Disclaimer: Most of the characters featured are the property of G. Lucas.
No copyright infringement intended. I am NOT making any money with this.
ONLY TO BE ARCHIVED AT FANFICTION.NET
Timeline: Post- Vision of the Future, replacing Union
To M. For feedback, excellent company, fellowship in SW-madness and fun around the clock ;=) (Especially behind the wheel - I sure would like to see you with an X-wing!)
SPOILER ALERT: Planet of Twilight, Showdown at Centrepoint, Specter of The Past, Vision of The Future, Vector Prime as well as some later New Jedi Orders. (And naturally the Thrawn trilogy, how can anyone possibly avoid that? ;=)
WARPED UNIVERSE ALERT: For the sake of storytelling, Isard's not dead at all. Condolenses to those who get stomach cramps from the woman. I know what you're going through. Just thank the stars of Alderaan I didn't bring Callista back.
Star Wars: The Rising By Heidi Ahlmen (siirma6@surfeu.fi)
Karrde, feeling like the true mood wrecker, left an hour later, aware that none of this was due to him, but still ashamed for being the messenger. The Wild Karrde went hyperspace forty minutes later, as per his instructions. He'd re-established his base on Myrkr a year prior, and now had decided to head that way for a few days of contemplation into what he could do to help. Help would be needed, and as a merchant of information he would eventually be the one the forefighters of the New Republic would turn to for solace in the form of the truth. If there was such.
And there must be. The matter was ridiculously simple, and the answer was somewhere, hidden in Imperial files. Yaga Minor, Bastion - he'd go anywhere. He owed it to a certain woman. His own empire of outlaw traders would not be quite the same without her.
He sent the rest of the crew to rest and decided to stay up in the cockpit. After fetching some annoyingly dry ration bars - he'd hardly had the time to restock - he made his way back into the pit.
He nearly dropped his bars. His pilot's chair was as empty as expected, but the co-pilot's chair was occupied by an almost ghostly sight, current galactic situation considered.
It was Mara, still dressed in the green, high-slit silk dress Karrde had caught a glimpse of in the Horns' party.
Before he could ask, Mara stood up. "You didn't tell me." It wasn't a statement rather than an icy accusation.
"I thought-"
"That surprises me, really," Mara commented in a strange tone: disinterested and dry. Karrde had hardly ever heard her use it.
"Look, if there's anything I can do-"
Oh how Mara seemed to love interrupting people. "There is. First you are going to sit down, gulp down that bar, and then tell me what other thing you've got neatly stacked about me in your files."
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."
"Not exactly what my assessment would be," Mara replied.
"You weren't exactly a public figure back then. I checked when I met you. Nothing. This is the first time you've ever popped up in files that have gone through the usual channels. You really think I would've kept things from you this long if there was something?"
"Yes, in my wary youth I did actually think you'd want to keep that from me as a negotiation tool for later days if I decided to jump ship or something. So shoot me. I'd prefer if you told me first, though."
Han returned into the midst of the crowd. He had abandoned Chewbacca's party plan as too labour intensive and decided to return, only to be disappointed: his wife was nowhere to be found, nor was her brother, not to mention Mara. He shrugged; must've been Jedi business. He couldn't always keep up with them.
Luke and Mara. Han'd watched their dance in silence from a corner farther away. His impression had been somewhat different from the others. He watched, admiring like everyone else the skill manifested in Mara and obviously to some extent in Luke, but there was something bothering him - the slight sense of deja vu in the back of his mind. There had been something very familiar about the scene that he couldn't quite put his finger on.
Then he shook his head. It must've been the Corellian brandy talking. He made a mental note to mention it to Mara sometimes. Just for fun.
CHAPTER IV:
Luke hurried up to Leia. "Where's Mara?" he interrogated, ignoring the look on his sister's face.
"She left. I don't know where."
"You didn't ask?" Luke refused to let himself believe that Leia would believe a word of it. But her lack of interest towards Mara's whereabouts spoke of ominous doubt at least to some extent.
