Fic: Veil of Shadows, 11/13, 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 6
Chapter 2 Chapter 7
Chapter 3 Chapter 8
Chapter 4 Chapter 9
Chapter 5 Chapter 10
~~
11. Collapse
She was sitting against a rock, tied to it with thick ropes that burned her skin when she moved. She recognized the entrance to the tomb, the one she had entered when she first arrived on Korriban. The rock that held her prisoner rested just outside the entrance. As she struggled against her bonds, she half expected one of those tuk’ata creatures to come out from the depths of the tomb and tear her apart.
Something warm dripped into her eyes and down her nose. As it passed her lips, she tasted it with the tip of her tongue.
Blood.
And then something emerged from the tomb, something so wrapped in shadow that she couldn’t make out what it was. Maybe it had been lured by the scent of her blood. She cursed herself for being so helpless, for allowing herself to be injured, even though she could not for the life of her remember how it had happened.
The shadow leaned forward, peering into her eyes. She squinted up at it through the blood and realized she was looking into Luke Starkiller’s eyes.
“What’s the matter, Mara?” he asked sweetly, extending his hand.
She tried to clear the blood by rubbing her shoulder against her eye. “Get me out of this, Starkiller.”
He walked behind the rock and untied the ropes. They fell around her, coiling at her feet like serpents ready to strike. She eyed them warily.
Starkiller came out from behind the rock and smiled. “You’re free.” The leering grin on his face said otherwise.
She tried to move away from him, but the ropes tangled around her legs, holding her in place. Starkiller approached her slowly, his eyes roaming over her in a way that made her senses rebel.
She reached instinctively for her abdomen. “Don’t come any closer.”
His lips twisted into a frown. “It’s okay, Mara. Touch me, and we’ll fall together.”
She stared at his outstretched hand as the serpent-ropes climbed her thighs, wrapping around her waist. “No!” she screamed, trying to rip them away, to protect her child.
“We belong together. Just take my hand.”
She woke up screaming.
~~
“You hid?”
Artoo whistled an affirmative as he rolled over to the rock where Luke sat.
“I’m impressed, Artoo. I thought you were a goner when that madman destroyed the ship.”
The droid chirped defiantly, his dome swiveling back and forth.
Luke chuckled and placed a hand on top of the little robot’s dome. “Well, I’m glad.”
A strangled cry echoed off the canyon walls. Luke turned from examining Artoo and saw that it was Mara making that horrible sound. Her eyes were open but unfocused.
“Mara!”
He ran and dropped to his knees at her side. She sat up quickly and sucked in a deep breath, holding her palms against her forehead. Luke stayed back and let her bring her breathing under control. She closed her eyes and took in a few more gulps of air. Finally, she opened her eyes and stared directly into his.
“What’s happened?” she asked steadily. Her voice was carefully controlled, but the look on her face betrayed her anxiety. Luke reached out to touch her shoulder, but she shied away from him.
“You were unconscious,” Luke explained as he raised his hands defensively. “I moved you so we wouldn’t be out in the open.”
Mara rubbed her arms and wrists as if trying to wipe something away. Her eyes darted about suspiciously. “How-?”
“I didn’t touch you, if that’s what you’re worried about.” He couldn’t hide his resentment. Frankly, he didn’t care right now. He ignored the dirty look she shot him. “I levitated you.”
Her gaze softened just a little. “I didn’t-”
“Listen, we’d better get to Dreshdae and find some way off this planet before that guy recovers.”
Mara held his gaze for a moment. His heart pulsed just a little quicker as he wrestled with his emotions.
She looked around for her rucksack and raised a hand to call it over. “Did you kill him?”
Luke stared over her head at the wall of boulders. “No, but he won’t be able to hold two lightsabers anymore, that’s for sure.”
“Best news I’ve heard since I got here.” She stood slowly, testing her balance. Then she pulled out her tracker and pressed a few buttons. “Dreshdae it is. Let’s go, before that lunatic decides he wants revenge.” She dusted off her clothes and gestured toward a narrow pass leading out of the canyon. “After you, Starkiller.”
