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Star Wars: A New Dawn (TheCorsair, Xanaphia)

The hardest part of being a Zedanadal was, Kalin new, keeping silent when silence was necessary. And it was as necessary now, as Leia’s confusion and desire and self-loathing spilled out. Because the things she was saying weren’t normal, or natural. Beliefs like that were imposed from outside, created by abuse and repression that sourced from individuals who derived pleasure from harming the innocent or cultures with mechanisms designed to control through shame. Moments like this made him wish he’d been able to persuade Tafayl Quentin to train him in the Jedi arts. But then, well, he’d risk become by the thing he loathed - a man imposing a moral vision.

No. Better to listen, and to heal.

Leia began to sob, and he let her go until the tears began to subside. Well not then did he reach out, taking her hands in his. “Everyone deserves more than that,” he said softly. “Even if you are not his equal in the Force, what of it? The value of a sentient is not measured in what use they have. You are not worthy of love because you can bear a child, or because you can have sex, or for any other reason.” He squeezed her hands gently. “You have value because you are, because you are part of the living Force.”

He watched her expression, considering his next words. “Draw a breath, Leia. And then, exhale your fears with that breath. When you do, listen. Listen, and feel the Living n Firce around you. Don’t try to control it. Just feel it, feel the life around you.” A small smile. “Will you do this?”
 
Once the emotions started pouring out, Leia found it hard to rein them back in. Several moments of tears and sobs, before she could begin to calm down. Kalin’s hands were soft, taking hers, and soft words followed. She wanted to believe him, wanted to let go of this deep-seated self-loathing and move on with her life, and he offered her a way. She nodded in returned, gripping both his hands in her own, and breathing deep. Eyes closed, she let everything else fall away.

All around, she felt life. Connected and flowing together, joined by acts of affection and tenderness. So much grander than the small parts she sought to grasp and control. Immense, and warm, enveloping her and covering the darkness that lingered to pervade her. Not only was it around her, it was within her. She wasn’t incomplete or lacking or without intrinsic worth; She was whole, and she was enough.

With a shuddered breath, she opened her eyes and met Kalin’s. “I…I want to be able to move on. Move forward, move…move past this.” Still, fear lingered, of losing luke, of losing her purpose, and she pushed it aside, gripping Kalin’s hand even tighter. Her connection with her twin couldn’t be severed. Not in the force. “I want to heal.”
 
Leia’s defenses slowly dissolved as she fell silent, opening herself to the world around her. Kalin n smiled and held her hands, opening himself the same way. He could feel her doubts, taste her self-hatred. More importantly, though, he could feel the subtle changes in her as she felt the living Firce about her. The pain, and the scars of the harms that had influence Fred that pain, remained. They would always remain, he knew - such things could heal, but they never vanished.

“I…I want to be able to move on,” Leia breathed, emotions warring on her features and in her mind. “Move forward, move…move past this.” Even as she spoke fear flared herself n her - fear of losing love, of being alone. Her grip tightened, and he felt her reach past him, felt her seeking strength from her twin. “I want to heal.”

“That’s where it begins,” Kalin replied. “With the desire for transformation.” He stroked her hands with his thumb. The Zedanadal have a code as well, although it is far from the rigid catechism followed by Sith or Jedi. All begins in love. Love gives us peace and inspires passion. Love drives us to be greater than we are, and to serve others. Love binds us one to another, and in binding us frees us.” He brought one of her hands to his lips, kissing it gently. “You will need the strength your training promises, if you are to heal. But seek that strength in love, Leia. Love for others, and for yourself.”


The balmy evening, the warmth of Mara in his arms, and the pleasant languor that followed sex all conspired against him. Luke wasn’t asleep, not quite, but he lay motionless and satisfied. And then he felt something. His sister, reaching out to him through the Force. Her touch was light and affectionate, a small gesture as if merely confirming his existence. And then it withdrew, leaving only the constant, faint awareness of her he always felt.

Shifting, he felt his chest sliding against the skin of Mara’s bare back. “Maybe,” he whispered, feeling a possessive desire stirring faintly, “we should find a bed?” His lips ghosted over the back of her neck. “I’m not certain if I’m daring enough for an audience.” Grinning, he nipped at her shoulder. “And if we stay here, we will be discovered...”
 
Leia felt herself smirk, negative emotions draining away, replaced with a lightness that was unfamiliar, and pleasant. Seeking more warmth, as she came down from the emotional turbulence of pouring out her deepest secrets, dhe leaned k to Kalin. "So, what does this training consist of?" she joked.



Mara stirred, aware of Luke's movement and his lips on her shoulder. She must have dozed off, after feeling so safe and comfortable in Luke's arms.

"I'm not sure we're fooling anymore in our attempts to sneak around. Not after I made you scream out my name earlier." She smirked at that, still feeling a smug pride in her conquest of him. Then she turned to face him, and lose herself in his gorgeous blue eyes, "But a bed would be more comfortable on my back." Taking a slow, lingering kiss from him, Mara pushed him away before he could take it further. "Come on let's find our clothes."

Mara threw her dress back on, lazily adjusting herself so the thin, gauzy outfit actually covered her. Then she distracted Luke from dressing with light touches and affectionate kisses. Carrying her shoes in one hand, she cozied up to Luke, still seeking his warmth against her as they moved through the hallways.

They found an empty room a couple doors down from the balcony they had shared. After tossing her shoes in an empty chair, Mara pulled Luke closer. "So, are we sleeping, or do you have left over stamina?"
 
“Oh, I have no doubt that our little affair is barracks room gossip by now,” Luke replied as Mara rolled over to face him. “I’m just not that interested in an audience.”

After that, Luke struggled to locate all of his clothes. Not that they were hard to find, mind. But Mara was being spectacularly distracting with teasing touches of her hand and lips and body. He finally managed, though, and the two of them made their way down the hall arm in arm. As he walked, Mara nestled against him, Luke felt an odd sort of... peace. As if a part of him, a part that had always aches and that he’d learned to live with, suddenly hurt less. “Not that room,” he said as Mara reached for a door handle. He could sense the lives within. “I mean, this is Zeltron. They probably wouldn’t mind. But...”

The next two rooms went the same way. Finally, though, they found an unoccupied room. He closed the door as she pitched her shoes aside, then cane to her willingly as she grabbed his lapels. “So, are we sleeping, or do you have left over stamina?"

“I was actually planning on collapsing into bed,” Luke said with a playful yawn. His hands rested on her hips, pulling her tight against him. “It is just possible,” he added, drawing her into a lingering kiss, “that you might persuade me otherwise.” His hands slid upwards, teasing her gown over her shoulders so he could cup her bared breasts. “You’d have to be very persuasive, though.”
 
There wasn’t much rest to be had for Luke and Mara, as they ran out of early morning hours. Despite whatever plans or secret alliances they formed, they were still on opposite sides of the conflict, and would have to part for the time being, with no promise that they could meet like this again. Perhaps that’s why sleep took a backseat to fucking Luke.

