"Well, you certainly cleaned up nicer than I thought you would with that."
Luke arched a brow at his wife, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth as he finished adjusting the gray cap on his head. Mara was using her reflection to fix her hair so it would fit underneath her Imperial officer's cap, and she winked at Luke when she caught his eye. "I'm just saying, if you had to wear an Imperial uniform during your Alliance days, I certainly would not have guessed it was you if we had crossed paths," she said as she pinned a few more loose strands down. "I always thought your wanted posters were a little outdated. Have you ever worn an Imperial uniform before," she said, glancing at him as he walked over to her.
Luke moved to stand behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her middle. "Once or twice, when we needed to break into a facility that was too well-guarded for a simple break-in," he said, resting his chin on top of her head. "Vader almost busted us once, the only reason Han and I walked away was because we used code cylinders that had fake names on them and the facility was not a high-security location. Though we didn't get what we had gone there for in the end."
Mara snorted. "Rest assured, there are most likely no Sith Lords where we are going. So there won't be a way for us to make too big of a mess when we inevitably get caught, "she said, resting her head against him for a moment. Then she shooed him away before going back to fixing her hair. "And when we get caught..."
"We make our usual departure, potentially with rescued hostages in tow. And leave the politics for the New Republic and Imperial Remnant to figure out," Luke finished, pretending he didn't see Mara stick her tongue out at him. "You can yell at Ghent to your heart's content later."
Mara hummed, but didn't respond. Her coworker, a slicer named Ghent, had picked up a brief burst of comm chatter from Imperial sources about a downed ship on the rainy world of Kamino, home of the cloners involved with the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. Normally, even Luke would have let the message slide: Kamino was firmly loyal to the Imperial Remnant, and there was no need to stir up trouble where there was none. But for whatever reason, Ghent followed the story, and subsequently found out that members of the ship's crew and passengers had been taken prisoner, and were being held at the Imperial garrison near where Tipoca City used to be. Three of the six individuals turned out to be Force-sensitive, and the garrison commander apparently had no idea what to do with them.
Luke had wanted to give Admiral Pellaeon the opportunity to pursue a diplomatic solution, the ink on the peace treaty between the Remnant and New Republic barely dry. But that plan went out the window almost immediately when the garrison commander decided not to formally report the crash. And as Mara (rightfully) pointed out, they couldn't go straight to Pellaeon either because then they would have to own up to the eavesdropping on Imperial channels.
Luke didn't know where Mara got the uniforms for the disguises. He was beginning to think he didn't want to know, especially since his uniform had a commander's rank bars attached to it.
"Ready?"
"As I'll ever be." He glanced over to see she had finished fixing her cap. "I still think we should have brought Artoo, to get the ship ready for a quick departure if anything," he said as she stood up.
"Me too, but one, it should be a quick in and out and two, every Imperial from here to Bastion probably knows what Artoo looks like," Mara said, fiddling with her jacket to better conceal her lightsaber.
Luke snorted. "Can't argue that," he said as he checked to make sure his lightsaber was concealed. I've forgotten how kriffing tight these uniforms can be. "Let's go do this, the sooner we do this, the sooner I can get out of this thing. Not to mention that the garrison will start to get suspicious."
Mara huffed as they headed to the ship's ramp. "You worry too much, "she said before typing the activation code. "Personally, I would be more worried if the garrison wasn't suspicious of us," she said as the ship's ramp lowered to reveal the rain-slicked landing platform.
"Touché."
Luke followed Mara down the ramp and across the landing platform. So far, the clearance codes Ghent had given them seemed to be working since no one came out to challenge them. Apparently a simple supply freighter didn't warrant a welcoming committee out here, and Mara wasn't concerned about getting called out by one of the native Kaminoans that were rumored to be staying at the garrison. "They are crap when it comes to distinguishing humans apart as it is, much less two strangers they have never seen before. If I am wrong, you may say 'I told you so'," she'd told him before their departure. Luke pulled his cloak tighter around himself as he followed Mara, cautiously as to avoid slipping, towards the door, pulling the hood down to keep the water from hitting his face. He pressed his back against the wall to give Mara a chance to use the entry codes Ghent had given them while still keeping an eye out on their small landing platform.
It took her two tries to get the codes to work. Luke kept scanning the platform for trouble, but the only threat that surfaced was a faulty keypad. So far.
The hallway they entered was empty, the only sound so far coming from the steady downpour outside. Luke glanced around to make sure the coast was clear before moving forward, Mara falling in step beside. "Terminal or Force?" he asked, glancing at her. They could attempt accessing the terminal for accuracy, but he was reluctant to leave a digital trail.
