Notes: This has been along time coming, sorry it took so long. Enjoy!
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Mara's sense of niggling dread only intensified as she neared the Bespin system. Her resolve was no less strong, but she had been plagued by an intuitive foreboding.
Her navcomputer readouts pointed her to the primary world. She laid in the course.
As she arrived at Cloud City, Mara felt cold fingers of dread clench around her throat.
A hulking SSD, the Executor no less, loomed nearby.
She recovered quickly and scanned for the ID code on file for the Falcon; she knew the transponder signals Han used in friendly and unfriendly space.
Mara's tech skills proved useful, once again.
Cloud City was impressive and unique; Mara was struck by how the real thing contrasted with images splashed across the holo-net. She took a handful of moments to scan the computer system for Leia and/or Han.
Their sense of consternation and outrage flowed to her clearly through the Force. She frowned as she made her way to their probable location. The Force was in a tumult and made any clear sensing more difficult than it would ordinarily be.
Mara exited her fighter and made her way out onto the landing pad. She approached an outer hatch and carefully sliced her way into the system that held the door shut. It would have been easier with R2, but she didn't have the luxury of that now. Besides, R2 was with Luke right now.
She finally was able to gain access to the building, the door 0open as she slipped inside without notice. Mara treaded carefully, making a point of not to attract too much unwanted attention to herself.
This latter objective didn't go without mishap.
Some flunkie, a male with dark eyes, came across her a few minutes in and asked her where she was going. She projected an air of befuddlement.
Using her feminine charm, she batted her lashes. "I am the Administrator's new assistant. But he's nowhere to be found. Where is the main level?"
He frowned as if to ponder her story.
She snatched his 'padd.
"Give me that!" She snapped, projecting an air of authority. "I don't have time for this."
She brought up a schematic andheaded to the main levels. She hoped to Find her friends and not attract the Imperials' unwelcome notice.
Vader had thought to lay a trap for Luke, the operative who (until recently) the Emperor trusted, as much as he trusted anyone. He wanted to cement Luke's loyalty or remove him, whatever the situation necessitated. He found Skywalker irritating so getting rid of such nuisance was in a sense of no consequence to him.
His master though might want Skywalker alive. That way he could dole out his own personal brand of punishment-and Vader knew very well how much Palpatine enjoyed toying with his possessions.
Part of the scheme to entrap the boy involved a slimy bounty hunter, an unfortunate detail, but instead of Luke walking into the trap, he sensed another presence. This one had a very strong Force aura.
He could feel her-yes, her-drawing nearer, his head turning to look toward Solo and the Princess Organa.
"It appears we have company." He hissed.
Leia looked to Han uncertainly.
Just then, the door slid open and in strode a woman with brilliant red hair. She looked to the place where Vader was now confronting a defiant Solo and Organa and did her best to look unfazed and undaunted upon seeing him there.
Vader was grudgingly respectful that she didn't flinch.
"One of your brave allies I presume."
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Leia threw Mara a surprised, hopeful glance.
Mara gave a shrug as if to say: Sorry, I didn't bring reinforcements.
Han gave Mara a cool appraising look as if to say: I hope you have a bright idea as to how to get us all out of this.
Mara paused and considered what she could possibly do to extricate them all. She decided to make a bold offensive.
Han and Leia were important to the Alliance, essential. And she cared about them as friends.
Then, she recalled something else: Han had often mentioned his need to stay at least 3 steps ahead of Jabba the Hutt.
From her vision and now seeing Han in 'binder-cuffs, she put two and two together. Apparently, the guy named Calrissian had made a deal with the Empire: his erstwhile friend for what?
Mara squared her shoulders. She exuded an air of confidence, or tried to.
"Are you doing Jabba's grunt-work now?" She queried Vader. "Surely, you have better things to do for the Emperor?"
"And what would you know of such things?" Vader probed.
Mara scoffed. "Unless you've been demoted, or Organa's and Solo's threat level to the Empire has risen ..."
She paused for a beat.
"You're now resorting to colluding with bounty hunters, I see."
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Vader's attention sharpened. This outspoken new arrival shone through the Force, not like someone unaware of their abilities, either.
He reached out to her, attempting to bend her, as the Emperor did. This one could be a worthy ally or a pliant tool, either way suited. Or possibly a hindrance.
He already had Skywalker to deal with after all.
The woman's shields went up instantly after only a split second of surprise.
Vader tamped down his feeling of astonishment.
Yes, she was good, and had even more potential.
Mara spoke softly to the hulking bounty hunter who had succeeded in binding Han. "You will release him."
Vader rumbled a chuckle. "Your petty attempts at Force-influence are no proof against all the credits I've handed over, young lady. These are self-interested mercenaries."
She provided a bit of misdirection. Vader saw her movements and the plans floating in her mind and thought she had been about to attack the goons directly.
That was until Mara whipped out her lightsaber and with deft moves severed the Solo's binders.
He cursed inwardly and looked toward the woman, impressed. So, she knew how to project a false strategy to her adversary.
Definitely worthy.