For months those memories would have to satisfy Mara, all those cold nights alone away from Luke. Especially cold night, on the ice planets Hoth, as the rebel army rebuilt itself. Days were spent learning from the holochron and meditating on the last teaching her father pasted down to her. Nights were spent reliving her brief time with Luke, her ache growing as they drifted further apart.

Mara found herself stranded in the ice wastes of Hoth. She’d been scouting on a Tauntaun, before a wampa ambushed her and slew her mount. She’d killed it, but she was still without transportation and kilometers from the base. Walking would never get her back before sundown; she had to contact Leia.

~*~

Leia, with her experience as an Imperial officer, became a major asset to the rebel, using her skills and gifts in the force to coordinate troops. That is, when she wasn’t bickering with Han. Bickering that turned into angry sex. Mara was sure that was half the reason Han stuck around as long as he had. But Han had gotten spooked by a bounty hunter on Ord Mantell, and wanted to clear his debt with Jabba before another came to claim the prize on his head.

“You can’t go, Han. We need you,” Leia argued, grabbing him by the shoulder.

Han spun on her. “We need me? What about you?”

“What about me? What are you talking about?”

“Come on. You want me to stay because of how you feel about me.”

“Yes, you are a great help to us. A natural leader.”

“That’s not what I mean and you know it.” He pressed into her, eyes boring into hers. Usually, this was a precursor to sneaking off into nearest empty room, to fuck hard until they both forgot why they argued in the first place. Not this time though.

Leia crossed her arms, putting space between them. “You are imagining things.”

Han smirked. “You’re upset I’m leaving without giving you a last kiss.” The word kiss was emphasized with a leer, a look that span the length of her body. A reminder he’d seen all of her before, numerous times.

“I’d rather kiss the Wookie,” Leia taunted. Then, another voice, distant and muffled. Leia please…I need…help… Leia turned to seek the source, but no one else was around.

“That could be arranged.”

It must have come through the force. That meant- “Shut up Han, Mara in danger.”

“Mara?”

“Did she ever make it back?”
 
“Why are you here?”

“Why are you here?”

The two men sat in a room carved from ice and sprayed with an insulating foam that allowed the temperatures to rise nearly ten degrees above freezing. Both had crimson skin, but that was where the similarities ended. One wore the insulated tan and cream cold weather suit that had become the uniform of the Rebel Alluance here on Hoth, with a slim-bladed sword and an elegant sporting blaster slung around narrow hips. Smiling, he moved a piece across the board. “Leia invited me,” he said. “She is making progress, but the wounds in her psyche run deep.” He cocked an eyebrow. “You?”

The other man was heavily tattooed and wore all black. A crown of bone spike grew from his skull, and a double-blades lightsaber hung from his belt. “Leia invited me,” he replied, moving a piece as well. “She makes progress.” One corner of his mouth crooked upwards. “But the wounds in her psyche run deep.”

“That’s not what I was asking.” Kalin examined the board, stroking his chin in thought. But then, I see that you play a long game.”

“There is no other game,” Maul answered, watching the Zedanadal make his next move. He replied swiftly, capturing a piece. “Do you intend to interfere?”

“Interfere? That is not our way.” Kalin moved a piece. “A Zedanadal merely helps his patient to see clearly.” He looked up at Maul. “Mate, by the way.”

Surprised, the Sith Lord examined the board. “Indeed.” His eye’s narrowed as he returned the Zeltron’s gaze. “Perhaps I should dispose of you, then.”

“Perhaps,” Kalin answered, setting the board back up. “Or, perhaps, you have a need to see clearly as well.”

Maul stared at him for a moment. Then he began to laugh.

-*-

“Did she ever make it back?”

The question brought Han up short. Much as he’d been enjoying the angry flirting, Leia had the air she always got when she was doing her Force shit. Or when she’d finished one of her sessions with the Zeltron, it with the creepy old bastard in the black robes. It meant something was up. “I don’t know,” he answered. “Let’s go find out.”

Turning on his heel, he strode towards the hangar. It was a huge natural ice cave, large enough to hide the Rebel collection of speeders and snub fighters and a few of the transport ships. Ad the Falcon for good measure. Chewbacca hooted from the hulk, where he was attending to the numerous repairs the modified freighter always needed. “Yeah, yeah, I’m working on it,@ he replied. “You seen Mara?”

Chewie hooted again, shaking his head no.

“Right. Hey, duty officer!” He bore down on the Rebel. “Has Lieutenant Hall-Voss checked in from her patrol yet?”

The man checked his datapad. “I don’t have any record. It’s possible she cane in through the south entrance...”

“Possible?” Han sneered. “Possible? Why don’t you go and find out?” As the officer scurried off, the smuggler hooked his thumb in his gun belt and turned to stare out through the open shield door. Beyond, the setting sun transformed the ice fields into a blazing ruby carpet. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
 
Icy winds whipped across Mara’s face as she trekked back towards the safety of the rebel base. At least, she thought she was headed in the right direction. She followed the force, feeling the bastion of life and activity centered there, but it was so easy to get lost in the endless fields of snow, making the landscape in the direction she headed mirror the landscape from which she moved.

At its warmest, with the sun blazing high in the sky, the temperatures were well below freezing. Now that the sun set, the temperature dropped further, penetrating her snowsuit with bitter chill. If she didn’t find shelter before sundown, she’d die.

Her foot caught on a pile of loose snow, sinking in and sending her down. More snow broke her fall, but the cold was more unforgiving than the impact. She’d never make it on her own; She had to trust the force. Pushing herself into a sitting, she ignored the biting cold, and tap into the energies around her. Making a beacon of herself in the force, incase someone was coming to her rescue. There was someone close, but when she opened her eyes, the transparent blue presence was not reassuring. Not now, at least.

"Dad?”
 
“Mara...”

Quentin stood in the snow, staring down at his daughter. He wasn’t the old, care-worn man with steel eyes she’d seen Darth Vader kill, but a young man with sandy hair and grey eyes that shone with affection and concern. “You have to get up, Mara.”

He knelt before her, his knee making no impression on the snow as he tried to help her. His hand passed through hers, leaving only a tingle and a sense of warmth that faded rapidly in the sub-zero temperatures. “I can’t help you, Mara,” he said. “You have to get up.” Grey eyes looked around. “A Jedi draws strength from the Force. Open yourself to it, find the strength...”. His voice and image faded away, disappearing with the wind.

-*-

Han’s boots clattered as he descended the loading ramp of the Falcon, shrugging on an insulated parka. “Sir,” the duty officer said, rushing up, “Lieutenant Hall-Voss hasn’t come in through the south entrance. It’s possible she might have forgotten to check in.”

“Not likely,” Han snapped back, sealing the parka. He set off across the hangar, heading toward the shield doors.

“Are the speeders ready?” Leia asked, falling in beside him. She’d found a heavy insulated parka of her own, and was busy pulling on thermal gloves as she asked.

