Title: A Changing Destiny,  Chapter 2:  Mara's First Time

Author: Alan  (A.K.A  Qurinas)

Disclaimer: The Star Wars Universe and characters belong to George Lucas and
Lucasfilms.  However, I am writing for my entertainment and the
entertainment of others. I am making no money from this.

Setting:  Chapter 2 takes place two years before Chapter 1 of A Changing
Destiny, a few months prior to the Battle of Yavin.

Rating:  NC-17.  For:  Consensual sex between adults, adult situations and
violence.

Spoilers: Same as Chapter 1

Author's Notes:  Thanks very much to Kimara and Jade's Hand for editing.
You guys did a great job!




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Sixteen year old Mara Jade lay sprawled on her back across the couch in her
richly appointed apartment in the Imperial Palace.  The front of her tunic
was partially undone and her bra had long since been unclasped leaving it
hanging loosely from her shoulders.  A few inches away from her, a young man
rested on his right elbow, leaning over her.  He looked into her eyes, fires
of passion burning brightly within them both.

Appearing to be a few years older than Mara, the young man had clear pale
skin and straight black hair with bangs that hung into his eyes.  His bright
blue eyes shone like sapphires in the firelight.  His features were quite a
contrast to the girl beneath him with her fire red mane and emerald eyes.
But like the young lady lying under him, his hair was tussled, his tunic
hung completely open and his trousers were unbuttoned.

He leaned down to kiss her neck and Mara inhaled sharply with pleasure as he
kissed, licked and nibbled.  He continued his meandering, lightly tracing
lines from the top of her chest to her ears, making sure to gently caress
the lobes with his tongue.

She placed her hands on the back of his neck, gently but firmly pulling him
away from her neck and bringing his lips to hers.  She kissed him
passionately, allowing his tongue to part her lips and explore her mouth.
She broke the kiss and panted, "No more with the neck, ok?  If you leave any
more marks down there, I'll have to hurt you."  She grinned devilishly.  "I
am much further along in my training.  Don't think I can't."

Ignoring her comments, he planted another firm and passionate kiss on her
lips.  Mara's head spun as desire built in her heart and in the pit of her
stomach.  She slowly lowered her hands from his neck, running her fingers
gently along his flanks.  She stopped at the waist of his pants and brought
her hands to the front of his trousers.  She slowly placed her hands on his
swelling erection.  He indulged himself in the feeling for just a moment.
He then pulled back like a startled felinoid.

Mara sighed in frustration.  'Not again,' she groaned in her mind.  "What's
wrong?" she pouted.

He shook his head, a sad smile appearing on his face.  "Mara, we've talked
bout this."

She leaped up from the couch and pulled her tunic shut.  She sauntered over
to him, leaning her head against his bare, muscular chest.  She ran her
index finger in circles across his chest, playfully flicking his nipples on
the way by.  "Is it because you don't want me?" she purred.

He took her firmly by the shoulders and pushed her back.  He looked her
square in the eye with a resolute and stern expression on his face.  "You
know that is not true," he stressed.  "I just don't want to rush things.  I
want you to be ready and I want it to be special."

She spun away from him angrily.  "I am ready, so stop treating me like a
child!" she shouted, her cheeks flushing an angry red.  When he cast his
soft blue eyes at the floor, Mara realized she had gone too far.  "I'm
sorry," she muttered softly.

He shrugged, "It's alright."  He walked over slowly and embraced her.  She
tentatively reached out with the Force and felt the lust and desire that
rushed through him. He remained quite aroused even after their little tiff.

In a flash of movement, she dropped her hand to the bulge in his trousers
and grabbed hold firmly, his escaping moan swallowed as she planted her lips
on his again.  She could feel his resolve evaporating as she pushed him back
onto the couch.  She pulled his shirt from his shoulders as he fell back.
Her lips left his as she began to softly kiss her way down his chest.

Mara's fingers finally lowered his zipper and grasped the waist of his pants
pulling them down none too gently.  The pants gathered at his feet as she
worked her fingers around the waistband of his underwear pushing them down
to his knees.

She felt him starting to resist again and she placed her left hand strongly
on his chest urging him to remain still and seated.  She laid her head on
his leg with her right cheek against his left thigh.  She looked in
amazement at what she saw a few inches from her face.  This was the first
time he had allow her to even touch it, let alone look at it.

She gently kissed his manhood tentatively at first until her passion took
her and she did so with less reserve.  His breath quickened and soft moans
escaped his lips every few seconds.  Abruptly she stopped and stood.  She
pulled her trousers and panties over her hips then kicked them to the other
side of the room.  He tried to stand but she placed her right foot on his
chest pressing him back onto the couch.  She knelt with her legs around his.
She slowly eased her way closer to position herself directly over him.  They
looked into each other's eyes as their lips met, expressions of yearning and
passion evident on each other's faces.

She was a mere centimeter away from lowering herself on him when the door to
her living quarters whooshed open.  Mara's heart jumped into her throat as
she nimbly leaped from his lap and over the couch to hide her exposed body.
Looking at the doorway, the multitude of angry accusations and insults she
had for the intruder died before ever reaching her lips.  A spike of fear
flowed through her as she heard mechanical breathing and saw the Dark Lord
of the Sith standing there with his cloak flowing out behind him.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked with no emotion or amusement in his
voice.  It was obvious that her lover was scared, for his erection had
wilted away as fear radiated from him.

Mara was dumbfounded.  "What do you want?" she asked. She tried to sound
forceful but the words came out in a fearful squeak.

"Our Master has instructed me to escort you to your training, immediately.
Your instructor is waiting for you," Vader informed her.  He had not moved
at all since he had arrived a few moments earlier.

"Very well, Lord Vader," she said, her composure slowing returning to her.
"If you would wait outside."

Vader paused before replying, making it appear that he would not comply with
her wishes.  However, he turned quickly and walked out of the room the doors
closing behind him.  On his way out he spoke over his shoulder, "You are
dismissed, Fiorri.  Return to your studies, and I mean your proper studies."

Fiorri was white as a ghost as Vader left the room.  He quickly pulled his
pants up and fastened them. It seemed he could not escape Mara's quarters
fast enough.  She knew his fear had not diminished since Vader left, and she
did not need the Force to figure that out.

"Fiorri, calm down.  It's okay," she said, trying to make her tone as
soothing as possible.

"I know," he stammered, not at all convincingly.  "I'll see you tomorrow.  I
am sure my training will be late tonight."  He hurried out the door before
Mara could say another word to him.  She sighed as she swept her pants off
the floor and walked into her bedchamber.

She felt slightly dizzy as she entered her bedroom and her thoughts turned
to Fiorri.  It was amazing how their relationship had developed over the
past few months.  She absently changed into her training clothes as memories
of their first meeting and subsequent romance danced through her mind.

Mara had met Fiorri nearly six months before.  Emperor Palpatine had
introduced them on the young man's first day in the Imperial Palace.  He had
informed her that Fiorri also had the ability to touch the Force and that he
would begin his training under Lord Vader.

Over the next month or so, she got to know him pretty well.  Even though
they did not train together, they were allowed to associate after their
day's training was complete.  Mara jumped at the chance since she had never
had much opportunity to interact with many people in general, let alone
someone around her age.

Their friendship had quickly developed into more, as would be expected
between two teenagers with raging hormones.  However, Fiorri had always made
sure that it never led to actual lovemaking.  They would play their little
games of sexual cat and mouse, leading to a lot of kissing and petting.
But, it had never even come close to the next level.  Until today, that is.

