Fic: Veil of Shadows, 9/13, 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 5
Chapter 2 Chapter 6
Chapter 3 Chapter 7
Chapter 4 Chapter 8
~~
9. Mesmerize
The hunter stepped over the ashes of a small fire and examined the runes carved into the wall. This was the girl’s hideout, but the girl was gone. And now a new presence had arrived on Korriban, one that struck the hunter like an old tune half-remembered. It called to him.
“You are distracted.”
The hunter looked away from the runes, but there was nothing in the cave but air. He grinned and pulled a pyramidal device from his cloak.
“It seems I missed a tomb all those years ago.” The hunter ran long, calloused fingers over the runes. “‘Here lies Ludo Kressh, the true Dark Lord of the Sith.’”
A spirit-like figure rose from the device. Silver-blue light radiated across the walls of the cave as a woman’s face took shape. “The servant of your enemy is near.”
“Are you sure the shyracks didn’t get her?”
“She is alive. If she escapes, there is nothing I can do to help you.”
“I destroyed her ship.”
“There are others.”
The hunter growled. “I’ll catch her soon enough.”
Mara Jade, the hunter called. Come to me. Join us, and live.
You and your child.
~~
Join us, and live.
You and your child.
Mara tightened her grip on her blaster as she followed a step behind Starkiller.
“You okay?” he asked, turning to look at her. She really hated that he was picking up on her distress. It wasn’t like she was broadcasting it.
“I’m fine,” she snapped, biting her lip after Starkiller had faced forward. Cool it, Jade, she told herself. This isn’t his fault.
“We’re almost there. See that ridge?” Starkiller pointed at a line of jagged walls at the end of the canyon. “The ship’s just beyond it.”
Mara felt the midday sun on her back as she came up to Starkiller’s side and looked in the direction he was pointing. “How can we be sure it hasn’t been destroyed, like mine?”
Starkiller shrugged his shoulders. “We can’t.” Then he kept on walking.
Mara glared at his back and followed.
~~
Luke held his arms out for balance as he slowly made his way down the craggy surface of the ridge. They were on what was once a flight of stairs. Now it was little more than a treacherous indent in the canyon wall. Mara was navigating the steps with relative ease, to his mild annoyance. She was certainly graceful, and for a moment he allowed himself to wonder what other areas that skill might affect-
“Where is this ship of yours? You said it was over the ridge.”
Luke grappled for the last moments of his daydream, but it floated away like smoke on the wind. “It’s just around here,” he replied, turning to look at her.
She had one hand on the canyon wall, and several loose strands of hair had fallen across her face. The wind ruffled her shirt and blew her hair to one side. She readjusted the rucksack on her shoulder and looked up into Luke’s eyes.
For one second, he forgot how to breathe.
Mara seemed to have noticed. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly when he didn’t look away.
Before either of them could say anything, a howl echoed off of the canyon walls. It was the same bloodcurdling cry they had heard the night before when they were in the caves. Luke felt paralyzed, not by fear, but by recognition. He couldn’t place it, couldn’t pin it down, but he knew that sound from somewhere far back in his memory.
“Starkiller?” Mara said urgently, stepping down next to him. She waved the hilt of her lightsaber in front of his face. “If we’re going to leave, I think now would be a good time.”
Luke absently reached for her arm, but she ducked away from his hand and glared.
“Don’t try it,” she warned, shaking the saber hilt at him. “I mean it.” Her voice trembled, and he realized that she was afraid.
“What is that sound?” he whispered. It was hypnotic, in its own way. He was drawn to it.
Mara jumped down a few steps and looked back at him, her eyes wide. “That’s the sound I heard right before that crazy man tried to kill me. Come on!” She turned and sprinted down the steps.
Luke shook his head and ran after her, trying to clear the monstrous call from his head. It continued to reverberate off the walls, howling in his ears, in his soul, as if it was calling to the darkness within him. He leapt out into the air and used the Force to bring him down lightly on the canyon floor. Peeking out from around a jagged rock was his ship. He chased after Mara, who had an impressive lead on him. She was nearly there when he felt something go wrong.
“Mara, no!”
The ship lifted into air and launched itself toward Mara, as if it had been flung. Luke sent a wave of Force energy at Mara, but she had already ducked down to avoid being hit. Luke threw himself onto the ground as the ship flew overhead and crashed into the ridge. The vessel erupted in flame, sending plumes of thick smoke high into the air. He wondered, briefly, if Artoo had been aboard.
Luke pushed himself up onto his feet and staggered over to where Mara lay on the ground. She rolled onto her side and peered over Luke’s shoulder at the burning wreckage.
“Part of your plan?” she asked evenly, as if she had not almost been crushed by an unmanned ship.
Luke opened his mouth to answer, but before he could speak he heard a deep, rumbling laugh. He and Mara turned toward the source of the laughter.
A tall figure appeared where the ship had been. It was swathed in black robes, and its face was hidden beneath a voluminous hood.