“No, ma’sm,” the duty officer replied. “We’re having some trouble acclimating them to the cold.”

“Then we’ll go out on tauntauns,” Leia replied, ignoring Han’s melodramatic sigh of disgust. He could ride the damn things, of course, but they stank like old fish and rancid fat.

“Ma’am,” the duty officer replied, “the temperature’s dropping too rapidly!”

“That’s right,” Leia states. “And my friend’s out in it.”

Grabbing the reins of a tauntaun, Han swung himself up into the saddle. The beast bleated and shifted, forelimbs pawing at the air as he pulled it around and started towards the shield door. “Your tauntauns will freeze before you reach the first marker!” the duty officer protested.

“Then we’ll see you in hell!” Han snapped back, kicking his mount into a gallop.

-*-

Quentin fought his way back with a wrenching effort of will, now appearing to Mara’s left. Had he been here before? Or had he already appeared? Vision blurred as the question caused him to lose concentration, caused him to slip back into the cosmic Firce for a moment. “Coruscant!” he blurted our as he forced himself to concentrate once more, Mara and the ice and snow around her resolving once more. “You must go to Coruscant!”

Mara stared at him with bleak, exhausted confusion. Heart aching, wishing he could go to her and help her more, he concentrated on the now of this moment. “Coruscant?”

“You learned from Master Valis there,” he said, then shook his head. “Will learn, I mean.” She still looked confused. “Valis Tifar. The Jedi Master who trained me.”

Concentration slipped, and his daughter became indistinctince more. “Kaydia!” he shouted, hoping Mara could still hear him. “Your mother needs you!” And then she was gone.
 
"Dad!" Mara called, reaching as he kneeled in the snow beside her. Her hand through him, landing in a cold drift of loose snow.

"I can't help help you Mara. You have to get up."

"I'm scared," she whispered. What this how she die, alone in a blizzard?

"A Jedi draws strength form the force. Open yourself to it, find the strength..." He disappeared, but his words remained.

"Don't leave me leave alone," she pleaded, blinking back freezing tears. She reached for him, outstretching her hand and seeking him in the force. But everything was so cold, and so distant.

"Coruscant." He appeared again, on the other side

"Coruscant?"

He spoke in past tense, before correcting himself. "Valis Tifar. The Jedi aster who trained me."

"I need you," she called but he faded out once more. "Dad!"

"Kaydia! Your mother needs you."

But her mother was gone, long gone before she had formed memories of her, and now her father was gone too. She opened herself to the force, finding the strength to stand once more.

~*~
The ice field of Hoth were endless, identical white blankets of snow stretching out in every direction. Mara was out there, somewhere... Sight couldn't help now. Only a deeper perception in teh force could find Mara. Leia gripped the reigns, and stopped her Tauntaun.

What are you doing?" Han yelled, but she ignored him, before turning her mount in the other direction.

"I feel her, this way..."

Up ahead, a distant snow pile moved, changed, becoming humanoid and standing upright, before falling back into snow.

"Mara!" Leia jumped form her mount and ran to Mara's side, "Where is your Tauntaun?"

"Coruscant..." Mara murmured, looking out over the massive fields of ice."

Leia frowned, "She's too cold; she'll freeze before you get the shelter set up." She pulled her saber off her belt and pushed her mount down in the force, The tauntaun yelped in surprise and then wailed in brief agony as she opened it's stomach.

"Ugh, I thought they smelt bad on the outside," Han groaned, covering his nose.

"Help me get her in there," Leia directed, dragging Mara through the snow
 
Han lifted Mara, realizing with some concern that she wasn’t shivering. That was a bad sign, in cold like this. Disgusting stink or not, Leia was right. The only way she’d live long enough to get the shelter up was to get her warm, and the inside of a Tauntaun was sure as hell warmer than the minus twenty and falling temperatures of the Hoth twilight. So, with considerable effort, he stuffed her limp body into the beasts abdominal cavity.

“That,” he said, sagging against the corpse of the Tauntaun, @is the single most disgusting thing I’ve ever done.” He flexed his glove and slapped it against the beast’s hide, cracking off frozen blood and fluids. “I’m gonna burn this whole suit, when we get back.”

With a grunt, he pushed up and crunches across the snow to his own steed. It had collapsed from the cold and was nearly dead, and he had to savagely kick it several times to get it to roll off the saddle bag. “Come on,” he told Leia, pulling up a breath mask to protect his lungs. “Help me get the shelter up.”

-*-

Bail Organa stood by the open shield doors, staring out into the howling storm in the darkness. Chewbacca sat nearby, snow dusting his dark fur. Triple-Zero and Beeteeobe were there as well, but their presence wasn’t as uplifting. From long experience, Bail knew they were gleefully imagining one or more of the missing scouts dead.

“Sir,” a lieutenant reported, “all the patrols are in. There’s... there’s still no contact from Skywalker, or Solo, or Hall-Voss.”

“Oh, we can confirm that,” Triple-zero announced in his prime voice. “BT-1 says he’s been quite unable to pick up any signals.” The diminutive droid pledged and squawked. “Yes, yes, I understand. He also says his own range is far too weak to verify their demises.”

Bail nodded absently, still staring out into the darkness. The lieutenant cleared his throat. “Your highness... there’s nothing more we can do tonight. The shield doors must be closed.”

“Yes,” Bail finally replied, voice distant. “You’re right, of course. Close the doors.”

The lieutenant nodded and made a signal. Slowly, the massive doors slid shut with a low booming thud. As they did, Chewbacca uttered a long, low howl of mourning. BT-1, for his part, uttered a series of beeps. “He says,” Triple-zero translated, “that the probability of survival is seven hundred fifty to one.”

BT-1 hooted. “Yes, yes,” the grey murder droid said resignedly, @they probably will, just to frustrate us. Organics can be so inconsiderate.”

-*-

The shelter was a prefab dome that expanded quickly and had a small heater to supplement the trapped body heat if any occupants. The excessively optimistic packaging said it could fit four, but it seemed a tight fit with just the three of them. Particularly with the gymnastics required to peel Mara out of her soaked and utterly disgusting thermal gear. Han had chucked them out of the door.

“How is she?” he asked, rubbing his hands together as he awkwardly shuffled closer to the heater and Leia’s body heat. “Is her core temperature rising?”
 
Mara’s lips changed from blue to pale pink, and color returned to her skin. Leia pressed her hand against Mara’s cheeks and nodded, “Yeah, she’s warming up but…well, its too early to not if we got to her in time, or if there will be permanent damage.”

Mara stirred, mumbling weakly, “Coruscant…Dad…Coruscant…Valis Tifar…Dad…”

Han frowned, “What’s she going on about? I thought the old Jedi was her father. Quentin.”

“That’s what Bail said,” Leia agreed, leaning into Han’s warmth. Only because they really did need to conserve body heat. “Besides, I doubt she’d ever call the Emperor ‘Dad.’ But I don’t know why she’s on about Coruscant. Or what ‘Valis Tifar’ means.”

