Emperor's Hand

[indie Mara Jade. Not selective. Please read rules.]

[sxnofthesuns]

She was very perceptive, which he appreciated, if they were to work together. A two-pronged attack sounded like just the sort of thing his Master would have planned, and naturally the two of them would be the most qualified of his operatives to lead the attack. He would handle the military intervention, and Jade, he assumed, would undertake any covert mission that was necessary.

An attack on the Rebel base would certainly warrant the involvement of both of the Emperor’s protégés. The tiny Alliance posed no real military threat to the Empire as far as he was concerned, but nonetheless any form of resistance needed to be snuffed out as soon as possible. If they were truly hiding out on Dantooine, then his forces would find them, and destroy them. They could not survive to become a symbol to others that might dare to challenge the Emperor’s authority.

“He has.” he intoned, emerging from his deliberations and shifting his attention to the assassin. “It appears so. Once we have the plans, we can find their main base of operations and wipe out what’s left of them—ending their rebellion in one fell swoop.” He did not underestimate these rebels, as from experience he knew them to be tenacious. It made sense, in a way, for them to be so rash—it was easy to fight to the death when one had nothing left to lose.

[empcrorshxnd-blog]

“Then I suggest we proceed as though that is what our Lord intends, and if we are mistaken, hope that he will not be...too displeased.” Mara did not like disappointing the Emperor, but she could not think of any other reason he would order the two of them to mingle. One thing he had taught her was self-sufficiency, and so she would do as she saw fit and apologize later if she had made a mistake. It was her way, and one that had served her well in the past.

Without waiting for a response, she keyed in a command on the console in front of her, bringing up a hologram of Dantooine, as well as all the information that Imperial forces had amassed on the Rebel base there. The base itself was not a large one--the Rebellion must have moved their primary location when their numbers outgrew the small building. That in and of itself was troubling--why would so many flock to the Rebellion? Couldn’t they see the Empire was peace and prosperity for all? She shook her head; now was not the time for trying to understand the enemy.

“The base is protected by one surface-to-air cannon, and a small contingent of X-Wing fighters. Nothing that your troops should have any difficulty dispatching. There is also a backdoor through a hidden hangar, designed for the escape of any personnel not capable of fighting, or too important to risk losing. I will proceed through that entrance.”

[ncthingtolcse-blog]

I’m screaming my dad’s gonna pay for me to commission a Jedi costume that’s acceptable for the Rebel Legion as my Christmas present! I’m gonna be part of the official Star Wars costuming group I’m so excited I’m gonna make friends and do charity work and be awesome!!!!

[empcrorshxnd-blog]

tatooinetot:

Luke wanted to lean down and kiss her, but instead, he held back. They had always been two physical people— their tension in the beginning had been so palpable. It didn’t feel right at the moment to be so physical with their mouths; her closeness was enough.

“Closure,” he said, blue eyes searching green, “would have come to you. I would have personally walked and delivered the truth to you like Ben did to me all those years ago, right when I was on Dagobah with Yoda. Or when I destroyed the Death Star.”

The Jedi Master gave a smile, resting his forehead against hers and shutting his eyes, “When the Force wants to take me, Mara, it will take me. And nothing will prevent that. But… as you can see, it brought me back to you through Rey.”

Luke took a step back as she did— her Force presence was the same: heavy and consuming, powerful and yet equally as graceful. She was also older, and the sadness he had caused had etched some worry lines into her forehead.

“I suppose now…..” he began, sucking in a breath, prosthetic hand coming to twirl a few speckled hairs of his beard, “now I admit the truth of what I learned while on my exile.”

A smile was given, two blue eyes rolling over her features mischievously, “I made Leia hold off the inevitable sithspit storm of questions so I could see you.”

Truth be told, Mara wasn’t sure she could handle seeing her husband as a Force ghost, particularly not if she hadn’t seen him in person in a long time. But she kept that thought to herself. Luke knew her as a strong, powerful woman; he did not need to see her weak, vulnerable side any more than he already had today.

She knew that death was inevitable, of course. But she would fight tooth and nail to ensure that Luke died peacefully in his sleep, a long time from now, and not in battle. The Force would take him when it was his time, but her job was to ensure it did not take him prematurely.

“I am grateful to Rey for bringing you back to me,” Mara replied. “She will always have my deepest thanks.” A pause, then, “And what did you learn during your exile? Or would you prefer to tell Leia and me at the same time?”

