1 Part one continued…
Leia Skywalker landed her ship with ease. She couldn't wait to go back to the palace and feel the peace and quite of her home. A nice long bath would do her good. Her comlink beeped, "Yes?" she groaned.
"His majesty the Emperor requests the presence of Lady Vader." A voice said.
"Toke, its nice to talk to you too."
"Always a please Lady Vader." CLICK.
"Sarcastic little-" Leia mumbled. What did he want with her now? Climbing down the ramp she hurried to the Imperial Palace, "I was told his highness wishes to see me?"
"Go right in." A guard, one Leia did not recognize, told her.
"Thank you." Leia said and hurried in. She dropped to her knees, "Master."
"Rise young Skywalker." He commanded.
Leia rose to her feet, "You requested my presence your majesty."
He nodded, "I have a mission for you."
"What is it my master?" Leia asked.
"I wish for you to hide with the Alliance."
"What?" Leia asked, not understanding. What did he want that for? She was too valuable to spy on the Alliance she knew this. Why didn't he send Mara or Luke? "What do you want me to do? Get close to Mon Mothma, you will be able to destroy her."
Leia's voice shook as she replied, "Mon Mothma?"
The Emperor nodded, "Yes Mon Mothma."
Leia felt numb. It couldn't be. It just wasn't possible. It couldn't be the same woman who gave her her mother's necklace. "Master?"
"The Alliance must die. And I fear that the only way to destroy them is from the inside out."
"But Luke-"
"This is too big a job for your brother young Leia. Go and do not defy me."
Leia bowed, "Yes my master." And with those final words she walked out of the throne room. The Alliance? Her? How? Why? Questions floated through her mind. Destruction from the inside? What did he mean by that? She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.
flashback
"Daddy, why is the Alliance so bad?"
"Because, daughter, they want to destroy us."
Seven-year-old Leia shook her head, "I don't think so."
"What do you mean by that?" Vader asked, confused.
"They are just standing up for what they believe in. Just like you did when you destroyed the Jedi."
Vader was, well, stunned. "Leia, standing up for what you believe in is very important but they are going about it in a horrible way."
Leia studied her father for a moment, "Did mother always stand up for what she believed in?"
Vader took a sharp breath, "Yes Leia, she always stood up for what she believed in."
end flashback
For some reason that conversation between father and daughter suddenly struck a nerve with her. She didn't know why. She shrugged. Better start packing.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Luke Skywalker stared at the hologram of his father. How he missed the days when they were younger and simply children. Their father was just like any other father and now his mission was simply to please the Emperor. What had happened? It had been such a sudden and dramatic change that neither him nor Leia had understood just what had happened. Something on his desk beeped and Luke hit the switch, "What?"
"What a wonderful way to greet someone." Mara said.
"Sorry." Luke mumbled, "I was just thinking about the past?"
"Oh. Am I part of it?" Mara asked, teasing.
"Some of it."
"Well some is better than none." She paused. "You want to join me for dinner or something. We haven't talked in a long time."
"We're talking now."
"Oh you know what mean."
"Do I?" Luke asked, now teasing her. She and him had been somewhat of friends when they had found the time.
She shook her head, "I'm serious Skywalker."
"Yeah I suppose I could squeeze you into my schedule."
"Great so um… You'll meet me at The Crystal?"
"The Crystal?" Luke asked. The Crystal was one of those fast moving dance clubs. "Why do you want to go to The Crystal? I thought you said we were going to talk."
"We can talk there."
Luke thought for a moment, "Yeah I'll meet you there."
"Great." Mara said and she switched off the comlink. She hurried over to her closet and pulled out a long white dress. She couldn't believe this was happening. She was actually, on the Emperor's orders, going to seduce Luke. Leia would kill me if she knew. Mara thought. Oh well. I have to put my job first. The job is always first.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Leia slammed the door shut. Well this Mon Mothma woman must not know what she looked like anymore so all she needed to do was give herself one of her alias. Or perhaps a new alias might work best. Yes a new one might just be best. But what sort of name should she give herself? Leia shrugged. She was a quick thinker.
"Leia is that you?" She heard her brother call.
"Yeah Luke its only me!" She cried back. He would have a fit to know that she was going on another mission, especially if it involved the alliance. Best not to tell him just yet.
Luke came pounding down the large, elegant staircase. "Well I just thought I'd let you know that I'm off."
"Off where?"
"To The Crystal."
Better drop the news now, "Luke I'm leaving."
"Leaving?" Luke asked, "Where?" He was startled. She had just got back from a mission. The Emperor never ran them that ragged.
"On another mission. I don't know where." She lied.
"Leia you're lying to me. I can feel it." Luke said. What was she trying to hide from him?
"Luke please don't cross examine me, okay? I just need to pack a few things and get going." She kissed him on the cheek, "I love you."
"Leia-"
"Luke I mean it all right? I will be fine." And with that she headed up the stairs.
Luke shook his head. He was really worried about her. He knew she could handle herself but he was still worried. He just couldn't help but be worried. That was his job as her brother was to worry about her. Oh well. He thought. She'll tell me when she's ready.
