* // mara

this one felt different. an energy surrounding her was unsettling, but mara was a master in keeping a straight face in moments like this. she was tasked with luke skywalker - - she couldn’t have any distractions... still, curiosity got the better of her and she had to know what the hell this girl was. ❝ you’re new, ❞ mara mutters, nodding towards the other as if to let her know she’d be approaching soon. one in the resistance no doubt, but maybe she’d surprise her. maybe she would have some insight on luke and his whereabouts. taking a few strides forward, mar stood before the. girl. not a jedi... or was she? ❝ tell me, what training have you received? ❞ forward, but she’d be able to gauge a reaction. 

Nessa chuckled and raised her glass, “Well, that’s where you come in. I suppose you are good for something…” She trailed off, her backhanded compliment lost in a good-natured smile. Not many people tolerated Nessa’s incessant pestering or her arrogance. Even less could see past all that, to know what kind of person she really was. Their relationship may have been weird, but it was better than having Mara as an enemy. “I’ve always liked a challenge. It’s never any fun when they just give in,” she mused, a pout having formed on her face. Truth be told the very idea of her going up against someone like that sounded absurd to even her. “Then again, I don’t see what I’d get out of it.”

she grinned, nearly rolling her eyes at the sentiment. ❝ you’re so sweet. as always.❞ she added, glancing over at the other and taking a moment to string together her thoughts. ❝ the resistance seems to be falling now, i’m sure you going after a jedi won’t be breaking news, ❞ mara stated cooly, leaning back in that booth. ❝ you’ll get a challenge with that one. kenobi, i mean. of maybe one of the senators though they’re not exactly jedi... ❞ now she was just creating a hit list. not exactly useful, but amusing all the same. ❝ you’d get a was to pass the time, what else is there to do here? maybe you could earn more credits than the bounty hunters here if you take down some famous faces. ❞

she backs up into him and he has to acquiesce to the movement, because the closer she is, the more control he has over her– or at least, that’s the idea, that’s the goal, even if he knows he should be aiming for a more permanent solution. but there’s some questions he needs answered and murdering her as coldly as she would have murdered him doesn’t give him the fuller picture he knows he needs to have, going forward, as soon as he can figure out a way to get off this measly planet.

“oh yes, i’ve been thinking of you.” he tightens his grip on her throat, his teeth clenching, fangs out, claws digging in, his body struggling to yank her further into the darkness of the alleyway, so that even passing strangers won’t come across her corpse any time soon. “i’ve been thinking about how best to kill you for shooting down my ship, for marooning me to this starless world.” he rams her forward against one of the building walls, pinning her to the surface with his weight, one arm pressed against her shoulders, into the brick, keeping her steady, the blade still prominent in his grip, while the other hand begins taking the weapons she has on and tossing them away. “but first, you’re going to tell me who commissioned you to attack me. since i already know it wasn’t just you, acting on your own.”

she couldn’t panic. mara wouldn’t let herself do something like that and give him the satisfaction although the tightening of his fist around her neck was cause for concern. he’d kill her in a minute if she gave him the chance, and mara could only hope that teasing him like this would give her more time to think. his venomous voice exuded head against the back of her neck and she could just grin at the sensation. intimate for an attempted murder, she thought. her body followed his further back into the alleyway until she was suddenly being roughly pinned against the cold brick of the nearest building. mara felt his hands move down to her waist to eliminate her many weapons and she silently cured to herself at her now lack of security... but she was always good with her hands too. ❝ watch where you put your hands- ❞ the woman teased yet again, managing to turn her head just enough to look over into those ice eyes. ❝ been thinking of me? sound like you’ll need to quit that soon. ❞ he wanted information. that was it. the man was like the rest, but at least his works gave her a sort of leverage. ❝ if you’re so eager to know, get your damned hand off of me and let’s have a talk. i’m no good to you if i’m dead, now am i? ❞

On occasion, Nessa did know when to stop bugging the other. By the sound of her tone, now was that time. Fine by her; she’d figure out a way to coax it out of the woman one way or another. The only difficulty with that was doing so and not catching a right hook to the face. Instinctively, Nessa touched her cheek– she’d been on the receiving end of Mara’s punches one too many times. “I only drink the good stuff when someone else is buying. Do you know how hard it is to find a pretty little thing that isn’t a rebel spy thinking they’re smart lately?” She groaned dramatically, “I mean, I can’t exactly go after a Kenobi or the likes. Someone finds out and it could mean war. Or worse: my head.”