Blizzard winds buffeted the shelter, but within, the three of them were quiet. Well, she and Hand were quiet, but Mara continued to mutter nonsense about Coruscant and her father. Maybe she did mean the emperor; he had raised her, after all, whether his reason. The emperor had chosen her to be his heir. Luke had chosen her to be his lover. Even her own father had designs on Mara. Why? What was so special about her?

But Han wasn’t thinking about Mara, as he whispered in her ear, “Well, Your Worship, looks like you managed to keep me around for a little while longer.”

Leia would have squirmed away from Han, but there was nowhere to move in the tight shelter. Besides, Mara was bundled in one insulated sleeping bag, so she and Han had to share the other. “I had nothing to do with it. Mara’s the one who got herself lost in a blizzard.”

“And yet you followed me out here. Afraid to let a gorgeous guy like me out of your sight?”

Damn, if she didn’t need his heat pressed against her right now! “I don’t know where you get your delusions, laser brain.”

“You were about to confess your true feelings for me, back in the south passage,” His arm tightened around her, and she could feel that infuriating smirk against her cheek. “Before we realized Mara was missing.”

Her irritation burned her skin, enough that she started to think she didn’t need to press herself against Han. She rolled onto her back, still close, but putting some distance between them. “Why you stuck up, half-witted, scruffy looking nerf-herder!”

“Who’s scruffy looking?” Han pulled away and leaned over her. At least his smirk was gone. For a moment, before he snickered and shook his head. “Must have really hit close to the mark to rile up you like that, huh?’ His face hovered over hers, and, in a brief moment of weakness, she wished he’d kiss her. The same way she’d wish Luke would kiss her, damn all consequences before Kalin started helping her. While her attraction to her brother made her uncomfortable, her attraction to Han made her angry. And lying here like this wasn’t helping.

“I guess you don’t know everything about women yet.” Leia scooting away from Han and unzipped Mara’s sleeping bag, to press herself closer to Mara. She turned on her side, with her back towards Han, “Goodnight, Han.”
 
“Women,” Han muttered, shaking his head as he resealed his sleeping bag. Leia’s scent and warmth lingered, making him regret riding her so hard. Because, if he hadn’t, he might have been riding her hard right now. Or, more likely, just pressed up against her for warmth. Because the sleeping bags might be rated for survival in the Hoth night - in a shelter with a heater - but they were pushing it.

Briefly, he considered turning the heater up. But no. Last thing they needed was any snow accumulation on the shelter to thaw and freeze into ice. Too much risk of damage, and a damaged shelter would probably kill them. So he shifted around Nd, trying to get comfortable, and soon drifted off to sleep.

-*-

Hours later...

Han tore open a survival ration and bit into the spongy cube of concentrate. “Hey,” he said, chewing absently as he fiddled with the transponder, “I got blast shielding flavor. Got duct insulation? I’ll trade you.”

He’d been up since sunrise, digging a tunnel to the surface and then setting up Bevin lights. Fortunately, it hadn’t snowed too hard last night. The tauntaun corpses were buried, but slightly more than half of the shelter still protruded above the surface. Then he’d slid back down into th shelter, to eat breakfast and try to establish communications with base.

“I should have carved a steak off one of the tauntauns,” he observed, taking another bite. “Although, honestly? Mynok would taste better than these things.” He glanced over. “How’s the princess?”

The transponder crackled, drawing Han’s attention back. He fiddled with the knob, raising howls of static and garbled words. Then he heard something. “...do you copy? Commander Hall-Voss, do you copy? This is Rogue Two.”

Casually, Han lifted the handpiece. “Good morning,” he drawled. “Nice of you guys to drop by.”
 
Dressing in the shelter was awkward, without any room to really stand up or stretch. Not that Leia had undressed all the way, but she had taken off her parka and vest, last night. Han had brought the cold in with him as he returned to the shelter, and She had no interest in ending up like Mara and succumbing to frostbite, so the vest and parka would have to go back on.

“I should have carved a steak off one of the tauntauns.”

Leia shuddered, making an exaggerated gagging motion towards Han. “Did the cold damage your sense of smell? I still haven’t cleared the scent of burnt Tauntaun flesh from my nostrils.

“Although, honestly? Mynok would taste better than these things.”

“Mynok? I had heard that’s a delicacy on Ryloth.” After a round of banter this morning, it was hard to remember why she was so mad last night. Too hard to pick out a reason, perhaps. Was it because he teased her, or was it because he hadn’t made a move? But well, they weren’t exactly alone.

“How’s the princess?”

Leia turned her head towards Mara, who actually had color in her face this morning. Her breathing was strong and steady, and he ramblings were quiet. “She’s doing better, but she’d still going to need some time in a bacta tank, to restore feeling in her extremities.”

The transponder pulled Han’s attention away again, as Leia forced herse to swallow another chalky mouthful. Maybe Tauntaun steaks could have been better than this. But, even better than that, was the search party who had finally located. Leia favored Han with a smile as he directed Rogue two towards their position.

“Thank goodness. I can’t wait to be out of these wet clothes.”

~*~

Vader stared out across sea stars, listening. Not just to the hum the ship, or the beeping of sensors, but to the sounds most people could not. Listening in the force, for the presence of the sensitive. The Emperor demanded the return of Mara and Leia to court, and Vader was determined to find them.

Nearby conversation pulled the dark lord from focus. The force was a valuable tool, but far from the only one available. Vader would have been a fool not to take advantage of the vast imperial resources in the search. Where the force had failed, a probe droid had succeeded. Heavy footsteps thudded on the metal floor as Vader approached the officer offering intel.

“Those readings could me anything.”

“But, sir, the Hoth system is supposed to be devoid of humans.”

“You found something?” The words were echoed by the deep inhalations of the breathing mask, reflecting the Admiral’s gaze in the glossy sheen.

“Yes my lord,” the officer acknowledged, flicking over to a screen of installation half covered in snow. Now, with an area to focus upon, Vader could turn to the force to find the targets.

“That’s it. The rebels are there."

“My lord, there are so many uncharted settlements.” The Admiral condescension oozed with every word, as if he were indulging the whims of a petulant child. “It could be smugglers, it could be–“

“That is the system.” Vader’s words cut through the admiral’s excuses. “I am sure the Imperial Princess is with them. Set your course for the Hoth System. General Veers,” Vader turned towards a waiting officer, “prepare your men.”
 
“I could help you with that,” Han said with a cocky grin, not bothering to hide the way his eyes were exploring her. The thermal suit was bulky, but he could easily visualize the tight body beneath. “After all...”

“You’ve returned.”

Han made a small sound of irritation as the dark-robed figure of Darth Maul joined them. The Sith Lord glanced sideways at him, dismissive contempt in his burning eyes before turning back to Leia. “That was foolish, apprentice. You should not have risked yourself in such a way.”