Mara had grown tired of the game a couple of months ago. She decided the
waiting had to end and had tried to get him to make love to her almost
everyday since.  However, there was some reason that he would not.  Every
time she had tried to talk to him about it, he evaded the question, hiding
behind excuses of "waiting for the proper time" or "making sure she was
ready".

And now that she was so close to achieving her goal, Darth Vader had to come
and ruin it for her.  Fate was playing a cruel trick on her.  Fate seemed to
be adamant that she would remain a virgin forever.  She finished dressing
and stormed out of her quarters.  She noticed that Vader and Fiorri were
gone by the time she emerged.  She looked around, and when she did not see
them, trotted off in the direction of the training area.



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*     



Fiorri quaked in fear as he walked down the corridor escorted by Darth
Vader.  Just after they had turned the corner so they were out of sight of
Mara's room, Vader grabbed him by the elbow, spinning him around as he came
to a halt.

"You are less intelligent than I thought, boy," Vader's mechanical voice
hissed around his raspy breathing.  He tightened his grip on Fiorri's elbow
as the boy winced in pain.

"I'm sorry, Lord Vader," he stuttered as he could no longer feel his fingers
from the tightness of Vader's grip.  "I..."

Vader cut him off by slamming him forcefully into the wall.  "Do not bother
to give your pathetic excuses to me.  Save them for the Emperor," Vader
replied tersely before continuing to drag him down the hall. He took every
opportunity to slam him into any fixture or doorway he found along the way
from Mara's quarters to the throne room.

About ten minutes later a stunned, sore and bruised Fiorri was tossed to the
floor of the throne room at the feet of the Emperor.  Palpatine was seated
on the dais, his yellow eyes shining eerily from underneath the deep cowl he
wore over his head.  "Thank you, Lord Vader," he said as he stood with the
help of his cane.  He strode over to where Fiorri was still sprawled on the
floor where Vader had tossed him.  His breathing was heavy and ragged and
the Sith Master seemed to absorb the feelings of pain radiating from his
body.

Palpatine leaned over slightly and spoke in his raspy voice.  "You seem to
have trouble following simple instructions."  He tilted his head feigning
deep thought.  "I seem to recall giving you very specific instructions when
I hired you."

Palpatine motioned with his head from Lord Vader to Fiorri.  Vader quickly
strode over to him, roughly grabbing him by the shoulders and hauled him to
his feet.  The young man tried to compose himself as Vader let go.  The
Emperor spoke again, "So, were my instructions clear?"

Fiorri could not keep the fear from his voice as he answered.  "Yes Emperor,
you were very clear."

"Then, why is it, boy, that you disobeyed my orders and violated the
contract we made when I hired you?"  Papatine asked, in a patronizing tone.

"I...I did not, Your Excellency.  I had the situation completely under
control..."  Fiorri's  voice faded out as  a fist slammed into the back of
his head.  Vader stood over him as he slumped to the floor again.  As the
boy hit the ground, another vicious punch slammed into his kidney.

He cried out in pain as Vader's power fists pummeled him.  The Emperor stood
emotionless as Vader rained punches down upon the boy who was powerless to
stop him.  After a minute, Palpatine motioned for Vader to stop.  "Now what
was it again that I hired you to do?"

Fiorri panted and groaned in pain.  He was laying face down on the floor and
blood was beginning to run from his mouth.  He managed to lift his head a
mere inch off the floor and groaned, "You hired me to teach Mara the arts of
lovemaking and other arts of seduction."  The old man hissed impatiently for
Fiorri to continue.  "You also said that I was not to engage in any act that
could possible leave her with child."

"Ah," the old man muttered.  "And it would appear that you chose to disobey
the last part of your orders, didn't you?"

"No, Emperor," he said, with pleading eyes looking up at the withered man.
"I would never disobey you.  I was just about to push her off me when Lord
Vader walked in.  I was teaching her the art of..."  He cried out as Vader's
boot impacted on his right shoulder, slamming his face into the floor,
ending whatever excuse he was offering to Vader's Master.

"You lie poorly, boy," the Emperor hissed.  "Your guild will not be pleased
with what you have done.  You're nothing but a whore.  I told you that there
was no way you would be allowed to handle her in such a manner.  However,
you chose not to listen."

"Please...I won't do it again..." he sobbed, realizing his fate.

"You are right.  You will pay for your lack of vision.  And I guarantee you
will never do it again!"  the Emperor declared, fury rising in his sickly
yellow eyes.

Lord Vader's arm quickly snatched the dangling lightsaber from his belt.
The blade emerged from the handle with a snaphiss, as he moved to stand over
the broken, battered and now sobbing, Fiorri.



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*     



Mara Jade entered her quarters, returning from a very intensive training
session.  Her body ached all over and she was looking forward to hopping in
the refresher then immediately going to bed.  For some reason her training
had ended much earlier than normal today, but she did not question the
break, instead welcoming it as a chance to rest.

It had been two days since she had last seen her boyfriend.  However, that
was not too unusual given their very strict, yet very different training
regiments.  The thought of her soft bed and dreams of Fiorri made her smile
as she walked into her bedchamber.  She even secretly hoped that he might
swing by when he was done for the day.

She stopped short as she saw several things had been laid out on her bed.
The most noticeable was a dress.  However, as she approached she saw her
holdout blaster with its wrist holster, a comlink and matching jacket and
shoes had been left as well.  She picked up the dress to look at it and
under it sat a datapad.

She held the dress up in front of her to examine it.  The elegantly styled
dress was emerald green with two long slits up the sides revealing much even
though the fabric would cover her ankles once it was on.  It had no strap on
the right, but the left shoulder was covered and a long, billowy sleeve
would cover her left arm.  'A perfect place for that cute little blaster,'
she thought to herself as she laid it back down on the bed and picked up the
data pad.

She scrolled through the screens and looked at the information held within.
The first screen was a dossier of Vice Admiral Ruben Hulbak.  It detailed
his Imperial Service record as well as physical statistics like height,
weight, and hair color.  It also contained a picture of a mildly over-weight
man in his mid to late fifties.  He had short graying hair that was
beginning a retreat from his brow towards the back of his head.

The next was a diagram of the Grand Imperial Chalet, including directions to
the Vice Admiral's suite.  It showed all entrances and exits, as well as a
floor plan for each level and surveillance camera shots of Hulbak's room.

She hadn't finished reading, when the door chimed sounded, alerting her she
had a visitor.  She tossed the data pad on the bed as she ran to the door.
Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest as she envisioned Fiorri waiting
at the door to jump into her arms, then hopefully immediately into her bed.

A flash of disappointment and shock played across her face as the opening
door revealed a scarlet robed Imperial Guardsman standing at perfect
attention in front of her.  Behind him was a servant girl carrying what
appeared to be a beautician's kit.

"The servant is here to assist you in readying yourself.  Then I am to
escort you to His Excellency's Throne Room," the robed figure said from
behind his scarlet mask.

Mara nodded as she stood aside to allow the pair to enter.  The guardsman
took up a position immediately inside the door while the young servant girl
stopped in the center of the room.  The girl was obviously shy or nervous,
perhaps even a little of both. Her arms were crossed in front of her, both
hands holding the handle of her kit. She stood, shifting from foot to foot
uncomfortably with her eyes cast down.

Mara, not sure what to do, spoke to the young girl, "What is your name?" she
asked, trying to sound as friendly as possible.

"Tanya," she replied.  "Whenever you are ready to begin, Mistress."

It had been quite a while since she had the help of a servant to dress.  She
had vague memories of servants helping her prepare for balls and such when
she was a child, but not anytime recently.  Not sure of what to make of the
situation she said, "Well, you're the expert.  Let me know where you would
like me to sit."

