Give Me Challenges. I Crave Them!

It was not as though Mara had been scanning frequencies listening for any sign or whisper of him. She had merely opened the intercom on the Jade Fire to get a sense of what news traversed the galaxy. And there it was - the rumor that one of the elite former generals of the Republic was captured. One who had purposefully gone to Tatooine, it seemed. Only recently had she been able to reforge a tennuous connection to the Force. With Palpatine's death, and his curse upon her, Mara thought she might never reconnect with that power. But after her encounter with C'baoth and killing that clone of Skywalker...it seemed whatever curse had been over her vanished. It would have been logical to stay and ask for help in mending that bridge between her and the living Force, but Mara's pride would not allow it. That sinking, hollow pit in her gut wouldn't allow it. She wouldn't put herself in a position to ask for anything, and she certainly would not want to be in a debt to Luke Skywalker. Even though he had offered to help her and even as decent a person as he (surprisingly) turned out to be... Well, some things couldn't be erased. So Mara had left Coruscant. Left any chance at connecting with him again. But she had been working on her own, attempting to meditate and focus. Until this morning, nothing had worked. But finally, after weeks of quieting her mind, trying to reach the Force without using any of the cruel and harmful ways the Emperor had taught her, a single thought echoed back through the connection: listen. Listen to what exactly? Fat lot of good that did. All was silent aboard the Jade Fire. But that had been what clued her in. Maybe she needed to listen to the right sound. And sure enough, there came the report. No matter the mixed feelings she had towards him - although most days his memory brought her to the point of frustration - Mara knew he did not deserve to die in any of the gloriously horrific ways the Hutts delighted in subjecting victims to. And now she had landed just outside the familiar sight of Jabba's palace. Since Organa had strangled the wretched gangster prince of Tatooine, a new host of Hutts had come in to take his place. And take their vengeance. Thankfully, Mara had snuck into Jabba's palace before. Ironically, back when she was attempting to gather information about Luke Skywalker for the Emperor, all behind Vader's back. At that time, she had been Arica, a dancer who had been forced out of Jabba's palace - cover having been blown - before Skywalker was forced to the Pit of Carkoon. Even so, she well knew the secret passageways in and out of the palace. And one that led directly into the deepest, darkest parts of the dungeon. If Mara was in their disgusting shoes, that's where she would put him. She was smart, waited for nightfall, and then twisted her body through the tracherous, rocky cavern. Occasionally she had to shift, hold in a yelp of pain as the jagged edge cut into her clothing and made her bleed, but eventually she found the trap door. A place to dispose of dead bodies and leave them to the dunes. Growling and holding her nose at the smell of old, rotting flesh, Mara lowered her body and inched in through the tunnel. With her past as Hand, she knew how to move silently and swiftly, and finally she came to an open clearing. A cell block. She dared not reach out through the Force. Not now. But thankfully, her intuition proved right, and in the second row down, she spotted a familiar mop of sunshine-gold hair. "Farmboy," she whispered.

Leia had warned him– or more like she had TRIED to warn him. Told him time and time again that even with Palpatine and Jabba dead, going to Tatooine wouldn't be safe for him because a dead Hutt only meant that the territory and belongings of said dead Hutt were being fought over by the remaining ones, and having one of the people responsible for Jabba's dead on site would bring a way of settling the dispute: whoever avenges Jabba gets everything he once owned.

But Luke didn't listen. He didn't want to listen.

He had a goal in mind: to clear his name, to prove that he had had nothing to do with the murder of the Lars, and to deal with everything that had to be done to ensure that what was once his family's farm and what remained went to good hands– and far away from gangs.

They were way more prepared to deal with a Jedi this time around than they had been the first time. They knew that Luke couldn't mind his own business, that he would intervene if people were endangered.

That is how they got him.

Luke could only hope beyond hope that he would find a way out of there without having to reach out through the force, to Leia, because she would come for him. But she would also never let him live this down. No, he had to get out of this one without her help if he wanted to be able to ever ignore her advice again without having this thrown in his face.

For people who had met each other as young adults, and not a moment sooner, they sure had settled quite seamlessly into the sibling dynamic.

The dungeon was dark and dry, just as Luke remembered it. It lacked the rancor, the guards– things had clearly gotten cheaper, but not the shackles that held him: some sort of contraption that he couldn't figure out the lock of, and so the force wasn't being helpful to break free. His lightsaber had been taken. It was still in the palace, he could sense the kiber crystal through the force. But it wasn't anywhere nearby– nowhere where he could reach it.