“Hello, Mara Jade,” the figure said with dark delight, reaching out to Mara with both hands. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
~~
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 5
Chapter 2 Chapter 6
Chapter 3 Chapter 7
Chapter 4 Chapter 8
~~
9. Mesmerize
The hunter stepped over the ashes of a small fire and examined the runes carved into the wall. This was the girl’s hideout, but the girl was gone. And now a new presence had arrived on Korriban, one that struck the hunter like an old tune half-remembered. It called to him.
“You are distracted.”
The hunter looked away from the runes, but there was nothing in the cave but air. He grinned and pulled a pyramidal device from his cloak.
“It seems I missed a tomb all those years ago.” The hunter ran long, calloused fingers over the runes. “‘Here lies Ludo Kressh, the true Dark Lord of the Sith.’”
A spirit-like figure rose from the device. Silver-blue light radiated across the walls of the cave as a woman’s face took shape. “The servant of your enemy is near.”
“Are you sure the shyracks didn’t get her?”
“She is alive. If she escapes, there is nothing I can do to help you.”
“I destroyed her ship.”
“There are others.”
The hunter growled. “I’ll catch her soon enough.”
Mara Jade, the hunter called. Come to me. Join us, and live.
You and your child.
~~
Join us, and live.
You and your child.
Mara tightened her grip on her blaster as she followed a step behind Starkiller.
“You okay?” he asked, turning to look at her. She really hated that he was picking up on her distress. It wasn’t like she was broadcasting it.
“I’m fine,” she snapped, biting her lip after Starkiller had faced forward. Cool it, Jade, she told herself. This isn’t his fault.
“We’re almost there. See that ridge?” Starkiller pointed at a line of jagged walls at the end of the canyon. “The ship’s just beyond it.”
Mara felt the midday sun on her back as she came up to Starkiller’s side and looked in the direction he was pointing. “How can we be sure it hasn’t been destroyed, like mine?”
Starkiller shrugged his shoulders. “We can’t.” Then he kept on walking.
Mara glared at his back and followed.
~~
Luke held his arms out for balance as he slowly made his way down the craggy surface of the ridge. They were on what was once a flight of stairs. Now it was little more than a treacherous indent in the canyon wall. Mara was navigating the steps with relative ease, to his mild annoyance. She was certainly graceful, and for a moment he allowed himself to wonder what other areas that skill might affect-
“Where is this ship of yours? You said it was over the ridge.”
Luke grappled for the last moments of his daydream, but it floated away like smoke on the wind. “It’s just around here,” he replied, turning to look at her.
She had one hand on the canyon wall, and several loose strands of hair had fallen across her face. The wind ruffled her shirt and blew her hair to one side. She readjusted the rucksack on her shoulder and looked up into Luke’s eyes.
For one second, he forgot how to breathe.
Mara seemed to have noticed. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly when he didn’t look away.
Before either of them could say anything, a howl echoed off of the canyon walls. It was the same bloodcurdling cry they had heard the night before when they were in the caves. Luke felt paralyzed, not by fear, but by recognition. He couldn’t place it, couldn’t pin it down, but he knew that sound from somewhere far back in his memory.
“Starkiller?” Mara said urgently, stepping down next to him. She waved the hilt of her lightsaber in front of his face. “If we’re going to leave, I think now would be a good time.”
Luke absently reached for her arm, but she ducked away from his hand and glared.
“Don’t try it,” she warned, shaking the saber hilt at him. “I mean it.” Her voice trembled, and he realized that she was afraid.
“What is that sound?” he whispered. It was hypnotic, in its own way. He was drawn to it.
Mara jumped down a few steps and looked back at him, her eyes wide. “That’s the sound I heard right before that crazy man tried to kill me. Come on!” She turned and sprinted down the steps.
Luke shook his head and ran after her, trying to clear the monstrous call from his head. It continued to reverberate off the walls, howling in his ears, in his soul, as if it was calling to the darkness within him. He leapt out into the air and used the Force to bring him down lightly on the canyon floor. Peeking out from around a jagged rock was his ship. He chased after Mara, who had an impressive lead on him. She was nearly there when he felt something go wrong.
“Mara, no!”
The ship lifted into air and launched itself toward Mara, as if it had been flung. Luke sent a wave of Force energy at Mara, but she had already ducked down to avoid being hit. Luke threw himself onto the ground as the ship flew overhead and crashed into the ridge. The vessel erupted in flame, sending plumes of thick smoke high into the air. He wondered, briefly, if Artoo had been aboard.
Luke pushed himself up onto his feet and staggered over to where Mara lay on the ground. She rolled onto her side and peered over Luke’s shoulder at the burning wreckage.
“Part of your plan?” she asked evenly, as if she had not almost been crushed by an unmanned ship.
Luke opened his mouth to answer, but before he could speak he heard a deep, rumbling laugh. He and Mara turned toward the source of the laughter.
A tall figure appeared where the ship had been. It was swathed in black robes, and its face was hidden beneath a voluminous hood.
“Hello, Mara Jade,” the figure said with dark delight, reaching out to Mara with both hands. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
~~