Chapter Text
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Something that I’m exceedingly grateful to his aunt and uncle for.” They both looked at the door. Ben—Master Obi-Wan—stepped inside the medcenter room. “They’d be so proud of the man you’ve become.”
Luke ducked his chin toward his chest trying to escape the embarrassment. “General Obi-Wan Kenobi, this is Mara Jade.” He waved his hand at the medbed and realized she was nearly vibrating with wariness.
“Greetings, Mistress Jade, I’m glad to see you healed so quickly.” Master Obi-Wan stopped at the foot of her medbed. “Luke’s extolling the virtues of the Alliance?”
“He’s telling me I have a choice.” She was braced so hard against hope, preparing herself for disappointment, Luke wanted to squeeze her hand. He didn’t think she’d find it comforting. “I was taught you were dead.”
“If there is a bright center of the universe, Tatooine is the planet farthest from it.” Master Obi-Wan rested his hands on his belt. “And you have a choice. I’m here to assess and advise.”
“Me or the Alliance?”
Ben smiled. “It’s rarely an either or and it all depends on what you want. Luke is right; you deserve that.” She didn’t say anything, so Master Obi-Wan asked. “Do we need to rescue your family from Palpatine’s custody?”
“He only took me.” Her voice had a forlorn note that made Luke want to squeeze her in a hug. He kept his arms at his sides. “I don’t think they wanted me to go,” Mara continued. “I remember the first time I met my Ma—the Emperor and the ride to Coruscant on his private ship. My parents, they’re just a little more than shadows.”
“How old were you?” Ben asked gently.
“I don’t remember. I was old enough to talk to him, and to understand that I would be leaving home and going with him. But I can’t pin it down any closer than that.”
“He raised you and still tried to kill you?” Luke didn’t bother trying to hide his anguish.
Mara lifted her chin, but it didn’t hide the pain in her eyes. “He said I was special because of my tiny Force talent. I could hear his voice anywhere in the galaxy and he could channel his power through me if it was necessary. I passed all the tests, all the training, and became his Hand, the only one he trusted to carry out his will.” She clenched her jaw and felt so cold before she glared at Ben. “He lied. I’m not the only Hand. Vader confirmed it. I’m not special at all.”
“You are special,” Luke insisted. “You got away from Vader. You survived crashing that tin can of a ship. You should be back in a cockpit because of that alone!”
She blinked at him, distracted from her pain and confused by his vehemence. Luke felt his face heat again.
“Do not hate yourself for falling for his lies, child.” Master Obi-Wan said gently. “He fooled the entire Jedi Order, the Senate, and the galaxy at large to recreate the Sith Empire.” He stepped forward until he was across the bed from Luke. “You are strong in the Force, Mara. And surprisingly not Dark. Did Palpatine teach you anything in how to use the Force?”
“A few tricks to help me with my missions. What I was capable of learning and doing.”
Luke didn’t have a chance to protest that before Master Obi-Wan chuckled. “If you chose to train with us, a larger world will open itself to you. And I believe you will surprise yourself with what you are capable of.”
Mara frowned. “I have a responsibility for what happened to Alderaan. The Emperor and Tarkin always planned on killing the whole planet, but he made a fool of me, letting me believe that the citizens would be spared.” Her hands curled into fists on top of her blanket-covered lap. “I want to make him regret that.”
“We will,” Luke said, “together.”
She smirked at him before looking back at Master Obi-Wan and became fully serious. “I will share all the intel I know, but I don’t trust myself to face him directly. I know he lied.” Her fists pressed down on her thighs. “But I still want to believe his lies.”
Luke couldn’t stop himself from setting his hand on her arm. “You won’t ever face that monster alone. I promise.”
Her hands relaxed as she looked at him.
