Star Wars: Survivor's Quest

CHAPTER 5

Mara stared down at the stormtroopers, a sudden flood of memories whipping around her like stones and debris in a hurricane-strength wind. She'd worked with stormtroopers many times through the years she served Palpatine as his Emperor's Hand. She'd ordered them to do her bidding; occasionally, she'd led small groups of them on special missions.

She'd stood by and watched as they killed.

It was impossible. It had to be. The elite cadre of stormtroopers was all but extinct, wiped out in the long war against the Empire. Most of the cloning tanks used to create them so many years ago were gone, too, tracked down and destroyed so that no one else would ever again unleash such a terrible wave of death and destruction upon the galaxy.

And yet, there they were. It wasn't an illusion, or a fraud, or a twisting of her own memories. They stood like stormtroopers, they held their BlasTech E-11 blaster rifles like stormtroopers, they wore stormtrooper armor.

The stormtroopers were back.

The young Imperial was looking around the room, his hand resting on the belted DH-17 blaster pistol riding his hip. One of the stormtroopers murmured something, and he looked up. "Ah," he called. His voice sounded young, too. "There you are, Jedi Skywalker. Are you all right?"

With a supreme effort, Mara found her voice. "Sure," she called back. "No problem. Why?"

He seemed a bit taken aback. "We heard the sound of a lightsaber being activated," he said. "With a Jedi, that usually means there's trouble."

"Trouble for whom?" Mara asked pointedly.

"Just trouble in general." The Imperial seemed better on balance now. "Do you need any help getting down from there?"

"Who said I wanted to come down?" Mara countered.

He snorted under his breath, and Mara caught a hint of annoyance. "Fine," he said. "Have it your way. I just thought you might be interested in talking, that's all."

"About...?"

"About what you're doing up there, for starters," the young man said. "Maybe we could discuss this whole crazy mission, too."

She frowned, stretching out with the Force. It was hard to read a stranger, especially at this distance. But as near as she could tell he seemed sincere.

Though she'd concluded the same thing about Jinzler, and had already decided how much simple sincerity was worth.

Still, if these Imperials were out to kill her, the simplest time to try it had already passed. And if she and they were on the same side, comparing cards might not be a bad idea. "Fine," she said. "I was mostly done anyway."

"You need any help?"

"No, thanks," Mara said, setting her teeth as it occurred to her that there was perhaps one more tactical advantage he was waiting for before ordering his stormtroopers to open fire. Time for a small calculated risk. "On second thought, you can hold my lightsaber for me. Here—catch."

She tossed it toward him. The young man stepped forward and deftly caught it.

There was no shout of triumph as he held her only defensive weapon in his hand. More importantly, none of the stormtroopers raised his BlasTech and started shooting.

She started breathing again. So they really didn't mean any mischief. At least, not yet. "Okay," she called. "Stand clear."

She shifted her gaze to the control panel in the corridor behind them and stretched out with the Force, activating one of the buttons.

Once again, the room began to reconfigure. Mara swung herself over to one of the other columns as hers retracted toward the ceiling, then pushed off and down to grab hold of a swinging wall panel. A brief pause to catch her balance, and she jumped down to the next one in line. Three panels later, she landed on the deck.

"Thanks," she said, stretching out her hand to the Imperial, her senses alert for a last-second betrayal.

But he merely handed over her lightsaber, most of his attention on the room itself. "Impressive," he commented as the room hit neutral and then began shifting into the mode Mara had keyed it for. "Instant redecoration, whenever the mood strikes you."

"It's a little more functional than that," Mara said. Up close, he looked even younger than he had from the ceiling, no older than his midtwenties. Like a kid playing soldier, the irreverent thought struck her. "Didn't Formbi explain it to you? Or didn't you get one of these rooms when you came in?"

"We haven't talked to Formbi much," the young man said. "Or any of the other Chiss. We've been trying to keep a low profile since we came aboard." He smiled tightly. "I don't think General Drask is exactly thrilled by our presence here."

