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swimperialentanglements · 5 years

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CHAPTER 3 – Meeting Moxxar Daar at his bar in Chibias

Mara Jade

Shortly Mara and Harris reached their destination. In front of them was a small building with no front door, only a cracked frame indicated the entrance.

“It’s here, let’s hope things hadn’t change much", the redhead said, the place didn’t look like much. Inside, the dim light barely allowed them to see the few tables and the bar at the front, surprisingly, the air carried the nice scent of food and drinks.

The bar was almost empty except for them and a couple more people minding their own business at one of the tables. She walked up to the bar where a big Mon Calamari was back to the wall, cleaning some glasses.

“Moxxar Daar, still cleaning somebody else’s mess?” she said outloud, the Mon Calamari quickly turned around and looked at her with his big yellow eyes, his mouth dropped open.

“Arrrin? Is that you?”, Moxxar Daar said before pulling a huge contraption made of glass bottoms and he pressed it against his eyes.

“Oh yes, yes, it is you” he said, recognizing Mara Jade. “It’s been a long time Moxxar, it’s nice to see you again” she smiled, then noticed the confused look on Moxxar’s eyes as he saw the young man standing beside her.

“Moxxar, meet my friend…” Mara started saying then looked at Harris waiting for him to make up with a name for himself.

Trooper Harris

‘Long time?’, Harris asked himself. How could it be if Mara looked so young? He smiled as Moxxar approached and shook hands. “How do you do, Moxxar? My name is Luke”, he smirked eyeing Mara with the corner of his eyes.

“Before anything, would you mind opening a bottle of Corellian beer?”, Harris asked Moxxar. He pretended to be friends with Mara as he pulled a chair for the redhead to seat next to him. He had no idea what made her path cross with that Mon Calamari, a species known for being against the Empire. Cautious was advised, Harris pondered.

Mara Jade

‘Of all the names’ Mara thought for a moment, of all the names he could have picked, an enemy name, that enemy. She immediately sensed his confusion and caution about the Mon Calamari, her ability to reach into the Force was back, which meant there were no Ysalamir around, and maybe, just maybe, they were safe for the moment. She sat next to Harris and watched as Moxxar served him the requested drink.

“I would pour one for you, but I don’t know if you’re still going to end up leaving without even taking a sip” he joked, she smiled. “I’ll have the same”, Mara said, she wanted to put the Mon Calamari at ease.

“Are you in one of those crusades of yours again?”, Moxxar Daar asked her, placing her drink in front of her.

“Crusade?” she laughed. “No, I’m just passing by”, Mara said, taking the glass and taking a sip. “I was wondering if Luke and I could use your guest room” she asked him, the Mon Calamari looked at the young man then at her.

“Sure you can, but I must warn you it won’t be very clean, it’s been ages since someone stayed here” he said. “Don’t worry, it won’t be for long, as I said”, Mara paused, taking another sip “we’re only passing by” she finished putting the glass down. The Mon Calamari went through another doorframe behind the bar and came back, throwing a card at her. She caught it.

“Thank you Moxx, I really appreciate it”, the Emperor's Hand said with a genuine smile, then she turned to look at Harris.

“Are you ok with sharing a room?”, she asked Harris casually.

Trooper Harris

Harris didn’t expect those words coming from Mara’s lips. After watching a casual conversation between the redhead and the Mon Calamari, Harris finished his glass and watched Mara drinking her own. So she was not used to drinking, not at least from Moxxar’s perspective. “Of course I’m not against sharing a room with you”, he replied trying to hide his heart juvenile enthusiasm. “You can use the sanisteam first”, he joked as he stood up and walked towards the guest room. “Where did you meet this Moxxar? How can you trust a Mon Calamari? Does he know to whom you work?”, Harris asked as they entered the room.

Mara Jade

“Don’t let the bed bugs bite”, Moxxar joked.

“Thank you again Moxxar, thank you a lot”, Mara said again in a soft voice, placing her hand on the bar.

“You don’t need to thank, there’s no way I could ever thank you enough for what you did for me” he said, placing his big Mon Calamari hand on top of her tiny human hand which disappeared under his. “I did what was right” she said then jumped off her seat and walked next to Harris. “Good night!” she said, waving goodbye to Moxxar who waved back.

