Title: Till There Was You: Book 4--Resolution, part 1

Author: kimara

Disclaimer: Everyone in the Star Wars universe belongs to George Lucas and Lucasfilms. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made from this.

The sound of blaster fire and an unfamiliar hissing filled the hallway as Hope emerged from the exercise area. She moved tentatively towards the noise while trying to remain out of sight. As the melee came into view, she halted in terror at the scene that played out before her eyes. There were four men firing blasters at Mara Skywalker and she was defending herself from them with her lightsaber.

While Hope attempted to think of some way to help Mara, things took a drastic turn. A blaster blot skimmed past Mara's blade. As the arc of blue energy washed over Mara's body, she crumpled to the floor. Hope had to cover her mouth to keep her scream from escaping and not draw any attention to herself. She saw Mara's lightsaber roll from her grasp and disengage, then watched as two of the men picked up her lifeless form. Staying hidden, she tried to store as many details as possible in her terror stricken brain.

After watching the group take Mara out through a side door, Hope made her way down the hallway towards it. She caught a glimpse of a black speeder pulling away as she peered carefully out the door.

**********

Iella said goodbye to her daughters and broke the comm connection. She grabbed her swimsuit and headed for the door and thought back to her conversation. Syal was definitely enjoying her independent time away from her parents and seemed to be coping with the separation well. Myri had cried while she was talking to her but Mirax said this was the first time that she had seemed at all unhappy. She entered the lift deep in thought and exited the same way.

The scene Iella walked into brought her quickly out of her reverie. Hope was sitting on the floor sobbing, holding Mara's lightsaber and swimsuit. "Hope," She yelled. "What happened? Where's Mara?"

Hope turned to look at her and when she recognized Iella her sobs just got louder. " Blasters……men…..took…her…" came out between sobs.

Iella sat back on her haunches and put her arm around Hope's shoulder. "Try to calm down a little and tell me everything you saw."

Hope wiped the back of her hand across her face and sniffed loudly. "I was coming to look for Mrs. Skywalker," she began, "to warn her about the photographer. When I heard the noise in the hallway, I looked out and saw four men surrounding her. They were firing blasters that sent out a blue pulse and she was blocking the shots with her lightsaber." Hope stopped and wiped away a few new tears and sniffled again. "Suddenly, one of the pulses hit her and she fell to the floor. Two of the men picked her up and went out the door. They must have had someone waiting for them outside because as I got to the door I saw a speeder drive away really fast."

Once she had gotten out those last words, she looked intently at Iella. "Those blasters," Hope stammered. "Is she dead?" The terror filled expression that she wore spoke volumes.

Before Iella could answer Hope another employee came down the hall. She turned to the young man and instructed. "Get someone from hotel security down here right away." Her tone left no room for discussion and he ran back the way he had come without saying a word. Iella turned back to Hope. "I don't think that Mara is dead. The blue blasts that you described usually come from a stun blaster." Her years of Corsec training came back fully as she instructed the girl. "I need you to try and remember everything you can about what you saw and heard. Even the smallest detail could help us to find Mara." She turned Hope's face so that she was looking straight into her eyes. "Okay?" she added softly.

As Hope nodded, Iella's attention was drawn by the sound of the lift doors opening. Two men, dressed in the uniforms of hotel security, exited and approached her. "What is going on here?" the older of the two asked.

Getting his name from the badge on his shirt, Iella explained. "Thias, Mara Skywalker has been abducted. I need a comlink that can handle ground to ship communication and I need to contact Corsec."

The security guard looked at her is disbelief but after taking in her expression, knew that she was serious. After the reality of the situation finally registered, he attempted to take charge. "I will secure the area and contact the authorities to begin an investigation."

When the guard attempted to take Mara's lightsaber, Iella blocked his path. "Nothing will be touched until I contact Master Skywalker and Corsec." I need that comlink now," she ordered.

The guard could see that Iella would not be swayed, so he moved to assist her. "The main desk can relay you through to the control tower so that you can contact the ship. I'll contact Corsec and have them send over a team." He placed his comlink into her palm and walked swiftly down the hall.

Iella keyed the switch on the comlink. "This is Iella Antilles. I need you to connect me with the control tower at the spaceport. It is an emergency." Her tone of voice must have been enough to convey the seriousness of the situation to the attendant as she was connected immediately.

The repetition of her message with the control tower attendant secured a connection with Wedge's X-wing within a few moments. "Antilles, here." The familiar voice carried an unusual amount of stress.

"Wedge, it's Iella. Something's happened to …….." Before she could finish her statement, he cut her off.

" I know, Luke sensed it," Wedge replied. "We're on our way back. Have a speeder waiting for us at the hangar. We’ll be on the ground in ten minutes."

"Okay," Iella said. "How is Luke doing?" Although she had a pretty good idea, she had to voice the question.

Wedge sighed. "As well as can be expected. He can't sense her."

"Please hurry, Wedge," Iella said softly. She was about to end the connection when a thought came to her. "Can you contact the 'Errant Venture' from your X-wing?"

Wedge knew exactly where his wife was going with her question. "If I get the control tower to boost the signal I should get through." With those words he ended the connection.