"General Drask doesn't seem very easy to thrill," Mara said. Stepping past the group to the control panel, she keyed the room back to its original neutral mode. "So," she said, turning back to face them. "You going to tell me who you are? Or do I have to guess?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." He stiffened to full attention. "I'm Commander Chak Fel, warrior of the Hand. You may remember meeting my father a couple of years ago."

"Very well," Mara said, smiling tightly at the memory. "I'm sure General Baron Fel remembers me, as well."

"With the greatest respect and admiration," Fel assured her. "He asked me to send you his greetings, and to tell you he still has hopes that you'll bring your talents to the Empire of the Hand someday."

"Thanks, but I've had my fill of Imperial service," Mara told him. "Any Imperial service. So you knew I was going to be here?"

"I hoped you would be," Fel said. "Admiral Parck told me you and Master Skywalker had been invited, though he wasn't sure you'd be willing or able to come."

"He didn't let you know we'd contacted him a few days ago?"

"No," Fel said. "Of course, we were already on our way. Maybe he didn't think it was worth recalling us at that point."

"Which brings us to the rest of your party," Mara said, looking at the silent stormtroopers.

"Oh, yes." Fel waved a hand to encompass his escort. "This is Unit Aurek-Seven of the Imperial Five-Oh-First Stormtrooper Legion."

Mara felt her stomach tightening. The Imperial 501st: Vader's personal stormtrooper unit during the Rebellion. Dubbed "Vader's Fist," its very arrival in a star system had often caused Rebel forces and corrupt Imperial officials alike to run for cover. Nonhumans of every sort, even innocent bystanders, quickly learned to tremble at the sight of those white armored face masks. The Emperor's bias against aliens had impressed itself indelibly onto the combat psychology of all his stormtrooper legions, but even more so on the soldiers of the 501st.

And so, of course, that was the specific unit Parck had revived for his Empire of the Hand. That said a lot right there as to how the admiral was running things. "I guess the old saying is right," she said stiffly. "The one about old units never really dying."

Fel shrugged noncommittally. "So what exactly were you doing up there?"

Mara glanced around. Still no Chiss in sight, but that wouldn't last forever. "Not here," she told Fel. "Follow me."

Turning her back on them, she headed down the corridor. A moment later, without complaint or question, they had formed up behind her.

The Force connection between her and Luke wasn't nearly as clear and precise as most people in the New Republic thought, as if it were a mental comlink conversation. He became aware of her approach as she neared their quarters, and she could tell he was also aware that she was bringing company.

But it wasn't until he opened the door for her that he realized just what kind of company it was.

As usual, he recovered quickly. "Hello," he said calmly, nodding in greeting. "I'm Luke Skywalker."

"Commander Chak Fel," Fel said, nodding in return. "This is my escort guard, Unit Aurek-Seven of the Five Hundred and First."

Mara caught Luke's flicker of recognition at the name and the unit designation. But he merely nodded again. "Honored, Commander," he said. "Won't you come in?"

"Just the commander," Mara said before Fel could reply. "There's no room for everybody, and I'd just as soon not have Drask's people see stormtroopers hanging around outside our quarters."

"Good point," Fel agreed, giving the stormtroopers a hand signal. "Return to the ship."

"Acknowledged," one of them said in that flat, mechanically filtered voice that was one of the marks of a stormtrooper. Turning in perfect unison, they marched away.

"Now," Mara said, waving Fel toward the conversation area as the door slid shut behind him. "Let's start with you, Commander. What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd explained that," Fel said, lowering himself into one of the chairs. "Admiral Parck wasn't sure you'd be coming, so he sent me to act as his representative."

"And Formbi went along with it?" Mara asked, sitting down beside Luke across from the young Imperial.

Fel shrugged. "Actually, Formbi didn't seem to have a problem. As I said, it was mostly General Drask who objected."

