Dark Alliance Villa Complex

The door was surprisingly easy to enter through as it was unlocked. Poor security? Hasty arrival? She wasn't certain but wasn't going to complain. She snapped on a glowstick from her belt as there was no natural light. Down. I want to go down. She surveyed the walls as she walked along with her glow stick and didn't find a lift. She exited the hall into a large, square laboratory. On the other side of the laboratory were entrances to several more corridors. She glanced to her right and there she saw the lifts. Stairs would be better. An unmarked door seemed promising. Yes! Don't get used to good luck, she silently warned herself. She walked down the first two flights, pausing on the landing. There was no door – only another two or three flights of stairs. It was obvious from the distance of the descent that either there were floors without stairwell access or she was about to enter an extraordinarily large space.

She made her way to the bottom, finding the one and only door since entering the stairwell above. Stepping through the door, her suspicions were confirmed. The room was indeed cavernous. In fact, it was an actual cavern, cut out of stone with a towering ceiling. The large circular area had corridors off-shooting from around the circumference. She quickly made her way around the circle, glancing down the corridors.

She froze. Footsteps. Voices. The closest place to retreat was the entrance to another corridor. Maybe if she pressed herself tightly against the wall she wouldn't be noticed if they walked by. They did walk by. It was a woman, but her features were hard to make out in the dim lighting with such a brief look. She was talking into her wrist comm. "I will remind you one last time that I am a big girl. You seem jealous." She giggled. Now the woman stood at the door of a lift with her back to her. "He is fine. Still refusing to eat, though he did drink some of the water. I removed the gag, but he didn't say a word. No questions. Nothing." The lift door opened and she stepped on. The door closed and finally she was gone.

What – or who – is down that hall? she wondered. She walked to the entrance of the corridor and noticed the trees. Okay – this is strange. As she moved further down the corridor, something began to happen to her. It was as if spots of emptiness were emerging in her chest and spreading out from there. Her mind began to swim. She felt weak. Toxins? She closed her eyes and focused. No toxins. She was relieved, but the feeling persisted. She continued on to where a door was secured from the outside. She made quick work of the locks, then slowly opened the door. Holding up her glow stick she could barely make out a man sitting in a large chair. He was gagged, his head sagging into his chest.

Typically, her instincts would have her moving on from here and doubling back. But her first impulse was to find out who he was. She slowly approached the chair, reassuring herself that he was bound at the feet and arms. She spoke, "Hello? Can you hear me?" The man stirred and tried to raise his head. She helped him.

Oh, my! she thought as his green eyes opened and widened when he saw her. "I'm not with them. I am here for… other reasons." He nodded. She reached around and removed the gag. A bottle of water was beside the chair. She held it up and he drank, stopping to gasp for breath once before drinking the second half bottle.

"Who sent you?" the man asked, virtually dysphonic from dehydration, being gagged and not speaking for so long. She cocked her head and opted for a different approach.

"Who sent you?" she asked, a wry smile letting him know they weren't quite at the show and tell phase.

"My name is Jedi Grhan Solo. Our shuttle was attacked, and I was captured when my starfighter was damaged. They brought me here. I do not know the fate of my wife, my Master, the other Jedi and innocent passengers we were transporting on our shuttle. I know they are planning something very bad here."

Jedi! His Jedi Master? Her mind was already suffering from the strange sensations that began in the corridor, but she heard those words loud and clear. "You said your wife – you are married and you are a Jedi?"

"Yes," he said, his voice still hoarse and barely audible. "Things are quite different in the New Order," the Jedi explained.

"So, Master Skywalker is the marrying kind," she said, failing to hide the disdain in her voice. Thankfully, the man barely heard her.

Grhan fought to regain his focus. As he struggled, the obvious finally occurred to him. "The trees – they hold Ysalamiri. They repel the Force. I am unable to use my gifts in the Force when a single Ysalamiri is within 5 or so meters."

"Well, they've gone above and beyond in that area," she said. "There's an entire colony out there. I suppose that's why my head feels like an omlet and my insides feel hollow?"

He nodded, then startled. "You – you are Force sensitive?" She crossed her arms and held a steady, non-committal gaze. "Please, I need your help. I need to get back to my wife and my family." He couldn't have been more convincing if he tried. She paused. Family. He couldn't have picked a better word to gain her empathy if he tried. There were many factors to consider here. The most pressing were that she wouldn't be served by adding herself to his list of offenders and whenever they returned to check on him he might reveal her presence in the complex. She'd worked too hard to get to this point to risk that.

"Wait here," she said as she hurried into the hallway and began moving the trees toward the end of the hall. She hoped this would provide enough distance. She returned to the room and inspected the clamps on his legs and wrists. From her belt she drew her hilt, and with a snap-hiss a brilliant magenta light filled the room. She made quick work of the restraints.

Grhan's eyes widened at the revelation of the lightsaber. Even more important than its mere existence, he noted the color. She reached behind him and helped him sit up and then slowly stand. He nearly fell, but she braced him and helped him step down from the platform. He took a few deep breaths, then lifted his hand and reached toward a dark corner of the room. Out of the darkness shot a flash of silver. In his palm he grasped the hilt of a lightsaber. He stared down at it with a look of relief and adoration. With a sudden snap-hiss, the room was painted in an emerald green hue. His smile was as brilliant as his blade, but fleeting. The blade disappeared.

He looked at the woman and bowed his head once. "Thank you. Thank you so much. What is your name?"

"Mara. Mara Jade. Before you get any crazy ideas, I am not Sith."