Star Wars belongs to Disney, not to me as I'm just a lowly writer.

I'm back and I apologize for taking so long with this chapter. Real life decided to show up (and it's still glaring at me). Well I hope you enjoy this chapter...

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Mace stood silently by the door, his hand hovering over the sensor. He could sense the grief rolling over him and he frowned slightly. Leia's death hadn't hit them very hard, as they hardly knew her, but Luke's grief which swept through the Force like a flash flood had caused them to leave the young man alone. They couldn't understand the relationship the young man had. But he isn't a young man.

Luke's appearance of youth still puzzled the Jedi and hours of meditation had been spent searching through the Force for the reason. Perhaps it was the Jedi upbringing that caused them to be unable to empathize with the poor man, yet it left him completely at a loss. There was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he couldn't comprehend, but seeing Luke grieve made him feel almost wishful.

I do not understand why I wish to grieve, it makes no sense. He is suffering solely because of his attachments.

A darker presence nearby caused him to turn around and watch Ventress approach. She stared wistfully at the medical room that Luke hadn't left since his sister's death. A sad smile adorned her face as she studied the door.

"He needs to grieve Windu."

Mace stared at her, not able to comprehend the full meaning of her words. He isn't accomplishing anything moping around. How can one person justify this sort of attachment? Even a Padawan wouldn't grieve as much in the event that their Master dies.

"How can grieving such as this ever be justified?"

He felt a flash of anger from Asajj and looked at her in surprise as she tried to calm herself. Once again he felt as if there was an important component that he was missing.

Asajj let out a small sigh, "Jedi… he needs to grieve because she was important to him. They had a connection that he built his life around, she supported him, she was his sister, she wasted away before his eyes, she died in his arms, and she was his life!"

"And if he had never formed such a strong attachment, he wouldn't be holed up in the medical facility," Mace retorted as confusion reared its ugly head. She does not see the fault with attachments. Why is she...

"And if he had no attachment, he wouldn't be who he is. Chances are he would have died a long time ago."

But I can't understand, "How can you defend him? He's breaking his promise to you."

A small feeling of hurt reached him, "Yes. He promised me; but I told him that I'm fine with him grieving first. It has only been a day."

"I'm going to go to him," Mace began as he raised his hand to palm the door open.

"No," Asajj cried grabbing his arm, "You are just being a stupid Jedi. Why can't you understand… or are you all emotionless droids?"

No, I'm not a droid. I feel emotions, but I don't let those feelings rule me. They hinder my purpose. A droid is superior because it can never feel conflicted.

"I need answers, like why he lied to us."

He could feel the hatred rolling of Asajj fueling the Darkside in her. Luke should have left you. There is no return from the Darkside. It is just another thing he lied about. Palming the door, he let himself inside. Asajj silently followed him, her rage sweeping across him through the Force.

Luke was kneeling next to the bed Leia had died in, which lay bare. Sympathy twinged in Mace slightly as he regarded his fellow Jedi's form. His normally calm and passive face had tears running down it.

Mace awkwardly set his hand on Luke's shoulder, "We need to talk."

"Once there was a sister; twenty years I spent alone watching the stars, she in return saw them too, never knowing there was a brother waiting for her. The Force brought us together and we loved and hated, we quarreled and grieved. Where time brings others apart, we became closer," pausing as he turned to look at Mace in the eyes, "She was ostracized because of me, yet she was always there. There was so much pain that she could have avoided had she left me, but she didn't. While we watched others die and our hearts with them, she stood by my side, yet I never found time to do her justice. I never repaid her…"

Guilt flooded Mace and he couldn't deny that he was touched by Luke's confession, yet the confession did nothing to ease the questions in his mind. Why did you lie? When he first heard of the Jedi out of his time, he had been suspicious, yet still he had considered him a friend. In a short period of time, Luke had found a place in his guarded heart. Did you mean to betray me?

Besides him Asajj moved closer to Luke, "Lu- Master, we can leave if you wish."

