Chapter 48:
Leia looked up when her parents entered her room. "How are they?" she asked, concern in her eyes.
Padmé sighed. "They seem… the same on the surface, but there are changes. Especially in your brother. He seems… defensive, protective, even, of Mara, more so than normal. Would you agree?" she turned to Vader.
He nodded. "Much as I was with you," he remarked.
She blushed, and smiled. "You always were, even when you were a little boy."
"And still am." Vader frowned. "Perhaps I should assign you some extra protection, as well. Particularly given what happened with that moff."
"What happened?" Leia asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Another story for another time," Padmé broke in, gently. "I'll tell you about it later."
Mara glared at her newly acquired pack of hindrances, her small store of patience fully exhausted. She paced the room, fingering her lightsaber hilt, and trying to think of ways to… dispose of them. She whirled to face her master, who had been watching her with amusement. "Master, you promised you'd teach me some of those techniques you used before. I'm sure we could pick up some… volunteers," she waved a hand around the room, encompassingly.
Atrox turned to one of the guardsmen, "Captain, have several troopers brought here, I don't care where from." He paused, turning back to his apprentice. "Very well."
She gave him a dark look, annoyed, as the guard began issuing orders into his comlink. You think all this is funny, don't you, master
Atrox smirked. I got to hand it to you my apprentice, clever trying to dispatch your bodyguards. But, as I am sure you already know, they are more than just troopers for target practice.
Mara eyed him, not at all amused. They're stormtroopers with inflated egos and specialized training. And I'm sure nobody would miss them if they sort of gradually disappeared…
"A stormtrooper unit is on their way, milord," the guard reported, oblivious to their conversation.
Atrox looked her in the eyes, then glanced at the guard. "Good."
She scowled. But troopers are so easy… they'll just stand there while everything else gets killed around them.
There was a rap on the door, and the voice of one of the guards broke in. "Milord, the stormtroopers you requested have arrived."
Atrox turned towards the Royal Guard, "Send in the troopers one at a time."
The first trooper entered the room, and stopped before the dark lord. "Lord Atrox," he saluted, smartly.
Atrox nodded to the trooper and turned to his apprentice. Your first lesson, my apprentice, is to embrace the dark side of the Force. You have used Force lightning before; now for a more… demonstrative use of it, raise him into the air —with a twist of his hand, the trooper was lifted off the ground— and then unleash your rage and hate. He blasted a wave of lightning at the squirming trooper, smashing him into the wall with the force of it and snuffing out his life almost instantly.
Mara could feel, in tune as she was to her master, how he coordinated his power. Atrox signaled for another stormtrooper to be sent in, and turned to observe her. She frowned in concentration, and began lifting the man into the air. He wobbled, slightly, and dropped an inch as she almost lost hold of him. Her frown deepened, and she tried to shift her focus from holding him to releasing the Force lightning. The moment she let go of her concentration on lifting him, though, he began to fall, and she was forced to catch him again and hold him in place.
Here.Atrox broke into her concentration, almost causing her to drop the trooper again. Hold him steady in front of you. Keep an eye on him, but also visualize him in your mind, hovering like that.
She picked up on what he had in mind quickly, as she usually did, implementing the control technique in her methodical way. Thank you, master. She began again, running through the new lesson in the back of her mind while transferring her main focus to the new task. She could feel the man's fear, but pushed it from her mind as she released a burst of Force lightning at him, shakily at first, then with more strength and confidence.
Atrox watched his apprentice, pleased. Well done, my apprentice. Now, increase your power by feeding on his fear, let the dark side flow through you.
Y-yes, master. Her eyes narrowed as she tapped into the dark side, using the trooper's fear to make her stronger. The lightning increased in intensity as she drew more of the dark side to her, the trooper's screams rising higher and louder until with a final spasm, he fell silent, and Mara lowered him to the ground. She turned to look up at her master, questioningly, flecks of yellow in her eyes.
Atrox's face formed a dark smile as he watched his apprentice embrace the dark side of the Force, listening to the trooper's screams, relishing them. Excellent work, my apprentice, you have done well. You shall be rewarded later. He turned to the Royal Guard. "Send in the next trooper," he commanded.
The guard's expression could not be seen behind his helmet, but both Atrox and his apprentice could feel his apprehension. He left the room, and shortly afterwards raised voices could be heard outside.
"What do they want me for? I haven't done anything wrong!"
"That's none of my concern, trooper. I'm sure Lord Atrox will tell you himself."
