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)
EPILOGUE
"Before you share it with the Senate, I'd like to know. Who was Gann?" Luke sat back down in the chair. He was still feeling tired after being let out of the bacta tank two hours prior.
Mara had been sitting in the waiting room when he'd walked out of the medical wing, grabbing his arm as his legs were still a little weak. Mara seemed to be glad that their parts weren't vice versa, and Luke understood why; Mara hated pampering more than anything, and was probably glad to pay him back Nirauan. He still remembered the look on her face and her ominous tone when she'd informed Luke, carrying her after she'd been hit by a blaster shot, that she could've still walked on her own. Luke didn't mind, he was just glad that she was there for him, as she'd somehow always been.
Mara sat opposite him, on the bed, drying her hair after taking a shower. "Gann's not her real name, it's Garia Mondian. She was Palpatine's apprentice before Vader, and during Vader, long before I came along. When Vader came along, it soon became clear that Palpatine had changed his opinion; wanted her only as an heir whereas Vader, who at the time showed greater Force abilities - or so I've been told - was to become his acting hand. Mondian wanted both, and as it became obvious to her that her own training was lacking and diminishing compared with Vader's, she left. Simply just left. Disappeared into thin air. Palpatine had the galaxy combed after her, but as their mental link, which I can imagine being very strong, was suddenly cut off shortly after her departure, Palpatine assumed she was dead and left it at that."
"How do you know all this? Did Palpatine tell you?" Luke asked.
"No," Mara paused, "Vader did."
Luke was puzzled.
Mara shrugged. "He loved playing the power game on me. I was never a threat, my job description was quite different to his, but I always got the sensation that it irked him a lot having another Force-sensitive, high- profile aide working for his Master." First Mara thought she'd upset Luke with this image of Vader, but then remembered how soberly Luke had always taken in information about his father's life after the time Anakin Skywalker had turned to the Dark Side.
"She must've meant a lot to the Emperor," Luke reasoned.
"Not really. She was his second apprentice after an unlucky chap known only by his Sith entitlement Maul, who met the end of his ways in combat - unless my memory serves me completely rotten dunga fruit, it was Kenobi who killed him. Any grief that Palpatine might've had towards the perish of an apprentice must've been dealt with then."
Luke wasn't so certain. "Dark side or not, he was human. You, as opposed to her never had any ambitions towards absolute power in the galaxy. Is that why he chose you?"
"Now thank you farmboy for making me sound so aimless." Mara smirked. "No, I don't think that was why he chose me. I never asked, though."
Mara's bitter pun made Luke smile. "But he did make you an active part of his political control. You had power noone even knew of. Maybe that was his way of keeping you happy and in leash?"
Luke wanted to bite his tongue after his last phrase, knowing Mara wouldn't quite appreciate the picture he'd painted - noone could hardly ever hold Mara Jade in leash, but she seemed to ignore it. "I've no idea. He read my mind, I didn't his. If I had he would've had to get rid of me, right? Can't have even your snotty little assassin knowing your dirty secrets."
It amazed Luke, this incredible ability of Mara's to embrace her past and joke about it. Even though he now knew for certain that it was all part of Mara's equally well developed mechanism of self-protection. Then a question occurred to him. "Who finished her training?"
"Noone did as far as I can tell. Palpatine did get pretty far with her - " Mara exchanged a glance with Luke as they both knew the depth of her understatement - "but lucky us, she left before she got to learn any tricks the Emperor hadn't taught me to counter."
Luke winked at her. "So he did teach you some things you've kept pretty hush about."
Mara shot a pretentiously disapproving glance. "Really think I'd share it all with some backwater self-appointed Jedi flyboy?"
"Watch your language, woman." Luke shook a finger at her, grinning.
Mara stood up, feeling serene but anticipating. She didn't want to be late - now that she had something worthwhile to say to the Senators. The raport of her alleged relativity to Palpatine was now widely known as a hoax, and this would just be a final reassurance to the already convinced Senate of her allegiance to the New Republic.
A few days later Luke had regained his strenght, and he needed every inch of it to handle what was waiting.
He was dressed in his best black attire, pacing the podium of the Senate's Grand State Hall. Leia ushered around him, commanding a what seemed a small army of decorators, florists and Luke's students running different errands.
Luke had been excused from the preparations after he'd started dropping plates out of sheed nervousness. Very unbecoming of a Jedi. On the other hand, this was indeed one of the most frightening moments of his life, Jedi or not.
Guests had just begun swarming into the massive Festival Hall, even though the hour was still early.
He jumped down from the podium, and walked to the doors to meet Lando.
