Chapter 8
Mara woke up with a massive screaming headache. Her head thumped like crazy as she tried to open her eyes. But the light around her was just too much for her still sensitive eyesight. "You're finally awake", a deep grumpy voice spoke. Mara quickly looked up, grabbing a pillow as a weapon. "Who are you!?", she demanded. The voice simply chuckled a bit. Amused at the reaction of the assassin. "You don't remember, do you?", the voice asked. Mara winced as she tried to see who was talking. The voice was obviously male, but it sounded familiar. As if she heard it before. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the lights, she could see a blurry figure with white stormtrooper armor. Her sight started to focus as the figure came into view. It was a clone. He was bald, mind you, and he had a sharp white beard, making him appear older than he actually was. "Cody?", Mara asked flabbergasted. The clone's eye's widen, pain and guilt glinted in his eyes before they retreated back behind the hazel brown eyes . "Uh, no. Rex", he corrected. "Do I know you?", Mara asked again confused as to what was happening. "You clearly don't remember, huh? Those deathsticks really affected you", Rex stated in a serious manner. Mara shook her head. She spoke in a hush tone, "I don't recall taking deathsticks".
"So you don't remember anything at all?", Rex asked worriedly, "The scene at the cantina? You attacking us as you had a mental breakdown?". Mara looked up at the old Clone. Her eyes slowly regain their strength. "Wait, all of that, wasn't a dream?". Rex slowly nodded, he moved his head around to show her the purple bruise. Mara flushed red in embarrassment, "Sorry, if I did anything stupid", she spoke with all honesty. "Relax kiddo, what's important here is that you're safe", Rex replied. Mara couldn't help but give the Clone a warm smile. It had been a while since someone had treated her nicely as the clone had. "Where exactly am I?", she asked the Clone. Her memory was still blurry of the events that have happened, but maybe the Clone could help her figure it out. "You're aboard the Jedi Praxeum ", another voice spoke out before Rex could respond. Mara glanced over to the source of the sound. Ahsoka stood at the door way, holding a tray of bowls in her hands. Mara narrowed her eyes at the sight of the Togruta. She opened her mouth to speak, but Ahsoka quickly cut her off. "I know, I know. You wanted us to leave you be", Ahsoka quietly said as she placed the tray onto a nearby table. "So why don't you?", Mara asked with a slight of hostility in her voice. There was a brief silence as Ahsoka and Rex starred at each other, unsure if it was safe to make the next move. "I can't let you leave...", Ahsoka began as she cautiously walked towards the ex-assassin. "Can't let me? What, are you seriously trying to impress Skywalker? Isn't he, I don't know, way too young for you?", Mara asked in horror. She had heard the rumors spreading around like wild fires from Coruscant. Two Jedi of opposing genders together in a hotel room for three weeks during Thrawn's prosecution. It didn't take a genius in what that meant. The only things was that it was just a rumor, and Mara hoped that was just that. Just a false rumor among thousands of others. If it was true, well, she wouldn't be able to see the two Jedi in the same way she had before. "What? N-no. That's not what I meant!", Ahsoka quickly spoke up, disgust written all over her face. "He's my nephew".
Mara simply stared at the Togruta with the same horrified expression. "It's a long story", Ahsoka dryly stated as she sat down next to the assassin. "Okay... then why are you keeping me here?", Mara asked, this time, awkwardness filled the air. Ahsoka kept quiet, thinking over her words as to not trigger the assassin's patience. Rex sat down across from Mara and Ahsoka. His tired baggy eyes watched as Mara uncomfortably sifted in her bed. "You need help", Ahsoka finally said breaking the unnoticed silence. Mara was not convinced. She sighed and rolled her eyes as she planted her feet on Ahsoka's lap. "Pfft, heard that before. Doesn't really change much", she said as she spat at Ahsoka. The Togruta closed her eyes, flinching as the saliva flew to her face. She squeezed her hands, attempting to calm herself down and not lose her temper on this low-life Luke desperately wanted her to help. "What Ahsoka is trying to say is that we underestimated the situation", Rex attempted to explain. Mara looked over at the old clone. "What situation?", she asked in a monotone voice. She knew entirely well what situation they were referring to, anyone could. But what Mara really wanted to see is why they changed their way of thinking. Ahsoka herself admitted that she was only here because Luke asked her to. And that was before Mara left her hanging upside down in one of the tallest trees near Maz's castle. "Well at first", Ahsoka began looking directly into Mara's eyes. "We- I", she corrected, "Thought that Luke only wanted me to help you because of what you did a year ago on Rakata Prime. You helped us defeat Ragnos and promptly stoled his X-wing afterwards. I thought he meant that I had to train you to become a Jedi. Nothing more. It wasn't until then, I realized that your training had nothing to do with Luke's requests".
