Part 1: The Second Chance

Well, here I am, thought Mara Jade Skywalker.

The here in her reference was her own galaxy. The Hapes Cluster. She took time in looking about the cockpit of the Stealth X she now sat in. She sat in silence, floating in space. She breathed in synthetic air, now savoring it's smell after decades of despising it. She listened to the beeps and whistles of various alerts of the ship. It was too real to be a dream. Thirty standard minutes ago, a dream was where she had been. It was shared by another human.

Mary Jane Skyler.

At first, Mara had full control of Mary's body. She had trouble remembering who she was, yet she contained none of Mary's memories. After a drug-induced hallucination, Mara Jade remembered. She was inside another galaxy. Another planet. Earth. Mobile, Alabama. Primitive, yet enlightening. She found the system to be a world with similar problems and emotions as worlds in her own neighborhood.

Mara and Mary experienced a friendship unlike any other they would ever encounter in their lives. They both contained the same qualities along with the same weaknesses. Some traits were heightened in one and less in the other. Mara now even remembered how to speak like Mary. Mara then remembered other events during her month and a half stay.

Mara and Mary both had a son named Ben, as well as two husbands named Luke. Well, in Mary's case, ex-husband. Mara remembered the owner of the nightclub Mary worked at and the Russian mob owner, Deke. She remembered Deke's son, Victor, with whom she had many run ins with. She knew of Deke's violent nature as he grisly tortured a traitor. She recalled Mary's son having bully problems which she allowed Benjamin to solve on his own with her help. She thought of Jeremi Owen who had a hidden desire for Mary that he was forced to keep hidden until it had to be revealed.

Why do I remember all of this? Why am I suddenly back in my galaxy? Alive. She definitely did not come back as a Force ghost. Which meant that she has not died. Yet. The Mother and Wife portion of her make-up decided that the answer did not matter. Her Emperor's Hand side questioned everything.

She replayed the conversation she had with Hapan Control in her mind. We don't like surprises even from allies. She somehow reverted back in time.

The time before her death.

Why this particular point of time? She already knew the outcome. Or...one possible outcome.

The words of the lively Death echoed in Mara's memory. Many choices. Different results. Past. Present. Future. Three terms that define Time as one.

Had her death been a fluke? Or was it supposed to happen at the same exact moment in every different time line? Did it happen in every time line? Perhaps there were different planes of existence where she hadn't died at that moment. Inside the Stealth X, things were happening the same way as before.

Or were they?

She now remembered originally she asked Hapan Control the whereabouts of their Queen Tenel Ka. She also put it on record the mysterious Sith ship that her son had found. Neither had happened this time. Was she changing the design of events by not acting in the same way? Could only one subtle difference change the outcome of any particular event? Or would there need to be multiple changes?

Remember to remember the blade.

She reached inside her flight suit and found the receiver to the transponder she had hidden inside her old Imperial vibroblade. She had given the blade to Ben for the purpose of tracking his location. This was how she knew of her son's secret assassination mission on Vulpter. She checked the readout and it gave cryptic codes. She had to strain to remember the Aurabesh key she put the codes in and then she had a series of coordinates.

A series. That meant the blade was in transit. Ben had the blade with him and he was coming for her. If there was a feeling combining relief and concern, Mara Jade was experiencing it now.

The area where the coordinates indicated were a few hours away. Towards the edge of the Inner Rim, if her memory served. It didn't matter what length of time it took. Her boy was coming to help his mother. Damn him for disobeying her demand that he stay on Coruscant. Bless him for being her son and acting on his own. A true Jade Skywalker.

She wished she could be with him–

What in kriffing hell am I saying? I can be with him! She mentally kicked herself as she began using the Force to feel her son's presence. She savored the feeling of the Force through her, and in no time, she found him.

Her Ben.

It took all of her strength to avoid the tears of joy she felt forming in her eyes just in the act of touching her son's mind for the first time in weeks. She wanted to hold on to that feeling for an eternity but her joy quickly turned to amusement. The shock from Ben in her finding out that he wasn't on Coruscant was the equivalent of her catching him with an ale at the nearest tapcaf. She projected assurance that he was not in trouble. In fact, she thought he could help. She sent him instructions to proceed to Hapes. He acknowledged hesitantly, yet obediently.

She had the idea that if the change in her inaction with Hapan Control wasn't enough to divert plans of her death, then adding Ben into the mix would further alter destiny's way. What was not escaping her at that moment after Ben released contact with her, was the fact that there was someone else who she desperately needed to feel in the Force.

Mara gently opened herself up to the Force. She went to the space where a special bond was placed. It also had been dormant for the same several weeks. Too long. She wondered at how she had survived before that bond. And it embarrassed her that she could give it up just because of her stubbornness. Her mind traveled back to Coruscant. Into him.

And there he was.

Mara Jade Skywalker's Force bond with Luke Skywalker was reconnected.

This time, she failed to stop her tears from overflowing. She sat back in the Force allowing herself to caress her mental touch against his. She absently projected a wave of joy mixed with regret.

His response did not meet hers in the same way. At first, she felt his anger and frustration towards her.

He must have already read my note.

Then, when he felt her overwhelming joy and regret, he began to feel guilty. Typical, Farmboy.

Where are you? He projected the question.

Hapes Cluster, she answered back through the Force.

Are you finished hunting?

Even through the Force she could detect his subtle sarcasm. She almost hesitated to send back, Not yet. Ben is coming to help me.

More anger from her husband. She then considered, Why not? The more, the merrier. We can make this a family affair. A Skywalker family tradition. We always said we needed more things to do together. How about a game of Kill Our Sith-In-Training Nephew and Cousin?

She made the decision to project an open invitation for her husband to join her. This will be the new choice that will save my life. Going after Jacen alone wasn't just a mistake. It was egotistical. That decision was made by a former Emperor's Hand who had all the confidence in the world. Maybe more than she deserved. Now, she will make a new choice made by a mother and wife. She would die someday. But not today.

Luke's inner voice rang through her head with confusion. What are we doing once I get to you?

We're going to confront your Sith nephew. Together.

The Stealth X shook suddenly from a shot of turbo-fire. The blast hit the shields but it still propelled the craft forward out of control. She cursed and took control of the yoke and righted the ship. She made a turn to see her attacker but there was nothing. She checked the readouts and there was no craft in the vicinity. She then remembered what was next in her original time. Someone was hiding within the Force.

"Jacen!" she spat the name out.

Another familiar voice echoed inside her mind. It certainly was not the sweet cheery Southern drawl of Mary Jane Skyler.

No. Not Jacen. Someone else from your past.

Lumiya!

Coming soon: A Battle of Hands