The man was roughly shoved into the room, and the door sealed shut behind him. The suspicion was rolling off of him in waves. Atrox looked at the trooper from under his hood and smiled, taking in his fear, waiting for his apprentice to do the same. Observe, apprentice.
Yes, master. Mara followed his example, obediently letting the man's fear strengthen her as she watched to see what her master would do next.
Atrox suddenly forced his way into the man's mind, manipulating his memories and forcing him to relive the worst moments of his life. Even as he did so, he slammed the man into the wall, then lifted him up and smashed him into the ceiling, hurling him from one end of the room to the other, drinking in his increasingly desperate screams. When it seemed his agony could grow no more intense, Atrox began crushing his chest, bones cracking and splintering. Mara flinched at the sound, but dared not look away, as her master crushed the life out of him.
Atrox nodded to the guard, ordering him to bring in yet another trooper. "This is the last one for now, Captain. Send the others back to their posts. Choose which ever trooper you wish to… carefully. Feel free to pick on someone you don't like. I assure you, you will not be disappointed."
"Y-yes, milord." The guard captain left the room, and didn't return for several moments. When he did, he pushed the hapless trooper towards Atrox with the butt of his rifle.
Atrox looked at the trooper sensing his terror. He looked at his apprentice, He is all yours, apprentice.
Mara looked at her master, doubtfully. I- I'll try. She entered the man's mind, pushing past his fear, and searched for the stimulus Atrox had used on the other one. He had made it seem so easy…
She felt Atrox's presence alongside her, guiding her to the right place. In time you will know instinctively where to look.
She applied pressure to it, and was almost thrown out of his mind by the recoil of pain and suffering that blasted through him. She tried again, more carefully this time, able to ply his mental stimulus without causing him to freeze up. She eased her concentration out of his mind enough to slam him up against the wall using the Force, beating his body against the surfaces roughly. She started to divert her focus toward crushing him, but the combination proved too much for her to handle at once, and he was blasted headfirst into the opposite wall, snapping his neck.
"Very good, my apprentice. You have done exceptionally well, I will be sure to reward you. Come with me." Atrox said, leading her into his bed room, closing the door behind him.
Leia sat with her mother in silence, thinking about Atrox, and Mara. She knew her brother would probably never trust her again, or even listen to what she had to say. There was a good chance he would kill her before she could save him. Part of her felt that she had betrayed the Jedi by returning to Coruscant, and yet, she knew she couldn't simply hide on a planet in the Outer Rim and hope that the Rebellion would succeed without her.
Padmé touched her arm, gently. "Don't worry. It takes a lot of time to earn their trust, but… but your father seems to have given you his, such as it is."
"I know." She sighed. "I just… I wish they didn't treat me like I'm some kind of a pestilence to be avoided, or cured, or stamped out."
"Give them time." Padmé squeezed her shoulder, sympathetically. Then she asked, "What do you think about… about Mara, and the child?"
"I'm happy for them, but… I worry about them, too. Father's vision scares me. How can we protect her, if we don't know who the assassin is? And how can I help, if I'm not even allowed to leave this room?"
Padmé brushed a strand of hair back from Leia's face. "You will find a way. The Force is strong in you as well as your brother. Have faith."
Leia shook her head, wearily. "I guess I'll meditate on it some more. Maybe it will at least help me organize my thoughts."
Vader entered in time to hear Leia's last words. "I'll join you." He sat down at his daughter's side, and they began meditating. Leia cleared her thoughts, increasing her connection to the Force, while Vader immersed himself in darkness.
Leia entered the room, going to stand at her brother's side, quietly. "L- Atrox, I'm so sorry. I know what you must be—"
He turned on her, his eyes blazing hollowly. "No. You have no idea. But you will. I will make you understand." He closed his eyes a moment, in thought, then opened them again. Moments later, Admiral Solo stood in the doorway behind Leia
"You summoned me, Lord Atrox?" he asked.
She whirled around, looking as though she'd seen a ghost. "Han!"
He looked at her, blankly. "Do I know you, miss?"
She stared back at him, hopelessly, seeing the lack of recognition in his eyes. "Han… what happened to you…"
"Emperor Palpatine happened, Leia." Atrox said, coldly. He walked up to Solo, and placed a hand on his forehead. A moment's concentration, and he had torn apart the barriers suppressing Han's memories.
Han's eyes widened, once the pain had subsided. "…Leia?"
"Han." She took a step towards him, only to find a blaster pressed into her hands.
"Kill him." Atrox ordered, his eyes gleaming darkly.