The servant girl nodded.  "Follow me, Mistress," she said as she turned and
lead Mara towards the refresher.  She quickly walked in and turned the water
on to draw a bath.  She exited the refresher, holding the door for Mara.
"If you would undress and robe yourself, I will be in momentarily."

Mara's cheeks blushed.  'She's going to bathe me?' she thought.  'I am not a
child!  Are wealthy women such decadents that they don't even bathe
themselves?'  She nodded quickly before entering the room to have the door
shut behind her.

Feeling very uncomfortable, she quickly undressed and threw her silk robe
around her body.  An instant later she heard a knock at the door, quickly
followed by it opening and the servant walking in, shutting the door behind
her.  She kept her eyes on the floor as she walked past Mara kneeling down
beside the nearly full tub.

She laid her case on the floor and opened it, taking out a few bottles to
place them on the edge of the tub.  She began a complex pattern of mixing
different liquids in certain proportions before dumping them into the tub.
She stood after a few minutes of preparing the tub.  "Mistress," she said,
as she gestured towards the tub.  She turned her back to Mara waiting for
her to disrobe and step into it.

Mara threw the robe from her shoulders and nearly dove into the tub. With
the sound of splashing evidence that Mara had entered the tub, the servant
turned around and picked up soaps and sponges from her kit before leaning
over Mara to begin washing her.

Mara was put somewhat at ease by the fact that the girl went about her tasks
clinically, with her eyes almost never glancing at Mara's very exposed body.
And when she did, it was almost always at her feet, hands or head.  Mara was
actually beginning to enjoy this very relaxing process.  She was expecting
the servant was finished when all of her body except her most private areas
had been washed.

She was just about to stand when she felt the servant girl's sponge begin to
clean one of those areas.  Mara tried hard to sit still and simply endure.
It was obvious to her that she was not supposed to derive any sort of
pleasure from the process for it was quick and not particularly gentle, it
was simply washing what needed to be washed.

By the time Tanya was finished, Mara was tense and uncomfortable again.  The
servant rose and picked up a towel just after she hit the level to drain the
tub.  Mara stood to see the servant standing with a towel in one hand and a
metal syringe in the other.  "What's that for?" Mara asked nervously.  She
had always hated needles.

"It is by order of, His Excellency.  He told me to inform you that..." She
stopped at it was obvious to Mara the young girl was trying to remember what
was said exactly.  "...That, this is to prevent the more inconvenient
outcomes of what Lord Vader interrupted the previous evening."

Mara's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. 'How could her Master say such a
thing to a servant girl?' she thought angrily as she felt a painful prick
just below her navel.  She looked down to see the long needle had been
inserted into her abdomen.  Tears welled up in her eyes as Tanya emptied the
contents into her body with a painful burning sensation.

Tanya quickly, but carefully removed the needle and swabbed the area with an
antiseptic cloth.  An instantly later, Mara was wrapped in a towel and being
dried off.  The servant tucked the end of the towel so it stayed on Mara's
body.  She walked towards the door keeping her eyes averted.  "If you would
don your robe and come out, I will do your hair and make-up," she said as
she exited the room and closed the door behind her.

Mara took off the towel and threw her robe back on.  She took a few soothing
breaths to help her relax before walking out of the refresher. Seeing the
chair Tanya had set in front of her bedroom mirror, Mara strode forward and
flopped down into it.  "Make sure you go light, I don't want to look like a
courtesan," Mara quipped.

The servant chuckled nervously.  'That was a strange reaction,' Mara
thought.  Not giving it any more thought, she sat still, going through the
tedious ordeal of having her hair styled and make-up applied.  After nearly
an hour, Tanya had completed her task and helped Mara into her dress.

When her dress, jacket and shoes were on and her blaster hidden away, she
was ready.  She picked up her matching purse which held some very mundane
make-up items, as well as a couple of datapads and her comlink.  As she
walked out of her bedroom, she noticed that the fragrances that had been
apparent in the bath had become quite strong, as they had dried.  'I smell
like I belong in a brothel," she grumbled to herself as she walked out of
her bedroom and up to the guardsman.

She nodded to him and followed him as he exited the room and led her through
a labyrinth of hallways to the Emperor's Throne Room.  The doors slid open
into a cavernous room she had visited more times than she could possibly
remember.  Palpatine was seated in his throne with Lord Vader standing to
his right.  Vader's raspy breathing echoed through the chamber.  Her tall
heels clicked on the hard floor as she walked towards her Master to kneel
before him.  "You summoned me, my Master?"

"Rise, My Hand," he said, smiling a grin of broken and rotten teeth.  "You
look quite beautiful.  Very different than your normal palace attire."

She smiled uncomfortably.  She was not used to the old man complimenting her
on anything other than her budding Force abilities.  "Thank you, Master,"
she said, not knowing what else to say.

"I have a very important mission for you," he said. He leaned forward
folding his hands in front of his face with an elbow resting on each knee.
"I have trained you myself and made sure you had the best teachers in all
other things.  I believe that the first stages of your training are complete
and you are ready for your first mission."

Mara beamed with pride.  She had never been given any indication that her
training was going that well. The thought that the Emperor believed her
ready to carry out a mission for him filled her with a joy she had never
known before.  She had succeeded in her training.  Even though she was sure
there would be more instruction, she had made it over this hurtle and was
positive she would be able to overcome anything to aid her Master.

"I am sure you went over the information in the data pad I had left for
you," the Emperor said in his gravely tone.  Mara acknowledged him with a
nod.  "The man's dossier within it is a suspected rebel agent.  We believe
him to be responsible for getting the Death Star's plans to the Rebellion."

Darth Vader spoke for the first time since she had entered the room.  "He is
a Vice-Admiral commanding a Fleet on the outer rim.  His homeworld was
cleansed after a rebel base was found there being supported by the
populace."

"We have received reports that a rebel agent is to meet him within the
Imperial Chalet tonight while he is on Coruscant for a conference,"
Palpatine continued.  "You will meet him there posing as that rebel agent."

"It is very important for you to remain there until the actual agent
arrives.  At that time, you are to neutralize the Vice Admiral and the
rebel.  You will recover whatever information you can before returning to
me.  Understood?"  Palpatine asked.

"As it is your will, it will be done," Mara stated subserviently.

"Excellent," the withered Sith hissed.

Vader walked forward to hand her another data pad.  She took it from him and
began to scroll through it.  It detailed an organization called the
Hedoneese Courtesan's Guild.  It even had information about a known rebel
sympathizer in the group named Julisia Vatuaine.

"You are to gain entrance to see him using this identity and will keep him
occupied by whatever means necessary until the Rebel agent arrives," the
Emperor instructed as Mara shivered at his words.  "You have a problem with
this, my Hand?" he hissed, seeing her reaction.

"No, my Master," she said, trying to suppress another shiver.

"Good," he said, leaning back in his throne.  "I would hate to think that
you were questioning me.  Or do you not wish to serve me with all your body
and soul?"

Mara only bowed slowly and deliberately, hoping not to arouse the Emperor's
anger.  Vader, who was still standing by her, produced another data pad from
beneath his cloak and handed it to her.  "This is the information that you
are carrying for the Admiral as Julisia Vatuaine," he said, unable to hide
the contempt for the rebel sympathizer from his voice.

She took the data pad and attempted to scrutinize the information.  Each
time it prompted her for a passcode she did not have.  She looked
questioningly up at her Master.  "If he is, in fact, the rebel traitor, he
will know the code to open it.  My new Intelligence Director has guaranteed
me such," Palpatine answered her unspoken question.

