Fic: Veil of Shadows, 6/13, PG-13
Title: Veil of Shadows
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Category: AU, angst, romance
Timeframe: OT; around time of ANH
Summary: A strange tale where the good guys are bad, the Empire has won, and a Sith adept pursues the girl of his nightmares.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
~~
6. Rescue
Love hadn’t existed for Luke until the day he and Katarn had accidentally stumbled upon a pair of dancers returning from the guest wing of the palace. It was pure chance. If they had waited for Horn like they promised, Luke might never have seen her. He certainly wouldn’t have felt her probing him through the Force.
She stole his very breath, she was so beautiful. Normally he would have left Katarn behind to make a fool of himself, but Luke hadn’t been able to stop himself from staring into the girl’s bright green eyes. Her red-gold hair was pulled back in an elaborate braid, laced with fine gold bands. Over her dancing outfit she wore a sheer violet cloak that made her skin shimmer as she moved. Luke knew then that he had to have her or die.
The other dancer tried to flirt with Katarn, but the green-eyed girl pulled her by the arm, leaving the two adepts in gaping silence.
He felt her still, in the Force, trying to shield herself. She was quite good at it, but he still felt the power of the Force in her.
Adepts and Hands were kept separate for a reason, he was told. She was forbidden.
He would love her anyway.
~~
Wind whistled past his ears as he stumbled through the dark cave, drunk with desire, with the promise of fulfillment. He held his saber out as a light, guiding him to his prize.
He doubled back as she jumped out at him, lightsaber angled toward his neck. With a startled cry, he raised his left hand and shoved. She went flying backward into the rocky wall before dropping to the ground. Her lightsaber deactivated and tumbled from her hand, rolling toward him for a moment before coming to a stop.
Luke lowered his hand slowly, taking in what had just happened. The heady pleasure of the chase was gone, replaced by surprise and wariness. He approached her carefully, keeping his lightsaber ignited between him and the Hand. She stirred and shook her head, pushing herself onto her hands and knees.
“It’s all right,” Luke assured, leaning forward to see if she was hurt. “I’m here to rescue you.”
“Well, you’re doing a great job.” She leaned back on her heels, rubbing one hand on the back of her head and the other over her stomach. “I fail to see how giving me a concussion helps the situation.”
Luke frowned. She was entirely missing the point. “I saved you from those things.”
“I was just fine without you,” she retorted, picking up her lightsaber. “I don’t recall asking you to jump in.”
As she stood up, Luke took a cautious step back. “Are you all right?”
She removed her hand from her head and stared at him suspiciously. “Who in the blazes are you? How did you even know I was here?”
Luke swallowed hard. He hadn’t realized she would be so stubborn. Things were not going quite as he had imagined.
“I’m Luke Starkiller,” he said, offering a hand. She eyed it skeptically.
“Right,” she replied disdainfully. “Starkiller? You wouldn’t happen to have a holotransceiver of some kind, would you?
“Um.” Luke reached into his pocket for his comlink only to find it missing. “I did.”
She rolled her eyes and muttered something in a language he didn’t recognize.
“I’m sorry,” he said, searching his other pockets. “I must have dropped it in the fight. I could go look for it.”
“If you want to be meat for the other monsters out there, it makes no difference to me.” She turned and walked deeper into the cave, pulling out a glowrod to light the way.
“What other monsters?”
She didn’t reply. He followed after her until they reached an elaborate doorway carved into the rock. She sat down on a blanket that was spread out just outside of the doorway. Luke stood in front of the archway and stared in wonder.
“Another tomb?” he asked.
“I haven’t been inside.”
He looked over to see her opening a small ration bar. She took a bite and met his gaze, glaring all the while. With her free hand she pulled out a lighter and lowered it over a ring of stones. She had already piled kindling on top of the remains of a fire, and it was this that she lit. Luke watched as the fire grew, casting its warm light across the cave and the tomb.
