The shuttle rocketed out of the hangar towards Invidious, the big Star Destroyer's forward batteries laying down a field of heavy fire that prevented all but the most daring pursuit. X-wings and Z-95s broke off, splitting into four formations as space became deadly. Tavira breathed a sigh of relief.
Fury boiled. The decision to abandon the Tevas-kaar—her Tevas-kaar—to hold off Luke Skywalker had been a necessary one; still the weight of the sacrifice seemed unbearable. But oh well. The Jensaarai were still bound to her, and while the Tevas-kaar had been her favorite, that didn't mean he was irreplaceable. She'd just have to return to Susevfi to select another of their order to serve her.
Assuming she survived. Even with Invidious coming to get her, the Rogues were still out there and she wouldn't put it past them to brave turbolasers to try to kill her. They were obsessed. And the Eiattuan Queensguard could be here for only one reason: Queen Plourr wanted her dead.
Which was fair. The feeling was mutual.
Invidious loomed, her shuttle headed at a breakneck pace for the hangar, probably a bit too fast for a safe landing. Her attention was elsewhere, staring at the holographic face of Captain Tigan of Agonizer. "Captain, I want you to bring Agonizer into the fight," she ordered. "You have another Impstar Deuce and two dreadnaughts, more than enough to scatter the rabble."
On the display, Agonizer—still missing one of its engines—was finally lumbering out of the repair yards, its two dreadnought escorts faithfully flanking. The ship might be lame, but there was nothing wrong with its guns. It could still join the fight, and Agonizer and Invidious together would be a force to be reckoned with.
Captain Tigan had his hands folded behind his back, gazing back at her respectfully. "I'm afraid I can't do that. I have orders from both the Council of Moffs and Admiral Rogriss that are clear. We're to evacuate Linuri with all possible haste."
"Those orders were issued before the Rebellion attacked!" she practically screamed at him.
Tigan's gaze didn't falter. "Yes," he agreed. "But the attack only proves their wisdom. We need to preserve as much of our strength as possible, and fighting to protect a base that we were already abandoning is senseless. Agonizer has been ordered to rendezvous with Admiral Rogriss and the rest of our fleet, and I intend to proceed with that mission."
"I am a Moff," she hissed at him. "I ruled the Ado sector. I outrank Rogriss, and I order you to bring Agonizer into the—"
"No. You were a Moff. And, to be blunt, I can find nothing in Imperial records confirming your rank as Admiral, or any other fleet rank for that matter. Even if you are legitimately an Admiral, which I doubt, you are not in my direct chain of command, and therefore cannot countermand Admiral Rogriss' orders." On the display, Agonizer and the two dreadnaughts were now turned fully away from the battle, heading out towards interstellar space. "I'm sorry I can't do more, but that is the final word on this matter."
She clenched her fist, rage providing endless, undirected fuel. "You will pay for this, Captain Tigan. I promise you that. You will regret this decision." She leaned in. "I will see to it."
"Good day, Miss Tavira," Tigan said. He wore an insufferable smile. "And good luck." The communications link was severed as Agonizer and its escorts continued their lumbering course away from Linuri, leaving her cursing furiously at the screen as her shuttle entered Invidious' hangar, the big Star Destroyer firing furiously in its wake to scatter the pursuing starfighters.
Wedge spun his X-wing away from the sheets of green turbolaser fire. Invidious was turning away from the platform now, its guns not trying to hit them as much as just trying to prevent the quickest avenue of pursuit. With a grimace, Wedge put a little distance between himself and his target, curling around.
Gate whistled at him and Wedge's attention was pulled to his HUD. "What is it, Gate?" he asked his astromech. On the screen, the image of the other remaining Star Destroyer, Agonizer, and its two dreadnaught companions appeared. Wedge blinked as he saw the three ships heading towards open space, declining to get involved in the fight. "He leaned forward, peering closer at his HUD, wondering if he was missing something. "Two, it appears Agonizer is departing the battlefield," he said, confused.
"Maybe they decided this is a fight they can't win," replied Tycho.
