A Shadow at Dusk

Chapter 4

A vague, but persistent sound pounded in Mara's head and reluctantly she awoke, squinting sleepily at the dial of her bedside chrono. "Not again?!"

Thud! Whack! Slap! Thump! Mara rolled over in her bed on the Jade Sabre and pulled the pillow over her head. Every morning since they had entered hyperspace, the routine had been the same. Practice was a necessity, but one could over do it! She sighed, turned over and sat up in the bed. Trying to sleep with all that noise was impossible.

Thump! Whack! Mara rolled her emerald eyes in exasperation and got to her feet, heading for the refresher. Shada's morning practice sessions with the punching bag in the Jade Sabre's small work-out gym had become as regular as the daily course checks.

Mara washed and then splashed some more water onto her face to remove the remaining cleaning fluid. Quickly, she brushed her straight, even teeth. Pulling on a form-fitting exercise suit of durable, yet stretchable material, she decided that she would pay the ex-Mistryl Shadow Guard a little visit.

When Mara entered the tiny gym, Shada was sending a roundhouse kick to the right side of the punching bag. It immediately caved from the force of the blow, then rapidly reformed itself to its original shape, just in time to have Shada give it another strong arm hit straight to what would have been the mid-section of a human being. The bag bent over double only to meet Shada's armor covered knee as it came up sharply. This time the bag flipped over backward before righting itself.

Mara worked to suppress a grin. Shada was good, very good. If that had been a live opponent, he'd be suffering from a ruptured spleen and a bloody, broken nose now.

"Not bad," Mara complimented.

Shada whirled around, surprise lighting her somewhat stern features. "Mara! I didn't see you there."

Mara walked farther into the room. "I just came in. Heard you practicing."

Shada looked a little guilty. "I hope I didn't wake you. I try to practice in the mornings. It's hard to break the habit."

"It's alright," Mara said, deciding to forgive her. "That's quite an outfit."

Shada glanced down at herself. "Shadow Guard battle gear. I always practice in it. Helps build up the strength."

"And offers some pretty impressive protection," Mara murmured.

Shada was dressed in a snug-fitting black combat suit, reinforced at the chest, arms and thighs with what looked to be thin body-shaped sheets of dura-armor. It probably wouldn't deflect a straight-on blaster shot, but angled shots would bounce right off. Yet the whole suit was extremely lightweight and incredibly flexible, allowing its wearer maximum body movement.

Mara smiled. "I'm envious. I wouldn't mind having one of those outfits myself."

For a moment, a dark cloud flitted across Shada's face. "Wish I could help you there, but I don't have any contact with the Shadow Guards anymore."

Mara lifted her eyebrows and walked over to the punching bag. She ran a hand caressingly down its smooth surface. "None at all? No old friends or anything?"

Shada looked down, then shook her head. "No, nothing. I'm sure all the Guards have been ordered to have no contact with me. To the Mistryl now, it's as if I no longer exist."

Mara frowned. She knew very little about Shada's situation. Talon Karrde had mentioned a few things, but had not gone into much detail. "I'm sorry to hear that, Shada."

Shada shrugged. "The Shadow Guard wasn't what I thought it was anyway."

Mara nodded wryly. "I can understand that." Shada looked at her, puzzled. "I had some misguided loyalties in my youth too," Mara informed her succinctly. If anyone had experience in devoting her life to a defective cause, it was Mara, with her years of service to Emperor Palpatine and his reign of terror against the galaxy. She sighed heavily. "At times, life is definitely not as it seems. The trick is not to let those things drag you down, to put them behind you and work for a better future."

Shada grimaced. "Is that more Jedi philosophy?"

Mara laughed softly. "No, more like the hard-knocks of life philosophy." She pushed the punching bag. "So, are you tired of this thing yet? Wanna try a live opponent?"

Shada's eyes widened. "You? I don't think so. Not with all those Jedi skills!"

"What if I promise not to use them?" Mara asked, grinning.

Shada studied Mara for a long moment and then said, "All right. What's it to be?"

"Hand-to-hand," Mara said enthusiastically. "I don't get enough of it, although I'm somewhat overworked on the lightsaber duels."

