Now, hold just a moment, any of us who has read the Jedi Academy trilogy knows who this admiral is, now here is a question we must all ask ourselves. Is this story measuring up to Unknown Son? Is it? I would really like your opinions. And by the way, I am coming closer and closer to the answer of Mara and Luke's little relationship as I plot this, I am trying as hard as I can to make is so they have to join together against something, the only thing I can come up with—ever here the saying "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"? That's probably what I'll have to do, but there is only one way to do it since Ravan and Vader are Mara's only enemies…. Betrayal! As for the Leia and Vader and Ravan problem I have no idea, guess I'll have to see where it takes me and decide then. Okay read now, and review!

Chapter 11: The Admiral

Present Time

So far as Mara could see she was strapped into an interrogation chair which was highly uncomfortable. You could relate it to the experience of sitting in a custom made plastic chair, only the plastic was made to fit someone else. Not you. It was cold in to room as well, sinisterly cold and Mara found she was wearing nothing but black undergarments, about the right size for her, but far too tight. Mara did not have the slightest idea how long she had been strapped in the chair. Long enough for her fingers to grow icy cold from the air of the room, so if she had to estimate, at least an hour. Perhaps even over that.

After a few minutes of lying there and trying to recall how she arrived on the chair in the first place it slowly came back to her, just as her vision came into focus and she found she was staring at a light shining down on her.

But what had happened, the last thing she remembered was being taken off the shuttle with Kallisto, the pilot, and the five honor guards, all of them taken to separate search rooms. Mara herself was searched down to her undergarments, and presumably so were her comrades. Then she remembered a giant needle stabbing into her arm, with some cocktail in it that sedated her. There was no other memory. Now she was up, and now she had to wait to be interrogated. Hopefully her captor would believe her true story that she was actually searching for his help.

Surprisingly a few moments after that a door opened, and she found her eyes focus on the face of a woman. Her features seemed to have been carved into her face, by some master architect. She had long fiery copper hair as well, and surprisingly was wearing a gray Imperial uniform with the badge of an Admiral pinned to the left of her upper chest area.

"Never seen a woman get the title of Admiral before." Mara said.

"And I myself have never seen a band of smugglers enter the Maw Cluster before." The woman replied, her voice was hard and firm, as though she had commanded many through hard times. Or perhaps she herself had weathered such times.

"I am no smuggler." Mara spat, trying to control her temper. It didn't seem the Admiral cared.

"We have a snappy one on our hands I see. I'll enjoy breaking you. Before we begin I do not believe we have been properly introduced."

"No, but I don't sit well with introductions while I am strapped to a torture chair." Mara retorted.

"I find it hard to have sympathy for you, since you yourself brought this upon you by entering the Maw."

"Oh yeah, I knew there were four star destroyers orbiting around an asteroid ready to pick anybody up and torture them once the entered the Maw, especially if that person has business with Imperials."

"You have business with Imperials?" The Admiral asked.

"Yep." Mara said. "Though it depends on who's side you're on."

"Explain yourself." The Admiral commanded with much curiosity in her voice.

"You don't know. The Imperials spilt into two sides about half a year ago." Mara said, surprised.

"I and my crew have been isolated from the outside for quite some time. Others make contact with us regularly, but not often and bring us food, supplies, and information. They have been overdue for about a month."

"Have they?" Mara asked. "Who exactly are they?"

"Whoever it is Moff Tarkin sends."

"Grand Moff Tarkin?" Mara asked. "I bet he's long gone now."

"What do you mean?"

"Vader, half a year ago with his new apprentice, who is also his son killed the Emperor. A lot of the Imperials stayed with Vader, others simply disappeared." Mara explained. The Admiral's hardened features underwent a metamorphosis. Changing from curiosity to shock. She took several moments to speak again.

"And so your business with me is to…"

"Yeah, find out if you're still loyal to the old Emperor or Vader. If you're loyal to Vader just kill me now. I am tired."

"No. Never! I would never follow a traitor to the Empire like him!" The Admiral exclaimed. Mara felt a sense of relief, that she had finally found some Imperial's loyal to Sidious still, even if it was a complete accident.

The Admiral's fingers found the restraint releases and Mara's restraints were swallowed up by slots in the chair. She sat up, rubbing the red ring around her wrists and pushing her fiery hair out of her face. She stood like the Admiral, her shoeless feet freezing on the metal floor.

"Good to hear it. You can help me then." Mara said. "I am Mara Jade."

"My name is Admiral Daala. Grand Moff Tarkin himself granted me the title and gave me this assignment."

"You're on assignment?"

"Yes, I am here to guard the scientists of the Maw Installation. The Empire's finest."

"What do they do?"

"They create weapons."

"What sorts of weapons?"

"Their latest project was your Death Star."

"Interesting."

"Indeed, we have a prototype, its only the frame work however, as well as the laser, and it has a command bridge. That's all."

"It might come in handy." Mara said.

"Enough about this." Daala said politely. "I have to alert my crew, the guard will take you and your comrades to a cabin."

In the corner of the room was indeed a storm troopers, carrying a standard gun as well as a few torture implements.

"Can I have my clothes back first?" Mara asked.

"If you can discard your prison garments in front of the guard." Daala replied, halfway out the door.

It closed behind her. Mara looked at the guard.

"You try and touch me without underwear on and I'll make sure you can never have children." Mara said to him venomously. The storm trooper removed its helmet, revealing the face of a woman.

"Oh." Was all Mara could say.

XxX

Gorgon Bridge

"Admiral." Commander Kratas acknowledged as Daala stepped onto the bridge.

"Commander." Daala acknowledged back, turning to him. "I need something."

"Yes Admiral?"

