You know that just after I updated light of liberty, my lights went out and so although my computer was charged, I couldn't log on to the internet (and besides that I like to keep the battery in those cases in case we have an emergency and need it). But my point is I was supposed to update this at six o'clock this morning. But maybe that's good. My essay is turned in and it's all out of my hands now so I can't really be nervous about it… except I really hope I get an A. I'm hoping that maybe… you know. If there are any mistakes in my work cited (because I've never had to cite works before) that she somehow overlooks it because that messes up a grade in one of my summer classes…

Anywho Read, enjoy, and review while I go submit my paper into .

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Chapter Seven

"You warmed her up?" Han asked Luke who was next to Chewie, the poor wookie trying to figure out the controls.

"Yeah, she's coming up," he replied.

Han laughed at Chewie's complaint, "No. I don't think the empire had wookies in mind when they designed her Chewie."

Han looked out the window, glancing at the Falcon. Leia sensed his distraction and tapped him.

"You awake?"

"Yeah, I just got a funny feeling, like I'm never going to see her again," Han replied.

Leia looked at the Falcon and smiled. "Believe me, you'll be flying that hunk of junk for many years to come Han."

Han raised his eyebrow. "Was that you just trying to make me feel better or was that a force thing?"

Leia smiled knowingly and didn't reply, but Anakin who was standing a ways back said, "You'd be better off destroying that thing and building a brand new ship from all the parts you've slapped on."

Han turned to Anakin with a grin. "That reminds me Mr. Jedi. I think some rules are in order for this mission."

Anakin remained passive and glared at Han wondering what he was about to say.

"What rules?"

"Ah, you know so that we don't jeopardize the mission with your impulsiveness and hardheadedness," Han replied.

Anakin didn't know whether to laugh or try to choke the man, especially when he beckoned Mara over to tell her too.

"Number one, we work together. I'll have none of that running off to do your own thing in the middle of the mission," Han said starting to tick off his fingers.

"Listen you old scoundrel. I'll do exactly what I feel like doing," Mara snapped at the same time Anakin said, "I'd like to see you make me if I feel something in the force."

"Two, no arguing with me. Madine put me in charge of this mission," Han pointed out.

"I'm seriously questioning his judgment on that one," Anakin replied.

"I think you've let this leadership thing get to your head Solo. Don't make find another carbonite freezer for you," Mara snapped.

"And most importantly," Han said when he felt a little pressure on his neck, the tell tale sign that Anakin was annoyed with him, though Han was sure the man would never choke him… he hoped. "No trying to hurt the general in command of this expedition."

The pressure lessoned as Anakin thought about it for a while, before he let go of Han completely to sit next to Padmé. Luke laughed at the exchange between his father and Han. Han had better watch it. If he kept hanging over his father's head that he was the boss, his father might actually kill the ex-pirate.

When they started to approach Endor, Han began preparing to give the code.

"If they don't go for this, we're gonna have to get outta here pretty quick Chewie," Han pointed out.

As Han transmitted the clearance code, Leia said, "Now we find out if that code is worth the price we paid."

"It'll work," Han assured.

Anakin looked out the window to the Super Star Destroyer looming over Endor and said, "They would have let us through anyway."

"Why do you say that?" Han asked cautiously.

"Pesinoé's on that ship," Leia replied.

"Don't get all jittery you three," Han chided to the force sensitive Skywalkers on the shuttle. "There are a lot of command ships."

Anakin looked at Han pointedly and Han got the point. The last time he had doubted their ability, he and Leia had been captured on Bespin.

"Keep your distance though Chewie, but don't look like you're trying to keep your distance," Han added.

"Just act natural," Anakin said simply staring at the ship. It was definitely Pesinoé's, and he had no doubt that she knew they were on their way there.

"Maybe we shouldn't have come," Luke said to Leia. "We might be endangering this mission."

"Maybe it's your imagination kid," Han suggested. "Let's keep a little optimism here."

"Easy for you to say," Anakin pointed out. "You can't feel the force."

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Pesinoé stared out the window at the Death Star, combating her emotions about this whole situation. In a short time, the fate of the sith and the jedi would be decided and her dumb master was so sure of the future he saw, he was blind to the fact that there was a possibility that the sith would become extinct. Not that she dared to mention that again. The last thing she needed was more sith lightning.