“Why exactly am I leading, again?”
“Because I’d rather keep you in front where I can see you.”
“No trust, huh?”
“None.”
“Not even after I saved your life?”
She looked at him strangely, as if she was seeing a different person. The expression on her face told him it wasn’t a good thing in this instance.
“Okay, fine, I’ll go first.” Luke walked ahead of her, surveying the trail. “So much for gratitude,” he muttered.
Luke led the way through the pass, crossing over another high ridge before he finally spotted Dreshdae. The city jutted out of the side of a jagged mountain at the far end of the Valley of the Dark Lords. Mara came over to his side and held up her tracker.
Artoo whistled that he was perfectly capable of locating and identifying the city.
“Yep, that’s it.” Mara, who didn’t seem to understand Artoo’s binary language, tucked the tracker into her jacket pocket.
Luke shrugged at the droid and began the slow climb down the ridge. Once they reached flat ground, it wasn’t long before they came to Dreshdae’s outer wall. Luke, Mara, and Artoo crossed a short bridge and approached the ramp that led to the city’s main entrance.
“Let’s hope they’ve got some space-worthy ships in there,” Luke said as he keyed the doors open. He looked back at Mara and shrugged. “Otherwise we’ll be spending even more time here together.”
Mara grimaced, but he wasn’t sure if it was a joke or if she really did dread the thought of staying here with him.
Then she let out a pained cry and started to fall.
~~
Three Months Ago
“Do you have any other questions, my child?”
Mara looked up into the Emperor’s wrinkled face and shook her head. “No, my lord. I am ready to serve you.”
The Emperor smiled. “This will be a very important mission, the most important mission of all. Succeed, and we will no longer need the Sith. A new line of Force-sensitives will be born, a line rooted in justice and peace.”
“Yes, Master.”
“This child represents a bright future for our Empire. Remember that.”
“I will, Master.”
“You were always a special child, Mara. Make me proud.”
~~
Now
The blood rushed to her brain, leaving her lightheaded, breathless, unanchored. She reached out with one hand to catch herself as she stumbled to her knees. The other hand cradled her stomach, shielding it from impact.
KILL…
She gasped for breath, sucking in the dead air. Starkiller kneeled on the ground next to her and reached out to support her, but she held up a stopping hand.
“No!” she shrieked, remembering the nightmare-vision. She would not be party to anyone’s fall. Not even his.
-you have been trained and molded for a single purpose-
“Don’t touch me,” Mara ordered, trying to stop the memories, the Emperor’s voice, anything and everything that could reach inside and hurt her child.
-serve as an extension-
-a special child-
-the most important mission of all-
“Mara, please,” Starkiller insisted, drawing closer. “Let me help you up.”
She squeezed her eyelids shut, as if doing so would drown him out. She didn’t need his help. She needed to get away from this place, away from the darkness in him. From the darkness in herself.
-an extension of my will-
A vision opened up before her of the Emperor’s throne room. Disjointed sensory details flashed through her brain: the smell of burnt flesh, blue-white electricity crackling through the air, the hum of multiple lightsabers, six red-robed Imperial guards lying dead on the floor.
Two figures approaching the throne, a small one she didn’t recognize and a large one that she did.
YOU WILL KILL…
Mara scraped her nails along the ground, grinding them into the dirt. “No,” she whispered fiercely, trying desperately to hold back tears. “I won’t do it.” She thought of the child growing inside her, and an image filled her thoughts, a vision of a little copper-haired boy tumbling in a sea of grass. He raised his palms to the sky and laughed. She shook her head and the vision retreated, leaving an emptiness that quickly filled with righteous anger.
YOU WILL KILL DARTH VADER.
I won’t do it!
YOU WILL KILL LEIA ORGANA.
Get out of my head!
Mara screamed, and then the pressure on her mind lifted suddenly and with a finality that could only mean one thing.
