Authors: Co-written by rhonderoo and Jedi Trace
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Lucasfilm, Ltd. No money is being made and no infringement is intended.
A/N: Thanks for reading! Feedback is appreciated.
CHAPTER SIX
The throne room of his Master yawned before Darth Vader. As the doors to the lift opened, he saw the throne of his Emperor standing before him; the obsidian matte back hid his Master as he faced the stars through the viewport. Though he could not see him, he felt the malevolence in his Master's presence and a sense of dread came over him. This was not going to be just any summons. Slowly, the Emperor turned to Vader.
"Greetings, Lord Vader."
Vader kneeled in front of his Master. "What is thy bidding, my Master?"
The Emperor waved dismissively at the Royal Guards. "Leave us."
"You have been busy, Lord Vader. Even now I can feel the fear in your heart. Fear that I will find out about your apprentice and your years of betrayal." The Emperor spat the last word out viciously.
Vader's heart began a staccato rhythm in his chest and he felt a rivulet of sweat make its way down the side of his face under the mask. Sometimes the reminders that he was still human chose to show themselves at the most incongruous moments; but then, there was nothing he feared in the galaxy, save his Master. The room was electric with dark side energy and his mind worked furiously to shield any thoughts of Mara Jade or her previous mission to find his son.
"Yes," the Emperor hissed softly. "Your feelings betray you, Lord Vader."
Too late.
The Emperor continued, his voice menacing. "Do not concern yourself, my friend. You will find that as we speak, Mara Jade is doing my bidding. I have sent her on an assignment that will rid us of the threat of the Jedi."
Vader tensed inside the armor, a sense of foreboding settling over him. Surely it was not as it seemed. His mind ticked off occasions and opportunities that Mara Jade would have had to betray him. He realized had been far too trusting of the girl. He had let his well-maintained defenses down. After all of these years, he thought he had learned his lesson, he silently mocked himself. He could feel the gathering storm building within himself, the howl of anger rising in his ears.
Working furiously to regain his sense of control, he clamped down on the uncontrollable rage that was another man's. A man who never learned to detach himself from his enemy, who never learned the value of that detachment and how easy it was to terminate something you had no feeling or thought for. That man was dead. This man, Darth Vader would get retribution, but he could wait for it.
Gloating at Vader's unspoken reaction, the Emperor continued, "I have given the mission to terminate young Skywalker's life to her in your stead. You no longer have to worry about killing your own seed. You will go back to your ship and await my orders."
The Emperor pressed the button on his throne, turning to once again face the galaxy that was his alone, leaving Vader biting back his last vestige of control. There was no need in trying to refute any part of this. Relieved at the prospect of being rid of his Master's presence, Vader rose and left the room.
As soon as he was a safe distance from the Throne Room, the maelstrom that was his thoughts returned to him, his mind working feverishly. He was losing control of the situation and the chance to turn his son instead of ending his life. He saw Luke's chances diminishing rapidly. From somewhere deep inside, the voice that lied in wait - his constant companion, howled in misery.
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Entering her Imperial Center apartment, Mara locked the access panel and shrugged off her filthy clothes. She leaned heavily against the wall of the refresher as hot water washed the Tatooine sand into the drain. If only it could wash away the ache of dread gnawing at the pit of her stomach. Undoubtedly, the Emperor's spies had already reported her failure. She could beg for mercy. Maybe she'd only need a few bacta patches when he'd finished with her. Maybe.
No, she thought, pulling on her clothes. She had made the choice to defy the Emperor and would face the consequences without degrading herself.
Completely preoccupied with her thoughts, Mara failed to notice the arrival of the dark presence in her quarters. Returning to the bedroom, she froze. Darth Vader stood motionlessly against the far wall, the only sound the menacing hiss of his mechanical breather.
A feeling of unease came over Mara as she tried to assess the state of her Master. There were times that he could appear from nowhere, it seemed, and had the frightening ability to remain completely still. He was at his most dangerous at these times, the calm eerily projected around him, like a kiljarik asp right before it struck. It was at these times, Mara recalled with a sense of rising apprehension, that people died.
"Master-" she began hesitantly, before realizing that the fact that he was in her room was not as ominous, however, as his demeanor in the Force. Barely controlled rage smoldered behind the outward calm.
"Where have you been?" he asked slowly.
"I had an assignment from the Emperor," she replied, her voice shaking.
"The Emperor told me that you were sent to kill Skywalker." The tone of his voice belied the impatience and fury she sensed rising with every second.
Disconcerted, she shook her head slowly, a trickle of fear twisting its way around her. Why would Palpatine tell him, knowing what his reaction would be...? She pushed the thought out of her mind, trying her best to shield.
Mara realized that Vader's right hand rested on the pommel of his lightsaber.
"I didn't do it," she answered hoarsely.
Lifting Luke's Jedi robe off the bed with his other hand, Vader held it up. She'd forgotten it was there. There was a blur of movement, and then he was in front of her - his saber drawn and ignited, the red blade hissing menacingly. Only a fool did not tremble before Lord Vader's sword and Mara backed against the wall, the trickle of fear exploding into a tidal wave.
"Master...I can explain..."
"Do not lie to me, Mara Jade," he continued, his voice vibrating in her ears. "And do not presume to call me 'Master' when you serve another."
"It's the truth," she implored.
The glowing blade stopped just short of her throat and Mara inhaled a ragged breath.
"I would not kill your son!"
The revelation detonated between them like a concussion missile. Vader lowered his blade and stepped back as Mara clung to the wall. For a moment, there was no sound, not even that of the mechanical breather.
"What...did you say?" he asked slowly, his voice barely audible to Mara's ears, the noise of fear drowning it out.
If Mara had any doubt about her deduction, it was erased now. The room seemed to vibrate with a darkness that spoke volumes of the terrifying state of Vader's mood. She spoke quickly, frantically – her words tumbling together, "There was a holocube, in Jabba's palace, with a Podracer, and an image of Anakin Skywalker."
Vader took a menacing step towards her. " Do not speak that name aloud ever again."
The words were spoken with deadly precision, cold and brutal, emphasized by the gloved finger he was pointing at her. Mara could feel her Master's disposition through the Force; this was something that was absolutely not to be questioned.
He allowed her to continue, "Luke Skywalker bears the likeness of...the boy...in the holo. And he is a Jedi."
Jedi...
It lingered in the air like the tail of a comet. Vader absorbed the statement in silence, but the air around him almost crackled with energy.
De-activating his lightsaber abruptly, he handed it to Mara. "You must leave. The Emperor knows of our alliance and there is a warrant for your arrest. Your weapons have been confiscated."
She took the saber hesitantly.
"Go," he commanded. "And do not come back."
With the last statement, Vader turned and left, black cape swirling behind him as he strode out of Mara's chambers. She couldn't help but feel an acute sense of despair, as if it were the last conversation they would ever have...
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...do not come back The order followed her, haunting her. She pushed it from her mind. There was no time now to think of anything but escape.
"Halt!" called the mechanical voice of a stormtrooper.
Blast! She hadn't even felt him coming.
Mara bolted down the passage, blocking blaster bolts with Vader's lightsaber. Rounding a corner, she came to a dead stop. An entire garrison of troopers surrounded her. She couldn't possibly deflect them all. Shutting down the saber, she placed it in the outstretched hand of the commanding officer and choked down the bile rising in her throat.
