Chapter 28

Once they were far enough away from the Death Star and out of the fray of battle, Mara returned from the cockpit. "How is he?" she asked Leia softly. Leia didn't know how to answer as she bit her lip nervously looking at Luke's sleeping form. "I'm so sorry," she said.

Leia turned to look at Mara quickly. "Is that so?" she asked bitterly.

Mara looked away. "Did you kill him?" she asked. "The Emperor?"

"I cut his head off," Leia said darkly.

Mara looked back at Leia with a surprised expression. "I guess I underestimated you," she said.

Leia shook her head and looked back at Luke. "I didn't do anything," she said. "Vader… I mean, my father saved us."

"Vader?" Mara repeated. "What are you talking about?"

"He was there," Leia said, feeling overwhelmingly weary all of a sudden. "And now he's gone. It's all my fault…"

Mara didn't know what to say to that and instead stood silently in the doorway for a few minutes. Leia was startled to feel her eyes begin to water up with tears as the guilt came crashing down on her in waves. It had been her idea to run away from Ahch-To. She could blame Obi Wan all she wanted, but she had gone along willingly. Because of her recklessness, Luke now was missing a hand and her father was dead.

Only now that he was gone could she truly appreciate him. She had loved him, after all, despite insisting that she hadn't for three years. He had loved her unequivocally despite the fact that she had been horrible to him. Now she would never get a chance to apologize. Never get a chance to thank him. Nor would she ever get a chance to tell her father that she loved him…

"Why don't you get some rest," Mara said suddenly. "I'll look after Luke."

Leia looked up and wiped the tears out of her eyes. "I… I can't leave him," she said.

"You don't have to," Mara said sympathetically as she stepped forward. "But you need some rest."

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.

Mara hesitated. "I… I don't know," she said lamely.

Deciding that she was too exhausted to probe any deeper, Leia merely nodded her head and walked past Mara. Not knowing where else to go in the unfamiliar ship, Leia went to the cockpit. Crashing down into the copilot's chair, Leia stared out blankly into space. Endor was looming large in the window, and it seemed that Mara was guiding them back towards the moon's surface.

Leia wanted to fall asleep, but she knew she couldn't. She didn't trust Mara in the slightest, and she knew that it was too great of a risk to lower her guard in her presence. Moreover, the guilt had not yet subsided, either. She thought of her mother who was now all alone on Ahch-To. For the past three years, her mother had been happier than she had ever seen her. She had been too stubborn to admit it, but she knew now that she had been so happy because of Anakin. Now she had taken him away from her. Leia had shattered her mother's happiness…

A few minutes later, Mara returned to the cockpit and took control of the ship once again. Without speaking to Leia, she maneuvered the shuttle through the atmosphere and toward the surface. As they descended farther, however, they could see that the Imperial base was in ruins. "What happened?" Mara asked.

"The Rebels must have destroyed the shield generator," Leia said. "We'll have to find somewhere else to land." It took them a long time to find a suitable landing location on Endor's heavily forested surface. Finally, they found a small clearing where several trees had been blown away by blaster fire.

"You stay here and look after Luke," Leia said, unbuckling herself from the copilot's chair and standing up. "I'll go find help."

"But –"

"I'll be faster," Leia interrupted. "Besides, I have a general idea where I'm going.

"Leia, wait!" Mara said as Leia was just about to leave. "I can't let you go to the Rebels."

Leia turned around slowly and put her hand on her lightsaber. "Excuse me?" she said.

"They'll execute me if they find me!" Mara said nervously.

"Don't worry, I'll vouch for you," Leia said impatiently.

"You will?" Mara asked, surprised.

"You'll be fine, just look after Luke while I'm gone," Leia said, turning around to leave. Should she actually vouch for Mara? She had tried to kill them on the Death Star, after all. But on the other hand, she had also saved their lives. Besides, it was clear that Mara wasn't like Sidious. She had cut off Luke's hand, but she clearly had been unable to actually kill him. Luke wouldn't have wanted her to turn Mara in, so she wouldn't.