Shada glanced down at herself. "I would have an advantage in this armor. Give me a few minutes to change."

Mara nodded. "I'll warm up while you do that."

Mara was just finishing her stretching exercises when Shada returned to the tiny gym, dressed in a loose fitting gray and green exercise suit. Without a word, the two squared off on the flat, round mat that covered one whole side of the gym floor.

"Any rules?" Shada asked, watching Mara carefully.

Mara's smile was feline. "No one dies."

"Good rule," Shada growled, dropping into a combat stance, as the two began to circle around one another.

Mara murmured, "I've always wondered if the Imperial hand-to-hand combat techniques could take down a Mistryl Shadow Guard."

Shada suddenly darted forward, lifting the flat edge of her hand as she came. Mara countered, blocking the blow, but was surprised when Shada's long leg swept under hers, taking her feet out from under her. Mara landed hard on her side, but flipped quickly back onto her feet before Shada could take an advantage.

A slight smile lifted the corner of Shada's mouth. "I suppose we'll find out today, won't we?"

"Cute trick," Mara grinned back at her. "But it won't work again."

It was Mara's turn to charge, and although Shada was alert and watching for it, she was still caught by surprise. The two wrestled, testing their individual strength against each other. Shada was almost a head taller, but she learned quickly that Mara was incredibly strong and fit. They grappled, each looking for a way to take the other down. The match went on for some time as they scuffled against one another for supremacy.

Suddenly, Mara threw her weight to one side, catching Shada off-guard. Shada struggled with her balance and then felt the palm of Mara's right hand catch her swiftly and forcefully under the chin. She dropped like a stone, a galaxy of stars spinning before her eyes.

Mara moved in for the killing blow, raising her foot to press it into Shada's throat, but Shada caught it and twisted viciously, dumping Mara on top of her. The two rolled across the thin mat, their blows becoming more precise and a touch more forceful.

Finally, they broke apart, rolled to opposite ends of the mat and staggered to their feet. Both were breathing heavily, struggling to take in enough oxygen. Shada was bleeding profusely from a long scratch on her chin, and Mara had a large, angry red welt on her left temple.

"You had enough?" Shada asked, wiping the blood away from her chin with her hand.

Mara grinned and shook her head. She was enjoying this. She hadn't had a good hand-to-hand match in ages, and Shada was definitely a worthy opponent.

The two circled around the mat, looking for another opportunity. Again they charged and locked arms together in the center of the mat. They pushed against one another, straining with all their considerable strength to throw the other off-balance.

Shada suddenly dropped to one knee, folded the fingers on her right hand at the second knuckle and jabbed Mara viciously in the rib cage.

Mara grunted with the pain, but brought her knee up sharply, catching Shada on the side of the head.

They both collapsed on the mat again, gasping for air.

Mara grimaced with the sharp pain in her ribs, hoping nothing was broken. She rolled to her side and quickly got to her feet, charging across the mat at Shada.

Shada attempted to flip up into a standing position but she wasn't quite quick enough. Mara swept her feet out from under her again, dumping her hard onto the mat. She reached for one of Mara's legs but when she missed it completely, she wasn't in the least surprised to feel Mara's knee drop into the small of her back, pinning her to the mat.

"Where's the killing blow?" Shada snarled, her eyes flicking from right to left, looking for any opportunity.

Mara grinned above her. "Aren't you going to give?"

"Never!"

Mara shook her head at the ex-Shadow Guard's stubbornness and bent to run her arm around Shada's throat, her intent to simulate breaking a neck.

She gasped with surprise as Shada's body boiled underneath her, throwing her up in the air.

But Mara was quick, very quick, and she twisted her body in mid-air, her foot catching her opponent hard across the side of the head as Shada came up from the mat.

Shada staggered drunkenly, then threw herself to the side. To Mara's utter amazement, she leaped in the air, her legs scissoring around Mara's head and plunging them both back down to the floor.

They hit the mat hard, both grunting with the pain.