Emperor Palpatine was dead.
~~
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 6
Chapter 2 Chapter 7
Chapter 3 Chapter 8
Chapter 4 Chapter 9
Chapter 5 Chapter 10
~~
11. Collapse
She was sitting against a rock, tied to it with thick ropes that burned her skin when she moved. She recognized the entrance to the tomb, the one she had entered when she first arrived on Korriban. The rock that held her prisoner rested just outside the entrance. As she struggled against her bonds, she half expected one of those tuk’ata creatures to come out from the depths of the tomb and tear her apart.
Something warm dripped into her eyes and down her nose. As it passed her lips, she tasted it with the tip of her tongue.
Blood.
And then something emerged from the tomb, something so wrapped in shadow that she couldn’t make out what it was. Maybe it had been lured by the scent of her blood. She cursed herself for being so helpless, for allowing herself to be injured, even though she could not for the life of her remember how it had happened.
The shadow leaned forward, peering into her eyes. She squinted up at it through the blood and realized she was looking into Luke Starkiller’s eyes.
“What’s the matter, Mara?” he asked sweetly, extending his hand.
She tried to clear the blood by rubbing her shoulder against her eye. “Get me out of this, Starkiller.”
He walked behind the rock and untied the ropes. They fell around her, coiling at her feet like serpents ready to strike. She eyed them warily.
Starkiller came out from behind the rock and smiled. “You’re free.” The leering grin on his face said otherwise.
She tried to move away from him, but the ropes tangled around her legs, holding her in place. Starkiller approached her slowly, his eyes roaming over her in a way that made her senses rebel.
She reached instinctively for her abdomen. “Don’t come any closer.”
His lips twisted into a frown. “It’s okay, Mara. Touch me, and we’ll fall together.”
She stared at his outstretched hand as the serpent-ropes climbed her thighs, wrapping around her waist. “No!” she screamed, trying to rip them away, to protect her child.
“We belong together. Just take my hand.”
She woke up screaming.
~~
“You hid?”
Artoo whistled an affirmative as he rolled over to the rock where Luke sat.
“I’m impressed, Artoo. I thought you were a goner when that madman destroyed the ship.”
The droid chirped defiantly, his dome swiveling back and forth.
Luke chuckled and placed a hand on top of the little robot’s dome. “Well, I’m glad.”
A strangled cry echoed off the canyon walls. Luke turned from examining Artoo and saw that it was Mara making that horrible sound. Her eyes were open but unfocused.
“Mara!”
He ran and dropped to his knees at her side. She sat up quickly and sucked in a deep breath, holding her palms against her forehead. Luke stayed back and let her bring her breathing under control. She closed her eyes and took in a few more gulps of air. Finally, she opened her eyes and stared directly into his.
“What’s happened?” she asked steadily. Her voice was carefully controlled, but the look on her face betrayed her anxiety. Luke reached out to touch her shoulder, but she shied away from him.
“You were unconscious,” Luke explained as he raised his hands defensively. “I moved you so we wouldn’t be out in the open.”
Mara rubbed her arms and wrists as if trying to wipe something away. Her eyes darted about suspiciously. “How-?”
“I didn’t touch you, if that’s what you’re worried about.” He couldn’t hide his resentment. Frankly, he didn’t care right now. He ignored the dirty look she shot him. “I levitated you.”
Her gaze softened just a little. “I didn’t-”
“Listen, we’d better get to Dreshdae and find some way off this planet before that guy recovers.”
Mara held his gaze for a moment. His heart pulsed just a little quicker as he wrestled with his emotions.
She looked around for her rucksack and raised a hand to call it over. “Did you kill him?”
Luke stared over her head at the wall of boulders. “No, but he won’t be able to hold two lightsabers anymore, that’s for sure.”
“Best news I’ve heard since I got here.” She stood slowly, testing her balance. Then she pulled out her tracker and pressed a few buttons. “Dreshdae it is. Let’s go, before that lunatic decides he wants revenge.” She dusted off her clothes and gestured toward a narrow pass leading out of the canyon. “After you, Starkiller.”
