“The Art of War.” Jerjerrod read the title and flipped open several pages. “Are you serious? They have the audacity to think they can condense the Art of warfare into a single tome?” Jerjerrod asked with a smirk.
“They did.” Thrawn replied simply and sat back.
I do hope that you dont ot forget the likes of Clauswitz and Jomini, and the maxims of Napoleon. Sun Tsu was not the only person to realise the eternal principles of war
This was not meant as a slight against the others, it is a tip of the hat to Zahn who mentioned in an interview concerning how he dreamed up Thrawn he stated that he imagined what Sun Tsu would think of as the prefect commander and made him Thrawn.
Edit: BTW Crown CONGRATS you had the 1600th post in this thread. That's gotta be some kind of accomplishment.
Wherever you go, there you are.
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Stravo wrote:Edit: BTW Crown CONGRATS you had the 1600th post in this thread. That's gotta be some kind of accomplishment.
'Whoah' ... *stumbles up stairs*
'... I'd like to thank a few people ... First and foremost to the tallented author of this piece of literal orgy for the mind, Stravo you have maganged to keep my attention for close to a year now, many of my ex - girlfriends would be suprised.'
*wipes tear from eye*
'To my Mum, 'cause she is my mum. Love ya Maritsa!'
*gets all choked up with emotion*
*fans eyes rapidly*
'Before I make a bigger ass of myself, I must thank Mike Wong, for allowing me to reach this momentus occasion on his wonderful Discussion Board.'
*two thumbs up*
'Thankyou, I love you all!'
Η ζωή, η ζωή εδω τελειώνει!
"Science is one cold-hearted bitch with a 14" strap-on" - Masuka 'Dexter'
"Angela is not the woman you think she is Gabriel, she's done terrible things"
"So have I, and I'm going to do them all to you." - Sylar to Arthur 'Heroes'
Awesome chapter Stravo. Archer boldy crashes the Defiant into the Valhalla *wipes tear from eye*, how brave of him. I wouldn't get to excited about the death of the Borg yet either; nobody's said the Queen is dead yet
Can't wait to see Kahn's plans come into play. Although I have a feeling that Thrawn's definately onto him. Too much has to happen to get so many people infested for Thrawn not to know (and prepare accordingly).
Seems as though Starcrossed is winding down now...Gonna miss it. Sure there'll be Twilight War (I haven't read like the last three chapters, the lazy bastard that I am) and all the other new projects Starvo's started, but it just won't be the same. Ah well, we'll worry about good byes when the time comes, I suppose. 'Til then, keep up the great job Stravo--will you ever cease to amaze me?
Just got ripping everything apart and my command and putting it back togther the other way around for fun, then took a few hours off to read to the last current Ep of Starcrossed
Gotta say I love what you done with the place and great to see your reacting to critisims and keeping things in mind
Now all we have to do is get you drunk off your ass, give you a good concusion and you should be ready to start writing the next season of Star Trek
Best of luck with your new line of work
"A cult is a religion with no political power." -Tom Wolfe Pardon me for sounding like a dick, but I'm playing the tiniest violin in the world right now-Dalton
The muse is upon me these days and so you guys benefit. PLease enjoy the new chapter with a very pleasant surprise.
Chapter 53: Masks
The cell was quiet. It had been quiet for days now as he sat in the corner staring off into space. He ran a chess piece between his fingers, back and forth, back and forth. He would do this dozens of times, switch pieces and start over again. He would listen, hear the long monotonous footsteps back and forth along the metal grating outside the cell.
Suddenly the footsteps paused then snapped to attention. His ears pricked up and the chess piece stopped in mid-motion in his fingers as a new set of footfalls strode up to his cell door. They were feet accustomed to command, walking the deck in precise military manner. He straightened up slightly as words were exchanged outside the door and it slid open with that sharp hiss that was all too familiar to his ears.
He remained sitting as the person stepped into his cell.
“Has he been looked after? He looks injured.”
“We can have a medtech see him right away.” The stormtrooper replied.
