First off, thank you SOOO much to my friends who have reviewed! I absolutely love you for reviewing! Virtual cookies all around! *passes out cookies* Y'all rock. :-)
Now. Here's Chapter 13. I'm very glad you all like this story! And you made my confidence boost SOO much. So thanks. ;-) This here chapter is more of a transition chapter, but I like it for the Coruscant scene. It's fun! XD Read, Enjoy, Review! Fallon.
P.S. I'm very pleased you like the characters too! I love Shadow, he's so epic. xD And I'm glad you all think so too! :-D
….
Mari and Shadow went into the spare room which they shared until they could buy their own place. The married couple stayed up into the late hours of the night talking about their futures and where they would go from here. Eventually, Shadow began to prod gently at her fear of Vader.
"So, you're afraid he'll come back?" he asked carefully, not wanting to upset Mari.
She nodded her head and said, "Yes. If he came back and found me not to be here, he would take down anyone else who knew me or anyone with similar powers."
"Like Clay or Maryanna." Shadow said. Mari nodded again.
"Exactly. But after what happened last time….." She lightly touched her left hand and shuddered. Shadow looked at her sympathetically. Visions of Mari's hand being severed and her dropping to the ground screaming in pain flew back into the minds of both of them.
Shadow pulled Mari into his arms and he just held her for the longest time. They drew close and kissed, the moonlight streaming through the small window bright like a spotlight. After a few moments they drew away and sat back down on the bed.
"You are…afraid," Shadow stated after a while, quietly, trying once again to not upset Mari. In the moonlight, she looked up slightly startled by what he said.
"A Jedi does not feel fear, or anger. We feel it, but it does not affect us. That is the Jedi Way." She stated simply. Shadow nodded although in the dark Mari couldn't see.
He answered, "It is alright to feel fear, Mari. I don't think that you could tell me that you weren't afraid when Darth Vader cut off your hand." Mari winced, surprised that he spoke about it out right like that, and not wanting to remember it herself. She almost felt tears welling up inside her eyes again, but she pushed them back down.
"Of course I was afraid, more afraid than I had ever been in my life. And probably in as much pain. That was like going to hell and back and I was terrified. I still am, though I am not supposed to be."
Shadow put his arm around her shoulders and said, "Darling, you can still be a Jedi and not follow the Order exactly. If you are feeling guilty about betraying the Jedi, don't be. According to Darth Vader, the Jedi were all slaughtered, killed. The Jedi Order destroyed. You and probably a few others are the only Jedi left. You are part of a real family now. Me, Clay, Mother, and Maryanna too. Aren't you glad you have that?" Mari sighed and relaxed her shoulders, leaning on Shadow gently.
"I am overjoyed to have a family. I love you all so much….it just that I need to get used to being free of the rules. I never, in all my life, have been able to love freely. I was always told that no attachments were allowed, yet I grew attached to everyone. My Masters, my friends, my teachers, my partners, my clones…." She looked at Shadow who kissed her cheek.
"I know. Just think of it this way. You can still be a Jedi and you can also be free." Mari pondered his words after a while she whispered to her husband.
"Goodnight Shadow, I love you. And thank you, for everything." Mari and Shadow kissed again and then they both rolled over and fell asleep.
It was five days later. Maryanna, Clay, Shadow and Mari were sitting in the cramped quarters that they shared in the Market day freighter. Maryanna decided in her best interest to leave Dantooine and go with her boyfriend and her best friend on an adventure.
Mari trained Clay, Maryanna and Shadow while they were in the freighter to pass the time it would take for them to get to Coruscant, their destination of choice. They made a vague plan for their arrival on the city world, they would buy a ship with the credits they pulled together, and then they would try and contact Mari's master, Shaak Ti on Felucia. They had failed to reach her, and Mari now knew that she was on her own.
Mari made everyone understand that being a Jedi meant sometimes being secretive.
While on Coruscant, they would all have to be very careful not to raise attention to themselves. The freighter docked around sundown on the third day of their journey. Mari, Shadow, Clay and Maryanna disembarked, dressed as pheasant people.
