High Heavens (Star Wars - Luke Skywalker)

XII - Chaotic

As the Imperial troopers nodded, releasing Mara and rushing out of the room unreservedly, Mara wished she was anywhere else, anywhere other than trapped in a room with the man responsible for the deaths of countless souls. 

She couldn't turn to face him, instead staring at the closed door with a foolish feeling of desperateness, praying it would open again so she could sprint out as fast as she can. She felt like what a caged animal feel like, especially as Vader began to stalk around her in small circles, further confining her. Mara shrank into herself. 

"What was your business on that ship?" the dark warrior asked her, voice stark and cruel.

"I was delivering cargo from Tatooine to Nar Shadda." 

She spoke quickly - easily even. Or had she been too confident? What if that tipped him off? Stars, in all her time as a smuggler and a rebel, lying had never been a problem. But there was something about this evil, dark lord that screamed fear to the deepest parts of her.

"And the rest of your crew?" Vader added on fluidly.

"Abandoned ship when we were being apprehended. I was left behind."

"Liar," Vader suddenly disagreed, voice lowering, and Mara felt her teeth dig into her bottom lip. "I can feel your fear."

Mara didn't even think to ask how. To a Sith Lord, her terror must have been radiating off her like a beacon in the night.

She could sense Vader stopping directly behind her, seven-foot figure casting a shadow over her, mechanical breathing shrouding out all other noise. There was nothing but her and Darth Vader and all the power he held above her. She was trembling, eyes clenched shut, lips rolled into her mouth, wanting nothing more than to will it all away. She didn't want to be here. She wanted Luke, Han, Elix - anyone.

"Tell me, Mara Nevaeh, how much do you know about Darth Verra?"

Mara stiffened like a wood board. How does he know her name?

"Don't act so surprised. I wouldn't forget the rebel that evaded me on Scarif and escaped with the technical readouts of this battle station. But we'll deal with that later. For now, answer the question."

"Nothing," Mara said quietly, shaking her head, trying to speak coherently. "I know nothing about her. Only that she died before the Empire rose to power."

"Why am I not surprised," Vader said, resuming his predatory circling once more. "Darth Verra rose to power at the same time as myself and our emperor. She had forsaken her pitiful Jedi life to join us and build the Empire. But before she could witness the end of the Republic, Verra was killed by a Jedi."

Mara shivered as the man - no, monster - halted directly in front of her. She could hear almost every mechanical click and whir of his suit, the mechanical breathing warm and sickly on her face. He towered over her, and it was unlike her, but Mara was desperate to not cry. Why was she so afraid?

Perhaps it was because a part of her knew he was about to tell her something horrible, something that would remain a scar on her brain for the rest of her life. The words were slow, grinding, and painful. 

"But before she was Darth Verra... she was known as your mother. Jade Sunfall."

A small cry escaped her, but she bit it back, shaking her head furiously. "No," she muttered, shaking her head furiously. "No. No, liar! My- my mother was Jade Sunfall. A Jedi, a guardian. She, she was a hero."

"Search your feelings, girl, you know it to be true," Vader growled out, seeming less than impressed with her reaction.

Mara continued to shake her head, stepping away from him. He was lying, he must be. He wass lying to manipulate her, to make her reveal her secrets, to...to twist her... to... to...