Out of ideas, he waited and thought, trying to clear his mind– figuring that he might be able to memorize how the guards moved, find and opening, get out of there even if his hands were cuffed.

That is, until he heard a familiar voice calling him a nickname that he'd grown used to by now.

"Just letting it all soak in. Here I spend years trying to find you, trying to bring you in, trying to kill you, when in reality all I had to do was wait for a backplanet gangster to lure you out and snatch you up. Here you are. Just ripe for the taking."

She glanced over her shoulder, as though she heard something, but nothing else in her body posture gave Luke the alert that something truly wrong. Oh no. Instead, she looked soft, altogether lax, and when she looked at him again, she tilted her head so all that red hair fell over her shoulder.

"But the best part? Is that right when you are right where I wanted you for so long, I'm going to be the one to rescue you," she said with a little grin.

As to why Mara kept that to herself for now. If anything because she was not altogether sure herself. She just...had to.

Then she crouched to her knees and her hands went to a pack at her waist, filtering through the tools she'd need to force the lock on the cage open. Yet as she did that, she couldn't help but ask the question that haunted her ever since she heard that frequency earlier.

Send "Hey...where did you get that?" For your muse to take notice of a bruise or wound on my muse's body--Send "You should see the other guy!" For the reverse!

Luke knew better than to fuss over Mara Jade too much. He was well aware that, given their circumstances, their past, their history together, he was in an odd spot when it came to what boundaries he could and couldn't overstep. When sparring, she allowed practically any and all closeness between them, as more than once they had ended up turning from trained duelists to a mess of tangled limbs and discarded lightsabers as they struggled to be the one on top, the winner.

When it came to injuries, he had to be even more careful than he would be in a duel.

She had a way of keeping him on his toes.

Her making light of the injury didn't ease his concerns. Karma, Leia would have called it. This is what he got for doing the same thing, minimizing his own injuries, all the time, for as long as possible, until he either managed to walk them off or ended up waking up in a bacta tank with no recollection of how he got there.

"I'm not sure I want to see the other guy," he chuckled. Mara had a way of fighting that he admired. A way that made him never want to find himself as her foe ever again. "But I can imagine you were quite thorough."

She had to have been. Otherwise, HE would be. From what he could see beneath the layer of scorched fabric at her shoulder blade, whoever was responsible for the injury had done a number on her. They attacked from behind, if he had to guess, like a coward. Luke forced himself to push the anger back, to focus on the here and now and go get the bacta spray.

"Thorough...that's a word for it," she mused, a slow smile spreading across her lovely face. She tried rolling her shoulder to ease the muscle but gasped sharply as pain rolled through her nerves. Stars above, but that hurt. And it would tomorrow, too. She'd gotten reckless. Careless. Never would have happened before...

When he mentioned bacta, her face scrunched up. She hated the stuff. Smelled awful. And she opened her mouth to argue, but the moment he mentioned Leia, her mouth shut again.

"...Who's to say we're not reckless fools?" Mara replied, her voice a charming smirk. On top of throwing herself into impossible odds and making people scream in fear as she piloted them through asteroid fields, making Luke squirm was her absolute favorite hobby. Especially since it was so easy to do.

Endearingly so.

"But you have a point. Your sister is probably the only person in the Galaxy that I am legitimately afraid of," Mara admitted, stretching her arm across her shoulder in an attempt to see if she could apply the bacta herself. Yet as soon as she pulled too tight, pain surged through her nerves and she couldn't hide the wince.

i havent actually finished heir to the empire so im not very knowledgeable on mara jade!!! HOWEVER can I offer you this doodle i did Ages ago when i started reading it instead

All that Luke Skywalker had accomplished in the short years since the destruction of the Death Star was commendable, there was no denying that. He’d evaded countless attempts on his life - no matter how hard Mara tried. He’d destroyed the remants of the Empire - no matter how hard Mara fought against him. And he had converted Mara away from the Dark Side - no matter how hard Mara resisted him. 

Not necessarily to the Light. Not yet. But at least she had been pulled away from the Dark. And now he had done the nigh unthinkable - he’d established a Jedi Academy on Yavin IV. Dozens of Younglings had come from all over the Republic to learn from him, all running around excited and thrilled to be here at the feet of their hero. 