[noodlehelps]

Reblog if you are a Star Wars roleplayer primarily based in the EU

These are all the books and comics that were written after Return of the Jedi which are no longer considered canon, however, they are still popular.

Potential Muses: Ben Skywalker, Mara Jade, Solo Twins, OCs, etc

Other Lists: All Star Wars & Old Republic & Prequel Trilogy & Imperial Era & Original Trilogy & Sequel Trilogy & EU Books

[ncthingtolcse-blog]

ＭＡＫＥ ＴＥＮ ＭＥＮ 

                                                               ＦＥＥＬ ＬＩＫＥ Ａ ＨＵＮＤＲＥＤ

[empcrorshxnd-blog]

Son of a bitch.

(Anyone good with themes want to help a girl out?)

[oldschoolsciencefiction]

To avoid the wrath of the copyright gods, I’ll refrain from posting any video links to the Star Wars Holiday Special and simply remind everyone that it can be found online.

But be warned: Those who dare to look upon the greatest pop culture phenomenon of all time filtered through the schlock that was late 1970s variety television descend into an almost Lovecraftian nightmare. Just as the surreal, non-Euclidean geometry of Cthulhu’s R’lyeh does not belong in our world, neither do Harvey Korman or Bea Arthur belong in the Star Wars Universe.

[empcrorshxnd-blog]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auspu9FfOUg&feature=youtu.be

Legal and uploaded by the official Star Wars Youtube, linked by the official Star Wars instagram.

[empcrorshxnd-blog]

so are there any Cassian Andor RP blogs out there yet or is Robin about to have a new muse?

ETA: Found two after significant searching of the Rogue One RP tag. Am now on the hunt for Diego Luna icons. Whoops.

[toshootfirst-a]

vet bill emergency.

Yesterday, December 16th, my cat had a seizure. Rushing him to the emergency vet, multiple tests were done that determined a variety of things were wrong, so severe that treating it would have been useless, and prolonging his life for an extra few months with weekly check ups and needles would have just added to his suffering. So we made the decision to euthanize and cremate him.

 All of this was expensive, as one could imagine, and being as we’re on a fixed budget at home ( all on disability with monthly social security checks ) the bill was far too high for us to even afford, so my brother paid for the entirety of it out of his tax money, and needs paid back asap. 

Two checks immediately go to bill and rent, with 400$ out of mine contributing, that doesn’t leave me with enough to pay him back ( the full amount of the bill is $678.00. ) The vet hospital doesn’t take payments and the Care Card they asked me to apply for that would have paid for it all and I would pay that back in monthly installments, declined my application, so that didn’t leave us with any other option. 

Honestly, there’s nothing I can really say other than the fact that this is dire. He needs this all back as soon as possible and I have no means of paying him in one fell swoop, and we can’t short the rent or the bills without either getting evicted or something shut off, and with the freezing weather right now, either would be devastating. I’m not asking for a miracle, but any sort of help would be so very appreciated and such a huge relief and burden off my shoulders and my mom’s. I can’t offer much in return other than a million thank you’s, but hopefully my gratefulness can be felt. 

I know trusting anybody on the internet with sincerity is difficult, here’s a picture of the vet bill itself, ( the only thing blurred is my last name and phone number ) with everything they did on it and the prices and the final amount. As I said, I’m not asking for a miracle, I don’t expect to somehow get this all up just by asking for help, but anything, no matter how little or how much, will be going directly to this and will be a huge help regardless. 

The best way is through Paypal, as I don’t have a bank account for any other website and can’t wait to get a check in the mail, though I do have a Paypal debit card that I can just use at an atm to withdrawal. My Paypal email is [email protected] and as I’ve said a million times already, a thousand thank you’s are out to anybody able or willing to help us out right now, or anybody else that can’t but signal boosts this anyway. 

[toshootfirst-a]

update ! i sent my brother $500 of the $678 we owed for the bill ( here ) and honestly, $178 is much more manageable and i’m extremely grateful for all the help and support you guys were able to give. i cannot say thank you enough, this was such a huge stress, especially around this time of the year, and i honestly don’t know how we would have managed without the help. 

that being said ! 98% of my ssi check is promised to help ( extra ) for bills this month coming, so while i’m incredibly thankful for the help already - i’m still in need of assistance for the last remaining amount. even a little would go such a long way. i just won’t have enough left myself, unfortunately. i’m sincerely apologetic for needing to keep asking for help, this makes me feel so bad, but the holidays and winter was honestly the worst time this whole ordeal could have happened. 

again, thank you everyone for the support and help and condolences, it’s meant the world to me.