The bounty hunter and the rest gave him berth as he ignited his own 'saber. He could feel the tension from the young woman as he waved the lightsaber in a deliberately threatening yet listless manner. He could feel Solo and Organa but barely, his focus was directed elsewhere.
He knew they were going to get away-or would attempt to do so..
The woman lunged toward him, intent on catching him off guard. His blade intercepted hers in a shower of sparks. He stared into her green eyes that radiated a certain intensity. Her brow set in a determined manner as she pulled back and struck again.
Her technique was flawless, and she seemed to know all the saber variants, but he was more cunning.
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It happened in a flurry, all hell breaking loose. Han wasted no time, and neither did one of Lando's men. He quickly tossed a blaster to Han and the smuggle deftly caught it. His Wookie partner had a blaster rifle leveled in his paws which caused Fett to pause, now freed from his binders.
Calrissian, who wanted to vindicate his early treachery, called for backup to deal with the rest of the mercenaries. He unholstered his own blaster as Leia looked up at him suspiciously; well aware they were surrounded.
Blasterfire ricocheted throughout the room as Fett and the rest attempted to halt their escape
Leia listened to the drone of saber against saber.
Fett seeing he was unbearably outnumbered cursed. He watched as the other mercenaries scrambled backwards when confronted with a raging Wookie. They weren't so brave no that Chewbacca was free.
The door suddenly slid open and Han and Leia turned, ready to face an onslaught of Troopers. What they didn't expect were Lando's guards. They immediately took up position firing on the the retreating mercenaries, but mostly their blasters were trained on Fett himself.
Han looked to Leia and Chewie; this was their way out. Grabbed Leia's arm, heard her toward the exit.
"Let's get outta here while we still can." He told them.
Chewie rumbled an agreement. Leia hesitated.
Han hurriedly insisted: "Mara's giving us a way out. She can hold her own. Let's get a safe distance away and see how things go for her. If she needs help, we can call for more back-up."
"They won't arrive in time!" Leia objected, even as he pulled her away.
"And even as good as we are, we're no match for a fully loaded SSD and their squadrons." Han insisted.
Leia glowered, but if they all wound up dead or captured, what good would they be to the Alliance?
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"Your skils are most impressive." Vader hissed as he blocked another attack.
Mara circled him; she needed only to keep the Dark Lord busy so her friends could escape.
"I have to wonder where you learned such skill," He murmured and batted aside her blade, as he knocked her to the ground.
She stared at him. What exactly was Vader's game? Was this a method to toy with her head? To distract her? She watched him circle around her like a predator. Her eyes tracked him wryly as she got to her feet.
"Obi-Wan." He hissed, plucking the name from her mind.
Mara slammed her shields back up, cursing herself for letting them slip. She brought her lightsaber back into a defensive position, gauging him. Not yet…
"He must have taught you well before he slipped away."
Not yet..
Vader was taunting her.
He was intent on ripping through her defenses-she blocked a strike from the Dark Lord-as well as battering her psycically. He would retreat and strike, using the pattern over and over again as he interlaced it with taunts. This was not like Vader at all...what was happening.
"Or perhaps, it is not Obi-Wan who presides over your thoughts, girl."
Luke.
She had hesitated for a moment, smelling the scent of burnt hair as the tips of hers were singed. She had ducked Vader's striking blade just in time.
It had missed her skull by mere centimeters.
She was lucky it had only been her hair. Vader had several decades on her, and was thus very powerful from an objective point of view. No, she corrected, he was underhanded, using every trick he needed to beat down her guard-and she'd let him get to her….
Mara cursed once more.
She couldn't let Vader win, couldn't let him draw her into his web of trickery.
And most importantly, she couldn't let him win this duel; her friends depended on her….
Luke, her brain sputtered again.
"Luke." Vader repeated. "You have strong feelings for this boy. Foolish."
Foolish?
"Do you really think he is capable of caring for you the way you feel for him….He is playing with your heart and mind. Skywalker is not capable of such softer emotions..."
He's wrong, she denied, refusing to believe Vader's taunts. He was trying to trick her, draw her into despair and anger, everything that went against the Jedi Code.
"Nor has he love for your pitiful Rebellion. He is simply doing what our Master bids him to."
"Lies." She snarled, finally losing it.
Mara charged forward recklessly, swinging wildly at Vader. He used this moment to step back, and strike an injuring blow. It was enough to send her body into sudden shock.
Mara cried out in pain and landed unconscious on the floor.
It was not a fatal blow, Vader determined.
He examined her prone body, mulling over the potential of the situation. Whether Skywalker had strayed or not, the girl would be recompense to the Emperor either way.
He had ultimately failed his mission.
Vader ordered his minions to take her to the Executor.
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Standing aboard the Executor, Vader could sense the Millennium Falcon getting further away. No matter, he would deal with the Rebels later. After all, he had a trump card.
The Alliance's beautiful double edged sword.
One which he would use against them, to hold at their throats.
The fools.
He turned to walk off the bridge, cloak swishing behind him. The Emperor would be contacting him with a demand for a status update within the hour, so it would be best if he were well back en route to Imperial Center.
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