EBONY AND JADE

Part Three

The main Palace computer center had two unusual visitors the next morning. Though many of the techs on duty wanted very much to inquire who the pretty young girl with the red hair was, the fact that she was accompanied by Darth Vader himself discouraged every one of them. Mara Jade felt their eyes on her anyway as she seated herself at an operator terminal of the powerful Imperial mainframe. Vader stood behind her, his attitude distant and superior. He had been like that all morning, since they met up in the Palace. It bothered her, of course, not to be taken seriously. Maybe now, when he saw her in action he would begin to show her some respect. She was the Emperor's Hand, after all.

"All right," she said, concentrating on the keypad in front of her. "We're going to find out what we can about Ashka Boda. There has to be something about him in the system. He couldn't live in, or even visit such an information-dense world without leaving some trace. Now. Where do you want to begin, Darth?"

Oops. Mara felt a wave of hostility from her partner at the familiar use of his first name. "May I call you Darth?" she said lamely.

"You may call me whatever you wish," he grated. "How you refer to me is of as little importance to me as your unnecessary assistance on this mission."

Mara stiffened. Her naturally heated pride began to steam inside her. The Emperor himself had ordered the two of them to work together, and Vader knew it. She turned in her swivel chair and found herself staring into the blinking chest plate of Vader's armor. Setting her jaw, she looked up into the sinister angles of his mask.

"Lord Vader," she said, holding her voice steady, "it wouldn't hurt you to stoop to the level of assisting a novice such as myself. We are temporarily assigned to work together. I know I don't have your respect...yet. But I'm working on it. You have my respect, but I think you're wrong about my being useless. I can help with this capture. But if you don't help me, I will be useless." Tensely, she waited, not taking her eyes from Vader's mask. The seconds ticked by, as she became acutely aware of his slow, mechanized breathing.

"There is some fire in you, young one," he said at last. "Very well. You will have your chance. But understand one thing. While we are on this mission, you are working for me. I will give the orders, and none other." Not even the Emperor, was the unspoken warning. "You will do as I say unquestioningly. If you can remember that, you may survive your first assignment."

Mara swallowed hard, unwilling to be intimidated, but feeling it nonetheless. She nodded once, without argument, hoping not to lose her unexpected headway. "It will be as you say...my Lord."

Vader broke their eye contact first, and turned his attention to the computer terminal. Relieved, Mara also returned to it.

"Try the name Ashka Boda in the planetary census to begin," said Vader.

Mara entered the commands. "As I expected," she said shortly. "No such name appears anywhere."

Vader considered this. "He was working in the Palace gardens when I saw him. If we cannot find his name, we will find his face. Bring up the work files for all Palace staff connected with the gardens. Include maintenance staff, decorators, sculptors, supervisors, suppliers, botanists, and geneticists."

Mara entered the new search parameters. "This may take a while," she said when the file appeared. "There are thousands of people here."

Vader moved closer to the screen. "No. I can speed things up considerably. Instruct the computer to display the identification photos of all personnel in the file at a rate of four per second."

Mara did as she was told. Faces began to flash rapidly on the screen. Mara couldn't follow them all - they seemed to blend into one face that constantly changed its features. A minute passed this way, with Vader staring intently at the screen. Suddenly, he reached out with one gloved hand and froze the display on a brutish looking alien janitor. Scrolling back several faces, Vader settled on an older man with a furrowed brow, squinting eyes, and an unfriendly expression. "Is that him?" Mara asked.

"That is the Jedi," Vader said firmly. "He is brazen to hide out in the open like this. He is either a fool, or he has reason to be confident. Perhaps he is simply overconfident. He would not be the first such Jedi I destroyed."

"This says he's been using the name Vantos Coll," Mara read from the screen. "And...I don't believe it! He's been working at the Palace as a gardener for eleven years! What could he have been doing all that time?" She shook her head. "I've got a bad feeling about this. All right...Here's his place of residence. It's the top floor of a residential complex in grid 265 North, Square 3A. It's a converted greenhouse level. I can call up the plans in a moment...Here. It's a group of penthouse apartments that had a food production facility built around them. It was in service for sixteen years, but then it became private property. This lists the owner as Vantos Coll. That's it. It looks like we've got him."

"Knowing where a Jedi is and having him in your grasp are two very different things," Vader said.

"But we have all the pieces now," insisted Mara. "Think of this as an assassination, but with a capture instead of a kill as the final goal. You've exposed him at the Palace now, so chances are he won't come back here again. He'll go to where he feels the most secure - his home, hoping that his altered identity will throw us off. He can't be sure if we know who he is, or not, so he'll wait this out for a few days, to see what happens. This means he'll be at a known location, at a known time. That's most of what you need to kill someone. We can cut off his escape routes, and take him where he's alone. The only question in my mind is what sort of weapons to use. Usually, instant death is the desired outcome...I'll have to find something creative for an instant capture. I'll check with my contact in the Bounty Hunters Guild. I'll need something swift and sure that can be used at a distance. But for just one old man, it shouldn't be a problem."

