- In Shadows and Darkness......7

Darth Vader stood in silence in his ready-room onboard the Executor, watching the small, flat image without moving, remaining outwardly impassive at the recording which zoomed in from a distant wide-shot to a shaky, indistinct close-up of the West Tower of the Imperial Palace, his son sat cross-legged as if in meditation on the high balustrade outside of his apartments there, Mara Jade stood close by- and what was she still doing there at all? Hadn't he warned his son of the dangers inherrent in allowing such closeness - why did the boy never listen. Would it be up to Vader to remove her against his son's wishes?

From this distance they seemed at ease, lost in conversation, only their body-language betraying the serious nature of the moment. Vader again cursed the limited nature of this kind of distance- image, taken from high-orbit above Coruscant, the airspace over and about the PAlace restricted. Set on the ecumenopolis of Coruscant, the Imperial Palace was blanketed with many kinds of shields, both to secure against physical attack and to guard against technological warfare of any kind- including spying. Other buildings were hardly close, the Palace enjoying the ultimate luxury on Coruscant, affordable only by the Emperor; space, long tracts of open walkways and tiered terraces setting it apart from its neighbouring buildings, both to emphasise its relevance and to provide a buffer which was easy to patrol and defend.

Palpatine had fifteen Palaces on Coruscant, ranging from the restrained, seventeen-storey, three-hundred roomed Winter Retreat at the planet’s frigid South Pole to the vast, sprawling might of the Imperial Palace at the Capital, a city within itself, the seat of government for the Empire and Palpatine’s favoured residence.

And even this, in the greater scheme, was nothing; there were in all well over three hundred Palaces, spread out over his Empire on planets of significance, massive edifices conceived as absolute statements of supremacy and scope, visible symbols of the autocratic power they embodied, each filled with the very best that their system could offer, willingly or not, a monument to the Emperor’s authority and importance. Most of them the ever-reclusive Emperor had never even visited; never intended to. What mattered to Palpatine was not that he needed or even wanted them; what mattered was that he owned them; that he was seen to do so.

Vader himself owned five Palaces on four planets, all presented to him by the Emperor, though he’d not failed to notice that, among his gifts and favour, Palpatine had awarded Luke no residence of his own, preferring to keep the boy close, forcing him to return to the Palace and his Master’s closely-controlled clique whenever he was ordered back to Coruscant.

Only three times had Palpatine moved his retinue whilst Luke had been En Courte; twice to the Winter Retreat on Coruscant and once to the immense Selo Complex on Caamas. But always he returned within the month, unable to stay away from the seat of his government and his power for any length of time. He believed himself impregnable there and had gone to great lengths to ensure this, though most of the measures were not visible from the outside of the massive Imperial Palace, designed to be viewed as a monument to his confidence rather than his obsessive paranoia.

One such hidden measure was a series of disruptive shields which ensured that no technology-based system would penetrate the Palace, so any kind of technological spying equipment or enhancement, including visual and auditory, was nullified. The only thing which couldn’t be guarded against by the shield system was old-fashioned light-rays, so visual images could be picked up from a distance and, with the use of high-quality lenses, recorded.

A visual shield could of course have been implemented to rectify this, but by its very nature it couldn’t be hidden and in the politics of public power-plays, image meant as much as intent. The populace needed to see the indestructible might and unassailable confidence of Imperial supremacy inherent in the monolithic Imperial Palace on Coruscant, designed to be the epicentre of power. It was the tallest structure on the densely populated city-planet, no other building allowed to be higher, built deliberately over the ruins of the old Jedi Temple. Court, the Government and the Military all reported to, were presided over and administered from this single location, a fact intended to clarify that all three came expressly under the control of one man - the man whose Palace this was; the Emperor.

And paranoid as he was, he wouldn’t be scrutinized or familiarised despite his desire to remain always in the centre of his Galaxy. So now all that Vader could do was curse the quality of the small flat image taken from high orbit, aware that he couldn’t ask Intel to clean up or extrapolate the recording for more information without risking a copy of it reaching the Emperor. He leaned forward unconsciously, as if it would make a difference…

In the next moment, the boy swung his legs free and stepped off the high balcony, Vader twitching in shock-
Jade leapt forward to grab at his arm, so that he swung in a short arc, dropping slightly as she staggered forward into the barrier, using its mass to it stop her, clearly unprepared for the action.
They remained like that for long seconds, Luke finally looking up to her before reaching out his other hand and climbing back onto the balcony, Jade pushing him back a step with both hands against his chest when he had.

“I felt it shouldn’t go into the public domain.” Colonel Hoken said diplomatically at last. He was a short, square, military man, not particularly given to inventive thinking, but Vader trusted him; he was loyal, both to Vader and of late, to his son too, the boy's military leaning gaining him ever more popularity in the fleet as his abilities also began to flourish.

He realized he was still staring at the officer, mind buzzing with the content of the recording. “There are no copies?”

“No, my Lord, not to my knowledge. The spy who was selling the images is still in custody on Bilbringi. Under interrogation he admitted that this was his first attempt to sell them.”

“Bring him here. Quietly.” Vader ordered; best to be sure.

Hoken bowed carefully, made a smart military turn and left to carry out his orders, leaving Vader to turn and replay the images, considering.

Hoken’s undercover teams were always present on Bilbringi due to the Imperial shipyards there, but it had been pure chance that one of them had heard about a recording regarding The Heir and reported it to his superior, who had arranged to have the man arrested, then done the right thing in contacting Hoken to pass on the recording.

Its content was… disturbing; doubly so, when he watched it alone now. Firstly because he had no idea what his son had been doing, and secondly because Mara Jade clearly remained a part of his son’s inner retinue. That she had caught him was neither here nor there- it was her mission to guard him, appointed by the Emperor to whom she was fanatically loyal.

The relevant point here was that his son had presumed she would do so. Because no matter what Luke believed, she was not to be trusted.

He reached out and took the small storage chip from the display unit, the image fritzing to static as he did so. Holding it momentarily in his gloved hand, he closed his fist, crushing it beyond repair.

Luke stood to tense attention in the silence of his quarters onboard the Peerless, gazing without seeing into the diffuse, chaotic glow of Lightspeed. He had finally been given leave to return to the Destroyer earlier that day - the forth time he’d requested it - after almost three weeks trapped among the stifling intrigues and relentless plotting of the Palace and his Master’s precious Court. He’d left within hours of receiving permission, his own small entourage in tow, resenting the fact that he had one at all; that he was forced into such things by the life he now lived.

Onboard ship had been no better; everyone was frustrated at having been cooped up over Coruscant for so long, eager to be gone just as he was, the restless atmosphere palpable.

He’d gone straight to the bridge and set a course on impulse for the Peerless, the Dominant and the Zephyr to fly a wide loop which would take them along the Hydian Way to Arkania and then into open space along the edge of The Colonies, taking in every planet and system which intercepted it; past the Perlemian Trade Route, the Corellian Run, crossing the opposite side of the Hydian Way at Nubia, then past the Corellian Trade Spine and finally Shapani, joining the Rimma Trade Route to travel back into the Core Systems. It was a huge tour of duty which even if uninterrupted, which was very unlikely, would take weeks- even months- to complete.

It wasn’t until the intended route had been transmitted back to Coruscant and returned with the Emperor’s approval, along with a short, cryptic message from his Master to the fact that his ‘Wolf’ may pace where it pleased, that Luke had withdrawn to his ready-room to overlay the course onto star-charts in the holo-display there and seen just exactly what he’d done. All that had been in his head in the moment that he’d made the choice of schedule was to get away from Coruscant; now that a line was drawn along his arbitrary route, he sat back on his chair and stared for a long time, aware of what he’d done.

The route he’d named almost perfectly described the outermost extent of his fleet's jurisdiction.

The Emperor’s precious ‘Wolf’, like a caged animal, was pacing up and down just inside its bars.

So now he stood quietly, gazing out into the void, head tilted, staring at nothing. The duty shift had come and gone and he’d remained at his desk in his ready-room, reading dispatches, refining the projected tour of duty after holding conferences with Chiefs of Staff, assigning and reassigning missions to divisions and units to disperse and manage projected dissent hotspots, organising fleet ops and manoeuvres for those not involved; attending to the minutia of Fleet logistics.

Finally, when he could work no more, eyes blurred and mind numb, he’d returned here to his quarters and stood in silence in the darkened room, gazing into the maelstrom, contemplating...

Mara was making her way here, knowing that he had returned. He knew that absolutely; could sense her unique signature in the Force as she employed her ability, no matter how subconsciously, to ensure that she remained undetected.

Leaving him to consider - what should he do when she arrived?

The sensible thing would so clearly be to turn her away.

He could so easily provide the perfect excuse; he had been away from the Peerless for weeks and therefore couldn't guarantee that all surveillance measures so carefully hidden by Palpatine’s agents in his absence had been removed yet. She’d know of course that it would be a lie - that he would have removed or destroyed them within minutes of his arrival here - but it would be a difficult case to argue since she had no proof and anyway, the message would be clear.

So he could stop this now; just let it dwindle to nothing and have them return to the way they were… that would be the sensible thing.

He’d achieved everything he needed from this particular game- everything he intended. Hadn't he claimed to himself that he’d wanted a secret, a method to control her; well now he had one. She’d lost her impartiality, allowed herself to become involved- and then she’d withheld the fact. Lied about it to the Emperor- to his face.

He had his control. Because if she ever found out something he needed to keep from his Master then all he need do was threaten to reveal this. Yes he’d be damning himself as well, but in a situation where he was in the line of fire either way, she would surely realise that he may well have nothing to lose - and she may well have everything.

And like every game, it was as much the bluff you made as the cards you held.

Which was why the right thing to do now would be to walk away- to underline that it had all been just that; a game. That he wouldn’t hesitate to play this card if she forced him.

If he didn’t back off now he was weakening that position.

So why was he wavering?

He understood now what his father had tried to warn, the vulnerabilities inherent in allowing another this close. Had this been what had brought his father down- had this been his weakness?

Because Luke knew it would be his- if he opened the door.

If he allowed this consideration to cut across his objectives.

But something in him craved this; this closeness. Even though he knew it was a vulnerability and he swore he’d never again hold one before his Master, and even though he knew it was a risk because Mara ’s loyalties would always lie with the Emperor and even though, and even though, and even though….

A thousand and one reasons not to, and only one reason to open that door…

He heard the gentle drum of her fingers on the heavy shipboard door and held still for one moment longer-

Stop this now. Don’t have this vulnerability
Don’t take this chance
Don’t be your father

Luke shook his head, remembering Vader’s words again, spoken with such conviction; “We are solitary creatures by necessity…”

“I am not you.” He whispered into the darkness…

And with one final, tense sigh to expel his doubts, he stepped forward and opened the door…

She entered the dark room in a rush of motion, senses a flurry of excitement and anticipation.

“I thought you weren’t going to let me in.” she whispered jokingly, arms about him, breath to his neck- as if not a moment had gone by since they were last here. Had that been a conscious decision on her part?

Luke closed his eyes, wishing already that he hadn’t, feeling the softness of her glowing red hair against his skin. For an instant he allowed himself to fall back into the depth of emotions which radiated from her, a momentary indulgence, undeniable, overwhelming, intensely impetuous and wildly irresponsible-

But the truth was far more complex, and whether she chose to admit it or not, she had to know that on some level.

Because he did. He knew the dangers. He knew how this could so easily end. Knew the knife-edge he lived on.

Knew absolutely that she would betray him someday.

She couldn’t be trusted. She couldn’t be trusted. But then neither could he- didn’t she know that?

If he cared for her at all he should walk away. If she cared for him she should have already done the same…

She took his face in her hands and stood on tip-toe, reaching up to kiss him as her fingers slid back into his hair, breath to his lips-

And all of his doubts and his reservations, his father's warning and his own piercing, perfect knowledge of the future, melted away like shadows in darkness…

Madine sat nervously upright as the Chiefs of Staff settled about the large circular table in the War Room onboard the Rebel Flagship Home-One, glancing back at the huge canvas which hung from the far wall, a massive, brooding rendition of a military struggle fought in the dark of night. ‘Night Battle’ it was called, by Inego.

It was the original piece; a priceless work of art. For some reason, the smuggler Solo had it in his possession and had given it over to be re-hung here- ‘on loan’, he’d gone to great lengths to clarify. How he had come by it he’d neglected to say - but then since he was a smuggler Madine hadn’t bothered to push too hard; sometimes the obvious answer was the right one.

Solo took a long look at the canvas as he passed it, smiling at some private memory as he settled down beside Leia Organa, who had fallen surprisingly easily into the complexities of the position as Chief of Staff following Mon’s loss. She glanced at him now, brown eyes wary. There was no amity between them but they had a good working relationship and she’d impressed him with her leadership and her grace under fire.

And she had that edge; Mon had always been a Diplomat and a Fighter; Leia was more a Fighter then a Diplomat, which was a good thing in Madine’s opinion; it may well make for a more aggressive future actions. At the moment though, she was still finding her feet and her responses were accordingly cautious.

Which was why he felt a pang of guilt that he had basically forced her into holding this meeting. But if he were to push Mon’s last plan forward then time was running short, and purposely so. Firstly because he wanted to limit the amount of time that this information had to get out, and secondly because he needed them to move on this in a hurry- rush things through, not spend too long looking at the minutiae of the plan. That had all been considered long ago by himself and Mon. Now he needed to push it forward and to do that he may have to twist Leia’s arm a little.

Which was why he’d requested this meeting of the Chiefs and held firm when she’d asked for details- in truth he didn’t want her to dismiss his proposal or have a coherent argument against it before he’d had the option to put the plan on the table before a wider vote.

Everyone settled and fell to polite silence as Leia stood, the picture of calm, speaking for the benefit of the official register. “We’ll convene this meeting at seventeen- thirty-two. Officers present are Admiral Ackbar, Admiral Stone, Intel Chief Massa, Commander Solo, General Madine and myself. The meeting has been convened at the request of General Madine, so with your permission Sirs, I’ll hand the chair over to him.”

It was a little curt, but then Leia Organa wasn’t one to be trifled with. Madine stood, reflexively pulling his jacket straight, a leftover from his time in the Imperial Forces, when such things were paramount.

“Sirs… with the launch of the new Super Star Destroyer Invincible now imminent, I’d like to take this opportunity to bring some very important information to the table. Although you were unaware of it for security reasons, there has been a plan in the pipeline for some time now to use this unrivalled opportunity…”

Solo, who was sat directly opposite Madine, was beginning a slow roll of his eyes, settling down to rest his chin in his hand in a lazy slouch. Madine gave him a long, unimpressed stare and continued, losing his point only momentarily; “unrivalled… opportunity… to deliver a major blow to the Empire; one from which they could not recover.”

He glanced about the table into a sea of mildly expectant faces; all that was about to change.

“As you are now aware that the ill-fated Bothawuii mission was also to hand over new technology from the Bothans to ourselves; the Empire’s DEMP generators. Their intended use was to have been against all Destroyers in Coruscant's orbit when the S.S.D. Invincible was launched from there on its inaugural flight. With the loss of the Dynamic EMP’s that plan became unfeasible. However, the Destroyer’s launch is still going ahead and the Emperor will still be present on the bridge of the Invincible for its inaugural flight. The opportunity for which we intended the DEMP’s is still there Sirs, and I suggest we use it.”

“You have a couple of DEMP’s in your back pocket?” Solo drawled, and Madine skewered him with a look.

He hadn’t wanted him here at all; had argued strenuously against it behind the scenes, but Massa, the Intel Chief, had insisted that there was nothing to substantiate Madine’s suspicions that Solo was the Imperial spy hidden among them, stating that his escape from both the Imperial Palace on Coruscant and the mission onboard the Fury was not in itself sufficient proof, and a tad obvious considering that an infiltration specialist generally tried to keep a low profile.

Madine was still watching him… and so, he suspected, was Massa, despite her claims.

“No, we do not have the DEMP’s anymore but it still doesn’t negate our other advantages. It simply changes the details, not the overall plan. We still have the one thing which the Empire doesn’t know about and it was that which was always going to buy us access to the Emperor.”

Leia frowned, tiring of these guessing games, “Which is?”

Madine pulled himself up to his full height, smiling tightly. “We have the Command Overrides to the Invincible- the hardwired codes. Having our own DEMP generators would have done nothing more than bought us a way in by disabling other Imperial ships in the area. Once we were in we were going to utilise the Override Codes to bring the Invincible down into the atmosphere without trim- break it apart under stress and burn it up with the Emperor onboard- with everyone in the galaxy watching over the HoloNet. That was the ultimate plan. The plan which Mon Mothma and I worked towards- the plan she gave her life to make possible.”

Leia frowned, “How long have you had these codes?”

“Mon Mothma was given the codes by Olin’yaa almost a month before the first attempt on The Heir. As everyone here is aware, Mon Mothma's plan had always been to take him down first, then the Emperor, rather than allow a chain of accession. Now another opportunity has come to make good on this intention and I think we should take it- in Mon’s memory.”