"Should we go after them?" asked Gavin.
"No. Let them go," Wedge ordered, silently wondering if Rogriss had ordered them not to engage. "No reason to fight them if we don't have to."
"Whatever the reason," said Plourr, her voice determined and fierce, "this means Invidious is all alone. We have a chance to take Tavira out."
Wedge glanced over the battle. Arlionne was completely out of the fight, disabled and drifting. Furious was still active, but the fire between it and Bel Iblis' squadron of dreadnaughts was fading. Perhaps the ship was in the process of surrendering. With the two smaller Star Destroyers no longer active combatants, Bel Iblis' ships were turning slowly towards Invidious, but they were too distant to be able to engage quickly.
Endurance and Uthorrferrell were closer, the two carriers firing long-range blasts at Invidious. They were too distant to do much damage, especially as Invidious started to pick up speed, but perhaps they would distract the Star Destroyer.
"All right, Eleven," he said finally. "All starfighters, I want massed torpedo launches as soon as you have locks. Hit Invidious with everything we have. And watch out for Linuri-Alpha, we're getting precariously close to that second Golan platform, so don't forget it's there." He toggled over his HUD. "Eleven, if you want to lead us in, the formation is yours."
"Thanks, Leader," Plourr's voice came back. He could hear her toothy grin. "Rogues, Queensguard, on me. Z-95 squadrons, shift all your power to engines and shields, draw their fire off the rest of us. Everyone else, that's Leonia Tavira out there. Let's make her hurt."
Ripples of blue shimmered in space between the starfighters and Invidious as the X-wings launched. The starfighters which had aided Bel Iblis' victory against Arlionne and Furious raced ahead of the quintet of dreadnaughts, launching their own remaining torpedoes at long range. The massed torpedo fire plugged against Invidious' shields, tearing holes in the protective covering and landing occasional blows against the ship's hull. Invidious rolled, its ion cannons scattering in space around it, forming a flak field that knocked some of the torpedoes down.
The freshly repainted, practically brand-new and fully repaired Imperial II was no longer any of those things. Its hull darkened under each torpedo strike, shields weakening, but its engines were in prime condition and it protected its starboard flank by hewing closer to Linuri-Alpha, letting the second Golan form a shield against attacks along that vector.
Wedge and Tycho stuck close together as they attacked Invidious' more vulnerable flank, their lasers burning through armor plating as they weaved. Tycho's lasers drilled into turbolaser batteries, causing explosions both on the hull and deeper into the ship. Wedge fired a proton torpedo without aiming, then spun evasive to dodge Invidious' return fire, his X-wing screaming past faster than the turbolaser batteries could track him. Below him there was an eruption as his torpedo struck home, eviscerating one of Invidious' port shield generators, and suddenly Tavira's ship was fully exposed on that side—and Bel Iblis' dreadnaughts were almost there, eager to dig their teeth in.
Not in time.
Wedge could hear Plourr's agonized frustration as Invidious escaped—not untouched—into hyperspace just as Bel Iblis' leading dreadnaughts had finally reached firing range. Their turbolaser blasts sang out into the void, passing through the space where Invidious had been. "Shavit!" Plourr cursed.
"Damn," Wedge said mildly. He toggled through his HUD, making sure all his pilots were still in one piece, and smiled with relieved satisfaction when he saw that they were.
Garm Bel Iblis' voice boomed over the com. "All Imperial forces, this is General Garm Bel Iblis of the New Republic. The battle is over. Surrender at once." There was a pause, then: "Major Page, report status."
Wedge held his breath, waiting with worried anticipation—
"General Bel Iblis, this is Eye One," a woman's voice said, and Wedge let out a breath tinged with relief to hear Iella's voice. "We've recovered our prisoners and are proceeding with our evacuation." He could practically see her smile. "Mission accomplished." Wedge grinned at the holo he kept in his cockpit and let out a breath he'd been holding for months. "Rogue Leader," she said, and now he could hear her smile, "why don't you and the Rogues come and give us an escort back to Endurance?"