Mara hoped she sounded professional. She was in her element now, and she wanted to impress the Dark Lord with her knowledge. Starting to plan the attack restored some measure of her confidence. She believed in herself and in her role as the Emperor's assassin. She eliminated enemies of the Empire, and this Jedi was an ideal example of that. Wiping out their order was one of the Emperor's greatest achievements, but the job wasn't quite finished. It was a great honor for Mara to help complete it. She liked to think she could change history for the better, in a way no army could. Eliminating the last Jedi was a wonderful beginning for her.

"Is that what you think of Ashka Boda?" Vader demanded. "Just one old man? Then there is a lesson for you to learn before you even leave this room. Do not underestimate the power of the Force. That is what we will be facing on this hunt. Your own overconfidence could kill you."

Of course Mara knew about the Force. She was a sensitive herself, able to sense any danger that might come from a Jedi's powers. And with Vader there, even those shouldn't be a threat. The Emperor had taught her that the dark side was stronger, and Vader was very strong in the dark side. "I'm sure you're right," she said diplomatically. "But you'll be there to make sure that doesn't happen, won't you? I'm in your expert hands, Lord Vader." Mara dared to smile at him.

"Impudent youth," Vader said, clearly frustrated. "Do not assume that just because you are in my hands, I would not let you fall...if necessary. The Emperor knows that sacrifices must sometimes be made. Take care that you do not become one."

The Emperor's Hand swallowed dryly.

Mara hurried along the secret tunnel running from the Palace to Lord Vader's Castle. It had been a long day of planning and preparation, and the time for their assault on Ashka Boda was at hand. They had studied the layout of the building and the rooftop greenhouse, and Mara had taken the time to outfit herself completely. She was ready for anything.

When she was halfway there, she received a mental message from the Emperor. His face hovered in the air before her, a vision only she could "see". First, she picked up a feeling of reassurance and encouragement from him, then she began to receive his thoughts.

--- My dear Mara Jade...I see you have done well in preparing yourself, but the true test lies ahead. You must follow my instructions carefully, as regards Lord Vader. I have much to devote my attention to, so you will be my eyes to watch him closely.

--- Watch him, my Emperor? I'm not sure I understand.

--- I need you to see that he follows my orders to take Boda alive. I fear that his accustomed level of aggression when dealing with the Jedi will get the better of him. He may, in his zeal, destroy this Jedi outright.

--- But why would he disobey you?

--- Very well, Mara Jade. You deserve to know the truth. I do not believe this Jedi is truly immortal. Such a thing has never been achieved by any servant of the Force. I believe he once escaped Lord Vader, and that Vader reported him as dead, hoping he would never surface again. Now that he has returned, Lord Vader wishes to correct his mistake and cover his shame. If Boda is dead, he can never tell anyone of how Vader once let him go.

--- If he isn't immortal, them why do you want him for questioning?

--- Where there is one Jedi still alive, there may be more. I must learn what he knows about other survivors. The security of the Empire depends on it. That is why I have sent you, my servant.

--- I see...I will do my best, Emperor.

--- I know you will, Emperor's Hand. You will let me know if there are any signs of disobedience. I will be ready to hear you if you call to me. We will speak again soon.

Palpatine's face faded out as he left Mara's mind. She stood alone, frowning. This was just what she did not need. It was already a complicated mission, and now she had to serve as a spy, too. Of course, she was trained for spying, and she had shown some aptitude for it, but this was Darth Vader they were talking about. Mara hoped Vader would behave properly. She didn't know if she could handle another enemy on this trip...especially one so damned powerful.

Vader nodded as Mara Jade strode briskly up to him. She was exactly on time. Checking her over, he saw that she was well equipped for the mission, in her own way. Vader preferred not to carry devices and weapons, save for his lightsaber. His very life was dependent on an internal technology, and to balance this, he avoided external technology whenever possible. Instead, he relied on the Force. Mara Jade, evidently, relied on weapons.

"Well, assassin," he demanded, "what equipment have you deemed necessary?"

Mara posed confidently in her jet black skinsuit, giving him the inventory. "Modified slugthrower with neural inhibitor darts," she began, patting a blaster like weapon in her right leg holster. "Wrist laser gauntlets," she continued, holding up her slim arms. Then she took a large twin barreled rifle from her back. "Prax energy rifle: a rapid fire blaster and a grenade launcher. But instead of grenades, it has electronet canisters." Indicating her equipment belt, she concluded, "One magnaharness, some syntherope, and a medpac. Plus a good old fashioned throwing knife."

"Do you believe your equipment will save you?" Vader asked her.

"I believe in myself," she said seriously. "The rest are just tools of the trade."

Satisfied, Vader gestured for her to follow, and they walked off into Coruscant's underground.

