Chapter 5
Luke sat alone in his X-wing as it rocketed him towards his destination. He looked over the coordinates once more and decided that the guy who did this was no pro. It took little time to figure out that he was waiting at his base to receive the money he had demanded for Mara's release. The man was either not very smart or had no clue of the type of people he was causing trouble with. Luke had no doubt that this guy would try something if provoked too far, but Luke was confident that he could handle anything this guy could dish out. Mara would probably be upset at the thought of being 'rescued' but an upset Mara was better then none. A light on his instrument panel flashed and Luke brought his ship out of hyperspace, ending the two-day flight to reach the planet.
---
Mara stumbled as she was forced into a small dark room, grabbing the bundle that was thrown at her, and swore to herself for the hundredth time since this whole thing had started. At the time, surrender seemed the best coarse when facing down thirty ships, but her treatment since then left much to be desired. After their forced landing, her and Faughn had been separated, and she had not seen her since. From what she could tell, nothing had happened to her, but Mara had no clue where she was sent. After a short ride to what they considered their base, Mara had been locked up alone in the room she now found herself in. The room held shelves upon shelves of towels. There was nothing there to really help her. She unfolded the bundle she still held and realized it was a change of clothes. Glancing at her own she frowned when she saw the large tear running quite high on her right thigh, showing off too much of her leg for comfort. Shedding her clothes quickly, she pulled the new material on.
It was a blue suit, much like the green flight suit that now lay in a pile on the floor. Only this one was about two sizes too big and the pockets ran the length of her thigh. She felt like she was getting lost in the folds of the material, but at the moment anything was better then the one she had just shed. She dismissed the urge to empty her pockets. She knew they had removed anything of value when they took her off her ship, along with her lightsaber. She wondered briefly if they would have found her blaster had she been wearing it, but tossed that thought away. She had not grabbed the thing during her dash to the cockpit. The door suddenly opened and a man entered, probably hoping to catch her still changing her clothes. Well he would not get the satisfaction, Mara thought as she pulled the belt as tight as she could get it.
When he grabbed her arm, she threw her weight away from him, taking a few steps back when he released her. She tried to jump out of the way when he drew his blaster, but the room was too small and she had no where to go. The blaster discharged hitting her in the leg with a stun bolt. She fell to the floor, but instead of her leg going numb like she expected, it was just a prickly sensation. She glared up at the guard.
"The next time I will set it on a higher setting. No better way to keep you in line then to keep you stunned."
"So go ahead," Mara spat, as she got back to her feet, abet a little shakily.
"I would like nothing more, but then that would mean that I would have to carry you."
"Wouldn't want to make you do a little bit of work, now would we."
He stepped closer and put his hand on her cheek. "Your stay here doesn't have to be a bad one sweetie. I could talk to the boss. Get him to allow me to take care of you." Mara turned her head slightly and sank her teeth into his hand. He jerked his hand back and pushed her away with the other.
"I would rather have you shoot me," Mara snarled.
He grabbed her arm and dragged her out into the hallway, where six other men met them. One stood behind her with one hand holding a blaster against her back the other taking hold of her free arm. The first guy still held her with one hand and nursed the other, which was showing the first signs of a set of angry teeth marks. She thought about running, thinking if she timed it right she could knock a few guys down and get away from them. She thought better of it when she noticed that they were all sporting nasty looking blasters. She did not resist when they urged her to walk forward, deciding to wait until a better opportunity showed itself.
Glancing around she tried to absorb every detail that came into view. There was a way out of this, she knew there had to be. They obviously did not plan to be holding her. They were too ill prepared. She was bound to catch a mistake, then she would take advantage if it. Her mind briefly returned to the time when she and Karrde 'happened' upon Skywalker the first time. She sighed inwardly. At least they did not have any lizards lying around here. They didn't seem too well equipped for a group of small time smugglers, she had no doubt that she would be out of their soon.
She stumbled once again and this time caught sight of the grubby old man walking ahead of her, more so her lightsaber hanging from his belt. Grinning, she started walking a bit faster to get closer to him. She had just about closed the gap between them when the guy behind her shoved again, knocking her into the man she was trying to reach, causing them both to fall. She scrambled to her feet with more then a little trouble.
"Watch what you are doing!" The man shouted, pushing her off him.
"I would not have fallen if your guys here would stop pushing me," she shot back.
The guy turned away from her with a huff, and Mara once again felt the blaster in her back. She walked on without further incident. Soon her destination became clear as they all stopped beside a door. They opened the door, and 'helped' their captive inside, much to Mara's dislike. She once again tried to free herself from their grip and stumbled as the resistance on her arms was suddenly released, causing her struggling to over balance her. She turned to offer her thoughts concerning her treatment only to be greeted with the door slamming in her face. Her anger boiled to the surface and she slammed her fist into the door. The only reaction was the men laughing at her from the other side.