Wedge smiled and keyed his comm. "Eye One, Rogue Leader. Nothing I'd like more."
Kam carried his mask up into the Millennium Falcon, taking the first seat he found in the ship's lounge. He was exhausted, and he was free.
He found himself face-to-face with a teenager. The young man's very dark hair was the inverse of Kam's own prematurely white, and despite his obvious youth he looked aged. He didn't say anything, just watching Kam with a skittish nervousness.
Kam wasn't used to introducing himself, or speaking when he wasn't spoken to first, so they just looked at each other. The longer he looked, the more he could feel the gleam of potential in the young man.
There were footsteps on the ramp and Han Solo entered. He gave Kam an awkward nod, then pointed at Kyp. "We're going to be taking off in a minute, kid, so strap in." Then Solo hurried off towards the Falcon's cockpit.
Kyp took a seat next to Kam and pulled a belt around his waist as Kam did the same. "I like your armor," said Kyp awkwardly.
Kam blinked. "Thank you," he said, uncertain.
Kyp pointed at the mask sitting on his lap. "What's that?" he asked.
He looked down at it. The curved lines in the mask, the familiar artistry that gave it the appearance of fur, a hint of teeth, the wide, stylized lines of the eyes and jaw of a d'oemir bear. "It's a d'oemir bear," he said. "I knew one once, when I was young. My father and I stumbled across her den and she chased us away from her cubs." He ran his finger over the lines of the mask. "My father explained afterwards that she was just a frightened parent who wanted to protect her children."
Luke and a woman with familiar red-gold hair walked up the ramp together. Outside, the engines of an X-wing roared as it launched into space. Luke pressed an activator switch for the intercom. "We've got my X-wing clamped to the Falcon, Han," Luke said. "It's not pretty but we'll be able to fly like this."
"You know Chewie and I finally had the Falcon in peak condition," Han groused. He was interrupted by an annoyed growl from the Wookiee and sighed resignedly "—okay fine, so Chewie does the maintenance. But he finally had the Falcon in the best condition she's ever been in, and since then we've been shot at, forced to land on Kessel, marauded by idiots, shot at again, shot at again, and now I'm clamping an X-wing to the hull like she's some kind of repair tug. You're lucky my wife and kids like you so much."
Kam watched Luke smile. No, he thought. Luke wasn't at all like Vader. Yes, they shared a like presence in the Force, intimidating and imposing. But Luke wasn't the man who killed his father on Neftali. Vader had been the inexorability of a dreadful fate; a black hole, unavoidable and damning.
Luke felt like hope.
The red-haired Jedi who stood at his side was the same one he had fought on Coruscant. They watched each other warily for a moment. "You had a free shot at me in that apartment. Why didn't you take it?" she asked.
He took a deep breath, feeling Luke and Kyp's eyes on him also. "I didn't want to," he said, "and I didn't need to."
She nodded slowly and he knew that she understood.
Luke smiled between Kam and Kyp. "While we get ready for departure and to head back to Coruscant," Luke said, "Kam, why don't you show Kyp some of the teachings you remember from your father. After we get moving, I'll come join you—I'd like to see them also."
Kam ran his thumb over his father's lightsaber. "It's been a long time," he warned.
"That's all right," Luke said knowingly. "You remember."
Mara's hand on his wrist stopped him before they made it all the way to the cockpit. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked.
Luke shrugged, wishing he was. "I've spent the last few years wondering when it would be the right time to refound the Jedi order," he said. "And after all that, I suddenly find myself in the company of a man who remembers the old one, if only from an apprentice's perspective, and a boy whose strength in the Force is remarkable. Whether it's a good idea or not, the decision about whether or not to begin the order seems to have been made for me." He smiled at her, dared to push a loose strand of red-gold hair back over her ear.
"And you have the resources you need," she said knowingly.
He sighed and nodded. "How did you—"
"When Iella and I were investigating the heist on Coruscant," she explained. "Cracken found another old account which had been emptied. Vader's personal account." She lifted an eyebrow. "You have it," she said. It wasn't a question.