After getting the necessary comm code from Gate, Wedge keyed his comm to the control tower. "Coronet control, this is Wedge Antilles. I needed you to relay a comm signal to another ship. I'm transmitting the information now." The words had barely left his mouth when he heard Gate initiate the data transfer.

"Transmission received, General Antilles," the voice replied. "I'll relay the call back to your ship as soon as I achieve a connection."

Wedge had given the attendant Booster's private comm channel so he knew that his surrogate father would be the only person to answer it. It took only a few moments before his speaker came to life.

"Booster here," he said briskly. Only a few people had this comm frequency and half of them were on this ship.

"Booster, it's Wedge," he replied quickly. "I need your help."

"Wedge, what's wrong," Booster asked nervously. He could hear the tension in the younger man's voice and knew that things had to be pretty bad for it to even show.

"Mara been abducted," Wedge replied without preamble. "I need you to put out some feelers and contact Karrde to do the same to see what you can find out." He heard the man speak quickly into a comlink and knew who he had called.

"Done," Booster replied. "Tell me what happened."

Wedge could hear the sound of additional voices echoing from his speaker and knew Corran and Mirax had just entered Booster's office. "I really don't know much. Luke and I were out doing a bit of flying and suddenly he told me we had head back. Something had happened to Mara and he could no longer sense her. Iella contacted me a few minutes ago but we were already headed back. That's all I know," he said blowing out a heavy sigh.

The stricken look that passed between Mirax and Corran was oozing pain. It hadn't been that many years since they had found themselves in a very similar situation and Luke had been instrumental in helping them. "We can be there in two hours," Corran said into the comm. "The fact that someone was able to get the drop on Mara and that Luke cannot sense her through the Force, doesn’t bode very well for a quick resolution."

Wedge breathed a small sigh of relief. He didn't like the idea of having to put their trust into strangers. It would be good to have Corran and Mirax there to help them. "Okay Corran. Contact me on my comlink frequency when you are in orbit. Booster, get to me as soon as you have any information. Wedge out."

************

Iella was just switching the comlink back to standby mode, when the security guard reached her. "Corsec is sending over an investigation team. They should be here in five minutes."

Iella looked over at Hope, still sitting huddled on the floor then back at the guard. "Thank you. Is there an empty room that we can use?"

The guard walked a few meters down the hall and unlocked a door. Iella took Hope's hand and pulled her to her feet. She moved them into the room then turned back to the guard. "Secure the hallway but don't touch anything. I'll wait in here for the team from Corsec."

**********

Luke had worked to purge his fear and had regained some semblance of control by the time he was ready to begin his landing sequence. "Coronet control, this is Luke Skywalker, requesting immediate landing clearance." A slight Force suggestion accompanied his words.

"Master Skywalker, this is Coronet control. You and General Antilles are cleared to land in berth 34," the voice replied.

Luke was relieved that they were landing in the berth right beside the 'Sabre'. They would be able to just lock down the fighters and head back to the hotel. "Acknowledged. Skywalker out."

He clicked his comm back to ship to ship. "Did you get all that, Wedge?"

"Yes," Wedge replied. "I spoke with Iella….." His words were cut off before he could even attempt to convey what he had done.

"Let's just get back on the ground and we'll go from there," Luke responded curtly.

Sensing that his friend was very close to the limits of even his Jedi controls, Wedge acquiesced. "Understood." Frustration and even a twinge of fear was evident in the sigh that he exhaled as he switched off the comlink. Luke had been through many trials in the years that they had known each other and had managed to remain calm and composed through each one. Hopefully this wouldn't be the one that would shatter the Jedi Master.

**********

Iella looked around the room that she and Hope had been escorted into. It was a small meeting room and would suit their purposes just fine. A communications console sat at one end and a data terminal and datapads filled the other. Tables and chairs were set up in a U shape to facilitate communication. A sound drew her attention from her musing and Iella turned back towards the door. She could tell by their demeanor that the man and woman who entered were from Corsec. As she walked to them, she realized that the man looked familiar. He appeared to be in his early fifties, taller than average, muted blue eyes and long brown hair lightly streaked with gray pulled into a tail. She peered intently at his face until recognition was upon her. "Artur Kanal, it's been a long time," she said politely as she extended her hand.

"Yes it has, Iella," Kanal replied. "Though life has changed immensely for you since we last saw one another, Mrs. Antilles."

Kanal's words brought numerous memories flooding through Iella but she worked quickly to suppress them. There were more important things at hand. "That's true", she replied, "but sadly we have urgent matters to deal with that leave no time for pleasantries."

Kanal turned and pointed to the younger woman at his side. She was in her late thirties, average height, and lithe figure, with blue/black hair and gray eyes. "Iella, this is my partner, Jenia Morlan." He directed his attention back to the woman at his side. "Jenia, this is the infamous Iella Wesseri Antilles."

The younger woman stepped towards Iella and extended her hand. "It is a honor to met you Mrs. Antilles."

"Iella, please," she replied. "I think we may be spending quite a bit time together." She turned back to Kanal and said, "could you arrange for a speeder to pick up Wedge and Master Skywalker at the spaceport? They should be landing in a few minutes."

Kanal spoke quickly into his comlink. A moment later he looked intently at her. "Now Iella, why don’t you give me as much information as you can about what happened here."