To Mace's surprise Luke shook his head, "No, you can stay. I think both of you have

some questions for me, and it's time that you got answers."

Asajj nodded slowly, "I would appreciate that Master."

Luke's face grim, stood up and turned to Mace, "And you?"

Mace cringed slightly, but looked Luke straight in the eye, "Why did you lie?"

Mace felt a flood of surprise from, Luke, perhaps he hadn't been expecting that particular question. Mace considered his question and wondered if he had been too blunt, yet he needed to know. I detest lies, because of your lies, I don't trust you anymore. I no longer know what you even said is true.

"I didn't lie directly Mace. You interpreted my words incorrectly-"

Stepping closer to Luke, his hand falling to his lightsaber, "And your last name?"

"I…" he closed his eyes briefly, "I have lived for many years Mace. My last name, is no longer mine. It is a name, but that is all I see it as. There is no difference in my eyes between my last name that was given to me at birth to the one that I gave you. For many reasons I omitted saying I was a Skywalker, but I never gave it much thought. Even at home, I am rarely referred to as Skywalker. No, there I am just Luke."

The anger, like a small ember coming to life, grew in Mace, until he hardly recognized himself, "Do you mean to say that just because it matters from a certain point of view, all your lies are justified!" walking closer to Luke, "You just arrive here preaching goodness, but now that your lies are exposed, you defend yourself by saying it is our fault! Well what were we supposed to think? Are you even a Jedi, because there are no attachments that lead to goodness. Your sister, you should have never acknowledged that bond. Because of your stupidity, you are just moping around. I… I don't understand how you can justify her because she is obviously-"

"Don't drag my sister into this fray," Luke warned and steely blue eyes regarded Mace.

Belatedly, Mace realized that perhaps he had pushed Luke too much. The man in front of him could easily defeat him and he cautiously stepped back as Luke continued talking.

"I would apologize and be calm and be rational about this, but I can't. I have been honest with you. If I had said I am from a thousand years in the future, no one would have believed me. You would have criticized my methods, saying it makes no sense. Perhaps you would have even ostracized me and called me a Sith… Therefore I said nothing, I let my actions speak for me. You never trusted my words, but you trusted my actions. How is it different now?"

Asajj stepped forward and stood in between her master and Mace, "It's because he is a

Jedi, Master. They all are barvs, who don't care for anything outside of their perfect world because they can't accept that the galaxy isn't perfect and therefore ignore it."

Mace found himself bristling at her comment, but didn't interrupt. Her accusation was off. He knew that the galaxy wasn't perfect. Corruption was everywhere, but the Jedi helped curb it. But you don't want to face the problems. She's right, you just don't want to admit it. Sometimes Mace found himself hating the source of intelligence.

"Master," Asajj began staring at Luke critically, "how can you be related to Skywalker?"

He listened carefully, as Luke began to explain, "I do not know the same Anakin Skywalker you know. You know that I'm from the future, but not how far. I am to be born soon, and yet history has changed. It no longer follows the path that it used to take and I'm glad, yet I worry. There is the possibility that I have changed history for the worst. Leia," a small wistful smile adorned his lips as his eyes landed on the bed again, "Leia… she would say that nothing could be worse."

"Is the future that bad?" and Mace blinked in surprise, as he noticed his own shocked words.

Luke stared at him, "It is neither terrible nor great. I have lived for a very long time and I have seen the height of sentient's compassion, but also their desire for power. Everything hangs in balance."

The prophecy of the chosen one.

Unaware of Mace's realization, Luke continued, "Leia watched her home planet be destroyed in front of her eyes and that is-," a pained look crossed his face as he caught himself, "was… one of her worst memories. It was no natural destruction either. Alderaan's destruction was intentional and that is part of the reason Leia had such a hard time reconciling with our father. Anakin Skywalker was my father, but as Obi-Wan would say later, by the time I met him, he was more machine than man. Of course I still tried to save him, despite the fact that in our meeting before that, he was the one to cut off my hand."

