Jacen sat in silence, wrestling with his inmost self. Mara let him do so in peace and called the droid back to the room, via the remote. Jacen weighed his two options. On the one hand, telling her could help, because… well he didn't even know if the dark man on the throne still existed. But if he did, that meant it could be anyone. And it was still his responsibility to unite the galaxy by whatever means necessary, and stop the tattooed man from ascending the throne. He'd thought it would require him to become hated, and universally feared, and finally destroyed, but now perhaps another solution was necessary. He'd become increasingly certain over the last few hours that his best option was to rise to the highest political office and throw his every resource at Abeloth and the dark man; at least so long as the future was unchanged by Luke's death. He'd find out once he was at full strength, and on Coruscant. The force had given him the responsibility by granting him this knowledge. Mara herself wasn't dark by any stretch, but she understood the need for darker actions when the danger merited it. There was a chance she'd understand the need for his chosen course of action.

The droid came into the room and carried the tray off. Jacen paid it no heed. He sensed Mara's mounting impatience as he continued his silent deliberations. She changed her position on the bed and laid down sideways, in order to look at him. He thought it a foolish design choice, on part of the engineers who'd designed the vessel, to make the chair he was sitting on unmovable.

Jacen shook his head at himself, partly because of indecisiveness, and partly because of the way he was leaning, choice wise, in regards to his two options. He decided he'd best speak up before he lost the will to.

"I visited a place on my sojourn," he began. "A place deep within the Maw. I found an ancient construct. And I'm not talking Exar Kun ancient. I'm talking really, really old." Mara chuckled softly. Jacen looked at her, confused. "What's amusing about that?"

Mara smiled, "Nothing. It's just the way you said it. You sounded exactly like your father. Not the "what's amusing" part, but the "I'm talking…" et cetera. It was just so much more smuggler than coruscanti," she explained. "In stark contrast to your usual correctness . . . I'm sorry, do continue."

Jacen didn't quite know what to say, so he did as she bid. "As I was saying, this place had an antiquated, dare I say archaic appearance. Its design was alien, insofar as my extensive experience goes. Better?" he looked to her, pretending to require approval.

"Yes, Professor Solo," she said, her tone serious.

Jacen laughed. "The place was called Sinkhole Station. It was similar in appearance to Centerpoint, but a lot smaller. There are many theories that say the Celestials constructed the Maw, and Sinkhole's presence inside the cluster all but proves that particular hypothesis," Jacen mused. "More importantly, at least to us, was what I found inside the relic."

Mara was listening intently now.

"On my journeys I've seen some strange places. But what I found on Sinkhole Station was beyond bizarre. A group of emaciated force sensitives lived there; practicing some strange rituals. But regardless of my opinion of them, which was pretty low, the place itself was fantastic." Jacen gathered his thoughts and, to his amusement, felt an impatient prod from Mara through the force. Her interest was a good sign. "They called it 'going beyond the shadows'. It's a dramatic way to put it, but apt. You basically left behind your physical form and entered into a surreal world. I wouldn't go so far as to call it the realm of the dead, but it had a definite ephemeral element." He inflected his voice with irony at that, deciding not to dwell on the matter of dead apparitions any further.

He paused, waiting to see if Mara would ask any questions. When she did not, he resumed his tale. "In this place, there is a focal point of force energy called the Pool of Knowledge. According to the Mind Walkers, it shows all that has been and all that will be and should one bathe in it, one would be granted that knowledge. Considering the sheer weight of force energy that was there, and how it was concentrated to an exponential density at the Pool, there's a good chance they were telling the truth."

Mara's eyes widened in disbelief. "But that was a lie right? Did you bathe in it?" she asked, hurriedly.

"I don't know if they were misleading me but I wasn't about to find out. I did, however, look into the Pool," he confessed. "I saw a throne. I know it was the Throne of Balance. The pool probably imparted the name. Who I saw on it is more pertinent, however." He took a breath, unsure how to break it to her.