Luke attempted a smile. “It’s a very impressive entrance.”
“Uh-huh,” she said between bites. Though she had stopped watching him, he could tell her entire body was on alert. Maybe he should try a different tactic.
He ran his fingers over the carvings in the stone. “These are Sith runes,” he informed her. He drew back his hand in surprise, then pressed them against the characters as he interpreted them.
“What?” The Hand’s voice was like ice as she snapped her head toward him. “What did you say?”
“This tomb,” Luke answered evenly. “It belongs to an ancient Sith-”
A bloodcurdling howl echoed through the cave, silencing Luke. He turned slowly from the runes and took a step toward the sound.
“I heard that sound yesterday, before I found these caves,” the Hand said gravely. “It was just before nightfall.” She shook her head. “Don’t worry, it’s nowhere near us.”
Luke took another step toward the sound, mesmerized as it echoed once more off the walls of the cave. “I feel like-”
“Feel like what?”
He blinked his eyes and looked down at her. The fire crackled loudly between them. “Nothing.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I wouldn’t recommend leaving now. Even with a lightsaber this planet is dangerous at night.”
“I thought you wanted to get rid of me.”
She set her ration bar in her lap. “Listen, Starkiller, I won’t have your death on my conscience. Just keep your distance and we’ll be fine.”
“I thought you didn’t care if I became meat for the monsters.” She threw him a rude gesture as he continued. “Besides, I’d feel safer here by the fire.” With you.
A hint of his thoughts must have leaked into the Force, because she was really studying him now. “I’ve seen you before,” she said after a moment. “In the palace.”
Luke’s cheeks reddened. “Yes.”
“You’re one of the Emperor’s adepts.”
She managed to make those words sound like a curse. “Yes,” he replied, wincing slightly.
She sighed and wiped her hands on her pants. “I suppose you know who I am, then.” She gave him a pointed look with those green eyes.
“You’re an Emperor’s Hand.”
“The Emperor’s Hand, Starkiller. An extension of the Emperor’s will. While you adepts play with your lightsabers inside the palace, I travel across the galaxy in service to my master.” She folded her arms across her chest and smirked at him. “I am Mara Jade.”
Mara. He finally had a name. Now probably wasn’t the best time to tell her there were other Hands, though. “I’m impressed,” he said softly. “And I don’t play with lightsabers, whatever you may think.”
She waved his response away and picked up her ration bar. “Why did you come here? Surely the Emperor didn’t send you.”
“No, he didn’t.” Luke took a deep, steadying breath. He could tell her now and have her chase him from the cave. Or he could lie and buy himself some more time. “I wanted to see the tombs.”
Mara laughed mirthlessly and took another bite of her ration bar. “You don’t want to go in these tombs, believe me.”
“Why should I?”
She fixed him with another one of those looks that said he was trying every shred of her patience. He liked how it made her look.
“Okay, sorry. But I’m not afraid of whatever’s in those tombs. Those Sith are dead. I’m the living heir of their legacy.”
Mara snorted. “You adepts are all alike. Arrogant braggarts.” She closed the wrapper of her ration bar and began to tuck it back in her rucksack when she stopped. “You hungry?” she asked, holding out the remaining bar.
Luke shrugged. “I’m fine. I don’t want to take your food.”
She rolled her eyes and tossed the package at him. “That’s for killing those creatures. Just eat, and don’t look at me like that.” She blew out an annoyed breath and rolled over on her side, away from him.
Luke frowned. His skin prickled as if from a cold wind. For a moment he thought it had come from the tomb, but when he didn’t feel it again, he dismissed the idea. On the other side of the fire, Mara readjusted and bent her left arm under her head for support. Luke leaned up against a wall and began to eat the leftover ration bar. He noticed a tiny tremor in the Force and was startled to find himself genuinely worried.
“Are you sure I didn’t hurt you earlier?”
