Chapter 9-Dark Truths
Mara Jade frowned in frustration, as she had never done this Force exercise position her body was currently in, and wondered how Luke had been able to handle this. Seeing the rock twice the size of her head wavering, Mara redoubled the level of concentration she had on the object, and felt her nimble body wavering.
Before she lost all concentration and collapsed onto the ground before Mara hit it with the frustration this exercise brought.
"Concentrate you must. Clear you mind of all things distracting or collapse again you will," said Yoda seeing the student Vader had sent to him.
It had not been easy to embrace Mara Jade in being a student, as she was too much like Luke in regards to patience, control, and understanding of the Force. Mara however, had told Yoda that she understood more then he realized, and that she needed to become strong enough to help Vader along with Luke to defeat the Emperor. Again, Yoda was hesitant to help the former agent of the Emperor, until the most unlikely of Jedi Masters living on through the Force appeared, and told the dwarf that Mara was key to Luke's future.
Qui-gon Jinn.
The first among many Jedi to fall at the hands of the newly returned Sith appeared before the two, asking Yoda to teach Mara knowing how much a victim she was at the hands of Sidious, and that her potential should not be stunted. So with hesitation, Yoda began the red haired woman's training, and like Luke Skywalker was having some difficulties with the training he had her take.
Though like Skywalker had, Mara soon adapted to the training, and became stronger for it.
"I'm trying to concentrate you old dwarf! The Force is thick with life all around me here. It makes my head feel like I'm swimming in a thick swamp of poodoo," said Mara though considering the planet she was in it didn't seem so far from the truth.
"The Force flows through all living things young Mara Jade. The rocks. The trees. The animals that live in a symbiotic balance with each other on this planet have the Force within them. Concentrate on the task at hand while blocking them out is the key," said Yoda, as he saw the woman blow a strand of red hair away from her eyes, and then try the exercise again.
"How much difficulty did Skywalker have with this exercise?" said Mara, as she began following Yoda's instructions, and trying to keep her mind clear.
"Very difficult it was. Like his Father, strong in the Force Skywalker is, but also lacks the control needed to use it he has, and had little in terms of teaching from Obi-Wan before Vader killed him he did," said Yoda, as he saw Mara was smiling at that, and wondered if there was some kind of playful competition between the two.
"Luke told me as such. I thought Skywalker was just pulling my leg, but I can see now why he had so much trouble, and that one's raw talent in the Force doesn't really help here for someone without the proper control," said Mara she had never felt such raw power before the Emperor until she met Skywalker and could sense the extent of the young blonde man's potential.
It was limitless. It was no wonder the Emperor feared Skywalker's power.
"Yes. Never have I felt such raw power outside of Skywalker's Father in the Force before the boy," said Yoda, as he had sensed what Mara did when Luke was training here, and knew the young man would one day surpass the level Anakin would have been had the former Jedi not been crippled in his duel with Obi-wan.
After what felt like forever for Mara, she descended the many objects around her, and landed on the ground looked at Yoda with gaze that told the once great Jedi Master she needed to ask him a serious question.
"Why didn't the Jedi head back to free Anakin's Mother shortly after he became a Jedi Apprentice?" said Mara, as she had heard the full story from Vader when the Sith Lord told his children about his past, and the loss of his Mother that would be a key moment in his life in the fall to the Dark Side.
"Seek out his Mother young Anakin would have. Could not risk attachments from either of the two. Felt the Jedi did not need such things in our lives we did not," said Yoda, as he sat down on the trunk of fallen tree, and saw Mara frown at the idea.
"But Jedi formed attachments with each other all the time, right? Didn't you treat each other like some kind of family? What's so different about that kind of attachment then what Anakin wanted?" said Mara, as she didn't understand how surrogate family could be less damaging then blood family, and saw the old Jedi Master frown himself.
"Never faced the situation like we did with Anakin Skywalker we had not. Thought that it was in the best interest of the Jedi to keep the two away from the other we did. Wrong it was now I have seen and too little too late it is," said Yoda, as he realized that the loss of family by blood was much more potent then that of surrogates, and wondered if this was one of the failures the Jedi had done when it came to the Chosen One.
"For years, I thought my parents handed me over to the Emperor, and that I was born from parents that were loyal to the Emperor. However, I now think that it was the exact opposite when it comes to my real family, and believe the Emperor robbed me of my family just to make me his tool. It hurt at first when the truth hit me. That my entire life growing up in the Emperor's service was all a lie and everything I had done was nothing more then a means to an end in achieving his goals," said Mara, as she felt anger at that feeling, but it was controlled, and locked away for the appropriate time to unleash it.
When she faced the Emperor with Vader and Skywalker.
