DISCLAIMER: I don't own Star Wars, they belong to Mr. Lucas and I have made
no money- I've only earned a little bit of fun. :)
---
Chapter Three
Trudging through the remains of the spaceport was not fun at all. But at least the two could be thankful that the blasts hadn't ruptured the fragile outer walls of the floating port or at least it hadn't in the areas where they were walking. Bodies lay everywhere and so far they had encountered no other survivors.
'Or even suicidal Imperials.' Mara thought. She had been extremely careful with watching Chrika ahead of her. She hadn't picked up any of the weapons lying around beside its owner. Mara also thought it ironic that she would be placed in a situation like she had been with Skywalker. Instead the anger was directed at her, but at least she was armed and her companion wasn't.
Chrika stopped in front of her and pointed to a caved in entrance. "This is the main communication center. You can try and find what you want in there."
Mara nodded and stepped up to the half-filled hole. She tried peering through, but couldn't make out anything. A slight draft across her cheek told her that there was some sort of tunnel into it, albeit a very small one. The draft also told her that the room wasn't open to space, it wasn't sucking her in at all, a very good thing to stay alive. Clicking her lightsaber off her belt she made quick work to cut a wider hole for them to fit through.
When they entered, Mara's heart sank. Cables, wires and equipment were laying everywhere. Mara spotted a communit and scrambled towards it, being careful not to step on any of the dead. The unit was beyond worthless, she knelt down and examined its inner workings, everything was destroyed or melted, but Mara found one slight hope. No damage could be seen to its secondary battery. Mara maneuvered herself into a good position and started to pull the medium sized battery out. With any luck, she could find a working communit and could figure out a way to give it extra juice with the battery she'd just found.
"What are you doing?" Chrika asked behind her.
Mara grunted when she finally got the battery free. "We're going to see if we can find another commstation- this ones above and beyond help. This battery might come in useful if we have to make a long-range communication." Mara stood straight up again and winced at the throbbing in her knee. The synth-flesh wasn't holding out too well, she'd have to put another coat on it. "Would you be able to carry this?"
Chrika glanced doubtfully at the battery and shrugged. "All right. I've got nothing else to do."
'Except making plans to kill me.' Mara thought, but she didn't say anything, just handed over the battery to Chrika's outstretched hand.
The two made their way back out to the main 'passageway' and they stopped for a short break. Each carried a canteen that they had found at the cantina and took a drink of water. Mara sat on the ground and rested her back on the wall. Her knee was aching, but she could still walk around and for the most part ignore it. She thought of what they could do next. Mara's ship was down the passageway in the direction they were going and there were also other ships that were sure to still be in the docking bays. They could check each one just to be safe and see if anything was in working order. But then, all the ships were probably armed to explode if messed with; she'd leave that as a last resort. Besides the fact that the spaceport had already been through multiple explosions, she didn't want to see if it could hold up to another one.
Mara decided on going to her ship and seeing if it was in working order, stopping at communication stations along the way. She wondered if Karrde was wondering where she was and if he had sent out a party to see what was happening. She glanced down at her chrono, 5 hours had past since the explosion and the news would have traveled to the other side of the galaxy by now. Help would certainly be on the way, she just wondered if they were expecting survivors.
Leaning back against the wall, Mara took a deep breath and focused on her knee using the Force, her fledging abilities did do a bit of good, but not enough to totally take away the pain. Sitting absolutely still, she thought she felt a vibration. Mara held her breath and waited to see if she could feel it again, she did and thought it might be a ship that had attached itself to the spaceport. Again Mara used the Force, but this time reached out in search of the ship and hopefully a rescue team. She felt a group of beings on the other side of the spaceport that she thought resembled humans, an underlying sense of duty and a sort of malice. Putting those two together she felt that it would probably be a group of Imperials. 'Came to finish the job.' Mara thought sarcastically. They'd have to get going to avoid a confrontation and Mara didn't want to find out if Chrika would shoot her in the back if they met with the Imperial party.
"Let's go." Mara got up and quickened their pace slightly, she'd have to get to her ship and broadcast a message to Karrde for help.
Chrika rolled her eyes. "We just stopped and it's not like anything is going anywhere."
Mara glared at her. "Do you know how long this spaceport will hold out for?"
Chrika slowly shook her head.
"Neither do I." Mara bit out. "And I don't want to find out. The sooner we get out of here the better."
Chrika snorted. "So you can go running back to you little rebel friends." She got up and started walking in the direction that Mara pointed to.
"Let's get one thing straight Chrika. The Rebels are not 'little' and they are certainly not my 'friends'." Mara snapped.
"What do you call them then?"
"Business associates."
Chrika climbed over a pile of concrete and watched as Mara struggled to do the same. "So what does that make the Empire?"
"A bunch of misguided zealots."
Chrika's face turned red. "How can you say that! The Emperor brought a restless and corrupt society under control. He got things done."