Mara gave him a concerned look. "Whom did you see?" she blurted, worriedly. "Yourself?"

Jacen guffawed. "Thanks for that . . . lovely conclusion to jump straight to."

Mara wasn't remotely amused. "Well was it?"

"No!" Jacen retorted, suddenly angry at her insulting assumptions. "I saw Uncle Luke. And then I saw a tattooed man. Then I saw myself. And then it cycled through the three of us again. The impression of the first person I saw was distinctly Skywalker, however."

Mara looked thunderstruck. "That can't be right." She sat up straight, pushing her legs over the edge of the bed. She pulled the covers back over her, as she settled into her new position. "Luke would never . . . Luke has never craved power," she continued. Her voice became urgent. "But the future is always in motion, right?" she asked, sounding almost desperate.

"If the future is always in motion, and I saw that as a possible future, that means Luke falling to the dark side is . . . was, possible." Jacen explained patiently.

"Spare me the pseudo-syllogism," Mara explained. "Perhaps you were deceived."

Jacen was starting to get angry at her, what he felt to be, naiveté. It was out-of-character for her to behave in this irrational manner. "So you're saying that if a man had walked up to Luke and presented him with the massacred corpses of yourself and Ben, Luke would not have struck him down in rage and potentially fallen to the dark side?"

"That scenario is so unlikely and tasteless, that I'm not even going to dignify it with a response. What I am saying is this: even if that strange place showed an exact picture of the future, which I'm not sure about, it doesn't mean that it would happen—. Well Luke is," he saw her eyes start to well up again, "dead. Or maybe he isn't? Maybe this means he could still be alive?" Mara's tendency to grasp at straws was an entirely new and undesirable trait, Jacen mused.

"So he can become a dark ruler of the galaxy?" Jacen asked, frowning. "You'd accept that if it meant he'd still be alive?"

Jacen felt her desire to slap him. "Don't you dare judge me!" she yelled. "You don't know what it's like!"

Jacen eyes flashed angrily. "You keep saying that! What do you mean? That I don't know the pain of losing someone you love? I watched Anakin die!"

If Mara was impressed in any way by his anger, she didn't show it, though her voice became less harsh at the mention of Anakin's name. "It's none of your business!" she said insistently.

"You're making it my business by repeatedly mentioning it," he countered.

Tears began to roll down Mara's face, and his anger almost instantly turned to sympathy and compassion. He stood and extended his hand towards her shoulder. "Don't touch me!" she snapped, twisting away from him. She winced, as the movement put pressure on her perforated kidney. Jacen flinched back at her pain, due to his highly attuned empathy, and just stood there. The sensation of pain didn't bother him in the slightest when it was his own, but this was different. His empathy allowed—no, forced him to feel the pain as Mara perceived it.

Mara's force aura calmed down and went so far as to feel subdued. "He validated me…" she said after several seconds of silence, so quiet it was almost a whisper. She lowered her head and looked at the ground. "He gave me a home. He made me feel like I belonged."

Jacen was profoundly struck by her vulnerability. He had the distinct impression that he was hearing something that no one else had ever heard; like Mara was letting him see into her soul. He took two quick steps towards her and dropped to his knees and took her hands in his. This time she did not withdraw from the contact. Her head was still bent but from his position he could look into her eyes. "You've validated yourself by your actions and the inspiration you embody. You've shown the people of the galaxy that even someone as close to the Emperor as his Hand could be a force for good. And you will always have a home. You have a son, a family. The Jedi Temple is a second home. And you have Jaina, and my parents . . . and you have me," his voice was kind and loving. He spoke from the heart, and the passion he felt almost scared him.

Mara looked at him with wet eyes. She squeezed his hand in gratitude. "I know Jacen," she admitted. She smiled weakly, her expression almost sheepish. "Force, the way I'm behaving is embarrassing. I'm not used to being weak like this."

Jacen smiled, returning the squeeze of her hand. "I know." He lifted himself to his feet and sat back down. "I'm sorry for bringing such a dark image to your mind, regarding Uncle Luke. But I thought you should know."