“Notice he did not answer your question.” Ochoa interjected softly and smiled into the darkness, he could not see the newcomer but knew generally where he was standing. There was some disappointment. His visitor was not who he expected or wanted. He briefly wondered whether back those long moths ago as Nemesis took his eyes whether he would have ever imagined yearning to see him and speak to him.
Ah, but there’s the rub, I’m not speaking to Nemesis. I’m reaching out to Luke Skywalker.
The newcomer was silent for a long moment and then softly spoke to the guard.
“Leave us and have the medtech standing by when I leave.”
“Yes sir.”
The door snapped shut.
Silence in the cell again. Ochoa began flipping the chess piece along his fingers as he remained staring in the general direction of the newcomer.
“Have you come to gawk at your prisoner, Admiral?”
The newcomer seemed taken aback.
“You are blind are you not?”
“I guessed because if anyone other than Nemesis would come see me it would be Admiral Kittaine. He speaks highly of you.”
“That’s good to know, but I’m not here to gawk.”
“No. No you’re not.” Ochoa cocked his head slightly and smiled softly. “It’s not in you to do such a thing.”
“You make some fine assumptions having never met me.” Kittaine replied.
“Cruelty, Admiral colors everything including your voice.”
“I assume then that Lord Nemesis’ voice must be positively dripping with it.” Kittaine stated gravely.
Ochoa smiled mysteriously.
“You misunderstand, Admiral. I have only met Lord Nemesis once, when he took my eyes.”
Kittaine was confused. One the man still had his eyes, according to the medical report on him, his eyes were still functioning, retinas detected and received light, all the nerves were functioning but he could not see. Mara suggested that Nemesis had used the Force to paralyze some brain function that allowed it to interpret the data coming from the eyes. Whatever the reason, it was disconcerting to see this man looking at him with perfectly good eyes and not seeing him, acknowledging his presence in anyway.
“Surely you know that the man that you have been speaking to all these months has been Lord Nemesis himself?” Kittaine finally asked in shock.
Ochoa leaned back against the cold metal wall and shook his head.
“No, Admiral, you’re the one who is mistaken. The young man I spoke to was lonely and confused. He was searching for validation in his choice and I refused to give it to him. He wanted to see me lose faith in the Federation as he lost faith in his own rebellion and himself. I refuse to surrender. I would not bend, I would not break and in my despair I held on to who I was.”
Kittaine looked at this Federation officer for the first time, really looked at him. He was a slim man, obviously made even slimmer by lack of food. His Starfleet uniform was barely recognizable. The sleeves had been rolled back and were wrinkled beyond any hope of fixing, tears along the collar and knees of his pants revealed flesh underneath and his boots were dull and filthy. He had a beard now, several months growth that was not trimmed or neat in anyway. His dark hair had grown long, slowly creeping to his shoulders wild and unkempt.
He looked nothing like the Starfleet Captain they had captured what seemed like an eternity ago. He glanced down at his datapad where Ernesto Ochoa’s face floated on the screen from the day of his capture. There was a defiant glare in his eyes and he looked so young and more importantly, spit and polish.
“I find it hard to believe that Lord Nemesis is hardly lonely and more importantly confused. He is a young man of singular vision.”
Ochoa nodded slowly and placed the chess piece down on the board.
“Where is he?” Ochoa asked.
“I think I’ll be asking the questions here, Captain Ochoa.” Kittaine replied stiffly.
“You know, you don’t even sound threatening.” Ochoa looked right into Kittaine’s eyes. “You’re a good man, Admiral.”
Kittaine shook his head.
“You don’t even know me, you sit there and spout profound lines completely missing the point that you are our prisoner and will be for the rest of your life.”
Ochoa paused.
“I see.”
“Very funny.” Kittaine grimaced.
“Admiral, I’m concerned for him. He left here very angry, very confused. He wants to prove to himself that he chose the right path even though his very soul is telling him otherwise.”
“You almost sound like you care about him.” Kittaine stated bewildered by the thought.
“I love that young man, Admiral.” Ochoa replied without hesitation.
Kittaine was stunned. Ochoa smiled warmly and indicated the bed opposite him.