Mara walked past Chrika and continued on, she'd never expected herself to defend the New Republic, especially with the background that she had. "I guess you could say that." Mara paused and turned back to Chrika, who seemed to have a satisfied smile. "By killing millions of beings in the process."
Chrika shrugged that off. "They were just a bunch of aliens who needed a little guidance and incentive to follow rules."
Mara slowly nodded her head. "What about Alderaan?"
Chrika's face turned red again. "I never questioned the Emperor before and I don't plan to now. He made a decision and I believe that it was the right one."
Mara snorted. "So if he told you to go out and shoot your father. would you?"
Chrika's face tightened. "Emperor Palpatine would have had a good reason to have me do that."
"If that's what you think. but need I remind you, I was closer to the Emperor than you and I have to admit that now, looking back, I think he ordered deaths of people and aliens for his own amusement and because he saw them as a threat."
Chrika walked on and didn't say anything.
Mara pressed her argument. "What would you have done if you were in power?"
Chrika shrugged. "The same as the Emperor."
"That's not an answer Chrika, use your head."
Chrika thought for awhile. "I would bring peace and order to the galaxy."
Mara nodded approval. "But would you have done it my killing billions? Or even destroying a *peaceful* planet?"
Chrika's face was starting to lose her conviction of her argument. "Princess Leia would not cooperate in giving the location of the Rebel base."
"Is that enough reason to blow up a planet? I certainly don't think so. One person would not cooperate, so an entire civilization is wiped out without a second thought? Don't you think that's a little extreme?"
Chrika hesitated. "I did cry when I heard that. My dad said that I was weak and I had to be strong to make the galaxy a better place."
"And do you think that if everyone thought that the Empire was doing the right thing, do you think there would have been a bunch of rebels? Everyone's seen the celebrations on thousands of planets when news came that the Emperor had been killed. People rejoiced and were happy. I saw aliens and *humans* on the street celebrating." Mara watched Chrika and saw part of that fanatic fire start to leave her eyes. "The Empire brought planets under control by force. You look at the New Republic now, and thousands of planets and solar systems are joining them on their own free will. Doesn't that say something of how the galaxy felt about the Empire?"
Chrika cast her eyes down and walked silently ahead.
---- Writer's blurb: Again I think I used some Star Wars terminology wrong. I'm doing my best. What do you guys think about Mara defending the New Republic and what her views are now against the Empire? Do you think that's how'd she'd really feel or is just my imagination? Hope you enjoyed this chapter :) PS. I like reviews :)
Chapter Three
Trudging through the remains of the spaceport was not fun at all. But at least the two could be thankful that the blasts hadn't ruptured the fragile outer walls of the floating port or at least it hadn't in the areas where they were walking. Bodies lay everywhere and so far they had encountered no other survivors.
'Or even suicidal Imperials.' Mara thought. She had been extremely careful with watching Chrika ahead of her. She hadn't picked up any of the weapons lying around beside its owner. Mara also thought it ironic that she would be placed in a situation like she had been with Skywalker. Instead the anger was directed at her, but at least she was armed and her companion wasn't.
Chrika stopped in front of her and pointed to a caved in entrance. "This is the main communication center. You can try and find what you want in there."
Mara nodded and stepped up to the half-filled hole. She tried peering through, but couldn't make out anything. A slight draft across her cheek told her that there was some sort of tunnel into it, albeit a very small one. The draft also told her that the room wasn't open to space, it wasn't sucking her in at all, a very good thing to stay alive. Clicking her lightsaber off her belt she made quick work to cut a wider hole for them to fit through.
When they entered, Mara's heart sank. Cables, wires and equipment were laying everywhere. Mara spotted a communit and scrambled towards it, being careful not to step on any of the dead. The unit was beyond worthless, she knelt down and examined its inner workings, everything was destroyed or melted, but Mara found one slight hope. No damage could be seen to its secondary battery. Mara maneuvered herself into a good position and started to pull the medium sized battery out. With any luck, she could find a working communit and could figure out a way to give it extra juice with the battery she'd just found.
"What are you doing?" Chrika asked behind her.
Mara grunted when she finally got the battery free. "We're going to see if we can find another commstation- this ones above and beyond help. This battery might come in useful if we have to make a long-range communication." Mara stood straight up again and winced at the throbbing in her knee. The synth-flesh wasn't holding out too well, she'd have to put another coat on it. "Would you be able to carry this?"
Chrika glanced doubtfully at the battery and shrugged. "All right. I've got nothing else to do."
'Except making plans to kill me.' Mara thought, but she didn't say anything, just handed over the battery to Chrika's outstretched hand.