He nodded glumly. "I was approached by a representative of the Coruscant banking establishment not long after Thrawn's death," he admitted. "About two weeks after you left with Karrde on your walkabout." He frowned. "I didn't want it. I know too much about the things Vader did to accrue that fortune. My first thought was to try to find everyone it was taken from, but it didn't take me long to realize that was an impossible task. And then I realized that with it, the Jedi don't need to be beholden to the New Republic. The new order could be truly independent."
"And then you started to worry about what Leia would think," Mara said.
"Yeah," Luke sighed.
"Vader destroyed the Jedi," she said with a shrug. "Maybe it's only fitting to use what he left behind to bring them back."
"Maybe," he agreed quietly. "But I'm not sure the galaxy would agree."
The Falcon lurched as it took off. Momentum pressed Luke into the wall of the corridor, pressed Mara to his chest. He braced against the corridor with one of his hands, keeping them both balanced as he kept his other arm wrapped securely around her waist.
"Better get up here, Luke," Han's voice said over the intercom. "We're going to meet up with the Wild Karrde to drop off Jade, then I'm going home to my wife."
Luke started to release Mara; was stunned when her arms snaked around his back, not letting him go. "Have you ever thought—" Mara hesitated, then powered through with her typical dogged determination "—I want to live? I don't want to die here, not like this."
"All the time." He placed his arms back around her; could feel her struggling to find the right words.
"I never did," Mara admitted. "I didn't really think about dying, even when I was in danger. It was always 'I can't fail the mission'." She took a breath, her weight still leaning against him, her arms still wrapped around him. "Even when we fought C'baoth, remember?"
"I remember," Luke replied gently.
"And then I fought the Force-adept—Kam, I guess—and I made a mistake. I made a mistake. And he had me and all I could think was 'Not yet, I haven't...'"
Luke's heart ached. Ached for the person she'd been, the years of life she'd had stolen from her. Ached for the woman she was, learning that the galaxy wasn't what she'd been led to believe, struggling to find her place in this new, confusing one. Ached because despite all her brusqueness, despite the shadow of the Emperor, she was still one of the most admirable people he had ever met. One who had once asked him to kill her rather than lose that part of herself. One who had spent a year flying free and building a new life with sheer grit and stubborn determination. One who, now that she realized she had so much to live for, was here. In his arms.
Luke knew all his shields had imploded at once. Or maybe he'd never been able to screen everything. Maybe she'd always been right there. "Mara," he said, feeling awkward, sudden fear trickling in his gut, but she hadn't pulled her hands away—
She kissed him.
Surprise and awe stunned him; her kiss was softly insistent. His arms tightened around her, drawing her in closer. The kiss lingered and when it finally broke he found her tucked in against him, her brilliant green eyes staring at him.
"Mara," he said, his voice clinging to her name, the single word impossibly heavy.
He didn't know what would come next. But he was sure that whatever came, he wanted to share it with her. Whether she was a smuggler or a Jedi, whether they spent every day together or only had scattered moments, he wanted to face their future together.
The corner of her mouth quirked up in one of her tiny, subtle smiles. "Luke," she murmured, and leaned in to kiss him again. He met her halfway, his stunned surprise melting away under the sudden passion of the embrace; he slid his hand up her back, tangling his fingers in her silky hair. The intensity of it left them clinging to one another when the kiss finally broke. She rested her forehead against his shoulder for a long, lingering moment as he held her close, then withdrew to gaze at him again. She threw him a crooked smile. "I suppose everyone on the ship is going to know about this before we're back on Coruscant," she teased gently. "You're terrible at being devious."
Her gaze was tentative, her desire and affection and joy intermingled with her fears. The realization of just how deeply she had missed him, not just for the short time they'd been separated but the months she'd been gone with Karrde, feeling like something vital was missing. But the attraction, the desire for companionship was at war with the life she'd lived. The Emperor's Hand had been a solitary creature.
"Hey," Luke laughed. He heard the question in the tease. He leaned in and stole a kiss; she returned it eagerly. "I can try being devious for a while," he murmured against her lips, her breath warm against his cheek, "if you would rather."