“I apologize that I have nothing more befitting your station but this is your prison and I do note with some pride that the bed has the approval of a Sith Lord as a comfortable place to sit.”
Kittaine hesitantly sat on the solid metal bed frame. Kittaine looked at the young captain and could not help himself.
“I admire you Captain. Your spirit stands unbowed despite all that fate has heaped upon you.”
Ochoa grinned.
“Did you know that before my stay in your luxurious brig that I was an asshole?”
Kittaine blinked.
“Excuse me?”
“Yes indeed.” Ochoa nodded forthrightly. “I was a spit and polish Captain who believed that if you looked the part you were the part. Surface impressions, Admiral, it was all about what I could see. Get it?” Ochoa stated and tapped his left eye.
Kittaine remained silent. There was a peace about the man, an almost perceptible calm like a light beaming over him, illuminating him. He suddenly felt at ease. He could slowly see why Nemesis came here.
“He didn’t come here to torture you did he?”
Ochoa remained silent.
“He didn’t come here to interrogate you at all did he?”
“Surface impressions, my dear Admiral. We are not at all what we seem. To the crew of this fleet you are the stern commander that has kept them together through one crisis after another. In fact, you are a quiet man that wants peace and quiet more than anything else. You want to win this war not because you crave conquest and victory but because you want to be able to sit under a tree and read a good book.”
Kittaine stared dumbfounded at the young Captain who suddenly seemed wise beyond his years.
“Tell me something, Captain Ochoa.” Kittaine began. Ochoa leaned forward slightly. “What do you want?”
“That’s a thornier question than you could ever know.” Ochoa replied in a near whisper.
Kittaine cleared his throat.
“If you ask for your freedom I’m prepared to give you a shuttle and send you out to the rim of your galaxy, with a good protocol droid to take care of you, you can live a good long time in peace.”
Ochoa was suddenly very quiet.
“You should not tempt a man like that Admiral.” Ochoa said darkly.
“No temptations, you have me all wrong. I don’t want to see you in this cell anymore Captain. Your Federation is all but defeated, there is nothing more we can glean from you. Please allow me to bring some joy into this life we have made for you.”
Ochoa nodded slowly.
“Ease your guilty conscience, eh?”
“Don’t put it that way.”
“The truth is the only weapon I have left Admiral and I fully intend to wield it like a club around here until you decide to silence me forever.”
Kittaine sat back slowly and watched this young man. He had been offered his freedom and he had not taken it. He had a will of steel. Would that he had just a handful of officers like this one.
“Truth is Admiral, I cannot accept your offer.”
“Yes, I discerned that from your truth club statement.” Kittaine replied dryly and could not help but smile.
“She brings out the better part of you it seems.”
“Excuse me?”
“The woman, whoever she is. She makes you smile more easily.”
Kittaine began to open his mouth.
“Nothing mystical I assure you, I can smell her perfume, betazoid I think, they really like that particular brand. It tends to come on too strong, for a race of telepaths its been my experience that they can be quite blunt and as subtle as a warp core breach.” He looked at Kittaine, his empty eyes focusing on Kittaine’s as if peering through flesh and bone. “She suits you.” he concluded with an emphatic nod.
Kittaine’s thought turned briefly to his annoying Betazoid liaison and new security officer. Troi was more trouble than she was worth sometimes, and then there were times that she could make him smile with a careless comment thrown on the wind.
“You got it bad.” Ochoa added playfully.
“Alright, that’s enough.”
“By the way, you have it all wrong about me staying. I’m not doing it for anything so nebulous as the truth. You see, Admiral, I have a part to play in this drama and I intend to finish it.”
“Oh, and how do you intend to do that?”
“Just by doing what I have been doing since I came on board. Being myself and sharing my insights with others, one other in particular.”
“Nemesis?” Kittaine asked with an arched eyebrow.
“You catch on quick Admiral. Yes, I intend to save that young man from himself even if it kills me.”
Kittaine fixed him with a critical gaze.
“It just might kill you.”
Ochoa seemed to be looking far away.