The two made their way back out to the main 'passageway' and they stopped for a short break. Each carried a canteen that they had found at the cantina and took a drink of water. Mara sat on the ground and rested her back on the wall. Her knee was aching, but she could still walk around and for the most part ignore it. She thought of what they could do next. Mara's ship was down the passageway in the direction they were going and there were also other ships that were sure to still be in the docking bays. They could check each one just to be safe and see if anything was in working order. But then, all the ships were probably armed to explode if messed with; she'd leave that as a last resort. Besides the fact that the spaceport had already been through multiple explosions, she didn't want to see if it could hold up to another one.
Mara decided on going to her ship and seeing if it was in working order, stopping at communication stations along the way. She wondered if Karrde was wondering where she was and if he had sent out a party to see what was happening. She glanced down at her chrono, 5 hours had past since the explosion and the news would have traveled to the other side of the galaxy by now. Help would certainly be on the way, she just wondered if they were expecting survivors.
Leaning back against the wall, Mara took a deep breath and focused on her knee using the Force, her fledging abilities did do a bit of good, but not enough to totally take away the pain. Sitting absolutely still, she thought she felt a vibration. Mara held her breath and waited to see if she could feel it again, she did and thought it might be a ship that had attached itself to the spaceport. Again Mara used the Force, but this time reached out in search of the ship and hopefully a rescue team. She felt a group of beings on the other side of the spaceport that she thought resembled humans, an underlying sense of duty and a sort of malice. Putting those two together she felt that it would probably be a group of Imperials. 'Came to finish the job.' Mara thought sarcastically. They'd have to get going to avoid a confrontation and Mara didn't want to find out if Chrika would shoot her in the back if they met with the Imperial party.
"Let's go." Mara got up and quickened their pace slightly, she'd have to get to her ship and broadcast a message to Karrde for help.
Chrika rolled her eyes. "We just stopped and it's not like anything is going anywhere."
Mara glared at her. "Do you know how long this spaceport will hold out for?"
Chrika slowly shook her head.
"Neither do I." Mara bit out. "And I don't want to find out. The sooner we get out of here the better."
Chrika snorted. "So you can go running back to you little rebel friends." She got up and started walking in the direction that Mara pointed to.
"Let's get one thing straight Chrika. The Rebels are not 'little' and they are certainly not my 'friends'." Mara snapped.
"What do you call them then?"
"Business associates."
Chrika climbed over a pile of concrete and watched as Mara struggled to do the same. "So what does that make the Empire?"
"A bunch of misguided zealots."
Chrika's face turned red. "How can you say that! The Emperor brought a restless and corrupt society under control. He got things done."
Mara walked past Chrika and continued on, she'd never expected herself to defend the New Republic, especially with the background that she had. "I guess you could say that." Mara paused and turned back to Chrika, who seemed to have a satisfied smile. "By killing millions of beings in the process."
Chrika shrugged that off. "They were just a bunch of aliens who needed a little guidance and incentive to follow rules."
Mara slowly nodded her head. "What about Alderaan?"
Chrika's face turned red again. "I never questioned the Emperor before and I don't plan to now. He made a decision and I believe that it was the right one."
Mara snorted. "So if he told you to go out and shoot your father. would you?"
Chrika's face tightened. "Emperor Palpatine would have had a good reason to have me do that."
"If that's what you think. but need I remind you, I was closer to the Emperor than you and I have to admit that now, looking back, I think he ordered deaths of people and aliens for his own amusement and because he saw them as a threat."
Chrika walked on and didn't say anything.
Mara pressed her argument. "What would you have done if you were in power?"
Chrika shrugged. "The same as the Emperor."
"That's not an answer Chrika, use your head."
Chrika thought for awhile. "I would bring peace and order to the galaxy."
Mara nodded approval. "But would you have done it my killing billions? Or even destroying a *peaceful* planet?"
Chrika's face was starting to lose her conviction of her argument. "Princess Leia would not cooperate in giving the location of the Rebel base."
"Is that enough reason to blow up a planet? I certainly don't think so. One person would not cooperate, so an entire civilization is wiped out without a second thought? Don't you think that's a little extreme?"
Chrika hesitated. "I did cry when I heard that. My dad said that I was weak and I had to be strong to make the galaxy a better place."
"And do you think that if everyone thought that the Empire was doing the right thing, do you think there would have been a bunch of rebels? Everyone's seen the celebrations on thousands of planets when news came that the Emperor had been killed. People rejoiced and were happy. I saw aliens and *humans* on the street celebrating." Mara watched Chrika and saw part of that fanatic fire start to leave her eyes. "The Empire brought planets under control by force. You look at the New Republic now, and thousands of planets and solar systems are joining them on their own free will. Doesn't that say something of how the galaxy felt about the Empire?"
Chrika cast her eyes down and walked silently ahead.
---- Writer's blurb: Again I think I used some Star Wars terminology wrong. I'm doing my best. What do you guys think about Mara defending the New Republic and what her views are now against the Empire? Do you think that's how'd she'd really feel or is just my imagination? Hope you enjoyed this chapter :) PS. I like reviews :)