Hooking his thumbs in his gun belt, Han glared at Maul’s back. “Maybe you didn’t hear,” he drawled. “Mara was injured. If we hadn’t gone...”

“Then the princess would have died,” Maul completed. “Which, if she was incapable of wielding the Force to preserve her own life, she should have.” He smiled at Leia. “The Dark Side only yields up power to the strong.”

“Pretty deep,” Han said dryly. “From the guy who couldn’t hang on to Crimson Dawn.”

Maul’s gaze slowly turned on Han, and it took all of the smuggler’s bravado and willpower not to shrink back from the burning hate in his expression. “Silence your pet, apprentice,” the Sith Lord growled, “before I discipline it.”

-*-

“Your saber techniques are not what I would have expected,” Darth Skalho mused, watching his apprentice spar with the training drones. “Anakin favored a much more aggressive style, pushing constantly to force his opponents off guard.”

Luke side-stepped a drone with a shrieking vibroblade and raised his lightsaber, catching a blaster bolt on the crimson blade. “Really? My father always taught us that we should study our opponents, striking only when victory was assured.”

“Yes,” Skalho replied, stroking his chin in thought. “I can see that. He has changed much. I suspect I would not recognize the man he has become.”

Luke lunged, impaling the blaster drone before slashing sideways and bisecting the vibroblade drone. “Would he recognize you?”

The Sith Lord laughed. “Probably not. But it would be best not to test that. You’ve told me of your father’s ambitions, but I would rather not test Anakin.” He smiled. “I would be quite a prize, after all. The last apprentice of Darth Tyrannus.”

“But you trust me,” Luke stated, shutting down his lightsaber.

“Hardly,” Skalho laughed. “But our ambitions coincide. I..”. He hesitated and then sat back, cloaking himself in the Force.

Luke.

At the touch in the Force, he went to one knee. “What is your budding, my father?”

Your sister’s hiding place is discovered, and the Princess Mara with her. You will join me. A brief pause. We would not, after all, wish to disappoint the Emperor.

Luke smiled at that. “I understand, father. Perfectly.”
 
“Do you think so little of me, master, that I could not weather the Hoth wilderness? I was in no real danger, and now I have the Princess’ gratitude. Gratitude I can use to my benefit, when the time is right.” After all, there was a reason Mara was so valuable to so many. Why shouldn’t she ingratiate the princess to her, and to be used when Leia saw fit?

Before Maul could answer, an announcement called Leia and Han away, to the command center. How would these rebels get anything done, if not for her?

Several officers hovered around the main console. “We’ve located a signal out in the wastes.”

Leia took the headset and listened to the picked up signal. “Imperial probe droid,” she filled in, recognizing the series of beeps and pings from her time on the other side, “It’s a good bet the Empire knows we’re here already.”

“We’d better start evacuations,” Bail decided.

~*~​

“Oh Master Mara, it’s quite unfortunate for you that you made it back from the ice fields.”

Mara raised an eye brow at Triple Zero. She was still a bit groggy from her time in the bacta tank and was certain she misheard the droid. “Unfortunate? For me? How so?”

“Freezing to death is one of the more pleasant manners of death for organics. Right before death there is a sensation of euphoria. Your likelihood of a peaceful death has now decreased to 2.5%”

“I suppose I will take my chances.” Mara eased herself off the bed, mostly recovered after her time in the Bacta tank, but still stiff.

BT-1 beeped and squealed, and Triple Zero turned in response, “Why yes, I did take the impending empire invasion into account. But the most likely cause of death here is a blast that destroys the facility. Either death will be instant, painful for moment or two before oblivion occurs, or slow, in the case you are trapped beneath the rubble.Though, depending on how much of the facility is destroyed in that case, it may still be possible to freeze to death.”

“Lovely thought,” Mara answer absently, paying more attention to the scrambling personnel in the hallway beyond her room. Slipping into a parka, she followed the crowd towards the hanger.

She caught Han and Chewie still working on the Millenium Falcon. She had to admit, when it was running, that ship capable of amazing things. Too bad it was mostly held together with duct tape and spit. Chewie pulled her into a hug she couldn’t dare refuse.

“How you feeling, Princess?” Han called from the top of the ship. It was times like these it was easy to see why Leia let herself get riles up by him.

“Alright. I guess I owe you one.”

“Two. You owe me two. And if we make it out of this in one piece, I might have to collect.”

Mara laughed. Han had been a fun diversion, once a upon a time. And, despite what she felt for Luke, they were currently enemies (or at least, had to appear so). “Becareful.”

“You two.” She could feel his eyes on her as she walked away, and she couldn’t shake the premonition that she wouldn’t see him again. But she couldn’t think about that now.
 
“Forget the heavy equipment,” Bail told a supply officer. “Load the smaller modules onto the transports first. We can try to salvage the rest once we have the personnel evacuated.”
“Yes, your highness,” the heavy-set quarrren replied, hustling away.

Your Highness. He knew the men meant well, using the title to show respect. But the title of Prince-Consort was ash and gall, a reminder of his dead world and his dead wife. He should have been with her, at the end. He should have...

Bail pushed the thought away with some effort, focusing on the tasks at hand. There were enough of those, really. The command center was a scene of controlled chaos as the leaders of the rebellion wrestled its the difficult decisions required by an emergency evacuation.
“Make a list of the material you abandon,” Maul said, taking a seat. “My people will go to work finding you replacements.” He smile, revealing yellowed fangs behind black and crimson lips. “At far less of a markup than we would otherwise ask.”

Bail didn’t like the self-styled Sith Lord, and Fulcrum had warned him strongly against dealing with him. But, despite the victory at Yavin, the rebellion was in a desperate position. He hated it, but he couldn’t be too choosy about allies.

“Why..?” he started to ask, then stopped as Maul’s attentions focused elsewhere.

“General!” called a controller from his monitoring station, gesturing urgently. “A fleet of Star Destroyers has just emerged from hyperspace.”

Dread gripped Bail’s heart as the grizzled military commander peered at the display, then turned and began barking orders. “Reroute all power to the energy shield! We’ve got to hold them till all transports are away! Prepare for ground assault!”
-*-

Luke knelt in the darkness of the chamber, using the rasping hiss of his father’s mechanical breathing as the metronome of his meditations. When the door hissed open, he spoke without opening his eyes. “What is it, General?”

“My lords,” General Veers answered, slightly hesitant. “The fleet has moved out of light speed. Scans show an energy field strong enough to deflect any bombardment protecting the sixth planet of the...”

“Then the rebels are alerted to our presence,” Luke snapped, rising. “Admiral Ozzel came out of hyperspace too close to the system!” Too close to allow him to warn Mara to get her rebels out. Fuck! Ozzel threatened all their plans!

“He felt surprise was wiser...” Veers replied, loyalty driving him to defend the fleet admiral.

“He is as clumsy as he is stupid,” Darth Vader interrupted, his artificial voice cold and pitiless. “General, prepare your troops for a surface attack.”

