Chapter 1
Brakiss steepled his fingers. "All is going according to plan," he murmured aloud in the empty room. How are you holding up Skywalker? he thought sardonically. He contemplated the comm unit. To call Skywalker, or not to call Skywalker, that is the question.
He was reaching to key in the Jedi Academy's code when the comm lit up, indicating a call. "Brakiss."
"Master Brakiss," the comm technician said respectfully. "There is a incoming ship and it is signaling the Dark Secret with Commander Mangrete's code."
"Impossible," Brakiss said at once. "The Commander is on board. Connect me to the ship."
The tech did at once. "This is Brakiss," he barked into the comm. "Who is this?"
"Neo Chance, Master Brakiss."
The Dark Jedi Master stared at the comm in disbelief. "Certainly explains why you have Mangrete's code."
"Yes sir."
"We presumed you were dead."
"The Light Jedi took me back to the Academy. I managed to convince them that I wanted to stay. I recruited two students for our cause."
Commander Mangrete walked into the secondary bridge at that moment, looking rather pleased with himself. Brakiss waved at him to stay quiet. "Very good, Neo," Brakiss said into the comm. Mangrete's expression turned shocked. "Why did you not return immediately?"
Neo seemed to take a deep breath. "I felt I must make up for my failure to defeat the Light Sith."
Mangrete closed his eyes for moment, his expression that of disbelief. Abruptly, he snapped open his eyes and hissed. He shut up with a sharp look from Brakiss. "Stand by Neo. I'm transferring you to Control." He tapped in a command, and shut off the comm. "It seems we were wrong about Chance."
"Or not," Mangrete said. "One of the 'recruited' students is Hope."
Brakiss raised an eyebrow. "Neo can be fooled. He doesn't know of your past and Hope or Skywalker's involvement in it."
The commander looked unconvinced. Brakiss sighed. "I'm not debating this with you. We'll see if his intentions are true."
He remained silent. "One free punch," Brakiss conceded. "One."
Neo Chance shut down the small transport quickly as about ten stormtroopers and Brakiss and Mangrete walked rapidly across the bay toward them. "Wonderful," he sighed. "Time to play evil again."
David Tildan didn't reply as he stood from the copilot's chair. "God," he whispered.
Darien Hope stood stiffly at the back of the cockpit. "I should have stayed behind," he said, seeing Mangrete. "He'll kill me."
"No he won't."
"You have no idea Chance."
"Let's just get this over with," David snapped at them both. "If we screw this up, we're all dead; and I doubt the girls will be far behind us." He left the cockpit, Darien following.
Neo took a deep breath. "May the Force be with us," he murmured.
David was keying the landing ramp when Neo joined them. They exited the ship with Neo leading. They each gave short bows to the leader of the Dark Jedi.
Before anyone could say anything, Mangrete stepped casually forward and took a swing at Darien's head. Darien ducked backwards in time to avoid the blow.
"Commander," Brakiss said calmly, and Mangrete, glaring malevolently at Darien, returned to the Dark Master's side. "Welcome back, Neo. Darien Hope, it is certainly a surprise to see you here."
Darien kept a wary eye on Mangrete as he answered, "I disagreed with the Academy's methods and was kicked out."
Mangrete gave a short laugh, and was silenced with a look from Brakiss. "Interesting." His gaze flickered to David. "And you are?"
"David Tildan, sir."
"Familiar name. Do you hail from Naboo?"
"Yes, sir."
Brakiss nodded. "I remember. The sickness there, how long ago was it?"
David's throat seemed to constrict slightly. "Eight years."
"And your reasons for bring here?"
"I likewise disagreed with some of the Academy's methods, though I didn't voice them. When Neo mentioned the Dark Jedi Order, I thought I'd see what--"
"We'll see if you are fit to be a Dark Jedi," Brakiss cut him off sharply.
"Of course, sir."
Brakiss considered them all for a moment. "Neo, you are reinstated as Commander Mangrete's apprentice. Hope and Tildan, you shall be stormtroopers while we see if you are fit for being Dark Jedi. Hope, you will be watched even closer. One hint of sympathy to the prisoners here, you are gone."
Darien kept his expression neutral as he nodded fractionally.
Chapter 2
Dana Solo stood across the small cell from the bunk where her unconscious cousin lay in a semi-healing trance. "God, will she ever wake up?" she whispered, chewing on her nails.
Darth Marie Dravin, sitting at Cray Skywalker's feet, shrugged fractionally. "She's pretty badly injured," she murmured. "I'd say she doesn't want to wake up."
"Don't blame her," Dana said under her breath as Cray stirred slightly. "After what he did."
Cray groaned and turned her head toward the wall next to her, eyes squeezed shut as if in a bad dream. She let out a pained cry and snapped awake, breathing hard.
Marie was on her feet. "Cray, don't sit up," she ordered quickly. "You have a couple bruised ribs that aren't far from breaking."
Cray stared at her vacantly for a moment, then nodded. Is she even all here? Dana wondered frantically.
"My arm hurts," Cray said thickly after a moment. "My entire body hurts."
Marie shot Dana a look. "Do you remember anything of what's happened within the last twenty-four hours?" she asked softly. She sent Dana a quick thought, If she has a concussion...
Cray blinked. "Dark Jedi. Mangrete." She shivered as she said the Dark Jedi's name. "Unfortunately, I remember."
"Actually, I think fortunately is the word, Cray. You might have a had a severe concussion." Marie chewed on her bottom lip. "I know those memories can't be pleasant, but a with a concussion..."
She muttered something, then cleared her throat and spoke so they could hear her. "I know, I know. Are you two all right?"
Dana and Marie exchanged shocked looks. "You've just been...and you ask how we are!?" Dana exclaimed.
Cray sat up painfully. "There's nothing I can do to change the former, so I'm going to skip it and ask how you two are. Do you have a problem," she winced, "with this?"
Dana shook her head. "I'm going slightly insane, but they haven't harmed me."
Marie scowled. "Brakiss took me to his little secondary bridge and tried to get information about the Sith while subtly trying to turn me to the Dark Side."
Dana glanced back at her cousin. "Why does Mangrete hate you, Cray?"
Cray closed her eyes. "Does that name sound familiar to you Dana?"
"Vaguely. Wasn't he a student at the Academy during the Shadow Academy fiasco?"
Cray nodded. "Yes, he was. And he had a very big interest in me."
Dana and Marie fell silent. "You were twelve."
"Yes, I know. He was seventeen, but I didn't know it." She reopened her eyes and stared steadily at her cousin. "He was pushing me farther than I wanted to go and Darien interceded and Mangrete got kicked out. And now..."
"Now he wants revenge," Marie finished softly. "Wonderful, just wonderful. Don't ever not listen to your danger sense again!"
"You think I haven't realized that myself, Marie? You think I'm that stupid?"
"Well, you didn't listen to it when you needed to."
"And I can't change that! I'm sorry, okay?" She took a deep breath and winced. "I'm sorry."
The cell door slid open and several troopers walked in. "Solo, Dravin, let's go," the leader said, gesturing them out of the cell.
Dana left the cell without another word to her cousin. Marie joined her a few moments later and the troopers led them to their cells. Dana's was first and she ducked inside unwillingly. The door slid closed and locked.
After a moment's hesitation, she kicked it hard. "I still think the lead stormtrooper is cute!" she screamed, choking back her anger.
Chapter 3
Corran Horn paced slowly around the table the Council was gathered. "So, this is what the Dark Jedi had planned," he said softly.
No one answered him. "What are we going to do?" he asked. "It's doubtful--"
The comm buzzed. Streen stood and walked to the communications console. "Jedi Academy, this is Streen," he said.
"Yes, I'd like to speak with Master Skywalker," a deep voice said calmly.
"A lot of people would. Name, rank, and serial number?"
"Esbjorn Lundien. Reporter at Coruscant News Service--"
Streen hit the hang up switch. "You're popular again, Luke," he remarked as he retook his seat.
Luke Skywalker gave a slight laugh, but otherwise did not respond.
"Neo knew a way to get in that ship of theirs," Han Solo exclaimed. "We have to get it out of him. I don't care what it takes."
"No," Mara Jade Skywalker snapped at him. "That's what the Dark Jedi will expect and they'll set up a way to take us down. We've been through this, Han."
"Well, let's ask him again!" Han shouted.
