Disclaimer: I do not own any of Star Wars, the right of ownership of Star Wars belong to Lucasfilm and I guess Disney too. The only thing I own is the characters you do not notice and the plot.

Chapter 11: Chancellor's Speech & Maria's Life

It has been a 5 days since Mark's duel with Darth Vader and Anakin's half successful attempt to save his twins. Why half successful, because he only manages to save one of his children. He would have been able to save both of them if his daughter, Leia, listen to him when he told her to run.

Mark is standing on Coruscant in front of the Presidential Palace. Since Padme took office, she have taken the tradition like all the other Chancellor before her, expect for Palpatine, and use the Chancellor Offices or knows as Chancellor Suite in the Presidential Palace. The Chancellor Suite that was in the Senate Office Building was made for Palpatine, and that part of the building has been destroyed in the fight between Mark and Palpatine in 19 BBY before the public fight in the Senate Rotunda.

That building around the office has been repaired and the windows, doors, and lifts to that office have been blocked. Last thing Mark's remember is that the office lay in ruin as the day the fight had happen. On the walls for where the lift used to was a plaque to honor Mark.

Mark remembers days after that event and before what his father did on Naboo. Taking down Chancellor Palpatine, who was secretly Darth Sidious, had earn him the nickname Hero of the Republic, because people realize if he had not step in to protect the Republic when he did, then everything would be different.

After what his father did on Naboo some of the stuff Mark did to help protect the Republic and the Jedi Order became known to the public. All the evidence that he have gather up, the public has known. There were members of the public that thought the Jedi was behind it because Count Dooku was a Jedi. Now they know he was a Sith Lord.

Mark was standing in the back of the crowd on a square base of a large golden statue. He was leaning against a statue to see the stage in front. The stage is white with white drapes on it. In the middle the drapes form a red semicircle which has the Galactic Republic symbol in white.

The Holoscreens around the area flash on as Padme walks to the podium that is standing over the Galactic Republic symbol on the drapes. The Holoscreens' headings say Chancellor Skywalker.

The crowd that formed around the Presidential Palace quiets down when they see her at the podium. She was wearing a former light blue dress with her hair tied into a bun on the back of her hair. For Mark it was strange seeing her hair up like that after spending almost a month on Bakura with her hair down.

"I know it have been awhile since I stand before you on this platform. I also know there have been some questions why I haven't been presented at the Senate Meetings at all in the past month. I, along with some Jedi and the Bakuran Government was investigating a problem they had in the Outer Rim. Back in 18 BBY it was suggest in order to bring justice and order in the Outer Rim, the government build 3 stations within the Outer Rim. Shortly after I took office one of them got destroyed and I went to Bakura to investigate it while I was there the other two was destroyed. As of now, all of those that were aboard those stations are consider dead and their families will be getting benefits from the government to help them out." say Padme.

Not out she sounded strong, Mark can hear the waver in her voice. She hasn't been herself since Leia was kidnapped by Darth Vader and Darth Destria. He could senses that she is trying her best to keep in control.

"Chancellor what stations are you talking about? There have been no reports of stations being made in the Out Rim." say a Reporter. "The reason why there were no reports because it was top secret. Only 3 people know the exact location of the stations. For those who wonder how and who attack the stations, I could explain that too. During our investigation we have learned that the Sith are still out there. They forces those people to tell them the locations and they attacked." say Padme as she look over the crowds.

"There have been reports that you were attacked on Bakura and your children were kidnapped." say a report. Mark winces when he heard these words come out their mouth. He looks up at the Holoscreens to see how Padme reacting.

There was quick look of pure sadness and fear but it was gone in a few seconds from her face, but her eyes still show it. Mark looks at the crowd once more.

"I do not see how what happen to my children or my personal life is any of your concerns." say Padme softly. "If you, who have the power to have guards to protect you and your Jedi husband, cannot protect you or your family, how do we expect you to be able to protect us and the Republic?" say a male Chagrian reporter.

"We only had limited amount of soldiers with us at the place we were staying and our Jedi protectors at the time was respond to threats against the people of Bakura from the Sith. During that time, one of their military, Maxus Zane, came storming into our place attack us and kidnapped them. For those who do not know, Maxus Zane was a former General of the Bakuran Military and he was very good at it." say Padme as tears flow down her cheeks.