“Yes, my lord.” The general bowed and left, his departure unremarked as Darth Vader gestured. A view screen illuminated the chamber with a cold grey light as the bridge of the Executor came into view.

Vader’s mask turned slightly, his attention falling on his son. “Ozzel,” he declared, “is a plodding imbecile, and he threatens all we work for.”

“I understand, father,” Luke answered.

After a moment two men in the grey uniform of the Imperial Fleet stepped into view. “Lord Vader,” one said. “The fleet has...” his words ended in a gagging sound as he clutched at his throat.

“You have failed us for the last time, Admiral,” Luke said, eyes flickering with controlled fury. His attention turned to the other officer. “Captain Piett?”

“Yes, my lord,” Piett answered, struggling to control his fear as his superior struggled for breath.

“General Veers is making ready for a ground assault,” Luke stated. “Ensure that the transports land safely, and blockade the system. Nothing is to be permitted to escape.”

Ozzel fell to his knees, face blackening as he fought for breath. Piett kept his attention riveted in the screen, afraid to acknowledge what was happening beside him. “I... will see to it at once, my lord.”

There was a wet cracking sound, and Ozzel collapsed. For the first time, the terrible mask of Darth Vader stared at Captain Piett. “You are in command now,” rasped the Sith Lord. “Admiral Piett.”
 
“The first transport is away.”

Cheers erupted from the rebel forces, but no one stopped to celebrate. As it was, they were scrambling to get transports off world before the Empire closed in on them. So much for Luke’s proposal. The fact that Luke hadn’t come through for her hurt more than she wanted to admit, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. All she could do was buy time for the transports.

“Feeling alright, Mara?” Dak, her tail gunner, asked as he initiated the ignition sequence.

“Like new Dak.” She answered smoothly, donning her flight helmet, “How about you?”

“Right now, I feel like I can take on the whole Empire myself”

Luke and his broken promises flashed in her mind. “I know what you mean.” The ship lifted off, carried lightly into the atmosphere.

Along the snowfields of Hoth, trenches of ground troops stood in defense of the shield generators. Across the vast expanses of ice, massive AT-AT walkers lumbered forward, slow moving, but unrelenting. Their bulk and heavy armor weighed downed the behemoths, but nothing could penetrate their shielding, and the incessant plodding became an inevitable march to victory.

Mara navigated her fighter around the AT-AT. Over its top. Along its flank. Between its legs. “No good. That armor’s too strong for blasters. Rogue team, use your harpoons and tow cables. Go for the legs. It might be our only chance to stop them.”

“Mara we have a problem in fire control. I will have to cut the auxiliary.”

She frowned, bringing her ship in low against an incoming AT-AT. “Just hang on Dak. Hold her steady.”

Plasma fire struck her from behind, and Dak cried out, before cutting away with cold finality. “Dak?” she called, hoping against her own senses. Fuck, they were getting slaughtered out here. At least the transports were getting away. “Rogue Three?”

“Yes, Rogue Leader?”

Finally, some good luck. “Wedge, I lost my gunner. I need you to take the shot. I’ll cover for you. Set your harpoon and follow me on the next pass.” Mara drew the walker’s fire, leading it away as Rogue Three drew close enough to catch their harpoon on its legs. Rogue three flew in a tight circle, making several passes before releasing the tow cable. On the next step, the behemoth struggled against the restraining cable, before crashing into the ice.

~*~

Leia watched the encroaching Imperial progress over the radar maps. They weren’t going to be able to hold out much longer.

Another officer voiced her concerns, “I don’t think we can protect two transports at once.”

“It’s risky, but we don’t have another choice,” she declared. The roof shook with the impact of shielded blasted, but Leia didn’t flinch, turning towards another present officer, “Evacuate ground staff.”

Han came into the command room after the rest of the staff had fled. Leia refused to let herself be glad to see him. “Why are you still here? You got your takeoff clearance.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll leave.” He climbed over a fallen command console, drawing closer to her, “Once I get you on your ship.”

Leia was prepared to ignore his show of concern before Maul spoke up. “You should listen to him this time, my apprentice. Your life is far more important than the rest of these rebels.”

Leia frowned at that, unable to fully disengage from the conflict at this moment. “Send all the troops in sector 12 to defend the fights on the south slope.” Another blast shook the commanded center, and she had to steady herself against the console to remain standing.

Maul stood tall, eyes flaring red as he looked past her, “The Imperials are here. Including your father.” He turned his gaze on Han, “Get her out of here.”

For once, Han didn’t argue, and neither did she, allowing the smuggler to drag her along through the ice tunnels, and away from Maul.

~*~

The remaining AT-ATs pushed forward, unperturbed by the solitary demise. Drawing closer to the trenches, and blasting the rebel’s defenses to shreds. Heavy gunner towers, communication satellites, targeting arrays, all of it fell before the might of the Empire.

Again Mara accompanied Rogue Three towards the walker. They had both taken hits, but backing down wasn’t an option.

“Stay tight and low,” Mara instructed, flying head on, “This is it!” But Wedge cried out, and Rogue Three went down in a red burst of flames. Mara was allowed only a second of grief before a blast hit her as well, shorting her electrical systems. Her ship skidded across the snow before coming to a stop twenty yards from the AT-AT.

Two more steps and the walker would cover the distance between them. Mara crawled over Dak’s body, yanking the grappling cable from his side. The force screamed at her to escape, to evade, but the cable was stuck good. One step closer now. Mara wiggled the grappling able free, throwing herself from her ship before the immense foot could smash her in the ship.

Underneath the titanium behemoth now, Mara aimed the grappling cable. She caught the underside of one AT-AT, and rode the wire up, swinging 20 yards off the ground. Igniting her father’s saber, she burned open an exhaust panel, and tossed a live grenade into the opening. Releasing the grappling cable, she landed in the snow. The walker took two more steps before the grenade detonated, sending another behemoth crashing into the ground.
 
More blasts shook the base, bringing slabs of ice crashing down. Han swore in surprise as Leia jerked him back, preventing him from being flattened by a section of tunnel roof that smashed into where he had been standing a moment ago. “They’re gonna tear this place apart,” he growled. “But the transports are just up... ahead?”

His voice trailed away as he rounded the corner and found the corridor choked with ice. Bail was there, on his knees, trying to shift ice off a clearly dead man while his murder droid watched impassively. “We’re nearly three,” Bail urged, talking ot the dead man. “I’ll get you out of this.”

“Ah, Captain Solo!” 000 said, shifting his head to look at them. “Lady Vader. I fear that Master Bail is...”

“In shock,” Han finished. “Yeah, I figured. And the tunnel?”

“Completely blocked,” the murder droid stated. “Most distressing, too. BT-1 is trapped on the other side.”

“Along with the transports. Fuck.” Han looked at the Prince-Consort and then at Leia, and seemed to reach a decision. “All right. We’ll head for the Falcon.” Grabbing Bail by the arm, he dragged the older man to his feet. “Come on, there’s nothing you can do for him.”

