Chapter 7: Unarmed and Unafraid
She woke immediately, instantly alert. Without opening her eyes, she took stock of her situation. She seemed uninjured, which was strange as she distinctly remembered the blaster shot that had slipped through her defenses and taken her down. Anger welled up at that, and she allowed it for anger gave her strength. She would settle things with that cocky pilot after she dealt with Lord Vader.
Looking deeper, she discovered the unmistakable signature of a Force healing. So that's why there was no pain. But who would heal her? Despite having only limited contact with Lord Vader in the past, she was familiar enough with his Force signature to be certain that it hadn't been him. That meant Luke Skywalker had done it. Now, there was an enigma.
When reports of the Force-sensitive Rebel had first begun to arrive on Coruscant, Mara had been vaguely interested, but too busy with her duties to really pay attention. However, when the Emperor had decided to try to turn the boy, she had taken notice. Rumour was that there could be only two Sith at a time—a Master and an Apprentice—so it followed that Vader's days were numbered. But it had all been a plot: father and son had conspired to take over—or take down—the Empire. How had the great Sith Master not seen this coming? He must have known that Skywalker was Vader's son. How could he have misjudged things so completely? She shook her head violently. It didn't matter. It was not her place to question her Master. She only did his bidding, and—now he was gone—she could but avenge him.
She could hear distant sounds of activity and, nearer, the unmistakable wheezing of Lord Vader's respirator. She could feel his watchfulness through the Force, and she smiled. It seemed he was her guard. Well, that made things simpler. She wouldn't have to go looking for him. She opened her eyes, and sat up on the edge of the bed. The room was small and bare, which was to be expected: it was a cell after all.
Skywalker's remarkably potent Force presence was some distance away at the moment, which was just as well. Although she wouldn't be so easily distracted a second time, facing Vader alone was preferable. Besides, she had no quarrel with Skywalker unless he interfered again.
There was no way to get out of the cell without Lord Vader's knowledge, and besides, she didn't want to sneak past him; she wanted to confront and kill him. Accordingly, she simply used the Force to fling the door open, ripping it off of its hinges, and sending it skidding down the hall. As expected, Vader's black-cloaked form instantly blocked the now open doorway.
"You are not leaving," he intoned.
"So stop me." She stepped forward, unarmed and unafraid. She needed no weapons to deal with one Sith, even if he drew the lightsaber that hung at his belt.
But he didn't. He faced her empty-handed. And he didn't immediately attempt his signature choke, either. Puzzled, she paused, trying to read his emotions through the Force. He was as unafraid of her as she was of him—no, there was fear there, but not for his own well-being. He feared for someone else. Skywalker, of course. She allowed herself a small smile. She had found his weakness.
However, that didn't explain why he had yet to attack. From what she knew of Lord Vader, his usual method was to kill first and ask questions later. She respected that, having done it herself on many occasions. Now, though, it seemed he wanted her to make the first move, and that made her very suspicious.
Unfortunately, she didn't have time to ponder long, for she sensed Skywalker's unmistakable presence moving closer quickly. Clearly, he had sensed either the energy that had blasted the door or the tension between her and Vader, or possibly both. No, probably both. The boy was exceptionally strong in the Force. If he could be convinced to work with her rather than against—but he was clearly very protective of his father, and she couldn't let Vader get away with murdering her Master. Unfortunately, she would likely have to kill Skywalker as well.
Maybe that was Vader's plan: to delay her until his son arrived. There was no reason to face the two of them together, though. Her skills were formidable, but so were theirs. She had found that the easiest route was usually the best one. It was time to avenge her Master's death.