"You will have little more than an hour to reread your cover and mission
details," Palpatine growled.  "At that time you should report to the landing
pad for the shuttle to take you over to Chalet to begin your mission.

"Yes, my Master," she said, bowing respectfully before quickly escaping from
the throne room.  She made her way quickly to the room she did most of her
planning in.  It had a small but clear workspace and a data terminal to give
her access to Imperial Intelligence data.

She sat down at the table and spread out the data pads before her.  She
spent the next hour developing possible escape routes and alternative plans
in case things did not go the way they were supposed to.  When she was done,
she reviewed the primary and two secondary plans for her extraction after
her targets had been eliminated.  She also searched the Intell database to
see what else she could drum up about the alleged traitor.

She had finished and was just gathering up her things when a red robed
Imperial Guard entered.  "Your shuttle has arrived," he said, his voice
slightly muffled under the duraplast helmet.  She nodded and piled the
datapads and information she would not be taking with her neatly on the desk
before following the guard out of the briefing room.

She knew that another guardsman would destroy the sensitive documents as
soon as she took off in the shuttle.  She walked through the heavy double
doors leading onto the shuttle pad.  The sun had just set and the sky
appeared to be on fire.  Beautiful shades of red and orange highlighted the
plethora of shuttle and starship traffic as it flashed overhead.

A scruffy looking man stood by the entrance to the shuttle and lowered the
ramp as Mara approached.  She recognized him as one of Darth Vader's
personal pilots.  He had obviously been informed that he was going to fly in
an undercover operation a few days ago, otherwise he would have never dared
look as unkempt and unprofessional as he did.

Mara climbed abroad and took a seat near the first window.  The pilot
followed her up and closed the ramp before taking his seat in the cockpit.
She had just gotten her restraints in place when the pilot brought the
engines roaring to life.

The shuttle rose on it repulsor lifts for a moment before the pilot
disengaged them.  The shuttle dropped like a wounded mynock.  Mara's stomach
tried to leave her abdomen and enter her throat.  Mara was pressed hard into
her seat as the pilot broke the dive and accelerated away.

The maneuver was not wholly unexpected since Mara knew the pilot would have
to originate his flight plan from somewhere other than the Imperial Palace
for their cover to look at all legitimate, as the mission plan she had read
called for.  That way, if the Admiral chose to dig into her background,
something so blatantly obvious would not be immediately available to him.

She sat unworried as the shuttle banked, climbed and dived between the tall
buildings surrounding the Palace District.  After about twenty minutes of
jarring twists and turns, the shuttle landed at a small pad near a
well-known merchant district a fair distance from the Palace.

The shuttle sat on the pads for a few minutes before she heard the pilot
softly speaking into the communit.   She knew exactly what conversation was
taking place.  The pilot was getting clearance from the controller to take
off on the "legitimate" flight plan that would bring her to the Hotel.

The pilot got clearance and lifted off slowly.  This time, he flew more like
a nervous new pilot than an elite Imperial Flight Officer did.  They droned
along for about ten minutes before making a lazy, looping approach to land
on the shuttle pad of the Grand Imperial Chalet.

The pilot made a safe, but relatively hard landing, demonstrating both his
feigned inexperience and novice piloting skills.  Mara slowly unclipped her
lap belt and stood.  She straightened her dress before quickly looking in a
pocket mirror to make sure her make-up still looked perfect.  When she was
satisfied with her appearance, she made her way to the loading ramp.

The pilot had just lowered the ramp when she reached it.  She carefully
stepped down and made her way across the pad.  The pilot was already
buttoning up the ship to depart by the time Mara had made her way to the
stormtrooper standing guard.

She approached him, slowly reaching her hand into her purse to retrieve her
forged credentials.  She felt only bored detachment from the guard as he
glanced at her ID card.  He spent more time evaluating her and the fine
curves she created in the dress than her ID.  He waved her by with one last
glance at her backside as she walked through the doors leading into the
chalet.

'Incompetent fool,' she spat in her mind.  'He should have given that ID
much more scrutiny.  The Emperor will not be pleased when he is told.  That
trooper will make a good scapegoat when a fine Imperial Officer is found
murdered,' she thought to herself.

Mara realized that if his behavior was at all indicative of the typical male
mindset of men paying much more attention to the aesthetics of a woman than
scrutinizing her as a security risk, her missions were going to be much
easier than she had first expected.

Mara wandered the corridors of the huge chalet for about ten minutes.  She
knew exactly where she needed to go, but performed her little act for the
sake of the security cameras.  She finally made her way to the proper floor.
The lift doors whooshed open to reveal a large antechamber leading to a
grand suite.  Two stormtroopers stood guard on either side of the door.

As soon as she stepped out of the lift, the guard on the right shot his hand
out to grab her.  Mara immediately knew the attack was coming, but a simple
courtesan would not have been able to defend against it.  So, she allowed
herself to be grabbed, none too gently, immediately above her right elbow.
She let out a startled shriek and stumbled slightly under the pressure of
his hand.

His mechanically altered voice came from beneath his helmet.  "You are over
two hours late," he snarled.  "The Admiral is not pleased."

Mara was shocked at what he said.  As far as she knew, the rebel wasn't
supposed to arrive for an hour.  It appeared her first mission was almost
botched before it could begin.  She also had no information about the cover
the rebel was supposed to be utilizing.  Could it be that the rebel he is
supposed to meet with was coming under the guise of a courtesan?  Was that
part of her Master's reason for this cover?  Or was it just a coincidence?'
She also wondered about what other information her Master had chosen to
leave out in her briefing.

Luckily, Mara's pause for thought did not impact the guard and only lent
credence to her act of a startled prostitute.  "I'm...I'm...sorry, Sir," she
stammered.  "My shuttle had some mechanical issues," she explained, hoping
the lie sounded more convincing to them than it did to her.

The guard chuckled a bit, looking over at his fellow stormtrooper who just
stood in his place by the door, shaking his head.  "Well, with how upset the
Admiral is, I hope you like it rough.  Because I'm sure that is what you are
in for, like it or not."

Their laughter grew louder as he roughly shoved her towards the double doors
leading into the main suite.  His right hand came up to his ear as he keyed
his comlink.  She heard his muffled voice for a moment before he turned to
her.  "Give me you ID," he ordered.

She made her hand shake lightly as she handed the data pad containing her
falsified orders from the Guild she was supposedly working for along with
her ID card.  She waited there trying to look appropriately nervous.  She
did not need to fake it too much, as this stormtrooper was not at all lax in
his duties studying the ID and datapad.  Her heart was pounding in her chest
when, after what seemed like an eternity later, he handed her back the
datapad.

"Your purse," he ordered, extending his hand.  She handed it to him as the
other stormtrooper approached.  "Put your hands against the wall," he said
motioning to the wall next to the lift.  Mara put her hands against the wall
planning for the worst.  However, luckily this trooper was more interested
in getting a cheap thrill, than worrying about the security of the man he
was protecting.  She could sense from him that he was getting quite excited
running his hands up and down her legs, thighs, sides and buttocks.

'He didn't even bother to run a hand over my arms,' she thought with
disgust.  'I could have walked in here with a blaster rifle,' she thought as
he motioned for her to turn around signaling his completion of frisking her.

The first stormtrooper handed her back her things while the other opened the
door to the suite for her. Smiling widely, Mara paused for a moment and
reached into her purse.  She pulled out a little holocard for the Guild and
handed it to the trooper that frisked her.  "I'm sure you get R and R,
sweetie.  When you do, give me a ring.  I'll find a way for you to spend all
that money the Imperial Army has given ya," she said with a wink as she
glided through the doors.