“Admiral, I’ve been dead and I’m back again. I’ve sat in darkness now for what seems like an eternity and I’ve discovered that the Ernesto Ochoa that you brought on board in chains died on the torture beds of your starship. He died an ignominious death, empty and cursing his enemy futilely as they took from him his honor and his sight. So when you say it’s going to kill me, I tell you that I’ve already died, been there done that.”
Kittaine shook his head ruefully.
“Damn you.”
“Sir?” Ochoa replied.
Kittaine rose up from the bed.
“Damn you for making things so damned difficult. I came here out of sheer curiosity. Nemesis has been missing now for a week and we have no idea where he is. He may be dead for all I know.”
“He’s not dead. I would know it.” Ochoa replied.
Kittaine stopped to look down at him before continuing. It was disturbing that he was willing to accept that assertion but he did. Somehow it felt right. “I’ve been looking at all my options, investigating all the places and people that nemesis has known or interacted with and finally I came to see you because in the log it lists you as a person he has come to see on an almost daily basis, sometimes spending hours in here. I assumed it was some twisted torture, but the men assured me that not once had they heard shouts of pain and in fact on several occasions Nemesis had demanded medical treatment and more food rations for you and some men even whispered that he even brought your food in sometimes. They assumed an even more insidious form of torture so I came to see what secret he had hidden away in the brig of the Emperor’s Will. What I find is a young man at peace with himself and death.”
Ochoa remained silent.
Kittaine shook his head. He turned and rapped on the door. It snapped open.
“have this man removed form this cell immediately. I want him billeted in quarters and seen by a medtech.”
“Sir?”
“Did you hear me?”
“Yes sir!” the stormtrooper snapped to attention.
“Will that make you feel better?” Ochoa asked, Kittaine’s back was to him. Kittaine slowly turned his head.
“Yes.”
“Then that’s all that matters.” Ochoa replied softly. “Admiral.”
“Yes?”
“Care for a game?” He held up a chess piece. “He found it quite soothing, it helped him see his way clear. Perhaps I can do the same for you?”
Wherever you go, there you are.
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“You want to do what again?” Leia asked caustically. The strutting marionette that she had grown to despise in a matter of a week regarded her stonily.
“I thought I made myself quite clear, princess.” Jellico replied.
“I want you to be extremely clear for the record Captain.” Leia shot back.
“I want an immediate court martial to be convened for certain officers of the Enterprise, most importantly for one Leonard McCoy and Mr. Spock.” Jellico replied.
“You are seriously considering court marshalling these two men, including Hikaru Sulu, Montgomery Scott and Nyota Uhura?” Leia pressed.
“They have abandoned their posts and this fleet to undertake a mission not sanctioned by this fleet.”
“Excuse me, Captain, but I did not realize that searching for James Kirk was not sanctioned by this fleet?” The Andorian representative asked coolly.
“There are already fleet elements searching for Captain Kirk, they were not authorized to undertake this mission. We need our ships and crew to follow one singular authority if we’re to maintain discipline. Discipline will see us through this crisis gentlebeings. We must abandon this farcical notion that singular achievements will make any kind of difference in a war like this.” Jellico countered.
“I think what the Captain is saying is that they were not authorized to undertake this mission and by doing so they have robbed our current fleet elements of resources and men in a time when we need every single ship.” The Terran representative added
“Not to mention this could be deadly for morale.” the Tellarite representative interjected gruffly.
“Whose morale sir?” the Vulcan representative asked pointedly.
“I’m sorry gentlebeings, but I came here to report that some senior officers from my fleet have gone missing, in a Rebel Alliance vessel mind you accompanied by Alliance personnel and I was told absolutely nothing. Am I then to infer that James Kirk and his men are above and beyond Fleet discipline.”
“As far as I’m concerned, Captain James Kirk IS the fleet Captain Jellico.” The Andorian replied icily.
Jellico frowned.
“I was under the impression that we were giving Captain Jellico our full support in his position.”
“Until Captain Kirk returns, I say that makes his rescue a conflict of interest for the good Captain.” Leia stated gravely.
“I have made it abundantly clear that should Captain Kirk return I will step down without hesitation or reservation.”