“By the Force, no one in the High Command will put you on a mission to confront that Sith. Have no fear of that,” Master Obi-Wan added. Luke’s comlink alerted and the older man sighed. “It’s Leia. You should go see what she wants before she brings a whole parade through here.” Mara’s eyes widened in alarm and Luke’s gaze darted between her and Master Obi-Wan. “Go on, Luke, I’m not going to chase off your recruit.”
It’s okay, Mara’s voice said in his head. I’ll call you this way if I need you.
“Okay, but I’ll be back.” Luke trailed his hand down her arm as he stood up and moved around the bed. She squeezed his fingers before he was out of reach. He returned the squeeze before leaving the room. He answered his comlink once he was out of the medcenter area. “Skywalker.”
“It’s Leia. I have something for you, something personal. Can you meet me at your quarters?”
“Sure, it won’t take me long.” He found Princess Leia standing outside the door of his assigned bunk with a holoimage frame in her hands. She still wore the gown from the ceremony. Luke ushered her into the empty room. None of the surviving pilots had roommates in the long row of barrack rooms. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. What kind of week has it been to immediately jump to wrong?” She rotated the frame in her hands before she leaned against the naked bunk. Luke was glad he had taken the time this morning to make his bunk. Made the room look better. “Don’t answer that,” she continued. “I’m giving you Artoo.”
“I don’t really feel comfortable with that.”
“It’s not really an ownership thing,” she insisted. “Claiming them that way keeps the anti-droid sentiments of others at bay. He wants to keep flying but only with you.”
“Even after getting shot?” Luke exclaimed.
“He said it wasn’t as bad as getting dismantled while still activated. At that point, Threepio started calling Artoo demented and I’m not sure he’s wrong even with the clean bill of health from droid technicians. They didn’t find any damage to his core processor or memory modules.”
Luke took a deep breath. He and Artoo had flown well together, and if no one was making a master out of him it could work in the future. “Okay, he can be my flying partner. I’ll do better at keeping him from getting shot.”
She nodded crisply. “Thank you. There was one more thing. Biggs,” she paused looking at his reaction. “He took me to his family home before we headed to find Master Obi-Wan. Nobody was there and he didn’t want to get his family in trouble with the Empire, but I thought he’d want, that you’d both want a reminder. So I took this.” She thrust the frame at him.
He looked down at the holoimage of Biggs grinning in front of his brand new skyhopper. It was the holoimage frame he and Biggs shared on the Darklighter homestead, rotating between all the images they had of themselves and their families. “Oh, Leia.” Tears filled his eyes, but he breathed deeply to calm down and shifted his eyes so the water didn’t spill. “Thank you.” His voice was unsteady and he breathed until it came back under control. “Thank you. These are the only holos I have of my aunt and uncle and now Biggs.”
The Princess’ whole body sagged against the bare bunk’s frame. “I hoped I hadn’t overstepped by taking it. Things can change so quickly and then you have nothing to remind you of home.”
Luke turned off the holoimage frame. If anyone knew how true that was, it was the woman standing in front of him right now. “Do you have any reminders, your Highness?”
“A few heirlooms and some personal items entrusted to the Alliance, and what’s left of my people.” She smiled, but it was a brittle as fulgurite. Then she sighed. “What I need? Someone to consider Leia. I’ll have plenty of people who will consider my title. If we’re going to be Jedi, we should be friends.”
Luke felt his shoulders drop. He set the holoimage frame down on his bunk’s mattress. “I’d like to be friends, Leia. I just didn’t want to be impolite.” Then he grinned because there was good news. “But I think Mara’s going to train to be a Jedi too. She’s at least leaning that way when I left her and Ben—Master Obi-Wan.”
Leia’s lips twitched between a smile and a smirk. “Your girlfriend in the tank woke up?”
He grimaced. He could choke Han for calling Mara that. And the more Luke explained, the more it stuck. So choking. Or checking in with Chewbacca for how the Wookiee got through to the irritating human.
Leia settled on a smirk. “Don’t worry; I won’t say it in front of her. But you make the funniest face over it.”
