik Shan has the plans to analyze himself!"
Motti scoffs disbelievingly. "You believe that criminal a threat to the Empire? He's one man!"
"On the contrary Motti, 'that criminal,' is the most powerful ally the Rebellion has, with the skills he possesses. You'd do well to remember that," Tarkin says with a glare.
"The plans you refer to will soon be back in our hands," Vader tells Tagge.
Admiral Motti shakes his head, feeling a sense of arrogance and power in the Death Star.
"Any attack made by the Rebels against this station would be a useless gesture, no matter what technical data they've obtained. This station is now the ultimate power in the universe! I suggest we use it!" he declares arrogantly.
"Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force!" Vader retorts.
"Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer's ways, Lord Vader," Motti replies mockingly, feeling safe and out of harms way in the presence of Tarkin, clearly trying to feel more important than he really is. "Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given you clairvoyance enough to find the Rebel's hidden fort-"
As Admiral Motti was speaking, Vader was slowly moving around the table towards him, causing Yularen to sigh, having heard enough to know what would happen next.
As a Vader raises an arm, Motti stops mid sentence and begins to choke and gag, clawing at his throat. Tarkin frowns at the scene, while Tagge watches uneasily, raising a hand to his chin.
"I find your lack of faith disturbing," Vader says coldly.
"Enough of this! Vader, release him!" Tarkin orders irritably.
"As you wish," Vader replies, drawing his hand back.
Motti is released from the choke hold, and collapses to the table with a gasp, desperately taking in much needed air as he recovers.
"This bickering is pointless!" Tarkin says in disapproval. "Lord Vader will provide us with the location of the Rebel fortress by the time this station is operational. We will then crush Jarik Shan and the Rebellion, with one swift stroke!"