"He doesn't seem too happy with our presence, either," Luke told him.

"Or Ambassador Jinzler's," Mara added, watching Fel closely.

But there was no bump of reaction at the mention of Jinzler's name. "Yes, I've noticed," Fel said. "Frankly, I don't think Drask likes anyone. Certainly not aliens. Possibly not even Formbi."

"So why did Parck send you and a bunch of stormtroopers instead of coming himself?" Mara asked. "The way Formbi talks about it, you'd think Outbound Flight was the diplomatic high point of the year. Or does Parck just like irritating Chiss generals?"

"Not a hobby I'd like," Fel said. There was a flicker of something— "Actually, I really don't know why we're here."

Liar. Mara didn't have to look at Luke to know he'd caught it, too. "All right," Luke said, not giving any hint that they'd caught Fel's prevarication. "Let's try this, then. Why didn't Parck mention you when he talked to us?"

Fel shook his head. "I don't know that, either. I more or less assumed he had."

That one, at least, did seem to be the truth. "But then—" Mara began.

"Just a moment," Fel said, cutting her off with a lifted finger. "I've answered a whole batch of questions. It's your turn now. What were you doing climbing around the ceiling of the entry chamber that way?"

Mara had already decided there was no point in playing coy with this one. If Fel was involved in the cable incident, he already knew what had happened. If not, there was no reason for him not to know. "There was a small accident when we first arrived," she said. "A heavy cable attached to the ceiling came loose and nearly knocked my husband across the room."

Fel's eyes shifted to Luke, gave him a quick once-over. "No, it missed me," Luke assured him. "But as Mara said, it was close."

"I wanted to see if the cable might have been deliberately cut," Mara continued. "It had already been put back up, so that's where I had to go to look at it."

"What did you find?" Fel asked.

"No evidence that it had been cut, but it also shouldn't have come loose by itself," Mara said. "Still, I did find indentations on the end like you might get if it had been held in a spring clip for a while."

"Um," Fel murmured thoughtfully. "As if someone had had it already disconnected and held in a clip, so that they could release it at just the right time. Unless they swapped out the entire cable?"

Mara shook her head. "I marked the original with my lightsaber before we left the area," she told him. "Just a nick in the insulation, but visible enough if you know where to look. No, it was the same cable."

"So you suspect it was a deliberate attack framed to look like an accident," Fel said. "Just as well—" He broke off.

"Just as well what?" Mara demanded.

Fel reddened. "I'm sorry," he said. "I wasn't supposed to tell you. Admiral Parck sent us along because he thought you might be in danger on this trip." He smiled self-consciously. "We're sort of your escort."

Mara looked at Luke, saw her same surprise mirrored there. Unlike hers, though, his surprise had a touch of amusement to it. "Very kind of Admiral Parck," Mara said tartly. "You can tell him thanks on your way out."

"Now, Jedi Skywalker—"

"Don't Jedi Skywalker me," Mara retorted. "We don't want a bunch of stormtroopers clattering along behind us everywhere we go. Drask is already glowering more than I like. So climb aboard whatever shuttle you came in on and get out."

Fel looked pained. "I'm afraid it's not as easy as that," he said. "Yes, we're here to protect you—"

"Which we don't need."

"No, I agree completely," Fel said. "The idea of us protecting Jedi... but at the same time, I'm under Imperial orders, not yours."

"Besides, Formbi's already given them permission to come along," Luke pointed out.

"So what?" Mara demanded.

Luke shrugged. "You and I were wondering if Formbi was using this mission as a pretext for opening full diplomatic relations with the New Republic," he reminded her. "Maybe he's looking to do the same thing with the Empire of the Hand."

"What makes you think Parck even wants diplomatic relations with the Chiss?" Mara countered.

"We do," Fel said quietly. "Very much."

Mara glared at him. There are a hundred different threats out there that would freeze your blood if you knew about them... "All right, fine," she said between clenched teeth. "This isn't my ship. You want to hang around, fine. Just don't get in our way."

