So I just finished reading Sacrifice in the Legacy of the Force series and I couldn't help but wonder: What would've happened if Anakin had been there to stop Jacen from killing Mara? Well that is where this story came from. Please review and tell me what you think. Hopefully you enjoy!
Mara
Mara could almost taste it. Jacen was struggling beneath her, unable to draw upon his superior skills and end her life. She could end it all here and now, no more sith threat to the galaxy. She yanked her head back allowing Jacens hand to come away with only a few hairs. The blood on his chest was eerily satisfying to Mara as was the blood curdling scream that had escaped his lips. She had wounded him, the man who thought he was infallible. Raising her shoto above her head she prepared to make the final blow. Then something strange happened, the man below her was no longer Jacen but it was her sons face, Ben.
She hesitated a second and Jacen acted. He tried stabbing her in the leg with something but his arm looked like it was caught by something. Mara felt herself lifted off Jacen and set down a few feet away. Now that she got a better look in Jacens hand was what looked to be a dart, most likely filled with poison. Jacens face was contorted in rage trying to move his arm, but still unable too. His eyes sparkled with fear, whoever was doing this must've been quite powerful. Her own heart began to beat faster in anticipation for what was coming. She could sense quite a powerful presence in the Force close by and it seemed angry.
Mara watched as a tall man walked out of the shadows of the cave. He was easily taller than her and Jacen not to mention she could detect the muscle hidden under his robes. He strode before Jacen with the confidence she had only ever seen a few men walk with. Squatting down on the balls of his feet he began to speak to Jacen.
"You want to be a Sith Lord?" His young strong voice filled the cave.
He turned back to look at Mara and she was met by amazing blue eyes, much like Lukes. There was something she was missing but her mind couldn't place it at the moment. Looking past the man she noticed Jacen had his eyes widened in surprise; he obviously recognized him.
"Are you alrgiht Mara?" He asked, looking genuinely concerned.
She wondered how he knew her name, "Nothing I can't handle."
He nodded and turned back to Jacen, "Good, then I can focus all my attention on him."
Again squatting in front of Jacen he began to speak, "How could you claim to want to be a Sith when you so easily let yourself be outsmarted?"
"You're one to talk, you were lucky to live after your failure." Jacen shouted with a slight shake to his voice.
The man simply snorted, "I did lose, but I wasn't outsmarted by someone whom I outclassed in every way. "
Jacen glared at him, his arm still not moving, "I look to your fall for guidance, you led me to where I am!"
"This is my fault! A lot has been my fault over the years but dont let your ignorance blind you into thinking your fall is my doing! I've suffered for my mistakes now you need to own up to yours." The man shouted at him.
He got up and paced away, holding the bridge of his nose. Something about this man seemed so similar yet Mara couldn't say where she may have met him before. Then as he turned towards her and looked into her eyes she gasped. The man had Luke's eyes, they shone the same way when he was frustrated. A small idea began to form in Maras head but she didn't dare bring it to the mans attention, he might just kill them both.
Coming to Jacen he bent down and took the dart clenched in his hand, "Using cheap tools to kill your enemies, some dark force user you would've been." He said chuckling slightly.
"You use whatever tools are at you disposal."
The man shook his head, "No, to be a Sith Lord you use the Force. You rely on your strength with a blade and the Force. We don't use these simple mechanisms of the lower organisms, we rule supreme."
"Perhaps that's why you fel-" Jacen started but was cut off when the man grabbed him around the throat with his hand and pulled him off his back. The man now held Jacen off the ground with only his right hand. The look he was giving Jacen made Maras skin crawl.
"You're a fool boy, do you think joining the dark side will make everything better? What does it leave you? Nothing but pain and suffering."
Jacen raised his hand and his lightsaber flew towards it. Without even moving his eyes off Jacen the man intercepted his blade with his left hand. He threw Jacen into the side of the cave.
"Maybe you are stupid enough to pursue the dark side." He turned on Jacens green blade and swung.
Mara closed her eyes, not wanting to see her nephews severed head fall to the ground. But instead of the heavy sound of a head falling she heard a soft thud next to her. Opening her eyes she saw the belt that Jacen had been wearing was cut in half on the ground, she could already tell it held all the extra toys he had wanted to use on her.
Jacen was now visibly shaking on the wall yet he still held the glare with the man. Mara had to give him credit for at least trying to act tough, though where it would get him with the man before him was beyond her.
"Mara, whose child is this? He looks slightly familiar..." The man asked not looking away from Jacen.
"Well he should, his mother led the Rebel Alliance along with her father. Not to mention he is now chief of state for the Galactic Alliance."
"What are their names," He said slowly putting more force on every word.
"Leia and Han Solo."
There seemed to be a change in the man as he backed up slightly and looked less sure of himself. Mara knew those names would have an effect on this man, it was his daughter after all. Anakin ran his hand through his hair all the while Jacens lightsaber was still trained on said man.
"I can't kill my own grandson, Leia already hates me enough. No matter the amount of evil this kid has done, as soon as she finds out I ended his life it will all be my fault."
"Ha, this is why you couldn't be a Sith Lord! You were too weak and allowed yourself to be controlled by your emot-" Jacen started but then his hands leapt to his throat, trying to pry away imaginary hands.