"Piett," Pesinoé said as she looked at an incoming shuttle. "Where is that shuttle going?

"Shuttle Tydirium, what is your cargo and destination?"

"Parts and technical crew for the forest moon," the voice replied over the comlink.

Pesinoé started when the voice came over the comlink. They had attempted to filter it, but it was Han Solo. So his friends had rescued him from Jabba's… She wondered what happened to Mara Jade. This was all part of her master's plan, but for the sake of it staying secret, she had to follow protocol.

"Do they have a clearance code?" she asked.

"It's an older code ma'am," Piett admitted. "But it checks out. I was just about to clear them."

Pesinoé opened up her senses a little more and sensed all the familiar presences, that scoundrel, the wookie, all the Skywalkers and… Mara Jade. So she was working with the rebels now? She wondered what had persuaded her.

"Shall I hold them?" Piett asked.

Pesinoé shook her head. Her master was going to kill her for what she planned to do, but if she were to make her own plan work, she had to disobey him. At least one of them would be dead by the end of this anyway.

"No, leave them to me. I'll deal with it," she said, her voice coming off softer than she intended.

Piett would have jumped if he had been in another situation. Lady Pesinoé didn't sound like herself. She almost sounded sad, not at all relishing in capturing potential rebels and possibly ending the rebellion. Something was off with the woman. She had been very solemn for the last few weeks.

"Carry on," Piett said to the controller and Lady Pesinoé turned to her remaining seven ladies.

"Did you handle it?" Pesinoé asked.

"Yes milady," the human said and bowed her head. "But if you don't mind us asking, why…?"

"I do mind," Pesinoé replied simply. "You are not to leave this star destroyer. Stay here and wait on my next instructions."

"But milady," a torgruta said stepping forward boldly. "We are concerned about you. You are not yourself."

Pesinoé shrugged. "You don't have to tell me that. I already know," she added looking at the shuttle as the controller gave the Tydirum clearance.

"Shuttle Tydirium, deactivation of the shield will commence immediately. Follow your present course."

"I told you it was gonna work. No problem," Han said with a smug look at Anakin.

Anakin was still a bit uncertain about it. He was positive Pesinoé knew they were here and from the feeling he was getting from the rest of his family, including Padmé, they thought the same thing.

When they landed in a clearing, they put on helmets and made their way up a steep trail. Leia stood with Han as he led them on and Luke stood next to Mara, more so to keep an eye on her than actually wanting to be near her although that played a part in it.

Anakin and Padmé led up the rear with Threepio and Artoo. Padmé smiled.

"This reminds me of Genosis all over again," she said.

"Yeah," Anakin replied in agreement. "Except this time, we're trying to end a war."

"Sh," Leia said as she Chewie, Han, Luke and Mara dropped to the ground.

Anakin and Padmé followed. Not far below them were two Imperial Scouts wandering through the bushes in the valley.

"Shall we try and go around?" Leia asked.

"For what?" Mara asked. "We can take them out. You said yourself Pesinoé probably knows we're here anyway."

"But she probably hasn't alerted anyone. If they report to her, she'll be forced to follow protocol and send someone to get us," Anakin replied.

Mara rolled her eyes. "This is ridiculous."

"This whole party will be for nothing if they see us," Han pointed out.

Anakin looked back at the squad and then to the scouts. "I'll handle this," he said starting down the hill quietly.

Han gaped at him and hurried after him. "Wait a minute. We went over this. We work as a team old man."

"Han, Ani wait a minute," Padmé said following them.

"They're not going anywhere without me," Mara said.

Luke and Leia sighed before following behind them. Somehow, Han had gotten ahead of Anakin and stepped on a twig. The imperial scout whirled around and knocked Han into a tree.

"Stupid scoundrel," Anakin yelled twirling his light saber. "I didn't need your help."

"Go for help," the scout said before Anakin silenced him with a quick slash in the chest.

The second scout took off and Chewie aimed his crossbow at it, but Padmé beat him to it with a shot from her blaster causing the scout to crash into a tree.

"There are more," Leia said as her senses went off.

"Move," Mara said throwing a knife right past Leia's head into the scout behind her. The knife embedded itself in his neck and he slumped to the ground.

"Thanks," Leia replied dryly still having to get used to the fact that Mara wasn't trying to kill her anymore, if only for Luke's sake.