Mara nodded solemnly. "But there's more to it, isn't there?"

"Yes there is," he didn't deny it. "When I saw the future I knew what I had to do." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I knew I had to prevent Luke or the tattooed Sith from becoming a new emperor."

Mara looked at him intently, her brow furrowing as she digested his words. Suddenly her force aura went from subdued to anxious. Jacen's danger sense flared. Mara ripped her right hand out of his grip. Jacen's eyes widened, when in the very next moment he saw her lightsaber in her hand, the ignited blade of which was only centimeters from his neck. "Did you send Luke to his death?" her voice was steely.

Jacen's mind was racing. "What? Have you lost your mind?"

Mara's left hand gripped him tighter and her saber twitched next to his throat. Her glare made it clear she wasn't messing around. "Lower the shields around your mind and answer the question," she ordered.

Jacen was seriously considering using the force against her. He'd probably be able to overpower her, but he wasn't sure she wouldn't be able to decapitate him beforehand. He narrowed his eyes and felt anger rising inside him, but he did as she asked. "I did not send Luke to his death nor would I ever try and kill him," he replied.

Mara must have sensed his honesty through the force and exhaled in relief, lowering her saber. "I'm sorry but I had to be sure," she said apologetically.

Jacen waited until she extinguished her lightsaber and instantly brought his power to bear on her. The full weight of Jacen's force power flared up and pressed down on her and she went from feeling relief to surprise. Jacen felt Mara trying to raise her arm but he didn't release his hold. She looked at him, not fearfully, but confused.

"I'm not just going to accept a chain of apologies Mara," he hissed. "And I'm getting seriously annoyed at your outrageous accusations."

"Let go of me, Jacen," Mara commanded, her voice calm.

Jacen rose to his feet, and used the force to push her back onto the bed. "First, let me show you something." He released his hold on her enough so that she could use the force again. "Ask me something that you know the answer to."

Mara frowned. "I'm not going to play games with you." He felt her straining against his hold, with the force and her physical strength. "Let me go, Jacen!" her command was more insistent now.

"Ask me something that you know the answer to and try to pick up on any deception." He commanded again, not letting his hold on her loosen.

Mara exhaled in frustration. "Fine! How old are you?" she asked, her voice furious.

"Forty-two," he responded grinning. It was an obvious lie.

Mara looked shocked. "I can sense honesty, and your shields are clearly lowered... but that's a glaring lie."

Jacen nodded. "Exactly."

"So you did kill Luke!" she all but screamed.

"No, by all the nine Corellian Hells," Jacen yelled back. "I'm showing you that just because I said something and you sensed honesty through the force doesn't mean it's true. You of all people should know that, considering who you once served. You should trust me because of who I am."

Mara scoffed. "That's the problem with you now Jacen. You can't be an enigma and expect trust simultaneously."

"And I'm trying to open up, here and now, but you're making it really hard," he growled.

"Fine, but only on even footing," she demanded. "Let go of me, Jacen. I mean it."

He did. Mara immediately sat up. She didn't move towards him any further, but she kept her lightsaber in hand. On top of that, she still radiated anger and mistrust in the force. For now, she was listening, however, and Jacen resolved to make the best of it.

"There was something else on Sinkhole Station. The Mind Walkers called her the lady in the mists." Jacen shook his head thoughtfully. "I don't even know for sure whether she was female, but what I do know is that she's called Abeloth and she's more powerful than anything I've ever encountered." Jacen explained. "So if you don't believe that I would not send my Uncle to his death to prevent a bad future, you can believe me when I say that his death is the last thing I would want because I believe he was the only one powerful enough to defeat Abeloth."

Mara sat silent, merely listening, though he sensed her acceptance of his words. He wasn't certain if that meant she merely acknowledged them or considered them true. "How were you going to try and stop the future from occurring?" she finally queried.

"By becoming a political and militant liability in the eyes of every political power in the galaxy," Jacen explained, dead serious.