Luke trailed off into silence as he clenched his hands together and Mace watched in morbid fascination. How could Anakin have done that? How could he have turned to the Darkside?

Asajj looked at Luke oddly, "But that would make Skywalker a Sith Lord!" she exclaimed in bewilderment.

"That's what's been bugging me lately. I do not understand how Anakin, the Chosen One could be a Sith Lord. It makes no sense," said Mace.

"He is stupid and may be reckless, but he has this stupid moral system," Asajj continued in confusion.

"I know Anakin broke the code, but why would he turn to the Sith? They don't allow attachments either."

"It's not like the Sith could offer him anything… and he lacks the hatred to be a Sith."

An ominous hissing sound stopped their rebuttals and Mace tensed as he felt a very dark presence washing over him. His instincts pleaded with him to run, but his battle honed instincts told him to face the danger. Wrestling with the conflicting urges, his eyes reached Luke, who was looking at the dark presence behind him with an amused smirk.

"Someone is in a good mood, Father."

Annoyance flared through Mace, "Skywalker if this is a prank, I will steal all your socks and hide them in the farthest corners of the galaxy."

He slowly turned around to confront Skywalker and stared into a cold black mask, "Really Windu? My socks? There are better forms of vengeance, like coloring all my clothes pink."

The deep baritone voice caused chills to run down his spine and Mace stepped back fearfully. The Force-presence was similar to Skywalker's yet radically different and much darker. His hand twitched as if to draw his lightsaber and he shifted his weight from foot to foot, as his body prepared for flight.

"Dad," Luke said with a long suffered sigh, "I don't know how you are here, but you really aren't helping and you're terrifying my new Padawan, which is very counter productive."

The masked apparition walked over to Luke, as if inspecting him, before turning to Asajj, "You can't take her as an apprentice! She's annoying."

"And you aren't?" Luke retorted.

Mace, having recovered from shock ignited his lightsaber, "Who are you?"

"I thought you knew," mocked the masked man, "I'm your favorite Jedi, Anakin Skywalker," he paused purposefully, "You should have seen the expression on your face… It was hilarious."

Mace glared at the fraud and shifted his lightsaber in front of him, "I think I know who Skywalker is," and attacked.

A red lightsaber intercepted his strike and they began to duel. Next to him Luke shouted out loud, but the duelists ignored him with practiced ease. Anger burned in him and the duel became the outlet. Part of Mace felt ashamed, yet he could only withstand so much confusion, before he had to vent. Fighting was always dangerous; the possibility of falling to the Darkside near, but it also existed as an escape. The moves of combat reassured him, as he fell into the intricate dance. To his dismay, a green lightsaber swept between the opponents.

"Mace," Luke turned his head, "Father... You are acting like younglings," he turned back to Mace, "Technically, he is Anakin, but he's from the future," glaring at the masked man again, "I don't know what he is doing here and dressed like Vader," Luke added in a questioning tone.

Both of them stepped back, retracting their lightsabers, then Luke's father was gone.

"What was that?" Asajj whispered, as she regarded the spot where Vader had disappeared.

Luke grumbled slightly, "The dead sometimes like to come back to the land of the living and play, but they require a strong reason to do so. There… In the future, there are days of the year where we seek their aid and advice. While a beneficial learning experience…"

Mace nodded, "Does that mean Leia will come back?"

Luke shook his head, "I don't want her to, she deserves peace… Death, yet the Force."

Mace nodded and hung his lightsaber back on his belt. That's the old code. He had many things to think about, yet he had been wrong about confronting Luke. Luke may have the answers, but he was not prepared to learn them. Like Asajj said, I ignore the problems. He remembered Luke's question, asking him for his reason to be a Jedi. I do not know myself. When I can understand myself and answer why I am a Jedi with a real reason, then I can ask Luke. He looked at Luke again and inclined his head.