After stepping into Coruscant, Mari's jaw dropped open in complete and utter shock. It was so different. The place where the Jedi Temple had been was demolished. Instead a menacing Imperial building was in its place.
Stormtroopers lined the streets and people hurried around in total fear. Mari looked around and felt that the one place that she called home for so long was no longer there. The Coruscant shops and businesses had all been changed or closed, but Mari felt certain that she could still find her way around.
"Wow," Maryanna and Clay both gasped, amazed at the large city planet.
"Mari," asked Shadow, who had been to Coruscant many times before, "Do you think you can still find your way around? Everything is so….different." Mari nodded reluctantly. She swept her vision around once again, searching for familiar landmarks.
"Yes, I think I can. I doubt that the Underworld has been changed….that much." Each grabbing Maryanna and Clay by the hand, and dragged them down the dank Coruscant streets toward the "lower" part of town. Once in the "slum district" Mari and Shadow practically hauled Maryanna and Clay through the crazy and crowded and even dangerous Coruscant Underworld. Mari signaled for Shadow to wait with her distracted brother and best friend, who were still trying to take in all the sights of the large city that was Coruscant.
Mari entered the closest pawn shop which was about twenty feet in front of her, and stood at the counter. A husky looking man with one eye came to the counter. He had receding hair and a scar over the place where his missing eye would be. Mari's lip curled instinctively at the man's hideousness.
He growled at her, "What do you want? I've got things to do!" Mari immediately hid the disgust on her face and made her attitude mysterious and sly.
"What I want," she said smoothly "is a ship, something fast, and small enough for me and three passengers, plus cargo. Now if you're busy sir, I can go the shop up the street, and just…"
The man cut in, "Now, now, I said I was busy, not that I wasn't interested in doing business, a ship you say, hmmmmmm, I can get you one. For a price." Mari smiled smugly at him and said, "Name it." He named a price. Mari was kind of shocked. To buy the ship she would have to use all of her credits. Leaving nothing left for fuel, food, or port entry fees.
Mari thought it over and said, "That would take all my credits. Now if you include port and fuel fees I might consider the deal."
The man looked at her and said, "No deal. I want the money up front. No attachment fees." Mari tilted her head and looked out the mucky window in the front of the store.
"Well, maybe the fine establishment up the street would be able to provide a better deal…" The man looked uneasy.
"No. He'll….he'll cheat ya out of your money. You're better off going with my deal."
Mari gave him a stare that only a Jedi could withstand and said, "And why should I believe you? What if the man down the street could give me the kind of deal I'm looking for?"
The man cracked, "Fine, you've got yourself a deal. I need the credits more than that shlub does." Only the man didn't say "shlub".
Less than an hour later, Mari had a ship and credits for fuel and port entries. Shadow had sat with Maryanna and Clay for over an hour on the bench that Mari had left them at. He was getting worried. She sure was taking a long time.
"She's a Jedi." He told himself. "Mari can take care of herself. No need to worry." Almost exactly after he thought these things, Mari appeared with the keys to a ship, and a pocket full of credits.
….
Together, Mari, Shadow, Clay and Maryanna walked through Coruscant to get to the loading docks, where they tried to get some information. Mari was incredibly overjoyed to find a friend of hers from the Temple who had apparently gone undercover as a pilot. She walked up to Ember Sparkstone and tapped her shoulder.
"Marilee!" Ember said excitedly and wrapping her in a hug, "I can't believe you are here, how did you escape the purge?"
Confused, Mari asked, "Purge? Ember, what are you talking about? What has happened to Coruscant? And where is the Temple?" Ember shifted her gaze around the room to make sure no one was watching them.
"Mari, the Jedi have been killed. The Temple was destroyed. The Clones have been working with for the Seppies all along. They were programmed by Darth Sideous to betray and murder the Jedi. Only a handful of us are left." Looking behind Mari's troubled eyes; Ember saw Shadow, Clay and Maryanna.
"Who are they?" she asked Mari.
Mari looked over her shoulder and said, "Oh that is Shadow, my….." She looked into Ember's eyes and said, "Husband." Ember's violet eyes opened wide.
"You broke the Order?" she gasped, "You? Marilee Sunstar? Are you sure?"