Leia could feel the lie, it struck her like cold iron. Her eyes narrowed on Jellico. He had been lying from the start. The fleet elements searching for Kirk were too few in number to make a dent in the area of space that they had chosen to be the likeliest area where they had decided he was most likely to be. The Terran representative was making a power play with Jellico at the helm and with the only man that could unite the disparate factions together it was proving to be easy.
She angrily picked up her stencil and began writing a note to herself but stopped to think. She started to lazily doodle as her thoughts swept her attention away from the datapad.
She was angry.
Angry at Spock and McCoy for not coming to her with their plan. Angry at Chewbacca for obviously being clued in on it and not telling her, angry at fate for having put her in this position angry at Jim for leaving her now at this moment, angry at Luke for having turned and started this slide into madness.
“And I say that this assertion is a self serving statement.” another representative shouted from the back.
“Order, we will have order.”
Leia suddenly had a flash of insight, as if blinders had been whipped off her eyes and she could see the world for what it was for the first time. The room had the stink of it. The Old Republic, the Imperial senate itself. There was a stink of corruption and a cold chill of darkness.
She glanced around. There were a few stern holdouts, most visibly the Andorian and Vulcan representatives were fighting the good fight but she could see it in the face of the others. They were giving in to the corruption that was eating away at this body. Many already considered themselves defeated and were only partaking in this fight out of misplaced pride or pressure from those that wanted to fight among their constituents.
Jim had been the unifying force that made them all work together. Without his powerful presence here, driving them, motivating them, they were slowly sinking back into the despair of abject defeat. A malaise that made powerful military men rise to fill that vacuum.
Jellico was going to seize power out of some misguided notion that he could rule them better than this organization of fools. He probably even believed that he could strike a bargain to keep his faction viable and alive. He had wasted no time in shooting down every plan Jim had left in his stead to continue strikes against Imperial forces, particularly the shipping lanes.
Jellico fancied that a waste of manpower and ships at this stage. His lackeys had gone on to paint the Battle of Romulus as a crushing defeat, far worse than reality. Yes, they had lost 90% of that task force, but it was one of many in the Federation remnant. Jellico was laying the ground work for his junta and Leia could see it coming. She knew what to do. She had faced his kind before, even the Rebellion in its early infancy had to deal with rogue commanders who thought that they knew best what needed to be done.
But this would all be so much easier if she had Jim at her side. In the end, these people would not listen to a princess from another galaxy, they would listen to a legend from their past who had come back at their moment of greatest need.
Where are you?
She could not stop thinking that since she sat here at this conference room table.
“We will need to begin fighting again, nothing is more poisonous to morale than inaction, or worse the perception that you are afraid to engage the enemy.” Worf growled.
“May I kindly remind the Klingon representative that his people lost their Empire and their home world because they thought they could go toe to toe with the Empire. Are all of you not reading my reports, the Empire is a quantum leap ahead of us in technology and warship design. It takes hundreds of our starships to even pose a challenge to a single one of theirs!” Jellico snapped.
Worf slammed his fist on the table.
“James Kirk would not see it that way. He had honor. He was the only Starfleet officer the Empire ever respected!” Worf roared back.
Although intent on the angry exchange, Leia was scribbling languidly on her datapad. Her hands quickly drawing out shapes on the small pad, stencil moving back and forth. The Andorian representative noticed this and his brow furrowed in thought. She did not look as if she even knew what she was drawing. It was as if her hands were moving with a will of their own.
“For the last time I am NOT James T. Kirk. What I AM is this remnant’s only hope for survival.”
Worf snorted derisively.
“The Romulans were very disciplined, Captain Jellico and look where it got them.”
“Why is he here?” The Terran representative lamented.
“Where are you?” Leia whispered. She paused and looked down at her datapad. Her eyes widened. There was an intricate diagram, seven circles orbited a large star shaped object, one of the circles had a ring around it and the fourth circle had a small ‘K’ scrawled near the top.
She stared at the diagram for a long moment, mouth open in awe.
She gathered up her belongings and started to leave the conference table.