"No!" She tried to back away, but couldn't; it was as if she were rooted to the spot.
Han was thrown to the ground at her feet, forcibly. Atrox stood over him, arms crossed, his expression carved of stone. "Do it."
"No… no, I can't. Please, no…" A pleading note entered her voice, terrified by his tone.
"DO IT!" He smashed through her mental defenses, torturing her with images of Han's breaking. Her eyes closed tightly against them, but couldn't keep them out.
Do it. The words echoed through her head, inexorably, and with a sob, she pulled the trigger, almost involuntarily. A laser blast exploded from the mouth of the blaster, and Han crumpled, silently. She tore away from Atrox, cradling his head in her arms.
Han reached up to touch her cheek, and she whispered, brokenly, "I love you."
He smiled at her, crookedly. "I know." Then he was gone. She buried her face in his chest, her grief too great for tears.
Atrox nodded, once, and his lightsaber ignited as he brought it down to meet her.
Vader's eyes snapped open, startling Leia out of her meditation. "What is it? What happened?" she asked, sensing his tension.
"Another vision," he said, in a low voice. He wiped sweat from his brow, and drew a long breath. "How do you know Han Solo?"
She turned pale, and stammered, "He… he's a former smuggler, hero of the Rebellion, and saved my life on several occasions. W- why?"
Vader met her eyes, gravely. "Because I saw Atrox force you to kill him, right before he killed you."
Leia stiffened, his words causing her blood to run cold. "N-no, he would never, I would never—"
Vader cut her off, sharply. "He would, he could, and he will, unless we can find a way to save Mara Jade."
Leia raised her head to look at him, a strange determination in her eyes. "Let me talk to him."
Leia knocked on the door, hoping he would let her in. Atrox slid the door open, and glared at her, coldly. She bit back her pride, and asked him, "May I talk to you?"
Atrox's glare deepened as Mara Jade stepped behind him, glaring at Leia as well. Leave her, apprentice. He told her through the Force, before returning his attention to Leia. "What is it?" he asked her coldly, his burning eyes staring into her very soul.
Mara's eyes narrowed, trying to determine if he was being overprotective of her or not. Finally, she replied, As you wish, master.
She sighed, and knelt at his feet. "I… I came to tell you that I won't fight you anymore. I… swear that I will not bear arms against the Empire, and be loyal to… to my family."
Atrox slowly lifted one of his arms up and placed a hand on his sister's shoulder. "That will do, sister." He paused, and continued, "You may rise."
She looked up at him, surprised, and rose when he asked her to. Again to her surprise, Atrox stepped back, opening the way into his quarters. She followed him into the room, briefly meeting eyes with Mara, who looked at her critically, though with slightly less animosity than at first.
Atrox motioned for Leia to sit down on a chair as he and Mara sat on an adjoining couch. "What is it that you wished to talk about?" he asked in a kinder voice.
"I wanted to… apologize for the way I treated you before, and to- to tell you I forgive you for the way you treated me."
"You deserved your… treatment for your betrayal of him!" Mara snapped, eyes flashing.
Atrox turned towards Mara for moment and then brought his attention back to his sister. He could not find it in him to forgive Leia for betraying him on the Star Destroyer, but after her… pledge, he could at least tolerate her presence. "She can be… tolerated, as long as she owns up to her oath to me and our family. However, if she betrays us again…" he trailed off, sensing that Mara got his point.
"Yes, master," Mara replied, knowingly.
Leia was silent, trying not to feel hurt by his words, but knowing that he was beginning to accept her, in his way. "Father said you and Mara are expecting. My sincerest congratulations to you," she said, in an attempt to change the subject.
Atrox nodded. "We are. We only just sensed our child a day or so ago."
She smiled, forgetting Vader's vision for a moment. "That's wonderful. I'm so happy for you."
"I bet you are," Mara muttered under her breath.
Leia chose not to say anything to that, and instead asked, "Mara, tell me about yourself. What did you do for… for the Emperor?"
Mara's eyes narrowed, then a touch of amusement colored her sense. "I was Emperor Palpatine's personal assassin," she replied, matter-of-factly.
Leia's eyes widened in surprise, then quickly regained her composure. "You must have made a lot of enemies with a position like that," she said, carefully.
She shrugged, carelessly. "Not really. I doubt any of them had any idea who I was. Well," she paused, considering. "Very few, anyway. I'm not on file anywhere in the galaxy."