Bail tried to struggle for a moment, then slumped and nodded. As they raced toward the hangar, another explosion rocked the base. This time the lights flickered and then died, and a chill settled over the tunnel. “That was the generator,” Han breathed.
 
Snow crunched under Darth Vader’s heavy boots, as the Sith Lord strode into the Rebel Base. Leia was close, but she wasn’t the only force presence here. Mara? No, this presence was steeped in darkness and hatred, deeper than even the rebellious princess knew. But Vader did not have to search far to find this darkness in the force. Not as the red-skinned Zabrak emerged from the shadows.

Vader recognized the man, from over two decades before. A bitter memory, lending strength to the rage burned within. “What are you protecting? What would the rebels trust to a Sith like you?”

“Not protecting something, but protecting someone.” The Zabrak smiled, flashing hideous yellow fangs as his saber ignited. Vader response was to shift into an unconventional fighting stance, crimson light splashing over the ice walls. Maul spun his spun, behind and then before him, and ignited the other end. Still, Vader stood firm. Waiting.

Maul moved first, charging in with a spinning jump, the glow of his sabers dancing in a circle. Vader caught the first strike and parried the follow-up, trusting in the force to block Mauls’ strikes. There, an opening! With an overhead slash, Vader cut through the saber, and cut deep into the Sith. Moments passed, before Maul realized the blow struck true, expression cycling from shock to pain to acceptance.

Maul fell against Vader, “It doesn’t matter if you strike me down, my plans cannot be stopped now. The shadow Vahdar will strike my enemy, and I will have my revenge.”

“We will have our revenge,” Vader agreed in a hoarse whisper. Maul lived just long enough to comprehend the words, cracking a smile as the light left his eyes. Vader let the man crumble to the ground, and watched through visored eyes as the final ship slipped through the blast doors.

~*~​

Despite Mara’s efforts, remaining AT-ATs descended upon the rebels, and more critically, the power generators. This was it; Hoth was lost. All she could do was hope they’d given the transports enough time to take off. As she trekked across the ice fields to the rendezvous’ point, the Millennium Falcon streaked through the sky. At least Han got off planet safe. Maybe there was nothing to her premonitions after all. Han was smart enough to keep out of trouble and..and Leia was on board. So long as she didn’t force choke him, he should be fine.

Her ship was loaded up and ready to take off except…what was BT-1 doing in the astromech slot? Dammit, there wasn’t time to replace him now. Besides, she’d flown to Coruscant numerous times, and she could get there on manual if need be.

Would Luke be there? And What would she say, if she saw him again?
 
Han piloted the Falcon with one hand and skewed the belly gun around with the other, hammering crimson blasts indiscriminately into the icy walls and floor of the cavern hanger and Stirmtroopers with equal measure. Next to him, Chewie hooted a warning and flicked switches to compensate for yer another set of warning lights on the console. “Yeah, yeah, I see them,” he snapped through gritted teeth. “Whaddya want me to do? Ask the Snowmen to pretty please let us finish the fucking repairs?”

Chewie’s response was a low chuffing agreement, and Han sniggered despite himself. “Yeah, all right old man. I’ll give that a try.”

As the freighter blasted free from the cavern he could see AT-ATs looming like mechanical monsters above the white-armored troops swarming the base. A few sporadic firefights were underway, Stormtroopers engaging the last remaining rebels - men and women who either hadn’t been able to escape or who had volunteered to stay behind and try to buy the evacuees a few more seconds. Shaking his head, Han brought the gravatics to full and stood the ship on her tail, blasting straight upwards in a corona of plasma.

“Anything I can do?” Bail asked, entering the cockpit.

Han kept his attention on the view before him, watching blue transform into star-dusted black. The long range sensors lit up, showing the IFF signatures of Imperial Star Destroyers. “Yeah. Grab a seat and strap in.” He keyed up the nav computer. “We got everyone, right?”

“Leia and Kalin,” Bail said. “Maul stayed behind. It looked like he was fighting Darth Vader as we left.”

“Better him than me,” Han grunted, watching the ship calculate the jump coordinates. “Can’t say I’ll miss the freak.”

Suddenly, he threw the ship into a series of elaborate maneuvers as Chewie howled in warning. Crimson explosions shook the freighter. “I see them! I see them!”

“See what?” Bail gasped as the maneuvers slammed him against his restraints.

“Star Destroyers! Two of them!” Han nodded. “Coming right towards us!”
 
“We can still outmaneuver them.” Han managed to slip between the oncoming ship and the one hot on their tail, forcing both to evade, or lose both behemoths. Still, several agile TIE fighters managed to keep on their tail.

Each blast of plasma reverberated on the force, warning her of its proximity. “They’re getting closer.”

“Oh yeah? Watch this…”Han tapped several buttons, before pushing forward on two levers, and waiting expectantly.

Leia waited as well, and nothing happened for several seconds. “Watch what?”

Triple 0 piped up now. “The hyperdrive motivator was damaged. I may be able to fix it, by rerouting power from the life support systems.”

“We won’t have any use for hyperdrive without life support systems,” Leia snarled.

“I would. Don’t see why I have to be destroyed in a hail of plasma fire because you organics can’t survive without oxygen.” Triple 0 reasoned.

Han ignored the chirpy, morbid banter, pushing past Leia and Triple 0 to work on the engine. Leia moved into the pilot seat, calling on the force to evade the nimble and numerous TIE fighters. She managed for a while until her only option to evade was to enter an asteroid field.

“Han, I hope you have that Hyperdrive fixed!”

Instead, he joined her in the cockpit, taking the seat beside her. “Set two-one-six.”

“What are you doing?” Leia demanded, the force screaming at her to evade, from all directions at once. “You can’t be serious about entering an asteroid field!”

Han juked and jutted the ship away from a large floating rock, “they’d have to be crazy to follow us in here

“You don’t have to do this to impress me.” Leia found herself pleading, the force feedback nearly unbearable.

Triple Zero piped up now, “Sir, the probability of navigating an asteroid field is 3720 to 1.”

“Never tell me the odds.”

"We are going to get pulverized if we stay in here much longer,” Leia complained calling on the force to urge one oncoming rock off course just enough to glance the ship, instead of smashing into the blast shields.

“You got that right. I just need to get in closer to to one of these big ones.

That plan pulled Leia away from her attempts to protect the ship with the force, “Closer?”

Han dove in towards the rock craggy surface, and then dipped into the massive crater on one side. The ship squeezed into a tight canyon, still dodging the enclosing imperial fighters, until the canyon closed in even tighter. Only by flying on its side did Han manage to make it through the canyon. The pursuing TIE fighter did not.

Still, Han stayed close to the rock’s surface. “Yeah, this will do nicely.”

Leia turned her gaze on her, her gratitude for still living at odds with her frustration at his success. Frustration that burned at her core. Pushing aside thought of celebrating their escape by riding Han hard, Leia turned her attention to the cave Han navigated into.