"Understood," Fel said. "Do you want me to start any inquiries as to who aboard might have wanted Master Skywalker injured?"

"Absolutely not," Mara said. "We'll handle that. You just stay in the background and keep quiet."

Fel smiled slightly. "As you wish," he said, getting to his feet. "If you'll excuse me, then, I'll return to our transport and prepare for dinner."

"We'll see you there," Luke said.

"Good talking with you." Fel crossed to the door, opened it, and left.

"Great," Mara growled. "Just what we needed. Our own private entourage."

"Oh, I don't know," Luke said soothingly. "It's no worse than a group of Noghri following us around."

"Of course it's worse," Mara retorted. "Noghri at least know how to be invisible. You ever see a stormtrooper who wasn't as obvious as a Wookiee at a formal dinner?"

"Well, they're here, and we might as well get used to it," Luke said. "Now, what about this cable?"

"It was deliberately dropped," Mara said, reluctantly changing gears. She wasn't really finished ranting about Fel yet, but she was practical enough to realize there were higher-priority matters that needed to be dealt with. "There was also a hole bored in the ceiling where the spring clip would have come through to hold the cable."

"So it could have been handled by remote control?"

"Easily," Mara said. "Which means Drask himself might have been the one to trigger it."

"Or Feesa," Luke pointed out. "She was in the best position to handle the timing."

"I thought she was Formbi's assistant, though," Mara pointed out. "Formbi's the one who wants us aboard."

"Does he?" Luke asked. "Or is he under orders from above that he himself doesn't necessarily agree with?"

"Point," Mara conceded, frowning as she thought back to their encounters with the Aristocra. "I don't know, though. He seemed genuinely pleased to have us here."

"Yes, but there's something else going on below the surface," Luke said. "Some extra tension he's trying to hide. Of course, that could be nothing more than the fact he's having to deal with so many aliens."

"Possibly with the future of the whole Chiss diplomatic structure hanging on how well he does?"

"That could be part of it," Luke agreed. "So if we leave Formbi off the list, who's left? Drask?"

"Who's left is basically everyone except the Geroons," Mara said. "And only because they weren't here at the time. It could have been Drask, Jinzler, or Fel and his group." She snorted. "The Five-Oh-First. Can you imagine Parck reviving that one? I guess old units die hard."

Luke shrugged, a little too casually. "Old units aren't the only thing," he murmured.

"What was that?" Mara asked suspiciously.

"I was just noticing how easily you slipped into the role of Imperial commander a few minutes ago," Luke said. "You led them here, you ordered the stormtroopers away, and you basically told Fel what you wanted him to do."

"So?" Mara said with a shrug of her own. "Since when have I been shy about telling anyone what I wanted them to do?"

"I know," Luke said. "I'm just pointing out how comfortably you took back that role, that's all. I'm not saying anything else."

"You'd better not be," Mara said darkly. But whether he said it or not, she could sense there was something else behind his words. Something not entirely comfortable with the way she'd behaved.

Her first impulse was to have it out right now, to insist that he bring his thoughts on the subject out into the open where she would have the chance to knock them down one by one.

But something held her back. Perhaps she sensed it wasn't the proper time or place for that kind of discussion.

Or perhaps she wasn't so sure she could knock them all down.

He was right in a way. She had found it disturbingly easy to slip back into that role. It had been refreshing to deal with soldiers who took orders without question, instead of a mixed group of humans and Bothans and Devaronians and Mon Cals, all of whom had their own prejudices and perspectives and who sometimes heard or obeyed orders in entirely different ways.

I've had my fill of Imperial service, she'd told Fel. But had she? Really?

"Anyway, we should probably go back to the Jade Sabre and see if we've got anything that'll pass as formal wear," Luke went on. Apparently, he didn't want to have it out yet, either. "Dinner's going to be served soon, and we'll want to be ready when Feesa comes to get us."