"Patch me on ship to ship comm. I want this announcement broadcasted on the Gorgon, Basilisk, Hydra, and Manticore, as well as the Maw Installation."

"That could take some time Admiral, this is a wide range of communica—"

"Then get started commander."

XxX

The communication's system was ready in half an hour. Daala stepped down into the crew pit and leaned toward the comm microphone. She tapped it once and a muffled boom sounded on the bridges own loudspeaker.

"This is Admiral Daala." Daala said as her voice echoed around her. "Recently we picked up a group of eight smugglers. One had some most disturbing information. Emperor Palpatine is… no longer with us. He was slain by Darth Vader's new apprentice. His son. Vader has assumed the throne of Emperor. His son is his right hand I assume. Now I know the Emperor Palpatine is dead… but so long as those still loyal to him live he will never truly be gone. We and others are still loyal him, but we are scattered and broken. We must unite, and when we do we will take our entire force and we will attack Coruscant!"

Daala paused for dramatic effect and the entire bridge crew roared and cheered. She suspected everyone else in her fleet, even those scientists in the Installation were doing the same.

"We will strike with a fury Vader has never witnessed. We will destroy him and his son, and if any Imperials loyal to his cause oppose us they will meet the same fate as their traitorous master! And then the Empire will be back in the hands of those who truly believe in it! We will elect a new Emperor!"

Daala paused again for dramatic effect and the crew roared again in applause.

"We will gather our forces and take Coruscant! Stay at your stations and await further instruction. Daala out."

She turned to the comm official and sliced a hand across her throat, indicating that he should immediately shut the system off. He eagerly ran to the control panel and switched it off. Every crew member stared at Daala as she stepped out of the crew pit, each had a mixture of emotions etched on their faces. All had sorrow for the loss of the Emperor, and all had hope that Daala could defeat Vader. The Admiral approached Kratas. He saluted.

"Yes Admiral?" He asked, expecting her to give some great command. He seemed a little disappointed when she told him what to do.

"Check the lodging records. See what cabin the smugglers are in."

"Yes Admiral."

XxX

Kallisto sat in Mara's cabin, which housed two, Mara herself, and leave it to her to get stuck with the pilot, Nigel. Kallisto was lounging in a comfortable looking chair, smoking a cigara, she had all her red garb back on, and even her black smart disc was clipped to her belt, which she occasionally tossed, making it zoom around the room, hitting the walls just barely, and then bouncing back to her. Nigel was drinking some spiced ale he had somehow gotten a hold of. Sitting on the sofa and chugging it down. If Mara was lucky he would be in bed all the next day with a massive headache. If she was lucky. Mara sat looking over the schematics of the Gorgon on her datapad. It was relatively the same as any other star destroyer in the Imperial fleet. But each one was always somewhat different, unused rooms were sometimes transformed into an Admiral's personal briefing room, or a throne room. Or an extra prison cell. This one had an extra armory.

Then, interrupting Mara's study session, Kallisto's smoking, and Nigel's drinking someone knocked as of routine, three times on the door.

"Ssopen." Nigel slurred.

"Shut it Nigel!" Kallisto said automatically.

"Yeassure boss!" Nigel replied, saluting.

"Pretend to be asleep." Kallisto hissed, standing up and putting out her cigara.

Nigel didn't even reply, he flopped over on the sofa and fell asleep, or passed out. After all the ale was strong and he was on his second bottle. Mara was somewhat surprised to see Admiral Daala herself step into the room. She briefly scanned it, noticing Nigel on the couch with an emptied glass bottle of ale, and a half full one on the end table in front of him, along with three drained shot glasses.

"I see you're friend has been having a good time. I sure hope he isn't one of you're guards Lady Kallisto, he wouldn't be of much use right now." Daala said which Mara took as somewhat of a stern greeting.

"Hardly." Kallisto snapped back. Mara knew for a fact she didn't like having the title Lady attached to her name. "He's my pilot."

Daala smiled, suppressing a laugh. "I think its time to find a new pilot."

"Well until I get one Nigel will have to do." Kallisto replied.

"Admiral?" Mara asked. "Why are you here?"

"Ah yes," Daala said to herself, turning to face Mara. "We will be ready to leave the Maw whenever you are ready."

"What about the scientist's you're supposed to baby-sit?" Kallisto inquired.

"I'll leave a legion of storm troopers behind, and three wings of TIE fighters to add to the force the Installation already has." Daala answered. "The head scientist is in full cooperation, he liked my speech."

"It seemed a little animated." Kallisto replied.

"Well…" Daala said. "It's a good way to rally your crew."

"It is." Kallisto agreed. She sat back down in her chair, and lit up another long cigara.

"Smoking is a bad habit." Daala said.

Kallisto gestured to Nigel. "At least it doesn't do that, and besides, this is organic. It's actually good for you. Has a couple of herbs in it that cleans your lungs."

"If you say so." Daala replied. She turned to Mara once more. "When would you prefer to leave the Maw?"

"Any time." Mara replied. "But, could I ask for a favor?"

"Yes, of course." Daala said.

"There's a skyhook above Kessel, loaded with an arsenal of fighters and blast boats. They attacked us, and drove us here. I want to see them die."

"An excellent idea." Daala stated. "Many of my crew do not have adequate field experience, I drill them regularly so this shouldn't be to much of a problem."

"Thank you." Mara replied coolly. "And one other thing…"

"Yes?"

"There's an Imperial prison down on the planet, that was transformed into a mining station, the administrator is a smuggler named Mourth Doole. He is the one who ordered the attack."

"That right." Kallisto agreed.

"I want him dead." Mara said.

Daala nodded. "It would be my pleasure to see to the bombardment of his facility."

"Perfect."

God I can never find good ways to end a chapter. Oh well.