"Death is the starlit strip between the companionship of yesterday and the reunion of tomorrow"
-Mark Twain
Previously on Fallen
Zekk smiled sadly. "Can't you understand how hard it must have been for Tahiri?"
"I guess we'll have a lot to talk about," Anakin answered heavily. "If I ever see her again."
Tahiri was not an expert slicer. She had been trained in the skill as much as was necessary for her profession, but it wasn't enough to even think about cracking the Guild database's protected files. Neveretheless, Tahiri had spent more than a decade trying to make up for her lack of expertise with sheer determination.
She had never met her parents, but she had to know who had been responsible for their deaths. She had to know that the suspicion she had harbored for all these years was wrong.
As usual, frustration was Tahiri's only reward for her hours of tedious work.
Jacen: "Can you give me any information that will help us rescue Anakin?"
Tahiri: "Absolutely. But the information would be useless to you. You need someone who can actually get into the Bounty Hunter's Guild. Someone like, I don't know… me."
Jacen: "Why didn't you complete the contract? And why do you want to help my brother so badly?"
Tahiri smiled sadly. "Isn't it obvious? I'm in love with him."
Yes. Jacen could see she was telling the truth. Many things could be faked; loving someone with every fiber of your being? That was impossible to fake.
Jacen: "I'll do everything in my power to get you out of here, official or otherwise. And we're going to save him. I swear it."
Alarm klaxons began blaring through the Eldest, loud enough to hear even through the Falcon's hull. "Ah. That'll be our exit cue."
"Captain Solo, you're harboring a known fugitive."
The docking bay doors started closing. "Jaina!" Jacen protested.
"Millennium Falcon, stand down! This is your only warning!"
"There seems to be a problem with your bay doors, Eldest," Jaina answered sweetly. "I'll just do a manual override for you."
"Sir! She's charging weapons!"
Han looked as though he might smile with pride, but forced himself to remain composed. "Let her go," he ordered, apparently resigned.
Starkiller gasped and sat up abruptly. "He's here."
Jade and Starkiller looked into each other's eyes for what they both knew would be their last moments together. He started to turn away, but Jade caught him by the arm. "Skywalker."
Their eyes met again, and everything that had remained unspoken for so long suddenly slipped out.
"I love you."
"I love you, too," Starkiller answered hoarsely, holding back his tears. "Now go!"
His apprentice – his son – stood waiting for him in the very first corridor.
"Welcome to Myrkr, Lord Vader," his son greeted calmly.
"Lord Starkiller," Vader greeted.
The younger man's lightsaber sprang to life with a snap-hiss, and there was a different look in his eyes as he looked up at his father. "No. That's not who I am anymore. My name is Luke Skywalker."
xxx
"Amusing," Vader said calmly as he drew his own lightsaber, moving much more slowly and deliberately than his son as they started to circle each other.
"Father, it's time to let go of the darkness," Luke implored. "We can be free."
"I will not listen to this foolishness!" Vader answered harshly, slashing his saber towards Luke with a great deal of force.
Luke parried, sidestepped, and slashed calmly towards his father's side. Vader easily parried and disengaged.
This was a very dangerous battle for both of them. Neither had faced an opponent of the other's quality in several decades. Though Vader's skill with the blade was far superior, it was not out of the realm of possibility that his son could vanquish him and leave the galaxy rulerless. So far, both of them were merely testing each other's guard, the true fight had not begun.
"If you insist on continuing this madness," Vader continued, "I will be forced to destroy you as I did your sister."
If Luke had been a Jedi of any considerable training and experience, he would've fought to maintain his calm. But he was not, and Vader's words had the desired effect.
With a cry of rage, Luke charged at his father, and their blades began to clash in earnest.
xxx
Fallen
Luke Skywalker; Jedi Knight (male human from Tatooine)
Mara Jade; Bounty Hunter's Guild Headmistress (female human from Coruscant)
Commander Anakin Solo; Rogue Leader (male human from Hapes)
Agent Jaina Solo; captain, Millennium Falcon (female human from Hapes)
Doctor Jacen Solo; Alliance Medical Officer (male human from Hapes)
Tahiri Veila; Bounty Hunter (female human from Tatooine)
Zekk; Bounty Hunter (male human from Coruscant)
Darth Vader; Sith Lord (male human from Tatooine)
xxx
Reunion
The hallways of the Bounty Hunter's Guild were conspicuously empty as Anakin and Mara ran for the nearest exterior exit. Jade kept glancing over her shoulder as though expecting pursuit.
