This is a Collaboration Story co-written with WarmNyota_SweetAyesha from the Jedi Council Forums.
Thank you for reading! :D
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Heart's Destiny
Chapter 13
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The first traces of light showed over the high treetops of the forest. The chill of dawn made Mara's body shiver as she saw her own breath transform into small clouds of vapour. Her sophisticated stealth device and her shielding in the Force had allowed her to remain undetected as she climbed amongst the tall trees by using the narrow hanging bridges that led to the Ewok village.
The device she wore was a high-tech piece of equipment, unknown to most and only supplied to those the Emperor trusted, which narrowed the list to a very few people; the danger of having Imperial rogues accessing these devices had always unsettled her former master, and now this was working to her advantage. How sure had Palpatine been of her loyalty, of the hold he had on her… And how blindly she had trusted him, followed his every order, believing that she was serving the greater good. Her loyalty had been absolute. It had taken the presence of Luke Skywalker in her life to shatter all that. In a sense, the young Jedi had been the catalyst for her awakening. This gave her a bittersweet feeling, in so many ways made her feel stupid, deserving of punishment… but for now there was no time to dwell on that. She had a mission to accomplish, something she had to do for Luke, at whatever the cost.
Avoiding Ewoks standing guard and Rebel sentinels, she reached the summit. In the small main square of the village everything was quiet, peaceful even. Small military tents were scattered in between the branch huts of the locals. The light was still dimmed since it was very early, and everyone was resting, saving up energy for the mission ahead.
Mara had to find the Princes of Alderaan. Knowing how royal protocol worked, she was sure the Princess would not be sleeping in one of the tents… No, by the looks of it the Rebels had made an alliance with the villagers, and the Princess would had been offered a place of honour. This meant she'd be housed in the main building in the village, and she was just looking at it now.
With light steps, Mara approached the building made of logs, thick branches and foliage. She went through the main door and carefully stepped over sleeping Ewoks, heading to the door of the room at the far end. When she reached it, slowly she pushed the wicker door.
There she was. Lying on a rustic bed, Leia Organa with Han Solo sleeping by her side.
"Leia," Mara barely whispered, next to the sleeping woman.
Immediately a pair of startled, deep brown eyes were staring back at her.
"I know you!" Leia let out, unable to hide her surprise. "The dance girl at Jabba's… Arica!"
Mara nodded.
Leia sat up, pulling her legs from underneath the pelts that had served as blankets. "What are you doing here?" The Princess asked.
"I'm more than a slave girl," Mara said softly.
"I can see that," Leia stated, but that hadn't answered her question.
"What the…?!" Han's startled, deep voice muttered. He'd just woken up.
"I'm here to help," Mara explained, "Luke sent me!"
The shock on Han and Leia's face was very evident. What was she saying? Was Luke all right? That made Han reach out to his utility belt and blaster and jump out of bed.
"Well, we're going to need proof of that," Han said before Leia could say anything, "And you better not have harmed him," a clear threat in his voice. With everything that was going on, this unknown girl could very well be just lying to create a diversion.
Mara retrieved Luke's insignia from a pocket in her utility belt. "He gave me this…" she extended the trinket to Leia.
Under Han's watchful eye, the Princess took the insignia in her hand.
"…and told me that the very first time you and he met, you found him to be too short for a Stormtrooper." The puzzlement on her face couldn't be faked, it was evident that Mara didn't have a clue of whatever that meant.
Leia smiled and chuckled, the memory of that first encounter was still vivid in her mind. Somehow this woman didn't feel like a threat. "You did save my life once," Leia remembered.
"Do you trust me now?" Mara asked.
Leia gave Han a meaningful look.
"As much as a wild vornsk can be trusted…" Han said sarcastically, "… but yeah, we trust you." Despite his words, the tall man seemed to feel more at ease.
Mara swiftly filled them in on the power stations and how they worked.
"I have no small amount of skill in disarming that sort of thing," she finished. "I believe I can be of use in that regard."
But in order to do that, she'd have to be sitting at an Imperial computing terminal.
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oOo
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Luke was brought before the Emperor by his father.
There was a sparring of words between the old ruler and the young Jedi, but soon it was clear that reality was all too different from what the Rebels had thought at first.
As he listened to the tale, the words of the Emperor embedded fear and desperation in Luke's soul.
"It was I who allowed the Alliance to know the location of the shield generator. It is quite safe from your pitiful little band. An entire legion of my best troops awaits them. Oh, I'm afraid the deflector shield will be quite operational when your friends arrive," the Emperor's voice crackled, mocking him.
If all this was true… Luke feared for Han and Leia and the rest of his dear friends. But he should not despair, there was always hope, something that could be done. And the Emperor didn't know about Mara. He could not know, couldn't he?