"Hey, pal," He hailed, and grabbed Luke in a bear hug. Chewbacca roared a greeting from behind him, and Luke was soon swept away in another, even more bone-crushing hug. Great. Now his suit was full of wookiee hair. Leia was going to have his neck for this.
"How's it going?" Luke asked, and Chewbacca voiced his indignation for the fact that Han had been eight days late to pick him up from Kashyyk. One should never upset a wookiee, even with a good reason.
The next to arrive were Threepio and Artoo. "Master Luke, may I congratulate you on this day. I say, the setting is most appropriate for this function. Mistress Leia has done a wonderful job - -" the droid rattled on and Luke lost his interest. He kneeled down to say hi to Artoo. The little droid twittered cheerfully. Leia had reserved them places on the podium, next to Luke's other best friends and relatives.
Luke took a deep breath as Lando and Chewie made their way to the front of the hall. He patted his suit, making sure it looked as clean as it had hours earlier. Why had he come so early? This waiting was beginning to get to him. Leia called his name and he walked up to where she was decorating the doors with a delicate vine made of flowery plants.
"Could you hold this up for me?"
Luke did as told, glad to be given something to do besides feeling like running to the spaceport, jumping into his X-wing and fleeing as far as possible. "What would I do without you?" he mused to Leia. She paused her decorating, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She was dressed in a new white dress decorated with light green embroidery. She looked more beautiful than ever and Luke was taken by the effort Leia was taking to make this a special day.
"Nervous?" she asked.
Luke grimaced. "Give me a Sith Lord anyday." He wondered where Han was. He hadn't seen any signs of him all morning.
Leia caught his thoughts through the Force. His sister was embracing her budding abilities more and more every day. "Oh, he's got a lot to do, I can't really tell you, but..."
He hadn't seen Mara either, but for a good reason. He knew it was going to take far longer for her to get ready than it had for him. He just hoped she wasn't as doubtful as he was.
And by all reason he shouldn't have been nervous at all. His desire to marry Mara had not and would not diminish. They were two halves of one person, who'd been lost to each other, distract by Forces beoynd their grasp, but not that they'd found each other, it was going to last.
It was just all this attention. He wasn't much of an etiquette man, and in comparison to Mara, who'd spent most of her life as an Imperial socialite would expect him to behave.
"You know, the story goes that had Lando not held him at gunpoint, Han would've never showed up for our wedding."
Laughing, Luke's confidence returned an inch.
************************************************'
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)
EPILOGUE
"Before you share it with the Senate, I'd like to know. Who was Gann?" Luke sat back down in the chair. He was still feeling tired after being let out of the bacta tank two hours prior.
Mara had been sitting in the waiting room when he'd walked out of the medical wing, grabbing his arm as his legs were still a little weak. Mara seemed to be glad that their parts weren't vice versa, and Luke understood why; Mara hated pampering more than anything, and was probably glad to pay him back Nirauan. He still remembered the look on her face and her ominous tone when she'd informed Luke, carrying her after she'd been hit by a blaster shot, that she could've still walked on her own. Luke didn't mind, he was just glad that she was there for him, as she'd somehow always been.
Mara sat opposite him, on the bed, drying her hair after taking a shower. "Gann's not her real name, it's Garia Mondian. She was Palpatine's apprentice before Vader, and during Vader, long before I came along. When Vader came along, it soon became clear that Palpatine had changed his opinion; wanted her only as an heir whereas Vader, who at the time showed greater Force abilities - or so I've been told - was to become his acting hand. Mondian wanted both, and as it became obvious to her that her own training was lacking and diminishing compared with Vader's, she left. Simply just left. Disappeared into thin air. Palpatine had the galaxy combed after her, but as their mental link, which I can imagine being very strong, was suddenly cut off shortly after her departure, Palpatine assumed she was dead and left it at that."
"How do you know all this? Did Palpatine tell you?" Luke asked.
"No," Mara paused, "Vader did."
Luke was puzzled.
Mara shrugged. "He loved playing the power game on me. I was never a threat, my job description was quite different to his, but I always got the sensation that it irked him a lot having another Force-sensitive, high- profile aide working for his Master." First Mara thought she'd upset Luke with this image of Vader, but then remembered how soberly Luke had always taken in information about his father's life after the time Anakin Skywalker had turned to the Dark Side.
"She must've meant a lot to the Emperor," Luke reasoned.
"Not really. She was his second apprentice after an unlucky chap known only by his Sith entitlement Maul, who met the end of his ways in combat - unless my memory serves me completely rotten dunga fruit, it was Kenobi who killed him. Any grief that Palpatine might've had towards the perish of an apprentice must've been dealt with then."
Luke wasn't so certain. "Dark side or not, he was human. You, as opposed to her never had any ambitions towards absolute power in the galaxy. Is that why he chose you?"