Oh, that was a low blow, Leia knew, whether he had intended it or not. Now if she declined, she wasn’t just refusing him, but the memory of Mon Mothma. She looked to Han, who looked away uneasily; it was Tag who spoke out, sitting to focused attention.

“Let me clarify this- you have the Command Override Codes which are hardwired into the Invincible’s systems?”

“Essentially, yes.” Madine said.

“Essentially?” Tag pushed, wishing to be very sure.

“The codes aren’t literally hardwired in, but they’re one of the three back-doors into the system- they override all other commands. They’re intended for use by the Emperor to ensure…”

“Thank-you, I know what a Command Code is.” She stated tartly, obviously as annoyed as Leia was at being kept out of this loop. “And you’re positive that these codes are still active, given that both Olin’yaa and Mon Mothma were in Imperial custody?”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell us this sooner?” Leia’s voice was dura-steel.

Madine almost looked to Han but caught himself in time, “You know we have continuing problems with information leaks. Mon Mothma had ordered that this information be kept strictly between myself and her until it was necessary to involve others. I now consider it necessary; I think we’re still in a strong position to carry out Mon’s intended threat.”

Ackbar spoke up, long webbed fingers splayed, “Would the codes not have been nullified when the Empire discovered our access to their DEMP generators, General?”

“No Sir,” Madine said, “The codes have nothing to do with the hardware. They don’t even originate in the same dockyard and would have been integrated by a completely separate unit in isolation. This is something which even the Captain in charge of the ship would not have been given access to.”

“So we can assume that they would have no reason to change them?” Ackbar pushed.

“Yes Sir.”

“That’s an awfully big assumption.” Admiral Stone maintained, shaking her head.

“The codes were checked less than two weeks ago and found to be still active.” Madine assured, everyone falling to silence at that, considering.

“So we have the codes- the means to influence the internal systems of the ship.” Leia prompted, her own interest rising, “And you’re suggesting what?”

“As I said, the original plan was to send the Invincible into the atmosphere; take her down to the umbra under her own power then cut all power to the engines. Destroyers are not designed for planetary gravity; without shear, she’d take an unviable entry and break up as she hit the atmosphere.” Madine said, “Obviously without the cover of our own DEMP’s to disable the other Destroyers who would be there for the flight that’s not possible; they would move in to stop her- disable her engines long before she reached Coruscant’s atmosphere and take her under tractor-beam tow. However, I still think that this is an unparalleled opportunity; the Emperor seldom leaves the safety of Coruscant.”

“He’s only in orbit.” Stone pointed out.

“In a ship we will have control of.” Madine maintained, “The paramount vessel of the fleet- nothing can touch us.”

Everyone stilled to silence again, considering.

“Could we use our control of the Invincible to activate its own onboard DEMP’s and continue the mission as originally planned?” Ackbar asked, bringing hopeful eyes to him.

“No, Sir.” It was Intel Chief Tag who replied, “Unfortunately the Invincible’s DEMP’s won’t be online for the launch; present intelligence suggests they’re to be completed at the shipyards in the Koornacht Cluster soon after.”

“No chance we could actually get ‘em running for the launch- with our own ‘techs?” Han asked, though there wasn’t much hope in his voice.

“No, Sir. They were never intended to be active for the inaugural flight; the Invincible was always intended to carry out shakedown manoeuvres en-route to the Koornacht Shipyards, then have the final fit and fine-tune.”

“Could we lock off the Bridge? Keep Palpatine confined there until we’ve used the overrides to make a jump out of system?” Stone said, considering.

“No,” Leia replied, eyes narrowing in thought, “Launches are traditionally held in low orbit in order to be visible from the planet’s surface. There’d be too many other Star Destroyers in our path; we’d never find a safe trajectory in time. If we're not able to disabled those Destroyers, as we could have done with DEMP’s they’ll immobilize the Invincible’s engines to keep us there - or simply use tractor-beams.”

“Seal off the Bridge then; cut off oxygen?”

“Possibly,” Madine allowed.

“Nah,” Han interjected, “A Destroyer Bridge is a big area. You’d be giving ‘em an awful long time to get out before they were out of air- and the rest of the Destroyer crew a long time to get to them, no matter how many troops we had onboard.”

“Explosive decompression?” Leia suggested. Everyone fell to silence, considering.

“We’d need to check the plans- I don’t think there’s an airlock.” Tag murmured.

“If it were inside the Invincible’s defence shields, a relatively small ship could blow out the viewpanes.” Leia said.

“All ships without security clearance would have been banned from the area two days in advance.” Tag said, always familiar with her enemy’s protocols.

Everyone fell to silence again; it was Han who spoke up, “Take one of theirs- hell, they’ll have bays full of ‘em. If we have the Command Overrides we can release a few TIE’s and get ‘em into space inside the Invincible’s shields.”

Tag nodded, “The shields would also prevent the TIE’s being shot down by other Destroyers.”

Leia considered… was it possible- did they have a real shot at Palpatine? “We could lock down the whole ship to limit Imperial responses from onboard the Invincible- every blast door. Shut down comms- seriously hamper any rescue attempt.”

“The Bridge blast doors are the highest-rated onboard.” Tag said, lost in thought, “And there’ll be three sets in the stretch of corridor to either side of the bridge. If all blast doors were engaged using the override code it would take a while for anyone to get through, even with explosives or cutters.”

“Where would we need to be to use the codes?” Han asked, leaning in now, getting a feel for the overall plan.

Madine looked to Tag. “Ops Three, halfway up the Command Tower; that would probably be our best bet. Override Codes will work from various locations; you could close blast doors from any class-one terminal, but to have access to the whole of the Destroyer, including the Bridge doors, defense shields and the TIE Bays, you’d need to be in Ops. And you’d need to be there on the day.”

“Can the codes not be used remotely?” Leia asked.

“No. These are back-door codes specific to this ship. There are unique Command Override Codes designed to be used remotely, but these aren’t them. We’d never intended to use them in any other way than onboard; when the original plan was made, we didn’t expect to have any opposition- our own DEMP’s would have rendered any other ship in the area inoperative.”

“So we’re getting on-board.” Leia said, unsure now. “How?”

“It would need to be three days before; they’ll begin moving all non-military personnel off then.” Tag offered the details, as ever.

“Hey, how hard can it be?” Han asked, “Have you seen the size of one of those things?” I don’t believe we can’t just find somewhere quiet to stow away for a few days… take a reader, a pack of cards maybe.”

“It would have to be a small team if we’re hiding them.” Leia said, ignoring the Corellian’s wisecrack, “Twenty; no more. Four pilots who can fly TIE’s; the rest of us will split into two teams and make our way to the Ops Three separately, both units having the Command Code.”

“Wait a minute… us?” Han interjected.

“I’m not about to sit this one out.” Leia stated firmly.

“That’s exactly what you’re gonna do, boss.” Han said, emphasising his last word.

Tag agreed; “You’re no longer in a position where active service missions are an option, Chief.”

Leia pursed her lips, “You seriously think I’m going to pass this chance up? This isn’t open for discussion; I’m going to be there.”

“I’m sorry, Chief, but I can’t allow it; I’d be failing in my duty if I did.” Tag said firmly, her eyes going to Ackbar for support.

He wasn’t slow to offer it, “Leia; you know this would be unwise. Please reconsider.”

Leia held her ground, unwilling to let this opportunity go by; to be there - to be in the team who finally brought Palpatine down… or at least had a good chance at it. “Chief Mothma often took command roles in the field-” She argued- and had already seen the error of her words when Madine shot her down.

“Yes- and we lost her there, because we let that rule slide. We can’t afford another change in leadership right now, your Highness. Your input and experience would be very much appreciated - from here.”

Leia fell to silence before that, looking into the faces of those about the table, knowing there’d be no arguing with them

“….. Fine.” Leia agreed, cornered- but she wouldn’t give up without a fight; it wasn’t in her nature. No; she’d bide her time…

Han turned back to the assemblage, that laconic glint in his eye, “I, on the other hand, am completely expendable, so should head up the team.”

Leia took a breath, about to state in no uncertain terms that if she wasn’t going, then he wasn’t going either, but caught herself in time.

“That’s a great idea.” She said, bringing his wary eyes back to hers, looking for the catch. “But I think you should fly the escape ship.”

“Wait a minute- I’m not sittin’ in some boring ship in some empty hangar while everyone else goes trottin’ round a Star Destroyer swee…” He paused, realising what he was about to call her in a formal conference in which minutes were being diligently taken. She smiled just slightly and he pursed his lips, half-stubborn, half-sulking; “I’m still not doin’ it.”

“The important thing about this is going to be keeping a retreat corridor open for the two teams Han; no-one’s going to expect us to be there on the way to the Ops room- on the way back, not only will it be a running firefight, but a good portion of the fleet will be just waiting for us to exit the Invincible and run for deep space. I won’t ask anybody to go on a suicide mission, therefore I’m going to put my best pilot at the stick.”

“I can go on the mission and then fly.” Han maintained, ignoring the ego-massage, not missing the fact that she had just said ‘us not ‘them’, but keeping it quiet- for now.

“I think this is perhaps a discussion for later.” Leia charged, lifting perfectly-arched eyebrows over mahogany-brown eyes. She turned away, looking to the greater assembly, “For now I'd like to call for a vote on this?"

There was a nod of assent from those about the table, Madine clenching his jaw, willing the project forward without wishing to seem too eager. Leia glanced about, then nodded. "We have an undivided vote, which constitutes an agreement in principle; the mission will go ahead.”

Madine smiled, triumphant; Leia had agreed, placing herself in an irriversible position without anybody addressing the one issue he’d hoped fervently that nobody would mention- The Heir would be on the Bridge too.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Mara sat hunched down in a small droid maintenance corridor overlooking the Aft Bay, which was always closed to all personnel besides the 701st Stormtroopers. The Commander's Untouchables, they were being called now, and with good reason; no-one had access to the areas of the ship which they were stationed in, neither docking bays nor accommodation nor supplies nor recreation bays. They were a completely separate entity within the Destroyer. It had been done gradually and subtly, the 701st split up and moved often, barracks kept at several locations, but Palace Intel had slowly come to realise that they had little idea of numbers or identities. They had all the official figures of course, and they all added up... it just didn't feel right to Mara.

So she was on a little recon. She'd managed to trace shipwide 'droid maintenance access shutes to a point where she was close enough to an internal wall in the Aft Bay to drill two tiny holes and set two surveillance lenses, the transmitters taped to the inside of the cavity wall high up, close to the ceiling.

To avoid being picked up in random anti-surveillance scans, the lenses were shielded and live-wire-only. Requiring Mara to actually be with the system when it was active and power it down when she left, this made the system difficult to detect even on close scans. But it also meant that if she wanted any information, Mara had to be close by sending an active wired signal from her monitor. Which meant she was spending her night off sitting in a cramped, stuffy, unheated maintenance corridor watching a huge, neatly-arrayed docking bay practically devoid of life. Apparently even if she had nothing better to do with her night, the 701st did.

Reece was with Skywalker tonight, the pair going through reams of reports from Abregado-rae's official agencies. They'd made planetary orbit three days earlier and Luke was just... hanging around it seemed to Mara; procrastinating. Looking at accounts which were obviously forged - he knew that as well as she did; at the tip of the Shapani Bypass, Abregado-rae had long been the centre for all smuggling operations entering the Colonies, the planetary wealth probably doubling due to bribes and deals.
But this was nothing new, and Luke was generally a great advocate of ‘better the devil you know' which made his close scrutiny all the more puzzling.

The obvious answer of course was that he was delaying his return to Coruscant. They were almost two months into the Tour of Duty, and were now completing their their wide loop and heading for Coruscant, only a few more scheduled stops to go. And they both knew that when they reached Coruscant and the Palace, their nightly meetings were suspended and their affair put on hold, so in truth she wasn't complaining about the length of stay, or looking too hard for its reason.

They had... settled was the wrong word, but she had felt the slow change over the last few months as they had been together, safely away from the prying eyes on Coruscant. Their affair remained nothing if not explosive, but then that was part of the draw for Mara.

He had changed so much in the last four years. All the big, sweeping changes were so easy to mark, but it was the subtle changes which had crept upon him without her even noticing that she considered now. For so long she had looked to the man and seen a glint of Palpatine's precious wolf in his eyes and then - so gradually that she couldn't mark an individual moment or name a date - now... now she often felt as if she were looking into the eyes of the wolf, searching for some trace of the man beneath.

Did it bother her?

No. She'd spent her life walking amongst wolves- so much so that it felt natural to her now, the spark which lit the flame. The man who had come here had been fascinating and strong and honourable and maybe if things had been different...

But they weren't and it didn't matter- because now she had a wolf, and the thrill in being close to that stormy, feral, volatile edge would always bring her back one more time. Occasionally she still saw the pilot who had been brought here and the moments were all the more valued for their rareness... but much as she loved the man with the sky blue eyes, much as he'd pulled her in long before the wolf ever turned those mismatched, ice-cool eyes on her, she also loved the exhilaration of running with the wolf... and she knew it.

She gazed blankly at the image of the empty bay, mind wandering...

She remembered distinctly when she had defended the Emperor once during their last stay on Coruscant, their relationship already irrevocably changed but still very much an unknown quantity. Beladon D'Arca had turned to Luke as they had made their way through the expansive stretch of the Attendants Hall following Court. Palpatine had stopped to enter into conversation with someone, forcing everyone in his entourage to wait until he set forward again.

Stood a half-pace behind Luke, she had seen him backstep as D'Arca approached, but with nowhere to retreat he had been forced into conversation, the influential man congratulating Luke on his upcoming command, the Invincible, adding that he had great respect for those the Emperor valued, asking whether he may press The Heir to attend an upcoming event at his estate on Coruscant.

When Luke had issued a polite decline, citing Fleet obligations, D'Arca had nodded appreciatively, stating that he of course understood; many of his family held positions of great responsibility within the Fleet. He did however insist that The Heir should consider an invitation to take advantage of his family's ‘Hunting Lodges' in their estates on Borleias, Commenor or Teyr open-ended; surely, he espoused, a thin smile to his dry lips, the Emperor's Wolf would appreciate the opportunity to indulge in a hunt?

Mara had watched Luke's shoulders tighten from behind, his spine straightening, and momentarily worried that he may actually knock the man to the ground right there and then.

But the procession moved abruptly forward, saving her- and probably D'Arca - from having to deal with that event, though just to be sure she had stepped level as D'Arca turned about, murmuring hushed counsel as Luke had quietly cursed his Master for giving him the epithet at all.

Mara had made the mistake of claiming in whispered tones that it fitted him - and he'd rounded on her, eyes ablaze though his face remained a neutral mask, his voice low and tight in the crowded hall, "If I'm a wolf then it's because I live in their company!"

"I didn't say otherwise." she'd defended mildly as they walked slowly forward, her eyes front, experiencing the same dangerous thrill she always felt at being in his company when he was like this.

"Then you're a fool to be here- never trust a wolf." he growled, body tense, stance subtly aggressive though he remained outwardly calm, keeping pace with the entourage as it stepped forward, his frustration hidden by the fact that as they passed, those about him in the Hall were already bowed low in respect.

She'd hesitated, glancing momentarily from the assembly to him, tensing slightly in reaction to his body language, aware of how close to the edge she was walking in continuing this conversation, of how quickly that volatile temperament could now shift- daring herself to step closer still.

"I trust you." Mara had countered, emphasising the difference, knowing instinctively how to calm her wolf.

He stared ahead in silence for long moments... and though the wild fury bled from his eyes, they remained sharp and fierce.

"No you don't," he murmured at last, voice still holding genuine menace but contained now; restrained. "Not really. You tell yourself you can trust- you think you're safe because for some reason you believe you can control it... but I can't, so I'm damn sure that you can't. You're not nearly as safe as you think."

It was an incredible admission, not least because he so clearly believed it.

"You're saying that you're capable of hurting me?" she'd asked, glancing to him, shaking her head decisively, "I don't believe you."

He took a long step ahead of Mara, dismissive now, the moment and his temper mastered again. But before he left, he issued one last caution; "I'm saying if you reach out to a wolf you shouldn't be surprised when it bites."

Mara hunkered down in the cramped corridor now, considering his words. It had been a warning, she knew; and it had been genuine.

Did she trust him?

She wanted to say yes... but then what was she doing here?

And then again, bearing her present actions in mind... should he trust her?

Her consideration was abruptly halted as the docking bay below her dropped its shields momentarily to allow a large shuttle to enter. Mara shimmied upright in the close space, frowning; there was nothing due to come in on the Bridge logs- and even if it were, this was hardly a recognised port of entry.

The Skipray - an Intel 420; fast and tough and loved by local enforcement and smugglers alike - settled to a smooth stop in the centre of the bay, a small group of 701st Stormtroopers coming to a halt before it.