Like if sensing what had just crossed Luke's mind, the Emperor spoke, "I know you're involved in a clandestine relationship with someone who was once close to me."
Luke kept his shields tight, his feelings for Mara hidden deep in.
"Don't bother to hide it from me," Emperor Palpatine dismissed, "You have her stench all over you!" He spat.
Despite the dread he felt, the young Jedi remained passive, showing no affection.
Yes, the Emperor could perceive the link that bonded the two lovers. "It was hard at first, to distinguish it, to isolate it from everything else," he elaborated. "But the glow of a woman in love is unmistakable, too powerful to remain hidden." Once the old Sith had found it, it had all been too easy to uncover his Hand's treachery.
Of course it had been hard to identify, Luke rationalized. Love would be an energy unrecognizable to any Sith Lord.
"But I'm taking care of everything. As we speak Mara Jade is being hunted down," Palpatine gloated, "Her treachery will cost her her life!"
The Emperor's words shook Luke to his core. But Mara was resourceful and a formidable foe, so he should not fear for her, she'd be all right; and from what the Emperor had spoken of, Luke could tell the Sith didn't know Mara already knew all about his plan and that she was several steps ahead of him.
The thought of having Mara backing up the plans of the Alliance gave Luke great hope.
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oOo
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Mara's rank had given her quick and easy access to the Imperial Garrison on Endor. As she entered the facilities, soldiers and officers saluted their superior officer.
"I want to see Lieutenant Fargis," she ordered right after she crossed the main access.
Minutes later, the Senior Officer in question came to her location, followed by an escort of four Stormtroopers. Blasters in hand, the white-armoured soldiers took position around her.
"What's this?" Mara commanded.
"We have instructions to keep you under vigilance until your extraction back to Imperial City," Lieutenant Fargis stated, trying to show more confidence from what he was really feeling. The man looked clearly confused.
Mara's eyes slightly crinkled. Right, this sure was the Royal Guard's doing. Those bastards were the Emperor's hounds after all. "I'm not going back to Imperial City," she cut the Officer off, "Not until I'm done with my business here."
"We've been ordered to hold you until…"
"Under whose orders? Lord Vader? The Emperor himself?" Mara demanded.
"We don't have the specifics…"
"Of course you don't! We are under Rebel attack Lieutenant! Your communications are surely compromised. That's certainly a fake order! Some sort of insert made by Rebel spies!" Mara was playing all of her cards. "Why do you think my presence here was kept top secret? Until you made me use that scanner!" To turn the table on someone was always a good psychological tactic.
The Lieutenant was at a loss for words. "Madam… Uh, I am just…" He wasn't able to finish his sentence, as a Junior Officer came rushing in seeking his attention.
"Sir, our speeder bike unit on the east side has come offline and is not responding."
"A communications failure?" Fargis eyed Mara with nervousness.
"Very unlikely, Sir," the Junior Officer dismissed, "All equipment is working properly and the signal is strong all over the surface of the moon."
"Is that the shield generator bunker?" Mara cut in.
Fargis nodded.
"That's Rebel activity," Mara stated with confidence. "They must be tapping into our communications…" She faked indignation and anger. "Are our mapping systems compromised?" She gestured the newly arrived.
"That would be impossible, Madam." The Officer reassured.
"Very well," Mara turned to the Lieutenant, "Get every man out there and find the source of this tapping!"
"We cannot leave the Garrison understaffed!" Fargis objected. "I would suggest…"
"Are you going to question my orders, Lieutenant?"
"No, Madam," Fargis sharply answered, showing respect to her rank.
"Good, I wouldn't want to have you locked in a cell for insubordination," she darkly warned.
The Lieutenant gulped in apprehension.
"Leave a unit of Stormtroopers patrolling the surroundings of the premises, the rest must be out there, searching." Mara ordered, "I need access to the control room, I want to see the maps. Lead the way."
The Officer did as he was told.
"We can still trust our mapping relay. Have every man in the garrison go out and follow every lead the system provides," she instructed as they walked, "And have them keep communications at a minimal until we've found the source of this Rebel eavesdropping. We cannot overlook anything!"
"Very well, General." Fargis agreed as he opened the door of the Control Room for her.
"Leave me!" Mara ordered, turning around and eyeing the techs in the room. "We need you out in the field. Find that tapping device!"
After everyone had left the room, the Lieutenant saluted and also left.
Once alone, Mara had just one objective, the rigging of the relay generators. She could not blow the bunker remotely, that was made impossible as a security measure, but once she managed to break into Imperial programming, she'd be able to trick the system and activate the self-destruct command in every Imperial power supply on the moon, leaving it in latent mode; if compromised, the automated systems in the facilities would activate the relevant protocols, ensuring the deflector shield of the mighty weapon floating in space above their heads would not be rearmed. But first, she'd raise some flags in remote locations to divert the troops' attention to fake targets, so the Imperials would leave the Rebels approaching the bunker mostly alone.