“Excuse me, where are you going Princess?” The Vulcan representative asked calmly.
“I must consult the astrometrics labs immediately.” she replied breathlessly as she nearly stormed out of the room.
“Admit it.”
“I will do no such thing.” Spock replied as he checked the navigational computer in the hold. They could hear Chewbacca grunting and growling something to Sulu who was nodding with interest.
“Say it.” McCoy demanded.
“I do not understand why this predicament brings you such misplaced glee, Doctor.” Spock replied.
McCoy’s eyes brightened triumphantly.
“So you admit we’re in a predicament!” McCoy nearly crowed jabbing a finger at Spock. Spock looked at the annoying appendage with an arched eyebrow.
“We are currently attempting to identify our bearings.”
“We’re LOST!!!” McCoy exclaimed angrily. “Of all the damned things to be on a rescue mission you got us lost.”
“We most certainly are not lost Doctor.” Spock countered.
“Gentlemen, would you please!” Uhura shouted from the cockpit. She was in the Navigator’s seat behind Chewbacca and Sulu who were in deep discussion about the relative flying abilities between Rebellion and Federation craft. She was holding her ear piece tightly in her ear and listening to the millions o channels, trying desperately to pick up something, anything that may provide a clue to the Captain’s whereabouts.
So far she had no luck but she would not give up. There were millions of frequencies, thousands of bands that she could monitor, but her best bet was monitoring those that Federation equipment were most attuned to. She also memorized the coded frequencies that the Runabout Hudson would transmit on in case of emergency and she had programmed the Falcon’s communication system to immediately isolate any beacons.
“I’m sorry Uhura, but this…this green blooded hobgoblin won’t admit that he got us lost with the last hyperspace jump.”
“Doctor you canna be that hard on Mr. Spock, these systems are hardly familiar to any of us.” Scott offered helpfully from an overhead panel, his head dangling down for a moment in between his work in the bowels of the Falcon.
“You know you never told me what you were doing up there. I’m beginning to think taking this ship wasn’t such a good idea, all I’ve seen is you and the rolling garbage can fixing things.” McCoy grumbled.
Uhura rolled her eyes with a smile as she listened intently to another beacon. McCoy was in rare form but she knew the truth, he felt useless not being able to do anything at the moment and his standard response in these situations was to gripe. She just hoped for the Captain’s sake that McCoy’s talents would not be needed.
“And where the hell is Charlie Evans? He up and disappear just when we could use a super being to help track Jim.”
“Spock, I don’t think anyone would hold it against you if you gave him a little..” Sulu made a nerve pinch motion.
McCoy glared at Spock.
“You even think about that and your next physical could prove VERY interesting.” McCoy spat.
“Doctor, you realize that your outbursts are helping no one, not even yourself. I would suggest a brief rest in the back while the rest of us do our best to find the Captain. You will be the first to know should we discover anything.”
McCoy crossed his arms and slumped into a seat in the crew section sullenly watching the others working.
“Sixteen planets and not even a clue as to where Jim can be.” McCoy muttered. He looked at the table and absently rubbed the smooth table top. “Just hang on Jim, we’ll find you.”
“If I may be of assistance Doctor?” Threepio offered helpfully.
“Shutting yourself down not an option?” McCoy asked grumpily.
“Well I never.” Threepio replied walking away and shaking his head.
“Uh…Mr. Spock, I think I have something.” Uhura said straightening up in her seat and adjusting the communications array.
“What?” McCoy asked jumping up.
“Go on Lieutenant.”
“It sounds like a message between two freighters in orbit of the planet in this system. They mentioned Kirk.”
“Are you sure?”
“I programmed the array to lock in on key words and phrases Doctor. I know my job.” Uhura replied annoyed.
Uhura paused to listen again.
“We have a communications disk the size of a starship welded on the roof of this thing and we’re having trouble listening?” McCoy muttered.
Sulu gave Spock the nerve pinch signal again.
“According to the records here they’re owned by a Russian Consortium in Orion space.” Sulu added as he checked the registries of the freighters.