"Believe attachments make you stronger I sense in you," said Yoda, as he sensed the same thing in Luke, and Vader when the man was Anakin Skywalker.
"Are you saying it doesn't? Have you ever stopped to wonder why the Jedi's power in the Force weakened during the Emperor's ascension to power? That you cut yourself off from such connections in the ways of attachments that was causing your own power to weaken rather then strengthen it. It was because of the Jedi's lack of compassion that the Dark Side got stronger and I think...may have helped in it getting stronger during the Clone Wars," said Mara, as she saw Yoda close his eyes deep in thought, and saw him nod his head slowly after a few seconds.
"Possible your theory is. Try to cut off all emotions we feel take us to the Dark Side of the Force not realizing that they can be used to further strengthen the Light Side as well," said Yoda, as he saw the woman nodding, and then looking over at the area where the cave Luke went into filled with Dark Side energy.
"That area. Its where that Dark Side cave is that Luke went into, isn't it?" said Mara, as she saw Yoda nod, and wondered what awaited her if she entered the cave.
"Yes. Reveals harsh truths and revelations the cave does. Powerful Dark Side energies live within that cave. Be mindful of what lays in there reveals harsh revelations and harsh truths you will face," said Yoda seeing Mara nod and take her Lightsaber in hand.
'Calm down Mara. You can do this. Luke did and he was only just understanding the Force,' thought Mara, as she entered the cave, and found it to be just like Luke described it.
But the way it felt told her the words Luke used to describe the dark place didn't do it any justice.
"You've returned to me my loyal Hand," said the chilling cruel voice that Mara knew so well the instant she was a few feet into the cave.
The Emperor.
"You're not real. You're just a manifestation of the Dark Side energies this cave has to mess with my mind," said Mara, as she tried to stay calm, but this Emperor before her seemed even more evil, and it was sending chills down to the base of her spine.
"Oh I'm very real my dear. You just don't want to believe I am because of what that so called "Jedi Master' says to the contrary. Make so mistake my dear, I am real, and you are mine to command. Mine to control. Just as death bows to my will so do you just as it was always meant to be since you've been in my service," said the Emperor, as he cackled at the woman, and Mara activated her Lightsaber in front of him.
"I'm no longer your Hand. I'm no longer your slave. Whatever I do from now on is of my own freewill," said Mara, as she saw the Emperor's smile turn into that of scowl, and then a snarl before he drew his Lightsaber from within robes of the right arm with the ruby red blade casting an eerie glow within the cave to match her purple one.
"Traitor! No matter. You will know your place before your life here ends my Hand," said the Emperor, as he moved with speed, and ruthless efficiency that Mara did not think the real one possess, and just barely countered his moves.
'Since when has the Emperor had such physical strength,' thought Mara, as she used the Lightsaber techniques the Emperor taught her to keep the man from striking her down, and use some others Vader had taught during the time she spent on the Executor.
"You've grown strong young Jade. Perhaps I should reconsider having you become my official apprentice. Think about it my Hand. Isn't it what you've always wanted from me. To surpass Vader and take your rightful place at my side? I can make it happen. Just swear your loyalty to me Mara Jade, kill Skywalker, and his traitorous Father to become what you've always wanted. My one true apprentice!" said the Emperor grinning at the woman, and saw Mara weakening under the prospect.
'Do I still want that? To be his apprentice? Even though everything he told me was a lie?' thought Mara, as she saw the man grinning, and used the Force to keep the Emperor from reading her thoughts.
"It's no use young Jade. I've sensed your desire deep within you. Swear your loyalty to me and become what you've always wanted," said the Emperor, who deactivated his Lightsaber, and now looked at her with kind eyes.
Eyes with fake kindness.
"No. I don't want anything to do with you. I'd rather die then be your puppet like the on you made Vader to be all these years," said Mara, as she held her ground, and saw the Emperor snarl with rage.
"So you wish to die rather then be my servant? That can be arranged!" said the Emperor with his hands now sparking with Sith Lightning at his fingertips.
"No it won't. You're not real and thus can't hurt me. When I face the real you, only then will I let my anger out, and show what I've learned with my new found freedom," said Mara, as she deactivated her Lightsaber, and saw the Emperor looking even more livid.
However, before the Sith could destroy her with Sith Lightning, the image of Darth Sidious, and Emperor to the Galactic Empire vanished from Mara Jade's sight.
She had conquered the cave. Mara Jade had conquered the darkness within herself.
(A/N: Hope you don't mind this is a little sort. Many wondered where Mara was and I realized I cut her out of the last chapter so I decided to fix that with this little filler. Let me know if it meets your standards. Until next time...PEACE!)