Iella looked over at the young girl that sat stiffly at the table and handed her a datapad. "Hope, can you write down everything you remember from this morning?" she asked softly. When Hope took the datapad and nodded, she turned back to the agents. "Mara was heading down to the exercise room for aerobics class…"she began. She filled them in on everything she had seen since she arrived in the hallway, the things Hope had told her and the sensations that Mara had when they first arrived. The two agents listened intently, with Morlan typing rapidly into the datapad that she had brought with her.

********

Luke could barely contain his need to run all the way back to the resort as he jumped down from the cockpit of his X-wing. The second Artoo beeped his acknowledgment of completing the fighter's shut down procedure he lifted the droid and brought him quickly to the floor beside him. He was turning to see if Wedge and Gate had secured their X-wing, when a voice demanded his attention. He looked over to see two men walking towards him. One had dark brown hair and hazel eyes and appeared to be in his middle thirties while the other was about twenty-five with dirty blond hair and brown eyes. They both moved with the precision and confidence of well trained professionals.

"Master Skywalker," the older man said. "I am Trent Noreen and this is my partner, Jakob Slade. We are with Corsec. I have a transport outside to take you and General Antilles back to the 'Regent'."

Wedge walked to Luke's side and addressed the man who had spoken. "Can you fill us in on exactly what happened?" The look of terror than ghosted over Luke's face as they waited for an answer, made him shiver.

"I don't know any of the details," Noreen answered sympathetically. "We were instructed to come directly here to collect you."

Luke started walking to the door without even acknowledging any of the man's statements when a beep from Artoo stopped him. "Yes, Artoo, I did forget," he said. He turned back in the direction of Wedge's X-wing and asked. "Ready, Gate?" The droid beeped his compliance and was quickly lifted from the fighter and deposited at Wedge' side. "Okay, let's go," Luke ordered.

The group moved to the transport and were soon on their way to the resort. Wedge looked intently at Luke as he sat beside him. His face was completely devoid of emotion and his normally vibrant eyes were empty and lifeless. Only the fists clenched at his sides gave any indication of the tension so tightly coiled within the serene Master's shell. "Luke, we will find her," he said in his most confident tone.

The depth of pain that flashed into Luke's eyes as he acknowledged the statement tore into his friend's heart. "We have to," he whispered more to himself than to Wedge. "We have to."

***********

Iella had just finished relaying everything that Hope had told her about the events in the hallway, when she heard a comlink beep. She watched Kanal activate it and heard a male voice through the speaker. "We will be at the resort in about two minutes." Kanal moved to the door of the meeting room and gestured for her to follow him. "We'll meet you at the back entrance along Ruine Lane."

Iella turned to Hope who was still typing rapidly into the datapad. "Wait here, we'll be right back." At Hope's slight nod, she moved to follow the Corsec agent into the hallway. They walked until they reached the door then stood in the doorway waiting for the transport.

Iella let out a sigh of relief when the transport pulled in front of the door. It had barely stopped when the door opened and Luke and Wedge stepped out. They were at her side in a flash, Wedge wrapping his arm around her shoulders and Luke standing directly in front of her.

"Tell me what happened," Luke said in a voice that was surprisingly calm.

Iella laid a hand on his arm, took a deep breath and began to explain. "From what I can gather, the men surrounded her after she got off the elevator." Before she could continue she was interrupted.

"Weren't you with her?" Luke asked somewhat confused. "I thought you were coming down to the aerobics class together?"

Iella felt a flash of guilt as she answered him. "When she came to get me, I was talking to the girls so she said she would meet me down here. I never thought anything of it."

"How do you know what happened then?" Luke asked in a frustrated tone.

"Hope was sitting on the floor, crying, when I entered the hallway," Iella replied. "She told me that she came into the hallway when Mara was fighting with the men."

"Where is Hope now?" Luke asked rather brusquely.

In spite of his calm outward appearance, Iella could see the tension in the way Luke held himself and in his speech pattern. She tightened the hand on his arm in a reassuring gesture, then said calmly. "I have her putting down everything she can remember into a datapad. Hopefully the information will help us to locate Mara."

"I want to talk to her," Luke said as he pulled away from Iella and entered the hallway. The rush of emotion he felt as he entered caused him to stagger.

Wedge was at his side immediately. "Are you okay, Luke?" he asked in a very concerned tone.

Luke closed his eyes and took a few deep, calming breaths before he answered. "I can still feel the echoes of Mara's emotions flowing within the Force here." After a few moments standing in total silence, he opened his eyes and looked intently at Wedge. " I need to be alone to see if I can sense anything." Without waiting for an answer, Luke walked slowly down the hallway. When he reached a particular spot, he dropped to his knees and again closed his eyes.

Iella led the others back to the small room where Hope and Agent Morlan were waiting. She was visibly shaking when she closed the door behind them.

"What is it Iella?" Wedge asked.

Iella took a couple of steps back from the others and pulled Wedge with her. She stopped to compose herself before she speaking softly. "Even though I don’t fully understand how the Jedi use the Force, I have been around Luke and Mara enough to know that their powers are not something to be taken lightly." She tossed a sideways glance at Hope then continued. "But this…well it's…Luke knelt down in the exact spot I found Hope in when I entered the hallway. Hope was sitting there with Mara's lightsaber in her hands. She told me it was where Mara fell when the stun blast hit her."