"She just stormed out."
Fey'lya, standing a few feet away, spoke. "I apologize for the gatecrashing, Master Skywalker, but I felt this was a matter of utmost urgency."
"As anything seems to be these days," Luke spat out, ready to wring his neck if the Bothan continued. Only things concerning Mara could bring him to a boiling point and he didn't like it one bit but this anger he was willing to grant himself. "Where did you get this from?"
"We're trying to find that out," Fey'lya said dryly, looking around. "May I ask what urgent matters brought Talon Karrde here?"
"The same as yours, I can tell you." Luke lost all interest in Fey'lya and turned to Leia. "We need to talk." Leia simply nodded, and they retreated out of the hall into a corridor leading to the former throne room.
"Leia - Mara heard it, didn't she?"
Leia nodded again. "Was that what Karrde had to tell you?"
"Afraid so. He thought it best to leave Mara out of it, even with it risking our necks."
Leia had to smile. Her to-be sister-in-law had a genuine dislike for being left out. "I know I should've stopped her, but she does have the right to make her own decisions."
"Trust Fey'lya to be the messenger. Karrde said he was certain this was directed to him because he'd be more than willing to wreak havoc about it. He's no Imperial, but he doesn't exactly have the best interest of the Republic in his mind."
Leia could do nothing but agree. "The question is, where do we go from here?"
"First of all, this needs to be --- looked into." The word 'confirmed' did spring to mind but he couldn't use it. It was too ridiculous.
"By someone who has the means."
"You keep up with the Senate. I will go find Mara."
Leia looked sad. "You have to stay. You just have to. They're used to me covering for everything - they won't buy it this time, not with Fey'lya standing head."
Luke grit his teeth. Nothing new under the twin suns. Borsk Fey'lya had been Leia's pain for years - he seemed to have something personal against the Solo clan, and was more fond of political games than of reasonable governance. But this time it wasn't only due to the Bothan's squabbling nature that this would be big - no matter who the source be, this news would question Mara's reliability to the core. Fey'lya's opinions were nothing but a little stick in the storm.
And he was unsure whether Mara was interested in fighting. And he felt he had no right to ask it of her. She had long tried to put these matters behind her and succeeded, even though even Leia had once had her doubts - and who could blame her after the speech Mara had once given about killing Luke, just to annoy Leia.
It still amazed Luke, this change in Mara. He liked to think he had something to do with it, but with Mara one never knew. Her free spirit hadn't changed, and if the situation began roasting her feathers, she took off.
Leia touched his arm. "This won't be another Callista. Not with Mara."
Her bluntness startled Luke. Leia'd always had the ability to say the right things in the right place, be the truth in question painful or not. He'd thought of it - once even believed that he simply was incapable of holding on to a relationship. Bu Mara, again, had proven him wrong. And Luke hoped it would stay so. He didn't reply.
"We'll sleep on it. I'll get in touch with Ghent." Leia's ideas were seldom bad, and she was a quick thinker. Mara's former slicer, now head of the information libraries, Ghent, would most likely have some ideas where to begin.
The went their separate ways. Luke's thoughts didn't give him much rest for the remaining few hours of night. She believed Leia, and believed that she wouldn't swallow this as true. But for Mara his feelings were ambivalent. Had she gone because she knew something or because she didn't?
Mara sighed. Karrde knew as little as she did. Nothing about her family, her history before she'd been taken to Coruscant and later to Carida by the Emperor. She had known it in her heart, but had refused to believe. That was what she had been taught - leave no stones unturned. She cursed Luke for being who he was, forcing her to fall head over heels as if she had no choice, cursed him for having faced similar ghosts of the past without any injury to his cleansheet reputattion as a rebel hero. The Horns' party was a good example - the gang gathered together to relish on tales of the rebellion years, tales she had nothing to do with. She'd entered Luke's world, and he'd kept firmly out of hers, and Mara's world had long since seized to exist. It had died with the Emperor, whom she cursed again. Cursed for making her who she was - something she could never shake out, not with any possible Jedi memory trick, despite all that Luke might believe in his sometimes annoyingly optimistic heart.