"What can we do Mara?"
Mara was slightly taken aback, the galaxies most feared villain was asking her for help. She studied him and realized that he wasn't Vader anymore, he may carry himself the same way but he was no longer that cold blooded killer. Luke was right, Vader really had given up the dark side and became Anakin again. Even though only a minute before he had been ready to kill Jacen, Mara was convinced Anakin was in control and had good intentions.
"I could always kill him," Mara offered, getting to her feet.
Anakin shook his head, "No, that wont help either. I think taking him back to Corusant as a prisoner and letting the Council deal with him would be a good idea. You have any restraining devices on you?"
"Yeah, this," Mara said approaching Jacen and throwing him a right hook that left him limply falling to the floor.
Anakin smiled, "That works too."
As Anakin bent down to pick Jacen up a frown crossed his face, "I haven't felt that presence since..."
Luke
Luke felt Jainas Force signature flying behind him as he looked to track down his wife. Yet there was something bothering him, a new presence he hadn't felt since he had last seen Vader. Somehow this Force presence felt almost as strong as his and that left him a little worried, if anyone was that strong, especially someone like Vader then the galaxy may be in trouble. More troubling yet was the fact that he sensed Mara near that new 'threat'. He sensed she wasn't in much danger but still he was on edge.
Through the Force Luke felt Jaina spike with fear. Then he sensed it too, another powerful Force signature was right behind them. This one seemed the most familiar though and he could sense the good coming off the new presence. He opened his com channel and tried to reach the new unknown pilot.
"Unidentified fighter identify yourself, I'm Grand Master Luke Skywalker." He didn't know why he entrusted all that information to this new unknown but the Force had told him it was alright.
"Well, I can't say as though I'm surprised Luke. I saw that one coming," The voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi filled his headset.
Lukes mind was reeling, Ben was here, in the flesh. He had watched him die at the hands of his father all those years ago back on the first Death Star. This had to be some kind of ploy to distract him by Lumiya yet he could sense nothing weird about Bens Force signature that would suggest otherwise. Luke opened his com line to Jainas.
"Jaina, can you sense this man for me, do you feel any malevolence in him?"
After a few tense moments Jaina replied, "No Uncle Luke, he seems as good as they come. Can we trust him?"
"For now, but lets find Mara first and then worry about him."
"Yeah sounds good. Can you sense the other presence too, the one with Mara."
"I can, lets hope she ain't in any trouble."
Reopening the line to 'Bens' fighter Luke caught the last of what he had been saying, "... it cant be. What is going on here?"
Luke knit his eyebrows, "What is it Ben?"
"Oh, nothing just an old man going crazy."
Luke could sense he was lying but decided it could wait till after Mara was in his arms safe and sound. Whatever had Ben on edge would probably have Jaina and him worried as well.
"Well Ben, we need you to follow us for now. I'm going to get my wife back and if you are who you say you are then you'll come back with us."
Ben chuckled, "It is wise of you not to trust me Luke, you really have grown since I last saw you."
The remainder of the flight left Luke searching the Force for an answer as to why his long dead mentor was suddenly back from the dead. He hoped that Ben really was alive, he had missed him more than he cared to admit. Luke could sense the unease in Jaina at having this man she never met follow them but she trusted Lukes judgement and went along with it. As they landed on the rock that Maras Force presence was the strongest Luke sensed something was wrong. Quickly putting on the proper breathing apparatus he climbed out of his fighter.
Standing ahead of him was Mara and Ben, Lukes son, standing side by side. Ben had his lightsaber leveled at a younger man who looked to be in the middle of pleading his case to Ben. Luke broke into a run and grabbed Mara from behind, all the worries he had felt at her disappearance evaporating as he held her in his arms again. Jaina took jogged over and placed her hands on Lukes and Maras shoulders, smiling happily.
Luke could sense shock and unease in his old mentor Obi-Wan. He seemed to be stuck staring at the man Ben had his lightsaber leveled at. On a closer inspection of the man Lukes own chest began to clench and he found it hard to breathe. His father, Anakin, was standing before them young and in the flesh.
"Well Master, are you going to stand there all day or are you going to say hi to your apprentice?" Lukes father said, in a young strong voice, not the old unsteady one he had heard on the second Death Star.
Looking back Luke was shocked again to find that the man behind him was what looked to be a younger version of his Obi-Wan. He still had the beard and the combed over hair, (of course it wasn't as messy now) all with a light dirty blonde look to it. He watched as his face broke into a grin and jogged past Ben and enveloped Anakin in a hug. The grin on Anakins face shocked Luke, he had never seen him that happy; of course he had never seen his father outside of the suit for this long. They broke apart from the hug and they both still wore those huge grins on their face. When Obi-Wan hit something with his shoe he looked down and the smile vanished.
"Anakin, what have you done this time?" He asked in a tone that sounded like he had used on Anakin before.
"It wasn't me Master, I swear."
"You always say that,"
Well I hope you enjoyed it! This idea just came to me so I decided to write it out. There will be more shortly so I will see you then. Please review and tell me what you thought of this. As always thanks for reading!
