Refresher #5
Imperial Ball Room
Imperial Palace
Imperial City
Imperial Center (being changed to Coruscant)
2 weeks later
Mara Jade stared into the long mirror in the elaborate refresher and tweaked a black curl which kept twisting in an aberrant and annoying manner.
She was naturally a slender, green eyed redhead, but since she was going to try to assassinate the Emperor of the known galaxy, she had put significant time and energy into looking as much unlike herself as possible.
Her eyes were brown instead of green, thanks to the most up to date eye lenses. She had made herself up with mouth and nose contours so that the shape of her face was altered subtly. She had even added some padding to her pink dress (pink? Ew, pink!) to add the illusion that she was 10 kg heavier than she actually was.
And now she was armed, thanks to her little trip to refresher 5. She'd been able to infiltrate this refresher the night before through the service ducts and left a host of lethal weaponry there, so that she could arm herself after entering the dancing chamber. Naturally all guests were scanned for weapons upon entering the ball room, but now she was home free.
She bared her teeth at her reflection. She would take out that monstrous, pretentious, duplicitous, traitorous eopie, or die trying! Darth Vader, Emperor of the Known Galaxy? Preposterous. Disgusting.
She had been in deep cover on Ryloth, infiltrating a Free Ryloth cell, for most of the last year, and had been only peripherally aware of the insane things happening at the very top echelon of the Empire.
When she had heard that Palpatine had been injured many months ago, she bit her tongue and pretended to be delighted with the Free Ryloth traitors. Subsequent reports were confusing in the extreme, but she had ascertained that Palpatine had retreated to his home on Naboo for recovery. That made sense, and she had continued her mission with typical single-minded devotion, secure in the knowledge that her Master would, as always, rise from his struggles not just as strong, but stronger.
But then, two wretched weeks ago, the entire galaxy had been treated to that disgusting 'duel' at the Petranaki Arena on Geonosis. She had watched, open mouthed, as her master was apparently, rapidly, defeated by Darth Vader. And then the idiots on the Galactic Holonet station had proclaimed Darth Vader, the black cyborg, the servant of the greatest man to ever live, as the Emperor of the galaxy!
It was not to be borne. She would avenge the insult against the honor of her master if it killed her.
That phrase kept repeating in her head – if it killed her. Reality was, it probably would kill her. Vader was a lot of things, but he wasn't stupid. And he had great instincts. Unless she actually managed to sneak up on him and stab him in the kidneys, or poison him, or spray poisonous gas into his wretched breath mask, or kick his knee out and then ... she didn't know ... scream at him so loudly that his brain exploded, she'd probably die.
But that was as it should be. She was Mara Jade, Emperor's Hand, and if she could not serve her master, she'd rather be dead.
As for the true location of Emperor Palpatine, she didn't know. Possibly, hopefully, he was hiding out somewhere, plotting his return. Certainly the individual who had lost that anemic duel was not her true master. It was all a trick, a vile trick.
She shook her black curls again and turned away from the mirror.
Vibroblades in both boots, check.
Poison dart in hair, check.
Poisonous gas cylinder disguised as gaudy necklace, check.
Tiny grenades concealed in gaudy black belt, check.
Vocal cords ready, check.
She heaved a deep sigh and centered herself as her Master had taught her to do, long ago.
She was ready.
/-
Outside the Imperial ball room
Leia blinked at the painting on the wall for a long minute.
"It's very creative," she finally said in a hollow tone, "Really creative."
The Twi'lek ambassador beside her smiled widely.
"Princess Leia, I knew," he gushed excitedly, "the very moment I laid eyes on you I knew that you had the soul of an artist."
Leia took a deep breath, then heaved a sigh of relief as Han Solo materialized abruptly at her side with a glass of purple hanava juice in his hand. She gratefully accepted it and took a long sip, struggling to find something to say which would combine truth with courtesy.
"Are those sea-mice?" Solo asked suddenly, his eyes fixed on the painting.
"Indeed," the Twi'lek said brightly, his brown eyes sparkling, his lekku twitching with excitement, "but not just any sea-mice, but vampire sea-mice!"