❝ not sure if you’ll find many people to talk with with everything going on. so good drinks might be hard to come by for you now, ❞ mara smirked. she was grateful that nessa knew well enough to back off with the questions as the both could be a bit hot headed at times. and it was nice to just have someone to converse with. their dynamic was strange, but it worked somehow. ❝ well... i mean, you could go after kenobi, but you’d have a mob of people after you i’d think. ❞ mara assumed her target was easier... then again, she could’ve underestimated him. he was just a kid - - well... he was around her age. but luke seemed so young. he’d be easy enough. ❝ but a war’s already here, why not add to it? ❞ she teased. 

@mvrvjvdes​

he catches her by the throat, the edge of his steel sharp enough to draw a thin line of blood across her skin just from the simple, controlled contact, the ice of of his blade contrasting against the heat of her body. his other arm wraps around her arms and torso, his looming shade coming up from behind her in the dimness of the alleyway, her attention taken enough by whatever sneaking, slimy, secret agent bullshit she’s on today, whatever mission she’s engaged in, for her not to notice his approach until it’s too late. he doesn’t care; all that matters is her pressed underneath his thumb, her figure drowned in his shadow.

his hand is perfectly steady and ready to draw the life out her, as he’s done to so many before, both guilty and innocent alike, while he leans his knife even further against the tendons in her neck. nothing could stop him if he decided to just kill her instantly and be done with this mess. instead, he growls into her ear, “miss me, jade?”

she was right on his heels. luke had to be at the temple, that was the only explanation. and at this time, mara expected him to be alone. it would be perfect. with quick, confident strides in the direction of the abandoned building, different scenarios of how this would play out flashed in her mind. the assassin had known how she’d kill him for a while, but now it was finally within her grasp. that was until large hands grabbed her at the throat and entrapped her in a darkened alleyway. kriff, she should have never taken her eyes of that damned pirate. 

mara felt the thin, cold sting of his blade drawing blood, but the situation only brought a bitter grin to her lips. no, she wouldn’t let him have the satisfaction. and mara wasn’t about to be killed just before she could carry out her destiny. body stiffened as his arm wrapped around her to render her incapable of fighting back, and all that he got out of her was a huff of a smirk. but his knife pressed closer to her neck and she instinctively backed up - - her body sinking closer into his chest and feeling the strong, steady drumming of his heart against her shoulder blade. warm breath whispered at her skin and his beard scraped against her pale neck. ❝ with the way you’re holding me, i could ask you the same. ❞  voice was venom - - her mind working to think of just how to get out of his grasp. 

Nessa was glad Mara didn’t press, she wasn’t sure she had it in her to create an elaborate lie. Her mission was taking a lot out of her as of late; every glimmer of hope turned into another dead end. Nessa needed to know the truth— she couldn’t allow anyone to get in her way no matter who they were. That wasn’t going to stop her from having some fun, though. She could put aside her task for a night of hedonism and drunken debauchery. Her eyes lit up at the mention of Mara’s new job. “Oh? Anyone good?” Asked Nessa, wondering what poor soul was going to wind up as food for the worms. She downed the rest of her drink in a gulp, feeling it burn all the way down. If they kept drinking rotgut like that, they were going to forget their names by midnight. “Bar hopping, mostly. Can’t exactly risk doing my job, so I’ve just been wasting my credits on bad alcohol.”

❝ no one important, ❞ she noted with a small shrug. just luke skywalker. mara didn’t want to give it away though. again, this was something she had to keep close to herself until the deed was done. mara finished off her own drink shortly after nessa and noticed the bartender already preparing another round without being asked. ❝ waste your credits on good alcohol sometime, the hangovers aren’t nearly as insufferable, ❞ she teased, leaning back on her side of the booth. ❝ ...anyway, your job. how is that going out here? everyone seems to be in hiding, are you successful at all? ❞ of course she had to be successful, but mara wondered if her traffic had gone down since being under this new issue with the planet. 