"I am sorry, and I hope you will still allow me the honor of calling you my friend. I'm sorry," he turned to Asajj and looked at her closely, "You have given me many things to think about and I should have listened to you earlier about leaving Luke to grieve, for that I extend my sincerest apologies."

Asajj stared at him coldly, "Realizing how blind you are?"

Luke looked at his Padawan oddly and inclined his head, "I accept your apology, my friend."

Mace smiled slightly and left the room. I need to talk to Yoda.

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Luke watched Mace leave and then turned to his apprentice, "He was right you know? I need to stop grieving. I promised... Leia I would be strong, and so I shall be."

Asajj stared at him oddly, "Everyone needs time to grieve."

"Yet my dear, time is something that flies by too fast. I've wasted time before and know too well the consequences of such an act."

Asajj was staring off into distant space, "That may be true, but never grieving is worse."

Luke walked up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder and looked in her eyes, "I do not know what pain you have suffered, nor do I wish to coerce you into telling me, but know that I am there for you. I've broken many promises, although never intentional, yet I intend to keep my sister's last promise. If you so wish, you can meet me tomorrow in the Room of a Thousand Fountains to begin your training."

She nodded happily, and happiness filled Luke, but then she looked at the floor sadly again, "You shouldn't feel it is necessary to train me."

Luke looked at her in surprise. She doubts herself, but why?

"Asajj," Luke said slowly, "I will train you, like I have trained many others. Perhaps I may find it necessary, but it is because I want to, because I must heal, because you must heal. You aren't a burden and should never feel as such. It will be an honor to train you."

Asajj nodded and there was a gleam of gratitude in her eyes. She bowed slightly and slowly walked out of the room, her Force-presence slightly brighter than normal.

Sighing Luke walked back to the bed and glanced at it, before sitting down, "I know you're there father."

The ghostly apparition of Anakin Skywalker, without the dark armor, appeared with an amused smirk, "Yes son?"

Luke scowled briefly and his mind wandered back to Leia, "How is she?"

There was no question who Luke was referring to, "At peace."

Relief surged through Luke and he closed his eyes in happiness. I haven't failed completely.

His father shifted forward, with concern on his face, "Luke there is so much for you to do, you can rejoice… You have a gift, a skill and it would be a shame to waste it."

Luke didn't respond as he studied his real hand carefully. Calluses covered his fingers and old scars riddled it. In comparison, his artificial hand was smooth and structured, small signs of wear, yet the strong artificial skin prevented any tears.

"Father, I just want peace," he looked up sadly, "I miss her you know."

His father shuffled, his form shimmering. He looked at Luke with sadness in his eyes and wore a slight frown.

"I don't know what I can do son."

Luke gave him a small tight smile and looked back down at his hands, "How are the others? And why were you dressed as Vader?"

"Umm…" Anakin began, while his son raised an eyebrow, "Yoda was laughing the last time I checked, and Obi-Wan was arguing with Qui-Gon."

Luke looked at his father with an eyebrow raised.

His father gave a slight groan, "I lost a bet with Yoda. He thought it would be hilarious for me to appear as Vader..." he trailed off and a small smile adorned his face, "I have to admit that he was right, Mace's expression was priceless."

He's right. Mace's expression was hilarious. All of a sudden the dark dreary feeling that had been hanging around him began to diminish. I have the ability to change events. I can save people. Luke stood up and smiled at his father, he was done moping, and it was time to fulfill his promise to Leia. He would do, what she would have wanted him to do. He would be strong for her and continue to live. It was not time for rest yet.

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Right now Luke is getting over Leia's death, so things are going to go a little bit slower. Thank you for all the reviews. I'm very surprised and sorry that so many people cried. Hopefully that will be the last tear jerker.

"Anakin… Will you tell me what you were doing by sneaking into my story?"

Anakin appears and looks around worriedly, "Ummm… I was bored?"

Anakin cowers from the death glare he is receiving from the author. The author leaves shaking her head tiredly.