"Where are all of your minions?" Anakin asked breathlessly as they continued running.
"We don't usually have an overabundance of bounty hunters sitting around twiddling their thumbs," Jade answered harshly. "Right now it's just Alema and Zekk. And I trust Alema about as far as I can throw this building."
"Then why have her here at all?" Anakin asked reasonably.
"She's Force sensitive. All of my 'minions' are."
That surprised Anakin enough to make him stop in the middle of the hallway. "Wait. So they can do what I do?"
Mara also stopped further down the hallway and turned to face him. "Right now all you're doing is getting us killed. Come on!"
"You were building an army," Anakin accused.
"Yes, a very poorly trained army that did menial tasks for galactic law," Mara answered scornfully. "Luke just wanted to keep them out of his father's way until he knew what to do with them."
"But they can do what I do," Anakin pressed.
Mara smiled unpleasantly. "Not exactly what you can do, Solo. You have Skywalker blood in you. That makes you special." Her expression hardened. "And that's why we were running. Now get a move on!"
As they continued down the hallway, Mara's comlink chirped. Her face seemed unusually vulnerable, a combination of anxiety and elation. "This better be good news, Skywalker!"
"Sorry," replied a genuinely apologetic-sounding voice.
"Zekk?" Mara frowned in surprise. "What are you still doing here? I gave the order to evacuate."
"Alema appears to be in league with the Imperials," Zekk informed her. "I'm in the control room, but I need your administrator password so I can get into the system and stop her from helping them. I might even be able to slow them down a little."
Mara appeared genuinely torn, but finally rattled off a series of numbers and symbols.
"I'm in," Zekk informed her.
"Zekk, I want you to get out of here as soon as you can, you hear me?"
"Why the sudden concern?" Zekk teased. "I think I'll pass on wading through Imperial troops if it's all the same to you. I've sealed off the control room. I'm as safe here as anywhere."
"That's not going to hold them, and you know it."
Zekk refused to answer that point. "Good hunting," he wished her instead.
Mara sighed. "Thank you, Zekk."
xxx
Luke had quickly worn himself out with his early wild attacks, while Vader had blocked them with cool efficiency. Now, Luke's attacks were much more controlled and precise, but breaking Vader's guard remained apparently impossible.
"This is pointless," Vader said after they disengaged from another fruitless exchange.
Luke was indeed beginning to feel disheartened.
Luke.
Luke gasped in recognition. Obi-Wan?
It's alright, Luke. You've done your part. You've let go of the darkness. This is no longer your path. Come with me, and I will show you your next path.
Vader stepped towards Luke again. "Give up now while I still allow it."
"Victory is not the only acceptable goal," Luke answered calmly. "That's something the Sith will never comprehend. I see that now."
"Enough." With that, Vader swung his lightsaber at his former apprentice. But there was nothing there to strike. In an eerily familiar scene, Luke's cloak fell to the ground, empty.
xxx
Mara suddenly faltered, almost losing her balance.
"What's wrong?" Anakin asked, concerned.
Jade bit her lip, her eyes glassy with tears she would not shed just yet. "Nothing," she answered stiffly. "Let's keep moving."
xxx
As the Millennium Falcon dropped out of hyperspace, the vibrant green of planet Myrkr was obscured by a more immediate object hanging between them and the planet.
"Kriff!" Jaina shouted as she suddenly veered the Falcon away.
"What is that?" Jacen asked in awe.
"Star Destroyer?" Tahiri answered uncertainly.
"Super Star Destroyer," Jaina corrected.
"Corellian vessel, this is the Guardian. You have entered restricted space. Power down your engines and prepare to be boarded."
"Why the hell are there Imperials here?" Tahiri demanded of no one in particular.
"Can we outrun them?" Jacen asked anxiously.
Jaina bit her lip.
"Jaina?" Jacen pressed.
"This is going to get rough," Jaina admitted.
"Corellian vessel, this is your final warning. We are dispatching interceptors."
"Hang on," Jaina instructed, and accelerated to the Falcon's top sublight speed.
xxx
This time it was Anakin's turn to abruptly stop. He started looking around, appearing confused.
"Mara," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I can't feel it. I can't feel the Force."
Jade grinned. "Excellent. A ysalamir."
Anakin gave her a blank look.
"Ysalamiri are creatures that live in the trees here. They create bubbles that repel the Force."
"Why is that a good thing?"
