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Chapter 30

Mara Jade preferred to remain on the ship which she'd soon learned was called the Millennium Falcon.

She didn't have the heart to be surrounded by those band of traitors so she destined herself from them. She'd felt ashamed when she stayed around. She could easily assassinate those around the base, but she held herself back because it would not only prove Luke Skywalker - smug ass - correct, but it was possible Skywalker could manhandle her again.

She realized on Alderaan how next to virtually nothing she was compared to the likes of him.

Proving him wrong about the Empire and giving him a harsh reality check would give her more satisfaction than sticking her lightsaber in his, or anyone's here chest.

Early in the morning, Mara exited the quarters she'd been dropped in, and she was met with a figure who she'd believed was the man in regard at first.

But she stopped herself when she saw the scars running on the back of his neck, as well as the incredibly underdeveloped hair, his arms folded across his chest. Something was oddly familiar about him.

What caught her attention was in front of him stood the actual Luke. Another man and Wookiee were here as well.

"...You know, I'm getting there being cooped up here."

"Yeah, I know," Skywalker relented. "But we can't rush."

"Patience isn't going to satisfy me, kid."

Skywalker smirked knowingly. "Am I talking to Han Solo or Vykk Draygo here?"

The other man rolled his eyes. "Vykk Draygo died the moment Jabba did, and hey, what did I tell you about that?"

"Never leave one stone unturned, my friend," Skywalker replied tauntingly. "Maybe you should have asked to come back instead."

"Nope, I love not to know how everyone's goin' to frak up," he motioned to his Wookiee partner. "Now, come on, Chewie, we have to make sure that the kid didn't sabotage the Falcon."

"I take offense to that, Han," Skywalker said with false hurt. "You know the Falcon is very useful for me. Chewie is too. You on the other hand, huh, I don't know. Maybe we could allow Chewie to do more of the flying for a while."

The Wookiee sniffed, downright arrogantly. Han gave him a look. "Keep dreamin', both of you. It ain't happening."

Entering the cockpit, the two men were left alone.

Mara was prepared to keep silent, yet that plan had been foiled.

"Son, we're not alone," the towering man who had been silent thus far finally spoke, turning around and facing her, and she could almost sense a hint of superiority and coldness passing through the Force. Not as powerful as Luke Skywalker, however, still greatly powerful.

Skywalker mumbled something about "awkward family reunions" before nodding slightly. "Good morning, Mara."

"Skywalker," the redhead greeted back, coming closer.

"Shall we dispense to her the truth?" The older man inquired.

"Of course," Skywalker responded. He indicated to the man next to him who fell behind him as he approached, "Mara, this is my father whom you otherwise would have referred to as Vader."

Mara choked. Kriff! She looked up at him, wondering what type of sorcery was this! What happened to that suit he'd worn?! This was Darth Vader's son! This was the son of the man who choked people just because he could! This was the offspring of the man who could defeat entire armies single-handedly! Luke Skywalker was his son! Luke! Skywalker! She'd never thought it would be possible that someone of a mechanical monster would have worked with a Jedi. Vader was an enforcer. He was like those Warlords, just with the Force on his side. And kriff, while Skywalker was obviously more powerful, Vader's height didn't change, even with this... human face he'd now wore. He was taller than both of them.

"Jade," Vader regarded coolly. Ah, so even on the opposite side, he'd still hated her.

Well, it wasn't like Mara still thought of him as anything but a monster that needed to be put down.

Mara glared, "Vader."

"I'm going by the assumption that you are still loyal to the Empire."

"Of course."

"Oh, you underestimate how little value the Emperor has for both of us, Jade," Vader glared.

"There is no obligation on the Empire's end to honor the demands of a fugitive and murderer, Vader," she said harshly. "Any opportunity that you may have had for such things left the moment you committed crimes against the Empire. Alderaan," she spat, "you killed those men."

"Girl, you know nothing of my power," Vader rumbled, turning to Luke. "Observe her, Luke, you'll see an quality of Jade. One that is all too negative. She still believes in the Empire and the Emperor. She was designed to be just another animal."

"I am not a animal!" she growled. She looked at Skywalker now who sighed out loud. "You should know, your father slaughtered a Wookiee population on Kashyyyk, and threatened to punish Stormtroopers for doing their jobs multiple times. He should be the last one who talks about monsters."

"You lack the truth about the Emperor."

"Coming from the one who betrays the Emperor," Mara told him. She caught the expression on his face— "And if you think I'm the only sword of the Emperor, you'll be wrong. Obviously not. There's the Inquisitors and there were you before you rebelled."