Mara looked back at Luke, but he wouldn't look at her. She glanced around and sighed. "Where's Neo, Ganner?"
Ganner Rysnode narrowed his eyes. "I'll not call him here to be put through an interrogation--"
"He won't," Kirana Ti said calmly. "We have to know what that was. Go get him."
Ganner dug his comlink from his belt and keyed it on to contact Neo. There was no responding beep. "No answer," he said, standing. "I'll go find him."
Luke brought his head up, frowning. "Corran, call Darien." Corran gave him a puzzled look. "Why?"
"Call him!"
Corran twitched back involuntarily and tapped Darien's comlink code into the comm console. "No response, but there's a message waiting," he said. "Should I access it?"
"Yes."
Corran tapped the appropriate key and frowned. The message was text. He began to read, and felt his eyes widen. "I'm gonna kill him," he breathed.
"What?" Tionne asked.
"He's gone."
"What?" three or four voices asked.
"He's gone. 'Corran, you'll kill me for this later, but I'll understand. Of course, that's if I get back. Neo knew of a way to get into the Dark Secret: sneak. David decided to go along on his own (he said the Force was telling him to go; Mara can take that up with him later). I wasn't going to go, but I've changed my mind. We'll be back, one way or another. Darien.' He's dead. If Mangrete doesn't kill him, I will."
"I knew it!" Han yelled. "I'm gonna strangle Neo!"
"Hold it!" Ganner said, coming back into the room. "You're not strangling anyone. Neo's gone!"
"We know, Ganner," Kam Solusaar said. "He's gone to rescue them."
Ganner stared at him. "You sure?"
They all nodded. "He's crazy," Ganner declared.
"Yes," Luke said. "But how often have those words been directed at us?"
Chapter 4
Meditating is pointless around here, Marie thought as she restored her connection to language. She sighed, and cleared her throat. The cell door slid open and Brakiss stepped inside. "What do you want?" she asked him. "I established yesterday that I would tell you nothing."
"Yes, you tried," he said, a slight smile on his lips. "But events since haven't changed your mind?"
"What events?"
"Seeing your friend Skywalker."
"That's supposed to do what? Tell me Mangrete's a sick man? I could have told you that as soon as I saw him approach Cray in the bay. Do you have a reason to be here or can I go back to meditating?"
"No, you may not. You're coming with me," he said, beckoning over his shoulder. A familiar young man stepped inside and Marie forced herself not to react as she realized who it was.
Brakiss wasn't fooled. "I see you remember Neo Chance, Miss Dravin."
Her throat suddenly dry, she said, "How could I forget? A new challenge. Dueling with Cray can get rather boring after a while."
Brakiss nodded. "Come along, Miss Dravin. The less unpleasantness, the better off we'll all be."
Marie got to her feet automatically. And the bad just gets worse, she thought, glaring at Neo's back as she followed him from her cell.
"Two plus two equals four," Dana said to the ceiling, lying on her back on her shelf of a bunk. "Why? I mean, how do you know what two is? And how do you know what four is? Maybe two is really one and therefore two plus two would equal two. Maybe two is really three. Maybe two is really two and a half. You know, because in science, you have the number thing where the last digit is guessed. So it could be two point one zero zero five and that would not equal four."
The door slid open and a uniformed woman glared in at her. "Brakiss orders you to shut up," she said and the door slid closed again.
Dana stared at the steel for a moment, sat up, swung her legs over the side, and stood up. She walked over to the door and kicked it. "I STILL THINK THE LEAD STORMTROOPER IS CUTE!" she screamed. When her echo faded to silence, she walked back to her bunk and lay down again.
"So where was I? Oh right, the guessed numbers. Well, now if two was really two point five, then two plus two would equal five..."
Mangrete was accompanied by a stormtrooper when he came for her again.
Cray merely glanced at them as they entered. "Oh, more than one today," she said, her tone bland. "Gives you less time, Mangrete. A bit tired?"
She didn't have to look to see the faint smile on Mangrete's face. "Candid attitude today," he said warmly. "Does that extend outside of the cell?"
"Dunno. Haven't been out yet."
"Well, then come along."
"Naw that's all right."
Mangrete's smile slipped. "This isn't your Jedi Academy, Cray," he told her in a low voice. "There's no Hope to save you."
"No pun intended, right?"
He smiled genuinely this time. "Of course not. Come along, Cray."
She turned her head to look at him and he must not have liked the look in her eyes, because his smile disappeared and his expression turned into one she couldn't place. "Don't give me that look," he said softly. "That--"
"Unnerves you," she said, sitting up and letting a smile drift across her lips. "Something that unnerves Mangrete. Where's a holorecorder when you need one?"
He hissed something and set his jaw. He grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet. He shoved her back into the wall and stepped close to her. "Don't think for a second that it will ever become easy for you," he said. "By the time you die, you'll know more pain, more terror than you can possibly imagine."
She stared up at him, lips in a thin line. "And I'll never give you pleasure of showing it."
Mangrete smiled slightly. "You won't have to show me. You belong to me. You can hide nothing."
She raised her eyebrows. "We'll see."
He grabbed her arm again and pushed her to the open door. "Let's go."
Chapter 5
David paced slowly along the little used passageway Neo had designated their meeting place. He was no longer in stormtrooper gear, back in the clothes he'd had when they'd come. He heard footsteps and looked up.
"Hey David," Neo said softly, coming into view. "How'd your first day as a stormtrooper go?"
"Outside of constantly telling Dana that Brakiss orders her to shut up and slowly becoming crazy along with the rest of those pegged for observation duty, fine."
"Observation is boring, but I'd hardly count it as making you go crazy."
"You never had a Dana Solo discussing why two plus two equals four--or not," he said dryly. "She debated that for about four hours. Unless four is not four, like she says..."
Neo gave a sympathetic laugh. "Yeah, well, I think I have holes burned permanently into the back of my head from the way Marie was glaring at me. Where's Darien?"
David shrugged. "I only saw him when he was with Mangrete and they were escorting Cray somewhere."
"Somewhere he could spring a psychological trap on her," Darien's voice supplied. "I thought the worst he'd do was what he's already done, but he's not just interested in that."
"What do you mean?" Neo asked.
Darien sighed and began pacing the path David had been. "Cray understands a threat on her life. That's why she fights so well, she knows how to defend herself against a physical assault." He paused. "And Mangrete knows as well as I do that she's insecure. He's using it against her. She doesn't know how to fight off a psychological assault."
David didn't understand, and Neo didn't look like he understood wholly. "He hates her so much," Neo said. "You say they knew each other when he was at the Temple, but what could've happened to make him hate her that much?"
"It's his pride, I think," Darien murmured. "But there's something deeper. It was there when he first met her. It was why I didn't trust him."
"Can we work that out later?" David said impatiently. "Anybody have any ideas on how the hell we're going to pull this off?"
Darien shook his head. "We have to wait," Neo said. He checked his chrono. "I have to get back. We'll meet tomorrow, here. Same time, all right?"
They nodded and Neo left. Darien sighed again and ran a hand through his hair. "Dana's locked in a small room without break and Cray's under attack. What's going on with Marie? Anybody know?"
"I think Brakiss is trying to turn her," David murmured. "He took her from her cell this morning and when she came back, she was...I don't know how to describe it, but she meditated almost as soon as the door closed."
Darien shook his head. "This is crazy. How'd we wind up doing this?"
"You're guess is as good as mine Darien. We're here now. We can't change the past."
"You sound like such a damn Jedi."
"I'll take that as a compliment. Neo's right, we need to get back. See you tomorrow."
Neo walked into his room. "Refamiliarizing yourself with the ship?" Mangrete asked.
Neo looked up sharply. "Um, yes."
"After only three months, that is necessary?"
He shrugged. Mangrete nodded. "So what great knowledge did you gain from the Light Jedi?"
"About them or in lessons?"
"Either or."
"In lessons, nothing. Them...they don't seem genuinely concerned about us. At least, they didn't until the three were kidnapped."
Mangrete nodded slowly. "They wouldn't. Why did you leave when you did, just after that? Interesting timing."
"They started interrogating me, trying to find someway to rescue them. If I'd stayed much longer, they'd have discovered I was only bidding time."
"So, you are capable of thinking," he said mildly. He stood. "Meet me in the hanger bays tomorrow at noon. It's time I returned to training you."