"Hmmmm ..." Solo said, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "and the fish – colo-claw, I believe?"
The ambassador actually jumped slightly from excitement, "What a fine eye you have, uh ..."
"Captain Solo," Leia said hastily, "my husband. And Han, this is Ambassador Tennet from Ryloth; he represents the Free Ryloth movement."
"He's also very interested in art," she added, probably unnecessarily.
"I am very impressed with the raw power in this painting." Han said gravely, "The dramatic, visceral image of green vampire sea-mice locked in mortal battle with a purple and pink colo claw fish. It's compelling."
Ambassador Tennet smiled slightly, "The sea-mice are chartreuse, Captain, not green, a common mistake. But other than that, you have described it perfectly. I should have known the Princess would choose a refined man for her mate in life."
Leia snorted in laughter, then managed to cover it with a fairly ladylike cough.
/-
The Ball Room
Imperial Palace
"I am dying here."
"Father, stop grumbling."
"I hate parties like this. Pretentious dorks dressed in finery ..."
"Leia says this is an important affair. This ball is a way to reach the upper echelons of Coruscanti society ..."
"I know what your sister says and of course she is right. She's as brilliant politically as your mother. I just wish I didn't have to stand around in this stupid armor and this stupid breathing mask! I can't even eat any of the delicacies! Did you see they are serving star squid appetizers? I love those."
"Father, you are whining."
"I am not whining."
"Yes, you are, my friend," Palpatine suddenly said aloud.
Both Skywalkers shot the old man a startled glance.
He smiled at them gently, his soft blue eyes fond, "I have known you since you were 9 years old, Anakin. Do you really think I can't hear your thoughts when you are broadcasting your displeasure so loudly?"
Anakin blinked behind his mask and muttered softly, "My apologies, then. I will attempt to stop whining."
"We will save some star squid for you ..." Palpatine said in a reassuring tone, then suddenly spun around with a cry of joy.
"Mara!" he shrieked, throwing his arms around a tall, dark haired woman who had been inkling surreptitiously up to them, her hand lifted to her bulky necklace.
"Mara Jade!" Sheev Palpatine continued, his voice thick with emotion, "I'm so glad to see you again, my dear. I confess I'd ... oh it is terrible to have to admit this, but I lost track of where you were. I am so glad to see you again."
Mara stared at the old man with horrified eyes.
It looked like her master, down to the very last wrinkle. And she had memorized those wrinkles, memorized the scars from some duel her master had fought with a long forgotten evil Jedi Master.
But the eyes were all wrong! Instead of sickly yellow, they were a lovely and luminescent blue.
And the expression was one of fondness, not the Emperor's habitual expression of barely concealed, or not concealed at all, boredom or irritation, or malevolent gloating, or awe-inspiring rage.
Mara's heart quailed within her. What had happened to her Emperor?
"Master?" she whispered softly, doubtfully.
"I am no longer your master, my dear," he responded gently.
She shot a hate-filled look at the looming cyborg at her right. She would die rather than bow to that monstrosity.
"I am not your master either!" the bass voice exclaimed, sounding rather horrified.
Mara glanced uncertainly at the last member of the threesome, a boy of her own age with dark blond hair and blue eyes.
He returned the look with equal uncertainty.
"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners," Palpatine said suddenly, "I apologize. Mara, this is Luke Skywalker. Young Luke, Mara Jade, a dear protégé of mine."
Mara straightened and took on a look of professional calm. She didn't know what was going on, but her Master wished her to be polite, presumably, to this long haired Outer Rim bumpkin. (She recognized the accent as either Rylothian or Tatooinian.)
"Skywalker," she said politely, extending a gracious hand.
"Jade," the boy replied, coolly.
Their fingertips had just touched when Palpatine spoke again.
"I was thinking you two should get married!"
/-
5 minutes later
Imperial Ballroom
"Are you sure, Leia?" Bail Organa asked worriedly, "It's rather valuable wine ..."