[empcrorshxnd-blog]

tatooinetot:

Luke sucked in a heavy breath. His blue eyes searched her emerald ones, trying to convey what he felt was best in words that wouldn’t hurt her, too. “I could feel you searching for me,” he admitted, the guilt twisting his insides— whatever spark of the Dark Side in him that was quenched by the goodness in others was lit for a brief moment before he forced it down. Beating himself up for what he did wasn’t going to help him in the long run, and oh, Luke knew it.

It was better to accept that yes, he had kriffed up immensely and to apologize. Even if it did help him in the end, his wife had gotten H U R T.

Luke sighed contently when she came to him, when she wrapped him in her arms. He felt safe and relieved, happy and loved. The alone feeling he had put himself through… the exile… it was worth it to be held like this. To have her so close.

A little overwhelmed with emotion, his arms came to band around her and hug her tighter: calming circles danced around the small of her back from his fingers. Luke whispered, “You would have known. You would have felt it. And did you have so little faith in me that you thought I wouldn’t return?”

He even cracked a grin, but, oh, the tears in his own eyes made everything extremely blurry. It was worse when his voice broke, a moment later.

“I won’t. I promise.”

Mara felt a tension leave her at Luke’s promise, a tension she hadn’t even realized was still there. Tightening her hug, she nodded, feeling somewhat foolish.

“Of course I would have felt it,” she admitted. Even Leia, less talented in the Force than either Luke or Mara, had felt it when Solo had died, and they had been estranged for years. It was silly of her to have thought she wouldn’t have known if Luke had died. And yet...

“I may have known, but I wouldn’t have had closure,” she explained. “I wouldn’t have known how, or why, or whether I could have done anything to prevent it.” The last was what really scared Mara--the idea that something she could have prevented would kill Luke while she wasn’t there to stop it. The very idea sent an involuntary shiver through her.

After what seemed like an eternity, she released her embrace, stepping back to wipe her eyes and take in the sight of her husband. He looked older, more weary than she remembered. But there was a peace about him that she knew wouldn’t be there if he had let Ben’s betrayal fester. He had ceased blaming himself. Good. If he blamed himself, the inevitable confrontation with their nephew would be even harder.

“So....what happens now?” she asked. She was usually so sure, so confident, and yet she found herself floundering. How does one react to their husband, their lover, their closest friend coming back after a many-year absence? Mara wasn’t sure.

[sxnofthesuns]

Jade didn’t seem to be put off by his appearance. He respected that. Most were outwardly fearful or displayed some form of poorly concealed fright masked by obsequiousness. He sensed nothing of the sort in the Emperor’s Hand. “Perhaps he wants us to collaborate on some matter.” The thought had crossed his mind earlier, but it was only when she mentioned it that Vader chose to give voice to it.

If that were the case, he knew that it would be no ordinary assignment. It would be exactly the sort of challenge he would expect of his Master—a trial of whether or not he could pull his weight when forced to work with another one of his apprentices. Or it could all be some sort of psychological game he was playing with him, meant to try his anxieties.

In any case, he would never give him or this girl the satisfaction. Over the years he had gained control over his emotions—namely his fears—and keep them hidden away far enough that he could not have them used against him. However, his distaste for the situation was obvious—he worked alone. Of course if the mission required a battalion of stormtroopers or a squadron of TIE fighters, he brought them with him, but aside from troops under his own command, he believed that a companion would slow him down.

“The question that remains is what sort of mission could possibly require both of our efforts.”

[empcrorshxnd-blog]

“Perhaps he intends for us to coordinate a two-pronged attack,” Mara mused. She was genuinely baffled as to what the Emperor was planning, and this seemed as good a reason as any. At any rate, it prevented the silence from becoming oppressive, giving the duo something to talk about.

“I don’t often work with others,” she admitted, “Nor, as I understand, do you. So I would assume he intends us to coordinate but work separately.” Closing her eyes, she searched her memory for any task the Emperor had spoken of that would require a two-pronged attack. After a moment, she had an idea of what their assignment could possibly be.

“Has our Master spoken to you of the Rebel base on Dantooine?” she asked, opening her eyes. “While it is likely no longer their main base of operations, it is still home to a great many Rebel plans. If our coordination is truly the purpose of this meeting, I would guess that he wants you to lead an assault on the base while I sneak in and extract the enemy’s plans.”