"Yes, Master."
Chapter 6
The loud beep of the comm indicating a call roused Streen from his doze. "Damn," he muttered throatily before clearing his throat. "No calls in late afternoon."
The console beeped again and he hit the switch to patch the call through. "Jedi Academy if this is another press junket I'm hanging up."
There was silence a moment, then deep laughter. "The press is bothering you, Streen?" a familiar voice asked.
Streen went still. "Brakiss?" he hedged.
"You remember me. Let me talk to Skywalker."
"Uh, hold on, all right?"
"Certainly. I'm not going anywhere Streen, I very much want to talk to him."
"Sure you do," he said, hitting the hold button. He grabbed his comlink and keyed Luke's code. When there was no answer, he called Mara, who picked up rather quickly.
"Jade," she said.
"Mara, it's Streen. Where's Luke?"
"Uh, not sure. Why?"
"Brakiss is on the comm. He wants to talk to him."
"I'll find him. We'll be up. Call the rest of the Council, we'll want to discuss whatever he says."
"On it."
Less than two minutes later, Luke and Mara rushed into the room. "What comm?" Luke asked breathlessly.
"One," Streen said and the Jedi Master dashed over and keyed it on.
"This is Skywalker," he said.
"Hello, Master Skywalker. It's Brakiss."
"Streen told me. Where's my daughter?"
"That's what I wished to speak to you about," Brakiss said. "Did you know that your daughter is starting to break through her block? It's rather interesting around here."
"Brakiss--"
"No, Skywalker," Brakiss cut him off harshly. "I'm no longer your student. Do not speak to me like I am."
Streen saw Luke collect himself before speaking again. "How much liberty have you given Mangrete with her?" he asked, his voice tight.
"Considering his grudge against her is one of the main reasons we're holding her, an awful lot. He assures me she is in no mortal danger."
"I wasn't concerned about such. What about Dana and Marie?"
"Dana has yet to leave her cell. She is starting to drive some crazy. She's actually quite entertaining. Did you know two plus two just might not equal four? And that it is a great source of mystery for females why males are always warm?"
Mara snickered. "Sounds like Dana Solo," she murmured.
"And Marie?"
"Stubborn girl. She's quite good at verbal dancing. She's proving to be quite a challenge in turning."
Luke sat down in the chair in front of the comm and put his head in his hands. "And what will it take for you to let them go?"
"Dana we might just release back to without too much fuss. Marie...quite a bit. Cray you'll have to discuss with Mangrete and I can almost guarantee he won't be releasing her anytime soon."
Luke brought his head up, face white. "Then why are you calling?" he said softly.
Brakiss laughed. "You forget I still have a grudge with you Skywalker," he said and the comm clicked off.
Luke stared at the console for a pair of heartbeats. Mara grabbed his hands just as Streen caught the slight movement and she whispered fiercely in his ear for a few moments. He shook her off and leaned forward, elbows on the edge of the console and his head in his hands.
Streen exchanged looks with Mara as the members of the Council came in, Han and Chewbacca with them.
"What's up?" Corran asked after a moment.
"Brakiss called," Mara said.
There were a few whispers. "What does he want?" Han demanded, one hand resting on the butt of his blaster as if he could shoot the Dark Jedi from where he stood.
"Nothing," Luke said, his voice muffled by his hands. "They want them and they want us to suffer. That's all they want."
"Are they all right?" Leia asked.
Neither Luke nor Mara answered. Streen cleared his throat. "Dana is. Marie they're trying to turn, Cray... no idea. He only implied."
"Marie won't turn," a timid voice said from the doorway. They all turned to find Darth Ami Dravin standing there. She swallowed hard and repeated, "She won't turn."
"We know, Ami," Kyp said gently. "Go on. You don't need--"
"She's all the family I have," Ami cut him off violently. "I have a right to stay."
"She's right, Kyp," Luke said. "If she wants to stay she can."
The console beeped again. Streen growled and hit the switch. "Jedi Academy. If you're the press or the Dark Jedi, I'm hanging up."
"Okay," a vaguely familiar voice said slowly. "This is King Markhano of Naboo. The chances I get to stay on line are...?"
"Fairly good," Streen said. "Can I help you?"
"Give it here," Mara whispered, sitting at Comm Station Two.
"Hold on a second, sir, let me transfer you to Master Skywalker."
"Certainly."
Streen keyed the change and Mara tapped the accept key. "Jade-Skywalker."
Luke smiled slightly.
"Forgot there were two Master Skywalkers now," Markhano said, sounding amused. "I was wondering if I could speak to David Tildan."
Mara chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. "I'm afraid not."
There was a tsk from the speaker. "Dark Jedi have shut you down?"
"Not really," Mara said. "David is unavailable."
There was silence a moment. "He is, huh? Seems he neglected to follow my directions. When he is available again, have him call me, would you?"
Mara raised an eyebrow. "Certainly, Your Highness."
"Thank you, Master Skywalker," Markhano said and the comm clicked off.
There was a long silence. "If they're listening," Ganner said, "we just gave them away."
"Not necessarily," Cilghal said. "Who would admit to a student's guardian that he's defected to the Dark Side?"
"Except he hasn't," Mara said. "He's only gone to help rescue them. I'd like to discuss what chain of reasoning he used. And hear what reasoning he'll give Mark."
"Feel sorry for him," Luke said. "I can't imagine explaining half the stuff I've done to my aunt and uncle. Or even my father."
"Despite the fact he's probably done more than half of the same things?" Leia asked.
Luke shrugged. "Don't remind me of things I'd like to know, but never will."
Corran sighed. "So, Mara, the Dark Jedi have called," he said.
"Noticed. What's your point?"
"You said we wouldn't be able to do anything until they did."
"Yes."
"And we still can't. We're no further than we were four days ago."
Chapter 7
"You should always carry a spoon in your back pocket," Dana said loudly, "in case you get attacked by wild dingoes and have to defend yourself." She brandished the spoon she'd stolen from the last meal tray. "Handy advice right there." She stood up. "Wonder what a spoon would do against a Dark Jedi. Wonder if I could beat one unconscious."
She paced slowly to the door then to the side of the cell. She faced the wall and held the spoon across her chest as if it were a fencing sword. She spun on heel and held it out in classic fencing style. "I challenge you, oh invisible one-armed man, to a duel," she said.
They dueled for a while. "Ha!" Dana exclaimed after an hour. "I can best you, oh invisible one-armed man!" She lunged and spun so her side was facing her imaginary enemy. She spun back to face him and lunged again, then doubled over, moaning in pain. "You got me," she said in a pained voice, dropping her spoon and clutching her stomach. "You have bested me, oh invisible one-armed man, you have bested me." She collapsed to the floor and writhed in pseudo pain. "I am dying," she whispered to the ceiling. "Farewell oh sweet world. Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave woman. A plague," she exclaimed breathlessly, quoting an old play. "A plague on both your houses! A plague!" She went limp.
Marie set her jaw and refused to answer Brakiss. He sighed. "Really Marie, you are making this harder than it needs to be," he said, staring at her. He shook his head, trying to disguise the once-over he was giving her. "Just tell me of the Sith and I'll let you alone."
"Like you let Dana alone?" Marie asked doubtfully. "Before long, she'll duel with the invisible one-armed man. And lose."
Brakiss smiled slightly. "Wouldn't you like to meditate without interruption?"
"Yes, but not at the cost of selling my soul to the Dark Side. I know what you're trying to do Brakiss. I'm not stupid."
The intercom beeped. "And Solo's act resumes," Brakiss said, tapping a button.
"Um, sir, I just thought you'd like to know Solo just dueled with the invisible one armed man and lost."
"Send me the holo. That ought to be entertaining," Brakiss ordered, shaking his head in wonder. He clicked the intercom off and glanced at Marie. "I thought you knew Cray better."
"Dana's predictable when she's bored. She's even more entertaining in that act at school. But you'll never get to see that."
"Apparently," he said. "What makes you think that the Dark Sith are less than the Light Sith?"
"What I heard about what the Dark Side did to Vader and the Emperor was enough for me."
"A vain Light Sith Jedi," Brakiss said, smiling. "You are quite the oxy moron."
"I am not vain!"
"Yet the first reason you came up with was cosmetic."
"Who said it was cosmetic? I could've been referring to the limitations each had."