The redhead caught up to Harris and guided him to the back of the building where the door to the guest room was. “Yes, he is a Mon Calamari, and yes most of them are rebels but some are just people you know?” she started saying, trying to answer Harris’s doubts as best as she could. “All I can say is he once offered me a place to stay and heal my wounds so I could carry on with my mission. A very messy mission, one of the few I’ve had in this planet” she told him, using the card to open the door to the room and walking in behind Harris.

Trooper Harris

Harris turned on the lights. He was surprised that Mara was answering to his questions. Are they becoming friends? Never did he expect to develop that kind of relationship with the Hand. He knew he was an expendable resource for the Empire.

He placed his backpack on the ground and took off his shirt. He laid on the small couch and looked at the queen king size bed. “You can sleep in the bed. You must look fresh tomorrow if you are into the madness of going to meet Legolas in the concert hall”, he added stretching his arms above his head, making his muscles bulge.

Whether Mara realized or not, his attitude towards her was changing. There was some respect, admiration… no longer childish jokes. ‘Damn, that should not be happening’, he thought to himself. It was not professional to attach or have feelings. Yet, the memory of covering Mara, feeling her breasts under his body, the casual touches: he was feeling what he should not. Was it a Sith spell?

Mara Jade

Mara took a glimpse of the bed and sighed. There was no way she could get any sleep that night, her head crowded with thoughts and questions about the day’s events and the sake of the entire mission. But Harris was right, she had a role to play the next day. She then looked at him, taking his place on the couch, a complete gentleman. She smiled to herself. He had proven to be a tenacious and strong companion. But there was something else, something she had never experienced around stormtroopers. A true sense of trust? No, it couldn’t be. Mara was probably still upset about the Ysalamir incident… that and, that other emptiness in the Force she had been feeling even with no Ysalamir around. She had failed her Master during the last mission. It had been a test for her and she had failed horribly. She had been punished with inaction precisely because the Emperor knew it was the worse of tortures for her.

And Mara deserved every bit of it. She still did. Maybe this mission was indeed personal, a challenge she had to conquer in order to regain her confidence. But deep inside, she knew there was some other reason she couldn’t allow herself to fail now. She took a last glimpse at Harris.

“Good night Luke”. the Emperor's Hand joked. “Thank you” she added, then rolled on her side and closed her eyes

Trooper Harris

Harris watched her going to bed dressed just as they arrived at the spaceport. The evening was going to be uncomfortable - after the incident he’d never be able to sleep in that planet. He recalled all the reports about the mysterious Emperor’s Hand, how she had been trained, how close she was to the Emperor. Momentarily, he wanted to tell her why he was there, who had commanded him, who gave all the reports. He never felt like that in the past 5 years. As a former member of the 501st, he was raised not to show his feelings, not to attach, just to obey. It was along time since he left his companions behind. Somehow he could still feel her uneasiness.

“Mara, don’t torment yourself about what happened today. I am here to be your shield”, he added. His sense of humor was gone, his lust was there though. If he were in the good old days, he’d jump into the bed and have his way with that woman. He felt it was inappropriate. “Mara, tomorrow in the morning, we’ll review the plans together. We can’t let any detail go unnoticed”.

Mara Jade

“You are not here to be my shield”, Mara replied, feeling the tension rising. “I have been sent on missions like this more times than I could count. Ever since I was a child, I’m not worried about my safety” she added, trying to find that cold core she was so famous for.

Growing up serving the Empire she had never formed a bond with anyone except for her Master, who was the closest thing she ever had to a family, and yet the farthest. Mara did get to make friendships, but they never lasted, she wasn’t meant for that. Her life was a secret, her identity was a secret. She was the Emperor’s hand and nothing more… Mara Jade was only a vessel for the Emperor’s will. And it would be better if she stayed that way, anything else could end up an unnecessary mess. “You should get some rest, after all you did get all beat up” she said, her voice sounding severe, she wasn’t joking.

Trooper Harris

“I’m resting”, Harris replied without caring about whether she wants him to be her shield or not. He swiftly fell asleep. On the following day, he woke up early and left the room. After talking to Moxxar, the young man grabbed real food for Mara, not those packs of ration that the Imperial Navy would give to everyone.

The trooper brought some fruits, some bread and two cups of coffee on a tray and placed it next to her bed - he suspected that Mara had been awaken all the night and that she knew he left the room alone to return with food. For a couple of seconds, his eyes assessed her body, awed with her curves, her muscles toning her thighs, her breasts which would perfectly into his hands.