Mara watched two men walk casually down the ramp, cursing the fact that she hadn't chosen a lens that could zoom; who'd have thought she'd see anyone but troopers?

The younger man, slim and slight with a flash of electric blue to the front of bleached-white hair, halted at the ship's ramp while they conversed a moment, then the second - obviously in charge, tall and athletic with dark hair and a thick, heavy handlebar moustache - set forward with the troops, though his body-language inferred that he was anything but intimidated.

They disappeared from the lens's wide field of view and Mara scrabbled up, abandoning her screen where it lay, intending to go and try to pick them up in the corridor two levels down near the bay.

When she got down to the point where the restricted corridors joined more public ones, there was no-one to be seen. Mara briefly considered contacting Security to check where they had gone, but hesitated; either they had come in under the sensors somehow, or they were allowed in by someone in Security, in which case alerting them to the fact that she knew someone was aboard wasn't exactly a bright idea; clearly this wasn't intended to be common knowledge. And if the anonymous visitor had been smuggled onboard, they would probably be moving him around the ship the same way.

She frowned, walking slowly down the empty corridor; either way, she had a pretty good idea where their mystery guest had gone...

"I seem to be a ship or two short." Karrde announced, neither irritated nor absolving, "I counted them. Twice."

The Heir smiled easily, in good humour tonight, and Karrde wondered again at his true age; at times, when he was tired and serious and volatile, he seemed very close to Karrde's own age, but in casual moments like this when he was at ease, genuinely smiling, the smuggler could swear he was only in his twenties- early twenties at that.

Like everyone else with any kind of vested interest, Karrde had expended serious amounts of currency trying to unearth some concrete evidence as to who The Heir really was... and like everyone else, he'd come up blank.

The man himself flashed that genial smile which pulled at the deep scar running through his lips as he spoke in a perfectly-modulated Coruscanti accent - too perfect, to Karrde's mind.

"You have too many anyway. Think of the maintenance I've saved you."

"Yes; and all that revenue which I will now have to turn down was becoming rather a drag."

"I'll sort something out for you." The Heir allowed casually, walking back from the console table with two glasses of brandy in his hand and offering one to Karrde. "I'll leave them at Bilbringi and make sure you have their operating codes. Which would you like, Brigs or a Xebecs?"

"I'll have Xebecs." Karrde said, satisfied with the exchange; although the ships would have no upgrades and need their military past disguising, they would be newer, more reliable and considerably bigger than the freighters he'd lost. It was a fair exchange, generous in fact, and the man who offered it did so without conditions, he knew that. "Will they come with papers of ownership?"

"No, but then I doubt you had those for the ones I lost. They won't show up on any Imperial registry as missing." Luke assured, "And I think someone once told me you knew a man who could forge documents and call signs... but I could be wrong."

Karrde raised his thick eyebrows at the good-natured dig, but didn't answer, the matter settled as far as he was concerned.

His own transport, the heavily modified freighter Wild Karrde, remained in orbit about the nearby planet of Giju, a popular smuggler's safe-spot on the edge of the Tapani Sector, leading Karrde to believe the rumours that the Peerless, the Dominant and the Zephyr were in the process of making Abregado-Rae's Ruling Council very uncomfortable at the moment. A fact that seemed to put The Heir in particularly good spirits.

But then, it always seemed to Karrde that the man's mood lifted in direct proportion to the amount of time he had been away from Coruscant. He wondered briefly whether he should point this out but decided against it; observations of his personal life were never welcome, whatever his mood, and anyway the conversation had moved on, The Heir's demeanour tightening somewhat as he turned to more important business.

"Do you have access to a chemist? A reliable one."

"What kind?" Karrde asked easily, curious now.

"I need a DNA decoder - someone capable of disassembling the constituents of a tailor-made drug and synthesising at the very least an antidote and preferably an immunisation."

Karrde frowned; that kind of specialist was hardly routine. The type who could mix up recreational drugs or break them down to be shipped in their constituent parts so they wouldn't be recognised was commonplace, but decoding complex tailor-made drugs was three steps beyond anyone Karrde could think of offhand.

"I'll see what I can track, but we don't use one ourselves. What you're talking about would necessitate an extensive lab and considerable specialist equipment. The..." he almost said it; almost said ‘The Empire keep tabs on that kind of thing', but caught himself in time.

"I can provide funds to set the right individual up in the Rim System and make sure they have any equipment they need." Luke assured, knowing what Karrde was thinking, aware of what he was asking, "But they have to be very reliable and discrete."

"What would they be required to do?"

"Break down a sample of a drug I supply." Luke still didn't have a sample of the drug Palpatine used against him but, wary of giving Karrde too much information, he covered his trail a little, implying that this was for a third party. "I don't have the sample yet and I've not been given an exact date as to when it will arrive, but as soon as it does, I can turn it over."

"Species?" Karrde prompted; that kind of specialisation would probably narrow the field considerably.

"Human, as far as I know." Luke replied, taking the opportunity to further distance himself from the drug.

Karrde couldn't resist raising an eyebrow just slightly, "Playing the good samaritan or making a deal?"

"Certain concessions have been promised," Luke offered vaguely, unwilling to have a lie tied down to specifics that he may have to remember at a later date; Karrde was too sharp to let any mistake pass him by. "This is simply a gesture of good faith."

As it was, the smuggler chief considered for a few seconds before filling in the gaps with some interesting information of his own, all be it accidentally. "Would this be for a certain well-placed house named D'Arca?"

Luke's expression changed not a whit, "Why would you say that?"

Karrde shrugged, "Well they've certainly been going out of their way recently to make it known that they hold great deal of respect for the new Heir. Beladon D'Arca seems to have made it his mission to be seen to be backing you."

Which was interesting Luke reflected, since aside from a few brief words at an assortment of formal functions or in Court, he had never really spoken to the head of the high-ranking, powerful family, well placed in both the Royal Houses and the military. But he had heard his name several times recently from different sources, all saying pretty much the same thing.

"Really?" he couldn't hide the genuine interest from his voice, making Karrde frown.

"You didn't know?"

"Yes, I'm just curious as to why." Something itched in the back of his senses. Not pushing yet; not important, but there nonetheless.

"Perhaps he's just placing an each-way bet." Karrde said easily, meaning that the man was backing both Palpatine and his Heir.

"But why stick his neck out and make that public?" Luke murmured, unconvinced, "Why risk his present position?"

The smuggler shrugged to hide his surprise; this was the first time that the Heir had ever really entered into a discussion with him- actually asked his opinion. "One must speculate to accumulate. It's not enough for a family like that to be influential, they need to ensure that they maintain that power base long-term." Karrde added as a last note, with the barest hint of a pause, "So then may I assume that the D'Arca's aren't the ones with the problem?

Luke ignored the last entirely, forehead creased by a frown as he considered. "If you hear anything else, try to find what the link is between the D'Arca's and myself- the one that they're pushing publically at least."

"Do you want me to put someone on it?"

"No." Luke said slowly, still considering, "Not unless something interesting comes up. Just keep your ear to the ground."

Karrde nodded, taking a sip from the glass; so whatever game the D'Arca's were playing, The Heir wasn't personally involved- as yet. If Karrde believed him that was - which he felt he did in this instance; that had been a rare burst of genuine curiosity he'd just seen. It could have just been an act; Karrde was after all an information broker and The Heir wasn't his only client, but Karrde wasn't foolish enough to actually pass on anything said between himself and his most valued, influential client to a third party without express permission and they both knew it.

He glanced down at the glass in his hand, the taste of the Corellian brandy bringing his thoughts back to the moment; it was intensely smokey, rich and tannin-laced, like a fortified wine, "I really must remember to bring you some Ruusan brandy next time I come."

The Heir leaned back in his seat as it adjusted to conform to his relaxed pose, unoffended despite his next words, "I'm insulted; you spurn my hospitality."

"Not at all; just your brandy." Karrde left a long pause before speaking again, keeping his voice light, not looking to the Heir. "I hear you gave a shipfull of Bothans their freedom?"

The younger man glanced away, his manner instantly changing to dry and disinterested, "I'm a magnanimous man, didn't you know?"

"Actually I did - but you seem to go to such lengths to hide it normally." Karrde replied.

The Heir only smiled tightly, eyes calculating now, casual informality instantly gone. "I'm not trying to alienate the Bothan people. I was closing down a spy ring, nothing more; the fact that the group were all Bothans was incidental. I released the Attin'Cho and its crew to clarify that."

He looked meaningfully to Karrde at the last, and the Smuggler Chief knew that this information was offered with the intention that it be widely disseminated.

"I'm sure they'll be relieved to know." Karrde acknowledged; he didn't mind passing this on to a few choice people; smooth flying for his client meant smooth flying for Karrde- and that was after all, what he had dedicated his life toward.

"I have a job for you." Luke said easily, bringing Karrde's attention to the moment. "I'll need a new code; I know you like a little notice to start working one up."

Karrde frowned, surprised, "You think they've cracked the existing one? Ghent's usually better than..."

"No, they haven't." Luke assured, "But I don't intend to give them the time to try. Habits are dangerous, you know that."

Karrde put the empty glass on the table before him, voice straining as he reached forward, "Then you should definitely stop drinking Corellian brandy."

The comm set into the unit beside Luke's bed sounded very quietly, twice, jolting both Mara and Luke awake, then it cut off, falling silent again. Mara remained still, feeling Luke stir where her arm was draped about him.

When it sounded again he rose quickly from the bed and walked through to the main room without answering it, pulling a gown about himself as the door sliding shut behind him, leaving Mara to frown in the darkness. She glanced over at the chrono; it was still almost two hours before reveille.

Despite the closed door she could hear him slide open a drawer and fumble within for a few moments before he answered the comm, presumably from the comlink set into his desk in the main room, she realised.

"Yes?"

Silence followed, in which Mara realised that the drawer oppening must have been for him to retrieve an earpiece to take the call privately; obviously the on-off-on tone was a signal to do so. The question was, from whom? She frowned in the still silence, holding her breath, listening to the decidedly one-sided conversation;

"Yes... Yes. When?... Hn. No- bring them here... yes."

Silence fell again, and Mara held still, listening for some sound to indicate that he was returning...

The loud bang as he slammed the earpiece forcibly onto the desk made her jump despite herself, then he muttered something under his breath in a language she didn't know- Bocce maybe? It didn't matter; she knew a curse when she heard one.

He didn't return, remaining in the dark of the main room.

Eventually the door entry sounded, and a few moments later she heard him rise and open it. The murmured voices were too quiet to pick out, the conversation too brief to decipher the second party, then the door closed and a few moments later he returned to the bedroom, sliding back into bed and laying on his back with a long, low sigh.

"Problems?" Mara asked, as casually as she could muster.

Considering his normal reticence she didn't expect an answer, though she suspected that often he was guarded just out of habit, with nothing particular to hide.

"Nothing unexpected." he stated mechanically, gaze to the ceiling.

She rested her arm across his chest and felt his muscles tense slightly. When she looked up minutes later, he was still staring into the darkness, a million light-years away.

He shifted around for the next forty-five minutes before finally rising, more resigned to the fact that he wasn't able to sleep than because he wished to get up, Mara knew, but he pulled on a pair of sleeping trousers and disappear into the main room without a word.

She waited for a while, but when he didn't return and she heard no further noise, Mara eventually rose and dressed, padding quietly about the room; she needed to be up and away a good hour before reveille anyway, whilst the guards were still sluggish and before the shift change put more people into the corridors.

When she finally slid the door open, fastening her gunbelt as she did so, he was still sat in the dark in the heavy hide-covered chair before the viewpane, gazing out into space, elbows resting on the arms, fingers steepled before his mouth.

He remained still and mute when she approached, so Mara leaned down, hand resting against his chest just to touch his bare skin, kissing him lightly on the forehead when he still didn't move his hands or lift his face to her.

"I have to go." she murmured simply and he nodded, preoccupied.

Mara set across the still-darkened room, curious as to what had instigated his detached, withdrawn mood. She was three paces away, passing the polished expanse of his work-desk, when the glint of starlight on metal revealed why.

Thrown onto the desk were the two surveillance lenses she had installed into the 701st's docking bay, their shattered transmitters and Mara's viewer beside them. She'd left them on - damnit, when she'd chased after the unknown visitor in the 701st's hold, she'd left them active - and so traceable. Mara faltered to a stop, unsure what to say.

"Oh, don't forget those." he said casually without turning, "I'm sure you'll want to use them again."

His voice was completely even, without the slightest emotional tell, and it left Mara cold, uncertain of what he would do.

"I wasn't watching you." she said at last, though even she heard the petty distinction.

"You were watching mine, which amounts to the same thing." he stated, his cool reserve unnerving.

"I was charged with providing numbers of the 701st, that's all." Mara defended. She'd never been caught out before- not like this; by Luke.

"You could have simply asked." he said evenly, still turned away from her, the atmosphere charged.

"Could I?" Mara said, tensed slightly in reaction to his cool manner, though she felt under no threat. Rather, she felt energised- walking this close to danger, to untamed, unpredictable, raw emotion. Always daring herself to step closer still. "Fine, then here's a question; a man arrived in an Intel 420 Skipray last night. He stayed just over an hour then left- who was he?"

Which was not the direction Luke had expected this to go; he'd been livid- incensed that she'd set surveillance on his troops then have the gall to come here and lay beside him- and now, suddenly he was on the defensive, and he knew it.

Considering how and when they'd found her equipment, he knew she'd ask eventually, just not now. It was after all a surveillance sweep because Karrde's ship was in the hangar bay which had turned up the devices, simply because she'd happened to leave them active - presumably when she'd tried to get a better look at the unknown visitor. If she'd deactivated them before setting off, they would still be there, undetected.

But now she'd put him on the back foot by asking a question which he had no intention of answering; Karrde and his contacts were far too useful. Nor did he want to make a big issue out of refusing to answer, which would only draw more attention to the fact, particularly when he'd just told her to ask him such things- if for no other reason than to control the answers.

The only path left to him was to try to take her off-topic and to hide the avoidance behind a bigger statement. He shook his head, turning to look at her, having no real problem summoning a sense of restrained offence. "You're unreal, you know that? You spent hours last night spying on me - listing my every move so that you can go and report it all to Palpatine - and then what? You send your report, you walk over here and you just climb into bed with me without missing a beat."

She stared at him, eyes ablaze, wounded and outraged in the same moment.

Knowing her as he did, it was so easy now to just push her over the edge; "What's wrong Mara- didn't get enough information? Or is this just another regular surveillance job for you - long hours but at least you're not on your feet all day."

"You son of a barrig!" Mara stepped forward, hand pulling back to deliver a blow, but rather than the open-handed slap that most women would give, hers pulled into a tight fist, all the strength of her shoulder behind her arm as she roundhoused the blow forward.

He stepped up and in quickly, right hand out to block the blow, then at the very last second he brought his left hand in, grabbing at her arm and yanking her forwards and down so the blow missed, dragging her to him, using his own bodyweight to stop her as she barrelled into him.

His own outrage welled up in him, both at his own words - a provocation yes, but tinged in truth - and at Mara's reaction; indignation she had no right to adopt, to his mind. Darkness answered, as it always did, dropping his voice to a threatening whisper as he leaned closer, still holding her by the top of her arm, mouth so close to her ear that her hair fluttered as he hissed, "Come on Mara- you're faster than that."

She yanked her arm back intending to catch him a backwards blow across his chin with her elbow but he was too fast, leaning back and twisting away from her though he didn't release her arm.

"Please- you would have lied." Mara accused as she twisted her arm free, aware of the blind anger rising from his cool detachment now. "That's what you do - which is why this is what I do - why Palpatine put me here, you know that."

He loosed a feral grin, head tilted in warning, pale eyes hidden by twists of dark hair. "And you know what I do when I catch people who do this."

Mara had backed up two steps before she even realised it, his manner for the first time linking Luke and Palpatine in her head, but she stopped; made herself hold her ground as his whole demeanor changed, stance subtly aggressive.

"You think you're the exception? You think you've bought your immunity? Those aren't the rules Mara, you know that. If it's still okay for you to spy on me then I think I'm within my rights to retaliate, don't you? Business as usual, that's what you just said; Palpatine places his spies and I stop them- remove them. "

Mara turned to leave, aware that this time some line had been crossed, that this had slipped from argument to antagonism, from spirited quarrel to genuine, unpredictable danger. Luke sidestepped with her, slamming his hand against the wall to the side of Mara's head, blocking her exit.

Fixing his menacing gaze with an unimpressed glare she backstepped, but he stayed level with her and slammed his other hand to the wall behind her. Mara's fiery temper flared and she twisted lightening-fast to trap the hand in a pressure grip, bending his wrist against the natural movement. He reached out, grabbing her arm and twisting his own hand free in one smooth move.
She launched out with the heel of her free hand toward his face and he brought her arm which he still held across to bat down against the inside of her own elbow, stopping her blow before it made contact. Moves she'd taught him, strike and counter-strike, flawlessly timed.