"Because it should protect us from being sensed by Vader. That means he has to rely on conventional means to catch us." Mara grinned dangerously. "And I was trained by the Emperor to be much better than any of his soldiers."
xxx
Despite Jaina's best efforts, the Falcon continued to shake under laserfire from the pursuing TIE Fighters.
"So, what exactly is your plan?" Tahiri asked nervously.
"Does your Guild building have an internal docking bay or platforms?"
"Internal, of course," Tahiri answered, sounding almost insulted.
"I figured as much," Jaina answered cheerfully. "That should help."
"Help what?"
Jaina didn't answer, but the large, armored building soon came into view. And Jaina wasn't slowing down.
"Jaina…?" Jacen prodded nervously.
"If you're not already strapped in I recommend doing so now," Jaina suggested lightly.
"Jaina, the doors are closed," Jacen pointed out unnecessarily.
Jaina pulled her secondary triggers, and two concussion missiles launched at said docking bay doors.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Tahiri demanded.
"Based on the Imperial activity in the area, I think it's safe to assume the Bounty Hunter's Guild is under new management," Jaina pointed out. "We're going to need to get in and out as quickly as possible. We're going to treat this like enemy territory. Understood?"
Without slowing down, Jaina brought the Falcon into the docking bay for an extremely rough landing. Jacen and Tahiri both bit back their complaints, and Jaina led the way out of the ship.
xxx
Tahiri naturally led the way through most of the facility, as she was the most familiar with it. They made very slow progress because of the necessity of avoiding Imperial patrols, but eventually they found themselves at the cell block, which turned out to be divided into several separate hallways.
"It doesn't look like these are being patrolled," Jacen noted.
"Who's going to intentionally come to the cell blocks?" Tahiri pointed out. "They're probably just watching the entrances and exits, and all the vital areas like the control room."
"But we have to assume they're looking for us," Jaina cautioned. "And they'll definitely be waiting for us in the docking bay."
"Getting back to the ship is going to be challenging to say the least," Jacen noted mournfully.
"That might not be an option for us," Jaina admitted. "I knew that when we entered the way we did."
"There are secondary docking bays," Tahiri informed them. "Nothing much more substantial than Skiprays and the like, but they'll get us out of here at least."
"We need to be as quick as possible, and the quickest way to find Anakin is going to be to split up," Jaina said. "Tahiri, you take this hallway. I'll take that one. Jacen, you take that one. We'll meet back here."
The others agreed, and they split up.
xxx
Jacen had gone through most of the cells in his hallway and was starting to get annoyed when he finally found one that was occupied.
"Oh!" he exclaimed in surprise as the boy in the cell jumped lightly onto the ground. "You're not Anakin."
The boy grinned broadly. "Guilty as charged. That must be why the Imps threw me in here. Name's Zekk."
"Jacen."
Zekk's eyes widened slightly in recognition. "You're his brother."
"Yeah."
Zekk's eyes raked up and down Jacen's body, and Jacen's gaze dropped to the floor in embarrassment. "I'm not the tough soldier type like he is, if that's what you're thinking."
"Maybe," Zekk agreed lightly. "But that isn't what I was thinking."
Jacen blinked in surprise, and Zekk smiled again. "I was thinking your brother must not be the only one that makes the girls and boys of the fleet swoon."
Jacen's cheeks warmed violently and he had to look away, stammering, "I should… get back to Jaina and Tahiri."
"Tahiri!" Zekk exclaimed. "She's here?"
"Yeah… how do you…?"
"I knew she'd come for him!" Zekk continued, exuberant. "You're not going to find him here, though. He and Mara fled into the woods. Take me with you. I'll take you to them."
Jacen hesitated, but Zekk seemed genuinely good-natured, and Tahiri would probably know if he was to be trusted. "Sure," he finally agreed. "Follow me."
xxx
Any questions about Tahiri's opinion of Zekk's trustworthiness were answered when the two almost tackled each other in a bone-crushing hug.
"Who's this?" Jaina asked skeptically.
"Zekk," Tahiri answered lightly. "Pretty much the only bounty hunter I'd ever recommend trusting. What are you doing here?"
"I was using the HQ's defenses to keep the Imperials occupied and give Mistress Jade and Anakin a chance to escape," Zekk explained.
Tahiri frowned in confusion. "The Headmistress and Anakin are working together?"
Zekk shrugged. "I don't entirely understand it, but it did appear to be the case. They fled into the woods. I'm sure between the two of us, we can find them. The Mistress taught us everything there is to know about that jungle."