"I see," Leia said. None of them said anything for a few moments, then Leia said, "Well, father will be expecting me back. He didn't give me permission to be out long. I'm… I'm glad we talked… Lord Atrox." The name came uncomfortably to her, but she knew it would please him better than his former name.
Atrox got up out of his seat and looked at Leia with his own burning eyes. "I sense that you wish to further your training in the Force, Leia. Myself or my master are the only ones left that could further your skills in the Force. If you think that you have come here on some self-fulfilling quest to attempt to turn me and my master back, you better leave now. Neither of us want to be turned back. Remember that."
She met his gaze, evenly. "I know you don't. I do believe that the Force had a reason for bringing me here, however. I may not know what that is, yet, but we shall see." She paused. "I thank you for your offer of training. If I feel the need for more intensive training than I can do on my own, I will of course seek you out." She gave him a small bow, and turned to leave the room.
Leia stepped back into her parents' apartment, and found them conversing quietly between them. Both looked up as she entered. "You're still alive," Vader remarked, a sardonic note to his voice.
"Yes," Leia confirmed, dryly. "I apologized, among other things, so apparently my presence can now be tolerated, though both of them were still… guarded, and suspicious of me."
"You were gone for some time," Padmé observed.
She nodded. "They let me talk to them for awhile. I was able to ask Mara if she had any enemies she knew of. Sounds like most of her targets are either… taken care of, or had no idea who she was. Or both. Did anyone at court know who she really was?" she asked her father.
"Very few, if any. I knew, of course, but there were precious few among the mob of fools who frequented the court. Most often she passed as a dancer."
Leia frowned. "If she doesn't have any enemies, perhaps her assassin is someone she will meet in the future?"
Vader considered that suggestion. "It's possible. She seemed familiar, though, as if I should know her…"
"Focus on that during your meditation," Leia advised. "Maybe it will give you a clearer sense of who she is, or at least, where you remember her from."
"Perhaps," Vader said, doubtfully. There was a pause, then he said, "Leia, I want to talk to your mother about something. Do you—"
"Of course," Leia said at once, heading to her own room.
Padmé, who had been listening to their conversation silently, said, "I'm glad they're on speaking terms again."
"Yes…" He felt her watching him, expectantly. "I had another vision when I was meditating with Leia. This one, of him torturing Leia. What he did was… horrible." He seemed almost unwilling to admit it.
She rested a hand on his arm, gently. "Tell me?"
He ran a hand through his hair, wearily. "Apparently our daughter has… feelings… for Admiral Solo."
Padmé's eyebrows shot up. "Han Solo?"
He nodded. "Yes. He—"
"Does he return her feelings?" Padmé asked, distracted.
"I believe that any feelings he may have had have been suppressed by the Emperor when he… recruited Solo. Be that as it may, our son forced Leia to kill Solo, then… then he killed her."
"Ani, that's awful!" Padmé's hand flew to her mouth, horrified. "What are we going to do?"
"I don't know."
Padmé was silent for awhile, then asked, "Is there any way for Han's… memory to be repaired?"
Vader shook his head. "I haven't examined him. The Emperor seemed to have done a very thorough job, however, in my vision, Atrox was able to repair it."
She thought about this for a moment. "I think it would make Leia very happy if she could have him back."
Vader stood in thought for a moment, then responded, "From what I have seen of Admiral Solo's mind, he does not take sides in a fight. If we restore his memories, he would leave Imperial service and maybe even return to the Rebellion. I can't allow that to happen, Padmé. Perhaps once Leia gains Lord Atrox's trust, if she gains his trust, he would be willing to restore only his feelings for her."
"I… I see," Padmé said, slowly.
Vader rose. "It occurs to me that I need to speak with her about something. I'll be back shortly."
Leia looked up as he entered. "Father. Do you need me for something?"
"No, I just wondered how your training is going." Vader replied, coming to sit down next to her.
"It's going fine," she said, a bit defensively. "Why do you ask?"
"Because I thought perhaps you'd enjoy the opportunity to spar a bit. Your brother is an excellent swordsman."
Leia looked taken aback. "Duel? With Lord Atrox? You've got to be joking."
He met her gaze, evenly. "No, I wasn't. I believe it would be beneficial to both of you. You can hone your saber skills…" he paused. "And my apprentice can learn control."
She still looked doubtful. "I don't know… and I think he would object to me bearing a weapon. Toleration of presence does not imply trust, as he informed me in no uncertain terms."
Vader suddenly became colder, and the temperature in the room dropped. "He will do his master's will or be severely punished for his defiance."