“Here it is again. A shipment of Dilithium to the Federation remnant ordered by James Kirk.” Uhura said with a triumphant smile.
“Our course is clear. Sulu, find out where this consortium is based and prepare to set a course for that system.” Spock ordered.
“Aye sir!” Sulu replied enthusiastically and winked at Chewbacca.
Wherever you go, there you are.
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The shuttle touched down in the soft virgin snow. It’s ivory wings slowly finished sweeping upwards like the wings of a butterfly. The shuttle’s lights brightened for a moment then quickly dimmed. The back hatch opened quickly and two figures descended the ramp.
One was holding a scanner in one hand, the other held nothing but wrapped his cloak around himself in quite contemplation.
“The signal grows stronger this way Lord Nemesis.” Mara stated perfunctorily and led indicated an area to the west.
“Lead on Mara.” Nemesis replied just as coolly.
She checked her equipment, her body suit was designed to keep her body temperature no matter what the conditions much like the stormtrooper body glove. She checked her weapons, all were fully charged and her scanner was functioning well within parameters.
She started to walk into the snowdrifts around the shuttle keying in on the signal of the Bounty Hunter’s life signs. They were easily several kilometers behind, Nemesis had not wanted to tip him off in any way so she chose a landing site that was well beyond visual or aural detection.
She did not look forward to the trek ahead of them. The terrain around here was very difficult to traverse and the storm front did not look like it was going to budge anytime soon. They were in for a long snowy walk.
She decided that speaking to him was unnecessary as she continued bulling her way through the drifts. Nemesis remained close behind her as he followed her into the blizzard swirling around them.
He watched her back intently. She had said nothing to him other than what was absolutely necessary. He did not want to admit that the silence was bothering him. He used to welcome her silence, he would bask in the silence between them.
Now he wanted to hear her voice, see gleam in her eyes as she regarded him, feel the heat between them when they were close. How he longed to touch her.
They walked for several hours, struggling against the piling drifts and the rocky terrain. Mara paused at a rise and suddenly dropped down to a small cave cut into the rockface of a cliff. She checked her scanner again.
“We’re about 4 kilometers behind him. This cave could prove a suitable shelter overnight or at least to catch a few hours of sleep. We’ll need to stay in top shape if we’re going to be taking him on.”
“We will need to close the distance to one kilometer if we’re to keep within striking distance. We don’t want him killing Kirk. I want Kirk alive.”
“As you wish.” she replied coldly.
He stared at her as she started to turn. Before he knew it he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back around to face him.
“Damn you!” he spat.
She remained impassive.”
“My lord?”
He stood right up to her, eyes locked and she did not flinch.
“What do you want?” he asked coldly.
“Nothing my lord. My place is to serve you.”
Nemesis blinked. Anger quickly washed away the confusion.
“I asked you a question, Mara.”
“I answered it to the best of my ability my lord. I am after all simply a hand. If you are not pleased with my performance you can always call for a replacement. Lord Vader has replaced many hands that displeased him.”
“I don’t want to replace you damn you!” he roared.
“Then what is it that you want of me my lord?” she asked tersely, the wind whipping her hair and her defiant eyes bore into him.
“Stop this charade at once. This is not how you feel, even now I can feel the conflict within you.”
She blinked against the snow snapping into her face driven by the frosty winds.
“I know not of what you speak.” she replied.
Nemesis grabbed her elbows and pulled her to him.
“I will not ask you again, Mara. You will stop this at once.”
“Why would you care what the ‘likes of me’ would do. You’re a mighty Sith lord with delusions of being the next emperor. I’ve seen men like you come and go with frightening rapidity in the palace. One moment you are basking in the glory of your ultimate ascension and the next your clutching your collapsed tracheas as Vader pays you a courtesy call.”
“He will not kill me.”
“What makes you son sure?” she demanded. “Is it your damned sense of destiny?”
“No. He is my father.”
Mara stared at the young Sith lord, all of the pieces finally falling into place with horrifying clarity.
“You father?” she gasped.
“Yes.”
They remained standing by the cave.
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
He kissed her.