"Force," Mara replied, echoing his thoughts. She titled her head. "I can sense them too…three are more muted than the other three, but the six are otherwise alone."
Luke nodded as she confirmed what he felt. "I'll take point, "he said, moving forward. Mara fell behind slightly, but he sensed her expand her awareness as he did.
Together, they descended into the depths of the garrison toward the prison block.
Starting off, Jacen's downfall to becoming a sith still makes no sense to me. Like, I see the vision, but the more I think about it the more confusing it is. Denning really wanted an Anakin/Vader 2.0. Maybe if I read the dark nest trilogy then it'll make more sense. Also I was listening to the abridged audio book so that may be why.
I genuinely think Mara shouldn't have died. There was no reason for her to die. Jacen could've became a sith a different way. It seems like she was killed off for shock value. Like if anyone can explain why her death was needed then I'm all ears.
Also why wouldn't Mara explain in the letter that she wrote to Luke that she was going after Jacen because she suspected he had turned into a sith. "Gone hunting for a few days. Don't be mad at me, farmboy. Also, Jacen may be a sith so I'm going to confront him. If I don't come back, HUNT. HIM. DOWN." I'm serious this would have saved the team from hunting down Lumiya and Alema Rar (though they needed to go I won't lie) and confront Jacen right then and there.
Shout out to Jacen for wearing his custom designed, hand-sewn and tailored, black Versace GAG slim fit suit to his aunt's funeral. Y'know the aunt he killed, lol. Love that Mara got the last laugh (kinda) by outing Jacen as the one that killed her. Wish Luke picked up on it instead of being all "it's Mara's sign that we need to get along from now on, as a family :)" and leaving Ben to go after Jacen all by himself.
Tahiri...you're not seeing the pearly gates for trying to seduce a 14yr old. And he's the love of your lifes baby cousin?? 🤨 I won't hold it against her, instead I will actively hunt Denning down for that part. Hope she had some kind of healing in the next series of the books cause girly has had a rough life lmfao.
Where tf is Zekk??? He's just gone and not seen anymore. Anywhomst, now my Jaina/Jagged agenda can live.
Shout-out to my girl Tenel Ka-Djo. No specific reason, she's just really cool. Love her from infinity to infinity 💕💕💕 (Rip Isolder though, that blows)
Speaking of Tenel-Ka, I'm sorry but that elevator scene with her, Leia, and Han is kinda funny lmfao. She's literally crying her heart out because Jacen kidnapped their kid and (maybe accidentally) almost got her killed while escaping and Han is like "👀👀👀 Man, this kid is super upset, I wonder why talking about Jacen is making her so upset, it has to be because Allana is gone, yeah that's it." My brother in the Force she's technically your daughter(ish) in-law and your son kidnapped your grandchild.
Shout out to Ben Skywalker for constantly suspecting Jacen to be his mom's killer and not being swayed by anyone suggesting otherwise that it was Alema, Cal Omas (still giggling at this lol Jacen you're so petty), or Lumiya.
Speaking of Ben, what happened to that little girl he rescued???
Love Niathal, my gaslight gatekeep girlboss Admiral gworl. Not so much Daala because I know what she does to Luke and the Jedi later on. ._.
Also Rip Pellaeon, the last of Thrawn's legacy, fly high (or low) old man 💕💕💕
Luke and Mara teaming up in Dark Force Rising is one of my favourite things because Mara keeps wanting to kill their enemies and Luke's like "whoah hang on we can't just go around shooting everyone who's in our way" and Mara's like "what are you on about, of course we can" and Luke's like "okay yes we can but we aren't going to" and Mara's like "ugh Skywalker why must you complicate everything I'm going to kill you"
and Luke's just like "yes yes I know you want me dead but we're still not murdering everyone we see, I'll just use the Force, it'll be good"
"Skywalker you son of a Sith I hate you--"
"yes dear, anyway if you shoot them all it'll be loud and the others will know we're here and also if you want my help that's the rule, no needless killing"
and Mara grinds her teeth and gives in
just the mental image of every time they encounter a problem, Mara immediately has her blaster out ready to murder and Luke's holding her back like "Mara no"
revisiting that “Invasion” comic series set during NJO, which I read only because the Solo kids make an appearance... and WHY is Jacen’s characterisation 100% more on point in this crappy comic where no one has eyes than in the entire NJO series? He’s all laid-back banter and wisecracks and occasional badass when he has to be and he’s got his animal sense skill and everything and ahhhh why couldn’t he have just been like this? There’s a scene where Leia tells her kids that if someone offers them a joint, “Anakin, you’re too young. Jaina, you wouldn’t like it. And Jacen... you’re not allowed.”