He would be happy enough to sing it to the heavens, and anyone who dared say a word askance be damned. He wasn't worried about that anyway; everyone who mattered would embrace her as family. How could they not? Her arms tightened around him and he could sense her gratefulness nonetheless.
They held one another for a long time.
The Falcon jolted. Han's voice came back over the intercom. "Alright kids, we're docked with the Wild Karrde."
"Duty calls," Mara mumbled against him. They parted; she smoothed out her clothes. When she looked at him again, her expression had returned to a composed calm. "Let's talk on Coruscant," she said with a businesslike nod. Her lip quirked up with a subtle smirk. "We'll see who gets there first."
He nodded, unable to find any words.
She turned and left. He took a moment to find his equilibrium, trying to find enough inner composure to stop grinning so much.
Luke stumbled into the cockpit and fell into one of the passenger seats. Han tossed him a glance over his shoulder. "We'll only be docked for a minute," he said as he and Chewbacca plotted the course back to Coruscant. "Do we need to make any stops on the way?"
Luke shook his head. "No," he said. He sounded distracted and distant; Han tossed him a longer glance, making sure he was okay. He looked okay, but Han hadn't seen that grin on his face in a long time. "Best speed there, if you can. Karrde and Mara think we're having some kind of race." Luke delivered the words somewhat strangely, as if in a state of delayed shock.
"A race, huh," Han said. Next to him Chewie chuckled and the two of them adjusted their course. "Someone should tell Karrde that's a sucker's bet." Luke was still grinning, and Han sent him another look. "Don't worry kid, I'll make sure you have bragging rights. Besides, Karrde owes me, and I'd hate to give him one back." He frowned. "Even with your X-wing strapped to the hull, we'll still be faster."
It took them only a minute before the Falcon was ready for hyperspace, and Han quite deliberately guided the stock freighter over the Wild Karrde's bridge, executing a precise snaproll before swaggering off into hyperspace.
Luke chuckled at the theatrics, standing. "I'm going to go check on Kam and Kyp," he said, and headed back towards the lounge.
Han leaned towards Chewie. "What do you think that was all about?" he asked surreptitiously.
Chewie chuffed one of his Wookiee laughs. He stood and moved over towards the chair Luke had just evacuated and plucked a single long strand of red-gold hair off the back of it.
Han Solo, the former fast-talking, fast-shooting smuggler didn't say a word as his eyebrows shot skyward. He grinned slowly. "Ohhh," he laughed, leaning back in his chair as Chewbacca laughed with him. "I wonder who won the pool? No, you can't be the one to tell Leia!"
Mara resumed her spot in the co-pilot's seat as if she'd never left it. Dankin sat next to her, watching her warily as he plotted the Wild Karrde's course in pursuit of the Falcon.
Karrde crossed his legs casually. It had been a dangerous, hectic few days, but an incredibly profitable few days. There would be many months, if not years dealing with the repercussions of the bargain he'd struck with Vorru, but there were ways to get out ahead of that particular threat. He permitted himself a small smile, then tilted his head as he noticed something unusual.
Mara was staring at her console, but not with her usual intent focus. Instead, her gaze carried off, the expression of a woman deep in distracted thought. Her posture shifted slightly, and while he couldn't see her entire expression, there was no doubt—she was smiling.
"Mara?" he asked, his tone steady and unobtrusive.
She didn't notice.
Dankin glanced at Mara, then back at Karrde, started to open his mouth to get her attention. The look Karrde gave him made it clear that if he disturbed her, he'd be airlocked before they got anywhere close to Coruscant. Dankin shrank back in his chair, looking baffled.
Behind him, he heard Faughn stifle a laugh. He turned towards her and she covered her mouth, looking apologetic.
The door behind them slid open and Chin walked in. "You're not going to believe this, Cap't," he said, sounding distraught. "The damn Imps stole Thrawnie!"
Author's Notes
Thank you all for reading! There are three chapters remaining.