She leaned on the window in the co-pilot's seat.
"How did you know that this was what I was telling Luke?"
"It wasn't particularly difficult. It there's something important in circulation, I figured you'd hear about it. And, considering that Luke wasn't exactly holding up much barriers at the time, I didn't even have to guess."
"What now?" Karrde asked silently.
Mara was unsure how long she'd sat without saying a word. Suddenly she felt very resolute. She couldn't back out - wouldn't back out. For Luke's and her own sake. "I'll retrace my steps. As far as I have to."
"What about the Senate?"
Mara glared him. "They had prigjin well do what they please. Everyone likes Luke, he's just going to have to use that liking for a change. One troublemaking Fey'lya can't change that. Face it, the galaxy loves its rebel heroes. If they hate me, it won't extend to Luke."
To Karrde Mara's comment had sounded an awful lot like an excuse for Mara to back out for Luke's sake.
But before he could word his suspicion, Mara continued. "I'll see what I can find. You keep your ears open. This is the latest, we'll just have to deal with it. I know they'll roast Skywalker alive, but better him than me as he's got nothing to answer for. He's never gotten any trouble even with the Vader thing, he'll be fine."
Karrde didn't share her enthusiasm. "He'll worry."
Mara grinned. "Drop a hint then. To Leia, to someone."
Karrde wasn't convinced. "He'll follow."
Mara was quicker. "Leia won't let him. She'll need him in dealing with our beloved Fey'lya and Gavrisom too when the word gets out."
"Remember Nirauan?" Karrde was persistant.
"Oh shut it."
Karrde smiled.
************************************************'
Thank you for reading. Reviews and feedback would be greatly appreciated - they're the fuel that feeds this creative furnace.
Heidi Ahlmen siirma6@surfeu.fi
ONLY TO BE ARCHIVED AT FANFICTION.NET
Timeline: Post- Vision of the Future, replacing Union
To M. For feedback, excellent company, fellowship in SW-madness and fun around the clock ;=) (Especially behind the wheel - I sure would like to see you with an X-wing!)
SPOILER ALERT: Planet of Twilight, Showdown at Centrepoint, Specter of The Past, Vision of The Future, Vector Prime as well as some later New Jedi Orders. (And naturally the Thrawn trilogy, how can anyone possibly avoid that? ;=)
WARPED UNIVERSE ALERT: For the sake of storytelling, Isard's not dead at all. Condolenses to those who get stomach cramps from the woman. I know what you're going through. Just thank the stars of Alderaan I didn't bring Callista back.
Star Wars: The Rising By Heidi Ahlmen (siirma6@surfeu.fi)
Karrde, feeling like the true mood wrecker, left an hour later, aware that none of this was due to him, but still ashamed for being the messenger. The Wild Karrde went hyperspace forty minutes later, as per his instructions. He'd re-established his base on Myrkr a year prior, and now had decided to head that way for a few days of contemplation into what he could do to help. Help would be needed, and as a merchant of information he would eventually be the one the forefighters of the New Republic would turn to for solace in the form of the truth. If there was such.
And there must be. The matter was ridiculously simple, and the answer was somewhere, hidden in Imperial files. Yaga Minor, Bastion - he'd go anywhere. He owed it to a certain woman. His own empire of outlaw traders would not be quite the same without her.
He sent the rest of the crew to rest and decided to stay up in the cockpit. After fetching some annoyingly dry ration bars - he'd hardly had the time to restock - he made his way back into the pit.
He nearly dropped his bars. His pilot's chair was as empty as expected, but the co-pilot's chair was occupied by an almost ghostly sight, current galactic situation considered.