The doors quickly slammed shut behind her and she looked around the suite.
It was incredibly large, with hardwood floors covered with occasional rugs
made from the pelts of various animals.  The whole area was a spacious area
for entertaining with couches spread throughout.  In the far corner, there
was a small staircase leading to the loft with the sleeping areas and
refresher.

Coming down the stairs was a slightly overweight man with graying hair, in a
gray silk robe.  He was smoking a pipe, the acrid odor she immediately
recognized as Spice.  "Well, well," he said, as he step off the stairs and
started towards her.  "What do we have here?"

Mara smiled prettily at him, trying for a look of naughty innocence.  He
sauntered over to her, placing his right hand on her shoulder and leaning
down to nuzzle her ear.  "And what is your name?"

Mara extended her right hand, in a courtly manner, with her fingers pointed
down and her wrist raised.  "Julisia Vatuaine, of the Hedoneese Courtesan's
Guild," she said, with a mixture of polite innocence and practiced
flippancy.

He took her hand and raised an eyebrow before bringing it to his lips where
he placed an overly soft, wet kiss upon it.  He released her hand and said,
"The Hedoneese Guild?  My escort for the evening was supposed to be from the
Yurallian Guild."

She sensed some suspicion coming from him.  She called the Force to aid her,
lending her words more legitimacy.  "Well, a mutual friend said that I would
be very much to your liking.  He arranged for me to take the other girl's
place at the last moment."  Mara extended her finger and ran it along the
bottom of his chin, smiling seductively.  "I am sure you will not be
disappointed with me being here, instead of her."

He grinned at her as he took her hand in his again.  "Well then, we should
have something to eat.  Looks like it is going to be a long night," he said,
as he led her in the direction of the huge bank of windows on the far side
of the room.

A fairly large table had been set near the window.  It only had two place
settings, but looked like it could comfortably sit at least six people.
Candles had been placed evenly around the table offering the only
illumination on this side of the room.

The Admiral pulled out Mara's chair for her before moving to take his own
seat.  He looked out the window. Not bothering to turn back to look at her,
he said, "Imperial Center is so beautiful at dusk.  I think it has to be the
most beautiful place in the Galaxy."

She smiled, knowing exactly what do say.  "I agree that it is beautiful
here.  But, if I had to pick the most beautiful place in the galaxy, I would
say that it is Cathedral of the Winds on Vortex," she said, giving him the
correct countersign.  In her briefing, she had read that there would need to
be at least four such checks before she was to turn over the datapad to him.

The Admiral keyed a button on his chair and a moment later a pair of
servants entered the room with a plate of hors d'ouvres and a bottle of
Alderaanian wine.  She was surprised to see it.  Now that the planet had
been destroyed, such delicacies were worth a lot of money.  She had no idea
why he was trying to impress her.  Or perhaps, he just lived this decadently
all the time.

Holding out her empty goblet to have it filled by the wine steward, Mara
figured she might as well enjoy it.  Who knew if she would ever get the
chance again?  She sipped at her wine while the pair spent the next hour
making idle chatter.

The servants then returned to bring the main course.  Mara had begun to be
bored with the small talk and pleasantries. Finally towards the end of the
meal, Admiral Hulbak slipped in two more of code phrases, which Mara quickly
answered with the countersigns.  Mara's pulse quickened as she realized how
close she was to needing to turn over the document.  However, the real rebel
operative was nowhere to be seen.

Mara was on the edge of her seat now as the dinner plates were cleared for
dessert and coffee.  A final check was made by the servants before they were
to depart for the evening to give the Admiral and his lady of the evening
some privacy.

Mara and Hulbak ate their cheesecake and drank their coffee in silence.  As
he lifted his last forkful of cake to his mouth he said, "Don't you find it
funny that there seems to be much less of an alien presence on Imperial
Center now?"

Mara's heart skipped a beat.  That was the last code phrase.  She did not
let her heightened emotional state show through and answered with the last
countersign, "Indeed, I haven't seen a Ryn here in almost a year."

The Admiral leaned back in his chair, his lips forming a large smile.
"Well, it is in fact you.  Welcome to Imperial Center.  You took a lot of
risks to come here."

Mara nodded.  "Well, that is what I am paid to do, sir," she said. The fact
that she was addressing this traitor with a term of respect made her stomach
turn.  She finished her last sip of coffee and reached into her small purse
to remove the data card.  She stood and leaned across the table handing it
to the still seated Admiral.

He carefully took it from her and began to tap on the pad's command keys.
After numerous keystrokes, he began to access the information.  He absently
said, "Feel free to relax and look around.  This may take a few minutes," as
he browsed through the information.

Mara got up from her chair and began to wander the room.  She glanced at the
various holopics and certificates scattered around.  She saw numerous
pictures of his command crews; not only those on his flagship but also the
captains of the vessels in his task force.

"Those men are readying their vessels for defection as we speak," he
commented offhandedly as she looked at the pictures.  Mara's ears
immediately perked up.

"It is a tribute to your leadership ability that you could convince those
men to turn against the Emperor.  They are sacrificing a lot to leave and
join the Rebel Alliance," Mara said, trying to sound as sincere as possible.

"I spent a lot of time trying to convince those under my command that it was
the right decision.  I also played a bit of command musical chairs
transferring those out whom I knew would never turn and picking up others
who would," he admitted.  "With all the senior commanders willing to defect,
the crews will never know until it is too late.  I'm sure most will stay
with their ships instead of becoming POWs.  But, I am sure there will be a
few hard-liners who will not defect."

Mara nodded, not wishing to tip her hand by asking too many questions that
could not be chalked up to mere curiosity.  She also did not want to put
herself into a position where her meager Force abilities could not melt away
his suspicions if they rose to too high a level.

The Admiral got up from his chair at the dinner table and walked over to his
desk on the other side of the room.  He connected a fresh data pad to his
computer terminal and began to type.  Mara soon walked over and sat in the
visitor's chair in front of the desk.  She absently looked around the room
hoping the rebel operative would show up soon.

The Admiral finished typing and plucked the data pad from its cradle.  He
handed it to Mara who took it somewhat reluctantly, however he didn't seem
to notice.  "You can take this back to your superiors.  It has several lists
of requirements on it as well as rendezvous instructions for the transfer of
my fleet to the Alliance's Command Net," he explained.

He looked over at the chrono on his desk, noting that he had been reading
the data pad and writing the response for almost and hour and a half.
"Well, that should be enough time to convince my guards that you have done
the service you were paid to do."  He stood to shake her hand.  "I look
forward to this merger.  I think we will be able to do a lot of good."

Mara looked the middle-aged Admiral up and down.  He was not a bad looking
man.  What he lacked in the well-muscled, thin features of men her age he
made up for with an air of confidence and a distinguished demeanor.  She
held his hand for a moment longer than was appropriate for a professional
hang shake.

She steeled herself and said, "Well, there was a change to the courier
assignment for another reason."  Mara stood there, struggling for control as
she explained.  "Let me just say that there is a friend of yours who thinks
that you would benefit from the service of a real courtesan."

He raised a brow in mild surprise.  "So, you really are a member of the
guild?"

"Yes," she answered.  "I have only been with the Alliance for a short time
but my job helps me get into places other agents couldn't."  She motioned
around the room as she spoke.  "Plus, I am rather accustomed to an opulent
life style.  I could never maintain it with the modest wages of an agent for
the rebellion."

He smiled knowingly, and she could see his eyes begin to churn with passion.
"Well, then.  How much is it for your other services?"