*********

Once Luke felt the others leave the hallway, he sat back on his heels and placed his hands, palm down, on his knees. He slowed his breathing until he had almost entered a trance state then opened himself fully to the Force eddies that surrounded him. Once he had sorted through the emotions that filled him, he was almost able to replay the unseen events in his mind.

He could feel the lightness of Mara's mind when she first exited the lift. Her emotional shift as she became aware of her first assailant was not one of strong concern. Once the numbers increased and the threat became more immediate, her emotions shifted again. Amid her intense concentration, her realization of the impossibility of her situation quickly became evident. Only when she caught sight of the blast that she would be unable to block, did she give way to fear. He relived her mental cry to him as the rearranged emotions filtered through his mind.

Luke could get a vague sense of the emotions of the others who had been in the hallway. He could sense the arrogance and malice that had flowed through the minds of the men attacking Mara. Try as he might, he was unable to find a the reason behind this abduction in their emotions. He felt Hope's terror and pain as she came into the hallway and saw what was happening. He felt the girl's emotions shift once Mara had been taken from the building. The terror shifted to sadness and a twinge of guilt as the events of the moments before overwhelmed her.

Luke came out of his near trance state, sweating and breathing heavily. The strength of their bond had made the influx of Mara's emotions flow through him almost as if he was experiencing them himself. He worked to calm himself and once he had succeeded somewhat, he rose from the floor. He made his way to the door of the room where the others waited. He took a few more calming breaths, then opened the door.

Iella and Wedge inspected Luke closely as he walked into the room. He seemed to be a bit calmer and looked around the room carefully. Iella moved to stand beside him. "Luke, this is Artur Kanal and his partner Jenia Morlan. They are with Corsec."

Luke nodded in a bare greeting then focused all of his attention on the young woman seated at the end of the table. She looked at him with such pain and guilt that he immediately wanted to comfort her in spite of his own deep pain. He moved to her and knelt at her side. When she started to speak, he shook his head. "There was nothing you could have done to help Mara, Hope," he comforted. He pointed to the information that she had type into the datapad then added. "But you may be able to help her with the details of what you remember and your descriptions of the men. Write down every detail, no matter how small. Sometimes it’s a minor detail that helps to resolve this type of situation."

Gratitude was evident on Hope's face as she took in Luke's words. "I want to do everything that I can to help." The slight smile that shone in spite of the tears that had barely dried on her cheeks showed her sincerity.

Luke reached for the datapad that sat on the table in front of Hope. "May I look at what you have written so far?" he asked gently. When she nodded, he picked up the datapad and scrolled back to the top. He had only been reading for a few minutes when he turned and glared at Artur Kanal. "Where is this photographer that Hope mentions?"

"He is being detained by hotel security, Master Skywalker," Kanal replied. "We thought you would want to be present when we spoke to him."

"He is our best lead to finding Mara quickly," Luke stated. "I would like to speak to him now."

Kanal may have just met Luke Skywalker but he recognized an order when he heard one. And orders issued by a Jedi Master were expected to be followed. "If you will follow me, please, I will take you to him."

Luke turned to Wedge and Iella. "Would you join us?" he asked in a very different tone than the one he had used with Kanal. "I would value your input."

Wedge put his hand on Luke's shoulder. "We will be here for whatever you need, Luke." He took his wife's hand and they followed the others out the door.

The room they were led to was only four doors away. Kanal opened the door and addressed the hotel security person that stood guard. "We will take over from here. Thank you." The young man nodded his acknowledgment and quickly left the room.

Luke entered the room directly behind Kanal and locked his gaze with the man who was seated at the table. He instantly recognized the face of the man that had been taking pictures in the dance club two days earlier. Fear was radiating from the man's form and he had no intention of alleviating any of those fears any time soon. He continued the intense stare and the man's level of fear rose. "What do you know about my wife's disappearance?" Luke almost growled.

The man swallowed visibly before speaking. "I don't know anything, Master Skywalker. I was only hired to take holos. I didn't…" His remaining words were cut off by Luke.

"Who hired you?" Luke questioned. His stare never even flickered and his voice was hard a steel.

The man voiced quivered as he answered. "I don't… know who. Everything was handled by comm and credit transfer."

Iella nudged Wedge with her elbow. "Look," she said softly. She pointed to Luke's ridged form. A drop of blood had fallen to the floor directly beneath Luke's clenched left fist.

Wedge moved to Luke's side but looked intently at the photographer. "You will document everything that has happened since your were contacted for the holos. Do not leave out even the smallest detail." Wedge pointed to Kanal. "Agent Kanal will take you to another room and provide you with a datapad. Any questions?" When the photographer nodded, Wedge turned to Kanal. "Could you find a secure location for him to compile the information?

Kanal took the photographer by the arm and pulled him to his feet. As they walked to the door, Luke moved to follow. Wedge stepped into his path and put his hands on his shoulders. "We need to talk, Luke," he said softly.

"What do you think you're doing, Wedge?" Luke shouted. "I need…" he stopped when Wedge grabbed his left hand and pried his fingers open.

