ladyofleithian | Chapter Ten: The Search

In which Mara and co. finally meet Padme/Lady Nemo.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Notes: First off, we're finally getting the plot into gear! I loved the character moments, but it's nice to sort of get things moving too, really. Second, I really liked writing this chapter, if only because of the character moments (of course. Character moments are awesome. :) and the bit near the end when Padme/Lady Nemo reflects on fate and how they don't need to accept their fate. Sort of a call back in a way to Traya's speech in KOTOR II about one of many reasons she wants to destroy the Force (also known as one of the best parts in the game. And dear God, I just realized that I miss playing the KOTOR games a hell of a lot...) which, really, considering certain events in the EU and the original Star Wars films, I can't really disagree with. So I decided to add in that bit with Padme as a bit of catharsis.

Also, in case you're wondering why her name's Lady Nemo -- well, Nemo is Latin for "no one". Considering that Padme's sort of the last of the Jedi and trying to hide from the Empire...well, I thought that name seemed appropriate.

Mara couldn’t say that there was much time to explain to Owen and Beru even as she headed out the door if only to find the runaway droids. She could only hope that even as they headed towards the Dune Sea – at least, following the trail of Threepio’s metallic footprints, it seemed to be the best approximation. Did it have to be the Dune Sea again, she couldn’t help but wonder. She knew it was probably the least of their worries at the moment, but she couldn’t help but think that. Even heading towards the Dune Sea with Ben and Leia, she drew out her binoculars. She had a feeling, at the very least, that she would need them if only to find them. And it was then that she saw them.

Threepio was already laying by the wayside, a metallic leg missing, all while Ar-Too, badly battered, was fighting off…

Sand People?

Mara suppressed a groan. Just her luck that it happened to be Sand People. Just her kriffing luck.

Still, there was no use turning back now. The Sand People – they were perhaps some of the most feared denizens of the Dune Sea. People who went up against Sand People didn’t typically live to tell the tale – and even when they came back, they were, to say the least, missing a limb or worse. Even hearing the horror stories about what the Sand People did to their captives was enough to frighten Mara.

Mara took a deep breath, turned to Ben and Leia. “Do you have anything?” she said. She already had a blaster that she managed to yank before leaving the house – she had a feeling, at the very least, that she was going to need it. But she had to at least make sure that Ben and Leia were also all right.

Ben nodded, drawing his own blaster, as well as a sack of grenades. Leia also nodded, drawing her blaster.

“Let’s get going then,” Mara said. There probably wasn’t any use in terms of wasting time.

They headed into the fray now. The Tusken Raider that was beating on Ar-Too now turned to look at Mara, Ben and Leia, seeming almost quizzical for a moment, before all but springing towards them.

Mara almost wasn’t prepared for how strong the Tusken Raider was. If krayt dragons could spring through the air, she thought, this was probably what they would look like. And if they landed on your chest…well, she supposed, that was what they would feel like. Still, she fought as best she could, shooting at them, all while Ben and Leia provided the best support they could, mostly through grenades and whatnot. The Tuskens continued swarming out, beating relentlessly on the three of them. No matter how Mara, Ben and Leia fought them, they didn’t seem to stop.

And it was then that she heard it.

The eerie sort of howl of a krayt dragon.

Mara looked up now, bleeding from where one of the Raiders had scratched her, towards the direction where the call originated. And she saw it. A woman, cloaked in red, calling towards the Tusken Raiders, warning them if nothing else to leave, all through the familiar howl of a krayt dragon.

Considering how the Tusken Raiders scattered, Mara thought, it seemed to at least work, she thought.

Still almost dizzy from the fight, Mara got to her feet, turned towards C-3PO, who was lying by the wayside. She knelt next to him, patching him up if only quickly, reattaching his leg. “Are you okay?” she said. “I mean…I was pretty scared.”

“I’m perfectly all right.” C-3PO let out an electronic sigh. “It’s his fault, really; I tried to stop him, but he kept going on about ‘the mission’ and ‘Lady Nemo’. Quite absurd, really.”

Ar-Too, though badly battered, let out a series of sarcastic beeps. Mara shook her head.

“Look,” she said, “How about we all just get inside? We can argue later.”

She turned towards the cloaked figure. “Thanks for saving us,” she said.

