Chapter 37:
At last, Leia rose, satisfied. "That should do it," she said, grimly. She thumbed on her comlink. "Er… mother? I fixed the hyperdrive. We're ready to leave at any time."
"That's wonderful, Leia! I just need to restock the supplies. I don't know who installed this multiprocessor, but all it seems to make is this greasy Corellian food."
Leia hid a smile, then sighed. Han, still trapped by Luke and Vader. She desperately hoped he wasn't hurt. "Well, I'm going to stay here and meditate. Comm me if you need anything."
"I will. See you soon."
Leia shoved the comlink back into the pocket of her jumpsuit, and sat down up against the wall, wearily. Her mind wandered to her brother, and father. Could they still be redeemed?
Darth Atrox sat in his quarters meditating. He could feel the dark side coursing through his very body, focusing him on his current task, feeding him more power. Finally, he felt his sister begin to think about him and his father and took advantage of it, forcing his way into her mind with a newfound determination. Thief… betrayer. Atrox sent into her mind as well as sharing some of his darker thoughts.
Leia froze, an expression of horror growing on her face as her brother forced his way into her mind. She fought to keep him out, sealing off those parts of her mind he hadn't invaded yet, particularly keeping him from finding any knowledge of their mother. What are you talking about? I never betrayed you. I wanted to help you.
A dark smile formed on Atrox's face as he felt his sister's horror and began to feed off of it, making himself stronger with the dark side. He continued to force his way further into her mind, finding whatever holes in her defences he could and took them over, beginning to send images of pain and suffering into her mind of those troopers which he would have the pleasure of… punishing later. Most of your defences are weak. He sent, his voice as cold as ice. You betrayed both me and my father, you place that pathetic rebellion of yours before your family He finally found an area of her mind which contained her… feelings for Admiral Solo and laughed. Admiral Solo is far beyond a pathetic being like you. He serves the Empire completely and has completely forgotten you. I could… interrogate you and he would not care one bit about you know. He was present at Lando's interrogation and he enjoyed it
At that moment, Padmé walked into the room. "Leia, I—" she stopped when she saw the look on Leia's face, her expression was vacant, still with the look of horror written across it. She rushed to her side and shook her, violently. "Leia! Leia, what is it? Talk to me!"
Leia didn't move, still locked in communication with her brother. She had sealed off all outside senses, determined not to let Atrox in or out. No… no, he wouldn't join you! What have you done to him?
Atrox's dark smile grew as he preyed on Leia's horror of Han's true loyalty now. I have not done anything to him. He has always been an Imperial, didn't you look into his past like you do with everyone else in your command? Atrox sent coldly. He chuckled as he prepared to… question his sister. Tell me, where did you… acquire the droid called R2-D2… thief.
Leia rejected his words, vehemently. Even if you didn't do something to him, someone did. Vader, or the Emperor, or someone. He wouldn't serve the Imperials, he defied them. Outright, I might add. And I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't steal Artoo. He's been in… in my family as long as I can remember.
Atrox laughed at his sister's statements. How does it feel to know that you were his downfall. When I threatened to force him to watch you suffer by your brother's hand… he turned quite loyal to our cause. And how right you are… Artoo has indeed been in our family for as long as you can remember. He belonged to our mother, who by the way betrayed our father.
No… she would never have done that. Surely you can't believe that. Vader lied to you, he always has, trying to turn you against me, to make you hate us, and he's succeeded. She couldn't believe this was the same person who had stumbled into her detention cell on the Death Star, exclaiming 'I'm Luke Skywalker, I'm here to rescue you.'
US?! Who is there with you?! Atrox demanded with a voice that was considerably colder. "You're lying to yourself. Our mother brought Kenobi with her to see her husband one last time. He was there to kill our father, he failed miserably, and you know what, he was responsible for leaving our father for dead, burning in lava!
I was talking about ALL of us. Han, Chewie, Lando, me, Obi-wan, Yoda. A flash of annoyance escaped her. Our mother loved our father. Even if she brought Obi-wan there, she was trying to help him! He fell to the dark side! Why can't you see that? You heard Obi-wan talk about our father. He was a good man, before he fell. Why don't you ask him if he believes she brought Obi-wan there to kill him?
Obi-wan LIED to me about my father, he told me he was DEAD!Atrox spat back even colder than before, while sending dark energy into her mind, causing her complete agony. You are betraying me, and our father, you will seek us out one day, and I cannot wait to punish you for your betrayals.
He was trying to protect you, she whispered, and moments later, she collapsed unconscious.
Padmé caught her as she slumped forward, and quickly ensured that she wasn't in any danger. She could see the agony that her daughter had endured, and hoped she would be able to talk about it when she awakened, contenting herself for the moment with just holding Leia's head in her lap, wistfully, thinking about how she had missed being able to hold her children when they were small.
Han waited impatiently as the troops filed in. There wasn't as many as he'd thought, and he supposed he'd better be grateful for that. The two droids were standing next to him, the protocol droid fairly brimming with nervousness. "Oh, Captain Solo. We've been so worried! What ever would we have done if you hadn't come to save us?"
Han turned to the droid, annoyed. "Look, goldenrod, first of all, it's Admiral, and second, I'm just here to take you to V- Lord Vader," he corrected himself, hastily. "I'm not part of any 'rescue' mission, either. More of a delivery boy," he muttered under his breath.
The droid looked crushed. "I'm terribly sorry, Admiral Solo. But I'm sure Mist—" Threepio broke off as the full implication of Han's words came down on him. "Darth Vader?! Oh my…" he looked down at the R2 unit beside him. "We're doomed."