Mara cocked an eyebrow, skeptically. When he just looked at her seriously, with empty eyes, she started shaking her head. "Oh kriff, you're serious, aren't you. How would you have accomplished this tall order, and how would it have made things better?"

Jacen leaned against the wall. "I would have used deception and manipulation to gain political power and force the galaxy to unite in order to destroy me." It was insane, he knew. But he also knew in his heart of hearts that it would have worked.

Mara stared at him evenly for a moment. Suddenly she burst into laughter. "You're mad."

Jacen blinked. "It does sound crazy, I admit." Her amusement was probably only skin deep. "But I know it would have worked. All I have to do is chose and act. And I chose the galaxy before myself."

Mara's pity was not something he wanted from her, and sensing just that angered him. "To do what you're proposing you'd have to do some really bad things. There's no way to make the entire galaxy angry at you to the degree you're describing without doing some terrible things." Mara shook her head. "At least you won't have to play self-sacrificing saint now that Luke's dead. It's an awful thing to say but maybe something good can come of this."

Jacen started to pace back and forth in the center of the room. Mara followed his movements but waited for him to say something. "I have a feeling it's not that simple," he postulated. "Say what you will about Sinkhole Station, but the force nexus there made any other I've visited seem miniscule. A glimpse into the future via the Pool of Knowledge may be more than just a possible one. I'm not sure. But it's likely that the glimpse I was granted is "written in stone" so to speak."

Mara seemed increasingly distraught by his words. "What about this Abeloth. If she's so powerful and malevolent, why hasn't she attacked us?"

Jacen stopped and turned to face her. "Good question. That's what I asked myself too."

"And?" she asked impatiently.

"I think the Celestials didn't build the Maw cluster to keep people out, but to keep something contained. And that something is her." Jacen stated matter-of-factly.

"You really think she's that old?" Mara said, skeptical.

"I do," he affirmed. "But the station's integrity is weakening. I could tell . . . when I was there. Within a decade she'll be free."

Jacen walked back over to her, staying out of lightsaber reach and sat back down. He felt no overt threat from her, but he wasn't going to take any chances. The things he was intending to do were actions that, strictly speaking, invited . . . no, demanded Jedi reprisal. He'd only told Mara because he honestly assumed she would be more understanding. It surprised him, how orthodox her response was. He didn't quite know how to extricate himself from this situation, should she remain unconvinced. Short of attacking her, he couldn't think of any way to keep her from trying to stop him or warn others. It bothered him that he'd let it come this far, but he was too deep to back out now. It was all or nothing. He scolded himself silently, for opening up in the first place.

"So what do you "plan" on doing about her?" Mara asked, her inflection of the word plan clearly showing her appreciation for his other plan.

Jacen took a deep breath, bracing himself. "I'd train Ben to deal with her. Teach him all I know, which is a great deal. Within five years I could have him ready."

Mara shot to her feet, her lightsaber in her hand, disregarding the fact that she was clothed in nothing but a loose-fitting jumpsuit designed for sleeping. She didn't move to attack him yet, but the move put Jacen on his guard, his senses on high alert. "Ben is ten years old Jacen! Have you completely lost your mind?"

Jacen knew it was a lot to put on her. He felt compassion for her, but the galaxy was more important than any one person, even if that one person was someone he loved. "It's the only way, Mara. If you have a better idea, by all means, tell me."

Mara glared at him. "Well first off, you don't even know how Luke's death changed the future. You're just assuming that it didn't. Secondly, I don't know why you think it's permissible to destroy yourself, or whatever you're planning now, and possibly Ben in order to prevent an uncertain doom." Jacen opened his mouth but she raised her hand, silencing him. "Before you reiterate anything about pools of clairvoyance or what not, let me remind you, that, by your own words, there was a malevolent being of immense power on that very station—"

"I think she was on the station, because she was in the same Beyond the Shadows realm that was accessed via the station. All I know for sure is that she's somewhere in the Maw." He explained, stopping her.