It was Mara, still dressed in the green, high-slit silk dress Karrde had caught a glimpse of in the Horns' party.
Before he could ask, Mara stood up. "You didn't tell me." It wasn't a statement rather than an icy accusation.
"I thought-"
"That surprises me, really," Mara commented in a strange tone: disinterested and dry. Karrde had hardly ever heard her use it.
"Look, if there's anything I can do-"
Oh how Mara seemed to love interrupting people. "There is. First you are going to sit down, gulp down that bar, and then tell me what other thing you've got neatly stacked about me in your files."
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."
"Not exactly what my assessment would be," Mara replied.
"You weren't exactly a public figure back then. I checked when I met you. Nothing. This is the first time you've ever popped up in files that have gone through the usual channels. You really think I would've kept things from you this long if there was something?"
"Yes, in my wary youth I did actually think you'd want to keep that from me as a negotiation tool for later days if I decided to jump ship or something. So shoot me. I'd prefer if you told me first, though."
Han returned into the midst of the crowd. He had abandoned Chewbacca's party plan as too labour intensive and decided to return, only to be disappointed: his wife was nowhere to be found, nor was her brother, not to mention Mara. He shrugged; must've been Jedi business. He couldn't always keep up with them.
Luke and Mara. Han'd watched their dance in silence from a corner farther away. His impression had been somewhat different from the others. He watched, admiring like everyone else the skill manifested in Mara and obviously to some extent in Luke, but there was something bothering him - the slight sense of deja vu in the back of his mind. There had been something very familiar about the scene that he couldn't quite put his finger on.
Then he shook his head. It must've been the Corellian brandy talking. He made a mental note to mention it to Mara sometimes. Just for fun.
CHAPTER IV:
Luke hurried up to Leia. "Where's Mara?" he interrogated, ignoring the look on his sister's face.
"She left. I don't know where."
"You didn't ask?" Luke refused to let himself believe that Leia would believe a word of it. But her lack of interest towards Mara's whereabouts spoke of ominous doubt at least to some extent.
"She just stormed out."
Fey'lya, standing a few feet away, spoke. "I apologize for the gatecrashing, Master Skywalker, but I felt this was a matter of utmost urgency."
"As anything seems to be these days," Luke spat out, ready to wring his neck if the Bothan continued. Only things concerning Mara could bring him to a boiling point and he didn't like it one bit but this anger he was willing to grant himself. "Where did you get this from?"
"We're trying to find that out," Fey'lya said dryly, looking around. "May I ask what urgent matters brought Talon Karrde here?"
"The same as yours, I can tell you." Luke lost all interest in Fey'lya and turned to Leia. "We need to talk." Leia simply nodded, and they retreated out of the hall into a corridor leading to the former throne room.
"Leia - Mara heard it, didn't she?"
Leia nodded again. "Was that what Karrde had to tell you?"
"Afraid so. He thought it best to leave Mara out of it, even with it risking our necks."
Leia had to smile. Her to-be sister-in-law had a genuine dislike for being left out. "I know I should've stopped her, but she does have the right to make her own decisions."
"Trust Fey'lya to be the messenger. Karrde said he was certain this was directed to him because he'd be more than willing to wreak havoc about it. He's no Imperial, but he doesn't exactly have the best interest of the Republic in his mind."
Leia could do nothing but agree. "The question is, where do we go from here?"
"First of all, this needs to be --- looked into." The word 'confirmed' did spring to mind but he couldn't use it. It was too ridiculous.
"By someone who has the means."
"You keep up with the Senate. I will go find Mara."
Leia looked sad. "You have to stay. You just have to. They're used to me covering for everything - they won't buy it this time, not with Fey'lya standing head."
Luke grit his teeth. Nothing new under the twin suns. Borsk Fey'lya had been Leia's pain for years - he seemed to have something personal against the Solo clan, and was more fond of political games than of reasonable governance. But this time it wasn't only due to the Bothan's squabbling nature that this would be big - no matter who the source be, this news would question Mara's reliability to the core. Fey'lya's opinions were nothing but a little stick in the storm.