It was a long hard kiss, full of the hunger that he had felt for her since the moment the Emperor first introduced her to him. When she descended the long dais above him on Coruscant, wearing a long black cloak and tunic he watched her unfurl along the steps like a panther and her eyes flashed dangerously at him and he wanted her then. How he yearned for her, dreaming of what her skin must feel like.
She stiffened as his lips locked hungrily with hers and his hands suddenly wrapped around her waist and drew her to him with such force and control, her own lips kissed him back and soon opened fully as they kissed with a passion that was only now exploding between them.
He carried her bodily backwards, through the snow into the cave where she was thrown against the wall with such force, his lips not leaving hers. Their breath came in rapid desperate gasps as his hands roughly found the seams of her body glove and tore it away with an animalistic grunt.
She gasped in surprise as the cold air hit her soft supple flesh, nipples instantly erect. She broke the kiss and stared at him in a mix of barely constrained need and desire and uncertainty. His own eyes were smoky with his passion. Her hands suddenly tore at the utility belt, his lightsaber and belt clattered uselessly to the floor and she grabbed his hair and pulled him to her lips, kissing him savagely as her hands ripped the cloak clasps off his shoulders. His cloak silently dropped straight down to the floor, his own hands finished pulling the body glove away revealing her naked skin.
He could smell the sweet scent of jasmine and sweat. His tongue hungrily searched down following the long gazelle like sweep of her neck down to her supple full breasts where he circled the areola and nipples and she clasped his head to her breasts and hissed in delight. her body was fire. How long since she had let a man touch her? How long since she cared for the man that touched her? How long since passion had been in her life?
“Damn you Nemesis.” she spat and pulled his head up by the back of his hair, eyes alight with delight and pain. “Damn you for making me love you.” she cried, hot tears starting to run down her cheeks.
“No.” he whispered and it was like the voice of stillness itself, one finger touching her lips as he drew close to her face. “No lies between us, no facades, no illusions. I have loved you from the moment I saw you Mara Jade. You alone have kept me in this life. Back on the Emperor’s Will, before being thrown in this hell, I was going to kill myself.”
She stared at him, eyes widening as the final mask fell away, as the Sith lord was replaced by something else, as the young man finally opened his heart.
“I was going to take that lightsaber and plunge it into my heart in despair, but every time I thought of it I imagined you, I imagined what eternity would be without you and I stopped. Now I am here and I want you to be my queen, universe be damned and I will slaughter anyone that will stop me, I’ll kill that ancient cripple on his throne and I will finally have you.”
“Nemesis.” she whispered, the tears still welling in her eyes as her entire body shuddered with need, hunger.
“No.” he repeated and took one tear with his finger and watched it run down his finger, down his open palm. He looked back at her as the final mask fell away.
“Luke. My name is Luke.” he whispered urgently and kissed her harder than ever before, to erase the name of Nemesis from her lips and she responded with a hunger for more as she drew him deeper into her and they slowly dropped to the floor, her legs splayed out as he nestled himself between them. He broke the kiss and stared into her eyes, the very air pregnant with anticipation.
“I love you.” he whispered. For the first time in a long time he told the absolute truth.
“Luke.” she replied quietly, running a finger down his lips.
He entered her with a powerful thrust and she threw back her head, arching her back and screamed in joy.
The last mask had fallen and as he made love to her Luke Skywalker was allowed back into the light again.
Wherever you go, there you are.
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Another good addition. I would have replied earlier but the thread was locked(probable while you were fixing the posts up)
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Ok, very good chapter. The best part was definately our dear imprisoned captain...or is he just that? I have a feeling that like many things there is more to this man then the eye beholds.
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His Divine Shadow wrote:So, is Nemesis dead now, is Luke Skywalker "back in the light"?
And he's gettn some to boot.
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Ahh, a fine chapter, Stavro - the balance begins to shift.
Mind you, that said, damn you, man! Why cant you explicitly state if someone dies, I cant quite decide if the Borg subplot is done yet, Callista escaped from the Knight Hammer as it went down, is Picard finished or not? And will you tell us? Bollocks, will you...
Carry on, good sir.
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