Mara looked annoyed. "Thanks for that relevant interruption. As I was saying, that being was there with you, wherever there was, and she could have warped your perception so as to make you see something that wasn't real."

Jacen thought about it for a moment. It was possible, but he was pretty sure he was too powerful and strong willed to influence without some side effects being felt or manifesting themselves. "I doubt it."

"You're certainty in yourself, and your own power is alarming," she warned. "Not even Luke was this sure of himself. I'm just sorry I didn't see it before. You've become downright dangerous. Did you know that Palpatine," Jacen rolled his eyes at the mention of the emperor's name, finding the imminent comparison ludicrous, "used to talk about an impending invasion of untold magnitude, possibly from outside the galaxy? The 'far-outsiders' he'd call them. He'd tell me that they were the reason he wanted to militarize the galaxy."

Jacen smiled, self-satisfied. "And he was right."

Mara nodded. "And if that was the primary reason for his assumption of control, which I doubt, it undoubtedly declined in the hierarchy of motivating factors the more he fell in love with power."

"You're reaching," Jacen retorted, bemusedly.

"Am I?" she shook her head. "You can't even be reasoned with anymore, can you?"

Jacen didn't know how to respond at first. Her reaction was something he had considered but he'd expected, when he was weighing his options earlier, she would behave more rationally. It's not like he was going to corrupt Ben, merely teach him all he knew. It was Jacen who would bear the brunt of the negative factors that would have resulted from the plan he'd denoted. It would have been himself that he would ruin, both inherently and in the consideration of posterity.

"You're rebuttal is fallacious," he replied. "You're not reasoning, you're just desperate… You're afraid for Ben and that love for your son won't allow you to believe that I could be right, because it would mean you'd stand the risk of losing your son."

"Bastard!" she spat. "It's not just Ben you piece of poodoo. You're so full of yourself that you can't even see it, can you? I love you too, Jacen. I don't want to see you die, or anyone I care about for that matter. What you're planning is going to end in tragedy. Especially for yourself," she growled, but he sensed her profound sadness.

Jacen was caught off guard by her words. He had, in fact, believed that she was so blinded by her fear for her son that she wasn't aware of how much worse his own fate would be. But she obviously wasn't. He sensed her very real concern for her nephew. It touched him, but it was actually an added problem. If she felt this strongly for her son and her nephew, there was simply no way to get out of this room, without assuring that she wouldn't try and derail his course of action. He regretted the need for it, but he'd have to do what was necessary.

"I'm sorry, Mara." He stated, with deep regret.

She laughed; a humorless grating laughter that was bereft of any genuine elation. "Is this the part where you kill me?"

Jacen met her glare, with a doleful gaze. "No, but I am going to have to subdue you. And then mind rub you."

"What if I screamed for help?" She asked, in a slightly superior way, betraying her assumption that Jacen never even considered that possibility.

"You're too much Luke's little Jedi," he said mockingly, rising to his feet. "You wouldn't do that."

Mara took her preferred on guard position, holding her lightsaber vertically, to the side, while standing sideways. It was the most standard opening stance, but also one of the most effective. She was no doubt one of very few people who could make the stance look dangerous while wearing nothing but a sleeping gown. "Today isn't my day for typical behavior, you know."

Jacen smiled grimly. "Just because I'd memory rub you," he said, unclipping his lightsaber from his belt, and taking the Juyo opening stance, "doesn't mean I'd grant that same consideration to others."

"My Gods, you're far gone." Mara said, distraught.

Jacen waited for her to make the first move. He was determined not to harm her, but although he'd been able to heal himself faster than the bacta had worked its magic on her kidney, he was not at top form. He was reasonably certain he was a better duelist and he knew his force powers dwarfed hers. Finally, their comparative states of injury also gave him an advantage. After several seconds passed with her unmoving, a lit lightsaber in her hand, simply staring at him, he decided that there wasn't much time to waste. He moved towards her in a straight line, the close confines of the room making it impossible to close the distance in a circular approach or a force assisted leap, which was his preferred method.