“No, no. This is something I need to do on my own,” said Nessa, covering the melancholy in her voice with a well-timed sip of her drink. Then, she pocketed the necklace and leaned back into her chair. It’s not that she didn’t trust Mara— she surprisingly did— but the truth of the whole ordeal was confusing enough. She didn’t need to add another layer to it, much less drag Mara of all people into it. Eager to change the subject, Nessa wiped all traces of genuine emotion from her face with ease, a skill she was rather proud of. Once again she adopted her self-satisfied demeanor, hoping that the other woman wouldn’t be able to see through it. “So, what thrilling matters have you gotten yourself into as of late?” She asked, ready to poke fun if necessary.

❝ if you say so- ❞ she sighed, setting down her glass to observe the other. that was fine. mara was a bit preoccupied to go on a side quest with nessa anyway. in fact, she shouldn’t have even been here in this bar to begin with when there was such a heavy task over her head. she had to murder a skywalker - - and that was no small conquest. it played in her head over and over... the thought of finally carrying through with the last order that the emperor gave her. like nessa, she seamlessly forgot their previous conversation. ❝ i’ve a new job, ❞ she admitted with a ghost of a grin. ❝ i’m hunting down someone. ❞ and hopefully nessa wouldn’t ask who. mara also trusted her in some strange way, but she didn’t need anyone getting in her way. ❝ how about yourself? aside from... you know. ❞

@mvrvjvdes

luke is exiting a tavern on the south side of level 58 when he hears it, boots scraping against cement, the zing of blasters firing, the grunts of hits made and missed, punches and kicks; that too-familiar mess of noises symbolizing a fight. at first, luke thinks it’s probably best if he simply moves along, slips away without burying himself into any more trouble than he’s already known for getting himself involved in, choosing to believe, perhaps naively, that it has nothing to do with him.

but just as soon as he has that thought, something inside him pushes against it, the energies around him whispering that he very much is entangled in whatever is going on around the corner– or at least, he very much should be. with the government cracking down on gang violence and warring factions, he knows he ought to be more spatially aware of his surroundings. the force urges him forward.

by the time he comes around the stone edge of a building though, the dimmed lighting painting everything as silhouettes against each other, the fight seems to be coming to an end, in a bad way. a man with a large, iron longblade with blood on its rim rushes at a woman who’s obviously too wounded on the ground to defend herself, and luke wastes no time inserting himself between them, his lightsaber rearing to life. he expects his saber to cut right through whatever material the other man has, but instead it strikes it, sparks flying, the metal grinding against the laser, still whole, still solid.

he doesn’t give much time to wonder about that though, his body lurching into muscle memory positions to push the other back, to gain a lead, to lash out, to put some distance between them.

“jedi,” the other spits, a curling hatred twisting around in his atmosphere, and for a moment, luke thinks he feels something, deep and festering and burning, in the other, but then its gone in a flash, just like the man. he zips out of existence as though a transporter has snatched him up, which catches luke off guard, blinking into the darkness suddenly, but decides it’s not important enough to get frustrated over.

he turns to the woman on the ground, shutting off his saber and kneeling in front of her. “are you alright?”

mara was after skywalker. he was one of the most well known names in the galaxy, so having his blood on her hands may bring unwanted attention to hers as well. the hatred of the man was planted within her by the hand of the emperor - - mara dead set on honoring his last command and completing the assassination as quickly as she could. she was physically able and seemingly willing. she didn’t know the man, but that made it easier to off him as well if she had nothing tying her to thoughts of the value of his life. an easy mission. 

and tonight would be the night. blaster warmed and ready, mara took confident strides through the city and its levels in the search of her target. those blue eyes and dirty blond hair were a give away, but mara could recognize him anywhere. it was an instinct that she had - - something binding her to his being and his name. an odd sensation, but she assumed it was the enrapturing determination she had to finally hold his life in her hands. but then an unfamiliar voice echoed past her, shortly followed by the distinct sound a blade being drawn. turning with her own weapon already in hand she came face to face with another man who was rushing towards her. 