And they weren’t the only ones who’d come to learn, but Mara would never admit that she was there to learn too. Observe. That’s what she called it - or rather thats what her pride would allow. She refused to put herself on the same level as the literal kids running around, nipping at Luke’s heels and trying to get his approval like a puppy.

No matter how much she thought it endearing - in an annoying sort of way - when she watched him teach the little pups.

But now it was after sundown. All the kids were in their beds, and Mara had received a summons to come to the gym for saber training. Apparently, she ‘needed to learn to not give way to anger during fighting’ or something ridiculous like that.

“Alright!” she announced, coming into the gym with her saber in hand. “I’m here...I’m surprised you have the energy to face off against me after spending all your time playing baby sitter.”

“Ah huh, sure,” she grinned as she rolled the hilt over in her hand and ignited the purple blade. The glow of it cast a beautiful sheen across her skin and fiery red hair. “Let’s see you go a few rounds with me, farm boy, and then we’ll see how tired you get.”

She knew she had to start fighting. Action. Movement. Anything less and she would be free to study the exact, perfect shade of blue that colored his eyes. 

Moving slowly, she began circling the master. She knew he would be watching her for any sign of anger, but giving in was so easy. Years of training in the Empire and at Palpatine’s command made reaching for anger as easy as breathing. But trying to avoid that anger? It was like trying to learn a new way to swim after doing it another way all her life.

But at least she was willing to try. 

“Alright, Skywalker. Get on it,” she replied with a little smirk.

💕 + a character: Under which circumstance would your muse fall in love with them?

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Mara pressed her fingers tight against her saber hilt…and still nothing happened. Panic. Anger. Confusion. All of those horrid emotions swarmed inside her, and at his question, Mara knew she could vent them all at Skywalker.

“Sorry to disappoint, Skywalker, but you still will fall by my hand!” she growled. 

You will kill Luke Skywalker.

Yes, I know! She replied to the unending voice in her head. I know - I know! Stop reminding me! Leave me alone!

Once Skywalker was dead, then the ceaseless commands would stop. Mara was sure of it. And the lack of a saber wouldn’t deter her. She’d killed many with her bare hands. 

Of course - never against someone with a saber…

“Come on, then!” she snapped, flipping the saber over in her hands. “I’ll give you the first shot.”

Was his saber out too? Had the Force left him, too?

They have gone through this many times already. She found him and tried to kill him, failing each time. Luke is tired of this. Why did the emperor manipulate them even after his death? Why can’t they live the happy life they deserve after all the losses? He didn’t even try to activate his lightsaber.

“Maybe this is a chance for us to finally have a calm conversation?”

He took a few steps towards her. Mara was a beautiful woman and could have had a different life long ago.

“Is the will of the emperor so dear to you that you want to carry it out no matter what? Was he like your own father for you? Otherwise, I see no reason to kill me so persistently. He was not a good man and even from the grave he manipulates people . Maybe we should finally become allies and forget the past? ”

YOU WILL KILL LUKE SKYWALKER

Mara stayed perfectly still, but in that moment, the shock and confusion were plain in her eyes. Then he spoke of the Emperor, and anger – resentment – returned to her gaze. A father?! Was he joking?

“You think that I cared for him?” Mara asked, taking a step closer to him. “I respected his power – I craved it for my own – but I knew what he was. And I believed what he did was necessary to maintain order in a chaotic world. I was his Hand, Skywalker, and that meant that I was linked with him. I saw what he saw, saw what thoughts he chose to show me, and did as he commanded. He showed me that night in the Throne Room. I could see you and Lord Vader. I felt the heat in his hands when he struck you with lightning.”

At this, the anger left Mara’s eyes, if only for a little while.

“…I pitied you in that moment. Force lightning is one of the most unimaginable pains I’ve ever encountered. What he did to you that night he did to me for years.”

KILL LUKE SKYWALKER

Mara’s entire body trembled for a moment, haunted by memories of those many agonies.

“And when he was thrown to his death, Palpatine gave me one last command. To kill you. He knew Vader would not survive, but you?” she went on, taking another step closer. “And so I hear it – night and day – over and over in my head. It won’t let me sleep. Won’t let me have a moment’s peace.”

Luke Skywalker

“And if I kill you – it stops.”

She swatted his hand away and pushed him back using her own strength. Nothing echoed from the Force. Nothing.

skywalker