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The mission was supposed to be simple. Mara needed to go to Tatooine, find the target, and eliminate him. It shouldn't be too hard. It wasn't. But it was a problem when someone got to him before she did. Particularly, when that someone held a bright blue lightsaber in his right hand.
She gripped her glass tightly in one hand.
Jedi.
178 centimeters tall, wispy grey hair… Was it possible that she'd know him? I'd be impossible to find out. She'd need a DNA sample to scan.
But could she still get her target? Should she focus on the Jedi instead? She could use him to prove her worth — her capabilities. The Emperor would appreciate it more if she captured a Jedi, wouldn't he? His Imperial Majesty demanded obedience, but surly a captured and killed Jedi would override any misgivings.
Could she get both the target and the Jedi?
Of course she could. She'd never failed her master before, and she certainly wouldn't fail him now.
The boy was thrown into a table and felt a spike of fear and pain as the cantina table broke beneath him. His body twisted and he groaned as the broken edges dug into his shoulder. The Force felt off, around him. His signature wasn't very small, like it was for most everyone else, but it wasn't very high either. It was muddled. It was… just… obscenely normal in a way that made her neck tingle.
She glanced toward the Jedi and the hunter-scum. The man had fallen back, howling, his severed arm on the floor beside him. His "friend" was slowly backing away, hands hovering over his blasters. The room was still as the Jedi watched them and they watched him back, everyone wary and uncertain. A moment later, Ben turned his saber off and hooked it back onto his belt as he stepped out of his stance. A second later, the band abruptly began to play again and everyone in the room went back to whatever they were doing, like nothing had ever happened.
Her hand relaxed and she let go of the glass.
Whatever was going to happen, she had to move. Now.
She left he glass on the table and made her way over to him. He pushed himself up with his elbow, but quickly hissed through clenched teeth and let himself slowly fall back. He shut his eyes as his eyes glazed over with tears.
Mara went over. The Jedi was at the boy's side already. She knelt on his other and lifted her hood a little to get a better look. "Are you alright?
"I-" He tried to speak, but whatever words he had on his mind fizzled out. "Um-" He looked away from her just in time to see Ben kneeled on his other side. "Ben, I-!" he hissed. "Careful with the arm," he said through clenched teeth.
She snorted. "I'm going to take that as a no." She put an arm around him and helped him up. "You need to get your arm looked at." And get out of here. One wrong thing said and someone else will come to grab you. Can I get them to my ship?
The Jedi eyed her with suspicion and she forced feeling of sympathy to shine through her barriers. It wouldn't do to have him sniff her out so soon. "We should leave."
The boy scowled. "But, Ben, we need a ship."
Ben, huh?
She snorted. "Didn't you just see what happened?" She pulled him towards the door and the Jedi—Ben— quickly followed, taking the lead.
"If someone decided to report you-" Ben didn't finish that, but she thought that Luke understood.
This was her moment to speak up. "Where are you two going? I have a ship."
The boy's brow furrowed. "You'd help us? Just like that?"
"Anything for a price. You were here for a ride anyway, weren't you?"
He sighed. "Right."
"And do we owe you for this?" Ben had an eyebrow raised.
She put on a smile. "Consider this instance free."
— — —
The Jedi and the boy—a farm boy she'd found out—were suspicious of her, not that it bothered her very much. If they weren't, and she was any normal person, she'd be concerned for their well-being. It took a special kind of stupid not to be.
Unfortunately for her, she was not a normal person.
And perhaps even more unfortunately, they were not that special kind of stupid.
It was just annoying to think about how long this would take her if they weren't trusting.
They had told her, though that they were going to the Alderaan Sector. That meant they were going any where from the Aldriag System to the Thixia System.
Bail, she knew, was a well-known Jedi sympathizer, though, so she wouldn't be surprised if they were off to Alderaan itself.
She watched them out of the corner of her eye, as she looked out the foggy, scratched up window. For now, there was no sign of trouble.
The boy sat in a rickety chair while an old woman tended to whatever happened to his arm (she hadn't been paying attention when the old woman had made her diagnosis), and the Jedi had gone to get their droids, seemingly deeming her not as much of a threat to the boy. He was right about that.
She should've killed the Jedi right then.
