They were another three levels down, moving quickly now, accustomed to their system, when Luke slowed.
"What?" Mara asked
"They've docked. Both ships in the same bay. I don't think they've encountered anyone yet."
"Probably because the bay atmospherics would have failed - they'll be in vacuum until they can get out of the bay and they'll have to crank the doors and risk some loss of atmosphere - they can't cut their way in or they'll just remain in vacuum."
Luke paused; he hadn't considered that. "Which could be exactly what they intend- just open up a corridor to vacuum between here and the Detention Centre, one set of doors at a time. It's a quick way to get rid of any opposition."
Mara tilted her head in acknowledgement; it was, she had to admit, a very efficient plan of action. "Would it be worth their while to cut their way through? Doors can be closed again if someone onboard finds a working pressure suit."
"Plus their line of withdrawal would be very obvious. We could set up an ambush at any point along the way and just wait."
"Too much of a gamble for them?"
She felt him shrug, "I guess it would depend on how many stormtroopers they were expecting to meet along the way. I think they'd try to go for the quieter, less obvious option, considering how many stormtroopers are onboard the Fury. As far as they know, no-one's even seen them yet. .. though I'd still consider venting corridors in their position."
"Well let's hope they haven't."
"I don't think that hiding our heads in the..." He paused again, and Mara realised that he'd been tracking the group's location using the Force whilst they'd been speaking, "No- they're in the same corridors as troopers. They're moving too slow and the troopers are still in the corridor- if it was vacuum, they'd have been dragged out by now."
"Maybe it didn't occur to them."
"It should've- if..." Luke paused again, and again Mara felt that brush against her senses; that Skywalker had realised something significant. She felt acutely attuned to his thoughts, more so than ever before. Maybe it was their close proximity...
He spoke again, cutting through her thoughts, "They're splitting up- some are staying back."
"Presumably to guard the shuttles. If we..."
Luke turned to Mara in the darkness, her hand slipping from his belt to slide over his hips as he did so, "Go back up to the aft landing bay. Stop off at the munitions store two levels up from there - there'll be slug-shooters in storage. Make sure you don't get the ones with smart grips."
"Thanks- I'd pretty much figured that out." Mara said dryly; smart grips recognised the palm-print of the holder and only fired for that individual, but they used a recognition chip to do that, which left them as dead as all standard-issue blasters. Old-fashioned explosive-based slug-firers would be as dangerous as ever though.
"Why are we going down to the hold? The infiltration unit will be heading down to the Detention Centre for Mothma."
"Because the ships they flew in have power- and if they have power then they have comms."
Mara could have slapped herself on the forehead- Everything that came off the second Rebel ship was still fully-functional. They had shuttles, they had blasters, they had pressure suits... and they had comms. She could contact the Peerless! It was minutes away by lightspeed, waiting for their signal. All she had to do was get on board the...
"Wait a minute- where are you going?" she asked warily, suddenly realising he didn't intend to come.
"I'm going to the Detention Centre." He said grimly.
"Well then I'm..." she didn't get a chance to finish.
"I need you to get that comm through now." Luke reiterated, hoping she'd see the logic in this. "I need the Peerless back here. You want to help me? Then the best thing you can do is get to the landing bay."
He needed Mara gone- he knew who was heading to the Detention Centre and he didn't want his Imperial 'watcher' reporting back to Palpatine, because he had no idea, none whatsoever, of what would happen when they met.
Mara still hesitated, but Luke surprised her by reaching down to take her hand, still resting against his hip. "Mara- I need you to do this." He squeezed her hand reassuringly, his voice tinged with humour now, "I promise you I won't get shot."
Mara hesitated, suddenly uncertain, moved by the unanticipated act of intimacy- but she couldn't drop it that easily, "Is this like when you promised me you wouldn't get blown up?"
"I never said I wouldn't get blown up." came his voice from the darkness, gently amused, "In fact I think I said my bomb would go off first."
"Yeah, but you failed to mention that you'd be stood in front of it when it did. On purpose." She charged in reply.
"I had... other things on my mind." It was a huge admission and she knew he'd given it in the hope of reassuring her, "I don't anymore. They're not gonna take Mothma and they're not gonna come close to stopping me. If you get word to the Peerless."
"Anyone can get word to the Peerless." She didn't want to leave him, more protective than ever.
"I can't rely on anyone but you, Mara. You'll get the job done, I know that. I trust you."
She hesitated, still torn...
He could have just ordered her; could have made it a command and just walked away, Mara knew. But he didn't; he was trying to show consideration- to recognize her as something other than another subordinate, just as she'd seen him do with others in his close entourage such as Joss and Hallin. It was realisation of this, of the fact that for the first time she was being included rather than politely, pointedly excluded, which finally made her concede defeat.
"Fine." she allowed, stepping away, "Just don't get shot, or Palpatine will have my hide."
"And here's me thinking you cared." He said easily, and for once Mara had no rejoinder, feeling her cheeks flush in the darkness as she backed away.
"Mara-" he added as an afterthought, hearing her turn back to him, "Tell the Peerless to fire across the bow of the second Rebel Freighter, but let it leave. They're not to take it into custody."
He could sense her confusion; hear the uncertainty in her voice, "I thought you'd want it captured?"
"No- it's not Madine. He isn't onboard." he lied easily, no guilt in the action, even now. It had become as natural to him as a bluff on the sabacc table, a legitimate tactical practice in the circles he moved; the only way to maintain any autonomy, particularly with the Emperor who always played his games, wheels within wheels.
Before someone with such far-reaching power, the only way to beat the system was to play it. Despite his father's warnings, Luke had quickly learned that the sole way to manipulate the Emperor was to manipulate or withhold the facts he acted upon, just as Palpatine did with others. His Master's weakness lay in his insular existence; he seldom left the Palace and so relied on information being brought to him rather than seeking it out- that was why he had so many spies and watchers.
And that was where he was vulnerable; getting a lie past Palpatine was incredibly hard; getting it past Mara and having her deliver it believing it was the truth was so much easier- if he dressed it right.
Whatever Palpatine wanted Leia Organa for, Luke could pretty much guarantee that it wasn't the same as he; in fact, his own plans depended greatly on Leia remaining right where she was. This whole operation - coming after Mon; shaking up the Rebellion's leadership - was specifically to place Leia exactly where he wanted her. Yes, he wanted to remove Mon from power before she did the same to him, but he wouldn't have done so with such single-minded zeal had he not held ulterior motives- motives which were kept very carefully hidden from his Master. And to do that, Luke needed to lie not just to Palpatine but to the eyes and ears his Master had placed so carefully about his fallen Jedi... and he did so now without compunction.