Vader studied her, a small spoil of taunting laughter escaping him. "You're really don't know what I'm talking about."

"When I return to him with you if you dare, assuming that this is in your liking, the Emperor and you can handle this on a personal setting." She grinned, knowing that Vader would not dare to rival against the Emperor.

Vader pointed his right index finger at her. "The Emperor will not be able to prohibit you from your own destruction, Mara Jade. Test my patience and you shall be dealt with in one swift stroke."

"Alright, that's enough, both of you," Luke came forward.

"I will give you a challenge, Lord," Mara spat with contempt. "For your treachery against the Empire, you should be thankful that I'm showing leniency when you deserve immediate death for your crimes." She looked at Luke. "I highly doubt he's an inappropriate role model as, after all, not every parent leaves their children until they're adults and finally decide to play parenthood. Someone like him doesn't care about anyone."

Chills crossed the room. "You dare..."

"I do," Mara smirked viciously.

A dark shadow had settled across Vader's face. "Do not presume to dictate to me, Mara Jade," he warned. "Not even in private."

A small shiver ran up Mara's back, but she ignored it. "I am the Emperor's Hand," she reminded him, matching the steel in his tone as best she could. Even to her own ears, it came out a poor second. "I speak for him… and even you are obliged to listen."

Vader smiled sardonically. "Your uses serves you abysmally, Emperor's Hand. Your elucidation rivals that of a laboriously specialized courier. You have no value. Just a meaningless puppet easily disposed of and replaceable."

What was he talking about?

"Perhaps your rage and jealousy is clouding you to reality, Lord Vader," she retorted. "I travel throughout the Empire in his name, making policy decisions that changes lives at the highest levels of government—"

"Father..." Luke interrupted in a warning tone, "I think you should le..."

"You carried out his will," Vader cut him off now sharply. "No more. Whether you hear his commands more transparently than the rest of his Hands is irrelevant. It is still his decisions that you implement."

"What do you mean, the rest of his Hands?" Mara sniffed. "I am the only—" She broke off. The look on Vader's face… and abruptly, all her rising anger drained away. "No," she breathed. "No. You're wrong."

The smile became more twisted. "Believe what you wish. But don't attempt to blind others with exaggerated beliefs of your own preeminence."

"Father!" Luke shouted.

Her strong demeanor fractured for a moment, "I am-"

"You're nothing more than a expendable spy. If you were so important, why didn't the Emperor allow you to be my potential successor?"

Flinching, Mara started to respond. "Well, I am a competent agent and assassin..."

"Such assignments could be still carried out, even with you assuming my position," Vader dismissed.

"You both are..." Luke started.

Vader's eyes glint with rage. "The Emperor even considered allowing you to be... molded by older Imperials in his court, an idea that I've inveigled him to dismiss."

"Father!" Luke barked even louder.

Mara gasped. "That's not true... you're lying! You have only ever viewed me and everyone in his court as a puppet of the Emperor! You would not protect us. He would..."

She recalled the ire the Emperor demonstrated when an older male in his court groped one of the girls a year younger than her a few years ago. At the time, she knew sexual favors were a form of currency in the Emperor's court. Women were used in such a manner. Yet, the Emperor always favored her and protected her. Vader wasn't involved with such affairs, distant on some backwater planet or whatnot. She didn't recall girls her age being used by those said males. All were only dancers or waiters. Vader could not be the cause of that. It just wasn't in his nature. After all, why would he interfere with any ideas of young girls engaging in sexual acts? He was all too willing to slaughter the entire population and engage in other acts of cruelty that had the more honorable diehard loyalists of the Empire fuming at the mouth sometimes.

"He would what?" Vader threw back at her in the form of a taunt.

"Father!" Luke pushed against him now, but Vader remained unmoved.

"Do you really believe that the Emperor wouldn't have a replacement for you should you fall or better yet that every secretive assignment was reserved for you only? Moreover, do you believe those encounters with those women were all consensual in his court? I was a pawn to both the Jedi and Sith. You are a pawn to the Emperor and Empire. You're a tool of violence; an experiment, just as I was. We were one in the same."

Mara recoiled. The words stung. She couldn't be taken for a fool, not like that. She wasn't a weapon. An assassin, yes, but not a disposable tool. "N-no, I am..."

"You will stop this now, father!" Luke barked.

"You were raised under false beliefs about the Jedi and instructed only in the arts of espionage and extermination. You always bored all to get away fast enough with her delusions of grandeur. Contrary to you, other Hands of the Emperor, were even members of the Imperial Ruling Council."