Leia Skywalker landed her ship with ease. She couldn't wait to go back to the palace and feel the peace and quite of her home. A nice long bath would do her good. Her comlink beeped, "Yes?" she groaned.
"His majesty the Emperor requests the presence of Lady Vader." A voice said.
"Toke, its nice to talk to you too."
"Always a please Lady Vader." CLICK.
"Sarcastic little-" Leia mumbled. What did he want with her now? Climbing down the ramp she hurried to the Imperial Palace, "I was told his highness wishes to see me?"
"Go right in." A guard, one Leia did not recognize, told her.
"Thank you." Leia said and hurried in. She dropped to her knees, "Master."
"Rise young Skywalker." He commanded.
Leia rose to her feet, "You requested my presence your majesty."
He nodded, "I have a mission for you."
"What is it my master?" Leia asked.
"I wish for you to hide with the Alliance."
"What?" Leia asked, not understanding. What did he want that for? She was too valuable to spy on the Alliance she knew this. Why didn't he send Mara or Luke? "What do you want me to do? Get close to Mon Mothma, you will be able to destroy her."
Leia's voice shook as she replied, "Mon Mothma?"
The Emperor nodded, "Yes Mon Mothma."
Leia felt numb. It couldn't be. It just wasn't possible. It couldn't be the same woman who gave her her mother's necklace. "Master?"
"The Alliance must die. And I fear that the only way to destroy them is from the inside out."
"But Luke-"
"This is too big a job for your brother young Leia. Go and do not defy me."
Leia bowed, "Yes my master." And with those final words she walked out of the throne room. The Alliance? Her? How? Why? Questions floated through her mind. Destruction from the inside? What did he mean by that? She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.
flashback
"Daddy, why is the Alliance so bad?"
"Because, daughter, they want to destroy us."
Seven-year-old Leia shook her head, "I don't think so."
"What do you mean by that?" Vader asked, confused.
"They are just standing up for what they believe in. Just like you did when you destroyed the Jedi."
Vader was, well, stunned. "Leia, standing up for what you believe in is very important but they are going about it in a horrible way."
Leia studied her father for a moment, "Did mother always stand up for what she believed in?"
Vader took a sharp breath, "Yes Leia, she always stood up for what she believed in."
end flashback
For some reason that conversation between father and daughter suddenly struck a nerve with her. She didn't know why. She shrugged. Better start packing.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Luke Skywalker stared at the hologram of his father. How he missed the days when they were younger and simply children. Their father was just like any other father and now his mission was simply to please the Emperor. What had happened? It had been such a sudden and dramatic change that neither him nor Leia had understood just what had happened. Something on his desk beeped and Luke hit the switch, "What?"
"What a wonderful way to greet someone." Mara said.
"Sorry." Luke mumbled, "I was just thinking about the past?"
"Oh. Am I part of it?" Mara asked, teasing.
"Some of it."
"Well some is better than none." She paused. "You want to join me for dinner or something. We haven't talked in a long time."
"We're talking now."
"Oh you know what mean."
"Do I?" Luke asked, now teasing her. She and him had been somewhat of friends when they had found the time.
She shook her head, "I'm serious Skywalker."
"Yeah I suppose I could squeeze you into my schedule."
"Great so um… You'll meet me at The Crystal?"
"The Crystal?" Luke asked. The Crystal was one of those fast moving dance clubs. "Why do you want to go to The Crystal? I thought you said we were going to talk."
"We can talk there."
Luke thought for a moment, "Yeah I'll meet you there."
"Great." Mara said and she switched off the comlink. She hurried over to her closet and pulled out a long white dress. She couldn't believe this was happening. She was actually, on the Emperor's orders, going to seduce Luke. Leia would kill me if she knew. Mara thought. Oh well. I have to put my job first. The job is always first.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Leia slammed the door shut. Well this Mon Mothma woman must not know what she looked like anymore so all she needed to do was give herself one of her alias. Or perhaps a new alias might work best. Yes a new one might just be best. But what sort of name should she give herself? Leia shrugged. She was a quick thinker.
"Leia is that you?" She heard her brother call.
"Yeah Luke its only me!" She cried back. He would have a fit to know that she was going on another mission, especially if it involved the alliance. Best not to tell him just yet.
Luke came pounding down the large, elegant staircase. "Well I just thought I'd let you know that I'm off."
"Off where?"
"To The Crystal."
Better drop the news now, "Luke I'm leaving."
"Leaving?" Luke asked, "Where?" He was startled. She had just got back from a mission. The Emperor never ran them that ragged.
"On another mission. I don't know where." She lied.
"Leia you're lying to me. I can feel it." Luke said. What was she trying to hide from him?
"Luke please don't cross examine me, okay? I just need to pack a few things and get going." She kissed him on the cheek, "I love you."
"Leia-"
"Luke I mean it all right? I will be fine." And with that she headed up the stairs.
Luke shook his head. He was really worried about her. He knew she could handle herself but he was still worried. He just couldn't help but be worried. That was his job as her brother was to worry about her. Oh well. He thought. She'll tell me when she's ready.