Taking a moment to calm herself, she surveyed the room. Noticing nothing too life threatening, she dropped herself on the old pallet that sat in the corner. Glancing around the room once again, she took in the desk and chair that sat pushed up against the opposite wall, the old faded wood that made up the walls. Not a picture or window to break the surface. Stretching, she reached out around her with the Force to make sure she was not being watched. She did not wish to be stunned again for acting inappropriately. Grinning at the fact that for the time being she was alone, she reached into her thigh pocket for the object she has stashed there. Pulling out her lightsaber, she stashed it under the bed. 'Amateurs,' she thought as she sat back up.
A few hours later, the door to her room opened. A tray of food was slid into her room and the door quickly closed again. Mara picked up the tray and sat it on the table, then walked away and sat back on her pallet. A while later, after deciding that enough time had passed, she walked silently to the door and listened to the men on the other side. Mara judged that the group was about as relaxed as they were going to get, marking her time to act.
"Hey!!!" she said banging on her door. "Hey!"
"What do you want?"
"Could you please get this tray out of here before I gag? And tell your cook that I have ate garbage that tasted better then that."
The guy made his way over to the door and slowly opened it. Mara, who was standing next to the door, punched him in the face, and he fell to the floor. His friends came running when they heard the commotion. Mara took care of them in a series of punches and kicks.
She took off down the hall, stopping at the first series of doors. Pulling out her lightsaber, she made quick work of the door and advanced towards the only entrance she knew of. She made her way down the hall as fast as she dared, hiding in rooms whenever someone happened by. The halls twisted and turned with no apparent pattern. She stopped at the end of one hall and realized she had no idea where she was. *What a time to get lost!* She screamed to herself. Turning she headed back the way she came, thinking that if she ever met the person that designed this place she would shoot that person herself.
She returned to the end of the hall where it opened up to a larger hallway, which then branched off into three different directions. Realizing that this was where she made her mistake, she reached out to judge the other hallways. The first one had two people just out of sight around the next corner. The second had people a little further down. No clear passage. She would have to go through them. Then she felt that someone was coming up from behind her. She knew that if they caught her there, she would be as good as caught. This time she would be lucky if they locked her back up in that room. Peeking back in the hall, she dashed across the corridor in seconds, sliding to a stop around the next corner. Glancing back to make sure she was not being followed she took off around the next corner, not noticing until it was too late that something had her arm. The force of the pull on her body as she shot past caused her to spin and crash into the owner of the other arm.
"Mara," a softly spoken, male voice said as he steadied her on her feet.
Mara's head snapped up in surprise at the familiar voice.
"What are you doing here?" Mara asked quietly, keeping her voice low, as to not have it travel too far down the hall. She studied the man now standing in front of her, not knowing if she was glad to see him or not. She sighed, putting her hands on her hips. She had the satisfaction of feeling Luke's reaction to the fact that she did not seem thrilled at him being here.
"Um…" Luke whispered, looking around uncomfortably. "Coming to rescue you."
A smile came to Mara's lips as she watched Luke waiting for her reaction. 'You came all this way to help me?' she sent through the Force, keeping her smile sweet, the smile quickly turned to a frown. 'Thanks, but I can take care of myself. I don't need your help.'
'Obviously.' His expression did not change, nor did the intensity of his gaze.
Mara's frown deepened when she realized how Luke's eyes were clouded with sadness and something more she could not place. Was it relief? She felt him squeeze her arm and realized he had never let go of her. She jerked her arm away, inadvertently smacking her hand against the wall.
'I seem to be doing fine on my own,' she sent him, while bringing her hand up to her mouth and glancing back the way she came.
'I would never suggest otherwise.' He watched her wince as she held her hand to her lips. "Are you alright?" he asked aloud, carefully taking her hand and bringing it closer to inspect it.
'I'm fine!' she announced loudly in his mind, taking her hand out of his reach. She started to remind him that she did not need his help when she noticed the puzzled look on his face. 'What!?' she demanded.
Luke shook his head, frustration flowing off him in waves. 'I was just wondering why this is the second time you passed through this hallway.'
'I had to double back,' Mara defensively shot back. 'I didn't see you. Where were you the first time?'
'I had just entered the hallway.' Luke shrugged his shoulders. 'I tried to call out to you but you did not seem to be receiving.'
Mara glanced behind her once again to cover her grimace at being caught off guard. How could she not notice he was there? How could she not think of reaching out further then right in front of her? 'I was concentrating.' Was the only thing she could think to say.