"Limitations? What limitations are there in the Dark Side? It is the light that is limited. All the rules, the Code."
Marie pressed her lips together and stared at him. "What do you know?" she whispered. "You've never worked for anything other than the Dark Side."
"You're angry."
"You think? You've kidnapped us, are putting my best friends through hell, and are constantly goading me. Who wouldn't be angry?"
"You could end it. Kill me and you would be free."
Marie hesitated. He had a point, except the rest of the ship wouldn't let her go without a fight, but if she could destroy Brakiss then--What am I thinking? She shook her head to clear it. I wasn't actually thinking about giving in, was I?
"Yes you were," Brakiss said calmly.
"Stay out of my mind!" she exclaimed.
"Why? That's an ability of the Dark Side. Follow me and you can read anyone. Even ones who would plan to destroy you."
"No."
"And how do you know the limitations of the Dark Side? You could kill me easily, using the Dark Side. Escape from this ship, even rescue your friends."
"The price is too high," she said stiffly. "I'll not turn and you won't learn about the Sith from me."
"Too high? To end your friends' suffering? What price is too high for that?"
Marie closed her eyes and closed him out. She collected her thoughts before opening her eyes again, making sure she was calm. "What good would I do them if I was Dark?" she asked. "Besides that, I'd be a threat to you, now wouldn't I? You are the one causing this anger. You would be the obvious outlet."
"Yes, but obvious doesn't always mean best," he said. "When you become Dark, you will find me a bit too...needed to destroy."
"Big assumption there."
"Maybe not, considering your performance today." He pressed a button on his desk and the doors slid open. "Good day Marie."
Cray glanced around as they entered the room. "Me without cuffs and a great many weapons to inflict injury on you within my reach," she said. "Aren't we brave?"
Mangrete smiled thinly. "Says who?" he asked. Without warning, her vision went black.
She came to maybe five minutes later, lying on her back on a cold metal surface. She only wore her undergarments and her wrists and ankles were secured to the surface. "Torture today?" she asked, checking the give of the bonds.
Something fell on her stomach and she twisted her head to look. She felt her blood run cold and she swallowed hard.
"One of your worst fears, is it not?" Mangrete asked, smiling genuinely down at her. "Spiders."
She tore her eyes away from the tarantula and stared up at him. "I guess so," she said through a suddenly dry throat.
"Pardon me?"
"I asked you if it was torture today," she said. "I was answering my own question. Aren't I allowed that much?"
He shrugged and glanced away. The spider began to move and Cray shivered. Mangrete moved from her field of vision and she began working on controlling her fear. Just as she got it under control, she sensed Mangrete enter her mind. She fought to block him, but since she was unable to touch the Force, she'd never learned how to block properly and he overrode her defenses easily. The fear surged and he wouldn't let her try to gain control again.
Chapter 8
Darien felt like he was going crazy. He'd been assigned observation duty and Dana was particularly crazy today, hitting on any and all male stormtroopers or officers that told her to shut up.
He didn't get it. She had to know that some of them thought she was serious and were quite anxious to take her up on her offers. She'd fight to her death if anyone tried. Maybe that's what she wants, he thought idly. Maybe death is preferable to this.
He sighed and shifted in his chair. One of the others stuck there gave him a sympathetic look. "Boring, isn't it?" he asked.
"No," Darien said. "If she pulls one more logical trap, I'm gonna go insane."
"Really," he scoffed. "What are you in here for? You do know this is punishment."
"I'm in here for being who I am," Darien answered shortly.
"Always bad."
"Yeah," Darien murmured. And I'll be gone soon and so will she, and Cray, and Marie, he thought, carefully shielding his thoughts.
Neo was starting to get bored with it all. He'd been meeting Mangrete for training at noon for six days straight and they only trained for an hour or so before his former Master departed to torment Cray Skywalker and Neo was sent to try and help Brakiss turn Marie.
He didn't know which he hated more, knowing that if he could think up one more stupid question--or even the right stupid question--he'd delay Cray's pain for a while longer, or that he was helping Marie's turning and it was succeeding.
Brakiss had gotten Marie into another verbal dance and those never required Neo's help. He was probably supposed to be learning, he figured. But the verbal dances only got both Neo and Marie furious, Marie because of the things Brakiss said, and Neo because of the way Brakiss was looking at her.
Brakiss did another slow once over of Marie's appearance. "The Dark Side favors you," he told her.
Marie's shoulders tightened. "You wish."
Brakiss sighed and leaned forward, pretense gone. "You're reluctance may soon force me to find other measures to get the information from you."
"Torture?" Marie scoffed. "I'll say nothing."
"Perhaps," he said threateningly.
"Turn me over to Mangrete?"
"His attentions are full. Mine, however, and Neo's are not."
Neo forced himself not to react. He'd do no such thing and he didn't care what would happen if he didn't.
"Killing you in self defense isn't of the Dark Side," Marie snapped.
Brakiss shrugged. "Perhaps. Self defense arises from fear, does it not?"
"Sometimes. But you forget I am a Light Sith. And Sith, light or dark, do not fear."
Brakiss smiled. "And how else do the Sith not behave?"
He hadn't known her long, but Neo could picture the cynical smile on Marie's face. "Don't be too proud of yourself, Brakiss, I gave you that one."
Brakiss sat back, smile gone. "Fine. Neo, take her back to her cell," he ordered.
"Yes sir," Neo said.
Marie was already on her feet and allowed him to cuff her. She didn't say anything until they reached the turbolift.
"So if he orders you to do what he implied, will you?" she asked casually.
Neo was silent for a second, checking for holocams and recorders. "No," he said, finding none. "And he won't have the time."
Marie turned and glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.
Neo smiled and he saw the flicker of surprise on her face. "Things are not always what they seem, Marie," he said softly.
"Sleeping on the job?" Mangrete snapped as he passed the guard station.
David raised both eyebrows, even though he knew the Dark Jedi couldn't see him. "No, sir," he answered, clearing his throat before his voice could crack from disuse.
"Good." Mangrete stalked down the cell bay. David stayed put. Six days they'd been held, and the even days meant no one accompanied them.
Sure enough, when Mangrete came back into view, Cray in tow, he ordered that no one was to come along. They entered the turbolifts and all the stormtroopers and officers seemed to relax. Everyone seemed to fear Mangrete, and David had long since seen they had reason.
Chapter 9
"Our top story tonight is the continued hostage situation between the Jedi and their Dark counterparts," the holo newscaster said in a pseudo concerned tone. "Today marks the seventh day three of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker's students have been held by the Dark Jedi Order, those students including Skywalker's daughter, Cray, and niece, Dana Solo. The Jedi have remained noncommittal about the situation and the Dark Jedi have made no contact. However, this latest crisis has many parents concerned about their children being taught at Master Skywalker's academy--"
"Turn it off," Luke muttered.
Han pulled out his blaster and took aim. The holo pad disintegrated.
"That's not what I meant," Luke said.
"It works," Mara said. "Now we don't have to turn it on and hear it again, and again and again..."
"I get the point, sweetheart."
Chewie barked something. "Translation please?" Leia asked her husband.
"You don't want to know," Han said.
"Han..."
"Uh, Leia, I was serious. Wookies have some graphic curses."
Leia nodded. "Chewie, do not teach them to my kids."
Chewie growled an assent. "He said all right," Han supplied.
Leia glared at him.
"Just trying to help, Hon," Han protested. "There's not much else I can do around here."
"There's not much any of us can do," Luke murmured.
Chapter 10
"Once there was this little cat and all she ate was yarn. And when her little kittens came, they came with sweaters on. I'm going crazy, would you like to come along? I'm going crazy, just singing this song," Dana sang as off key high pitched as she could get. "Once there was this little dog and all she ate was cans. And when her little puppies came, they came in Ford sedans. I'm going crazy, would you like to come along? I'm going crazy, just singing this song. When Mary had a lamb, the doctor was surprised. When old McDonald had a farm, the doctor nearly died. I'm going crazy, would you like to come along? I'm going crazy, just singing this song."
"If the song is making you go crazy," the Dark Jedi Lieutenant said icily, "then SHUT UP!"
The door swished closed behind him and Dana got up and kicked it. "I STILL THINK THE LEAD STORMTROOPER'S CUTE!" she screamed.