"If we keep this up, we're going to hurt one another," Shada gasped, loosening her feet from around Mara's neck and groaning with the throbbing in her head. She'd be lucky if she didn't have a concussion, she thought sourly. Mara Jade Skywalker might be small, but she was tough, very tough. Shada had been the champion combat warrior of her unit in the Shadow Guards, defeating all opponents in the numerous practice sessions, but she was having real difficulty taking down the ex-Emperor's Hand.

Mara rolled onto her back and wiped some blood from her mouth where a metal clip on Shada's boot had torn her lip. She winced at the pain in her ribs again.

"A draw?" she gasped. "Is that what you want...to call it a draw?"

Shada pushed herself up on her elbows and looked at Mara. "Either that or neither one of us is going to be in any shape to help Karrde and Skywalker when we do find them."

Mara sat up carefully, pressing a hand against her stinging ribs. "Good point." She struggled to her feet and held out a friendly hand. "I enjoyed that, Shada."

The ex-Shadow Guard swung her long legs around and took Mara's offered hand, pulling herself to a standing position. She smiled wryly and admitted, "so did I."

The two women looked at each and then grinned. Mara slapped Shada lightly on the shoulder. "Well, I know who to go to when I need someone at my back from now on."

Shada's grin widened and she inclined her head toward Mara. "And I'd be honored. If we run into any trouble looking for Karrde and Skywalker, I can't think of another person I'd rather have at my side."

**********************

Three days later

"Five minutes to sublight engines, Shada," Mara called over her shoulder as she watched the countdown on the tiny monitor in front of her.

"I'm on my way," Shada answered, hurrying down the hall from her cabin. She entered the cockpit and strapped herself into the co-pilot's chair.

She looked over to Mara. "Any sense of Skywalker?"

Mara pursed her lips. "No, not yet, but I'll feel better about it when we drop out of hyperspace. I don't know what planet, or even moon, he may be on. He could be sleeping."

Or he could be...Shada thought, not voicing it aloud. Damn you, Talon. If you've gotten yourself killed...she flinched away from the thought, not even wanting to consider the possibility. She wouldn't have admitted it even if someone threatened to tear out her tongue, but Talon Karrde had become the one constant in her life, the mainstay of her very existence. And if he weren't around anymore... Once again, she would be cut adrift in a galaxy that offered her nothing and no one. Her fingers dug into the cloth of her flight suit covering her knee.

The flashes of emotion traveling across Shada's face fascinated Mara. She had a good idea what was going on in the other woman's mind, but she didn't pry. She knew exactly how Shada was feeling.

In the days that they had been in hyperspace, Mara had recognized the qualities in Shada that would have drawn Talon Karrde to her. Intelligent, clever, capable, and fiercely loyal were all things that Talon looked for and admired in his people. And besides that, Shada was a remarkably good-looking woman, something Mara was sure Talon had not overlooked.

Mara looked out the viewport at the mottled sky. She didn't know how the two had gotten themselves in the position they were in, but she was almost certain that Shada had feelings for Talon Karrde, but Mara had already learned that Shada was just stubborn enough to keep them hidden for the rest of her life unless some catalyst brought them forth.

Mara glanced at the tiny navicomputer screen again. Less than a minute now, and as soon as they came into real space, she was immediately going to call for Luke through the Force. She had sent out some tentative tendrils of the Force throughout their voyage and had received no response. Her life bond with Luke was of the strongest kind, yet even they had experienced some difficulty in communicating through the Force when traveling through hyperspace.

"Ten seconds," Shada said and Mara nodded. She placed her hand on the level and waited.

Shada continued the count. "Four, three, two, one..." Mara pushed the level forward and they watched the mottled space before them turn first into star lines and then slow into a small, but blazing star surrounded by a ring of multi-colored planets.

"The Ten Tempest System," Shada murmured, leaning forward in her chair restraints to see out the viewport.

Suddenly, a streak of green laser fire ripped across the port bow.

"What the...?" Mara cried, punching buttons on the console and turning the Jade Sabre sharply to the right. "Full shields!"

Shada activated the shields to full power and turn quickly in her chair to check the scanners. "One ship. Dead ahead."