Mara Jade

Mara couldn’t get much sleep through the night, but finally, the first glimpse of dawn could be seen through the cloth covering the room’s small window. She didn’t see Harris, but she didn’t have time to wonder as he entered the room with a tray with food and a scent she couldn’t resist, coffee. She sat on the bed and turned as he placed the tray on the desk next to the bed. “How are you feeling?” she asked, looking up at him.

Trooper Harris

“Not one of the best nights, but I’ve had some worse experiences… I will never recall the time I spent on Moll during a survival training. It can always get worse, Mara”, Harris said biting an apple. “You look good. Legolas will fall easily when you smile… but I’ve been thinking. Won’t he check your references? Where did this redhead come from? Is she from Coruscant? Alderaan? He may have lots of questions as he is a professional crook”, he spoke showing concern for her.

Mara Jade

“It can get a lot worse”, Mara thought to herself hearing Harry’s words “Relax” she said “He might be a professional crook, but I’m a professional actress”, she added, trying to calm Harry’s anxiety. “I have everything I need to pass for a Coruscant diplomat”, she smiled, taking a sip of her coffee while watching Harris. This man was really something. Not only was a credit to stormtrooper training, but he was more than that. He was actually human, something stormtroopers were supposed to leave behind. She had worked with stormtroopers countless times and even commanded entire armies. But stormtroopers where trained to leave peers behind. Their mission, their target, was all they cared about. They worked together as one, but they didn’t have a bond, or a sense of belonging.

Harris was definitely different for some reason, or perhaps Mara was wrong about stormtroopers, she had known a few others who would count as human beings, but very few. “We should be on our way soon, we don’t know if there’ll be more surprises before we reach the concert hall” she said, getting on her feet and getting ready to leave.

Trooper Harris

Harris nodded with her impressions - it was unclear who had whistles the blow on their arrival. It could be someone from within the Empire, it could even be someone willing to undermine their mission. The Black Sun could know nothing about them. “I wish we could have stayed longer to search those Twi'leks. Perhaps we’d find some evidence about who’s against our mission. I have a hint, it is not the Black Sun. They may know nothing about us…. by the way, the concert is scheduled to start at 3 pm. Do you need make up or hair dresser?”, he asked changing the topic. “I am sorry but I can’t help with that.”, he smiled as he finished his apple. “So how’s your coffee? I had no idea you liked t so much… anyway, anything is better than those tasteless ration bars…”

Harris was not so sure about surprises on their way to the concert - one thing he was sure: no one had followed them. However, he didn’t have any idea about Moxxar and how Mara met him. Loyalties may shift over time… but Mara would never trust the Calamari if he were not reliable.

Mara Jade

Mara looked at her wrist for the time, it was still early “I think the odds favor the inside job hypothesis, who else but someone within the Empire would know about our mission?” she had a couple of suspects for the matter, one she didn’t specially like at the higher ranks of the Empire, one she wasn’t sure she would dare to confront “We’ll walk to the other side of the city, you’ll know when were close”, she told Harris. In fact, the big city was shockingly different from the outside areas like the one they spent the night in.

“Not only it looks different, it can be more dangerous, we must be cautious” she added, remembering the time she had been sent there, again as a punishment. She had to deal with a territorial dispute between two politicians, and she hated politicians.

“By the time we're there I can change quickly, don’t really need a lot” she smiled, throwing her backpack over her shoulder again and walking out of the room. She stopped by the bar but didn’t see Moxxar at the bar. Mara frowned; she would have liked to say goodbye. Maybe some other time

“I’m ready, let’s go”, she told Harris, heading to the city.

Trooper Harris

Harris paid attention on her analysis. He didn’t have anything to add as he always received order as a special operations trooper. To sum up, the Black Sun didn’t know anything about them, so Castor Legolas would not be expecting a blow from the Emperor’s Hand. “Dangerous for whom?” He asked incredulously as he was with the Emperor’s Hand and himself.

“Let’s get to the destination, when you tell me we are close, I will walk away and be at the rooftop of the concert hall. I recall that there is a door, from which I can reach the ceiling of the hall. I’ll be hanging in a hidden position with my rifle, watching over you in case something goes wrong. Question: how do we communicate? Did you bring something discreet I could sync with?”

#swrp #MaraandHarris #chibias #moncalamari #twi'leks #ysalamir #arrin #CastorLegolas #marajade #MoxxarDaar #emperorshand #imperialentanglements

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