She should've draw her saber and cut the Jedi down now. The boy was injured. He was dead weight. He would only serve to get in the Jedi's way. The old woman wouldn't be a problem either.
No.
No.
She looked back out the window.
It wasn't time… One Jedi could lead to more and until she had that information, then killing them would just be a waste. Besides… My master might like to kill him, himself.
"Hey, uh, so what's your name?" The boy asked, bringing her out of her thoughts. His blue eyes curiously roved over her as he leaned forward, trying to see past the mask and cloak, but the old woman pulled him back, scolding him for moving away.
Mara blinked and then smirked at his stifled sigh and frown. "Claria." She turned to him and propped herself against the wall with her arms folded. "Yours?"
"Luke Sk-" He paused suddenly and glanced down at the floor. "Lars. Luke Lars."
Her brow furrowed. Uh-huh. Sure, she thought. Why would he need to hide his name from me? She dipped her head. "Well, Lars, nice to meet you."
He flashed her a smile that didn't quite reach past the weariness of his eyes that she'd seen so many times before. "Thanks for helping me."
Her smile, though he couldn't see it, faded. You won't be thanking me for long, kid. "You ought to be more careful, Farm-boy."
The Force around him tightened and a pouty crease formed on his forehead. "He started it! I didn't do-"
"What," she interrupted, leaning forward. "Having a long day gives you permission to not be so aware?" She snorted.
"Well-no…" he trailed off, looking embarrassed with a little bit of a pout.
Cute.
"Today has just been…" He sighed, his shoulders drooping. "…Not so great."
"And what's so terrible that you'd go sit by clearly dangerous man?"
He didn't answer for a moment, and then: "My aunt and uncle died," he mumbled.
Oh.
She cleared her throat and looked out the window again, suddenly feeling a bit bad. He was friends with the Jedi, clearly, and she would have to rip him away too. "I… sorry." In more ways than one.
He wasn't the one she was after, nor was he the one the Emperor wanted. Did he know Ben was a Jedi? If he didn't, maybe she could get him out of this situation. If he did then… she didn't think she could really do anything about it then. No matter how bad she felt for him, he was hiding a Jedi. But, as she thought about it, she really couldn't find it in herself to want to.
"What do you do?"
"Smuggling," the half lie was out of her mouth before she knew it.
"Oh." A moment later: "Is it fun?"
"Sometimes." She wouldn't call the smuggling part of her job fun, but the other parts... definitely.
He looked over at a small model aircraft on the old woman's shelf. "I've always wanted to be pilot."
"Really? Are you any good at flying."
He gave her a slightly pompous look. "Of course I am. I've flown down in Beggar's Canyon before."
She slow clapped for him. "Wow."
He frowned and looked away again, but he soon looked back when she said, "Maybe I'll let you fly my ship, sometime."
He inhaled and his eyes widened. "Really?"
"Mmhm," she nodded, his sudden excitement making her feel a rush of her own.
"I would love to! What type is it? Is it-"
She felt a presence shift befind her and she looked over at the door just as the Jedi came back in. He didn't so much as glance at her as he came and went to Luke. Behind him rolled an R2 unit and a golden translator droid.
"Thank you, Rhia, for helping Luke."
The old woman nodded. "Make sure he doesn't do anything strenuous with it, if you can help it," she crooned.
"I will." He nodded.
Luke pulled his arm close and tried not to pick at the sling. "What took you so long?"
"I was looking-" He glanced over at her and she stared right back."-for a ship."
"But Claria already offered." Luke lifted his head. "And she told me I could fly it," he said a bit proudly.
Mara shook her head. "Maybe."
"But you said-"
She quirked her eyebrows and he stopped realizing she was just playing him. Whether she really was or not... she didn't know. A part of her did want to let him fly, to see how good (or terrible) he was. It sounded exhilarating. So maybe she would let him sometime. The ship wasn't hers and she could pass off any damages as from a fight with the Jedi.
The Jedi raised an eyebrow at the name. "I wanted other options."
"Did you find them?" Mara snorted.
The Jedi gave her a scrutinizing look. "…No."
She splayed her arms. "Well then."
"How much are you charging?" Luke asked before the Jedi could speak.
She smiled. This was it. "Depends. Where are you going?"