And he was unsure whether Mara was interested in fighting. And he felt he had no right to ask it of her. She had long tried to put these matters behind her and succeeded, even though even Leia had once had her doubts - and who could blame her after the speech Mara had once given about killing Luke, just to annoy Leia.
It still amazed Luke, this change in Mara. He liked to think he had something to do with it, but with Mara one never knew. Her free spirit hadn't changed, and if the situation began roasting her feathers, she took off.
Leia touched his arm. "This won't be another Callista. Not with Mara."
Her bluntness startled Luke. Leia'd always had the ability to say the right things in the right place, be the truth in question painful or not. He'd thought of it - once even believed that he simply was incapable of holding on to a relationship. Bu Mara, again, had proven him wrong. And Luke hoped it would stay so. He didn't reply.
"We'll sleep on it. I'll get in touch with Ghent." Leia's ideas were seldom bad, and she was a quick thinker. Mara's former slicer, now head of the information libraries, Ghent, would most likely have some ideas where to begin.
The went their separate ways. Luke's thoughts didn't give him much rest for the remaining few hours of night. She believed Leia, and believed that she wouldn't swallow this as true. But for Mara his feelings were ambivalent. Had she gone because she knew something or because she didn't?
Mara sighed. Karrde knew as little as she did. Nothing about her family, her history before she'd been taken to Coruscant and later to Carida by the Emperor. She had known it in her heart, but had refused to believe. That was what she had been taught - leave no stones unturned. She cursed Luke for being who he was, forcing her to fall head over heels as if she had no choice, cursed him for having faced similar ghosts of the past without any injury to his cleansheet reputattion as a rebel hero. The Horns' party was a good example - the gang gathered together to relish on tales of the rebellion years, tales she had nothing to do with. She'd entered Luke's world, and he'd kept firmly out of hers, and Mara's world had long since seized to exist. It had died with the Emperor, whom she cursed again. Cursed for making her who she was - something she could never shake out, not with any possible Jedi memory trick, despite all that Luke might believe in his sometimes annoyingly optimistic heart.
She leaned on the window in the co-pilot's seat.
"How did you know that this was what I was telling Luke?"
"It wasn't particularly difficult. It there's something important in circulation, I figured you'd hear about it. And, considering that Luke wasn't exactly holding up much barriers at the time, I didn't even have to guess."
"What now?" Karrde asked silently.
Mara was unsure how long she'd sat without saying a word. Suddenly she felt very resolute. She couldn't back out - wouldn't back out. For Luke's and her own sake. "I'll retrace my steps. As far as I have to."
"What about the Senate?"
Mara glared him. "They had prigjin well do what they please. Everyone likes Luke, he's just going to have to use that liking for a change. One troublemaking Fey'lya can't change that. Face it, the galaxy loves its rebel heroes. If they hate me, it won't extend to Luke."
To Karrde Mara's comment had sounded an awful lot like an excuse for Mara to back out for Luke's sake.
But before he could word his suspicion, Mara continued. "I'll see what I can find. You keep your ears open. This is the latest, we'll just have to deal with it. I know they'll roast Skywalker alive, but better him than me as he's got nothing to answer for. He's never gotten any trouble even with the Vader thing, he'll be fine."
Karrde didn't share her enthusiasm. "He'll worry."
Mara grinned. "Drop a hint then. To Leia, to someone."
Karrde wasn't convinced. "He'll follow."
Mara was quicker. "Leia won't let him. She'll need him in dealing with our beloved Fey'lya and Gavrisom too when the word gets out."
"Remember Nirauan?" Karrde was persistant.
"Oh shut it."
Karrde smiled.
************************************************'
Thank you for reading. Reviews and feedback would be greatly appreciated - they're the fuel that feeds this creative furnace.
Heidi Ahlmen siirma6@surfeu.fi