[empcrorshxnd-blog]

sxnofthesuns:

He had expected this. Ever since his Master had saved him from a fiery grave on Mustafar, he had known that he would never be as strong as he had originally thought. They both knew. The respirator, the suit of armor, the mechanical limbs—they were enough to put the fear of the gods in both the Empire’s enemies and its subjects, but they served a purpose. They kept him alive, and without them, he would be helpless. His abilities were hampered by this—it may not have seemed like it to an observer, but that was simply because most of those beings to whom his powers could have been compared to had been eradicated. Most, but not all.

The Inquisitors were weak. He had never had any reason to see them as a threat—they were Force sensitives, yes, but their command of the Force came nowhere near his own. They were simply underlings dispatched to neutralize threats when Vader’s hands were full, nothing more.

Likewise, the Emperor’s Hands were a network of assassins chosen by the Emperor for covert operations, which normally he would not have batted an eye at. He was fully aware that his Master had spies and assassins in every sector of the galaxy to do his bidding. It did not surprise him that most of them were Force sensitive. But what always gave him pause was that a day could very well come when one of these operatives proved to be strong enough to replace him. It had caused him to take precautionary measures of his own.

The Emperor’s insistence upon introducing him to his Hand was certainly a test, designed to make him feel uneasy—expendable. He knew that he would be watching him for any sign of uneasiness, of paranoia.

But if Vader was at all perturbed by the young woman’s presence, it did not show in his impassive demeanor. “We meet at last.” The modulated tone responded to the greeting, similarly dispassionate, as he scrutinized the Hand through his helmet. “The Emperor has told me much about you.”

Mara was not easily frightened, but the imposing figure of the Sith Lord was admittedly somewhat intimidating. Still, she trained her face and emotions into calm, collected, tranquility and smiled slightly.

“Likewise. Though I am admittedly unsure as to why he was so insistent we meet. You have your purpose in the Empire, as I have mine. We have little reason to interact.”

The thought that it was to show Mara that she was not the Emperor’s favorite, his second-in-command, had crossed her mind but been quickly dismissed. She was his Hand, doing his bidding throughout the galaxy. Vader was his military leader, head of the Imperial forces. There was simply a difference of job type, one neither higher nor lower than the other. 

Reaching out her senses with the Force, she attempted to sense Vader’s feelings on the matter, as she couldn’t exactly read his facial expression. It was a non-invasive probe, simply meant to gauge what emotion his was projecting.

[empcrorshxnd-blog]

tatooinetot:

Her Force presence was so strong— it always had been. It had always pulled him to her, like a Jawa to the bright light of sensors at night. They were inseparable. It had hurt him to be away from her, but it was needed to clear his mind, to accept his mistake with Ben. His nephew’s downfall had been his fault. He should have been stronger. He should have known how to handle the boy’s interest in the Dark Side. But he didn’t.

Luke turned to face her, the relief at seeing her coming down off of him in waves— waves that echoed so desperately in the Force.

“Mara,” he breathed, and then the emotions smacked him nearly off of his feet. The Jedi wanted to cry, to hold her close, to revel in the strength of her presence from being so close.

He had sensed her during his exile… she was a beacon of what he had to protect, a reflection of his innermost thoughts. On top of it all, Mara Jade had always been so strong, and that’s how he knew that he could have ran and came back. ( Though it arguably ached a great deal to do so, and he knew there would be repercussions. )

Luke gulped, his voice coming out raw, “Because I had to forgive myself for not preventing this. I redeemed my father… But I can not redeem Ben. I had to meditate. I had to free myself from the guilt and anger. I could have only done it by myself. Or else I would have turned to the Dark Side. The galaxy doesn’t need another. I wouldn’t have been the same man that had trained you. I would have been a shell.”

“You couldn’t have at least explained that before you left?” Mara asked, voice hoarse with emotion. “I searched for you. This whole time, I’ve been looking for you. Because for all I knew, you’d gone out and gotten yourself killed, and I would have never known.”

She would have protested Luke’s leaving, of course, but she would have accepted it with time. It was his leaving without saying so much as “goodbye” that had left her shaken and betrayed. She would have wanted to go with him, but ultimately would have respected his decision to go alone. And yet he had left without a word, disappearing for many long years before his wife would see him again.