“Starkiller, if you want to live through the night, leave me alone.”
~~
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Category: AU, angst, romance
Timeframe: OT; around time of ANH
Summary: A strange tale where the good guys are bad, the Empire has won, and a Sith adept pursues the girl of his nightmares.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
~~
6. Rescue
Love hadn’t existed for Luke until the day he and Katarn had accidentally stumbled upon a pair of dancers returning from the guest wing of the palace. It was pure chance. If they had waited for Horn like they promised, Luke might never have seen her. He certainly wouldn’t have felt her probing him through the Force.
She stole his very breath, she was so beautiful. Normally he would have left Katarn behind to make a fool of himself, but Luke hadn’t been able to stop himself from staring into the girl’s bright green eyes. Her red-gold hair was pulled back in an elaborate braid, laced with fine gold bands. Over her dancing outfit she wore a sheer violet cloak that made her skin shimmer as she moved. Luke knew then that he had to have her or die.
The other dancer tried to flirt with Katarn, but the green-eyed girl pulled her by the arm, leaving the two adepts in gaping silence.
He felt her still, in the Force, trying to shield herself. She was quite good at it, but he still felt the power of the Force in her.
Adepts and Hands were kept separate for a reason, he was told. She was forbidden.
He would love her anyway.
~~
Wind whistled past his ears as he stumbled through the dark cave, drunk with desire, with the promise of fulfillment. He held his saber out as a light, guiding him to his prize.
He doubled back as she jumped out at him, lightsaber angled toward his neck. With a startled cry, he raised his left hand and shoved. She went flying backward into the rocky wall before dropping to the ground. Her lightsaber deactivated and tumbled from her hand, rolling toward him for a moment before coming to a stop.
Luke lowered his hand slowly, taking in what had just happened. The heady pleasure of the chase was gone, replaced by surprise and wariness. He approached her carefully, keeping his lightsaber ignited between him and the Hand. She stirred and shook her head, pushing herself onto her hands and knees.
“It’s all right,” Luke assured, leaning forward to see if she was hurt. “I’m here to rescue you.”
“Well, you’re doing a great job.” She leaned back on her heels, rubbing one hand on the back of her head and the other over her stomach. “I fail to see how giving me a concussion helps the situation.”
Luke frowned. She was entirely missing the point. “I saved you from those things.”
“I was just fine without you,” she retorted, picking up her lightsaber. “I don’t recall asking you to jump in.”
As she stood up, Luke took a cautious step back. “Are you all right?”
She removed her hand from her head and stared at him suspiciously. “Who in the blazes are you? How did you even know I was here?”
Luke swallowed hard. He hadn’t realized she would be so stubborn. Things were not going quite as he had imagined.
“I’m Luke Starkiller,” he said, offering a hand. She eyed it skeptically.
“Right,” she replied disdainfully. “Starkiller? You wouldn’t happen to have a holotransceiver of some kind, would you?
“Um.” Luke reached into his pocket for his comlink only to find it missing. “I did.”
She rolled her eyes and muttered something in a language he didn’t recognize.
“I’m sorry,” he said, searching his other pockets. “I must have dropped it in the fight. I could go look for it.”
“If you want to be meat for the other monsters out there, it makes no difference to me.” She turned and walked deeper into the cave, pulling out a glowrod to light the way.
“What other monsters?”
She didn’t reply. He followed after her until they reached an elaborate doorway carved into the rock. She sat down on a blanket that was spread out just outside of the doorway. Luke stood in front of the archway and stared in wonder.
“Another tomb?” he asked.
“I haven’t been inside.”
He looked over to see her opening a small ration bar. She took a bite and met his gaze, glaring all the while. With her free hand she pulled out a lighter and lowered it over a ring of stones. She had already piled kindling on top of the remains of a fire, and it was this that she lit. Luke watched as the fire grew, casting its warm light across the cave and the tomb.
Luke attempted a smile. “It’s a very impressive entrance.”