It was a fast, controlled fight at very close quarters, no room for Mara to manoeuvre pressed against the wall, carried out in absolute silence, Luke using speed and strength against Mara's greater experience, the only noise that of skin contacting skin. The flurry of movement only stopped when Luke finally got a good enough hold on one of Mara's arms to pin it to the wall at head-height, wrist out-

Something hard pressed against Luke's stomach and looked down. Mara had drawn the holdout blaster from her hip and held it levelled at his midriff. He looked back up and she arched her eyebrows pointedly, "Back off."

Luke remained where he was, still holding her pinned. "You're going to shoot me now?" he asked levelly, and she held her resolve, chin lifting.

"Back off." She repeated, very serious.

"Do you really think you can hurt me with a gun, Mara?"

She felt a momentary flare of panicked doubt pressing in on her, blanketing her thoughts, and struggled free of it, realising that it wasn't her own, that he was placing it there. Setting her head to one side, she raised her eyebrows as she pushed the muzzle against his bare skin, sense as wild as his own now, outraged and furious and deadly serious.

"Why- you think you can dodge?" she asked dryly, " ‘Cos I think this may be a little too close, even for you."

He loomed over her, unimpressed, "I don't need to- I drained the power out."

She hesitated just a fraction of a second, "You're bluffing."

"I never bluff Red, you know that."

Mara narrowed her eyes further, trying to see through that set, neutral expression and past the hard warning in those mismatched eyes... "You bluff occasionally..."

He didn't bother to answer, just stared down at her.

Finally she cracked a fraction. "When?"

"Last night." He tilted his head just slightly, "I don't mind sleeping with a poisonous viper but I'm not about to let it bite."

Incensed, Mara had pulled the trigger before she even knew what she was doing...

The compact blaster let out an exhausted cough, insufficient gas in the chamber to ignite.

Neither of them moved for long seconds, blue eyes locked on green as the silence stretched to shatter-point...
Finally Luke let out a low sigh in the back of his throat, part amusement, part exasperation, his arm muscles bunching as he pushed away from the wall, releasing her, the moment of raw anger dispersed by the outrageous act; Luke Skywalker stepping free from the influence of Palpatine's Wolf.
"We are two of the most screwed up people I've ever met."

Mara too grinned, the burst of edgy adrenaline making her giddy, "Fortunately we found each-other. Anybody else and I think we'd have killed them by now."

He turned, unoffended, "I can't believe you pulled the trigger."

"You called me a viper!" she defended lightly.

He walked away toward the fresher, his morning routine continuing as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Mara followed, dropping her blaster on the bed as she passed, choosing not to notice the tremble in her hand.

"Do you always empty my blaster?" She knew this wasn't the case- she'd have noticed.

"No." he replied, raising his voice over the sound of the water, "I didn't last night either."

Frowning, Mara backstepped into the bedroom to pick up her blaster and turn it over to check the power- it was almost full.

She leaned on the fresher doorframe, the fine, warm mist from the water shower cloying, "How did you do that?"

"Made it misfire. With the Force."

She nodded, impressed, "Neat trick. I've never heard..." Mara paused, realising, "I knew you were bluffing!"

He shrugged, his back to her now, the water streaming off his body, "It doesn't work every time. If there's already enough gas in the chamber to ignite..."

She stared at him, amazed and disturbed that he'd let her pull the trigger when he could so easily have stopped her - why the hell hadn't he stopped her?! She shook her head slowly, murmuring to herself, "You and your stupid ‘Fate', Skywalker."

What the hell was going on in his head that had made him prepared to take that kind of gamble again and again? Another thought occurred, taking her mind away from that disturbing question as she was suddenly uncomfortably aware that she could have shot Luke Skywalker in the belly at close range...

That was how furious he could make her. Was this what normal people did in the passion of the moment- or was Skywalker right and they were both just way too screwed up?

Then again, even she tended not to actually shoot people for calling her names, and Skywalker sure as hell wasn't in the habit of letting people take potshots at him with impunity...

Was this... love? Or at least as near as they could get in their twisted, warped little world. Because she knew exploitation and she knew manipulation, and it didn't feel like this. She continued to stare at his back, at once elated and energized... and deeply disquieted.

"In or out?" he said evenly, without turning.

"What?" she asked, roused from her reverie.

"In or out - it's cold and I'm naked here."

She grinned, stepping forward into the steam-filled ‘fresher, "Well in, naturally."

Luke stood quietly before the wide viewpanes to the rear of his Ready-room aboard the Peerless, considering, eyes on the massed glow of the Koornacht Cluster. The Peerless and the Dauntless were making a close pass through the Farlax Sector and their military Shipyards on the final leg of their return journey to Coruscant. He’d stretched the Tour of Duty to just over two months and had been considering announcing spot-checks of the shipyards, more from the desire to delay his return to Coruscant than any greater purpose.

But the news he’d just received had changed everything, requiring an editing of his own plans in response, whichever way this turned out. Nathan Hallin was already with him and he was awaiting Reece’s arrival, having found a distraction for Mara, needing her gone so that he could discuss this new development immediately; if he were to act upon it, it should be now.

He sighed out his frustration at this; at being forced into these charades. Games within games; plans within plans. Perhaps his father was right; perhaps he had learned too well the lessons his Master taught - because he couldn’t quite recognise who were friends and who were foes anymore… couldn’t quite recall why that mattered.

More and more he worried at the ease with which he could step back, viewing everyone he knew as just pawns to be played, games within games within games…

Hallin’s voice interrupted his bleak thoughts, “Perhaps I’ve found a new vocation.”

“What?” Luke turned to see the slight, dark-haired medic sat comfortably in his chair, pulled up to his desk.

“What do you think- would I make a good starship Captain?” Hallin asked, voice flippant, always looking to lighten the tone.

Luke turned away again, replying only distractedly, “No. And you’re not sat at the Captain’s desk- I’m Admiral of the Fleet.”

“No?” Hallin turned, mock-offence coloring his words, “Please, don’t pull any punches on my account; say what you think.”

Luke turned back absently, “Your ship is at Coruscant and you’re asked to attend to problems in the Bajic Sector; do you take the Corellian Run, Corellian Trade Spine, the Hydian Way or the Rimma Trade Route?”

“That’s navigation- I’d have a Navigation Officer for that.” Hallin countered smartly.

“What percentage of shield failure would result in tiling of shields becoming ineffective?”

“That’s shields; I’d have a… Shield Officer or something for that.” he replied gamely.

“In pitch battle, you’re in command of five Destroyers; your second-in-command tells you that three enemy craft are forming up in the Secondary Zone to execute the Ackbar Slash manoeuvre- what are your orders?”

“Um…”

“Congratulations- you’ve just lost your Destroyer along with nine thousand Officers and twenty-seven thousand enlisted men. Probably at least one other ship as well.”

Hallin leaned back, casually rearranging the assortment of readers and automemo’s on the wide, polished desk, “See? Easy. I’m a natural.”

Luke turned away again, aware of what Nathan was doing. “Sadly I know of several Destroyer Captains with just your skill level.”

Far more than Wez Reece, Luke considered Nathan Hallin a friend rather than a co-conspirator; someone who had gotten caught up in this because of his choice of acquaintances and who remained ensnarled because he was unwilling to give those same people up, rather than for some greater or more self-serving cause.

Given that, Luke should probably feel guilty about lying to him; certainly he told Nathan the truth far more than Reece… but he still kept his options open - was that wrong?

He was saved from following that thought by a quiet knock on the door as Reece entered.

“Commander?” he prompted, glancing momentarily Nathan, realising that it was clearly something serious.

Luke didn’t prevaricate; “The Rebels have a plan underway to assassinate the Emperor.”

Reece frowned, “Viable?”

Luke set his head to one side in a near-shrug, allowing the possibility that it might be.

“Do we have details?”

“Apparently they have the Command Override Codes to the Invincible.”

Hallin’s eyes widened, “How?”

“Bothans- it was part of the original operation when they infiltrated the shipyards for the Dynamic EMP blueprints - though at this point that’s irrelevant.”

“What are they planning?”

“They were planning to use the codes to override Bridge command and take the Invincible on a unviable intercept course with Coruscant’s atmosphere during her inaugural flight when the Emperor will be onboard - break her up under the stress.”

Hallin straightened, “Wait a minute, aren’t you at that inauguration?” He paused, glancing to Reece in alarm, “Aren’t I?”

Luke shook his head, “They can’t do that now; there are too many other Ships-of-the-Line in attendance; two Super Star Destroyers and about a dozen Star Destroyers. If they’d had the Dynamic EMP’s they were intending to use them to disable all the other ships. As it is, there are at least two ships with sufficient mass to hold the Invincible back from entering the atmosphere on tractor beams, both of which have a percentage of hardened systems now that we know the rebellion gained plans of the DEMP- it’s just not a workable plan anymore.”

“They’ll scale it down.” Reece considered, “They can still take control of the ship with the codes, if they think we don’t know.”

“They intend to seal off the Bridge and blow out the viewpanes; explosive decompression.” Luke said, voice casual.

Reece considered, eyes skipping across the desk before him, “Which means you need to be off the Bridge when it happens.”

“I intend to be.” Luke said simply, turning to Nathan, “And you’ll be aboard the Peerless, along with Reece. Only Mara and I will attend.”

Hallin raised his eyebrows in surprise, “You’re taking Mara?”

“If I take no-one Palpatine will be suspicious and if I take Reece then Palpatine could easily pull the whole plot from his mind if either of us make the slightest slip. Mara doesn’t know; she’s the logical person to take.”

There was a brief silence. It was Reece who asked the question, impassive as ever; “Will she remain on the Bridge?”

Luke had turned away to look out of the viewpane and didn’t turn back to answer, the silence hanging heavy, though Hallin couldn’t tell whether that was a confirmation, uncertainty or simply a decision not to elucidate. He was always reserved about his relationship with the fiery redhead; so much so that even this would be considered an intrusion and rebuffed.

Reece, who had no interest in The Heirs dealings in this matter other than professional - in terms of its impact on Luke’s safety - moved on without further consideration, “Could the Emperor open the Blast Doors if they were locked down?”

“Yes,” Luke said at last, his back still to them, “If he knew what they were going to do then he no doubt would. If he didn’t… he may allow them to feel momentarily in control, more out of curiosity than anything else- you know how confident he is. Once he realizes, to open two of the three sets of blast-rated Bridge doors would take thirty seconds each - maybe a minute. That may be all the time they need.”

“Will the Rebels know that?”

“Probably not - which is why I’m considering telling them.”

Another shocked silence took hold, both men turning to Luke where he stood, his back still to them, gazing out at the cluster.

“You’re going to help them?” Hallin finally asked.

“I’m considering it.” Luke said. “…Opinions?”

“If it’s unsuccessful and one of them is caught alive…” Hallin said, making Luke turn just slightly.

“I wasn’t intending to comm them and say, ’Excuse me, this is The Heir; I understand you’re about to get rid of a big problem for me so I thought I could offer a few pointers…’” Luke stated, dryly. “For one thing I doubt they’d believe anything I told them, and for another, they may well begin to ask how I know what they’re doing.”

“If you’re putting information back to them through a third party then why are you worried?” Reece asked.

“Because I don’t want it to be too much of a resounding success. I want it to work, but I need to balance that with how confident it would leave them if it did.”

“Because?” Reece prompted. Luke remained initially silent, as if considering.

“Future intentions.” He said at last, then, after further consideration, “I need them to think that I’m willing to negotiate with them if I came to power- force them to make a deal with me rather than continue with their hit and fade attacks. I’m not willing to spend years chasing shadows around the Rim Systems... and they’re not going to come to the table if they’re not hungry.”

“You’re going to negotiate with them!” Shock was audible in Reece’s voice, a rarity for him. Too much so.

“No, I’m going to make them think I’ll negotiate with them.” He corrected pointedly, “And I’m wondering whether giving them aid now and revealing that it was me at a later date will enhance my credibility- bring them to the table.”

“You’d never get them to negotiate.” Hallin said at last, “They’re too wary of you.”

“Mon would have been too wary; Leia Organa might just be amenable.”

Which was why he’d been so insistent on removing Mon when he had the chance!
Suddenly threads began to pull together for Hallin, isolated incidents falling into a greater plan. “Which is why you let the smuggler go!” he said of the Corellian onboard the Fury.

“Partly,” Luke conceded, “He’s close to Organa- she listens to his opinion.”

Reece considered this fascinating glimpse of far-reaching plans; The Heir wasn't in the habit of handing out this kind of information without reason. “I doubt anybody else will be quite as open to his opinion.”

“They don’t need to be; just Organa; I’ll approach her first. When she trusts me I’ll get her to bring the Chiefs of Staff to a rendezvous - let her think that it was her idea, let her name the rendezvous and any security she requires - and I may bring along a few extra people of my own; just a Destroyer or two. It won’t eradicate them completely, but if we can remove enough of their leaders at once it may well throw them into enough turmoil that we can weaken them considerably in the ensuing months- as part of a larger plan.”

“Interesting.” Reece allowed at last, looking for flaws; it was a loose plan but then this far in advance it would be foolish to believe one could have much more and he was sure Skywalker would elaborate only when he felt it necessary- but it had possibilities if the groundwork was laid well in advance, as The Heir seemed to be doing with his usual attention to detail.

Certainly having some kind of hold over the leader of the rebellion - and The Heir clearly believed he did - was no bad thing.

“So do I help them?” Luke repeated, bringing the conversation round.

Reece brought his mind back to the present problem, “Taking into account what you’ve said, I can see your dilemma… but I still think it’s too much of a risk to get involved at this stage; there are too many variables and I think you know it.”

Luke nodded his agreement, “I’m not dismissing it completely though; now that information is available I’ll keep a close eye on developments.”

“I’m sure it will change closer to the date.” Reece agreed, “They say no battle plan survives…” he trailed off, seeing the sudden change in The Heir’s eyes-

Luke had turned back to Hallin, “The Bothans.”

Hallin frowned, “I’m sorry?”

“Bothans- you asked how they got the codes.”

Nathan’s frown increased, “You said it was irrelevant.”

“I was wrong.” Luke said quickly, conceit never a consideration, “If the Bothans who handed over the DEMPs got the information out, then Ollin’yaa surely knew.”

“And the Emperor has Ollin’yaa.” Hallin finished, of the Bothan Spy Master Luke himself had handed over following the capture of Mon Mothma.

“Which means he may already know.” Luke stated, all three men pausing to consider this.

“We need to find out.” Reece said at last, voicing Luke’s own worry; “If Palpatine already knows, then the best line of action would be to inform him of your knowledge too, without delay.”

“Except that he’ll want to know how I found out.” Luke replied, “And I’m not admitting to Argot”

“He already knows you have an informant in the rebellion headquarters.” Hallin reasoned.

Luke ran his fingers back through his unruly hair in consideration, clasping his hands at the nape of his neck. “We need to get the Rebellion to check the codes they have- if they’ve been disabled or nullified then I’ll take this to the Emperor. For now, I think the best course is to sit back and watch. Now that Argot is in the loop, I’ll be kept informed.”

Reece frowned; “It seems strange that Argot only got this information now.”

“Only Madine knew.” Luke smiled ironically; “They think they have a spy in their midst. Tag Massa has been charged with keeping a close eye on Solo.” He glanced over to Hallin as the medic straightened in realisation, “And yes; that is the other reason I keep letting him go.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Luke sat crouched down against the wall on the wide balcony which ran the length of his apartments in the Palace, the humid heat of the balmy summer day still being leached from the pale stone even this late into the evening, warm against his bare feet. His shirt was undone at the collar and cuffs, the muggy breeze ruffling through the openings without cooling him, the hot, humid air twisting his dark hair into loose curls.

He heard a noise from the double-doors beside him and didn’t need to turn to know that Hallin had walked out, pausing as he glanced about, then walking to lean companionably against the wall beside him in silence.

The heat rippling from the pale travertine tiles took Luke’s mind unstoppably back to the baking deserts of his childhood, leaving him melancholy, as he often was on his return to the Imperial Palace. Strangely, he felt more completely alone here in the Palace, surrounded by people, than at any other time.

He’d been summoned to Court again, as he had been every evening since returning to Coruscant. Another massive room of nervous deference and empty lipservice, fear and fascination in every face. Everyone jostling for position to draw close to a man they didn’t even know, lies on their lips and distrustful dread in their minds; they exuded it; like sweat. Terrified to be near someone they knew could kill with a thought, the only thing that could overcome their fear was their greed; their desire for power and position.
Didn’t they know- couldn’t they understand that he knew this of them, that they made him what they feared. He didn’t see their faces anymore, only their lies, and he felt no guilt about using or removing them; they’d do the same to him, given the slightest chance.

And Palpatine, always so amused at Luke’s distaste, always playing his own little power games among his own sea of nervous faces….