“Laughing at my face is fine, but no nicknames.” He never wanted to hear ‘Wormie’ ever again. “Mara’s about your size. Where do I get her clothes? I’m sure she doesn’t want to walk out of the medcenter in those tunics and trousers.”
“I’ll show you to Supplies and introduce you to the officers in charge of it.” Leia set a quick pace from his quarters, but Luke had no trouble keeping up.
The young lady kept her gaze on Obi-Wan as the recovery room door slid shut behind Luke. He couldn’t recall seeing such a guarded expression on one so young before. “I suppose Palpatine told you the Jedi were what? Power-hungry war mongers who wouldn’t stop the Separatists?” He asked with a smile to hopefully put her at ease.
“That was what my history lessons said. The only time I heard the Emperor say Jedi was when he accused Vader of being one instead of a proper Sith.”
Obi-Wan tugged on his beard wondering what exactly Vader did that was more Jedi-like than Sith. The stories the Rebel Alliance told about Vader were exactly what anyone drawing upon the Dark Side would do.
“Is this when you tell me the truth that you don’t want me anywhere near your padawans?” Mara’s hands curled into fists again. “That I don’t have any Force skills worth training and I’ve been horribly corrupted by your enemies.”
“Corrupted? But you haven’t been.” All Obi-Wan felt from her was her suspicion (understandable), the strange bond with Luke (that needed examination), and heartache (a far too familiar heartbreak of betrayal from a loved one). Obi-Wan pushed his memories aside to consider the poor child’s current predicament. “I’m not surprised you think that you could be, considering what Palpatine ordered you to do, murder and what have you.”
“Lots of spying,” Mara said succinctly as if she had expected questions on her activities. “That started when I was old enough for sex because it made for the best distraction.”
Mara hardly looked old enough for sex now in Obi-Wan’s opinion.
“I only had two elimination assignments, traitors not Rebels. And I researched their crimes thoroughly before completion. They were criminals.” Her nonchalance broke. “Luke isn’t; the Emperor didn’t give me any time to research him.” Her anger over her treatment mixed with a protective sympathy toward Luke. That boded well that she wasn’t on a mission to ingrain herself for further harm. “He’s only guilty of being Vader’s son.”
Obi-Wan’s thoughts came to a jarring crash instead of landing. “How do you know that?”
“Vader told me, right before he shot me down, the calyarnr.”
But Vader had not told Luke. And Luke must not know or he’d never have the strength to do what was necessary. Obi-Wan pressed his fingers against Mara’s temple and slipped in through the strange bond she had with Luke and the regard she had for the boy. The Force wove a loop around her memory. “Forget what Vader told you. Telling Luke will only hurt him. Never tell him. Just forget what was said. Keep Luke safe.”
Her green eyes glazed over as she looked back at him. The command was as strong as he could make it, so he withdrew from her mind and pulled his hand away. She blinked and shook her head. “My apologies, I must be under the influence of medication.” She looked up at the drip bag and then Obi-Wan. “What were we talking about?”
“Your commendable lack of vengeance,” Obi-Wan said quickly with a smile. “Which is less work for both of us if you want to be a Jedi. Vengeance is a path to the Dark Side.”
“You want me to be a Jedi?” Confusion made her voice sound young.
“Frankly, it’s safer for you. Half-trained abilities end up being a liability more than an asset. Becoming a Jedi and joining the Rebel Alliance is the easiest way to make amends for Alderaan, but only if you wish to. Luke would be most irate if he thought you were agreeing because you thought you had no other options.”
Mara made a breathy sound that might have been a sigh or a chuckle. “He has repeated that enough, and I believe him. He has done nothing but try to help me and he doesn’t even know me.” The gleam in her eyes sharpened. “He finds this cause worthwhile, being part of the Rebellion and becoming a Jedi. I’m willing to do both.”
She left ‘as long as Luke is’ unsaid, but Obi-Wan knew the implication was true. He held out his hand to her. “Welcome to the Rebellion, Mara Jade.”