Mara went still. "The Jedi betrayed the Republic. I have been task-"

"You foolish girl, the Jedi only sought to stop the Sith. And like all who questioned him, the Emperor murdered or enslaved them. To every last innocent. Manipulated. Garbage. Purposeless. Stripped down to the last."

Mara felt every biting word tear at her. Here she realized how she underestimated Vader. He was not known to be short of cruelty when it came to certain matters, and even now that he was revolting against the Emperor, he was still a monster.

A monster in chains, bonded by a strange parental connection and perhaps protectiveness with his son, but still a monster.

"FATHER!" The Force vibrated around them in a booming declaration. Mara almost shivered at how thunderous he was in that singular moment. Admittedly, so did Vader.

Luke's glare was centered on Vader. No one would have dared to speak that way to Vader before in her presence, save for the Emperor. A dawning anger boiled inside of him. Mara didn't even need the Force to see that it was protective rage-all centered around her in a way that was different to everyone ever before.

"Leave," was all he said. His voice hung hollow, barely a whisper. But Vader heard.

"As you wish, my son," the former Sith looked at her one more time, the smirk on his lips replaced by indifference if not slight disappointment. Her determination wavered and she looked at him, her body suddenly deprived of energy despite the previous night's sleep. Vader had gotten through to her, had cut through her with the worst type of words he could have ever said to one such as her. He took pleasure in her agony. Or, was that a correct assumption?

No, he was wrong. He had to be wrong. Hadn't the Emperor himself given her the title of Emperor's Hand? Hadn't he given her a bigger purpose than anybody else? He wouldn't have lied to her. He wouldn't have.

The anger diminished greatly, replaced by the worst type of pain. There were many reasons why Vader would tell her such things. But, somewhere in her, she knew that those were justifications. Every excuse that came to mind just didn't sound as convincing to herself, try as she might...

And then, with his back turn, Vader descended the nearby ramp, allowing the two to be left alone.

For a second, Mara almost thought Luke was going to share his father's cruelty. After all, what could the son of Vader be like? She had threatened to murder this man several times, and he continued to trust her and even almost died for it! This! This was the man Darth Vader somehow fathered!

He had to be the same.

He had to be...

Her chest convulsed, and her face burned...

To her surprise, Luke wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in. Mara wanted to push away. She couldn't be here, not in this Jedi's arms. Not in anyone's arms. She was the Emperor's Hand! But... the more she remained in this Jedi's arms, the more she felt secure.

"I'm sorry."

His forehead pressed against hers briefly.

And Luke led her back to the quarters she was just between, allowing her to sit on the nearby bed and stare down. Unbeknownst to her, he was tempted to kiss her, to offer her comfort in a way he may have done at another time.

He stayed with her for hours.

She wouldn't admit it, but a shot of warmth traveled through her entire body at this physical contact.

"Hey, kid, you know you look like we've just flew ourselves into another galaxy."

"Thanks for telling me, Han." Luke didn't even bother hiding his anger as he left the Falcon and stormed through the Cardooine Rebel Base.

"What did I tell you? Scary?" Han pointed in his direction from behind.

Chewie mewled and shrugged.

Luke ignored them both.

Many who considered stopping him and offered greetings quickly changed their minds when they saw the look on his face. He sensed exactly where his kriffing father was, and he had some serious words waiting for him.

It was time for him to call him out!

Yet, Luke felt some anger for himself.

Of all the stupid decisions he had made, he should have told Vader to leave before he and Mara interacted... His self-berating was cut short when he finally made it to the door he'd sensed where that idiot was and resisted kicking the door off of his hinges, instead storming right in. The few nearby Rebels and Leia were startled.

To his credit, Vader showed no signs of being intimidated. The storm of Luke Skywalker was strong and domineering. Cold fury burnt through his entire body.

"Son..." Vader greeted casually.

"What the kriff was that about?!" He demanded, reminding himself that it wouldn't do to punch his father in the jaw, tempting as it was.

Leia, who was also present, stared at him, surprised at his actual anger for their father for a moment before her eyes sharpened and she turned her skeptical eyes on Vader.

Luke bared his teeth protectively, and Leia followed suit. "From what I'm hearing, you did something you shouldn't have," his sister spat. She narrowed her eyes at Luke. "Do I even want to know?"

"He informed her that she was a pawn," Luke answered sharply.

Leia blinked, glancing at Luke once, before back at Vader, and grumbled, "Just when I thought there was a layer of human behind all that darkness."

"Pain is a teacher, Leia. And some lessons must be learned the hard way." Vader responded. It was neither a rationalization nor deflection, merely a simple response to this predicament.