Were they so different anymore, he and his Master? The thought chilled him; set a tense knot of restless disquiet in his stomach, jaw tightening in revulsion. The heat soothed though; took him far away, and he followed it willingly.

“Do you ever wish you could go home, Hallin?” he asked quietly without looking up.

“Do you?” Hallin asked, sliding down to a crouch on the warm stone beside him.

“No…” Luke said without conviction.

They remained quiet, comfortable in each-others presence without needing to fill the silence, watching the sun slowly sink behind distant buildings, red sky settling out to velvet night.

“I guess… sometimes I wish I could go back to that person though.”

“I think you’re still more that person that you realise.” Hallin assured mildly.

To the edge of Hallin's vison, Luke glanced down in silence, uncomfortable as ever with even this small concession. But then they were seldom made to him, Hallin knew- especially here.

“You grew up on… Tatooine?” he prompted, hoping to draw Luke out- but he politely avoided, as he always did.

“Yes. You?”

Hallin glanced out over the encroaching dusk of the City Planet. “Here- but in Osin Province, close to the equator.” He smiled, picking at a pebble embedded in a crack of the pale travertine floor. “See, I like the heat too. I’m not at all taken with this whole winter thing that they have in the Capital- I think it’s highly overrated.”

Luke smiled, a gentle laugh in his voice, “Yeah, I stayed on some planet in the Hoth system for a while- wasn’t impressed.”

Hallin frowned, “Hoth System?”

“One viable planet- just. But it’s ice, too far from its sun. The surface is feet deep in snow and glaciers. I think the whole time I was there the temperature never rose above minus thirty. The novelty of snow wares off just about the same time as you step off the end of the ship’s ramp and realise just how cold minus thirty actually is.”

“How long did you stay?” Hallin asked.

“I don’t remember.” He avoided, unwilling as ever to hand out details. “Too long.”

They were silent for a while, but it was a comfortable silence on both parts, Hallin knew; he was privileged to be among the very few trusted even this far.

“Mara’s on her way.” Hallin said into the silence; the reason he’d come out.

He knew Luke liked a little time to himself before the mindgames of Court and would never normally intrude, but Luke seemed talkative tonight in an open, informal way. Which was why Hallin felt able to ask his next question- that and the fact that nobody else would.

“May I ask- do you trust her?” he turned to study The Heir as he spoke, though Luke’s eyes remained on the horizon.

“No. And neither should you.”

Hallin frowned, genuinely unsure, “Then why are you with her?”

Luke left just a single hearbeat too long; “With her?”

Nathan remained silent, neither pushing for acknowledgment nor moving the conversation along, giving Luke the time to decide whether to give a little on this one. He stared out in mute silence for so long that Hallin thought he had chosen to ignore the question.

Then he sighed, glancing down, “Because I made a mistake and now I can’t back out. She’s a liability which I have to…”

Hallin waited, but Luke didn’t finish whatever he had begun to say, so he posed another question, “Do you… care for her?”

“I’d be a fool to do that.” Luke said.

“Ah but you’d be a member of a very large club, whoever your companion was. I myself have an impressive string of bad decisions under my belt. I’m an honorary lifetime affiliate.”

Luke smiled into the growing shadows without looking at him, “I know.”

Hallin turned, but Luke didn’t offer more, eyes still on the distance, so he sighed, throwing the tiny pebble he’d dug free out before him to skitter across the pale stone. “Are we talking about the present or the past?”

“Present. The past is past.” Luke said genially.

“Maybe not completely…” Hallin ventured, keeping his voice light.

When Luke didn’t answer, he sighed again, mind brought to his present indiscretion. “It seemed like such a good idea at the time...” He grinned wickedly, “Actually it didn’t, but nature is a powerful persuader. It doesn’t care who you are or where you are or what your plans. It has its own agenda.”

Luke laughed lightly, “And a loud voice.” he agreed readily and Nathan smiled, scuffing at the floor with the toe of his impeccably-polished boot.

“I never understand why people always meet in the glasshouse,” Luke finally said of Hallin’s imminent clandestine rendezvous in one of the massive enclosed glasshouses to the rear of the Monolith roof, more properly named the Winter Gardens. Though he often accompanied Luke, Hallin’s presence in Court wasn’t actually required, and he’d intended to slip away tonight for a little encounter of his own.

“Because there’s a gap in the security grid if you must know.” He defended lightly, surprised by Luke’s specific knowledge but not minding the intrusion- because it was Luke.

“Have you ever considered that it’s there for a reason?” Luke said without turning.

“You’re telling me they’re watching the glasshouse?” Hallin asked, deadpan.

“Well it is made from glass.” Luke shrugged easily, “That should be some kind of clue.”

“You can’t see in from the outside.” Hallin argued lightly, aware that the plexiglass walls were privacy-treated, as all plexiglass was throughout the Palace. Jamming and counter-jamming devices were so prevalent in the Emperor’s paranoid little world that light-based, line-of-sight imaging was the only reliable method of watching others, and privacy-treated glass ruled that out.

“No but you can see down through the roof.” Luke pointed out easily. "Have you checked all that glass is privacy-treated?"

Able to see the treated glass walls from the outside as he walked by it, it had never occurred to Hallin to check that the roof glass was also privacy-treated; he really wasn't cut out for all this vigilant, guarded living. “So basically my private life is being passed around the Palace on datachips?” Hallin said dryly after a long, considered pause.

“No, nobody knows- yet.” Luke assured, “But you might want to rethink your safe spot….” He paused in consideration, then; “If you need somewhere to meet outside the security fields use these rooms… when I’m not here, I hasten to add.”

“Thank you,” Hallin said, surprised but strangely, not embarrassed- mostly because Luke clearly wasn’t. “This is my first clandestine affair.” He added with mock seriousness, “I’m still learning the ropes.”

“I hope that’s not literal.” Luke smiled, making Hallin do the same.

“So, what... should I leave a towel hanging over a chair in the hall?” Hallin joked lightly, “Or will you just… know?”

Luke smiled again, shaking his head as he looked down, “Don’t even go there….”

Hallin too glanced down, amused, but when he looked up his voice was genuine, “Thank you.”

Luke shook it away wordlessly.

“And I think you’re changing the subject.” Hallin added. When Luke glanced back across at him, Nathan set his head to one side, “Do you care for her?”

Luke hunched down and rubbed at his closed eyes, voice wry and self-effacing, “…..So do I get a membership card in this club, or something?”

Hallin laughed lightly, and they both fell to casual silence again, each considering their predicament.

“So you do trust her then?” Hallin reiterated at last, looking for reassurance.

Luke looked away; wouldn’t meet his eye. “No, I don’t trust her. She’ll… one day she’ll betray me, I know that - I just don’t know when.”

Hallin’s voice abruptly sharpened, “You’re sure?”

Luke looked down without replying, enough for Hallin to know he was. “Would it be completely foolish of me to ask what you’re doing with her then?”

Luke only smiled, speaking quietly and without rancour. “Oh you’re one to talk.”

“My partner isn’t trying to kill me.”

“I didn’t say she’d try to kill me.” Luke said quickly, but Hallin was too concerned to let this drop now.

“You said she’d betray you.”

Luke glanced back to the open terrace doors behind Hallin, a subtle warning to lower his tone. The medic hushed to a whisper, though as far as he was aware there was no-one in the room- Clem, the only bodyguard on duty, stood to quiet attention in the long hallway beyond. “Well then how will she betray you?”

Luke sighed, looking out over the metropolis again, hair ruffling over his eyes in the muggy breeze.

“I don’t know.” He said at last, “You seldom see specifics with future events because they’re still in flux, just… twists in the flow; feelings… flashes in the darkness which you can trace back to a person or an event. Not even that sometimes, just…”

He trailed to silence, having no way to describe the inexplicable.

“When?” Hallin pushed, still whispering, but Luke only smiled, amused.

“What would you like- a time of day?”

“How can you be so accurate on something as unimportant my love life as and so vague on something that’s possibly life-threatening?”

Luke only turned, amusement in those mismatched eyes at his friend’s close concern, “Maybe it’s impenetrable for a reason.”

“What does that mean?” Hallin asked, then ducked down slightly, realising how loud he’d spoken.

Luke shrugged, setting his head to one side, “Some things you can’t see for a reason.”

“Now you’re just being obscure.” Hallin accused, frustration borne out of his sense of protection, Luke knew.

“Some things aren’t meant to be changed.” Luke clarified. He hesitated a long time, considering, “I once knew a Jedi Master who said that the will of the Force is like the flow of a river; we may change its course from time to time, but it still travels to the sea.”

“Very deep. I thought that the Sith had a handle on that kind of thing.”

“Maybe not as much as they think.” Luke said, making Hallin frown; he always said ‘they’; never ‘we’.

Hallin considered momentarily, pulling his mind back to the moment. “Perhaps Reece should be aware…”

“No.” Luke paused, clearly searching for the right words without wishing to offend, “I trust Reece absolutely in matters of policy. But… I feel he may be a touch less forgiving and a tad more… direct in his view of how to deal with Mara. You-” Luke paused, turning to Nathan, wry expression very open and artless and persuasive, “…I know I can trust a fellow ‘club member’ to give me the benefit of the doubt in dealing with my own… lapses.”

“Am I so predictable?” Hallin smiled, amused at the realisation.

“Only to me.” Luke said easily, “And speaking of problems, ours have arrived. And I’m not dressed for Court yet.”

He pushed up and set off, walking barefoot past the run of open doors to enter the furthest, which led to his bedroom, disappearing behind the reflective, high security privacy panes of the tall plexiglass doors.

Hallin re-entered the nearest, stepping into the drawing room, surprised that there was still no-one there. Frowning, he set off out through the dining room, pausing to turn to Clem, “Are Commander Jade and Commander Reece back yet?”

The tall, broad security officer glanced to the small reader on his wrist, lifting his sleeve to do so, “Reece stopped at the Staff Office… Commander Jade is in the apartments…”

Hallin turned away and headed out with a nod, intending to go to the staff complex just inside the door to the sprawling Perlemian apartments, wondering idly just how far the corridors and hallways would stretch if he measured them all one day. The massive residence covered a complete floor of the West Tower, each of the thirty or so palatial rooms easily equalling the floorspace of a complete home- and that was the kind Hallin was used to, which was hardly underprivileged.

Learning the names of all the rooms was bad enough, never mind the layout; the Malak Gallery, the Ebony Study, the Marble Hall, the Cupola with its massive stained glass dome, backlit to appear like a skylight, the light changing to match the time of day outside. Luke actually used less than a quarter of the rooms, mostly the smaller ones… though ‘smaller’ was a relative term; even they were each close to the size of Hallin’s complete apartment, which had itself seemed huge when the medic had first arrived.
As everyone did, though no-one admitted to it, Hallin cut through Luke’s private office to avoid the long trail through the central cupola of the extensive apartment.

Walking in from the doors at the opposite wall of the sizeable office, obviously using the same shortcut, was Mara Jade.

She glanced to him, nodding and rolling her eyes at having been caught out using this common shortcut. Unable to stop himself, everything that had just been said fresh in his mind, Hallin glowered, coming to a halt.

Mara walked calmly past… then slowed to a halt at the realisation of his glare; after a very rocky start they’d settled into a polite routine, but in the last few months that had seemed to slowly change and she had no idea as to why. As direct as ever though, realizing they were alone and in a room wich Luke routinely moved all surveillance from, she decided to find out.

“Do you have some kind of problem with me, Hallin?” she asked abruptly without turning back, hoping to knock him off-guard.

His eyes narrowed just slightly, though his voice remained very polite, accustomed as he was to the word-games here. “I hate to disappoint you Commander, but I really haven’t given it that much thought.

Despite his civilized tone, Mara was speechless at his audacity considering their relative rank. “I think you should say what you have to say,” She invited curtly.

To say anything would be a mistake, Hallin knew; it was precisely the wrong thing to do.

But Jade turned slowly toward him, green eyes ablaze, and remembering Luke's recent admission Hallin couldn’t hold back, feeling in some way responsible for the present situation; hadn’t he asked that she be reinstated after her failure to protect Luke from the assassination attempt? She could have been long gone by now; a distant memory. This was his mistake- he’d kept her here… it was his decision Luke was having to deal with now.

“I'm watching you.” He said simply.

Mara frowned, “Watching me what?”

Hallin tilted his head to one side, his eyes hard, expression caustic.

Mara remained, unfazed, “Seriously, Hallin- what do you think I’m going to do? Go Ahead?”

“Please,” Hallin said dryly, “You think this gives you some hold over him?”

Mara was shocked at Hallin’s implied knowledge. Did he know; had Luke confided in him? He’d always known her interest in Luke; had seemed quite indulgent of it in the past- kindred spirits, it always seemed- so what had changed?

“I’m not looking for any hold over him.”

“Liar.”

Mara shook her head; “Has it ever occurred to you that I may actually care about him?”

Hallin half-smiled, tone still polite and gracious even if his words were not, “How very generous of you. You put him in direct conflict with the Emperor’s wishes, knowing what will happen if he finds out… on the off-chance that you may care for him.”

Apparently the gloves were off. Now it was Mara’s turn to scorn, “Don’t get high-handed with me- I know what you’re really thinking.”

“I am serving the best interests of my friend. What’s your justification?”

“I don’t need to justify anything to you.”

Hallin played his ace, “And the Emperor?”

Mara’s heart skipped a beat at the implied threat - but she recovered impressively, “Don’t even try to pull that one, because I know you wouldn’t do that to Luke.”

The medic said nothing but she could see mistrust boiling behind that cultured, polished manner. He could so easily stop this situation before it had a chance to develop. If she was to continue meeting Luke, then the fact was that she needed Hallin’s trust. Mara took a step forward, consciously taking the sting from her voice, “I'd never hurt him, Nathan - you know that.”

There was the slightest of pauses, though his cool expression softened not a whit. “Then leave.”

“What?”

“Leave. If you want to help him - to protect him - leave. Request another assignment.”

Mara shook her head, “I can’t do that.”

“Ah!... I see.” He feigned polite realisation, “You claim genuine concern but when you’re asked to relinquish, suddenly it’s no longer convenient.”

Mara could only shake her head, “I don’t know what you think I’m doing, but I promise you I have no intention of ever hurting him.”

“You already are.”

Mara cracked just slightly beneath the utter conviction in his voice. “You’re wrong.”

“No, Commander; I’m not wrong. You’ll destroy him… and deep down I think you know it - because he does.”

Mara twitched, disturbed by his words; even more so by the subtle revelation of their source, having no comeback to that. He turned slowly away, eyes delivering one last warning, and walked from the room. She could only watch him leave, lost in a cloud of uncertainty.

The door had slid quietly closed at the far side of the room before Mara spoke again, very quietly, “You’re wrong.”

Hallin had taken several paces past the turn in the corridor before he allowed his composure to slip just slightly, his step faltering though he kept walking, aware that he was in sight of the surveillance lenses now.

Was she telling the truth - did she really care? And did it matter anyway, given Luke’s prediction.

What Hallin did know was that Jade was Palpatine’s agent; his informer. She was, by definition, Luke’s sworn enemy. Whatever else she thought she felt, her true loyalties were clear; she reported to the Emperor every few days, like clockwork. That was her job; it was why she was here. She had informed on Luke’s actions in the past, knowing what the severe consequences would be, and yet she claimed that she would never hurt him… how could he believe that she would do any differently now?

Given Luke’s admissionn it was surely more likely that she was lying, manipulating him to some pre-arranged plan. And even if she wasn’t, there was still a dangerous truth to Hallin’s words; she was playing with fire- and she was persuading Luke to do the same.

Unsettled, Mara made a conscious effort to avoid being alone with Hallin over the coming weeks. His wary enmity didn’t seem to wane but she grew used to it; it was after all, just one more obstacle in a whole galaxy of them, and hardly her greatest problem when she and Luke were here at the Palace.

Still, his words had bitten deep- deep enough to make her wonder again at her split loyalties; or were they that at all? She had after all never hidden from Luke the fact that her allegiance lay with the Emperor. The time they spent together was completely separate to that in her mind; a self-contained reality which required no closer scrutiny.

Certainly Luke seemed to consider it the same. Aside from that single, explosive argument onboard the Peerless, by some unspoken pact neither ever mentioned anything of the real world or its demands when they were together. Nothing ever encroached, the realities of their situation never mentioned, either in terms of their reckless liaisons or their split loyalties. Ignorance was bliss, and in the absence of any opposing allusions from Luke, it was all too easy to persuade herself that the loyalties of the man whom she now regarded as very much a kindred spirit would be no different to her own.

Yes, Luke argued and challenged and occasionally even squared off against the Emperor, but he was still here, and even though Palpatine was a master of manipulation, Luke was one of the most obstinate, wilful, intractable people she had ever met, and if he didn’t want to be here he would be long gone. Something was holding him here.