“I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“Yeah, me too.”
 
“They went into the asteroid field?”

“Yes, Lord Vader.”

Luke folded his hands behind his back, staring out into the darkness. The debris field, remnants of a recent collision between an uncharted rogue planet and one of Hith’s dwarf planets, was invisible at this range. But he could sense the whirling chaos of the rocks, and the glittering beacon of his sister’s thoughts within them.

“The asteroids do not concern me, Admiral Piett,” he replied without looking. “I want that ship. Not excuses.”

As the Admiral turned to give orders, Luke ignored him. Ignored everything around him, focusing on the blackness beyond the viewport window. Mara. His thoughts drove into the darkness, seeking. I know you escaped, Mara. Head for Naboo. Seek out Padme Amidala. She will assist you.

-*-

Han flipped switch after switch, powering down the Falcon. “Everything,” he told Chewbacca. “Shut down everything emergency power.”

“I’m almost afraid to ask...” 000 began.

“Not life support,” Han snapped. He glanced back at Bail, jerking a thumb at the droid. “Does that droid have any actual translation function, or is it just creepy and psychotic?”

“Oh, no,” Bail smiled. “He’s a fully-functional protocol droid as well.”

“Great!” Han exclaimed. “Chewie, take murderdroid here and plug him into the hyperdrive. See if he can’t find out what’s wrong with her.”

Just then, the ship lurched. Han struggled for balance and Chewie braced himself against the canopy. 000 staggered and hit the wall. “This asteroid,” the droid huffed indignantly, “is not entirely stable.”

“You’re not entirely stable,” Han snapped. “Get him outta here, Chewie.”

“Anything I can do, Captain?” Bail asked.

“Yeah, keep an eye on the passive sensors,” Han said, pausing in the doorway. “Let me know if anything shows up.”
 
I know you escaped, Mara. Head for Naboo. Seek out Padme Amidala. She will assist you.


The thoughts whispered against her mind, like the soft heat of Luke’s breath on her skin between kisses. Temptation tugged at her concentration, urging her to listen, to obey, to seek out this chance to meet with Luke once more. It had been so long since she knew his touch, since she knew anyone’s touch but her own.

But she reminded herself of his failure to uphold their plan, and of her father reaching for her from the Force. Her father’s last request, his last hope for her, that she might take up the path of the Jedi, needed her focus now. So she pushed aside Luke’s suggestion, and even held back on reaching for him. Just because she wanted to trust him didn’t mean she could.

Arriving on Coruscant was a strange feeling. It was home, but a false home, occupied by a false man claiming to be her father. A man that never loved her, never saw her as anything more than a tool, a weapon to use against his enemies or a prize to offer to his allies. And still, even knowing all of this, it was hard to turn away from everything she’d known all her life. And so, returning now was bittersweet. It would never be home again.

Mara managed to sneak onto the planet using an old smuggler drop. One that had long been discovered by Imperials, and was once more abandoned. BT1 insisted on accompanying her once she landed, and truthfully, Mara wasn’t opposed. She’d hoped to sneak in unnoticed, but the droid could give her an advantage if she were caught unaware. Trusting and sinking into the force, Mara sought out Master Valis.

~*~

Leia checked the panels in the hallway leading towards the engine room. She’d just finished welding two loose pieces back together, but the panel wasn’t closing correctly. Han walked behind her, and she found herself grateful and disappointed he didn’t say anything when he moved past.

But the ship shook, and she stumbled into his arms, against the other wall. The pressure of his arms around her brought back recollections of stolen trysts in electrical closets and storage rooms. Distracting her from the healthy bit of caution they needed now. Luke and her father were undoubtedly close.

“Let go.” But Han shushed her. She listened, with ears and the Force, before repeating herself, “Let go.”

Still, Han refused, “Don’t get excited.”

“Being held by you isn’t enough to get me excited.”

Han squeeze a breast, through the thick fabric of her top. “Sorry sweetheart, I don’t have time for anything more.” His chest pressed into her back, and his lips brushed her ears, “This time.” The words carried memories, of their bodies entwined, sliding against each other’s as they sought mutual satisfaction. The Han pushed her aside, leaving the towards the engine before she could respond. Fucking asshole.
 
BT-1 trailed after Mara, head rotating to follow other pedestrians in the lower city, assigning threat ratings and calculating angles to maximize the carnage if the human would just give the word. Sadly, no command was forthcoming and no genuine threats presented themselves. Master Bail’s instructions in that regard had been cleverly worded, and red fury welled up in the positronic pathways of the war droid’s brain. He just needed one slip, one ill-phrased command, and he could cut loose.

Sadly, no opportunities presented themselves. As a result, BT-1 moved Mara up three slots on the “organics I’m going to kill” file he maintained. Bail Organa was too if the lust, and everyone was bottom, and she was currently number thirty-seven.

BT-1 was planning to kill a lot of people. Some days, he felt like it was the only thing keeping him sane.

“Need a guide?” croaked a high, aged voice. BT-1 reflexively trained targeting algorithms on the source, even though he’d spotted the wizened old Axiotl previously and assigned the being a negligible threat rating. You never knew, after all. Maybe Mara would let him incinerate the alien. “I know Level 3167-A like the back of my hand, I do. Need a place to crash? A joyboy? Joygirl? Booze or drugs or dinner?” BT-1 watched the black eyes track upwards, as if they could see the Imperial Palace far, far above. “Tour of the Palice grounds?”

Laughing at his little joke, the alien shuffled nearer. BT-1 tensed, eagerly awaiting the kill order. “I can hook you up,” the alien insisted. “Show you all the shadows.”

-*-

“The Falcon’s hyperdrive is remarkable!” 000 gushed. “Strongly opinionated, with a remarkable clarity of thought on droid-human relations!”

Kalin smiled, just a little, as he listened to the ebon droid prattle on. He’d been nominated, since he was the only one with enough patience to listen to the assassin machine for long. Occupational training, mostly, although he’d come to appreciate the murderous machine’s hatred. It was refreshing, really, when so many people sealed their emotions away and lied about their feelings.

Not that he liked the droid, not really. But there was a charming innocence to his malevolence. “You’ll have to explain them to me later,” he said. “For now, has she analyzed the problem?”

“Oh, yes,” 000 said, staring at him with crimson photoreceptors. “The negative power coupled by on the hyperdrive is polarized. It will need to be replaced.”

“Great,” Han sighed from the doorway. “Wonderful. We’ll have to dismantle half the drive to get at that.”

“Well,” 000 began.

“Will this be constructive?” Kalin asked, “or a comment calculated to goad Captain Solo?”

“Oh, very much the latter,” 000 replied.

“Great,” Han grimaced. “Look. I’m going to go tell Chewie and Leia what the new goddamn repair is. You keep Captain Happy there plugged in.” He started to leave, then glanced back. “Maybe he’ll be useful.”
 
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