"Look," Wedge said as he brought Luke's palm into his view. "Sit down. You need to calm yourself so that you can think clearly." He gestured to Iella to join them then pushed Luke into a chair. "You are not alone in this. We are here to help you. We will find Mara." He started intently at the man that he had known more than half of his life. "Trust me, Luke. Trust us."

Luke sank back into the chair and sighed heavily. The fact that he hadn't even realized that he had clenched his fist tightly enough to draw blood scared him. He needed to be calm and focused to find Mara. "Thank you," he said sincerely. He looked at Iella and asked. "What do you know about Artur Kanal? Is he a good investigator?"

"He was with Corsec when Corran and I were still working for them," Iella replied. "He's very thorough, has many contacts on the streets and can conduct a solid investigation."

Luke sighed again. "I don't think I'm comfortable leaving this investigation to strangers." He leaned his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands. He could feel his anxiety level rising again and worked to squelch it.

Wedge sat down in the chair across from Luke. "We won't have to trust the investigation or Mara's rescue to strangers. I placed a few calls before we even landed. Booster is looking for information as we speak, as I'm sure Karrde is now that Booster has contacted him. Corran and Mirax are on their way here and should arrive within the next hour."

Relief flooded Luke's expression as his friend's words penetrated his despair. The knowledge that his friends were with him helped him to focus. "We need to set up a command center to process any incoming information and to track our activities."

Wedge stood up. "Let's get changed out of these flight suits while Iella works with Corsec to set up the things we need."

"Okay," Luke agreed as he rose from his seat.

The group left the room. Iella headed back to where Hope and the others were assembled and Wedge and Luke headed to the lift. They rode to their floor in silence and soon were at the door to Wedge's suite. "I'll meet you in your suite as soon as I'm dressed," he said. Luke nodded and walked to his door. Wedge watched while his friend slid his key card and warily entered his suite. He moved into his room, unzipping his flightsuit as he walked. He was concerned with Luke being alone too long in his suite and wanted to change as quickly as possible.

In a matter of minutes, Wedge had redressed and was rummaging through his bag. When his hand finally gripped the item he had been searching for, he pulled it out. A look of frustration came over his face as he peered at the item in his hand. He never thought this trip would take such a drastic turn that he would have to start wearing this. He let out an audible sigh as he secured the belt around his waist. He used his right hand to secure the holster's thigh strap, then pulled out the blaster. After making sure it was fully charged he slid it back into its leather pouch. He ran his hand through his hair in a nervous gesture as he headed to the door that connected the suites.

Wedge was somewhat surprised to find the door already open. He walked into the suite and moved towards the sleeping area. The sight that greeted him as he reached it caused him to stop dead in the doorway. Luke knelt on the floor by the bed. He held a piece of yellow clothing in his hands and had his face buried in it. His shoulders heaved as if he was sobbing but no sound passed from his lips. The pain radiating from his friend tore at his heart. He cleared his throat to announce his presence although he knew that Luke would have sensed his approach. When Luke didn't react, he moved to stand beside him and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Luke," he said softly.

Luke raised his head and looked up at the man standing beside him. "I'm sorry, Wedge," he said, "I don't know what came over me. I'll be ready in a few minutes."

"Your reaction is totally understandable, Luke," Wedge said. The combination of despair and anger that filled Luke's face told Wedge that he was barely holding himself in control. "What can I do to help you?"

"Nothing. I don’t have time to wallow in self-pity, " Luke spat out. "I need to find Mara. I'll get changed and be right out."

Luke turned his back to Wedge and walked to the dresser. Wedge walked back to the common room and headed to the window. He stared out, filled with a rapidly growing concern for both his friends. He had never seen Luke so close to the edge. He looked up at the sky. He hoped Corran got here soon. They would need to work together to help Luke find Mara and not lose himself in the process.

Wedge was pulled from his thoughts as Luke emerged from the bedroom. The change in him had been astonishing. The calm and serene Jedi Master once again stood before him. Following him out the door, he noted the only sign of any of Luke's previous distress was the cold, hard expression that shown in his normally warm blue eyes.

***********

As she began to regain consciousness, Mara felt as if she had been run over by a bantha. Her body ached in places that she didn't even realize had muscles or nerves and her head pounded furiously. She took a deep breath and focused to access the Force to dull her pain. Her inability to do so brought her fully into the moment and also flooded her mind with the cause of her current situation. She attempted to sit up but her muscles wouldn't respond. After effects of the stun blast most likely, she cursed silently. She turned her head and took in her surroundings. The room was small and it's only furnishing was the small bed she was lying on. The door to her left probably lead to a refresher. The larger door across the room must be its entrance.

Mara again extended her senses for even the slightest access to the Force and was again unsuccessful. After a few more silent curses, she sighed. Whoever had orchestrated this little abduction had done their homework well. She didn't have to physically check to know that the door to the room was secured. So she was locked in a room with no access to the Force, no way to know how long she had been unconscious and no idea who had abducted her. She tucked her hands behind her head and stared at the ceiling. She might as well just lie back and relax until her captors made their next move.

************

When the door to the meeting room opened Iella was surprised to see Luke and Wedge already returning. One look at Wedge's expression stopped any comment from leaving her lips. She decided to delve right into the task at hand. "Luke, I've read over everything that Hope has written out about what she saw. Why don't you look it over?" She handed him the datapad then stepped back to where her husband stood. She could see him watching Luke intently as their friend scrolled through the datapad. "Wedge?" The one word voiced all her unspoken concerns.