Another flash of brilliant laser fire lit up the cockpit as it impacted against the shields. "Sithspawn! What are they doing?" Mara growled, snap rolling the Jade Sabre to the right again and then taking her into a deep, plunging dive. "Can you get them on the comm?"

"I'll try to raise them." Sitting straight in her chair again after being thrown against her restraints during the snap roll, Shada flipped a switch and was startled to hear a crackle of loud static. "This is Shada D'ukal aboard the Jade Sabre. Cease firing immediately or we will retaliate."

There was a long pause and then another burst of static on the comm. Finally, a deep gravelly male voice sounded through the cockpit. "Shada? Did you say Shada D'ukal?"

Shada blinked in surprise. She knew that voice. She looked at Mara who raised an eyebrow. Shada turned back to the comm console. "Mazzic? Is that you?"

"Well, well, well...Shada D'ukal." Mazzic's voice wasn't pleasant and Mara tensed. Her hand caressed the stick that controlled the forward lasers. They heard a mumbled conversation between Mazzic and his pilot, and then Mazzic said, "I'm having this transferred to my quarters. Give me a moment to get there."

Mara carefully studied the big freighter in the viewport. It had been heavily modified with weapons not normally found on a trading transport. Mara's mouth twisted. Typical smuggler's ship, she thought sardonically. Innocent looking, but deadly under the surface. It wouldn't be any match for the Jade Sabre though. Not only could she outrun it, but her weapons and shields were every bit as powerful, if not more so.

There was another soft crackle on the comm unit again and then Mazzic's deep, raspy voice came through clear and distinct with only an occasional erratic sputter of static. "So, Shada, I suppose we could say that it's been a while since we spoke. What are you doing here in the Outer Rim? Your new boss working you too hard?"

"What do you want, Mazzic, and why in blazes were you firing on us?" Shada returned grimly. Shada hadn't seen Mazzic, her previous employer, in almost two years, and their parting, at that time, had not been amicable.

"Us? Who's with you, Shada? Is Karrde onboard with you?" Mazzic seemed to spit the words. "I should have known you wouldn't be way out here without him. He doesn't let you out of his sight much, does it?"

Mara moved impatiently in her chair and threw a questioning look at Shada. Shada shook her head. "He's a fool," she mouthed quietly, then turned back to the comm unit. "Listen, Mazzic, I don't have time to spend chatting with you..."

Mazzic cut her off. "No, I don't suspect you do. You never had much time for me, but you sure made time for Karrde, didn't you?"

Shada stared at the comm unit like she wanted to rip it apart with her bare hands.

"In all those years you worked for me," Mazzic continued, "you never let me near you, never let me get close to touching you. Then Karrde comes along and you don't waste a second jumping in bed with him. Don't think I haven't heard the talk."

"You always were a consummate gossip," Shada snarled. Bantha dung! She didn't have to listen to this.

"And you're an opportunist!" Mazzic retaliated nastily. "I wasn't a big enough fish for you, was I? You had to go straight for the top. Karrde always had a bit of a thing for you, even ten years ago. Don't think I didn't notice how he looked at you even then."

Shada filled her lungs in preparation to blast him, but was stalled when Mara laid a hand on her arm. She looked at her and Mara shook her head, a finger pressed to her lips.

"Mazzic, this is Mara Jade Skywalker. I hate to interrupt this charming little conversation, but Shada and I really need to be on our way."

There was a stunned pause and then Mazzic's voice filled the cabin again. "Mara Jade Skywalker? Well, aren't we running with the high and mighty now, Shada."

"Can it, Mazzic," Mara barked. "What the hell do you think you're doing firing on my ship? Have you lost your mind?"

They heard Mazzic sigh heavily. "That wasn't meant for you."

Mara gave a short bark of laughter. "You really expect me to believe that? We were hardly out of hyperspace before you fired on us."

"Look, Skywalker, I've been running routes out here for a couple of months now. There's something strange going on."

Even through the comm unit, both Mara and Shada recognized the anxiety in Mazzic's voice.

"What do you mean...something strange?" Shada asked.