she shot at him - - the man blocking the beam with the blade and taking a violent swing once he was close enough. bright red seeped through her sleeve, but she continued her shots that didn’t hinder him too much. this definitely wasn’t part of her plan, and mara knew that the unexpected attack was the reason why she was so taken aback. he kept coming at her, the blade hitting her before he had her on the floor with the blaster knocked from her hands. 

and then an overwhelming sense rushed over her which was shortly followed by-... no, it couldn’t have been. her head fell back on the cold ground as the sounds of a saber crashed against her assailants blade cracked through the air. it wasn’t long until the other was running off and this blond was leaning over her - - seeing if she was okay. chest heaved in need of catching her own breath as she looked up at the other. and after a second, mara managed to sit up with a small grunt. ❝ ‘m fine. ❞ it was him. she knew that face. and she should’ve shot him right then, but her weapon was nowhere to be found and mara wasn’t in a state to fight back if he put up a fight. 

His name had been OSK-45, or Oskar, as he preferred to be called in his later years. He had no spouse or children, and lived alone on the edge of the city. Twenty-eight years ago, he and thirty other stormtroopers received orders to raid a small, peaceful village in Naboo. Upon her visit to his pathetic hovel, Nessa saw the kyber crystal sitting on his mantle, drawn to it like a beacon. All those years, he displayed it like a trophy. Anyway, he did tell her she could have it ‘over his dead body.’ Nessa smirked and smugly so, finding Mara’s inability to hide her curiosity hilarious. “’Was’? Have you so little faith in me?” teased Nessa, who grabbed for one of the drinks. What was Mara going to do? Tattle on her? “Sounds like a fun field trip for me. I just need to find some records, anyway.”

there was no way that a storm trooper willingly gave nessa a kyber crystal. the other woman was smaller, but equally as dangerous, if not more dangerous than any of those troopers. while mara wasn’t intimidated, others should be. nothing her smug expression, mara was quick to wipe that curious look off her face though she kept staring down at that piece of blue i her hand. yes, it definitely belonged to someone with a gift. ❝ is there a reason for me to have so much faith in you? ❞ mara shot back, a small grin on her face as she handed nessa her little prize back from the presumably dead storm trooper. ❝ right now? kriff, finish your drink first before we go hunting- ❞ she chuckled, sipping on her drink. 

So much for self worth. Everything Nessa had ever knew about herself had been a lie manufactured by the First Order. Who even was she at this point? Little more than an internal tug of war fueled by a growing rage? As what little control she had left slipped away like sand between her fingers, she found the question impossible to answer. Nessa leaned into the cheap booth, the scent of fried food assaulting her senses. At Mara’s prompting, she rummaged around in the pocket of her robes until she pulled out an object: a curious, glowing, blue crystal that had been fashioned into a pendant. Engraved in the side was a language Nessa could not read, nearly rubbed away from time. “I, er, found this on a retired stormtrooper a few days ago,” she explained, tossing the necklace to Mara. “Say you were going to look for the person who originally owned it. Where would you start?”

she expected nessa to ask about her thoughts on a particular person or perhaps what her next moves should be in the first order. so when she pulled out that glowing blue crystal, the grin on mara’s lips fell a bit - - too enraptured by the thing to keep up the facade. in fact, mara was too deep in thought to even notice the bartender bringing over their drinks and leaving without a word. that was... it had to be a kyber crystal from a jedi. and nessa being a jedi hunter, she would’ve thought that she’d know of such a thing. finally looking up at nessa, she tilted her head in curiosity, a brow slightly arched. ❝ found it, did you? ❞ fingers brushed against the engraving. ❝ i’d likely start at the temple. it’s abandoned, but i’ve heard that some still train up there. who was this stormtrooper? ❞

It was rare to see her ambition matched in another person. Most of Nessa’s superiors were idiots, lackluster and devoid of any drive. Mara… Mara was different. She shared the same ruthless need to be constantly ahead of everyone, and for that she’s was a royal pain in Nessa’s ass. Still, Nessa didn’t even complain on the way to the bar (and she so dearly loved to complain). “I’m being serious, believe it or not,” she admitted in earnest. She currently exhausted all of her resources for her mission. That, and there were only so many ways to threaten an informant before the repetition grew tiring. “To be fair, there’s not much else to do as of late.” The bar Mara brought her to was grimy and dingy, but perfect for the purpose it served. They couldn’t risk being overheard, not in times like the one at hand. “That reminds me,” said Nessa, who held open the door for Mara to walk through. “I need your opinion on something.”