"SHUT UP!" came a collective yell faintly through the steel.
Dana put her hands on her hips. "THIS IS THE SONG THAT NEVER ENDS..." she sang at the top of her lungs.
Marie smiled as she heard the screamed conversation outside her cell. Brakiss hadn't come for her today, which she was glad of. She was on the line already, and she had no desire to cross it. But her resistance was wearing thin. And what was Neo up to?
"Oh right, it's an odd day," Cray said sarcastically, stopping just inside the cavernous, empty room. "What kinda mind games do you intend to play today?"
Mangrete turned to face her, a lightsaber in each hand. "Who said it's a mind game?" he asked, nodding to the stormtroopers behind her. One shoved her further into the room and they took up posts on either side of the door.
"Why should I waste my energy sparring with you when the penalty for winning is the same as the penalty for losing?" Cray asked, keeping as much distance between her and Mangrete as possible. She glanced at the stormtroopers and could've sworn their stances were worried--at least, they were until Mangrete noticed and glared at them.
The Dark Jedi tossed her one of the lightsabers. "Use this, since you didn't have yours."
"My father doesn't allow us to take our lightsabers to Coruscant; I think he's afraid we'll dice the teachers or something." She studied the hilt and smiled to cover her confusion. "Don't blame him. I wouldn't mind dicing Kriton." The hilt looked strangely familiar. In fact, it looked an awful lot like--
Mangrete leapt at her, blood red lightsaber ignited. Cray snapped on the blade, and a beam of black green energy sprang forth. Doubt suddenly gone, she brought the blade up to block Mangrete's attack.
The only duels she had ever been in were for training. Firefights were one thing; they were impersonal, but a duel with someone who'd like to kill her was something new.
And she was at a severe disadvantage. Her danger sense, and the skills Mara and Shada had taught her more than made up for her block to the Force. Her disadvantage, she realized as pain shot through her right arm as she blocked a particularly fierce attack, was the effect of what Mangrete had done over the past week.
A surge of anger coursed through her and with it came the Force. But it was unlike the connections she'd gotten before. It was sinister.
She didn't dwell on it.
Moments later, the offensive was hers. Lightsabers hummed and flashed as their hatred for each other filled the room.
The stormtroopers glanced at each other. They didn't have to see the other's face to know the looks they both wore.
The fighters' blades locked. They put all their strength into forcing the other down. Their eyes met and the energy in the room intensified and became almost tangible.
Cray felt her hatred rise as she stared at him. No! her subconscious screamed at her and Mangrete came into focus. Giving into your hatred will only make you just like him! Don't give in! She struggled for a moment and steeled herself. She flung the hatred out of her mind.
With it went the Force. Without it, she was no match for Mangrete's strength. She extinguished her blade and leapt to the side. Overbalanced and startled, he fell forward.
He turned off his blade as he tumbled to the floor. The hilt rolled away and Cray pounced on it. Before he could sit up, she had her blade back on and two centimeters from his nose. "Pity," she said, voice unemotional, "I hoped you'd have managed to kill yourself." She smiled slightly. "I'm still the better fighter."
His eyes rose from the blade to her face, the hatred burning there all but tangible. She felt her own hatred rise to meet his, and she squashed it. "Katchni," he hissed.
She nodded. She twitched the blade, making him jump. "This is Darien's," she said loudly. Her eyes narrowed. "Isn't it."
"Yes."
"Where'd you get it? If you'd had killed him, you'd have told me about it almost instantly."
The taller stormtrooper twitched, but no one noticed.
Mangrete smiled thinly, but didn't answer. "Disengage your blade, Cray," he said, reaching for her mind.
She shoved his presence away and saw the surprise in his eyes. "No."
He narrowed his eyes and the blade disappeared. Before Cray could react, he swung one leg under hers, knocking her onto her back. He was up and had her pinned before she could catch her breath.
"You were right," he whispered. "The penalty for winning and losing are the same."
She only stared at him.
He smiled and addressed the stormtroopers without looking at them. "Report back to the debriefing room," he ordered. They must've hesitated. "Now!" he barked and she heard them scramble out the door.
Back in the debriefing room, Darien tore off his helmet. "Tonight," he hissed at the other as he calmly pulled off his own helmet. "We get them out tonight."
David nodded. He looked calm, but that was only at passing glance. "All right," he murmured. "Who gets to tell Neo?"
"I'm back on observation in fifteen minutes. You find him. Mangrete's attention will be occupied for a while," he growled.
David nodded again. "See you later then," he said. "Wait! On what terms are you with the guys in observation?"
Darien gave him a Look. "Why?"
"Just tell me."
"All right. Why?"
"They're all being driven crazy by Dana, right?"
Darien grinned. "I'll see what I can do."
Chapter 10
Neo hissed. "How the hell do you think we're going to do this with a few hours notice?" he said.
"First off, this wasn't my idea in the first place. Second, it's Darien's idea for tonight--I agree, but it wasn't my idea," David said irritably.
"Well, how are we supposed to get by observation? All three of their cells are wired."
"Darien's on it. He's got observation now."
"Mangrete and Brakiss?"
"I don't know," David snapped. "You're the brains of this operation."
Neo's comlink beeped. "Shut up for a second," he said, unhooking it. "Chance."
"Meet me at the guard station to the cell bay in fifteen minutes," Mangrete ordered. "If you see Tildan, bring him."
"Yes, sir," Neo said as a click signified Mangrete had signed off. "Lucky for us, he's found out."
"There's no such thing as luck," David muttered. "And he hasn't found us out."
"Then why would he want you and me in the cell bay?"
"Let's go find out."
Darien was waiting for them when they got there, but Mangrete was nowhere in sight. "I talked to 'em. They want Dana gone and a couple said they'd actually let her escape," he told them in a low voice.
"Then this is our chance," Neo muttered, resigned.
"Don't tell me you're actually starting to like it here," David said.
Neo shook his head as the turbolift opened and Mangrete stepped out. "Tildan, Hope, check in your weapons and come with me," he ordered.
David and Darien handed their blasters to the puzzled guard. "Neo, come," Mangrete said and started off down the cell bay. They fell into step behind the commander.
The door of her cell slid open and Cray looked up. Mangrete ducked inside; and she took a deep breath and steeled herself. Two unarmed stormtroopers followed him in and took posts on either side of the door.
"Get up, Skywalker," Mangrete said.
"Why should I?" she asked, not moving.
He grabbed her injured forearm and yanked her to her feet.
Her face paled in pain, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of a shriek. "What do you want with me now?" she hissed between clenched teeth. "You've had your fun for the day."
Mangrete gave her an evil grin as his face hovered close to hers. "What do you think I want, Cray?" he said menacingly.
She only stared at him. He straightened. "Remove your helmets," he ordered the stormtroopers.
Both hesitated. "Now!" Mangrete snapped.
The shorter one removed his helmet first and it took Cray a minute to recognize him. "That stormtrooper looks a lot like someone I know," she said to Mangrete evenly.
He grinned. "How do you know it's not him?"
"David Tildan? You're kidding right?"
Mangrete shook his head. Cray reluctantly glanced back at him and forced herself not to react. "Hardly knew him. Am I supposed to react or something?"
"You forget the other," he said, more than a little evil glee in his voice as he released her.
She glanced at the other stormtrooper and felt her jaw go slack. "Now that's good," she said to Mangrete, trying hard to keep her voice steady. That look she's saw in Darien's gaze she'd only seen once, and she didn't like the way it was focused on her. "Where'd you find someone who resembles Darien Hope so closely?"
"What makes you think it's not him?"
"Does the reasoning that you wouldn't let Darien on this ship to save your life count?"
Mangrete shrugged. "Wasn't my choice," he said. "Besides, your reaction to him is quite amusing. Most you've reacted to all this week."
She closed her eyes, praying she was in some horrible nightmare but knowing it wasn't. "What was the point of this Mangrete?" she asked quietly, giving up.
"Why, Cray, it was meant to--"
His sentence cut short and she heard a loud thunk. She opened her eyes to find Mangrete lying on the floor.
"He's stunned," Neo's voice said. She looked to the entrance and saw Neo holding a blaster steady on the unconscious man. He flipped the small blaster he held the barrel. "You've got far more reasons than I," he said. "Be my guest."