'I can see that,' he sent with a smirk. The self-satisfaction she felt from him feeling like grinding paper to her nerves. With the smile still in place, he also looked around to see if they had been spotted.
"Stop doing that!" She yelled at him, all the frustration of her situation finding its way into her voice. They both jumped at the volume of her voice compared to their pervious silent conversation. His head snapped around to look at her once again.
"What?" he asked, his voice a harsh whisper.
"Agreeing with everything I say," she said, frowning at her inability to control her voice. 'Why do you keep doing that!' she yelled though the Force.
'Look, Mara I came to help.' His voice had become soft, a pleading look over taking his features.
Mara squared her shoulders and crossed her arms across her chest. 'I did not ask for your help.'
'You did not have to,' Luke told her. His patience was clearing wearing thin.
His frustrated expression faded as he studied her. The hurt look the appeared in his eyes was like a dagger slicing right into her. She felt a need to change the subject. 'How did you find me anyway?'
'Karrde told me. Faughn showed up with a note demanding a ransom for you.'
"So this was all to make a few credits off me?!" she said in disbelief, her anger rushing back in a flash.
"Would you quiet down before someone hears you," Luke
scolded aloud. 'Mara you are upset,'
she heard Luke once again in her mind. 'But I need you to be calm. We need to concentrate on getting out of here.'
"I don't need you telling me what to do, Jedi!" Mara took a step closer to him.
'Maybe you do,' Luke shot back.
"What?!" Mara asked, her voice almost a screech.
'If you had listened to me in the first place, you wouldn't be in this situation,' Luke continued.
'What is that supposed to mean?' she asked him through, really wishing she had her blaster right now.
'Exactly what I said. I told you I had a bad feeling about this. That something would happen.'
Mara bristled at his implication that this was her fault. 'I am a big girl Skywalker. I don't need you to take care of me.'
'Well someone sure better, you would have been recaptured if I hadn't come along.'
"No way, I was doing just fine without you," she told him, once again speaking aloud. Where does he get off, she thought, thinking he can just come in and take credit for me getting away from this place.
'Mara, we are not out yet,' he sent her. 'What do you think happened to those guys that were chasing you?'
'I lost them,' she announced.
'Oh you lost them, did you? Just by running around a corner? Yes, that must be it. And our terrific hiding place fooled them as well right?' He asked, indicating the very open hallway they had been arguing in.
'You are keeping them away?' she asked, not really wanting to hear the answer.
'If I wasn't, your yelling would have had them all casing us down by now. However, I can't do it for much longer. Do you think we could get out of here now?' Luke asked.
She stared at him, willing herself to tell this man before her exactly what she thought of his help. However, that's not what came out of her mouth.
"I'm assuming that the hanger is that way," she said between tight lips. "We need to get the Fire."
'Jedi don't assume, Mara. Reach out with the Force and find out.'
Mara stared daggers at him as she passed to lead the way, fuming at the knowledge that he had been right. She had been so close to being recaptured. One wrong turn had cost her way too much time and she watched her plan fall apart before her eyes. Over all, she couldn't help but feel that she would have rather been recaptured then seeing the smug look on the Jedi's face.
---
They reached the landing pad with little trouble, and Mara could not control the misgivings she was starting to get about the ease of the whole situation.
"It only seems easy, Jade," Luke said from behind her.
"How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of my head?" she said, smiling when she felt her elbow connect with his stomach. His groan of pain succeeded in making her day a bit brighter. "The *Jades Fire* is over there."
They walked in silence across the landing pad. It wasn't until they were huddled under the hull of the *Fire* before Luke spoke again.
"Someone's coming."
"I thought keeping people away was your job," Mara asked, grabbing her lightsaber and looking around.
"I missed one."
"You have a flair for stating the obvious, don't you?" She keyed open her ship without waiting for his answer. Running up the ramp before it was fully open and closing it just as fast, causing Luke to run to get on the ship in time.
"I'm beginning to get the feeling you don't want me here," he stated, once he was safely inside.
"Just now feeling that, huh? I should have tried harder."
She made her way to the cockpit. Sitting in her seat, she did not comment as Luke sat next to her. Together they started preparing her ship to fly.
"Uh oh," Luke mutter quietly.
"What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything," he said, taking his hands off the instruments. "But what ever happened here, means that we are not getting very far in this ship."
"What is it?" She studied the readouts and sat back in her chair. "This is really not my day. Well let's at least get out of here. We will figure the rest out when we are a bit further out of their reach."
"With the hyper-drive not working, we won't be getting much further."
"I don't recall asking for your opinion," Mara said, as the *Jade's Fire* lifted off the ground, and it's occupant's set about to find a place to land the wounded ship.