and it’s PERFECT
like WHY were we robbed of chaotic animal lover hippie college student Jacen who sometimes smokes weed and charms the people his sister just threatened and begins to discover flirting and banters with his sister about the guy she just kissed like she says it was “just a friendly goodbye” and he’s all “damn, I didn’t know we were supposed to do that” and you think he’s a essentially the Jedi academy dropout and no real threat but then the minute there’s trouble, he goes into Jedi mode and is actually a badass
I’m re-reading the Young Jedi Knights series now and honestly they’re pretty terrible in terms of plot and all (how tf can one ship just slip past all the defences of a heavily-guarded station omg there were at least three better ways to handle this) but aahhh nostalgia
ALSO Jacen and Tenel Ka were cute af. I was always more focused on Jaina as a teenager but I’ve just finished Lightsabers and MAN. Tenel Ka loses her arm in a practice duel with Jacen and her only thought before she blacks out is hoping that she didn’t hurt him... she’s a bit single-minded at times to the point where she used to annoy me a bit, but she’s so fundamentally decent and compassionate too
And the scene where they talk in his room after the accident, and they’re both determined to take all the blame, and eventually he runs out of arguments and is like “uh... wanna hear a joke” and she LAUGHS, she finally laughs, like he’s wanted her to ever since he met her, and then they hug and she cries and it’s so GOOD
Jacen’s a 14-year-old boy with his first crush but he’s also got so much heart and he just admires her so much, he doesn’t just think she’s pretty, she’s badass and he admires it even as he wishes she’d be slightly less awesome so he could maybe impress her occasionally
and Tenel Ka clearly has NO idea what’s happening, he’s her friend, she just randomly gets a bit nervous around him and wants to make him happy... Tenel Ka does not do crushes or girly giggling or blushing around the boy she likes. Except then another pretty girl shows up and turns his head and... why is she feeling so resentful? Why does it hurt? Makes no sense. Except, oh, it does. Huh.
I’m still bitter about the way they treated Jacen in the later books because he seriously just became a completely different character. He should have been the easy-going charmer who had Han’s lop-sided smirk and Leia’s diplomacy skills and solved things with talking, in contrast to his sister who had Leia’s smile and Han’s diplomacy skill and solved everything with a lightsaber. But instead they decided to give Jacen a similar arc to Anakin Skywalker, which made NO sense considering they had completely different backgrounds and Jacen had none of the issues that his grandfather had, and I’m still annoyed about that just because of what we COULD have had instead if they’d stuck with his pre-NJO characterisation. Just imagine it. A charming scoundrel with Jedi skills, basically a mix of Han and Obi-Wan? Give it to me. AHHH.
AND THEN the fact that he’s paired up with Tenel Ka, the stoic warrior princess who has to guard her emotions because any emotion at court is a weakness to be exploited, who is so determined to be self-reliant and rational. He tries to impress her and she kicks his ass. She tries to be serious and self-reliant but he’s always there, ready to cheer her up and help her out. Happy to just spend time with her, without any agenda or demands. They’re competitors, they challenge each other and bring out the best in each other, and when it matters, they’ve on the same side and have each other’s backs. She pushes him off the couch and into action, he cracks jokes and talks about feelings and draws her out of her shell, or rather, provides a space where she can come out of her shell. IT’S SO GOOD.
also there was that bit in one of the earlier books when Jacen’s like 6 or 7 and Han is worried about him being lazy and getting pudgy because Jacen reckons he’s got the Force, he doesn’t need to be physically strong... and clearly that was just a phase, but I just love the idea that Han sort of keeps an eye on the matter and then eventually Jacen’s off to the academy and befriends Tenel Ka and Han meets her and sees how Jacen looks at her and how competitive they are just goes YES EXCELLENT problem solved, no way the kid’s gonna be sitting on the couch now
(meanwhile Isolder probably took one look at Jacen and realised that he’s Han’s kid in every way that matters and Isolder remembers Han vividly and this is definitely trouble, and he can’t even say anything because he knows his daughter and she’ll do what she wants and trying to stop her will only make her more determined and and oh no)
Finished The New Rebellion... not the best, but also not the worst, and weirdly nostalgic.
Cons: Leia is once again portrayed as possibly the worst political leader ever, with none of the diplmatic skills or savviness she should have, and also, Han and Leia barely spend any time together
Pros: some actual Han and Lando friendship, plus Han gets shot in the butt and complains a lot and is just generally very Han the entire time