"Don't mention it," Mara said taking out a blaster. "And I mean it. There are two more over there!"

Leia ran for a free bike.

"Wait a minute," Luke said chasing after the two. "Leia!"

Anakin noticed the two run off and groaned. "Luke! Leia!"

Padmé looked to where the two were speeding off. "Go follow them."

Anakin found an extra bike and followed after his two children. Meanwhile, Mara held up her blaster looking around for more scouts. She backed up into Padmé who had her blaster held up the same way.

"You think that was it?" Padmé asked carefully and Mara nodded as she put her blaster away.

Padmé did the same and sighed as Han declared they would wait for Luke, Leia, and Anakin. Padmé sat down on a rock while Mara leaned on a tree and Han checked on the rest of the squad. Padmé always talked with Han. The two of them could usually stike up a stimulating conversation and Han had come to her a long time ago wondering something about Leia. But while she had seen Han coming a mile away, Padmé would have never guessed her son would be so taken by a girl he had barely met two days ago.

While she believed that maybe the woman should be given a chance, unlike her husband, who couldn't see past her being an ex assassin for the emperor, Padmé still wanted to get a feel of the woman herself. Luke was after all her son, and she wouldn't have Mara playing his heart for ulterior motives.

"Why don't you come sit over here Mara," she asked the young woman softly.

Mara looked at her and seemed to think about it for a moment before sighing and making her way over.

She sat stiffly next to Padmé and the older woman rolled her eyes.

"You can relax," she chided gently.

"That's what a predator always says to its prey before it pounces. Excuse me if I'm a little nervous," Mara snapped.

Padmé scowled. "Don't you know how to trust anyone? I'm not trying to do anything to you. I just want to talk."

"Well, I've never exactly had a reason to trust anyone. The emperor probably doesn't care where I am, probably thinks I'm dead and if I go back to him I am dead for failing. I didn't exactly trust Pesinoé, but we had an understanding and she shipped me off to Jabba," Mara added.

"That was after you froze Han in carbonite," Padmé pointed out.

"And I've always taken care of myself so why did I need to trust anyone?" Mara asked.

Padmé nodded. She got the girl's point, but it only made her even more confused.

"You seem to trust Luke," she pointed out and Mara looked away. Padmé wasn't sure whether it was from embarrassment or confusion.

"That's different," Mara replied. "It's not that I really trust your son at all."

"I find that hard to believe coming from the girl I caught locked in a cell making out with him. You don't seem like the type to do that. There must have been some level of trust," Padmé pointed out.

"You don't need to trust a person to kiss them. Besides, I felt more compelled to do that than anything. It wasn't serious," Mara replied and Padmé raised her eyebrow.

"Let me put it this way then. I'm not exactly sure where your son and I stand. That just happened, but you're right. I trust him more than I trust any of you. I don't know why. Something is just telling me to. He's the only reason I'm on this stupid mission. I can't even begin to explain how he convinced me… Stupid jedi…"

Padmé smiled to calm Mara. It seemed like she was having a hard time even admitting any of this to her.

"Well I can assure you of this. Luke will never break your trust once you give it to him. If you learn to trust him, maybe he can restore your faith in people," Padmé suggested.

Mara laughed. "I've never had faith in people, only myself."

Artoo suddenly made a beeping sound alerting them that someone was coming. Everyone raised their blasters and out came Luke who didn't seem to notice that all the weapons were trained on him. Either that or he was too tired to care.

"Where's Anakin and Leia?" Han asked.

Luke looked up. "They didn't come back yet?" he asked.

"I thought they were with you," Padmé said.

"Leia was. I don't remember seeing Dad," Luke said touching the force to get in contact with one of them. He didn't get an answer, but he didn't feel that his father or Leia were in pain. They were just ignoring him…

"We better go look for them," he said sighing.

Han sighed and ran a hand over his face. "You Skywalkers and your knack for trouble. I swear. What was I thinking taking all of you on this mission with me?"

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Okay. So I had to clarify Luke and Mara's 'relationship' a little. It just fit in so perfect right there and I figure if anyone would get Mara to talk a little it would be Padmé. I think Mara and Luke are reasonable people. So I always planned for it to be a rocky confusing thing after the ship scene, not all peaches and cream. So as of now, the two aren't really sure where they stand.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Review Please!