"About six weeks ago, we were coming along this exact course when this weird ship came out of hyperspace," Mazzic told them. "It wasn't like any ship I had ever seen before. None of my crew, either."

Mara leaned forward. "Did it have any Imperial type markings on it?"

Shada shot her a curious glance. "No, nothing like that. It was something completely different, like nothing I have ever seen before. It was round with what looked like a knobby, bubble-like surface and there appeared to be waving tentacles on the sides."

"Tentacles?" Mara repeated unbelievingly.

"Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but I don't know any other way to describe it. It fired on us with what looked like a sheer gush of power, not like any lasers that I have ever run into before. Took down half our shields with that one shot."

"Half your shields?" Mara gasped.

"Never seen anything like it," Mazzic said, his voice full of awe. "We fired back and their ship just swallowed our turbolaser...absorbed it like it was nothing."

Mara thought Mazzic had been in the Corellian whiskey too much. She glanced at Shada who shook her head, as puzzled as Mara.

"If we hadn't had our hyperspace coordinates set, I wouldn't be here conversing with you now. We got out of there quicker than an Ewok chased by a rancor." Mazzic sighed again. "When you came out of hyperspace almost on top of us like that, we thought you were..." His voice trailed off.

Mara was beginning to get the picture. "I've never heard of a ship whose shields 'swallow' laser fire," she mused.

"Well, that's what it did," Mazzic said, somewhat defensively. "Just sucked it right up as if it were nothing." Then he changed the subject rather abruptly. "What are you two doing out here in the Outer Rim anyway? Pretty far from Coruscant, aren't you?"

Mara looked at Shada, who shook her head in warning. It wasn't any of Mazzic's business what they were doing. Shada leaned closer to the comm unit. "We're just scouting out some possibly quicker trade routes," she told Mazzic.

He grunted sardonically. "So Karrde really does give you work to do?"

Shada's mouth twisted in disgust. "Why don't you just leave that subject alone, Mazzic? It's getting old very fast."

He gave a harsh laugh. "You never cared the least for me, did you, Shada? I was just the boss." His heavy sigh filled the cockpit of the Jade Sabre. "We could have been good together. It's too bad."

Shada didn't comment, but looked at Mara and mouthed, "Let's go."

Mara nodded and eased the Jade Sabre gently to the left, putting it on a course to pass by Mazzic's big transport.

"We're leaving, Mazzic. I'm sure you have to be on your way, too." Shada leaned toward the comm unit, preparing to turn it off.

"Taking off so soon? And just when we were beginning to have fun. Goodbye, Shada. Give my love to Karrde when you see him!" A mocking burst of laughter erupted from Mazzic, and Shada flipped the switch on the comm quickly, cutting him off.

They flew swiftly around the huge transport that began to fire up its own engines. After a moment, the big ship accelerated and leaped into hyperspace, leaving the Jade Sabre to make its way toward the planets of the Ten Tempest System.

Mara glanced over at her friend who was staring out the viewpoint at where the transport had been, her face set in angry lines. "Old boyfriend?" Mara asked teasingly. Since their hand-to-hand combat practice session, the two women had fallen into an easy, comfortable comradeship.

Shada shot her a look. "No way. I'd rather kiss a..."

"Wookiee?" Mara finished for her with a short laugh.

That puzzled Shada who had no way of knowing that Mara's sister-in-law, Leia, had once told her a lengthy story about her early courtship with ex-smuggler, Han Solo.

Shada couldn't figure out what Wookiees had to do with it, but she gave a snort of disgust anyway. "Don't YOU start!" she warned Mara. "I've had about all I can take from Mazzic."

With all the anxiety she had been feeling over Luke's disappearance, the situation with Mazzic just seemed so ludicrous. Although she attempted to contain it, Mara started sniggering softly, causing Shada to frown ferociously. Mara's chuckle grew into a laugh and Shada's mouth twitched, then curled up at the corners even though she was fighting against it.

"Oh, shut up," she finally murmured and threw a small datadisk at Mara who ducked it easily. Soon, the two women were laughing uproariously, enjoying the absurdity of the whole situation and the peccadilloes of jealous men.

On to Chapter 5