Tahiri nodded in agreement. "Before we leave, though… Jade gave you her administrative password?"
Zekk grinned. "Yeah. I even managed to lock the Imperials out of the computers before they took me. This base is completely useless to them. Actually, it would probably be a good idea to slag the computer core on our way out just to be sure."
"Perfect," Tahiri agreed. "But while we're there, I need you to do me a favor… I need you to let me in to the archives."
Zekk raised his brow in surprise.
"There's something I need to know," Tahiri explained.
xxx
Anakin was exhausted when he and Mara finally stopped for the night to set up camp. Their supplies were, of course, minimal, but all Anakin really needed was a place to collapse for the night.
"Do you think he made it?" Anakin asked, uncertain what to call the man he had called Starkiller for so long, but knowing that Mara would know who he was talking about.
Mara did not answer, but her silence spoke volumes.
"You don't think there's even a chance?" Anakin pressed.
"Drop it," Mara warned.
"But—"
"I know he didn't make it," Mara finally admitted, frustrated.
Anakin was taken aback, and surprised to find himself affected by the news. "How?"
"I'm not nearly as strong in the Force as he was," Mara explained. "My training was much more rudimentary, and much more specific… Luke" – she almost choked up at his name – "filled in some of the gaps for me. I'll never have the control he had… but… when two Force sensitives have the kind of relationship we had for as long as we did…" she sighed heavily.
"You loved him," Anakin stated unnecessarily.
Mara's answering smile was more of a wince, and she was obviously fighting to keep her composure.
"I'm sorry," Anakin said genuinely.
Mara nodded in thanks, but no longer trusted her voice. And Anakin knew he had one more reason to hate the Empire; the last reason he ever would've expected. The death of Darth Starkiller. The second death of Luke Skywalker.
Thanks to Skywalker's training, Anakin also knew he might actually be able to do something about it now.
xxx
"I hate to ask, as much as I've grown attached to this disgusting jungle," Anakin inquired ruefully as he and Mara continued trudging through the rainforest, "but where exactly are we going?"
"Believe it or not, there actually is a city on this godforsaken planet. Hyllyard City. It's nothing to write home about, but we should be able to find passage off this rock, at least."
Anakin frowned. "Isn't that exactly what the Imperials will expect us to do?"
Mara smiled appreciatively. The boy was not dumb, at least. "Yes. But unfortunately the reason they expect us to do that is that it's the only thing we can do."
Anakin was silent for a moment while he had to concentrate on navigating some particularly rough terrain (Jade, of course, seemed to do the same effortlessly), but once they were on smoother ground he continued, "If you can get me a subspace transmitter I can have a good portion of the Alliance fleet here in a few days."
Now Mara almost laughed. "You really want to risk the loyal soldiers of your glorious rebellion against a Super Star Destroyer?"
Anakin shot her his own sardonic look in return. "You really want to trust the formidable smugglers of Myrkr to get us past the Imperial lines?"
Instead of answering, Jade stopped midstep, causing Anakin to almost run over her. She stopped him with her arm and gestured for quiet. She looked very alert.
"What?" Anakin whispered.
"Someone's coming," Jade answered. Her blaster was already drawn.
Anakin longed for the comfortable weight of his own blaster, but instead found his uncle's strange weapon. "Great," he whispered to himself as he raised the lightsaber handle but didn't ignite it.
Instead of the menacing white armor of Imperial Stormtroopers, the approaching figures appeared clothed in casual fatigues. Though slightly relieved, Anakin and Mara didn't lower their weapons. "Identify yourselves!" Mara called into the woods.
"Don't worry!" a familiar voice called in return as the figures approached. "It's just the calvary!"
"Jaina!" Anakin shouted excitedly, holstering his weapon and rushing towards her voice. Mara followed warily, her blaster still held at her side.
As they got closer, Anakin recognized his siblings, Zekk… and Tahiri.
Before any further words could be exchanged, it became obvious that Tahiri still had her weapon drawn and trained on Mara.
"Drop it!" Tahiri instructed Mara harshly.
"Tahiri?" Anakin asked uncertainly, stopping in his tracks next to Mara.
"Get over here, Anakin," Tahiri demanded. "I don't want to hit you by mistake."
Anakin refused to budge, remaining next to Mara. "Tahiri, what the hell are you doing?"
"She killed my parents, Anakin!"
To Be Continued