The moment he got within striking distance she surprised him by reversing her grip and cutting at his legs. The move nearly cost him two limbs. He barely managed to jump above the blades trajectory. He bared his teeth in a smile. "Not taking prisoners are we?"

He danced back away from her, and waited for a follow-up. She didn't disappoint and followed his retreat, slashing high this time. He got his blade between his torso and her blow, parrying. Mara remained unperturbed and feinted at his legs again, changing directions fluidly. Her feint transitioned into a cutting blow vectoring towards his left. Jacen blocked again, though with less efficacy, and had to take another step back. He was almost up against the wall now. Although she was coming at him with lethal force, he was still unwilling to return the favor. The lack of offense was taking its toll and he was forced to switch to Soresu, bringing the hilt closer to his body; a move designed to fortify his defense. He needed to wear her down.

Mara was relentless. Although in obvious physical pain, she was attacking rapidly and gracefully. Jacen jumped up and over her bed to avoid another blow directed at his neck. She didn't make an effort to do the same but merely took a step back as Jacen used the force to dash into the center of the room. Mara didn't immediately resume the attack, probably expecting him to go on the offensive for a change.

He did, but not with the saber. Instead he ripped a compartmental container off the wall and threw it at her. She didn't try to block it with a force shove of her own, instead, casually, cutting it out of the air with her lightsaber. Jacen took this chance to grab her in a force hold and lift her off her feet, taking advantage of her momentary distraction. The move did catch her off-guard, made evident by the ease with which Jacen tore through her shields. He pushed her against the wall, being careful not to hurt her. Her force powers almost immediately started to struggle against his grip. Jacen maintained the hold with some effort. As he felt her fighting him, he became uncertain about approaching her and trying to memory-rub her. He needed her to be more helpless or he might lose more than a limb.

He extinguished the blade of his saber and reattached it to his belt. If the move alarmed Mara, she didn't show it. She continued to alternate between trying to break his hold on her and hurling objects at him from different directions. Jacen deflected one of her missiles and used an attack of his own. With Mara's defenses weakened he employed one of his more unique abilities. He sent an electrical pulse at her spine. The attack was not something Mara could have anticipated, considering her ignorance of its existence. She slumped in his force grip, her face betraying her surprise and anger. Jacen floated her gently back to the bed. He could feel defiance rolling off her in waves. He laid her on her stomach and moved up next to her and placed his hands on the back of her head.

Out of nowhere, it struck him how similar her hair was to Tenel Ka's, though the shimmer of her hair was perhaps even more vibrant. Not a strand of gray to be found. He wondered if Mara dyed her hair, though he dismissed the possibility; something outlandish like imperial genetic treatments was more likely than that. Mara wasn't vain and he couldn't see her dying her hair for the sake of beauty. Tenel Ka was a member of a superficial society of aesthetically obsessed misandrics. She would probably dye her hair when she was older… He suddenly felt guilt at the comparison. Mara, in her paralyzed state, was laying there anxiously anticipating him doing something. She no doubt was simply assuming the memory rub took a lot of time to work, her anger at him mounting at her helpless state. Thank the force she didn't know he was standing there comparing her hair to his lovers'.

He gathered the force inside him, and tore into her mind. This was never pleasant, and painful if the subject was conscious, as Mara was. It couldn't be helped, however. He went through her short-term memory and blanked the synaptic storage and the data already stored inside her neurons. He felt her fury at the violation. Towards the end of the process, as he started to erase her most recent memories the anger turned to outright hate. He regretted the need for the action, but what he had to do couldn't be helped. He concluded the wipe by placing her in a deep state of sleep.

He straightened and stood over her sleeping form for several moments. With a mental shake of his head he dismissed the guilt that was petrifying him in place. After removing any obvious signs of their fight from the room, he left; but not before glancing back at Mara one last time. He sighed, turned, and left the room behind, feeling like a criminal fleeing the scene of a crime.