Wedge placed his hand on his wife's arm and made a feeble attempt to smile. "Later," was his short reply to Iella's numerous concerns. Looking around the room, he saw that his wife had used her time wisely. A computer terminal had been set up at one end of the table with linked datapads sitting at each place at the table. A communications console had been set up at the opposite end. He watched Luke lay the datapad on the table and sit down. He sat in the chair beside him and picked up that datapad. He read through it quickly then spoke. "Let's look at the information we have and work forward, okay." When Luke nodded, he motioned to the others to take a seat. Agent Morlan sat at the main computer to record the pertinent data from their discussion.

Iella moved to the table with the others but remained standing. Knowing how Luke felt about having to trust strangers, she thought it would help him if she took charge. A brief glance at Wedge told her he agreed with her decision. "Let's review what we know," she began. "Whoever is behind this, use the photographer to track Mara's movements. If he is telling the truth about not knowing who hired him, then we need to work on tracing his payments." She stopped for a second and looked at Luke. "Did you sense that he was lying?"

"No," Luke answered. "He does not know who he is working for."

"Okay," Iella said. "That leaves us with the men that actually took Mara. We need to ID them as quickly as possible. Can you arrange for an artist to come and work from Hope's descriptions?" she asked Kanal.

"Our best composite artist is on her way," Kanal replied.

Iella was pulled from her next sentence by the glazed look she saw on Luke's face. "What is it, Luke?" she asked.

Luke sat deep in thought for a few moments then said. "From the impressions I got in the hallway, these men were just hired muscle. Mara was definitely their target but I could not sense any strong emotions from them that would make me believe it was personal."

"So we need to ID them and then find out who they are working for," Iella countered. "Maybe your street contacts will have some knowledge of someone looking for information about Mara," she said to Kanal.

And so time progressed, the group discussed the information they had, looked for ways to get additional information and assigned Corsec personnel to complete each task. They had just finished their discussion when the Corsec artist arrived. The young woman talked briefly to Kanal then moved to sit beside Hope. "I want would to describe the men you saw this morning. Start with the one that you feel you got the best look at and we'll go from there," she explained. I want you to watch as I draw and let me know if there are features that I'm not getting correctly."

Hope nodded and the artist took out her sketch material. Before she could begin, Luke moved to stand beside them and spoke. "I think I may have an easier way. Hope, do you trust me?" he asked softly.

"Yes, Master Skywalker…I mean Luke. I trust you totally," Hope answered.

"I would like to access your memories of what happened earlier," Luke explained. "I will be able to see what you saw and project the images of the men into the Corsec artist's mind. That way we would have the best description possible to track down these men."

Wedge and Iella looked at each other dumbfounded when Luke's words registered. The pain that he would feel as he relived the images of Mara's abduction would be horrifying. The image of Luke's silent sobbing from earlier flashed into Wedge's mind. "Are you sure you want to do this, Luke?" he asked, very concerned.

"I have to do this, Wedge," Luke replied stoically. "We will need every detail we can get to find these men." He turned his attention back to Hope and moved to kneel in front of her. "I want you to replay the events you witnessed in the hallway in your mind. I'm going to place my fingers on your temples." When he saw the slight hesitation that flashed across Hope's face, he added. "I will only look at the memories you are focusing on. If you are at all uncomfortable with this, we don't have to do it. We can use your verbal descriptions to get the images," he said to reassure her.

Radiating a newfound confidence at his words, Hope met the Master's intense gaze. "I want to help Mara, Luke, and this is the best way for me to do that."

"Thank you, Hope," Luke replied sincerely. "Concentrate on what you saw," he instructed. He watched as she closed her eyes in concentration. He placed his fingertips on each side of her face and then did the same.

The eyes of everyone in the room were on the pair and an eerie silence hung in the air. Wedge watched his friend carefully for any signs of his earlier upheaval but he was a picture of serenity. He had known Luke a long time but he was still amazed that his friend could maintain the calm composure of the Jedi Master in the face of everything that had happened in the last couple of hours.

Abruptly, Luke sat back on his heels and his hands fell from Hope's face. He sat perfectly still on the floor, eyes still closed, with his only movement being the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed in deeply. After what seemed to those around him an eternity but was in reality only a few moments, he opened his eyes and looked up at Hope. "Thank you," he whispered. "This will help us find Mara." He grasped her hands in his and squeezed them gently. As he released them, he rose and turned to the others. "It will take me a few moments to isolate the images of the men from the rest. Then I will focus on directing the images into the artist's mind." His gaze had shifted to the woman who sat posed with her sketchpad and stylus in her hand. "Projecting images is not my greatest strength so the rest of you will have to rely on the drawings."

"That won't be necessary, Master," a male voice stated from the doorway.

"Corran," Luke said as he turned towards the door. Before he could say anything else the Knight was at his side.

"We came as quickly as we could, Luke," Corran said.

Luke glanced over at Mirax who had moved to stand with Iella then looked back at Corran. "Sorry to have imposed on your vacation but thank you for coming to help."