Mara smiled seductively at him as her brained screamed, hoping that the
courier would arrive before she had to go through with her delaying tactic.
"That service has already been paid for by that friend I mentioned earlier."

He looked at her with amusement but with a hint of suspicion mixed in.  "And
who would that be?"

Mara grinned at him.  "He made me promise not to say.  He wants you to
figure out the secret."  She looked at him.  She could see his mind work
feverishly to figure out who it might have been.  Mara used a small push of
the Force to bring one of his churning thoughts to the forefront.

"I bet it was Crix," he said finally.  "Seems like something he would do."

"Well, looks like you'll have to ask him next time you see him."  Mara
grinned at him provocatively and winked.  "Plus, you'll have quite a story
to tell him as well."

He chuckled softly.  "Well, I have a meeting early in the morning.  So, we
should begin."  He motioned her to the stairs leading up.  "My bedroom is up
there.  There is a refresher there as well."  Mara nodded.  "There is
something I need to finish up down here first."

Mara's heart skipped a beat.  Fear that he may have found her out up bubbled
up from her gut.  She reached out with the Force, but felt no malice or
thoughts of betrayal on his part.  So, she began to walk over to the stairs.
As she reached the foot, she turned and blew him a kiss.  "Don't be too
long," she said huskily, before trotting up the stairs.

Mara quickly went to work once she arrived in the privacy of his bedroom.
She took her holdout blaster from its holster and hid it under the pillow.
She then began to quickly remove her dress, so she was clad only in the
lingerie she wore under it.  She had barely disrobed when she heard his
footsteps ascending the stairs.

Feeling mildly self-conscious standing there in her underwear, she quickly
peeled back the covers of the bed and jumped in.  She covered herself just
as he crested the stairs.  Ruben Hulbak looked at her all covered up in bed.
"Well, that is not something you see everyday.  A modest courtesan," he
chuckled.

She patted the empty spot next to her.  "It just takes me a moment to warm
up," she purred.  "You know, the stress of the mission and all.  But, I am
ready to unwind now."

Ruben removed his robe to reveal a thin pair of lounge pants and a tank top.
He reached over to turn off the room's lights.  She could still see fairly
well by the light cast through the windows by the surrounding skyscrapers.

He quickly made his way over to the bed, shedding his tank top before
climbing into bed next to her.  Once he had settled in, he leaned over to
softly kiss Mara.  "You know," he said softly.  "You are in my spot."  Mara
grinned, thinking of the blaster hidden under the pillow.  He kissed her
again as his hands made their way to her breasts.

'Stang," she swore to herself.  'He moves fast.'  She made her best effort
to moan at the appropriate times and touches.  While he was touching her,
she compared everything he did to Fiorri.  He was nowhere near as gentle or
loving as he was.  Nor did he seem at all concerned about her needs or
pleasures as he fondled her and rubbed himself up against her leg.

Finally he took her right hand in his and guided it down to the bulge hidden
under the light fabric of his pants.  Mara took the hint and moved her hand
under the waistband to grasp his aroused member.  "That's it," he whispered,
as she began to rub it slowly.

Ruben was easing the spaghetti straps of her lingerie top over her shoulders
until he pulled it down past her breasts to have the top bunched over her
stomach.  She gasped as he leaned down to kiss the soft flesh and kissed
each of her nipples before sucking on them lightly.  As the sensations from
his kisses flowed through her, she relaxed a bit.  

She felt him shift his weight and gently placed his hand to guide her onto
her back.  Still stalling for time, she instead pushed against his chest to
guide him onto his back.  She straddled his hips and ran her hands along his
chest.  It was not nearly as arousing as touching her young lover's tight
muscles.  But, the Admiral was probably in excellent shape when he was
younger since his muscles were still quite developed.  Even his little
potbelly was almost cute.  Looking over him appraisingly she thought, 'at
least if I end up having to go through with this, he's not too bad looking.'

The only thing that was much different was his chest hair.  Fiorri either
naturally didn't have any hair or had removed any of the small amount he
had.  However, Ruben had thick black and gray hairs that covered his chest.
Mara ran her hands over it.  At first, she was mildly disgusted by it but
after a few moments she found it interesting.  Not normally what she would
like in a lover, but not disgusting either.

Trying to keep control of the situation, she moved her attentions lower.
'Fiorri liked this.  Maybe he will too,' she thought as she kissed down his
body.  She eased his pants over his hips to expose his erection.  She
carefully took it in her hands and planted a long wet kiss.  He moaned
loudly and she began to kiss and suck in earnest as his breathing increased.
She took her mouth away for long, teasing periods trying to prolong it for
as long as possible.

Her actions may have backfired on her when he quickly shifted his body to
remove himself from her reach.  He prodded her to lie on her back.  Her mind
worked feverishly but she could think of no possible explanation for not
complying.  So, she allowed herself to be guided to her former spot on the
bed as he slipped her panties off.

Mara looked up intently at him.  After weeks of being denied her goal, he
had paid enough attention to her pleasure that her body yearned for more.
However, in her heart she was saddened that Fiorri would not be the first
man she lay with.  Her emotions still boiled as he reached his hand down to
stroke between her legs.  She gasped and spread her legs a bit as he
caressed her while kneeling over her, kissing her neck and ears.

He then climbed into a position where his erection pressed against her.  He
slowly pressed his hips forward, trying to ease his way inside her.  Being
the first time for her it was not easy and she could tell he was a bit
confused.  Mara gritted her teeth, as he pressed harder.  "Wow," he
breathed.  "You must be one of those girls who does those exercises."

Mara tried to ignore his comment, as it was not helping her relax and was
actually bringing the reality of the situation back to her.  However, he
continued as he smiled at her.  "It also helps you're such a skinny little
thing."

Mara bristled under his words as he gave a last push and entered her.  She
let out a small cry as he did.  "I'm sorry sweetie," he said.  "It's not my
fault I'm big."

'Egotist ," she thought in disgust as he began to build a rhythm.  'And who
says romance is dead,' she thought to herself as Ruben began to grunt and
groan above her.  As she laid there, still feeling some pain from his entry,
her thoughts turned back to Fiorri.  Regret filled her as she thought back
to how she had wanted her first time to be.

As she considered what she would do, he began to move faster.  She had gone
through enough education classes to tell he was building towards climax.
Just as she was contemplating how to prevent that from happening, his
comlink on the table next to them buzzed.  He sighed in disgust and picked
it up without moving away from her.  "What?' he snapped.

Mara heard the stormtrooper on the other end say, "Sir, there is another
young lady here to see you."  Ruben looked at Mara with a confused gaze as
her hand quickly flashed under the pillow, drawing the blaster hidden there.
She felt a huge amount of fear from him through the Force and could tell
that he was scared as his erection wilted under the icy chill of her eyes.

She shoved the barrel of the blaster against the underside of his nose,
pushing him back to kneeling about a foot away from her.  "Tell them to let
her in, lover," she snarled.  "And don't use any code to advise them of
danger.  Trust me.  I'll know."  She held the blaster about three inches
from his face to allow for him to bring the comlink to his lips.

He cleared his throat, trying to hide his fear.  "Show her in," he ordered.

"Sir?" the guard questioned.

"Just do as I say," he snapped.  He looked at the woman beneath him.  "I
take it, that is my real contact."

She smiled evilly at him.  "I am counting on it, Admiral."

"What now?" he asked, unable to hide his fear and vulnerabilities, sitting
there naked and unarmed with a blaster trained on him.

Mara could not keep the contempt and disgust from her voice as she spoke.
"The Emperor is most displeased with your betrayal.  I find you guilty and
exact his revenge," she snarled.  He lunged at her as she squeezed the
trigger, sending a bolt of condensed light towards his face.

