Chapter 4

by Saber Girl Leia

Important author's note! I have a bunch of schoolwork due by end-of-quarter, I'm helping to organize the school Shakespeare festival, and I'm going away for spring break. So this may well be the last update until sometime in the second week of April. I am very, very sorry about that. :( But please don't give up on me, I promise I will keep writing, pencil and paper (well, pen in my case usually, but you get the idea...) even on the plane to Florida, most likely... I'm going to miss you guys!

Disclaimer: George Lucas's, James Kahn's, and Timothy Zahn's. Thank them for the characters and most of the situations. Again, bits of the dialogue are George Lucas's and James Kahn's, but not so much in this chapter.

LVB: Glad you like it! Here's some more!

Janna Silver Hawkins: Yup! Here it is!

tensixtythree: Glad you like it! Here's an update!

Shadow131: Yeah... You'd better not die Han, or Leia's gonna kill you! LOL

Relyan: You're welcome. Yes, Mara is entering this story. Thanks for complimenting my writing style:D

Darthtuna: Thanks! I'm glad you like my writing! Yeah, seriously, I love RotJ, but like, Leia is a woman of action, not 'okay brother dear go save everybody, including our father, while I stay here and, well, also save everybody, but in a not nearly so exciting and memorable way, and never meet dear old dad.' Go feminists!

Like the screenname, lol.

You know who I am: I know who you are.

Um... I wasn't thinking of that, actually, but probably subconsciously... if that makes sense... lol

Griffin-girl02: Thanks for the review! I'm really glad you like it.

About the spacing issue... Thanks for pointing that out; I just reread it. There were originally dashes there. So now I realize that doesn't accept dashes, so I'll avoid them in the future. So thanks again for making me aware of it. :)

Yeah, isn't the title great? Thanks, AmiDee ;)

I'm on your favorites list? Awesome! I am honored.

Ami: Yup, Mara's about to make an appearance. :)

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A lithe figure slithers lightly from the shadows somewhere beyond the throne room. She moves with a catlike grace, and I can not at first fully distinguish her from her surroundings, dressed all in black as she is. Only her hair, which is the color of fire, sticks out. When she moves closer I can see her face. She is strikingI believe she would be considered rather pretty in most circumstances, but now she is simply intimidating and cold. Her face seems sharp and angled as she glares at my brother and me.

The woman crouches by Palpatine's feet; half bowing to him, half readying herself to pounce on us. I sense through the Force Luke's sudden surprise, and then I realize the cause of it as the woman's sense becomes clear to me.

She is Force sensitive.

The Emperor cackles, and I look back at him, doing my best to keep one eye on the strange woman also. "You silly child," he murmurs in a low voice as he shakes his head at me, "you are untrained, and stand no chance against my loyal servant!" Suddenly, I get a wild impulse to just run. Anywhere, so long as it is away from him and his horrors. But that is certainly not an option. He continues, "you will fight to the death, here, now, in front of me!" I feel overwhelmingly sick to my stomach.

I am not looking at Luke, but he must have reacted to the Emperor's words, for Palapatine continues. "Unless, of course... your dear brother should... interfere. Perhaps by pledging his loyalty to me?" Luke tries to contain a low snarl at the old man's words. I put a hand on his shoulder; hold him back.

"Don't turn," I whisper, "never turn." He nods, shaking.

But we have all forgotten about the fifth occupant of the room. Darth Vader. He strides towards Palapatine in a rare act of defiance, the sound of his deep breathing filling the whole chamber. He steps in front of the woman, as if he is purposefully snubbing her. "No, Master" he says. "She is unarmed, and untrained. But she could be strong in the ways of the Dark. We could break her to our will. Perhaps as another hand," he suggests, looking at the flame-haired woman like he wants to spit on her.

"How dare you question me, Lord Vader?" the Emperor asks. Vader says nothing, but stands his ground. "Very well then. Mara Jade," the woman looks up at him, "disarm." She unclips the lightsaber from her belt, pulls a blaster out of a holster on her wrist, another from her boot, a vibroblade from her boot, and something resembling a whip from somewhere. They could not possibly be so foolish as to have her truly disarm fully... this must be a ploy, to show her power and to intimidate me, or to lure me into a false sense of security.

I think briefly of my own concealed blaster, and quickly do my best to shield the thought. They know. But I must fight somehow!

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Interlude Two

Han was desperately fiddling with the shield controls, and did not hear the stealthy Imperials behind him until it was far too late.

"Hands up!" barked their leader in a harsh voice, pressing his blaster to Han's temple and snapping his other arm around the rebel's waist. The Imperial was a fairly big man, and Han knew he would stand no chance of escaping from him.

He threw up his hands in surrender. The others in the rebel band followed suit, watched closely by stormtroopers.

Han tried to contain his despair as the officer led them outside.

But the site that greeted him was even worse. All of the strike force had been herded into a small group, and they were surrounded by stormtroopers and AT-ATs. The future looked bleak indeed.

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Mara Jade stands, and approaches me slowly. Her steps are measured and even, like a heartbeat; or like I would imagine death approaches. Deep fear gives one strange thoughts. I stand inert, willing myself to breathe.

A flash from some ship's super-laser lights up the space outside the window. It draws everyone's eyes, and, for a moment, stops the wraith's approach.

For the first time, I truly take note of the space battle.

It is terrible. Neither side is clearly winning or losing yet, but everywhere I look there are ships being blown to bits. Pilots being blown to bits. Some of them may be friends of mine. Even if they are not particular friends, many are comrades. If only they can get the shield down...

But if they do we shall die. Luke and I shall die. Can I accept that? Even though I have no power over the outcome of the attack on the shield generator, this question is suddenly foremost in my mind, and it seems paramount that I answer it.

Would I be strong enough to knowingly give my life for all of them? Or Luke's life? I want to act the hero and tell myself I am not afraid of death; but that would be a lie. But can I face my fear if it is needed?

Yes, I tell myself, I would give myself for them. But letting Luke die for them is another matter. I suppose that my answer should be the same, but I can't bring myself to think that... Perhaps that's right... I don't know! I don't know what to think anymore. It's all so confused. I am almost glad when Palpatine interrupts.

"As you can see... apprentices, your friends have failed! An now, you shall witness the power of this fully armed and operational battle station!" He lowers his malevolent voice "Fire at will, Commander."

I cannot hold back a strangled cry. The Emperor glances over at me with a sort of disgust that borders on pity. "Even now, you are surprised? Perhaps you are not a smart as I assumed."

A lancet of evil darts from the Death Star, stabbing into the midst of our fleet. It destroys one of the Star Cruisers before they can even know what hit them.

Palpatine throws his head back in cackles. Luke bows his head, and I know he shares my deep sense of loss. Mara Jade, now standing beside me, looks as if she is used to hiding her emotions, and her face is hard to read. But she does not seem happy, so perhaps she is human after all. Vader's face is covered by a mask, and he makes no movement, so I cannot judge his reaction at all. This both comforts me and scares me.

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So, do you like it? Review, please! Good or bad or in the middle, whatever. Constructive criticism much appreciated!

Author's Note: I know there hasn't been all that much action yet, I expect it to pick up in the next chapter.