Leia scoffed and folded her arms across her chest, her eyes hardening. "You know, that type of speech is rich coming from you, given your backstory."

"There were other manners that contributed into my conversion as you know," Vader discarded, maintaining the form of stoicism on his face.

"And you not listening to others is one of them," Luke shot down.

"I merely told the girl what she needed to hear," Vader responded simply. "Take it as you will, was you planning to shelter her forever?"

"No! I was planning to get around to it!" Luke pointed at him, shaking with anger. "Do you not realize what you've done?! You've targeted her insecurities! You have completely disregarded my wishes!"

"You cannot be gentle to all, Luke," Vader interrupted. "Jade needed to be guided in the right direction."

"You don't just tell her that her whole lifework is without purpose!" Luke exclaimed. "I'd thought you trusted me!"

Vader showed no emotion, and it increased Luke's anger.

"That's where you're mistaken, my son, I do trust you. However, do you believe that she wouldn't feel some resentment for you informing her of the Emperor's true plans for her? It could have shattered any relationship you may have. I presented you with an opportunity. She may hate me for a long time, but..."

The Force urged him to listen to what his father had to say. He allowed the anger to decrease for a second, only managing to summon up a strained calm through gritted teeth and shuddering fists.

"There were much better ways to enlightening her," Luke still wasn't going to let his father get off the hook no matter what. "I had a plan..."

"And I have my own," Vader countered smoothly.

Luke's hand twitched, suddenly ready to blast him into a nearby wall. Quelling the uncharacteristic thoughts for now, he replied, "I know what I'm doing, Father."

"I'd offered my aid through a unconventional place," Vader responded coldly. "The Yuuzhan Vong and galaxy will not shy away from cruelty. I believe it would have broken you if Jade reacted to the truth negatively. While we're genetically bound, she has different experiences to us, and will now entrust you personally."

"Wait a minute, if she was raised by the Emperor, then how isn't she... well...?" Leia began, trying to find an appropriate word.

"She was primarily trained by the Royal guards with a few Force powers taught to her," Luke informed her. "She only knows a few lightsaber techniques."

At any rate, Mara coming across him earlier would make her far more different than she was last time. He'd wondered if they would conceive Ben earlier, and maybe a few more children. It was a different life. To think, she was young once more, as was he, and this was supposed to be far before Luke even knew of her existence.

"While is a highly competent agent and an assassin on occasion, she isn't an unstoppable juggernaut. She had an affinity for a lethal skill of keeping the telepathic bond with the Emperor, but that's the extent of her power. A truly trained Jedi or Sith could dispatch of her in battle." Vader contributed.

Luke wondered what would happen if Mara improved under his training once more and she proved his father wrong. The thought gave him amusement, yet it was squandered by the anger still burning at the moment.

"You don't have any justifications," Luke growled. "What you did was wrong and uncalled for." He sobered up, allowing his rage to pass into the Force, eyes closed as he sighed and relaxed his shoulders. Finally, his face softened, "I will appreciate if it doesn't happen again."

"Only if it's not unnecessary to our efforts, Son," Vader replied candidly. "After all, what beliefs do you believe she would have inherited too if not for me?"

"Oh, and why pray tell should Luke be happy that you talk to his wife that way?" Leia asked, realizing how odd that sounded on her tongue.

"In her compromised state, it allows him to substitute for the role of the Emperor. If Luke had told her the truth about the other Hands, she would have reacted far more negatively to Luke's presence for a long time."

Luke winced. Unfortunately, he knew it was true. He remembered the amount of time it took for them to establish a relationship.

"And what prevents her from still doing so knowing your bond?"

"Simply because she knows Luke and I are different. If Luke handles this situation correctly which I don't doubt he will, she will turn to him for comfort and reassurance, confining off of him for her hatred of me and the Emperor, allowing them to form an even closer bond. She will be Luke's, and he will be hers. Her anger is no concern of mine in a way it would have been to your brother."

"Why am I not surprised that I expect you to be manipulative?" Leia huffed, turning her attention to Luke. "You know it's not too late for us to leave him somewhere."

"I consider it more than you realize, Leia," Luke sighed. He looked at his father pointedly one last time before turning and storming out.

"We're not done yet," Leia growled from behind him, "don't even think about leaving. We're going to have a little chat about your tactless cruelty."

"As you wish..." Faint exasperation entered their father's tone.

Luke knew that although he was playing his part in redeeming his father, Leia's tougher hand was needed as well with a version of their father who wasn't as conflicted as he was on the Second Death Star.

He had a feeling they had a long way to go before something like that happened.