The troopers finally on board the shuttle, Han headed for the cockpit, the two droids in tow. "Admiral Solo, may I ask where we're going?"
Han sighed. This was going to be a long trip.
Mara sat in her quarters, trying to meditate. She still didn't really trust Vader; she doubted she could ever forgive him for everything he had done. Atrox, though… he still confused her, sometimes, but she… trusted him, which was rare, for her. With a sigh, she got to her feet, restless. Meditation wasn't coming easy to her at the moment; her mind was too busy to calm itself. She left her quarters and walked to Atrox's, curious about what his plans were for her training.
Mara arrived outside Atrox's quarters and waited for her new master to admit her when suddenly the doors opened. She stepped in and found him just finishing his meditation. The doors to his quarters closed as he began to speak. "Welcome, my apprentice. Are you ready to begin your training?"
Mara nodded, feeling a little awkward. She wasn't used to being an 'apprentice', she was used to being self-reliant, learning the things she needed for each mission as they came up. "Er… yes, master."
"Come with me, then," Atrox said as he led his new apprentice from his quarters into a dueling room.
Mara followed Atrox to the dueling room, curious about what his training would be like.
Darth Atrox walked to the center of the room and pulled out his saber staff and ignited both ends of it. "To begin, my apprentice, we are going to… improve your saber skills."
Mara glared at Atrox, and put her hands on her hips. "So this apprenticeship is only an excuse to get rid of me?"
Atrox's face became cold when his apprentice began to doubt his intentions. "Are you doubting me, apprentice?" He said as he took out his other lightsaber and threw it to her. "If you are so sure of yourself, then prove me wrong."
She smirked. "You mistake me, master. It was not your skill I was doubting, I've seen you fight with the best duelists in the galaxy." She caught the saber and ignited it, surveying its crimson blade. "I was simply questioning my own ability to defend myself against a swordsman of your caliber armed with a blade that most would call… suicidal. But…" she assumed a defensive stance, with a dangerous gleam in her eye. "If it's a fight you're looking for, I hope you won't be disappointed."
Atrox acted instantly, lunging forward with deadly ferocity. Mara parried it, barely, and countered with a slash at his side. Atrox blocked, and sneered, "Good, my apprentice, good… continue."
Mara didn't wait for him to counterattack; instead she slid her blade around Atrox's and stabbed the tip towards his chest. Atrox released his saber staff, entangled in Mara's blade, and threw himself backwards to avoid the blade and flipped seamlessly into a back-handspring. He looked at Mara with a touch more respect. "Very good." He called his saber staff back to hand, and swept one blade towards her legs. She leapt over it, only to find the other blade slicing towards her waist in the opposite direction. Still in the air, she tried to block it, only to be thrown to the ground by the force of his attack. In an instant, Atrox was towering over her, the tip of one end of his saber staff at her throat. "You are beaten, my apprentice."
Mara glared up at him. "No kidding." She looked at the blade, then back up at Atrox. "You going to let me up, or am I supposed to stay down here?"
Atrox deactivated his saber staff and attached it to his belt. "You may rise." He said as he used the Force to retrieve his other lightsaber and attached it back to his belt.
Mara got to her feet, slowly, and rubbed her side where she'd landed. "You've got quite a nasty spin on that saber staff… master."
"As you have noticed, my apprentice, my saber staff is an unfamiliar weapon to you, so I had the advantage. In a way, if used properly, it can give you an element of surprise in a battle."
"I can see that," Mara said, dryly. She looked at Atrox, curiously. "What else are you going to teach me… master?" she added as an afterthought.
"Nothing else, today. However, I want you to both construct both a lightsaber and a saber staff. You will need to see Lord Vader for the required crystals. Do not come back until you have completed this task, my apprentice."
Mara frowned. Her lightsaber, the one Emperor Palpatine had given her, had had a magenta blade, totally unique and obtained by the Emperor personally for her. But Vader had destroyed it. "Yes, master." She hated the idea of going to Vader for the crystals, but she supposed she had no other choice. She turned and walked out of the training room and headed for the throne room.
After a few minutes' walk to the throne room, Mara Jade waited outside the giant doors that made up the entrance to the throne room. After waiting for half an hour, the doors finally opened. She slowly walked up before the throne and knelt before Emperor Vader. "Lord Vader. My master ordered me to ask you for some lightsaber crystals. I have to build a saber staff, and a lightsaber to replace the one y- the one that was destroyed," she amended at the last moment. She didn't bother to hide her annoyance at having to ask him for anything, because she was sure he probably would feel it anyway.
Vader spun the throne around to look at Mara's kneeling form and smiled, feeling her annoyance. Reaching out into the Force, Vader probed her mind lightly, satisfied that she was telling him the truth. "Very well, take these." Vader said as he reached into a pocket in his robe and pulled out two crystals, one red and one magenta.
Mara took the crystals, and froze, staring at them. She looked up at Vader, a trifle suspiciously. "Is that…?"
"Yes. That is the crystal is the same one from your former lightsaber." Vader said, smiling at her suspicions.
Her hand closed over it, tightly, feeling the warmth of the Force inside it. "Th-thank you, milord," she murmured, her hostility lightening somewhat.
Vader nodded in response to her. "You should get started on constructing your sabers."
Mara rose, and gave Vader a bow. "Yes, milord. Thank you again." She then left, pondering Vader's slightly altruistic action.