With great expertise, Mara logged in the system. Using her Emperor's Hand's codes she quickly accessed the system through a virtual back door. Quickly she keyed in the commands.
If Han and Leia were successful, everything would blow to hell.
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oOo
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Events had developed in a blur of pain, desperation and raw rage.
Standing there, in front of the Emperor, his beaten father beneath him, Luke had never felt more alone. The tint of darkness felt fresh in his consciousness; he'd gone too far, been too close. The dark side had beckoned, presented itself with promises of victory, of absolute power… But despite the temptation, he'd been able to pull himself back from the abyss, and let the light within shine bright.
Still trying to recover his breath after the thrill the vicious duelling and dark elation had given him, in the flash of a second, Luke analysed his options. There really weren't any. With a heavy heart he came to terms with it. He'd tried to survive this, for Mara's sake, for his own sake… but it all seemed like the only way to win was by surrendering. Otherwise he'd be lost forever.
Knowing exactly what his fate would be, Luke sent out one last tendril of love to Mara, hoping it would reach her through their bond. He'd be unable to fulfil his promise to her, and she'd have to forgive him. 'I love you, Mara.'
Having done this, gathering all of his courage and aplomb, Luke faced the Emperor.
"Never…" he switched off his green bladed weapon, "I'll never turn to the dark side."
Having said this, he tossed his weapon right at the Emperor's feet.
"You've failed your Highness." Defiantly, Luke faced the demonic features of the Emperor. "I am a Jedi, like my father before me."
Silence that chilled the blood followed.
The Emperor's features turned into a visage of vileness, "So be it, Jedi."
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oOo
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'I love you, Mara.'
Then… nothing.
The message in the Force had a paralyzing and distressing effect. "Luke!" Mara whispered in anguish. "No, no, no… This can't be happening!" She told herself as she finished her last bandage, holding tears she rejected to shed. No! This could not be! Luke would make it out of this alive!
At this point in the game, she was an expert at administering first aid to herself. This time she'd had a very close call. When she'd left the Imperial facilities, Mara had had a run with the three remaining Royal Guards that had been in her pursuit. An unavoidable encounter that had been long overdue, and this time she had not come out of it unscathed.
The Emperor's Hand had fought the Royal Guards with all of her might, proving who was the superior warrior. She had finished them off one by one, showing no mercy. The exact same they would have shown to her. During the fight, her cloaking device had been damaged and deemed useless, she'd gotten a nasty discharge by one of the electric rods the guards used as standard weaponry, had gotten shot twice - grazing shots only, and stabbed once. Her wounds were painful and as she'd made her way away from the fight scene, she'd been copiously bleeding; if left unattended these wounds could turn mortal. When she'd gained enough distance and was sure she was not being followed, Mara had found a safe spot to tend to her injuries.
After attaching the last bacta patch to her belly wound, with painful effort, Mara stood up. She gave a few steps forward, but her legs gave in, making her collapse onto herself. The Emperor's Hand fell onto the ground unceremoniously. She'd need more time.
Pulling herself underneath the protection of a small tree with heavy foliage, Mara sat with her back to the trunk, her senses in full alert in the lookout for any immediate threat. She reached out to the med pack she carried in her utility belt, trying to find an adrenaline shot, a standard item in every first aid kit… It wasn't there. 'Damn it!' It must have fallen off her belt during the fight. She sighed. All right, she'd have to stick to painkillers and antibiotics, the bacta would keep some of the pain off too, but she was in no condition to take the trek back to safety; so she readied herself.
Blaster in her lap, she'd have to wait it out.
With one more effort, she reached out with the Force… trying to find Luke's familiar signature in the flow of all living things… Still nothing.
This time Mara's tears trailed down without restraint.
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oOo
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An acute pang frying her brain woke her up.
Mara could not suppress a cry of pain. She held her head in both of her hands as she heard in her mind the cry of the Emperor. A loud desperate cry, full of hatred and doom.
It felt like if the energy of that cry wanted to pull her with it, submerging her in the despair and hate its owner felt. How could she be feeling what her Master was? In a moment of lucidity, she understood: her mind was linked to the Emperor's! Linked by a dark Force tendril that had been put in her mind without her permission. Her mind felt overloaded, as if it were about to explode.
Then a second realization. Palpatine had been defeated, somehow Luke had done it! And now, as one last act of vengeance, her vile Master was trying to grab her consciousness and take her down with him.