Mari smiled sheepishly and replied, "Yes….and that is my brother Clay and friend Maryanna. They are both from Dantooine. I found my birth-mother there, and a lot has happened." Mari unconsciously clasped her left wrist, where the small black glove she wore covered her prosthetic.
Curious, Ember said, "What's going on Mari? And by the Force, why are you on Coruscant? The remaining Jedi are being hunted down and killed by Darth Vader. I'm surprised you are still alive! I'm only here to fuel up and then I'm heading for the Naboo system. Got more business there anyway." Mari nodded and looked seriously at her friend.
"Ember, I did meet with Darth Vader, and that is why I had to run away from Dantooine, I was afraid he would come back and this time, I wouldn't escape." Mari looked at her left hand again, and hid it behind her back.
"What is with the glove Marilee? Are you sportin' the whole 'Michaelll Jaxxon' thing too?"
Mari rolled her eyes and clenched her left hand behind her back. She quietly explained what had happened with Darth Vader to her friend through the Force. Ember lost the smirk on her face and looked sympathetic.
"Oh, Mari! I..I didn't realize…" She stuttered in apology.
Mari just shook her head shortly and said, "It's fine. Only reason we're here is because we needed a ship, fast. I don't know where we'll go next." Ember nodded and then spun around and she gasped.
"Stormtrooper inspection! You need to hide! All the Jedi are on a Wanted list and they are supposed to be on the lookout for them."
"But what about you?" Mari asked. Ember lifted off the hat that she wore on her head, which Mari thought was to keep her hair out of her face. To Mari's surprise, underneath Ember's hat was…..nothing. She had cut off all her hair, shaved her thick curls to disguise herself from the Empire. Ember wore a scarf on her head and was wearing overalls and a pilot's uniform.
Mari gasped, and Ember, obviously not wanting to talk about it shoved Mari and her companions inside of her ship. Ember closed and locked the door, grabbed a wrench and pretended to be working on repairs. Two Stormtroopers walked by and stopped in front of Ember's ship. Ember saluted the two troopers and continued to work on her ship.
"Cargo and Destination," asked the first trooper.
"Imperial Cargo and Uniforms to Belazura," Ember said.
The second trooper then demanded, "Name and Ship number." Ember looked up from her work and said, "Rean Stone, ship number 1138." The first trooper held out his hand.
"ID docs." Ember reached into her back pocket and handed the trooper her fake ID docs.
"Everything checks out…" said trooper one, and then he added, "Continue with your business." He signaled to trooper two and the both of them moved on to the last ship and out of the building. Ember finally let out her breath and opened her ship door again. Mari, Shadow, Clay and Maryanna basically tumbled out.
Ember helped her old friend up and then helped up her "husband" and friends.
Mari dusted herself off and said "Thanks….Rean." Ember laughed and shook her hairless head.
"That was too close. I made fake ID docs for that reason." Mari nodded and hugged her friend.
"Seriously, thank you Ember. We need to get going before the next inspection. Hopefully I'll see you again soon?" Ember nodded and hugged Mari again.
"Good Luck. I'll be thinking about you." Mari nodded and said goodbye.
…..
Marilee and her family got into their own ship and began to make preparations before takeoff.
"Everyone strapped in?" asked Shadow who was in the pilot's seat. After everyone nodding in agreement, Mari spoke.
"Then we are go in 3…2…1…..Ignition." The ship began to lift off and then rose up into the Coruscant atmosphere. Mari glanced back from where she was sitting in the co-pilot's seat.
Then she said, "Jump to hyperspace in 30 seconds." Thirty seconds later, the ship blasted into hyperspace, headed toward the outer rim systems.
….
Huh. I forgot how much I liked this chapter!
Alright, I've got to tell you, Ember Sparkstone is one of my all-time FAVORITE characters. She downright ROCKS. :-D Ember is VERY TRULY based off of my best friend in the entire galaxy (who also happens to be my very close cousin). She is so much like Ember it's hilarious. I did an 'interview' with Ember Sparkstone, and it's so funny. :-) I hope you enjoy Ember, she'll be a bigger character coming up. She's epic with awesomesauce. :-) Review! Fallon.