"Yes, please, Papa, serve it right now. It is valuable and will provide a welcome distraction."
Leia glanced around at the assembled guests, most of whom were gazing with open, rabid curiosity at the door through which Palpatine, Vader, Luke, Han, and Mara Jade had disappeared a few minutes ago.
Breha wafted up elegantly, "We're going to raffle servings of moonglow now, my love. That will help distract the guests as well."
Leia looked startled, "Moonglow?"
"Yes, Sheev's idea – we're going to use the funds to assist poverty stricken Gungans in Sector 43."
Leia heaved a sigh of relief, "Great idea. Thank you both."
"You know it is our privilege, my love," Breha said with a smile.
Leia nodded, turned, opened a door, and marched into the room where Luke was in the midst of a panic attack. The door closed behind her.
"Well, that was nice, Luke, really nice," his sister said acerbically.
She patted him on the arm and said firmly, "Just keep your head down between your knees and you'll stop feeling so faint."
She straightened and looked at Mara, "Really, men!"
"I am entirely to blame, Princess Leia, Luke, Mara," Sheev Palpatine said mournfully, "I'm afraid my head injury badly affected my filter, and I just blurted it out ..."
"There was no need for Luke to get all weak in the knees," Leia responded firmly. "You've managed to bollix up this incredibly important political event!"
Skywalker lifted his head now and leaned, somewhat shakily, against the chair on which he was huddled, "How would you like it if someone you admired suddenly said you should marry a person who had snuck into the ball to assassinate your father?"
Mara, who was standing to one side, arms crossed, jerked in disbelief.
"Your father?" she sputtered suddenly.
"Yes, Luke is my son," Darth Vader explained gravely, then gestured at a nearby table, "You did bring quite a few impedimenta in the planning of my demise."
Leia Organa strode over to the table and stared down for a minute, then carefully picked up the poison dart which had been holding Mara's hair up.
"Does this have poison in it?" she asked curiously, lifting it to stare at the bulb.
"Yes," Mara ground out.
Organa turned to her and smiled slightly, "Cool!"
"Cool? Cool? She tried to kill Father and you are cool with that?"
Organa turned back to the boy and frowned, "Vader cut a swath of terror and destruction across the galaxy for literally decades, Luke. There are many people who want him dead for entirely valid reasons."
She turned now to bend a stern stare at the black behemoth, "No offense intended."
"That is regrettably most true," Vader said rather absently as he glanced toward the door.
A moment later, a small R2 unit trundled through, carrying a tray with various snacks on it.
"Star squid," Vader crowed (yes, crowed, Mara thought in complete bewilderment.)
The next moment she was even more flummoxed as the Sith reached up, removed his helmet, and floated a squidly snack into his mouth.
Mara choked openly, "You ... you don't need the mask?"
"Not anymore," Vader said cheerfully and rather thickly, then swallowed the squid.
"The twins have healed me almost entirely," he added.
"Twins?"
"Luke and Leia are my twin children."
Mara's teeth clenched, and she snorted rather like a bull rancor.
"What happened?" she demanded after a moment, turning to her Master.
"Please, my master," she added after a moment, softly and pathetically, "what happened to you?"
"Oh, my dear Mara," Palpatine said, his blue eyes sympathetic, "it is a long story but the most important reality is that several months ago, I was hit very hard in the head with a box full of plushies."
"Plushies," Mara repeated hollowly.
"Yes, and I got my colo claw plushie that day," Sheev said happily, reaching under his vibrant green cloak and pulling out a worn fishy plush toy.
Mara blinked, then turned toward Leia with a pleading expression on her face.
The princess spoke, "When Emperor Palpatine was hit in the head, he experienced massive brain damage. The only part of his brain which was fully functional was a persona he created back in the days of the Old Republic. A persona who was kind and gentle. So ... Emperor Palpatine, the former ... ah ... version of him is, effectively ..."
"Dead," Mara said, her expression horrified
"Yes," Sheev said, "My former self is indeed dead, which is all to the good. Because I was a total jerk."
Mara Jade burst into tears.