With all her might, Mara fought the pull… The manipulative bastard would not get away with it! She was no longer his Hand. Using her Force sense, she reached into the pull with determination and found the link, the point of connection… In her mind's eye, she could almost see her Master's face distorted with thirst of revenge. She got a hold of her end of the link, and pulled in the opposite direction, letting the momentum of the Emperor's fall into the void of the Force put distance between them. The tendril snapped like a thread of glass; the moment it did, the dark veil Mara had been put under lifted. Leaving only quiet.
Breathing heavily, she opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings… She was lying face up on the soft soil of the forest, next to the tree of thick foliage she'd taken as refuge. The day was dying out. Little by little she regained a hold of herself, her awareness in the present moment. She could tell she had a fever; she needed more antibiotics… Her sight was unfocused… She steadied her breathing, realizing that out of tiredness and meds, she'd fallen asleep! But despite the bad shape she was in, somehow she felt like if a heavy weight she hadn't realized she'd been carrying had lifted off.
Then a huge flare in the sky above blinded her for brief moments. On reflex, she closed her eyes, then opened them again. When she looked up all she could see was flaring debris crossing the sky… They've done it! The Rebels had done it! The Death Star was no more!
Mara felt relieved, at least all of this had accomplished something. She reached out to the Force, searching for Luke… There it was! His Force signature shining bright amongst the chaos.
As great relief washed over her, she fought her grogginess… She needed to get up and find a safe place, but her body had other plans. Her eyes felt heavy, she fought to keep them open until she fainted.
Startled, Mara opened her eyes again.
It was already very dark… She couldn't tell how much time passed. Too weak to move, she remained laying on her side against the tree trunk that had sheltered, her face cushioned by breaking up leaves and moist soil.
Then a presence.
A pair of red-armoured legs came in sight, right in front of her.
A man of towering height hovered upon her. The Royal Guardsman had no helmet on. She'd thought she'd taken care of them all, but obviously that had been a wrong assumption. Mara recognized the man, that was the Weapons Master of the Emperor's Royal Guard. This man was a true warrior, strong and resourceful, had trained Mara himself, no wonder he was still alive.
"Stand up!" The man in the red armour ordered. When Mara didn't obey, he reached out and grabbed her by one arm. "I said, get up!" He repeated between clenched teeth.
"You have no right to order me about, Guardsman. I've learned and surpassed everything you taught me. The student outstrips the instructor."
"Don't be so sure of yourself, Jade!" The Guardsman spat, handling Mara with roughness as he made her sit up, not making any effort to hide the fact that he was clearly annoyed. "You've already given us so much trouble! If it were up to me, I would kill you right here, now!" The Royal Guard warned, thinking of his fallen comrades, all dead by this woman's hand. "But I have my orders, and I must obey our Master... Something you clearly have forgotten."
The devoted soldier pulled Mara, lifting her up with one arm and making her stand. Her legs were wobbly and she found it hard to keep her balance.
"I'm sure there are better, more critical targets for you to hunt down than me. You're wasting your time," she snarled.
"How could you fall so low?" Her former teacher eyed her with deep disapproval, "You betrayed everything you once stood for."
It was obvious to Mara that the Guardsman didn't yet know about the Emperor's demise. She would keep it that way. Surely things were still too chaotic amongst Imperial ranks for the news to have reached every ear.
"Looks like things have definitely taken a downturn," Mara continued, "Are you sure you're up to this?" She took note of the man's appearance, he was hurt. The burns on his head and face looked painful, and his armour was heavily stained with dirt and blood.
The Royal Guard didn't answer back, instead he reached behind his back and retrieved a set of handcuffs from his utility belt. "Just a precaution," he stated as he bound Mara's hands together. Although she looked in very bad shape, the Guardsman very well knew that the Emperor's Hand could not be underestimated.
The Guardsman definitely looked like crap, surely just as she must look too. It was very clear to Mara that the resolute soldier was still following his orders of bringing her before the Emperor alive; and she also knew the Weapons Master was a man of honour.
"I'm not coming with you, voluntarily or otherwise."
"If you don't follow me on your own two feet, I will stun you and carry you to the ship!" He menaced. The pins and needles he felt all over his body didn't matter, he'd do whatever he had to do in order to fulfil his mission.
No, she could not let him stun her. Staying full awake was a better bet.
Mara continued to watch for an opening.
There was no point in hiding herself in the Force anymore. 'Luke!' Mara sent out, opening herself completely.
The trail back to wherever the Guardsman had surely hidden a backup transport took them far behind the now destroyed Imperial Garrison. As she was escorted with a mean blaster pointing at her back, the dark sky above her head was illuminated by passing Rebel ships releasing fireworks of victory.
She only hoped her Jedi could find her on time.
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To be continued…