She didn't move for a minute before accepting the blaster. She held it for a moment, debating it. She shook her head. "Naw, let Brakiss deal with him," she said, tossing back the blaster. "Been taking lessons from my stepmother?"
Neo grinned, slipping the blaster back into his sleeve holster. "Sure."
She glanced at Darien first and was relieved to see his expression had turned worried. "You do that to me again," she said. "You're a dead man." She looked at David. "Same for you."
Darien grinned. "If you're normal self isn't permanent, I settle with it for now. You're going with David, all right?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"Not really."
Cray nodded. "Don't forget my cousin and the Sith," she said as David slipped his helmet back on.
"This is the song that never ends, it goes on and on my friend. People started singing it not knowing what it was," Dana sang as off tune as she could get. The door slid open and she tapered off, smiling as she realized it was the stormtrooper she'd decreed had a cute butt. "Hi," she purred as he came in. "Finally decided to take me up on my offer, I see."
The trooper sort of laughed as he pulled off his helmet. "Maybe tomorrow, babe, but we gotta go somewhere," Darien said.
Dana shot to her feet. "What are you--took you long enough! Good god--!"
He pressed a finger to her lips hurriedly. "Quiet," he hissed. "The guard up front is conscious."
"Huh?"
"I'll explain on the ship. Come on. Or do you plan to stay here for another week?"
"Oh hell no," she whispered, moving for the door as Darien slipped his helmet back on. "We have to get Cray."
"Already taken care of. She's on her way to the ship unless they've run into some trouble."
"Marie?"
"'Member Neo Chance?"
"Dark Jedi Marie brought back?"
"Half right, but it works for now. He's getting her."
"Let's go then."
Marie was deep in meditation when her cell door slid open. "Forget it Brakiss," she murmured.
"I'll be insulted later, but for now we don't have time. Get out of that meditation unless you'd like to bear the wrath of Dark Jedi Master Brakiss when two prisoners have escaped and a few supposed Dark Jedi helped them."
Marie snapped open her eyes, disoriented. "Excuse me, I thought I heard 'supposed Dark Jedi helped them' escape your lips."
Neo nodded. "Like to go yet?"
"Explain to me why I should trust you."
"What did I tell you in the turbolifts less than two days ago?"
"Drawing a blank."
Neo sighed heavily. "All right, let me put it plainly. I'm leaving, Cray and Dana are leaving, would you like to join us?"
"Sounds like a Brakiss trap to me."
"Fine, stay here," he said, turning.
"Wait. I remember: 'things are not always what they seem', right?"
"Very good. Coming?"
Marie stared at him for a minute. "Better to die on the move, I suppose," she said, getting to her feet.
David grabbed Cray's arm and pulled her back. He aimed his reclaimed blaster at the shadows in front of the turbolifts. "Mark let me be a guard for two reasons, Mangrete, my instincts and my aim. I've never missed a target yet."
Mangrete laughed and David felt Cray shudder. He stepped from the shadows. "You'd have made a excellent Dark Jedi, Tildan," he said.
"I'm insulted. Do I need to shoot you or you gonna let us by?"
"You think you can shoot me?"
"Seems you've forgotten something," David said. "You need a lightsaber to block a shot at this range."
He felt the blaster twitch and he tightened his hold on it, both physically and with the Force. "You're good," Mangrete said softly. "The sickness did that to you or is that all on your own?"
"What the sickness did or didn't do is none of your damn business. Don't start a psychological game with me. I'm immune to them."
"And it seems a certain Crysta came up in our background research for you."
David glared at him. "And everything that comes out of that katchni's mouth is lies. Who's version did you stumble across, mine or hers?"
"Hers."
"Of course," David said sourly.
Mangrete's gaze flickered to Cray. "You're no better off if you leave, Skywalker. He's the same."
"As you? No one's that sick."
"Immunity to psychological games means you have to know how to play them. And the complaint filed from Crysta's father..."
David switched the level from 'kill' to 'stun' and pulled the trigger. "You managed to put up with a week of that?" he asked Cray. "I'm impressed."
"Glad you think so," she said. "On second thought, lemme see that blaster."
He grinned as they entered the hanger bay. "You'll get another chance," he said.
Chapter 11
Streen heaved an exasperated sigh as he hit the switch to accept another call. "Jedi Academy."
"Yes, I'd like to speak with Master Skywalker concerning his daughter--"
The reporter's voice cut off as Streen hit the hang up switch. The comm beeped again. "Jedi Academy."
"Connect me to Master Skywalker."
"Oh hell no, buddy, there's been people calling all week and he's talking to no one--"
"STREEN HE'LL TALK TO ME!"
"You sound an awful lot like Darien Hope," Streen said, frowning at the console.
"Maybe because I am," Darien said sarcastically. "Lemme talk to him."
"All right," Streen said. "Hang on."
"I'm hanging just outside the atmosphere, Streen."
Streen tapped the hold switch and dialed in Luke's comlink, a distinct sense of déjà vu in his stomach as Luke picked up. "Unless this is good news, Streen--"
"Darien's back."
The comlink clicked off and Luke materialized in the communications room almost instantly. "What comm?"
"One."
Luke ran over and hit the accept switch. "Darien?"
"Wazzup?"
Laughter erupted from the speaker. Luke grinned in relief. "You got them."
"Did you ever doubt us?" Neo's voice asked.
"Landing pad four guys," he said.
"Got it. Please talk to Corran before I see him. I'd like to live to enjoy the fact we tricked Dark Jedi."
"All right," Luke said. "Least I can do."
"Zank you," Darien said. "See you on the ground." The comm clicked off.
Luke stared at the speaker for a few minutes longer. "They succeeded," he said in disbelief.
"Not surprised," Streen said. Luke glanced at him, frowning. "It was, after all, what Lando would have called a 'the-other-guy-thinks-no-one's-stupid-enough-to-try-that-but-we-are plan'."
Luke laughed. "And lucky for us, so are they."
Han stood impatiently at the edge of the landing pad. "Hurry it up, Hope," he said under his breath.
"Patience is a virtue," Mirax Terrik-Horn said.
"That doesn't make impatience a vice, honey," Corran countered. He stopped for a moment, thinking it over. "In your case, I'd prefer patience."
Mirax punched him in the arm.
The ship settled and began to power down. The landing ramp, however, was engaging before the repulsorlifts had turned off.
Marie was first off and she ran for her sister. Han thought he saw tears on Marie's face, but he figured it must have been his imagination. Marie, in tears. I think that's an oxy moron.
Leia nudged him in the side. A smuggler with a heart is an oxy moron, dear.
Han glared at her as Dana ran down the ramp and directly into his arms. "They kept me locked up in the same room all week and they had bad food and they kept telling me shut up," Dana was saying rapidly, her words muffled by Han's shirt. "I know Cray had it worse off, but...but..."
"Dana, sweetheart, it's all right," Han said. "Calm down a little. You can tell us all you did to drive the Dark Jedi as crazy as you were later, okay?"
She nodded and hugged him tighter. She reached out for her mother and Leia stepped over, hugging them both.
"And I thought the Emperor was bad," Mara murmured, staring at the medical read out for Cray. "I don't even want to know about that one," she said, pointing to the screen. "Ever."
Next to her, Luke nodded, feeling sick. "What the hell did he do to her?" He turned away from the screen toward the bacta tank, where Cray was drifting in a Jedi healing trance. He got the strange feeling she was letting the healing trance work on her mind while the bacta worked on her body.
"Malnutrition, broken ribs, burns as if from a lightsaber, that cut on her arm," Mara muttered, still working on what she was seeing in the read out. "I don't get the cut on her arm, though. It's purpose, I mean. Bacta'll heal that."
Cilghal shook her head. "No it won't," she said. "It wasn't given proper attention so it's infected. Scar tissue has already started to form. And a lot of it. It will take forever and a day to heal, bacta or no bacta, and it will scar."
"It's a brand," Luke said. "A constant reminder of what he did. So even if she could block it, she would never forget."
"Three chances they had to kill him," Mara said. "Neo had a chance, David had a chance, and Cray had a chance. None of them took it."
"It's a strength and a weakness," Cilghal said.
"How are the others?" Luke asked.
"Dana has spent the last five days sleeping outside," Mara said. "She's been making Darien bring her food and she's only come in to shower once a day. Marie is having difficulty. She hit the line, Luke, and she doesn't like it."