Ruben's head snapped back as he flew off the end of the bed and landed with
a sickening thud.  She quickly vaulted up and leaned over him, placing the
blaster solidly against his chest over his heart.  She squeezed the trigger
twice more, making sure he would not survive his wounds.

The weapon's proximity to his body had muffled most of the sound, so the
stormtroopers outside should not have been alerted. She quickly reached into
her purse and pulled out her comlink, which also doubled as a short-range
jamming device.  She keyed it on so that the troopers could not be able to
call for help if they became suspicious. Then she opened one of his drawers
to find some clothes more appropriate for the next phase of her mission.
She flipped the control of the lights to illuminate the room.

She found a TIE pilot style flight suit in one of the drawers.  It was very
baggy on her, but since she was nearly as tall as he was, it was not too
long in the sleeves or legs.  When she was donning the flight suit, she saw
that a blaster was hidden under it.  She quickly took it, and the belt and
holster along with it.  She fastened it around her waist before taking a
pair or socks and boots to put on her feet.

Her hurried pace allowed her to perform these tasks in less than two
minutes.  Just as she was about to head down the stairs, she looked over at
the bed to notice something odd.  She walked over to it to see the sheet had
a large red stain.  Mara cursed.  She could not leave evidence like that to
have the authorities investigate.  She quickly grabbed a snifter of what
appeared to be brandy from his dresser and soaked the bed with it.  She
planned to light it when she was ready to leave.

She ran downstairs as the doors to the antechamber opened.  Instead of a
rebel agent, the two stormtroopers entered the room.  She vaulted over the
railing as they looked in her direction.  She knelt behind a couch and drew
the second blaster.

The guard on the left shouted in alarm and pointed towards Mara's hiding
place as two angry red lasers smashed into his helmet sending it and the
shattered head beneath flying backwards.  The second trooper raised his
weapon and sent a shot into the couch as he dove for cover.

Mara tracked him as he dove, firing three shots.  Two went wide but the
third pierced his armor right at the shoulder joint, penetrating his chest.
She ran over and kicked his helmet off and fired one more shot into the back
of his head.  She ran over to the doors to the antechamber and stood with
her back against the wall next to the door.  She held both weapons up and at
the ready.

The doors slid open as she heard a woman's voice.  "Well Admiral, I didn't
think you'd be ready to depart with me..."  A Twi'lek woman walked through
the door, dressed in a revealing one-piece dancer's suit.  Mara turned and
aimed her right-hand weapon at her, but her movement gave away her position
to her intended victim.  The Twi'lek spun and knocked her arm off target as
she fired.  The bolt went wide as the Twi'lek snapped a kick at Mara's
lowered left hand sending her hold-out blaster spinning across the floor.

The rebel then grabbed Mara's right wrist in both hands and slammed it
against the edge of the door.  Mara's hand went numb as the blaster fell to
the floor.   Mara twisted her arm to break the grasp on her wrist, but her
attacker dropped to the floor to try and recover the dropped blaster.

Mara struck out like a cobra with her right leg, viciously kicking the rebel
agent in the face.  A fine spray of blood flew from her split lip as she
crashed to the floor.  Mara ran over to finish her off, but the rebel lashed
out with a leg sweep, knocking Mara to the ground.

The air whooshed out of her lungs as she crashed to the floor.  She yelped
as her left elbow absorbed most of her weight.  The Twi'lek was already on
her feet and standing over the Emperor's Hand.  Mara opened herself up to
the Force to increase her muscle's strength and rolled out of the way as a
fist came crashing down on the spot where her throat had been.

Mara rolled to her feet and assumed a perfect unarmed fighting stance.  She
had just braced herself when her enemy charged.  The alien sent a flurry of
punches that Mara blocked with her forearms before countering with an open
palm strike to the nose just as a vicious elbow struck Mara in the ribs.
Mara was sure she had heard something crack beneath the strike. 

She heard the crunch of bone as the wounded agent dropped to the ground.
Mara caught a flash of insight through the Force as she saw the Twi'lek's
hand drop to her thigh.  Mara jumped away as a blaster cleared its concealed
holster.  Mara saw the Admiral's blaster lying on the floor.

A blaster bolt sizzled through the air, striking Mara in the left shoulder.
She cried out in pain as the bolt burned into her flesh.  Mara crashed to
the floor, none to gracefully landing mostly on her knee, a few feet away
from the Admiral's blaster.  She looked up to see it.  All the pain from her
wounds enraged her as the frustration and anger from the evening rushed to
her mind.

She used that energy to summon the blaster to her hand as the rebel came
around the couch.  Mara raised the blaster and leveled it at her charging
enemy, squeezing the trigger twice as she rolled out of the way of the bolt
that she knew would be coming at her.

Her heightened connection to the Force allowed her to nimbly avoid the
incoming laser as her bolts slammed into her attacker's chest, pitching her
back.  Her body crashed to the floor as Mara slid past. 

Mara jumped to her feet as quick as she could, fiery pain running through
her shoulder, chest, and knee.  Mara ran over to the fallen rebel and kicked
the blaster from her grasp.  She used her foot to flip her on her back.  Her
breathing was ragged as she looked into her face.  Mara was about to start
interrogating her as she saw the alien's chest exhale one last breath as all
signs of life left her eyes.

Mara stood in shocked silence as adrenaline was racing through her veins and
her heart was pounding in her chest.  "Get a hold of yourself, Jade," she
scolded.  She knelt down next to the body and began searching the rebel.
She found a small data pad that had been hidden in a wide belt at the small
of her back.  She looked over to the doors to the antechamber to see a
discarded purse that happened to match the Twi'lek's outfit lying by the
door.

She ran over and snatched it up before running over to the Admiral's
computer terminal. She inserted one of the blank data pads by the terminal
into its cradle.  She keyed in a secret code that had been taught to her by
her Master.  The terminal downloaded a condensed version of the entire
terminal's files before setting up a self-destruct sequence.

The computer was beginning to shoot sparks and smoke as she yanked the
datapad free.   She ran up the stairs, grabbing a candle that still burned
on the dinner table as she ran by.  She crested the stairs and tossed the
lit candle onto the brandy-covered bed.  She was rewarded with an instant
conflagration that consumed the bed.

She used the pain-shunting techniques her Master had taught her to dull the
throbbing pain in her shoulder as she planned her escape.  She pulled her
comlink out as she made sure she had gathered up everything she had brought
with her, as well as the two new datapads and the agent's purse.  She
disabled the jamming function and keyed the transmitter.

"Mu, one, alpha, seven, three, lambda, alpha, kappa, omicron, sigma, six,"
she said into the comlink.  This code told her pilot to proceed with the
primary extraction site.  Since she had a few minutes to wait, she ran over
to the door controls.  She keyed in that secret code again, erasing the
doors log and instructing it to remain locked for ten minutes.  She then
used it to access the security system, erasing all of the camera records for
the last six hours.

She ran back towards the large bank of windows and stood in front of the one
in the center.  She waited impatiently as she gingerly held her wounded left
arm.  Seven minutes later, she heard a pounding at the door of armored hands
as the whine of repulsor engines screeched nearby.

The shuttle she had arrived on hovered just outside the window.  She waved
before turning over the dinner table and ducked behind it.  The window
shattered as bolts from the shuttles twin laser cannons slammed into them,
showering the room with shards of transparisteel.

Mara jumped up and ran to the shattered window, calling the Force to her as
leaped out, barely catching the shuttle's boarding ramp with her hands.  Her
wounded left arm sent shock waves through her entire body as tried
desperately to hold on.  Summoning every last bit of her strength, she
hauled herself up onto the ramp.  She stumbled back to the cabin where she
crumpled to the floor as she lost consciousness.