"No thanks are needed," Corran replied. "We wouldn't be anywhere else. Now, tell me what images you were trying to project."

Luke quickly explained to Corran everything that had taken place since he and Wedge had arrived back at the resort. They stood silently as Luke replayed the images and allowed Corran to view them from his mind. When they were finished, Corran turned to the others. "I will project the images of each the men separately. Although it may seem as if they are actually in this room, it is only a projection. Ready?" When the others nodded, he began.

Hope gasped softly when the first man appeared before them and Luke moved quickly to her side. Once he had silently reassured her, he watched the looks of disbelief that crossed the faces of some of the others. He was grateful that Corran had arrived when he had as his friend was projecting much more detailed images that his own talents would have allowed. Once the images of the four men had been displayed, Luke addressed Kanal. "Do you recognize any of the men?" he asked.

"This first one looks vaguely familiar but I'll need to run the composite through the database to get a definite match," Kanal replied. He turned to the artist and instructed. "Start with the drawing of the first man. He's our best chance at getting a match."

Luke noticed that Corran had joined the others and was intently focused on something Iella was asking him. He caught only the remnants of the statement as he approached. "…I think it would help us in the investigation." He directed his gaze at Iella and asked, "what would?"

Corran was the one that answered him. "Iella wants me to project the images of what occurred in the hallway for them."

Luke's quick intact of breath was his only visible reaction to Corran's words. He stood deep in thought for a moment then spoke. "That may be a good idea. Maybe you will be able to pick up some details that may help us." He looked at his friends and added. "I am reliving the images continually so I will oversee the composites while you show the others, Corran." He moved to stand behind the sketch artist and turned all of his attention to face that was beginning to materialize on the sketchpad.

With one quick glance back at Luke, Corran led the others back into the hallway. He stood quietly for a moment, running the images Luke had shared through his mind so he could strengthen his focus. After a few moments, he turned to the others. "Ready?" When they nodded, he motioned towards the end of the hallway. "It seems as though everything took place at that end so I will project the image there. Hopefully it will give us a more accurate portrayal of the events."

Corran closed his eyes and concentrated and an image appeared at the end of the hall. Three men stood in front of Mara and she was using her lightsaber to deflect blaster bolts that were being fired at her. A blast slipped past her guard and she collapsed to the floor. Two men picked her up and carried out the door. The scene shifted to the doorway where a black speeder was speeding away from the building.

Iella was the first to speak. "That was amazing. It was as if we were watching the actual events." A ghost of a smile crossed her lips despite the seriousness of the situation. "We could have used this talent years ago, Horn." The smile disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and she stopped for a moment, deep in thought. When she started speaking again the others weren't sure if she was talking to them or herself. "The man standing behind Mara never fired. He just watched as the others attacked her. I wonder why." Before any of them could comment, she asked. "Are you able to focus just on him and project the image again?"

"Sure," Corran replied. Seconds later a new image appeared that focused on the man behind Mara. The image faded when he heard Iella's voice.

"They wanted Mara alive," Iella stated confidently. "The man behind her was holding a regular blaster. That's why he didn't fire."

"Ransom?" Wedge asked, but thinking more on it answered his own question. "Luke is not a wealthy man and if money was the agenda there would be a lot easier targets than Mara to abduct."

"It had to be more personal than that," Corran replied. "Someone who has a grudge against Luke or against Mara herself. With her background, she probably has as many if not more enemies than the rest of us."

"Revenge, is a very powerful motive," Iella said. "Now all we have to do if find out who and why. The answers to those questions should lead us directly to them and Mara."

**********

A sound outside the door drew Mara to full awareness. Unwilling to give anything away, she remained sprawled across the bed and projected an aura of calm serenity that would have made the Master proud.

"Well, well. If it isn't the infamous Mara Jade, or should I say Mara Skywalker," the male voice said sarcastically.

Mara turned to look at the man that stood in the doorway. He was a little younger than she, probably in his mid thirties. His brown hair was streaked with premature gray and brown eyes gazed out of a large, angular face. She was sure she had not met him before but something in his features was vaguely familiar. She didn't need the Force to sense the intense hatred that was radiating from him. "Am I suppose to know you?" she asked with utter disdain.

"I would suggest you attempt to imitate politeness at the very least," the man spat out. "You are in a rather vulnerable position, you know." He gestured over his left shoulder and Mara caught a glimpse of two of the men from the hallway pointing stun blasters at her.

Mara sat up on the edge of the bed and shrugged her shoulders. "You don't want me dead or you would have killed me already," she said flatly. "Let's get to the point shall we. Who are you and what do you want?"

"My name is Honore Barkale," he said. He caught the look of recognition that flashed in Mara's eyes before she recomposed her expression. " You remember my father, don't you?"

"We met once or twice, years ago," Mara replied. She fought to keep her composure as the memories of her last act as the Emperor's Hand replayed in her mind.

"You were the last person to see him, weren't you, bitch?" Barkale screamed as his composure left him. When Mara just stared at him blankly, his temper flared more and he stepped forward and pulled her to her feet. "Did you think that no one would know that you were the one that killed him?" he taunted. "My father was nothing if not efficient, Jade. His security system taped you from the moment you entered his sanctuary."