"Now thank you farmboy for making me sound so aimless." Mara smirked. "No, I don't think that was why he chose me. I never asked, though."
Mara's bitter pun made Luke smile. "But he did make you an active part of his political control. You had power noone even knew of. Maybe that was his way of keeping you happy and in leash?"
Luke wanted to bite his tongue after his last phrase, knowing Mara wouldn't quite appreciate the picture he'd painted - noone could hardly ever hold Mara Jade in leash, but she seemed to ignore it. "I've no idea. He read my mind, I didn't his. If I had he would've had to get rid of me, right? Can't have even your snotty little assassin knowing your dirty secrets."
It amazed Luke, this incredible ability of Mara's to embrace her past and joke about it. Even though he now knew for certain that it was all part of Mara's equally well developed mechanism of self-protection. Then a question occurred to him. "Who finished her training?"
"Noone did as far as I can tell. Palpatine did get pretty far with her - " Mara exchanged a glance with Luke as they both knew the depth of her understatement - "but lucky us, she left before she got to learn any tricks the Emperor hadn't taught me to counter."
Luke winked at her. "So he did teach you some things you've kept pretty hush about."
Mara shot a pretentiously disapproving glance. "Really think I'd share it all with some backwater self-appointed Jedi flyboy?"
"Watch your language, woman." Luke shook a finger at her, grinning.
Mara stood up, feeling serene but anticipating. She didn't want to be late - now that she had something worthwhile to say to the Senators. The raport of her alleged relativity to Palpatine was now widely known as a hoax, and this would just be a final reassurance to the already convinced Senate of her allegiance to the New Republic.
A few days later Luke had regained his strenght, and he needed every inch of it to handle what was waiting.
He was dressed in his best black attire, pacing the podium of the Senate's Grand State Hall. Leia ushered around him, commanding a what seemed a small army of decorators, florists and Luke's students running different errands.
Luke had been excused from the preparations after he'd started dropping plates out of sheed nervousness. Very unbecoming of a Jedi. On the other hand, this was indeed one of the most frightening moments of his life, Jedi or not.
Guests had just begun swarming into the massive Festival Hall, even though the hour was still early.
He jumped down from the podium, and walked to the doors to meet Lando.
"Hey, pal," He hailed, and grabbed Luke in a bear hug. Chewbacca roared a greeting from behind him, and Luke was soon swept away in another, even more bone-crushing hug. Great. Now his suit was full of wookiee hair. Leia was going to have his neck for this.
"How's it going?" Luke asked, and Chewbacca voiced his indignation for the fact that Han had been eight days late to pick him up from Kashyyk. One should never upset a wookiee, even with a good reason.
The next to arrive were Threepio and Artoo. "Master Luke, may I congratulate you on this day. I say, the setting is most appropriate for this function. Mistress Leia has done a wonderful job - -" the droid rattled on and Luke lost his interest. He kneeled down to say hi to Artoo. The little droid twittered cheerfully. Leia had reserved them places on the podium, next to Luke's other best friends and relatives.
Luke took a deep breath as Lando and Chewie made their way to the front of the hall. He patted his suit, making sure it looked as clean as it had hours earlier. Why had he come so early? This waiting was beginning to get to him. Leia called his name and he walked up to where she was decorating the doors with a delicate vine made of flowery plants.
"Could you hold this up for me?"
Luke did as told, glad to be given something to do besides feeling like running to the spaceport, jumping into his X-wing and fleeing as far as possible. "What would I do without you?" he mused to Leia. She paused her decorating, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She was dressed in a new white dress decorated with light green embroidery. She looked more beautiful than ever and Luke was taken by the effort Leia was taking to make this a special day.
"Nervous?" she asked.
Luke grimaced. "Give me a Sith Lord anyday." He wondered where Han was. He hadn't seen any signs of him all morning.
Leia caught his thoughts through the Force. His sister was embracing her budding abilities more and more every day. "Oh, he's got a lot to do, I can't really tell you, but..."
He hadn't seen Mara either, but for a good reason. He knew it was going to take far longer for her to get ready than it had for him. He just hoped she wasn't as doubtful as he was.
And by all reason he shouldn't have been nervous at all. His desire to marry Mara had not and would not diminish. They were two halves of one person, who'd been lost to each other, distract by Forces beoynd their grasp, but not that they'd found each other, it was going to last.
It was just all this attention. He wasn't much of an etiquette man, and in comparison to Mara, who'd spent most of her life as an Imperial socialite would expect him to behave.
"You know, the story goes that had Lando not held him at gunpoint, Han would've never showed up for our wedding."
Laughing, Luke's confidence returned an inch.
************************************************'
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