The weeks went by excruciatingly slowly when she was here in the Palace now, her mind always drifting back to the relative freedom they enjoyed when safely away aboard the Peerless. Here, there was no closeness save in stolen glances and momentary contact hidden beneath accidental touches as they passed each-other or walked side by side.

But she knew that soon they’d be gone again. The Invincible’s launch, the reason they were here, was imminent now. Just two weeks and they’d be free again, taking the new Super Star Destroyer on its shakedown voyage to the shipyards in the Farlax Sector, weeks, perhaps even months of refinement requiring an extended stay free of the stifling surveillance on Coruscant.

So now Mara was counting down the days, wondering if Luke was doing the same. She studied him now as he worked at the table in his drawing room, a number of readers and datachips scattered across it. The table was before the long bank of plexiglass doors which led out onto the balcony, the long spell of muggy weather which Coruscant always endured in the summer making Mara uncomfortable though it never seemed to bother Luke- in fact he seemed to enjoy it, opening all doors and windows to the heat, rendering the air conditioning useless.

Mara was sitting to the rear of the huge room, where it still held some sway, when Reece knocked quietly at the quarter-open door, eyes discreetly down as he entered from the dining room beyond, prompting Mara to wonder if he suspected too - that could be dangerous; he was an agent here reporting to Saté Pestage and therefore the Emperor, just as she was.

“Excuse me, Sir- Lord Vader is in the antechamber to the Stateroom; he… insists an audience.”

Luke was already rising as Reece entered, turning off his automemo in preparation, Mara realized, “Did you know he was here?”

He didn’t reply, turning instead to Reece, “Thank-you Wez. I’ll see him in here.”

Reece bowed his head as he retreated, the heavy double-doors sliding silently shut on their smooth mechanism.

“Luke- did you know he was here?” Mara repeated.

“Yes,” he said without elucidating.

“Why are you seeing him here?” There were any number of dedicated receiving rooms in his extensive apartments, ranging from the luxurious and welcoming to the cavernous and stately- why would he let Vader of all people into his private rooms?

He turned to her without speaking, the inference clear, but Reece re-entered the room, curtailing further argument on either side, Vader only a step behind him.

“Lord Vader, Sir.” Reece announced formally, before bowing and backstepping a neat retreat from the room at a nod from Luke.

Luke remained silent before the hulking form of Darth Vader, as unintimidated as he had always been. When Vader didn’t speak, he finally sighed and looked away, as if boring already of an old game, “You have something you wish to say, Lord Vader.”

Mara had never in all the time she had been with Luke heard him refer to his father by anything other than his title. Even in private like this, distance was always maintained between them.

Vader remained silent, turning slowly to Mara, who lifted her own chin in defiance; whatever frustrations she felt against Luke were instantly lost beneath her protective instinct for him now, automatically closing ranks before an outside threat.

“Mara?” Luke invited without turning, and she let out a sigh of her own before rising to leave, pausing to turn and bow at the door, holding Luke's eye a moment too long, expression questioning. He nodded imperceptibly and she backstepped, the doors sliding shut before her.

Both men remained silent for long moments, waiting…

Finally, feeling the need to break the silence, Vader spoke, “I came to deliver the final breakdown of the Fleet which will attend the launch of the Invincible.”

“Could you not send this by courier?” Luke asked distantly, eyes still on the door.

“No- the information is restricted at the Emperor’s command.” Vader replied easily, also waiting, filling the gap with mindless words.

“I see. How many Destroyers?”

“Fourteen, excluding the Executor. They will arrive over the next eight days and take up positions about the Polar South Deep Orbit Station…”

Finally Luke turned from the door to look at his father, both men relaxing just slightly. “You’ve picked them carefully?” His manner changed abruptly as he stepped forward, voice lowering, tone relaxing now that he was sure that Mara had left the adjacent room.

“Yes. Two are already loyal, ten could potentially be persuaded and two are faithful to the Emperor, to belay any suspicion.”

Vader had already arranged with his son to begin reassignment of loyal and potentially loyal military supporters, and the pomp and ceremony that accompanied the launch of a new Flagship would enable him to briefly recall many high-ranking officers whom Luke seldom had the opportunity to meet in the Core Systems.

The Invincible’s inaugural celebration would be held on the night of the launch in the State Ballroom, a massive venue in which, with a little carefully-laid interference, would enable Luke to make subtle personal petitions and form the foundations of alliances in return for certain guarantees.

It would be difficult to achieve under the noses of Palpatine’s spies and the Emperor himself, but the boy had proved surprisingly adept, forming alliances and collaborations in a way which Vader never could, his forthright but not overbearing command style making him popular among the military, seeming approachable and trustworthy even in this.

Now he nodded, taking the small datachip Vader proffered and loading it into a reader on the table, attention centred on memorising names and images as they appeared. He expressed no trepidation at the thought of the task presented to him, simply concentrating, learning names, briefly discussing strategies based on the information provided, throwing out considered snippets as to the individual person’s family or background which would have to be taken into account.

He had become so completely naturalised to this environment now, Vader noted, the fact that this would be a reception of hundreds of the galaxy’s leading figures in the ostentatious grandeur and outrageous, extravagant excess of the mirror-lined gallery and the cavernous State Ballroom of less relevance than the knowledge that within the mirrors and the crowds, many ears would be listening and few of them innocently.

Luke narrowed his eyes, voicing the opinion that he shouldn't mention Captain Dorrin’s potential involvement to Captain Lain, the two Star Destroyer Captains maintaining long-standing enmity due to their respective Family Houses, situated on two planets within the Stenness Node and held from all-out war only by the presence of the Empire within their system, citing a constant undercurrent of bickering and rivalries between the two Houses within Court.

Vader nodded silent agreement in this and other points, aware for the first time how much the Emperor had been quietly grooming the boy for Command- forcing him to deal with constant obstructions and hindrances; to look for other means, other methods and manoeuvres. To learn all these subtle ploys and traps simply so that he could avoid or dismiss them- but to learn them all the same, now equally at home with both the driving ambitions and broad powerplays of the military elite or the elaborate scheming and subtle, petty machinations of Court, where Vader had always been uneasy.

When Luke was satisfied that he had a working knowledge of the information, he flicked slowly through the images one last time, then blanked datachip’s memory, returning it to his father.

“We should bring this to a close; you’ve been here some time.”

He chose not to mention the planned attack on the Invincible to his father, seeing no specific benefit in doing so. Firstly because he knew his father would automatically resent allowing the Rebels to make this attempt on Imperial sovereignty and Luke didn’t particularly want to be placed in a situation in which he was forced to defend the Rebellion as a consequence of that, knowing that his father would believe Luke’s loyalties to be split, and secondly because he didn’t need his father’s aid or input in this. Vader would have his own view and it would be strongly held and much as he wanted to, Luke didn't believe his father could be trusted not to take this to Palpatine simply to head off Luke's interaction with the Rebels.

Beside, his decision was made even if, as in this case, it was simply that the best course of action was to wait and see; this was a rare occasion when it was more advantageous to be reactive than proactive.

Vader held his son’s eye momentarily, aware that there was something more but believing it simply his anticipation of the task in hand, then nodded, taking the blank chip and concealing it in the folds of his clothes, reaching out beyond the room with the Force-

“She is growing suspicious.” He said, voice very sure- but then it always was.

“Only of this, today.”

Vader sighed, and Luke braced himself, waiting for the criticism which, despite everything, he had known would come. It was dispensed in an unexpected form; “A short recording came into my hands a month ago from a dealer on Bilbringi. I bought and destroyed it.”

Luke remained silent, eyes wary, hardly noticing the rasping breath of the life-support that his father wore anymore, so familiar-a sound had it become. Vader continued after a long pause, sure that he had the boy’s attention now. “It showed you stepping off from the edge of the balcony behind you. Mara Jade caught you.”

Luke considered a long time, eyes down, and Vader was left to wonder if he was deciding whether to tell the truth or whether to tell him anything at all.

“I was testing a theory.” Luke allowed at last without meeting his father’s featureless gaze.

Vader set his head to one side, “That being?” he prompted, when the boy offered nothing more.

Luke shrugged casually, “Just a theory.” he avoided.

“With Jade, apparently.” Vader growled, his distaste evident.

His son looked up at this, a warning flashing momentarily in his mismatched eyes, then he turned away to the tall windows to watch the darkening, storm-heavy sky.

Vader remained still, frustrated as much at his own stubbornness as his son’s- so when the boy spoke his words were surprising.

“Say it.” Luke finally invited, knowing this was something his father wished to address.

“You will do as you wish regardless.” Vader said, very sure.

“Yes.” Luke replied, half-turning back to his father, “But I’ll take what you have to say under advisement.”

“She is dangerous.” Vader didn’t hesitate- he seldom did anyway and in this he was very sure; “She will always remain loyal to the Emperor and cannot be trusted… theoretical tests aside.”

Luke tilted his head slightly in acknowledgement, “I know – and I wasn’t testing that.”

He offered nothing more as he turned back to the brewing storm.

Vader tried a different tack, “Palpatine is using her to control you.”

“I know that too.” his son replied, “I’m not blind.”

“But you are allowing it.” Vader warned; it was tantamount to the same thing- worse, because the boy allowed it knowingly; willingly.

Luke folded his arms, but when he spoke, his tone remained open, “Give me an option- a viable one.”

Vader didn’t hesitate, “Remove her.”

“And then what?”

Wasn’t that obvious? “That problem will also be removed.”

Luke turned, tone and sense resolute. “Then she’ll be replaced and I’ll have to learn the operating procedures of another ‘watcher’. Discover a whole new set of strengths and weaknesses and habits- four years of familiarity and knowledge wasted. No- better the devil you know.”

“You’re allowing her too close.” Vader maintained.

His son shrugged, “I can control her. She believes she’s close and she passes that confidence on to Palpatine.”

“You think you can control her,” Vader corrected, “You have no proof. She will always be loyal to the Emperor.”

“I know. But whilst she’s close to me I can control exactly what information she is and isn’t party to so I know exactly what information she’s passing on to the Emperor- what he’s reacting to and why. He trusts her implicitly- which is a weakness on his part.”

“And you?” Vader asked

“I don’t trust her at all.” Luke said, wondering how much his father really knew and how much was his own guilty conscience.

“That is not what I asked.”

Luke turned to his father, wary. Because no matter what he said out loud, if Vader thought Luke and Mara were too close, he feared he'd find some way to remove her. “She’s not a weakness because I won’t allow her to be. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“See that you don’t.” Vader charged, tone little short of a command.

Luke’s eyes narrowed at that, offended as much on Mara' behalf as his own, “Don’t order me.”

“Don’t leave yourself open to criticism.” Vader reproached.

“You of all people should think carefully before saying that.”

The words had left his mouth before he’d even considered them, goaded by his father’s self-righteous tone. Even now, knowing the damage they’d done, Luke couldn’t back down because he knew his father too well to think that his silence now constituted any kind of agreement. “And just to be clear- if something were to happen to Mara Jade, all deals would be off the table- understand that.”

It was, Luke knew, an admission of at least partial vulnerability on his part, but it had to be said otherwise his father would move against her based solely on what had already been said. “Mara jade isn’t your concern.”

“No- but you are.” His father parried without hesitation.

Was it a manipulation or was it real? His father remained a closed book to Luke, his true intent hidden. He wanted to believe that Vader's words were were spoken out of genuine concern, but he knew him too well; it was at least partly a protection of his investment. Vader still believed absolutely that he knew what was best for Luke, and in typical heavy-handed fashion, would do whatever he conceived of as necessary to keep his son, and therefore his investment, on track. There was no contradiction; they were one and the same to him.

Luke turned away, uneasy, never knowing quite how to react to such asides from his father. “I can look after myself."

"You'll forgive me," his father said dryly, "If I don't take that under advisement."

Mara stepped out to watch Vader pass on hearing his heavy footfalls in the corridor beyond the heavy double-doors of Luke's day office. He glanced once to her in obvious distaste, but didn't pause, a flurry of dark robes against the bone-white travertine tiles of the long corridor. Although it shared part of a wall with his private drawing room, Mara had been able to hear nothing from the day-office save the rise and fall of their voices as they spoke, the deeply-plastered half-curve at the adjoining wall insulating the noise.

It wasn’t in her remit to watch Vader, but Luke’s position within the Emperor’s elite was more stable and trusted than ever before, and she didn’t want Vader to endanger that with his own petty schemes. She’d been tempted to put a trembler on the wall to see if it clarified anything, but some tiny fragment of faded morals left her reluctant to resort to such tactics with Luke anymore, despite burning curiosity and professional concern.

Luke’s strained relationship with his father was something the Emperor relied heavily on to maintain the manageable status-quo between his two acolytes and therefore his own security. It always had to be maintained, he had made that quite clear. The slightest relaxing of enmity invoked the most serious measures in response, always aimed at Luke- unfairly in Mara’s mind; but then she’d long ago learned that life was seldom fair. Luke's willingness to flaunt that fact at his own expense was a more recent but equally disturbing discovery, firing protective instincts and outrageous frustration in equal measure.

When she returned to Luke, he was stood close to the tall plexiglass doors, arms wrapped about himself, watching the distant storm as lightening forking over the city’s horizon, briefly lighting the dark, low clouds whilst thunder rumbled ever closer, charging the humid air.

Mara walked silently up beside him, reaching out to close the open doors to the balcony.

“No leave them open.” Luke said quietly, lost in thought.

“Why?”

“I want to hear the storm.” he murmured, distant and distracted. “It’s always the same sound on every planet- no matter what the colour of the sky or what landscape below- have you noticed that?”

She frowned, glancing out at the rolling clouds, a sheet of rain visible rolling over the city now, sweeping toward the Palace. Lightening forked again, closer, making Mara flinch, “You should step back.”

“Why?”

“There’s a chance you can get hit by the lightening.”

He turned away, dismissive, head on one side as his eyes remained on the closing storm, the sky overhead dark now, the thunder a constant bass rumble vibrating through her chest.

“I like the storm.” He said at last, still withdrawn and contemplative, “We used to have them on Tatooine.”

A massive rumble split the sky, making him smile as two forks of lightening came down in perfect unison.

Mara stepped back, curious. “Rainstorms?”

“Once every five or six years. You could feel it building for weeks before- like a charge in the air. Then the storm would just… explode overhead and the skies would open. Raindrops so big you could hold out your hand and five or ten drops would fill your palm. You could drink water from the sky, still stood in the desert.”

Mara was transfixed by the intensity of the memory he recounted, his words barely a whisper. “I didn’t know.”

He nodded, looking up as the lightening forked again, grinning into the fury of the storm, “Maybe four or five hours, that’s all. But it was just… unbelievable - a solid sheet of water. Sometimes, if it’d been really hot beforehand and the stone was warm, you could hear the canyon walls pop and crack in the deluge. You’d see huge chunks shear off the rock face…”

“It must have been amazing.”

“It was nature in the raw- incredible. There was water everywhere - so much that it pooled on the ground in places; if you went up to the stone rifts, it would actually sit on the surface of the ground… it changed the shape of the dunes- bluffs that had been there for months were gone overnight, beaten away to nothing in a matter of hours. Then by the next morning the Piri were out.”

“Piri?” Another grating rumble vibrated through the room, slicing the air, incredible in its power.

“They’re little blue flowers- tiny. They come out only when the rain comes, for just a day or so, then they’re gone. Bright, azure blue. At dawn, there’d be a mist over the dunes, like low cloud, then when it burned off the piri were there- millions of them. Your whole world is changed - everything you know so well is carpeted with this incredible rush of colour and all the dust and the grit is gone. There’s a place close to where I used to live called the Dune Sea. Offworlders and people who don’t know the desert think it’s because of the sand dunes, but it’s because once every five years, when the rains come, it’s filled with the densest mat of piri and it looks… it looks just like a deep blue sea. The piri-covered dunes look like an ocean and everything’s moving, rolling in the wind, like ocean waves. Just for a day, there’s a sea in the desert.”

She studied him, enthralled; watched his face lifted to the fury of the storm and wondered whether the incredible piri could ever compare to the blue of his eyes…

He still held his arms wrapped about him, the rising wind whipping his hair up, tousling it. “Sandpeople - Tusken Raiders - they judge their age by how many times they’ve seen the storms.”

The first drops of rain began to fall on the dry, pale stone of the balcony, leaving large, dark roundels where it hit. Luke glanced down, watching them multiply until they began to merge, “I wonder if my father ever saw it.”

My father... Mara frowned; “Was he… did he grow up there?”

“Yes. His mother’s grave was just outside the farmstead I grew up on.” Luke answered her unspoken question before it had formed in her thoughts, for once allowing some small part of his past to be seen- more than she had ever known before. “I thought he was a navigator on a freighter. They told me he was long dead.”

Mara felt her heart crumple at the raw emotion which he tried so hard to hide behind that casual, distant tone, his eyes still on the sheeting rain, the skies rumbling ominously.