**********

When Corran and the others returned to the room, the artist was handing a sketch to Artur Kanal. He walked to the terminal and scanned it into the computer. He stood staring at the display as if willing it to process the information faster. Finally, a readout appeared on the display. He read through it then turned back to the others. "His name is Amil Milent. He's a small time hoodlum who's been suspected of many crimes but we've never been able to get enough evidence to prosecute him. He's a freelancer so we'll have to catch up with him to find out who he's working for." He focused his final comments to Luke. "I am having his information and image sent out to every agent in the area. We will find him, Master Skywalker."

The frustration that Luke felt at the agent's words was very visible to his friends. Wedge moved to stand beside him. "That may make it a little more difficult but we thrive on difficult, remember. We will find her, Luke."

The door to the conference room opened and Agent Morlan entered carrying a datapad. "I have the statement from the photographer," she said.

Corran step up to her and extended his hand. "May I?" he asked. She handed the pad to him and he read through it. " Here's something we can work with," he said more to himself than to the others. He walked over to the computer terminal and looked at Kanal. "Access his bank account and trace all the deposits that have been made to it in the last three days. Even if the credit transfers were funneled through phony accounts we should be able to eventually get back to the source."

"It would take a really good slicer to cut through the phony accounts if they were set up thoroughly enough," Iella said.

Wedge was walking over to the communications terminal before anyone else could move. "I'll forward the info to the NRI and Ghent can work on it along with Corsec's people." He took the datapad from Corran as he inputted the authorization codes that would connect him directly with the NRI. It took only a few moments to get routed into the correct section.

"Ghent, here," the male voice replied.

"Ghent, it's Wedge Antilles. I need your help with something important and confidential," he said.

"Whatever you need, General Antilles," the reply came back politely.

"I need you to trace a bank account and find the source of a credit transfer," Wedge instructed. He stopped speaking and looked over at Luke for permission. When Luke nodded, he continued. "We are on Corellia and Mara has been abducted. One of these transfers may provide us a link to the person responsible."

They heard a whisper of "not Mara" and then there was silence at the other end of the link for a few moments. Finally Ghent responded. "Download the information and I will get right on it. Tell Master Skywalker….."

"I will," Wedge answered, cutting off any further words. "Get back to me as soon as you have anything, no matter how minor." Once Ghent acknowledged him, he ended the connection.

***********

Mara locked her gaze with that of the angry man before her. "That was over fifteen years ago. Why are you doing this now?" she asked in an emotionless voice.

"Although your face has been permanently etched into my brain since I first watched the surveillance tape, it wasn't until two years ago that I made the connection," Barkale said. "I saw holos of you when you were on Corellia with Organa-Solo and I realized you were the woman in the tape." His anger rose a notch as he relayed the information. "I was arranging with my old boss, Sal-Solo, to acquire you when you escaped."

"I'm so sorry that I inconvenienced you," Mara said sarcastically. Barkale's right hand struck viciously against her cheek and she had to use all her strength to remain standing. "Feel better?" she asked.

Barkale pushed on Mara's chest and sent her sprawling back onto the bed. "You think you're so tough, Jade," he spat. "We'll see how tough you feel after you've been here a while." He stepped back from the bed and with a smirk pointed to the wooden frames that lined the hallway. "It's funny how things work out. I've been doing a little acquiring for some people who are worried about the affect the Jedi will have on their less than legal endeavors. I just happened to have a shipment of ysalamiri waiting to be delivered when I heard you and your hubbie had arrived on the planet." His smirk widened as he looked back at her. "So your precious Jedi powers will be of no use to you here. How convenient for me."

The look Mara shot him was one of total lack of concern. "Time will tell who will succeed in the end, Barkale." She lay back on the bed and placed her arms comfortable under her head.

***********

For the next few hours, the artist worked on the other sketches and Corsec people came in and out bringing various tidbits of information. They reviewed the information that they had until they basically all had the data memorized. Wedge had gotten a transmission from Booster and Luke has spoken to Karrde but neither of them had found out anything as of yet that could help them find Mara. Ghent was their best hope and so far he had not been able to make a connection.

They had sent Hope home hours before and Corsec had just sent in a new crew to man the center for the next twelve hours. The moon shone brightly in through the large window at the back of the room. Frustration permeated the room and all its occupants.

Corran watched Luke pace back and forth over the distance of the small room until he was sure he had worn a path in the carpeting. He glanced over at Wedge then stepped into his friend's path. "Luke, let's go and get something to eat then maybe get some sleep."

"You guys go. I want to stay here," Luke said.

Iella stepped to stand beside them. "Luke, you need to eat and sleep so that you are ready when we find the information we need to get Mara," she said softly. "She'll be very upset with both of us if you aren't functional." She forced a small smile to her lips and she implored her friend with her gaze.

"I need to be here if any new information comes in," Luke explained.

"We all have our commlinks, Luke," Wedge said sternly. "They will contact us immediately if something comes in."

"Okay," Luke gave in reluctantly. He looked back at the agents sitting at the terminals as he walked through the door. "Contact me for anything, even if you think it's not important," he instructed with a slight Force touch behind his words.

"Yes, Master Skywalker," the agent replied.

Luke nodded then followed his friends down the hallway to the lift.

To be continued.