Title: Stronger Than Night
Author: Jedi Trace
Rating: PG
Genre: AU, drama, action, romance
Summary: Two years after Vision of the Future , Mara Jade Skywalker answers a cryptic distress call and finds herself stranded in the midst of a desperate situation.
Disclaimer: George owns it, I don't.
A/N: This was my first fanfic, written back in the summer of 2000.
CHAPTER ONE
Morning broke quietly over the Jedi Academy, warm sunlight revealing a scattering of students already embarking on their morning exercises and meditations. A short distance behind the main campus, a gentle breeze brushed the pale green leaves of a wayward tree branch against the bedroom window of the master's apartment.
Inside, Luke Skywalker stirred under the bed covers, pausing as his hand brushed the familiar, feathery satin of his wife's hair. She lay pressed against him, head resting on his shoulder; her red-gold mane sprawled across his chest. He smiled, savoring the rare moment of quiet intimacy.
Rising slowly to rest on one elbow, Mara Jade Skywalker peered at her husband through bleary eyes, "It's too early to smile."
Reaching up, Luke slid his hand behind her neck, pulling her lips to his, "Speak for yourself," he murmured.
Mara sank into the familiar embrace, her warm caress appreciating the toned muscles of his arms and back. Much too soon, a buzz from the comm unit signaled an incoming message. She turned over and silenced the comm with a swat of her hand, "It's from Cale. He finished loading the Sabre."
"Are you sure you have to leave?" Luke asked. "You've only been home for three days."
"I know, but Jaina asked me to guide her in the trials for her promotion to senior level. And it's only for a week. After that – semester break," she grinned.
Luke swung his legs to sit beside her on the edge of the bed, running a hand through his sandy-blonde hair, "Do you have time to eat first?"
Heading to the refresher, she tossed a wink over her shoulder, "There's always time for that, farmboy."
Later that morning, Luke entered the cockpit of the Jade Sabre where Mara was making final calculations. "All set?"
"Just about," she answered, turning to bring up the Nav computer.
"Are you sure you don't want to take Artoo?" he asked.
"I'm sure. You'll need him when you come to Coruscant. That X-wing of yours is positively irritable without him."
Luke smiled as she led him to the foot of the entrance ramp. "Be careful, okay?" he reached out for her hand.
She pulled him to her and held him close. "I will," she whispered. Tilting her head up, she kissed him warmly, "See you next week." Stepping back, she turned and started up the ramp.
Above Yavin, Mara steadied herself against the ship's vibrations as she exited the planet's atmosphere. She checked the Nav computer – fifteen minutes until jump. Reclining against the headrest, she gazed out at the stars and was rewarded by the glorious sight of a passing comet. The tail flared behind it for as far as she could see, a shimmering tapestry of color and light.
Not so long ago in her life, she wouldn't have given it a second glance, but things were different now. She was different. Seeing life through Luke's eyes for the past few years had taught her much about peace, and about love. And just this last year she had realized the importance of cherishing every minute.
A flash on the comm panel interrupted her thoughts. Leaning forward, she keyed to receive, "Jade Sabre."
"Captain Jade?" a stiff voice answered.
"Yes – "
"One moment, please."
Seconds later a familiar voice hailed, "Mara, it's Karrde. Your assistant said that I might be able to catch you. Got a minute?"
She relaxed and leaned back, "I've got nine. Who was that?"
"Someone new. Look, I got a rather urgent communication today. Remember the contracting group that tried to enlist our services on Sluis Van about six years ago?"
"You mean the pirates?"
He snorted, "Yeah, that's them. Remember a young man named Daven?"
She grimaced, "How could I forget? The small guy with dark eyes that kept staring at me all the time?"
She heard the amusement in his voice. "Well, apparently you made quite an impression on him." Serious again, he continued, "He contacted me and said that he had some important information for the New Republic and that he would only give it to you."
"Why me? And why did he contact you?"
"That's what I asked him. He said that a communication to me would look less suspicious than one to the Jedi Academy, and he knew that he could trust you. He sounded quite terrified. I've got an encrypted message here that he said you would be able to crack."
"Look, Karrde, I'm on my way to Coruscant and I really can't ... " she stopped, feeling a gentle ripple in the Force. She used to call them "Jedi hunches," and had learned from Luke that they shouldn't be ignored. She grimaced, "All right, send it to me. But I can't make any promises."
"Sending now. Let me know how it turns out, okay?"
"Will do. What's your fee?" she asked.
"For you? It's on the house."
"What?" she mocked. "You're not getting soft are you?"
He laughed, "Not at all. Just don't tell anyone else about this."
"Your secret is safe with me. Sabre out." Mara keyed for the transmission and a single word appeared on the screen: perania.
Perania? She searched her memory. When they had been working on Sluis Van, Daven had commented on the beauty of the local flora, the perania in particular. He had picked a scarlet bloom and laid it on her transmitter when he thought she wasn't looking. Taking a guess, she keyed the word, "scarlet" and was rewarded with a covert message:
Mara
Jade – I apologize for the awkward nature of this message. I have
become involved in a situation that has become hazardous to myself,
and many others. I request the aid of the New Republic and trust that
you will be able to arrange such without implicating me in the
process. I cannot transmit this information. Please meet me at the
coordinates below. Many innocents will die without your aid. Please
do not delay. My position here is in peril and I fear for my life. –
Daven
She had one minute left to make the jump to
Coruscant, but something told her that Daven's plea was not to be
ignored. The coordinates were coded so that she could not know the
destination prior to jump, in case she should attempt to alert
someone of her destination, no doubt. This guy really was
scared. Pausing, she reached out to the Force and felt…calm. Taking
a deep breath, she keyed in the coordinates and waited. Stars became
star lines as she was thrust into hyperspace.
A high-pitched chime from the control panel jolted her from sleep. Blinking to clear her eyes, she checked the coordinates, and groaned - surely not. Of all places in the entire galaxy –
She never finished the thought. Suddenly, the Sabre rocked violently as a torpedo blast exploded against the bow. "What the...!" raising her eyes to the view screen, she gasped.
A freighter, large enough to be a small space station, was under attack from a motley armada of what looked to be pirated ships and snub fighters. She had apparently jumped into the midst of this fray. Before she could take evasive action, another massive blast pummeled the stern and knocked Mara to the deck. She felt a sharp crack against her skull and then…nothing. Powerless, the Sabre spiraled towards the planet's surface.
To be continued…