it was living in a state of constant mental exhaustion. the feeling of never being good enough while valuing herself as above the rest of the people here. a sort of narcissism combined with self-degradation that did not go hand in hand. of course, her own negative opinions of herself would never be known to the rest of the world. mara gave a small nod of thanks and walked into the dimly lit bar - - taking a seat in the far corner to ensure that they had as much privacy as possible. and once the two of them were situated, mara leaned forward in intrigue about this request of hers. since when did nessa value mara’s opinion on anything? still, it was amusing and somewhat flattering. ❝ alright, what is it then? ❞ she asked, soon glancing away and giving a small wave to the bartender before holding up two fingers to signify that they needed two of her usual drinks at that table. mara turned her attention back to the woman, awaiting a question.

Kriff, if there ever was a creature more insipid than Mara Jade, Nessa would eat her own lightsaber. Their work within the First Order was not one without cooperation, sometimes ending up with them stuck working together. Nessa took every opportunity she had to one-up Mara, if only just to be smug about it for the rest of the week. She got a certain thrill out of pestering the assassin, something she couldn’t quite place her finger on when she thought about it. Either way, it wasn’t as if Mara was all bad. Her work ethic was admirable, and she could be depended on if an assignment became too much for Nessa. Not that she’d ever tell that to her, of course. No doubt Mara would rub it in her face every time they crossed paths. “Yes, because it’s not as if I don’t anything better to do,” replied Nessa with a roll of her eyes, “But, yeah, I’m always up for a drink. Lead the way.”

nessa was still a large mystery to mara. while the two would collaborate and even assist each other, their relationship was hardly a personal one... at least, that’s what mara assumed at the start. the more the two of them spoke, the more she found herself almost interested in nessa as a person. she was insufferable. quiet and even a bit dreary, but she would continue their work if only to be one step before the other. it wasn’t isolated to only nessa though - - mara was like this with nearly every person she met. the insatiable need to win whatever the hell they were participating in could get dangerous. ❝ i assumed you didn’t- ❞ she replied casually before starting their walk to the nearest bar that she knew of. a small dive of a place, but it worked. and after all, it wasn’t as if mara was trying to impress anyone with venues right now. they needed some place private. ❝ you didn’t seem like the type to be up for drinks at this time. ❞

mara scoffed - - a half glare interrupted by a wince of pain at a sudden sting from her seriously bruised leg. likely broken or sprained at least with the fall she took. ❝ i can get back just fine, ❞ she responded, nudging nessa away and attempting to take a few strides though her balance took a nosedive as her leg nearly gave out. gripping back on to nessa, the assassin sighed in defeat. hesitating, she nodded. ❝ carry me home. ❞ kriff, she hoped that nessa wouldn’t hold it over her head. then again, the banter was a part of whatever sort of relationship they had. 

annoying little thing, nessa was. mara didn’t even know why she remembered her name, but it stuck for some reason. still, those big eyes of hers did nothing to appeal to her better nature. mara would always prefer to work alone if she could help it, however nessa was not entirely useless. at least the other had a good head on her shoulders and offered ideas that could be beneficial in their tasks at hand. so regardless of how annoying she was, nessa was probably the closest person that mara had.... not that that was saying much. given that the two were both under the first order as well, it wasn’t unusual to run into nessa rather frequently. ❝ don’t tell me you’ve just been sitting around all day, ❞ mara spoke, words smooth as ice as she looked over at the other. ❝ are you up for a drink? we should strategize. ❞

her head was tilted down at her wounded leg though she glanced up at the man before her. the one she was tasked to kill - - now asking her if she needed bandages... he was caring for her and yet she still had no reservations about carrying through with her plan. she was posed as an informant so her position wouldn’t be given away, but kriff was it difficult to keep her cover at a time like this. but mara knew that she was in no place to fight, and she did need assistance. pale pink lips huffed a sigh and she focused back on the blood spilling from her calf. ❝ just go get those bandages, ❞ mara spoke, covering the wound with her palm while she waited. however, she definitely wouldn’t stop fussing about it.