Thread: Star Wars: The Eclipse before the Dawn (Corsair and Xana)

They want to charge you as a terrorist. Palpatine declared as Kaydia was lead into his chambers, Have a public execution to send a message to any other separatist terrorists. She was still bound, wrists cuffed behind her, ankles cuffed together. And yet, even like this, she could hear Scarlet whispering to her, about how she could kill everyone in this room, and escape. Find Quentin, and escape. Live out her life at her husbands side, away from the Jedi and the Republic and the duty and any other cares. Freedom, the darkness whispered to her. But there was no freedom in running and hiding. Shed never be free of Scarlet unless she faced up to what she had done. Is that it then? She whispered, finding a calm she wouldnt have expected. General Skywalker said that you might find some clemency, for me. Palpatine nodded. Ive looked over your record, as a shadow. Your clandestine work has served the republic well. Taking this into consideration, as well as the contents of the holovid that provoked your reactions, I am able to offer a plea deal. Plead guilty to manslaughter, and you will serve 15 years in a maximum-security prison, no chance of early parole. 15 years She breathed, hardly able to conceptualize it. It was certainly a better deal than the death penalty, but it was still so long. Thered be no babies for her and Quentin when she got out. If Quentin would even wait for her that long, No. He deserved better than that. Better than putting his life on hold for the mistakes she made. Ill take the deal. Do ICan I see my husband again? Before I go? Palpatine gave her a hard look, before shaking his head, No. No. I am afraid you will be on a prison transport ship within the hour. But I will be sure that someone passes the details on to him. Nodding, she bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears. Her life wasnt over. It was just on pause. Serving a prison sentence in the notorious Stygeon Prime was as much as Kaydia would have expected. A lot of time alone, with her thoughts and memories. A lot of time to practice her meditation and force excersizes, deepening her connection to the all living things. Including the life growing within her. That had been a shock. At first, she thought she was just having a hard time adjusting to prison food and the stress of being separated from her husband. But when she felt the second heartbeat in the force, she realized that being late the Senators fundraiser had been even more productive that she could have imagined. Quentin never could say no to her, and now she had her last wish. But what did it mean now, while she was imprisoned? Once there was no more hiding her pregnancy from the prison, and no way to contact Quentin in the force, despite her attempts, she was brought before the warden and an unfamiliar republic official. There was no small talk, just getting right into the heart of the matter. This changes things for you quite a bit, doesnt it? Does it? I imagine you would want to be out of here that much quicker. Clearly. And I imagine youd be willing to do a great many things to get out earlier? What are we talking about? The skills you developed as Scarlet. The republic is at war, and you can make reasonable progress on ending it sooner, rather than later. Your actions can save millions of lives. How soon? Three to five years. And my husband? Will he know or? No, and you wont contact him either, or everything is called off. Everything? Your child will be taken into republic custody on birth and you will not see nor hear about them until you are released, in their teenage years. Or you can stick to the deal, and get your child back before they have a chance to form long term memories without you. There was no choice. No real choice. It was her one chance to have her family. Her one chance to be with Quentin, and their child. Repaying her debt to the republic by serving it with the skills she developed as an assassin. The only way to escape Scarlet was to become her once more. Whatever the republic needs. Deep Space 20 BBY Fourteen names composed the folders on her data disk. 12 men and women she had killed over the last two years. Another one, the new one, was her target. The last one was her reward, her motivation, her entire purpose for living and going back to her life as Scarlet. It was the only thing that mattered anymore. She opened that one first. Mara Jade Voss-Hall Age Twenty-six months Height 90 centimeters. Weight 13 Kg The details were cold and detached, painting a half picture of the child she had hardly known. The child she had held but once since carrying her. Quentins daughter, not that he had any clue she even existed. A dozen pictures of a redhead toddler accompanied the fact sheet, and it seemed the girl was happy enough. She showed no signs that she missed her mother or father, no sign that being an orphan had bothered her any. There was an attached hologram showed her playing. Laughing. Oblivious. Each time it was always the same. She didnt want to be Scarlet, did want to kill people for some faceless entity. But she saw her daughter, her Mara Jade, and none of that mattered anymore. She couldnt stop now. If she stopped, everything she had done to this point would have been meaningless. She only hope was to see through this job, and the next, until she was free. Mara would be safe, and she could reunite with Quentin. Would he still love her, if he knew that she had dipped her hands back in blood to protect their child? If he knew that she always had been a terrible Jedi, that she had chosen love over duty, again and again. Resigned, Kaydia opened the new folder. Her target. Bail Organa, senator from Alderaan, and Prince Consort. Another anti-war senator. How was this helping the Republic? How would his death end the war any quicker? But Kaydia wasnt allowed to question her orders. And she could do was hope this would be the time Quentin might catch her. Shed left clues, at the other crime scenes. Too subtle to gain much notice to any but the most astute investigators. The sorts of things Quentin had shown her to look for when they worked together. The sorts of things that only someone who had spent their life hunting force users would perceive. He was the only one who could stop her now. The only one who could save her.