"What made you change your mind?", Mara asked. Ahsoka opened her mouth to speak, but immediately recoiled, weary on what to say. "I know about your demons", she finally stated though with hesitation in her voice. Mara's throat immediately tightened. She never told anyone about her inner turmoils. Not to Karrde, not to Luke, and definitely not to Ahsoka. So how did she find out about this? Almost as if she could read her mind, Ahsoka gave an answer. "When you had your panic attack, I... probed into your mind", she said cautiously, "I saw your fear, your nightmares.Things no one should have to endure". Mara's jaw clenched as Ahsoka described the horrors she witnessed while probing inside her mind. The ghostly apparitions of Vader and the Emperor, the floating dead bodies that came and gone, the echoes of her screams as she was being tortured and abused into the perfect killing machine. Ahsoka hadn't simply saw what Mara saw, she became Mara. She felt the burns, the wounds, everything. No one should have to endure with that much pain, even the now dead Sith Lords had their limits. And yet, here she was. Sitting across from the Togruta, looking helpless, yet still denying the help she so desperately needed.
It felt like an hour had past, though in reality it was just a minute, before Mara spoke up. Her throat was dry and shaky, her jaw ached from being clenched for too long. "So, you know everything now", Mara said in a shaky voice. It wasn't a question, but it didn't feel like a statement either. Ahsoka was surprised to see Mara's reaction. She had expected another set of rage and fury coming at her. But Mara was now acting like a small frail child who was caught by her parents doing something she fully knew not to do. "Not exactly", Ahsoka confessed, "Even with all of the things I saw, you're still a mystery to me. All I know, is that I have to help you".
"But that's the thing", Mara argued, "You're trying to help me, but it's impossible. You and I are very different. None of you had to face what I had to face. You don't understand my pain, the meaning of the nightmares I keep having. No one does". Mara was on the verge on another breakdown. She couldn't help it. She knew she was better than this, she was the Emperor's hand for crying out loud. She should be able to control her emotions. But that life was past her now. With her voice on the verge of tears, she said, "Its like you said. I'm a lost cause". Ahsoka swallowed hard, she didn't think that Mara was even close enough to hear her, let alone sober enough to understand her words. She looked over at Rex, hoping that he would have an answer. But the old clone starred back at her with the same expression. Ahsoka bit her lip as she placed her hand on Mara's shoulder. The young assassin looked up at the Togruta, her face void of all emotions. "Two weeks", Ahsoka blurted out. "What?", Mara confusingly asked. "Give me two weeks. Two weeks to help you get rid of those nightmares. If I can't, then you can stay here, and we won't bother you again".
Mara thought about it for a moment, two weeks were long, and if an imperial found her here, than those two weeks can quickly turn into one. On one hand, this would mean that she could finally get the help she needs.The nightmares would seize to end, but that was only when she was connected to that force. Her time with Karrde showed that she could succeed in life without the aid of the force. But then Mara noted, as long as the missions kept getting harder, as long as she kept running, the force was getting more stronger and seductive. She would need to rely on the complete power of the force eventually. And if Ahsoka help clear her mind, then it was a deal worth checking. "Would I have to become a Jedi if I accept?", Mara asked. Ahsoka shook her head, "No. That is for you to decide". Mara outstretched her hand towards Ahsoka, her hand shook nervously as it approached the alien. "Then I accept". Ahsoka and Rex could help but smile as the Togruta shook the assassin's hand with firmness. "Then tomorrow we start", Rex announced, "Glad to have you on the team, Mara Jade".