“Is there… nothing to salvage between you?” She knew this wasn’t what the Emperor wanted, but the veiled pain in his voice made her ask anyway - how could she not?

He leaned back against the door frame, eyes lowered. “I don’t know. How could I trust him- ever?”

“Is trust necessary?” she pushed.

He shook his head, remaining silent for a long time. It was the most vulnerable she had ever seen him, torn by doubts and desires.

“I thought I wanted to kill him. When I first… when I saw him again after… after Palpatine.” He shook his head, the sky beyond the window lighting up momentarily about him, the storm directly overhead, “I had lost everything and it was his fault. He could have helped me… so many times he could have helped me… and I couldn’t understand why he didn’t. I should have- I knew by then what Palpatine could do, how he could twist everything to suit himself. How he could warp your mind and tie you down. But I thought everything was Vader’s fault- all I knew was that I wanted revenge. I wanted to show him that I wasn’t weak and couldn’t be used by him again. Wouldn’t be.”

The rain was torrential now, almost drowning out his quiet words, the chill which trickled over Mara’s skin part reaction to the storm and part empathy for her lover.

“I thought I wanted to kill him- I was so sure.”

“But Palpatine stopped you.” The rain suddenly thinned to nothing as she spoke, the skies stilling as the eye of the storm passed overhead, the air electric.

“No, Palpatine didn’t stop me. I went in there intending to kill him despite Palpatine’s order. Nothing he said- nothing- made the slightest difference in that moment.”

Mara blinked. “Then…?”

“I didn’t kill him because….. I couldn’t. In that moment, when I had the power, when I held the saber up…” Luke shook his head, sliding slowly down against the edge of the doorframe until he hunched in a huddled crouch, arms wrapped about himself, lost in the memory. “I couldn’t kill him. I couldn’t kill my own father - how could I? No matter what, how could I?”

Mara’s stomach constricted at that; at the incredible, far-reaching implications. Palpatine had hung his control of Luke on the fact that he had broken that link between father and son. On the fact that he held the power to constrain and contain Skywalker even in the heat of battle, even when his fallen Jedi wanted- needed to kill…

But this… this meant he had nowhere near the control he believed over Skywalker.

This meant everything he’d built after that point had been based on a lie!

A massive crash of thunder ripped the sky open, rain pouring in a solid curtain again, Mara’s world, her life, everything turned upside down by this one admission.

Every fibre of her being told her to run - run to her master and tell him the truth; that Skywalker was a threat, a danger.

The lightening flashed, blinding, and just for a moment… for that instant, Mara saw in the hunched, dark-clothed figure silhouetted against the roiling sky something wild and portentous, a momentary image from a vision long ago when the Rebel pilot had first been imprisoned in the Palace; when he had first flexed his mental muscles and thrown the Force against the reinforced, monofibre-threaded windows, shattering them to a thousand crazed shards. She remembered the wolf from her vision, hunched and brooding, sitting out the storm, waiting his chance…

But something else pulled at her heart and her soul now and held her to a torn, indecisive stillness. How could she - how could she betray him?

Yes, he was a wolf… but he was her wolf. He was wild and unpredictable and capricious but he was hers…

He turned, hair whipping about his face as the warm wind drove the storm past overhead, the rain trailing to drizzle now, distant shafts of brilliant sunlight lancing through the darkness.

“Mara?” he asked, uncertain, sensing the change in her, as sudden as the storm.

She stared at him for long seconds, not even a breath disturbing the stifling, storm-heavy stillness…

Then she smiled, stepping forward, and he stood to wrap his arms about her, blanketing all those fractured doubts and loyalties, Mara allowing the warmth of his close body to push them from her mind.

“Storm’s over.” she murmured, as the first bright breaks in the cloud reached the gardens far below.

He only frowned, uneasy. “There’ll be others.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The day of the inaugural flight was warm and close, Luke rising early, having last minute arrangements to make. He had travelled up to the Peerless every morning for the last three days, ostensibly to finalise details for the Invincible’s arrival, intending to make it a routine so that when he did so this morning, it wouldn’t seem out of place.

Reece met him at the landing platform, Hallin having been left onboard the Peerless two days earlier on the pretext of packing his personal equipment in the medicentre there in preparation for his move to the Invincible with the rest of The Heir’s Command Crew, all of whom would be making the move with him- if he couldn’t rely on the ship, then Luke intended to at least be able to trust those around him.

Reece was to remain on the Peerless today, to oversee details of the changeover of Command, Luke leaving word for Mara that he would return to Coruscant by mid-morning as he had done the last few days.

When he arrived back at the Palace, the Lambda shuttle to take him up to the Invincible was already waiting, Mara stood a short distance away, hand shading her eyes from the midday sun.

Luke remained quiet on the shuttle, aware of Mara’s eyes on him but not acknowledging her, mind elsewhere; on the Invincible, on the planned attack - he knew how many there would be onboard but not where, and he knew they were heading for the lower Ops room which served as Bridge backup in the event of system failures.

Should he help them- clear the way a little, thin the number of guards? No; if they didn’t succeed then there would be an enquiry and he needed to remain completely untouchable.

“Luke!” Mara said sharply, her tone that of someone who was repeating themselves.

“Hm?”

Mara leaned in so that her hushed whisper could be heard by him without being overheard by the pilots in the cockpit to the front of the shuttle, no privacy even here. “What's wrong with you today? Your head’s on the other side of the galaxy- it has been since you got in this shuttle.”

“I just don’t like these things Mara- you know that.” Uncomfortable that she could read him so well now he looked away, attention drawn back to the impressive hulk of the Invincible, ignoring Mara’s intent look.

“You know, you used to smile so much when you first came here.” she said.

Luke frowned, turning. “What?”

“You used to smile. Even though you had nothing to smile about you used to do it anyway. I always remember that; you used to talk and laugh and joke and tease. You used to call me Red - remember? I was always amazed at your… tenacity. Your refusal to be intimidated, to be hushed by that massive, overbearing Palace. Everybody goes around whispering there; it makes people feel small.”

He glanced away uneasily, “It’s only stones and mortar.”

“But you don’t smile anymore.” Mara continued. “You don’t laugh. I loved your laugh; it had heart. No side; no deceit or pretence, just…”

She shook her head, more disillusioned than frustrated.

Luke watched her impassively for several seconds then turned away, trying to bring his concentration back to the imminent attack, but the disruption was lodged now and he couldn’t ignore it - or, for some reason, the disappoint in Mara’s voice.

“I laugh.” he said at last, very quietly.

“When?”

“Every time you try to do an infinity loop with a lightsaber for one,” he said lightly, his voice just loud enough for her to hear, leaning in slightly as if to nudge her with his shoulder though the space between the wide, heavily-upholstered seats they sat side by side in prevented it.

“Thanks.” She said wryly, rolling her eyes, but he could sense her mood lighten a little.

They remained silent for a while, Mara’s head lowered again, lost in her own thoughts now.

Eventually Luke’s hand, resting on the armrest beside hers, reached across just slightly, his little finger entwining around hers, lifting her head in surprise, her eyes going first to the pilots in the open cockpit in front of them and then to Luke, taken aback. Even this tiny act of intimacy was an incredible risk in public, and the fact that he had initiated it rolled through her like a warm breeze, melting all her doubts, completely beguiling her. How could he do that?

He held her eyes for long seconds, then turned to look forward to the cockpit of the shuttle and the two pilots there to check that they weren’t being watched. But he kept his hand resting against hers, fingers gently entwined, aware of her eyes on him, of the change in her sense, like a cloud passing.

“Invincible…” Luke said at last, breaking the long silence, his eyes on the looming hulk of the massive Super Star Destroyer. “Bit of a contentious name.”

Mara finally turned, glancing to the pilots, quickly pulling her wits about her, realising his words were for them. “You know Palpatine. He’s always has a taste for the theatrical.”

“Still…” He was aware of her finger trailing delicately against his, the act both playful and intensely alluring.

“Your old one isn’t too bad.” She said neutrally, eyes ahead.

“Peerless?” Luke paused without thought, attention focused on her hand against his own, eyes on the pilots. “No, I suppose not. Quite mild, really, by Imperial standards. Pity I can’t keep the name.”

“Maybe you should ask him if you can name the next one- he seems intent on giving them all to you anyway.” Mara said, dryly flirtatious, eyes on the new Destroyer, which loomed so large now as to fill the viewscreen.

He smiled just slightly, the action pulling at the long scar down his face, the act incredibly appealing to Mara; she had never disliked the scar - remembered intensely the feel of it against her lips.

“Maybe the… ‘Hissy Fit’.” he said in mocking tones, “Or the ‘Little Tantrum’.”

She laughed lightly, “Very funny.”

“Or how about the, ‘Don’t Worry about it- I’ll Let You off with a Warning this Time’. Too long?”

“Well I can’t see it striking fear into the heart of beings everywhere.” She said, eyes remaining on the scar through his lips, longing to touch it.

“No, that would have to be the ‘Mara Jade on an Off Day’.”

“Thanks.”

He squeezed her hand in reassurance and she smiled again, looking forward, though her full attention remained focused on him, and she knew he would know that.

They remained silent, fingers trailing against each-others, light as a shiver yet utterly enthralling.

“I don’t think you’d even need anybody on that one… except you of course. Maybe I should suggest it to the Emperor.”

“I think Palpatine may be looking for a few more security crew.” Mara joked in kind, “You should see the amount of plain-clothes troopers and Red Guard he’s sent up to the Invincible with the ‘techs in the last few days.”

Luke’s hand froze an instant - then began moving again, a subtle shadow passing his eyes and hardening them, though his voice remained deceptively casual, “Really- how many?”

“I don’t know - easily a couple of hundred, I’d figure.”

Luke made himself breathe, forcing an indifferent tone. “Strange- they’re not on the ship’s log.”

“No,” Mara glanced to him, but looked away, reassured when he smiled just slightly. “They were kind of hidden in among the workers. But they’re up there somewhere, on the Invincible. I have no idea where he’s putting them though, because there’s an awful lot of them and I don’t think any have come back yet.”

Luke nodded slowly, eyes on the looming, ominous bulk of the Super Star Destroyer, “Perhaps it was his Honour Guard; maybe they went up a day early.”

Mara agreed casually, only mildly interested, “Possible. I thought I saw his personal guard go up last night though - and the bulk are set to go up today on his shuttle and its escorts...”

Luke heard little after that, mind racing, so that he didn’t even recall the shuttle landing in the massive Main Bay of the Invincible. Didn’t remember walking past regimented rows of perfectly-turned out stormtroopers, nor nodding distantly when Palpatine’s favoured dignitaries and Moffs were presented when he reached the Command Deck of the wide bridge, the two mirror-image Ops Pits milling with nervous officers. Everything was done on autopilot, thoughts buzzing, stirred to a frenzy by one fact;

He knew. Palpatine knew that an attack was imminent and had prepared for it.

Why exactly he had chosen to do let it go ahead Luke didn’t know; he must have his reasons. At this moment, it was a moot point- all that mattered was that he knew.

And chances were, if he knew when, then he probably knew how - which meant that even if the Command Codes appeared to work, there must already be some override in place, hidden within the system.

Perhaps Olin’yaa had broken after all; or had his Master managed to place a new spy within the Rebellion already? The latter was a serious complication, because Luke knew it placed his own spy Argot at risk. Another complication occurred, chilling in its implications; could Palpatine know that Luke also knew? Was this a test for him too? His Master loved to test the loyalty of those around him and this was just the kind of convoluted game he would play…

Luke considered carefully, from every angle, calming rushing thoughts, trying to see clearly, free from his Master’s painstakingly-instilled propaganda and paranoia.

No- contrary to the image Palpatine liked to project, he wasn’t all-seeing or all-knowing; there was no possible connection between Luke and the attack, no way prove his knowledge, except possibly through Luke’s own source within the Rebellion, a contact which he’d long admitted to Palpatine but never identified. Due to the secrecy of the mission, there was no guarantee that Argot would know about the planned attack at all; since Palpatine didn’t know who Luke’s agent was, it could logically be assumed that this was something she had not been high enough up the ladder to be privy to.

In fact with some careful management it could actually take a little of the heat off her if Palpatine had placed his own spy, charged with revealing and closing down Luke’s source.

All of which was immaterial right now; all that mattered was his reaction today; to assist or impede.

The assembled dignitaries were brought to order, Luke politely guided to the head of the assemblage, Mara always in his shadow - did she know something was wrong?

Aware of his extended silence, Luke turned, giving a brief, tight smile before the Emperor entered the room, silencing it by his presence, walking to the head of the bowing assembly, Luke automatically stepping smoothly down to one knee without making eye contact, his mind still racing, aware of his Master’s eyes on him.

Was he waiting? Was he waiting for an admission from Luke?

It would of course be a mistake to suddenly claim knowledge; Palpatine would know Luke had worked it out and adjusted his own actions accordingly. Which meant that all Luke could do was to brazen this out…

He had to stay; he had to stay on the Bridge until the attack took place and react to it as if it were from any unknown outside threat - which meant that when the moment came, he had to shut it down decisively. The Rebels’ lives were forfeit anyway, whoever they were; there was nothing Luke could do to help them now. Better a quick death at his hands than days at the mercy of Palpatine’s pitiless outrage.

Beladon D’Arca, as Master of Ceremonies, began his speech, performing a neat, careful bow to the Emperor then to Luke as he acknowledged them firstly and separately, before the privileged, select group attending in person the official launch of the Destroyer.

“Excellency; Sir; Gentlemen- welcome onboard the new flagship. Not just of the Core Fleet but of the whole Empire. You are now standing aboard the most technologically advanced ship in the galaxy, ushering in a new age of Imperial superiority…”

Luke didn’t even hear the voice let alone the words, eyes fixed on the man without seeing, mind racing to figure this through…

Yes; the lives of the Rebel strike team onboard were already forefit- they just didn’t know it yet. Whatever they did, whatever he did, they were dead. The first rule of sabacc; don’t get pot-committed. If he tried to help them, hoping to give them some chance to redeem a plan which was now essentially flawed, then he risked implication, at best as a collaborator, at worst as the instigator, either option carrying severe punishment. For anyone else it would be death; for Luke-

No, Palpatine wouldn’t kill his prized Jedi, but he would take him apart, break him to pieces just as he had done that very first time. Luke would be returned to that cell, as if the last four years had never happened.

All his work, all his sacrifices for nothing.

Begin again - only harder, because Palpatine would never trust again. Wouldn’t ever let his precious Jedi out of his sight. Luke’s mind buzzed in persecution at the thought of his time in the cell, the memories still intense, entwined about his every waking thought even after all this time- enough to set a barbed rush to crush his chest, jaw locked, eyes staring at nothing, oblivious to the polished, gracious ceremony taking place around him.

No; he couldn’t do that, not again. And he wouldn’t do it- not for a group of people who were hoping to bring him down at the same time as the Emperor; kill two birds with one stone.

That was the truth of it- that was the extent of their consideration for him… and therefore the extent of his consideration for them.

Whatever they thought they could achieve, he would achieve- not with fireworks and fanfares like this, but slowly, quietly, behind the scenes.

Plans within plans.

Yes- that was the best course of action; if he went after them himself today, then it would at least demonstrate that he had no part in the plot. If he removed them then at least it would be a quick death- they would be spared his Master’s wraith and more importantly they couldn’t be interrogated. There was no connection to reveal of course, but it was better to be sure. And if he couldn’t, if he was ordered to stand down… well then he owed them nothing…

The distant drone of the Master of Ceremonies filtered through the edge of Luke’s thoughts, the moment of action coming ever closer, tingeing the Force with portent, charging the air, tensing his muscles-

“…. is set to become not just the flagship of the Fleet, but the flagship of the Heir to the Empire, and if the past is any indication, we can be confident that under his accomplished command it will enjoy more than its fair share of action.”

A polite ripple of laughter rolled around the Bridge at the last, Luke glancing back to the assemblage, having missed completely whatever banality D’Arca had spoken. Clenching his jaw, he allowed a tight smile, senses afire...

... NOW!

The lights fluttered just briefly… then the heavy blast doors onto the Bridge slid closed, the massive central lock engaging. Along the corridor beyond, the muted sound of multiple sets of armoured doors all locking in quick succession rumbled back onto the Bridge.

The speaker frowned, hesitating…

At the corner of Luke’s vision in the Ops pit, an officer was toggling controls on a console, trying unsuccessfully to open the doors again.

It’s starting…
Wait a few seconds; don’t react too quickly.

The Duty Officer looked up from the pit, eyes meeting Luke’s as he stepped forward, addressing the officer, “Open the doors!”

“Sir, there seems to…”

“OPEN THE DOORS!” Luke shouted as he set forward past the man. No matter what happened, one thing he didn’t want to be was on the Bridge.

Red Guard, previously inconspicuous at the corners of the vast bridge, now stepped forward with military precision, circling quickly about the Emperor so that Luke had to step between them to move forward to the doors, still firmly locked. Several unknown officers in the Command Pits had produced blasters from no-where.