“Why exactly am I leading, again?”
“Because I’d rather keep you in front where I can see you.”
“No trust, huh?”
“None.”
“Not even after I saved your life?”
She looked at him strangely, as if she was seeing a different person. The expression on her face told him it wasn’t a good thing in this instance.
“Okay, fine, I’ll go first.” Luke walked ahead of her, surveying the trail. “So much for gratitude,” he muttered.
Luke led the way through the pass, crossing over another high ridge before he finally spotted Dreshdae. The city jutted out of the side of a jagged mountain at the far end of the Valley of the Dark Lords. Mara came over to his side and held up her tracker.
Artoo whistled that he was perfectly capable of locating and identifying the city.
“Yep, that’s it.” Mara, who didn’t seem to understand Artoo’s binary language, tucked the tracker into her jacket pocket.
Luke shrugged at the droid and began the slow climb down the ridge. Once they reached flat ground, it wasn’t long before they came to Dreshdae’s outer wall. Luke, Mara, and Artoo crossed a short bridge and approached the ramp that led to the city’s main entrance.
“Let’s hope they’ve got some space-worthy ships in there,” Luke said as he keyed the doors open. He looked back at Mara and shrugged. “Otherwise we’ll be spending even more time here together.”
Mara grimaced, but he wasn’t sure if it was a joke or if she really did dread the thought of staying here with him.
Then she let out a pained cry and started to fall.
~~
Three Months Ago
“Do you have any other questions, my child?”
Mara looked up into the Emperor’s wrinkled face and shook her head. “No, my lord. I am ready to serve you.”
The Emperor smiled. “This will be a very important mission, the most important mission of all. Succeed, and we will no longer need the Sith. A new line of Force-sensitives will be born, a line rooted in justice and peace.”
“Yes, Master.”
“This child represents a bright future for our Empire. Remember that.”
“I will, Master.”
“You were always a special child, Mara. Make me proud.”
~~
Now
The blood rushed to her brain, leaving her lightheaded, breathless, unanchored. She reached out with one hand to catch herself as she stumbled to her knees. The other hand cradled her stomach, shielding it from impact.
KILL…
She gasped for breath, sucking in the dead air. Starkiller kneeled on the ground next to her and reached out to support her, but she held up a stopping hand.
“No!” she shrieked, remembering the nightmare-vision. She would not be party to anyone’s fall. Not even his.
-you have been trained and molded for a single purpose-
“Don’t touch me,” Mara ordered, trying to stop the memories, the Emperor’s voice, anything and everything that could reach inside and hurt her child.
-serve as an extension-
-a special child-
-the most important mission of all-
“Mara, please,” Starkiller insisted, drawing closer. “Let me help you up.”
She squeezed her eyelids shut, as if doing so would drown him out. She didn’t need his help. She needed to get away from this place, away from the darkness in him. From the darkness in herself.
-an extension of my will-
A vision opened up before her of the Emperor’s throne room. Disjointed sensory details flashed through her brain: the smell of burnt flesh, blue-white electricity crackling through the air, the hum of multiple lightsabers, six red-robed Imperial guards lying dead on the floor.
Two figures approaching the throne, a small one she didn’t recognize and a large one that she did.
YOU WILL KILL…
Mara scraped her nails along the ground, grinding them into the dirt. “No,” she whispered fiercely, trying desperately to hold back tears. “I won’t do it.” She thought of the child growing inside her, and an image filled her thoughts, a vision of a little copper-haired boy tumbling in a sea of grass. He raised his palms to the sky and laughed. She shook her head and the vision retreated, leaving an emptiness that quickly filled with righteous anger.
YOU WILL KILL DARTH VADER.
I won’t do it!
YOU WILL KILL LEIA ORGANA.
Get out of my head!
Mara screamed, and then the pressure on her mind lifted suddenly and with a finality that could only mean one thing.
Emperor Palpatine was dead.
~~