The cloaked figure…somehow, Mara thought, there was something familiar about her. Almost, Mara thought, like she swore that she could have seen her before. But that wasn’t possible, was it? And yet even looking at her, Mara thought, she could have sworn…
The cloaked figure’s voice was soft. “You’re welcome.” A pause. “You’d best get inside. The Sand People were just momentarily stopped. They’ll be back, and in greater numbers.”

Mara nodded, turned towards Ben and Leia. “Come on,” she said, “Let’s go inside.”

And they did.

***
She was here.

Padme knew that this day would come, but she wasn’t prepared for the sudden pang that came up even looking at Mara’s face. The way that she reflected her father – she had her mother’s fire and determination, but her father…in terms of appearance, her face strongly resembled him. The only difference was the matter of her eyes – green, jade green, and painfully expressive. Obi-Wan’s eyes had been, in contrast, very much blue. But otherwise, her face, serious and determined and kind and open…that was definitely Obi-Wan, through and through.

Even looking at her, Padme thought, it felt almost like seeing Obi-Wan again. And Ahsoka, for that matter – she had Ahsoka’s strength and determination and fire. At least, they reminded her too much of Ahsoka. Even remembering that…that also hurt. So many friends, gone…

Padme took a deep breath, forced herself to look away, towards Ben instead. “It’s good to see you,” she said, “I mean…” She rubbed her forehead. “When I felt the attack on your ship, I assumed the worst.”

“It’s going to take more than an attack from the Empire to take us down,” Ben said. “I mean…” A quick grin came across his face, an almost cocky grin, like his father’s. Padme was almost painfully reminded of her master’s more mischievous, cocky, playful side – his wry sense of humor, his certainty, his idealism. They had been some of the qualities that she couldn’t help but love. And even seeing them in Ben…

Obi-Wan Kenobi wasn’t dead, but for all intents and purposes, he might as well have been, Padme thought if only bitterly. Because he wasn’t Obi-Wan Kenobi anymore. The Obi-Wan she knew had died on Sullust. Before Sullust, actually. The Obi-Wan left…

The Obi-Wan Kenobi she had confronted on Sullust had been nothing more than an impostor wearing Obi-Wan’s face. And after Sullust, only Darth Terminus really remained. A ruthless man, doing whatever he could if only for some elusive “greater good”, some idea of perfection, if only because of Ahsoka’s death, if only because of his attachments…

Attachment by itself wasn’t bad, Padme supposed. It was the fear that came with it, the fear of it being taken from you, the fear of change – something that a part of her was all too familiar with as the war steadily got worse – the fear of failure, the hatred towards the galaxy for seemingly “taking” it from you, as she could feel Obi-Wan steadily continuing to develop as the war only got worse…

He had tried to fight the Force itself. There had been instances of people trying to fight the Force itself – the story of Darth Traya, for example, the woman who had tried to kill the Force itself. But one couldn’t fight the Force, in the end. No one truly could.
Obi-Wan and others had tried, and not only had they paid the price, but others had as well.

Padme took a deep breath, and entered the hut along with Ben and Mara. There, she would tell the both of them the truth, and then they would have a choice to accept their destiny. To become Jedi, like their father, and learn the ways of the Force. To defeat the Empire.
And yet there was something in Padme that already couldn’t help but have her doubts. Could she ever train these people, these innocent, naïve people, to kill their own father?

She couldn’t. She wouldn’t. No matter what Yoda said about it being the only way. It wasn’t as if she didn’t comprehend the idea of selflessness and the greater good. But this…this wasn’t selflessness, or the greater good. This was, purely and simply, disgusting.
But what if there was no choice?

Padme took a deep breath. She could still remember what Qui-Gon had said. Just remember, Padme; he could have simply left you to the Emperor at Sullust, but he didn’t. There is hope for him, even if it doesn’t seem that way.

And he was right. He could have left her to the Emperor’s mercy, if only to be tortured or killed – considering what the Empire did to their prisoners, she supposed, in comparison (although even that didn’t really make it better, she thought if only darkly) that Terminus simply killing them was mercy. But he didn’t.

There had to be a chance of saving him.

After all, Padme thought, the Force couldn’t be simply controlling everything. They still had a choice, after all. They didn’t have to accept the fates that the Force had set up for them.

And there was something about that, she thought, that was if only slightly heartening.