Adrenaline pumping, Luke reached into the Force when he was six paces away, his hand rising… it answered in an eager rush, a burst of potential and power-

With a rending screech, the mechanism jolted just slightly, the massive central lock taking the strain of the impact with a spray of vivid sparks, Red Guard turning to the door in shock, weapons raised, not realising that it was The Heir who did this-

Luke let out a yell, hand thrown out, and the bulky inset lock mechanism designed to withstand vacuum and explosion gave another grinding whump, the substantial circular bolt mechanism to the centre of the blast doors jolting, a gush of bright, actinic sparks erupting, leaving the acrid smell of burnt resistors and insulation, a curl of smoke rising.

Released adrenaline gave Luke the focus to throw another sustained burst of raw power at the massive bulk of the central bolt and this time it failed completely in a grating rasp of rending plassteel, a meter-wide gap opened in the doors as the alloy of the lock was literally ripped apart, shredding in a shriek of ruptured metal, the heavy doors rammed back into their housing with enough force to crumple the surrounding walls in a grinding screech of ruined plassteel.

Luke walked from the bridge without having slowed his step, pausing only when the Emperor called to him.

“Jedi- bring me one alive.”

Palpatine watched his Wolf nod just once, wonderful eyes as cold and hard as ice in darkness, then he was gone, leaving the Emperor to smile indulgently, bloodless lips drawn back over spoiled teeth. He glanced about the assemblage, faces pale with shock at what they had just seen.
They all thought they knew what a Sith was capable of - now they had received, in some small measure, a demonstration of such. They would remember it for a long time, the same thought so clearly running through every mind present in the shocked silence which followed; if this was what he did to unyielding plassteel and reinforced organic steel - what would he do to flesh and bone?

Palpatine took several moments to bask in the stunned surge of genuine fear, his own eyes brought approvingly back to the shattered entrance.

Then he turned with unhurried, assured calm to Admiral Joss, “Admiral; I have a code which you need to input immediately…”

Luke was halfway down the main corridor, having cleared a second set of locked blast doors, when the rest opened in sequence before him, confirming his suspicion; Palpatine had another Override Code.

He reached out into the Force to confirm where the Rebels were, knowing that even though there would be a plethora of anxious minds onboard ship the Call to Quarters hadn’t yet been sounded, so the only ones who would be genuinely nervous should be the Rebels.

If they’d followed the plan, they would be in Ops Three by now or…

His easy, measured run faltered and he slowed almost to a stop, feeling a weight of heavy pressure push against his chest at the realisation of who was there…

Swearing a curse under his breath, he set forward again at full-tilt, mind racing.

Everything- everything had changed again.

By the time that Mara rounded the crook in the corridor, Luke had reached the turbolifts, cursing that they were still locked down. Already turning away to set off for the stairwell, he rounded on her, eyes hard, jaw clenched, “Stay with the Emperor.”

Mara slowed just slightly, knowing his anger wasn’t really aimed at her, torn between safeguarding two men who were both supremely capable of protecting themselves, then set forward toward him again and Luke turned on her, hand out, finger pointed in warning, shouting in a sharp, clipped tone which invited no dissent, “STAY WITH THE EMPEROR!!”

She stopped dead, taken aback by the intensity and the agitation in his words; by the stark fury in his stormy blue eyes, the palest thread of fiery, sulpherous yellow glowing just momentarily at their rim-

He’d already turned away, the locked-down door to the emergency stairwell wrenching off its mountings as he threw out his hand, clattering away down the metal stair, the scraping din reverberating in the hollow space.

Mara watched the empty stairwell for long seconds, wavering, uncertain whether to follow… then she turned and set back to the Bridge and her master, the blaring claxon which finally sounded the alarm making her jump as she ran.

By the time Luke reached Ops Three the Rebels were gone; hardly surprising considering the Call to Quarters had been raised, the alarm warning them, though they probably already knew that they’d been discovered when they’d been locked out of the system.

But they hadn’t gotten far; he was close now, only a turn or so away in the long corridors, glancing up, wondering if he could disable the ever-present surveillance cameras without suspicion… He could still sense her presence, strangely familiar even after all this time, enabling him to pinpoint them as they ran, continually closing, furious, incensed at the Rebels for allowing her to come; at her for probably insisting.

Still livid, he slowed to a walk and reached to pull his lightsaber free.

Leia ran at full tilt around the corner, her group about her, intensely aware that time was running out…

She shouldn’t have come - Han was right; her being here was a liability for the Alliance - if she was caught alive… another Rebel leader for the Imperial propaganda machine to parade in public and…
something ran like ice up her spine and caught in her throat, locking her breath…

The heavy blastproof doors they had been running towards ground shut with a booming smack, the group split in two by the action. Trapped, she reached the locked doors, suddenly frantic, a dread lit deep within her-

A distinct, inimitable sound brought Leia about, time turning to treacle, several of the remaining soldiers about her lifting their weapons, stepping forward and fanning out uncertainly as the low, throaty thrum of a lightsaber grated through the air.

Leia turned, the sound of her own breathing loud in her ears… to see a lone dark-dressed figure step out into the sealed corridor.

For a moment - for a split second as the ruby lightsaber lit the blind turn at the far end of the corridor with a scarlet glow, she had expected to see Vader…

But the figure who strode forward, dark hair half-hiding wild eyes, body tensed, primed to fight, was somehow far more chilling-

The first shot rang out, making Leia flinch, and he didn’t lift the blade; didn’t even try to use it to deflect the bolt. Instead he brought up his left hand, palm out… and batted the laser bolt away to explode harmlessly into the wall in a wash of acrid light. Just as Vader had done on Bespin.

Others opened fire now and momentarily Leia felt some kind of hope as the sheer number of shots held him back, then he yelled out his rage and set forward, ploughing into the task force, cutting a path through them as if it were nothing, the whole unit against one man.

But still they fell, the speed of that bright crimson blade forming a seemingly solid wall of light against the blaster shots, deflected energy hitting the walls and ceiling in bright splashes of dispersed energy, lights flicking and failing in the ricochets, reducing the bright room to dim shadows, the security lens exploding in a brief blaze of scorching sparks, the blazing white of muzzle flashes glaring, catching brief, staccato images as the group began to break ranks, backing up with nowhere to go.

Leia turned, frantically trying to unlock the doors behind her, the charred mechanism smelling of scorched circuitry. Han had taught her how to hotwire doors and she lifted her blaster to the panel, shooting the plate free, burning her fingers on the hot metal and cursing it when it wouldn’t move, finally dragging it aside to pull out the wires within and seeing it was useless; that everything was blown. She kept her eyes on the lock though, squinting in the flashes and the gloom; ordered herself to concentrate - not to look back, not to listen - to do her job, to open the door…

And suddenly there was silence…

She turned to a darkened hallway heavy with smoke which swirled in thick roils, burning her eyes, the metallic twist of blood mixing with the smell of charred flesh and burned cordite, catching in the back of her throat. The bodies of those she’d known were scattered about her, twisted awkwardly, deathly-still. Blum, the last soldier standing, had stepped in front of her to protect her.

Visibility was just a few feet, lights knocked out, panels on the wall sparking in the dim haze, making her flinch - but in the centre of the choking gloom, bright and loud in the darkness, wrapped about by the twisting, roiling smoke, that scarlet blade still glowed ominously…

The dark smoke curled away at some unseen movement, shrinking back in perfect eddies as if unwilling to be near this shadow-wraith… and the Sith lifted his head slowly, blood-red blade dropping low behind him, tip to the floor.

He looked at her, his chest still heaving from the exertion of the fight, wild mismatched eyes locking hers- and Leia did the one thing she’d never done before in her entire life…

She froze, rooted to the spot, unable to move beneath that razor gaze-

The single moment stretched to eternity, reality hazing to a distant, distorted blur- all that existed were brown eyes locked on mismatched blue-

And something- something cut through every thought in Leia’s mind; a mental whisper with the power of a punch exploding inside her head, as much a feeling as a thought, overwhelming, overpowering, making her flinch beneath its intensity-

RUN!!

It was like an electric shock coursing through her, like a charge fizzing round, firing every muscle-

She stumbled backward as the locked door grated open behind her, backstepping wildly, almost falling through the doorway as she gripped at Blum’s sleeve, dragging him with her.

Without hesitation, without once raising her blaster, Leia turned and fled, the heavy blast door springing closed behind her with a reverberating clang, cutting him off.

She passed at full tilt the remainder of the unit, heading down a side-corridor, having set off to find another way to reach her and her trapped team. She didn’t stop, didn’t slow down, shouting to them to follow.

By the time they reached the escape ship, stormtroopers were close on their tail, their exit path held clear by Han’s group, but in truth she hadn’t even registered them or the blaster bolts which had fired wild down the pristine corridors of the new Star Destroyer, Han gesturing wildly as Chewie warmed up the engines of the stolen shuttle.

They barrelled onboard and blasted off as the ship’s ramp was still sealing, setting a twisting course, running for hyperspace, the darkness about them lit to daylight by the ranging shots of too many Destroyers closing in about them, Han throwing the shuttle into complex manoeuvres, cursing the whole way.

Leia stood distant and removed, statue-still, everything somehow hazy and indistinct, reality relegated to vague washes of color and movement.

When the stars turned to streaks of light she was still stood in the cockpit, hand gripped knuckle-white about her unfired blaster, heart pounding like a hammer against her ribs, every beat hitching in her short breaths. Not at the ambush, nor the close shave…

But at that moment, running over and over in her head, when his presence had cut through her thoughts like a blade, filling her with terror, instilling absolute dread, one single word overriding every rational thought…

Run!!

She lifted her free hand, looking to it now - it was still trembling…

Luke walked calmly back from the devastated stretch of corridor towards the Bridge, stormtroopers beginning to converge on his position though he didn’t slow, forcing the Unit Commander to turn about as he spoke.

“Sir- the Rebels had released the lockdown on a shuttle in…”

“They’re gone.” Luke said calmly. Still deeply immersed in the Force, he could sense relief flood the trooper’s thoughts; that he’d expected an explosion on delivering that news. “Stand down. Lock all sections and bays down and take all active ‘trooper units to start a slow sweep of every floor, starting from the Bridge. I want every single person onboard checked against security logs- from the Palace; don’t use those onboard. And get a ‘tech team into the ops room where they were - check they’ve not left any surprises in the system.” He turned to a second stormtrooper, hand out, “Comlink?”

The ‘trooper handed over his comlink without hesitation; it was well known that the Commander never carried one of his own and even if he did, no-one was about to question him right now.

Admiral Joss answered Luke’s comm, “Sir?”

“Status?”

“The Bridge is secured, Commander. We have no further reports of incursions and all inward corridors are sealed and guarded. The Dauntless, the Victory and the Vanguard are moving to flanking positions. The Executor is also closing.”

“The Rebel ship?” Luke held his breath, though he already knew.

“Sir the ship made it to lightspeed; we were far enough from Coruscant that they could initiate drives immediately.”

Luke didn’t react; didn’t let out the breath; there were too many eyes close by, not all of which could be trusted. “Trajectory?”

“Calculating, Sir- but the variables…” Joss paused momentarily, then; “Sir, The Emperor commands your presence.”

“On my way.”

By the time Luke reached the Bridge, security was off the scale, Royal Guard everywhere, the dignitaries having withdrawn into a small group like the sheep they were.

Palpatine was stood quite apart from the hectic rush of the busy bridge, gazing out of the viewscreen at the Destroyers converging on their position, forming a defensive wall about them.

He turned immediately as Luke approached, gesturing for him to rise when he’d only just made to kneel, genuine approval in his voice, “Rise- rise, my friend.”

“The insurgents are gone, Master. The ship is being secured but I think they were an isolated threat.”

“Who were they?” Palpatine’s yellow-flecked eyes glowed, his pallid skin ashen in the strong light of the Destroyer bridge.

“Rebels.” Luke replied simply; if his Master new the attack was imminent, then Luke had no reason to think that he wouldn’t know who was planning it.

Now the Emperor’s indulgent tone confirmed that he’d chosen the right course; Palpatine had known, and Luke’s decision to move decisively against them had not been missed. “How do you know?”

He still couldn’t resist this test, Luke knew, so obvious as to be insulting.

“Leia Organa was with them.” This too had been carefully considered; if Luke had sensed her then his Master must have done the same, so to claim ignorance would be a glaring error, while to willingly admit it would be a valued reassurance. Though of course he didn’t expect his Master to admit such out loud.

“You’re sure?”

“Security footage will confirm it but yes, I’m sure.”

Palpatine turned away, his face hidden in the folds of the heavy velvet hood he wore. The sting Luke had been expecting was finally delivered, “And you let her get away?”

“I didn’t ‘let her’ do anything. But yes, she escaped.” He allowed just enough frustration sound in his voice to suggest his own annoyance at this.

“How did she get out?”

“How did she get in?” Luke said, buying valuable seconds for thought…

“Answer my question.”

“…They were trapped in the corridors close to Ops; I’d locked down the blast doors, trapping them.” He shook his head, “I need to check the logs - they managed to open the doors somehow.”

Palpatine glanced away again, satiated, “They held Override Codes – I will look very closely into how they had them.”

Luke knew he was being let off too easily; the only possible reason he could fathom was that Palpatine knew the truth about Leia and was trying to gloss over it now, so he pushed the argument against himself; the facts would be found out soon enough anyway and he might just be able to clarify Palpatine’s knowledge by laying the blame for those doors elsewhere.

“Still, the doors shouldn’t have opened again; I didn’t close them using the mechanism.”

Palpatine glanced sharply to him, “You used the Force?”

“Yes- the blast doors which the Rebels locked closed in the first assault had already been opened again. I didn’t have time to contact the bridge so I closed them - locked her in. I thought I’d burned the system and stripped the gearing to do it. There should have been no way they could be opened.”

Palpatine glanced away with forced calm, “Perhaps you were mistaken.”

He knows about her abilities- he’s trying to hide them from me.

Luke pushed a little further, aware that he was indicting Leia Organa by insinuating that she had some control of her latent abilities, but this time the risk was worth the price. She was already number one on the Empire’s ‘Most Wanted’ list and Luke needed to know whether it was because she was leader of the Rebellion or because Palpatine knew she was Force-sensitive. And anyway, having closed the blast door himself to convince Palpatine of his willingness to capture her, Luke had to explain away the fact that he had reopened it to get her out. “And… I thought I sensed…”

“You are injured.” Palpatine said across his words, causing Luke to look down in genuine surprise. At some point during the short firefight he must have been hit by shrapnel and not realised, adrenaline and focus suppressing it, because when he lifted his left hand, palm up, there was a long, deep gash running down its edge from below his wrist to his little finger, blood drying about the ring he wore there, streaked across his palm and between his fingers.

Palpatine reached out and took his hand, the unanticipated act completely breaking Luke’s train of thought. He resisted momentarily, pulling against the hold, but the Emperor stepped forward, drawing his hand closer as Luke tensed uneasily against the unexpected contact.

His Master put bone-thin fingers to the gash and opened it up momentarily, lifting it closer to study the wound. “It will need sutures- have it attended to.”

Luke backstepped, again trying to free his hand. Palpatine looked up at this and Luke froze beneath that deliberate, meaningful gaze, deeply uncomfortable- then the Emperor released his hold and Luke slipped his hand free, Palpatine’s blood-wet fingers sliding over it as he did so, long nails trailing against Luke’s skin like a shiver down his spine.

He backstepped quickly, gathering his composure with distance, then bowed briefly and turned, walking quickly away, seeking to put some space between himself and his Master-

“First-” Luke turned about as Palpatine spoke out, loud enough for everyone on the Bridge to hear, “I will name the starship I came here to launch.”

Everyone murmured, unsure, but Palpatine grinned, focus still on his feral Jedi at the far side of the bridge as the room hushed to expectant silence, all eyes on the Emperor as he strode slowly to centre-stage, commanding attention, gaze never leaving Luke’s.

When he finally turned away it was to look to the assembled dignitaries and Officers, composed and confident, supremely self-possessed, making sure that this moment would be remembered. “I had thought to call it the Invincible… but that is just a name. This ship and its Commander - Heir to my Empire, Commander in Chief of my Fleet - deserve something more… unique. Something in consideration of the events which took place today, in appreciation of the allegiance, the loyalty of its Commander… The ship I launch today I will name for him; after him-”

He held Luke’s eyes across the bridge- not in coercion or intimidation for once, but in indulgent approval. And somehow that was more unsettling to Luke than anything that had gone before, freezing his chest to uneasy tightness as Palpatine spoke;

“I name this ship The Patriot. Long may it serve.”

There was a polite ripple of applause about the room, though Luke didn’t react, still held to that unsettled stillness, eyes on his Master-
Finally he drew a breath; forced himself to move past the moment. He bowed with studied calm, then turned and walked from the bridge, deeply disquieted.

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