Hyperspace: Location Unknown
Aboard the Wild Karrde
Talon Karrde stirred awake, his mind threatening to unleash an unbearable pain as he laid on the cold hard floor of his ship. "Thought you'd wake up", a warm feminine voice spoke softly. Talon looked up from the floor to see his twi'lek lover, Cere, sitting casually in the co-pilot's chair playing around with her blaster. Paying no mind to him at all. "What happened?", he asked sincerely. The twi'lek didn't respond right away, taking her sweet time admiring her DL series blaster. "Take a guess", she simply stated gesturing to Talon's hand that still laid on the floor. Talon eyed to where the twi'lek nonchalantly gestured towards. He frowned as he noticed the large bottle of booze that still clutched in his hand. "I swore I'd stop", he cursed to himself. "No, you didn't", Cere corrected, "Although you have lowered the amount you consumed, until now". Talon huffed as he threw the bottle away from him. "Do I wanna know why", he asked vaguely. "It was a celebratory drink. You 'fooled' Solo into thinking we haven't seen Mara anywhere", Cere remarked. "Oh yeah", Talon chuckled as he remembered the standoff between him and the ex-smuggler. "Still can't believe he fell for it. I truly am genius. You know, sometimes my genius is... its almost frightening".
"Sure you are, sweetheart", Cere sarcastically stated. "But I don't think that we should pass Solo as a fool. After all, he was a General in the Rebel Alliance, and he was the one that led them to victory on Endor. So its more likely we didn't fooled him, but rather, he fooled us". The realization hit Talon like a stone wall. He didn't realized it at first. Everything had went well, almost too well in Talon's favor. He should've paid more attention to the details. "Looks like I'm not a genius", he muttered to himself. Trying to change the subject, he walked over to where his lover sat. "So, where are we going?", he asked once he got there. "Takodana", Cere responded. Talon's eyes widen at the mention of the planet he left Mara almost a week ago. "What- why?", he asked hoping that Cere was just messing around. "You said you wanted to see her again", she explained, "Right after Solo left, you brought the Wild Karrde into hyperspace".
At an instant Talon slapped his head. "How could I be this stupid!", he rushed over to the hyperdrive controller. Despite Cere's protest. "If you're right about Solo, he most likely placed a tracking device somewhere on this ship. We fell for his trap. I'm an idot!". Cere frowned, looks like her plan on taking Mara down would have to wait. It would take longer, but that day will soon arrive. "Help me deactivate the hyperdrive", Talon instructed, "Reach for the lever on your left. We have to pull down at the same time". Talon pressed hard on his lever, but nothing happened. He looked over at Cere and noted that she hadn't touched her lever yet. "Cere!", he yelled. "Oh, you meant right now", Cere pretended to say. In truth, she was buying herself time to come up with another plan. She had her blaster, maybe she could stun Talon and put him in a storage unit until the deed was done. But as she tried to reach for her blaster, Talon and Cere were thrown across the bridge as the Wild Karrde was ripped from hyperspace. The engines groaned as the ship spun wildly into real space. "What the-", Talon hollered out as he immediately got back up. Fear planted itself in Talon's heart as an imperial star destroyer came into view. It was smaller than a regular star destroyer, and it had four large round generators. Two at each side. It was an interdictor class star destroyer. Capable of creating artificial gravity and forcing unsuspected ships out of hyperspace. But it wasn't alone. Five large imperial class star destroyers hovered around the Wild Karrde, forming a tight circle so that the ship had no chance of escape. "Talon Karrde", a voice over the comms spoke with authority, "This is the Empire. Prepare to be boarded".
A/N: And hello again! Its been a while, hasn't? Almost two months, wow. Sorry for not updating in a while, life is full of surprises. And the way 2020 is going, those surprises aren't good. Writers block, injury, stuff like that. But I am back! Mara's story will continue onward. Just wanted to thank all the users who gave such heartwarming comments. You really make my day. Anyway that's it for now, peace out.