Luke shook his head. "In hindsight, you never do," he said softly. "But at the time...she didn't go over?"
"She got angry, but she never acted on it."
"Then she's better off than a lot of us who've hit the line," Luke said. "Corran, Kyp, Kam, me."
"She'll be all right," Ami said softly.
Chapter 12
Dana lay back and stared up at the stars. It was true night on Yavin 4, with the sun gone and Yavin itself on the other side of the horizon. Around her, the sounds of the forest hummed without interruption.
There was a crack of a twig and Dana sat bolt upright, a blaster in one hand and her lightsaber in the other. "Hey, hey, it's just me," Darien said.
She relaxed. "What are you doing out here?" she asked. "I'm not going inside."
He laughed. "Who said I was going to ask you?"
"They all have. I'll go inside tomorrow and take a shower. If Cray's up, I'll go see her. Otherwise, forget it."
"All right, all right," Darien said, laughing. "I wasn't coming to bring you in, Dana, relax. I was coming to ask if I could join you."
Dana was silent for a minute. "You're kidding."
"No," he said, sitting down next to her.
"Is this some kinda reverse psychology?"
"No! You had no one but yourself to talk to for a week straight. Would you like to have an actual conversation or shall I go back inside?"
Dana dove for his arm. "No, no, you can stay."
"Thank you," Darien said, shaking his head and grinning. "So."
"So."
He laughed. "Aren't we supposed to arch enemies or something?"
"No, my arch enemy is Brakiss. Sorry Darien, you got the boot."
"Well, so did you. Mangrete's got arch enemy."
"So I'm second arch enemy?"
"If I'm yours."
"All right, we've renegotiated our positions in relation to each other," Dana said. "How 'bout a fight?"
"Not really in the mood. I've seen enough animosity to last me a life time."
"Me too."
They were silent for a long time. Dana sighed inaudibly. Enough games, she thought. "I have an idea."
"What's that?"
"Let's play... I'll guess your favorites."
He gave a short laugh. "Sure, all right. What's my favorite color?"
"Black."
"What's my favorite food?"
"You're the only guy I know who'll admit that it's chocolate."
Darien was silent for a minute. "You little brat!" he exclaimed. "You do remember!"
"You think I'd forget that? You had to search for a story you could tell me. What's up with that?"
"You know my parents disowned me."
"Er, wrong. You're talking to the wrong Skywalker descendant."
"I am? I thought I was talking to the right one, the one I like."
"Excuse me, but--" Dana paused. "Wait, you like me?"
"Yes."
Dana stared at him. "Did you come out here just to tell me that?"
"No. That wasn't even in the reasoning. Trying to get things back to normal maybe, but not to tell you I liked you. That kinda just happened."
"Things don't 'just happen', Cake Boy."
"Cake Boy?"
"Food fight. You had cake all over you."
"Uh, sorry. Blank."
"Blank like I pulled blank for the last three months about the time I called you in the middle of the night?"
"No, real blank, not faking."
"It's called denial, Darien."
Darien absorbed that. "Denial of what?" he asked, just a little angry.
"Denial of the fact you were looking for someone other than me."
"Elaborate, please."
"The girl of your dreams you described..."
Darien started laughing. "Dana, I was describing you! I was trying not to be obvious!"
She stared at him. "You were?"
"Yes!" He looked at her, and in the darkness, his deep blue eyes shone. "Who else would fight with me?"
"Cray."
"No. Cray won't fight with me. At least, no any other sense than older brother. You, you just like to fight with me."
"Of course I do. How else can I talk to you?"
"We're talking now."
She considered that a moment. "Yeah I guess we are. But I don't want to talk to you anymore."
His face fell. "You don't?"
"Of course not," she said, grinning. "I'd rather do this." With that, she sat in lap and kissed him.
"David!"
David stopped and turned. "Yes, Master Skywalker?"
Mara slowed to a walk. "Mark called while you kids were gone. He wants you to call him."
David made a face. "I'm dead," he said grimly, starting for the communications room.
Mara gave a short laugh and fell into step beside him. "Mark's going to give you hell?"
"Hell is a mild word."
She grinned. "Compared to what Mangrete has to be going through right now?"
"Let me get back to you on that, Master," he said, smiling. "I have to see what he's going to say."
"He said something about not following his direction."
David nodded. "I didn't," he said simply as they reached the communications room. Streen and Luke were in a fierce argument with someone on comm one.
Mara pointed him to a comm far away from them. "Take eight," she said.
David nodded, keying in the code to Mark's personal comm in the Theed Palace. "Markhano," the sovereign king answered a moment later.
"Hi Mark."
"Well, hello, wayward son," Mark said. "Where've you been?"
"The Dark Jedi's flagship."
"You know, I seem to remember telling you not to do anything stupid."
"No, that was when you sent me up to the residential areas."
"Don't talk back, David. I'm not amused."
"Mark--"
"No, I don't want to hear it," Mark said sharply. "Your mother would be rolling in her grave if she knew what's happened."
David set his jaw. "That's not fair, Mark," he said tightly. "I followed my instincts. That's what a Jedi does, the last time I checked."
"And you've been at that academy three months."
"And what was the reason you let me be a guard?"
The comm was silent. Luke excused himself from his conversation and edged over. "You didn't use to talk back," Mark said at last.
"Apologies, Your Highness," David shot back. "You used to respect my instincts."
Luke glanced at his wife. She shrugged.
The comm was silent again. "I don't want to hear about another stunt like this," Mark said. "Am I understood, David?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good," the king said. He paused. "Good job, David. And your parents would be proud." The comm clicked off.
David shifted his weight back on his heels. It wasn't how he'd expected the conversation to go. True, he hadn't expected praise, but he hadn't expected Mark to be like that.
"Luke, he's demanding to talk to you," Streen said from across the room.
"Tell him patience is a virtue," Luke said, looking thoughtful. He gave David a sympathetic smile. "You're lucky. My uncle would have refused to even speak to me if I'd pulled a stunt like what you three pulled."
David shook his head. "It was as much of a stunt as attacking the first Death Star was, Master Skywalker," he said, grinning, and he bolted from the room.
Chapter 13
Cray slowly became aware of the world around her again. The blackness that had held her consciousness for so long turned to a dim brown, indicating she was awake. She inhaled slowly, steadily, recognizing the aftereffects of a soak in the bacta tank, and more than a few days in a Jedi healing trance.
She felt something that didn't make sense. She sensed a tightly focused light next to where she lay, masculine, familiar, and worried. I must still be dreaming, she thought distantly. I can't touch the Force.
But she was awake and she knew it. She swallowed to work moisture back into her throat and mouth and opened her eyes. The ceiling of the Jedi Academy's med center slowly focused. She blinked a couple times to make sure she had focus and looked to her left, where she still felt the presence. Her father sat in a chair next to her bed, gaze on the floor, but probably not seeing it, with the worried expression she was so familiar with on his face.
"Dad," she said, and he looked up, startled. The presence in her mind turned startled as well. So this is what it's like, she thought, to sense others.
The worried expression on Luke's face melted into relieved as he moved from the chair to perch on the edge of her bed. "You're awake," he said softly, smiling. "Do you feel better?"
She nodded, chewing on the inside of her cheek like she always did when she was thinking over something she didn't quite understand. The presence, which she was pretty sure was her father's now, had turned relieved. "Dad, I can sense you," she murmured.
He frowned. "What?"
"I can sense you," she repeated, clearer.
He studied her for a moment. "Your Force sense is stronger," he murmured. "Can you sense anyone else?"
She shrugged and closed her eyes. She felt the Force dimly, and stretched out with it. "Cilghal, Ami," she said, opening her eyes. "At least, I think it's them. Just outside, in a fight about something."
Luke nodded, smiling bemusedly now. "Not what I expected to hear when you woke up," he said. His smile slipped, just noticeably. "Are you all right?"
"About what happened?" she asked. He nodded. "I guess. It's not something I'm going to forget anytime soon." She sat up and folded her legs underneath her. She saw the bandage on her right arm. "It wouldn't heal?"
He shook his head. "Cilghal said it will take 'forever and a day' to heal, and it will scar," he told her softly. "She said infection had already set in, so there wasn't much bacta could do for it."
She nodded slowly, curling her hand into a fist. Signals of pain rippled from her arm and she lay her hand flat again. Tears stung the back of her eyes and she blinked them back.