And yet, Mara couldn’t find it in herself to stay mad. Perhaps it was the relief at seeing him again. Perhaps it was her own relief echoed in the Force radiating from Luke. But she found herself crossing the room and wrapping her husband in a tight embrace.

“Don’t ever leave me like that again,” she whispered, voice muffled in his shoulder. In the past, she would have felt weak for the tears that leaked from her closed yes and moistened his shirt, but today there was no such feeling of shame. Only relief that her husband had returned to her.

[empcrorshxnd-blog]

@tatooinetot

Mara Jade’s hands shook as she brought her personal ship in for landing. It had been years since she had seen her husband--since he disappeared after Ben Solo’s rampage. Mara herself had been off-planet at the time, missing her nephew’s breakdown and the aftermath by only days. By the time news had reached her and she had returned, both Ben and Luke had fled. She’d spent the last several years trying to find her husband, to no avail.

When word had reached her that a young Force-sensitive woman named Rey had managed to find Luke and bring him back to the Resistance headquarters, Mara’s feelings had been chaotic at best. Rage--how could he have left? Who was this new girl who was so much better at finding him than Mara herself had been? Relief--Luke wasn’t dead, he hadn’t gone off and done something crazy and gotten himself killed. Gratitude--to the girl for finding him, no matter how unknown she was to Mara. Passion--a fiery love for the man she had married, back from exile and once again there for her.

Once the ship had landed, Mara shut it down, practically acting on autopilot. Her emotions were swirling and she had to stop just before opening the access hatch to use the Force and calm her mind. Once the turmoil had eased, she opened the hatch and strode into the Resistance base, following the unmistakable pull of the Force toward her husband.. 

She hadn’t gone far into the base when she found him in a conference room. He’d likely been sent there by his sister once she had received word that Mara was coming so the duo could have some privacy. Mara stepped inside and pressed a button, shutting the door behind her.

A million things she could say rushed through her head. What came out of her mouth was a desperate, almost child-like, “Why?”

[empcrorshxnd-blog]

@ihopethatyoullrememberme / @sxnofthesuns liked for a starter

Mara Jade resisted the urge to pace. Impatience was not a trait the Emperor encouraged, and she did what she could to please him. Which is why she was here, after all. He had finally decided to introduce her to his other apprentice, the one actually named as a Sith. Lord Vader. She knew the man by reputation already, of course. His name was whispered with a hint of dread by even the highest-ranking and fearless of Imperial officers. Mara herself had no opinion of the man, having never met him, though she was inclined to approve of anyone her master deemed worthy of his attention.

The door behind her slid open and she turned, inclining her head slightly. “Lord Vader,” she greetd, voice neutral.

[empcrorshxnd-blog]

Starter Call

like or reblog or message me for a starter. Open to everyone.

[ofvxder-blog-deactivated2025052]

Sister-In-Law - Closed

[empcrorshxnd-blog]

ofvxder:

empcrorshxnd:

Mara Jade had heard rumors of Darth Vader’s third child being conceived before his death. It had honestly never occurred to her that the child–now a grown woman–would come looking for her half-siblings. And yet, there was no one else the girl could be–the Force told her as much.

She could also sense that the young woman was steeped in the Dark Side of the Force, and that meant she was dangerous. Mara was confident she could take care of herself, but she was nothing if not cautious.

“He’s away, off planet at the moment,” she said, voice carefully level. “Can I help you with something?”

Off planet. Perhaps the woman was covering for him, perhaps it was the truth. No matter, as she had said, she was not there for a fight. Unlike her father, she was not always impulsive, and knew when she should keep herself restrained. Still, it did not quell the rebellious spirit within her.

“I’m sure you know by know that I’m his younger sibling. It’s not uncommon news anymore, though I keep myself low,”

A pause was taken, looking the woman up and down again. She was connected to Luke. She had not heard of his marriage, as she had not taken interest in him or Leia until after their father’s death.

“I suppose my question in return, is who are you?”

“I’m Luke’s wife,” Mara answered shortly. “Mara Jade Skywalker.” The girl’s cold, matter-of-fact attitude that Mara would have once admired now rubbed her the wrong way. The Dark Side emanating from her didn’t help. Still, she was no hypocrite, and knew better than most that one could turn from the Dark Side if one wished. And Luke, were he here, would want to try and help his half sister.

“I’m sorry you missed him this visit. Again, can I help you with anything before you leave?”