“Uh-huh,” she said between bites. Though she had stopped watching him, he could tell her entire body was on alert. Maybe he should try a different tactic.
He ran his fingers over the carvings in the stone. “These are Sith runes,” he informed her. He drew back his hand in surprise, then pressed them against the characters as he interpreted them.
“What?” The Hand’s voice was like ice as she snapped her head toward him. “What did you say?”
“This tomb,” Luke answered evenly. “It belongs to an ancient Sith-”
A bloodcurdling howl echoed through the cave, silencing Luke. He turned slowly from the runes and took a step toward the sound.
“I heard that sound yesterday, before I found these caves,” the Hand said gravely. “It was just before nightfall.” She shook her head. “Don’t worry, it’s nowhere near us.”
Luke took another step toward the sound, mesmerized as it echoed once more off the walls of the cave. “I feel like-”
“Feel like what?”
He blinked his eyes and looked down at her. The fire crackled loudly between them. “Nothing.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I wouldn’t recommend leaving now. Even with a lightsaber this planet is dangerous at night.”
“I thought you wanted to get rid of me.”
She set her ration bar in her lap. “Listen, Starkiller, I won’t have your death on my conscience. Just keep your distance and we’ll be fine.”
“I thought you didn’t care if I became meat for the monsters.” She threw him a rude gesture as he continued. “Besides, I’d feel safer here by the fire.” With you.
A hint of his thoughts must have leaked into the Force, because she was really studying him now. “I’ve seen you before,” she said after a moment. “In the palace.”
Luke’s cheeks reddened. “Yes.”
“You’re one of the Emperor’s adepts.”
She managed to make those words sound like a curse. “Yes,” he replied, wincing slightly.
She sighed and wiped her hands on her pants. “I suppose you know who I am, then.” She gave him a pointed look with those green eyes.
“You’re an Emperor’s Hand.”
“The Emperor’s Hand, Starkiller. An extension of the Emperor’s will. While you adepts play with your lightsabers inside the palace, I travel across the galaxy in service to my master.” She folded her arms across her chest and smirked at him. “I am Mara Jade.”
Mara. He finally had a name. Now probably wasn’t the best time to tell her there were other Hands, though. “I’m impressed,” he said softly. “And I don’t play with lightsabers, whatever you may think.”
She waved his response away and picked up her ration bar. “Why did you come here? Surely the Emperor didn’t send you.”
“No, he didn’t.” Luke took a deep, steadying breath. He could tell her now and have her chase him from the cave. Or he could lie and buy himself some more time. “I wanted to see the tombs.”
Mara laughed mirthlessly and took another bite of her ration bar. “You don’t want to go in these tombs, believe me.”
“Why should I?”
She fixed him with another one of those looks that said he was trying every shred of her patience. He liked how it made her look.
“Okay, sorry. But I’m not afraid of whatever’s in those tombs. Those Sith are dead. I’m the living heir of their legacy.”
Mara snorted. “You adepts are all alike. Arrogant braggarts.” She closed the wrapper of her ration bar and began to tuck it back in her rucksack when she stopped. “You hungry?” she asked, holding out the remaining bar.
Luke shrugged. “I’m fine. I don’t want to take your food.”
She rolled her eyes and tossed the package at him. “That’s for killing those creatures. Just eat, and don’t look at me like that.” She blew out an annoyed breath and rolled over on her side, away from him.
Luke frowned. His skin prickled as if from a cold wind. For a moment he thought it had come from the tomb, but when he didn’t feel it again, he dismissed the idea. On the other side of the fire, Mara readjusted and bent her left arm under her head for support. Luke leaned up against a wall and began to eat the leftover ration bar. He noticed a tiny tremor in the Force and was startled to find himself genuinely worried.
“Are you sure I didn’t hurt you earlier?”
“Starkiller, if you want to live through the night, leave me alone.”
~~