The mid levels of the city's architecture were gloomy and ugly. Decay was evident here, in contrast to the gleaming top world. Exposed supports and enormous pipes dominated the scenery. Vader found the industrial landscape distasteful, but he knew it was attractive when compared to the dark and feral levels deeper down. Looking at the mold, rust, and flickering lights, he wondered about the infrastructure of the planet he would inherit. Perhaps, once the Rebel conflicts died down, resources could be diverted to improving it. It might even be possible to reclaim much of Coruscant's lower regions.

This was also where the transport and delivery thoroughfares were. Long tubes, tunnels, railways, and pipes moved resources, food, and water to where it was needed in the vast metropolis. It had been Mara's idea to use the produce movers to approach Boda's building in secret, rather than flying in on a conspicuous shuttle. Because Boda's rooftop greenhouse had once been one of the thousands that grew food for Imperial Center, the food transport network was still hooked up to his building. By riding in an empty produce bin, they could pass under the city to the sub levels of Boda's skyscraper. There, they could access the two freight lifts that rose up the sides of the building and provided the only ways in or out of the greenhouse level. A satellite report had revealed someone moving around in the greenhouse, indicating that their quarry was at home.

It was a good plan, and it fit Vader's personal needs as well. Vader now suspected that the real reason for Mara's presence was to watch over him for the Emperor. The fact that there were two lifts would give him an excuse to split up their team, in order to cover both entrances at once. He hoped to temporarily lose Mara Jade, so that he could finish off Boda alone. Perhaps he would claim that Boda jumped from the roof to avoid capture, and without any witnesses, that would be that. The Emperor might suspect the truth, but without proof, Vader would be safe.

The only unknown factor was Boda himself. How had he survived when Vader had stopped his heart, all those years ago? And how could Vader stop it from happening again? And what had Boda been doing for eleven years? It was a disturbing set of questions. Yet, if Vader could simply have Boda dead, the answers could never be found for all he really cared.

The swift ride in the temperature controlled produce bin took Vader and Mara steadily north, giving the girl a chance to check all her weapons carefully. Vader watched her as she verified the charges on her blasters, examined her dart gun and grenade launcher, and adjusted her wrist lasers. He had to admit that despite her youth, she was a formidable figure. If Vader had ever had a daughter, he would have wanted her to be as competent as this girl was.

"The Jedi may have powers you are unprepared for," Vader commented as she finished.

"So you keep saying," Mara replied. "Tell me what to expect, then. We've got time."

"Indeed," Vader said, trying to ignore the automatic and probably unconscious lack of respect the teenager displayed. It would be a pointless waste of time to correct her every time she failed to address him properly. "I can tell you some few things, but only hard experience can teach you the true intricacies of the Force. Although the Jedi limit themselves to the lesser skills of the light side, Ashka Boda may have many ways to defend himself. He could tear that rifle out of your hands at a distance. He may sense your approach and be ready with his lightsaber. With it, he could stop your blaster fire or reflect it back at you. He could try to touch your mind and manipulate you into making a mistake. Remember, the Jedi have no code against killing in self defense."

Mara thought for a minute, then shrugged. "All right. It sounds like it's crucial that I get the drop on him. That's okay. I'm good at that."

Vader gave her a hard stare. "I will do the fighting where Ashka Boda is concerned," he said. "You will be my back-up. Do not forget who is in command here, Mara Jade."

"I won't forget, Lord Vader," she said with a facial expression that said, how could I possibly forget? Vader ignored that as well.

The produce bin finally stopped in a dusty, unused storage area beneath Boda's skyscraper. Rusting carts sat still on their tracks, and trays rested on unmoving belts. Silence greeted them as they stepped out into the former warehouse level. It was lit only by a set of fading overhead glowstrips, but Vader sensed no one waiting in the semi-darkness.

"Very good," he said. "We are alone here. Your plan was most useful."

"Thank you, Lord Vader," Mara said. "The freight lifts should be accessible from this level. I see one of them over there, I think. The other one will be on the far side of the warehouse."

"I will take this lift," Vader told her. "I will wait exactly fifteen minutes for you to reach the other lift, then we will both go up at the same time. Once we reach the greenhouse level, we will disable the lifts, cutting off Boda's escape. We will each move in from our points of entry until we meet in the middle. I do not want you to underestimate Boda, but my prediction is that he will be hiding from us. I think that there will be little fight in this Jedi. When I first met him, he allowed me to stop his heart without resistance. Then, in the Palace garden yesterday, he ran from me."

"Now you tell me. After all that talk about how dangerous a Jedi can be."

"I do not want you to take anything for granted," Vader insisted. "He will be trapped within that greenhouse. We must assume he will fight, and be ready to defend ourselves."

Mara nodded. "All right. Is there anything else?"

"Remember that I will be doing the fighting, if it comes to that. Once he is defeated, some of your devices may be useful. Now go. I will meet you on the roof level."

Mara trotted off into the gloom, lighting her way with a lamp mounted on her rifle. Vader waited a few minutes, until he could no longer detect her, even with his enhanced senses. Then, long before the promised fifteen minutes had elapsed, he stepped onto the large elevator. Locking off the lift's access to the other floors of the skyscraper, the Dark Lord began his ascent to the roof.