At the name of Maxus Zane the crowd begins to murmur a lot. For as famous Mark is his father is infamous in the view of the Republic. Everyone in the Republic knows both of their names.

"Isn't Maxus Zane dead? I thought the reports from Naboo back in 19 BBY stated that you and your brother-in-law shot him down in your current resident on Naboo." say a female reporter.

"We have discovered that the person who was shot down in my home was a Clone. The Jedi who was with me on Bakura told me that he is still alive based upon a message that got from the Sith before the first station exploded, and I see him with my own eyes." say Padme.

"If all of this true, what will the Republic be do to ensure our safety and the safety of the Republic?" ask another reporter. Mark knows Padme would want to try to end this peacefully, but with the Sith there is only conflict. They can try peaceful negations, but he has a strong feeling that that would not work.

"Besides the stations that were destroyed the Sith have not try attack the Republic as whole. If they do have plans for to attack up and try to take over the Republic, I am hoping we can sit down and talk through it peacefully, but if it comes to it, I think the only possible way to protect us is by fighting fire with fire. As a precaution, I will be trying to get army ready just in case they are needed. As of right now I advise all planetary military to be prepare until I and the Senate could agree on a course of action. As I say, hopefully there will not escalate into being a war." say Padme.

At least she is more open about fighting fire with fire, because in his experience with the Sith, peace is not something that is common in their vocabulary. With Darth Vader leading the group it could be trouble. So far both times he fights Darth Vader he gotten hurt, but not as hurt as he was with Palpatine.

Mark leaves the Presidential Palace and walks toward the Jedi Temple. Something did not make sense to him. If Darth Vader was trying to tie up loose ends by killing those who he gained information for, how come he did not try to attack Mas Amedda? Mark has a feeling no matter where the Vice Chancellor is Darth Vader is not afraid to send his troops after him. He ruthless killed the Bakuran Prime Minister and the one General of the Bakuran Military along with their families.

Mark saw both the remains of their bodies. The Prime Minister was worst. What they did to him was overkill. His whole body was burned from shots from blasters and 95 percent of his body was cover in cuts. Through the Force he saw a vision of what had happen.

Maxus Zane tied the Prime Minister and his family up. He then poured fuel on the Prime Minster's family and burn them alive in front of his own eyes. Then Maxus shot him repeatedly and after he was dead cut his body. The scene at the house proves the vision perfectly. It smelt of burning flesh and burning fuel and there were charred corpses littering the living room of the house.

After being there, Mark cannot believe anyone can be such a monster as his father. He made a vow to stop both Darth Vader and Maxus Zane. Both of them working together are one of the worst things the Force could have made. It also makes him worry about Leia and what would happen to her while she is in the clutches of the Sith.

As Mark enters the Jedi Temple he was greeted by Maria. The mother of Mara Jade. Mark had learned a lot of things about her. She was born 10 years before he was on one of the floating cities of Bespin. She lived there until she was 16 with her parents, who both were Tibanna gas miners.

After turning 13 she and her family move to the planet of Corellia, because a corrupt government official on the planet framed the family for murders of their co-workers, which in fact was the government official fault for the deaths. On Corellia, she went to Corellian Security Force Academy or CorSec Academy to learn protection and to join Corellian Security Force or CorSec for short. She was 16 when she joins CorSec. She works for them until she was 27. She was a CorSec Inspector for a major crime unit and she was very good at the job.

She stops being a CorSec Inspector when she could not solve the horrid murders of her parents. When she describe those murders they seem worst than the murders that Maxus Zane did in 19 BBY and recently on Bakura. It was until after she left CorSec, they were able to found who murder her parents. It was the corrupted government official from Bespin.

Apparently the law enforcement on Bespin have been trying solve the case about the people her parents was frame for murdering and trace it back to the government official and he took off running. He was arrested by CorSec, where he was trial for the murders of Maria's parents. When they found warrant for his arrest back on Bespin, they inform Bespin law enforcement, and they wanted him back on that planet. So the Republic Security Force, which is the main law enforcement agency in the Galactic Republic, had to transfer him back to Bespin where he went trial and found guilty of murder. The Bespin law enforcement and CorSec work up an agreement for the crimes that he should be executed.