Luke saw it. "It doesn't help to keep it inside, Cray," he murmured, echoing what Gaeriel had told him so many years before.
She nodded, biting her lip. "Could you show me how to block it?" she whispered.
He shook his head, and he was suddenly the Jedi Master. "If the block ever came down, you'd go crazy."
"I don't mean totally," she said, steady again and trying to figure out how to explain it. "I don't want to forget--okay I do, but that's not possible--but I don't want the memories drifting in when I don't need them."
He thought about it a minute. "I could," he said, Jedi Master disappearing under compassion for his daughter. "But not right now. You need more of your strength back."
She nodded, feeling the lump in her throat rise again. Luke took her in his arms and she buried her face against his shoulder and let the tears come.
Marie paced slowly, silent more from being tired of talking than waiting for her Master to respond. Kyp cleared his throat. "It's not wrong to feel anger, Marie," he said. "It's human. To deny your feelings is to deny the Force."
"I could've--"
"You could have done a lot of things. But you didn't. We are seekers, not saints, Marie," he told her, using one of the old Order's mantras. "You controlled your anger to the point of non-action and that is far better than your Dark Sith predecessors."
Marie absorbed that. "Cray was right," she said suddenly.
"Excuse me?" Kyp asked.
"Before Chandrila," she said, "and for a few weeks afterwards, I had a recurring dream where someone was teaching me the Dark Ways of the Sith. I thought the man who was teaching me was Palpatine, but I wasn't sure. I told Cray about it, and she said it might be a warning. She was right."
Kyp smiled. "Dreams are never just dreams for Jedi," he reminded her. "They could be a future, warnings, any number of things. But then again, they may just be dreams. Brakiss was trying to extract information about the Sith. Information you already knew. It certainly was a warning, my apprentice, and you heeded it."
"Not at the time."
"No," Kyp agreed. "But you didn't turn, did you?"
"No."
"Then it was a warning. It still is. The Dark Side always beckons, Marie, remember that."
"I will Master," Marie said quietly. "May I go?"
"Yes. Force be with you, Marie."
Marie nodded and echoed the farewell, walking from the room. She was so buried in her thoughts, she didn't notice Neo walking up beside her.
"Am I forgiven?" he asked quietly, making her jump.
"Neo, you scared me to death!"
He gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to."
"It's all right. But never startle a Sith."
"Or ever make her think you might be teamed with the other side, huh?" he asked ruefully.
Marie glanced at him. "Neo," she said, and stopped. "I didn't know who I could trust. Believe me, if Cray or Dana had come through that door and tried to convince me to escape, they'd have met the same resistance. I thought it might have been another of Brakiss's traps."
"And it wasn't, as you now know," he said. "Am I forgiven for acting in order to save you?"
"Yes," she said. "Provided you don't do it again. You act way too well."
He smiled. "Sometimes, that can be a good thing."
"Yes," she agreed.
They walked in silence for a while. "Has the Council made a decision yet?" Marie asked.
Neo nodded. "Most of the Masters didn't want me on probation longer, but a few did. Master Skywalker compromised: I have only four weeks more."
"That's good. Is there a Master that might take you for an apprentice?"
"Ganner. He's been howling in my defense since I first got here."
"Ganner likes to champion lost causes," she said, fighting a grin.
Neo started to nod, but stopped and glared at her. "Hey! I am not a lost cause!"
"Could've fooled me."
Neo gave her a pouting look. "Fine, I'll go talk to someone else," he said, starting to turn.
"There's no one else in this Academy who will talk to you."
He stopped. "True, huh?" he said. "Even my partners in crime won't speak to me."
"Well, I'm not a partner in crime, am I?"
"Not yet."
She raised an eyebrow. "In your wildest dreams, Chance."
Neo shrugged. "There's hope then."
Marie shook her head, grinning. "Someday. See you later." She started to walk away, but stopped and turned. "Why did you come after us, anyway?"
He shrugged again. "I was the only one who knew of a way, and the only one who could pull it off," he said. At her knowing look, he added, "And a test for myself."
"Anything else?"
"If testing myself was a secondary reason, then liking you was a slight reason."
"Ah," she said, frowning. "How would you react if I told you I didn't like you?"
"I'd get over it."
"Liar!"
"Well, you do like me, so it's a moot point, isn't it, Marie?"
She started to answer, but stopped and glared at him. "Stay out of my mind, Chance."
"I didn't even have to touch your mind for that one. Being able to read facial expressions was enough."
She glowered. "I could change my mind real fast, smartass, don't test me."
"Last a week against Brakiss but less than ten minutes against a fellow student?"
She went to punch his arm, but he caught her wrist, catching her off balance. She had to lean against him to regain it and she didn't pull away immediately. They stared at each other for a minute before he kissed her.
Unbeknownst to either, Kyp handed Ganner fifty credits. Ganner chuckled in triumph. "I told you man," he said to the other Master, gladly accepting the terms of the bet.
David leaned against the low wall at the top of the Great Temple. Things were slowly returning to normal at the Jedi Academy, and he, like Darien and Neo, were being treated like heroes.
David hated it. The observation platform was the furthest he could get away from the attention. Few came up here; there were many students who had issues with heights.
"David?"
He turned. "Cray," he said, surprised. "I hadn't heard you were awake."
She nodded. "I'm still coping with it," she said, leaning against the wall near him.
"You feeling better?"
"Yeah. Except my arm."
"I'd heard that it won't heal."
She shook her head. "Not today, and not with bacta or a healing trance," she said. She was silent a minute. "What did he mean by Crysta?"
David didn't answer her for a minute. "She was someone I knew," he said noncommittally.
She nodded slowly. "Not someone you wish to talk about."
He shook his head. "When you tell me about Mangrete, I'll tell you about Crysta."
"Not tonight," Cray said. "I'm kinda glad I ran into you. I wanted to tell you thanks for being a part of the rescue."
"You're welcome. We never thought it would work, but we had to try."
She smiled. "There is no try."
He nodded. "I haven't learned that yet."
"So I noticed. But then again, I haven't kicked the word from my vocabulary yet."
"And you grew up here."
"Yea. There's a good omen for the Academy."
"Skywalker's daughter, nonetheless," he teased.
She smiled again. "Yeah. Where do you get your Jedi talent from?"
"My grandparents, according to Mark. He said my grandparents were Jedi."
She nodded slowly. "And your parents never had the opportunity to learn."
He winced. "No, they never did."
Cray smiled at him. "But you do. That's a credit to them."
"Yeah, I guess so."
She shivered. "I'm going inside. See you later, David."
David nodded. He looked up at the stars again. "Wait a minute," he said. "I'll come with you."
Chapter 14
Brakiss prowled the bridge of the Dark Secret. Around him, workers and technicians went through their jobs with a slightly fearful air. In the back of his mind, Brakiss could believe that this was how the crew aboard the Executor acted after Lord Vader had lost his prey.
Mangrete stood silent nearby, staring out the bridge viewport with a neutral expression. Brakiss wondered vaguely if the man would leave now, now that he had gotten his revenge on Skywalker.
He stopped. "Set course for Belkadan," he ordered. "Alert me when the coordinates are set and the ship is ready for lightspeed."
"Yes sir," the nav-officer said timidly.
The Dark Master walked to stand next to his lieutenant. Mangrete spoke first. "My revenge is not complete," he said softly. "And I do not simply leave."
Brakiss nodded, realizing he was relieved. "I'm reassured Commander," he said in the same tone. "While some of your plans do not pan out, you are a good officer and a excellent Dark Jedi."
"Thank you, Master."
"Our time will come."
"Yes," Mangrete said, a small smile on his lips. "One life or another. And then they both shall pay.
Brakiss gave him a funny look, wondering what the man meant. Something deeper than wounded pride drove him to seek his revenge from Cray Skywalker, and Brakiss wasn't sure if he wanted to know the depth.
"Master, we are ready for lightspeed and the coordinates have been set," the nav-officer announced.
"Then prepare to jump at my mark," Brakiss said. He stared out once more at the dim Almanian sun. Twice, he'd used the place while attacking Skywalker. Twice he failed. He'd try his luck from someplace another enemy of the Jedi had had success. "Mark."
The Dark Secret disappeared into the inky depths.
DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to their original creator. I made no money from writing this fanfiction.