Mara awoke an unknown time later.  She looked through the cockpit door to
see they were on approach to the pad at Imperial Palace they had departed
from some hours earlier.  The pilot looked over his shoulder and spoke,
"Glad to see you are back with us.  I checked on you just as we left.  Your
wound didn't look that serious, so I flew the pre-arranged flight plan so
they wouldn't be able to track you back here."

Mara scowled at him.  "I am glad to see your expert medical opinion was
correct," she quipped.

The pilot wisely chose to ignore the comment and finished the approach,
bringing the shuttle to a smooth landing.  Mara stood on wobbly legs and
exited the shuttle as soon as the ramp had touched the shuttle pad.  Mara
walked slowly to a pair of waiting medtechs who sat her on a repulsor chair
to bring her to the medical bay.



            *                  *                  *
*     



Mara Jade looked through a pink haze as she blinked her eyes.  The breathing
apparatus on her mouth and the plugs in her nose were making her incredibly
uncomfortable.  The techs had told her she would need a dip in the Bacta
tank.  Looking at the chrono on the wall, she saw that she was due to come
out.  She heard the hatch above her open and kicked her feet to break the
surface of the healing bath.

She was received by a strong set of arms that helped her out of the tank.
Her heart lightened as her thoughts immediately turned to Fiorri, thinking
that it must be him.  She whirled, bad shoulder and all, the second the
breathing mask was off her.

Her heart sank as she saw it was the same medtech that had originally dunked
her.  It was obvious he noticed the disappointment on her face, but chose
not to bring it up.  "Feeling better?" he asked cheerfully.

Mara shrugged, feeling almost no pain from her tender shoulder.  "Yes, I
guess," she mumbled.

The medtech smiled warmly.  "Great," he said.  He motioned a tech over with
a waiting repulsor chair and gestured for Mara to sit.  Once she was settled
in, he began to guide the chair out of the medical bay and towards her
quarters.

He keyed open her door and guided her in.  He helped her out of the chair
once she had reached her bedroom and into her waiting bed.  He went to the
refresher and poured a glass of water, handing it to her with two pills.
"Here," he said.  "These will ease the pain and help you sleep."

Mara obediently took the pills and turned to lie on her right side.  She was
exhausted from the mission and her wounds.  The medtech silently left the
room and shut off all the lights as he did.

Mara's head began to swim with many varied thoughts.  First, her thoughts
were of the mission, the man she had murdered.  Then her thoughts turned to
Fiorri and then to regret about the evening with the Admiral.

Mara began to softly weep as she lay in bed.  She tried to convince herself
it was over her aching shoulder, but she was lying to herself.



            *                  *                  *
*     



Sunlight crept through the space between the blinds in Mara's bedchamber and
her eyes fluttered open.  After a few moments, she sat up and swung her legs
over the side of the bed.  Her aches and pains had diminished greatly and
she felt pretty good.

She made her way to the refresher to clean up and get dressed.  She washed
herself thoroughly, working to purge not only the stink of bacta but also
the scent of the Admiral and the evidence of their act that still left a
stain on her thighs.

Mara dressed, then began to sift through the items she had taken from the
agent the day before.  She didn't find anything interesting until she found
a reference to a Sacorrian smuggler near the Kuat system, whom the Twi'lek
had been very interested in seeking out.  There were also cryptic references
to someone called the "Dark Woman" in connection to the smuggler.

Mara had just finished going through the data when she felt a familiar
presence in her mind.  "Come to me, my Hand," he whispered to her.

"Yes, My Master," she whispered in reply.  She immediately began making her
way through the familiar corridors to the Emperor's Throne room.

She entered the room to see Palpatine seated on his throne.  He had his
normal compliment of guards, but in addition there were seven others
clustered around something on the far side of the room.  'If he wants to
tell you what that is about, he will.  Don't let your curiosity get the
better of you,' she thought as she walked up and knelt before the Emperor.

She winced in pain as her bruised knee contacted the floor.  "Rise, my
Hand," Palpatine commanded.  Mara stood as ordered as the Emperor rose and
leaned on his cane to walk down the stairs to her.  She quickly glanced
around the room and noticed that Darth Vader was nowhere to be seen. For
that she was grateful, as she was in no mood to deal with the Dark Lord of
the Sith.

"I see you were successful, young one," he crooned, as he stood in front of
the young redheaded girl. Especially when she was kneeling, she felt as
though he towered above her.

Mara went on to explain the bare basics of what had transpired and handed
him the data pads from the Admiral and the rebel agent.  She paused when she
was done, before adding.  "There is one more thing, my Master."

The Emperor nodded, almost as if he knew she knew more.  "I have come across
a code name I believe -  Dark Woman.  Does this mean anything to you?"

The Emperor cackled evilly.  "It does, indeed.  She is one of those wretched
Jedi who has evaded my grasp.  It appears her time may be up."  Mara nodded
as she felt his disgust at the very name of the Jedi.  "I would like you to
leave immediately.  Search her out, then return to me."  His yellow eyes
almost glowed as he made his next point.  "Do not engage her under any
circumstances, am I understood?"

"Yes, Master," she said, with a respectful bow.

"Excellent," the withered old man said as he began to walk towards the
gathered Imperial Guards.  "Follow me," he ordered and Mara obeyed
immediately.  The guards stepped back to reveal a large box that was lying
on the floor.

Palpatine reached out to grasp Mara's hand and she shuddered slightly under
his withered touch.  This was the first time he had shone her any physical
sign of affection.  His yellow eyes seemed to soften as he looked up at her.
"I have more of the cursed Jedi's work right here though I believe this is
has been done by a pretender."

He pulled back the cover of the box to reveal a young man's body.  He was
dressed in the black battle garb of one of the Emperor's Sith apprentices.
He had a horrible burn wound through the center of his chest and she knew
that it was the mark of a lightsaber.  Her gaze slowly moved up his body.
His face was ashen and his eyes closed.

"Fiorri," she said, her voice quivering.  Tears welled up in her eyes as she
sunk to her knees to rest her hands on the edge of the make-shift coffin.
"No, no..." she cried, as she rested her head on hands, weeping softly.

"I know, child," Palpatine soothed.  "It is the Jedi who have taken your
friend."

Mara's hands clenched as fury replaced the feeling of sadness.  Anger burned
through every fiber of her being and the wood surrounding her friend cracked
as her grip tightened.  Wood splinters jabbed her hands, but the physical
pain only heightened her connection to the Force as the anger raced though
her body.

She shot to a standing position as her mind raced with thoughts of murderous
vengeance.  "Who has done this?" she growled, more like a beast than a
woman.

"He is a Jedi pretender.  One who is descended from a dead Jedi who wishes
to see his father's fallen order return to power.  We will not let him," the
Emperor explained.

Mara nodded, her eyes ablaze with fury and hatred.  Palpatine felt the
feelings radiating from her and smiled inwardly.  His plan was working
better than he had imagined.  "His name is Luke Skywalker."

"Luke Skywalker," she muttered.

"Yes, my Hand," the old man whispered.  "You will kill Luke Skywalker," he
ordered.   "Not now, but when you are ready.  You will need to train long
and hard to defeat this young Jedi," he nearly spat the words at her.

"Yes, Master," she said her voice quivering in anger.  "I will kill Luke
Skywalker."




            *                  *                  *
*     



Author's end notes:  Look for how these two events affect the lives of Luke
and Mara in "A Changing Destiny:  Chapter 3" coming soon!