After leaving Corellia, she move to the planet of Corulag and went to a Corulag Military Academy. She stays at the school until she was 36 which was in 26 BBY. She took courses to learn and train for naval and army. Just like when she was in CorSec Academy, she passed with flying colors in all of her classes. She spent 9 years of her life at Corulag Military Academy.

While at Corulag, she falls in love with Jedi who had fallen to the Dark Side but feel guilty of abandoning the Order. They marry when she was 40 years old and at the start of the Clone Wars.

When the Clone Wars started she went joined the Corulag Military to help out the Grand Army of he Republic. Her husband, who does not want the Jedi to know of him because of his guilt join the Corulag Military and hide his abilities with the Force. Her husband helps her out a lot during the war. He was always by her side, using the Force in secret to aid them.

During the last years of the Clone Wars her and her husband was captured when the fleet they were under command of was destroyed over Tatooine. Mostly it was Maria that was capture and her husband in a coma after landing on the planet. Maria was taken by the Hutts to be a slave, and her husband was under the care of the Lars family.

Turns out during the chaos that Mark had cause to save Rachelle and Amelia was the thing that saves her for being a slave for the rest of her life. In 19 BBY she found her husband recovering at that the Lars's homestead and they took from the planet because Jabba manage to return power over the Hutt crime group and were hunting all over Tatooine for the slaves who manage to escape his palace.

Without any money, the two of them sneak onto a ship that was heading to Bakura. They were caught and threaten to die if they do not join the group of smugglers. One of the smugglers did a DNA test on Maria and found that she went to Corulag Military Academy for naval and army and served in Corulag Military. Since almost all the people died when her ship was destroy over Tatooine the reports stated she was dead. So she did the only thing possible. She joined the group.

She was with the smuggler group until halfway through 18BBY. The group was working for the Black Sun and the group tricked the Black Sun over some of the stuff they steal for the Black Sun so they send someone to destroy the ship. Once more in her life Maria finds herself in ship being destroyed. The only two differences were that people were boarding the ship and she was pregnant.

Her husband, for the first time in years draws his green bladed Lightsaber and cut down intruders but what good did it do for them. Due to the damage the ship have receive it was being pull strongly into Bakura by it gravity. On entry the ship breaks into pieces, separating Maria from her husband.

The part of the ship that Maria was in crashed into large forest on Bakura. To her amazement she was not hurt that much besides from some cuts. After that she was stranded in the middle of a Bakuran forest. She gave birth to Mara Jade in the year 17 BBY. Since she has no money and everyone thinks she is dead, she could not get a job so she has to rely on the dark skills of stealing from her little time as a smuggler. She lives in the forest with her baby girl until 15 BBY when Darth Vader came to want Mara and Mark stopped them.

After returning to Coruscant, they took Mara Jade and give her to Jedi Order, and Mark request that Maria have a job there so she can be with her daughter well protected from the Sith, Hutts and possible the Black Sun, and was able to make money.

One thing Mark has to say about Maria is she must be a woman of many talents due to all her experiences she had in her 47 years of living. She was inspector for law enforcement, in the navel and army, a smuggler and a survivor. Through all the hard times she had, she is still so nice amazes her.

"Mommy!" shout Mara as she bounds out of a classroom along with all the other younglings. Mark look and saw Master Yoda walks out of the room with both hands on the top of his walking stick. His eyes flick to where Mara and Maria was hugging each other. His eyes look at Mark then and when that happens, his right eyebrow raise.

"Guilt for failing to protect the Chancellor's kids, you have. You must let it get to you not. Young Leia, found and return, will be." say Yoda before walking away before Mark can bug him with questions.

Mark shakes his head as he watches Yoda walking away. Mark crosses his arms as he looks away. He knows he needs to get rid of the guilt he has. He knows in time, he will be able to get over it. He just needs something to do keep him distracted. He could train Rachelle, but there is not much for him to train her. Oh well time to see what there is to do, and hopefully he gets some information to where the Sith are so he can go and save Leia.

Okay, this chapter I let my mind flow a lot. I wasn't really thinking when it came to Maria's background but with her having so many jobs it reminds me of what I read on Wookiepedia about Mara. I wasn't really thinking about it until half-way through it. I think it makes it good detail of her skills and about her life.

Until next time, Enjoy.