Leia took off running out of Mara's ship in the general direction of where she suspected the Rebels would be. Running helped her clear her mind and keep the guilt and sorrow at bay. Getting help for Luke was of paramount importance to her at the moment.

The sounds of celebration in the distance guided Leia towards the elusive Rebels. Relieved, Leia ran faster towards the noises. "Stop right there!" a gruff voice suddenly called out. "Who are you?"

Turning towards the voice, Leia saw two Rebel soldiers pointing blasters at her. Out of breath, Leia was unable to answer for a moment and instead held up her hands.

"Identify yourself!" the soldier demanded again.

"I'm –"

"Drop your blaster, you moron!" Surprised, Leia looked up and sighed in relief when she saw Han striding towards her. "That's Princess Leia you're pointing your weapon at."

The soldiers turned around and lowered their weapons. "And who the hell are you?" one of them asked.

"Get lost," Han said irritably. The soldiers gave Han a dirty look, but nonetheless they obliged and walked away. When they were gone, Han shocked her by crushing her in a hug.

"Han, what are you doing?" she asked, her voice unnaturally high due to the strength of the hug. Embarrassed, Han released her.

"Sorry," he mumbled, not looking her in the eye. "I just thought… when it went…"

"What are you talking about?" Leia asked.

"The Death Star," he said. "They destroyed it." Looking up, Leia could see at once that Han was right. The looming presence of the incomplete battle station was gone, a giant puff of smoke and debris was all that was left. "I thought you were on it, I thought…"

"I'm fine," Leia said, surprised by Han's attitude. It looked as if he was on the verge of tears. Han looked her in the eye again and was silent for a moment. Suddenly, he leaned down and kissed her firmly on the mouth. Caught off guard, Leia didn't know what to do. Han stepped back quickly, however, and covered his mouth with his hands.

"I'm so sorry!" he said. "I didn't mean to, I swear!" Leia said nothing, paralyzed by the unexpected kiss. "I just wanted to do that for so long," Han said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

Blinking rapidly, Leia remembered why she was there. "Luke is hurt," she said faintly. "He needs medical attention."

"Oh, of course," Han said quickly, his face flaming red with embarrassment. "Follow me."


Leia was waiting on a bench in the hallway of the medical ward on the Rebel flagship. Mara was seated next to her, her hands clasped tightly on her lap, clearly feeling out of place amidst the Rebels. Leaning against the wall to her right was Han who kept giving her side glances which Leia pretended not to notice. Leia wondered who was feeling more uncomfortable right now: Han or Mara?

"He saved your life, you know," Leia finally said to Mara. "Luke did."

"He did?" Mara asked, turning to look at Leia with wide eyes.

Leia nodded and looked back towards the operating room where they had taken Luke. "I would have left you there," she said. "Luke forced me to take you with us."

Mara swallowed hard and looked away as well. "He's saved me in more ways than one, I suppose," she said softly.

"What do you mean?" Leia asked curiously.

"The old me would have killed him," she said somberly. "But I couldn't do it. He was the first person that was ever… compassionate towards me. He saw good in me that even I didn't know I had."

"That's Luke for you," Leia said with a knowing nod. "He sees the good in everybody."

"Even the Emperor?" Mara asked.

Leia snorted. "Okay, maybe not everybody," she amended. Mara laughed and gave Leia a smile.

"I'll make it up to him," she said, placing her hand on Leia's knee. "I am forever indebted to you and your brother."

Unsure of what to say to this sincere statement, Leia merely placed her hand atop Mara's and nodded. A tap on her shoulder caused Leia to look away from Mara.

"They're done," Han said, gesturing to the now open door of the operating room where she saw a medical droid approaching. Leia stood up quickly to greet the droid.

"How is he?" she asked urgently.

"The patient has been fitted with a mechanical hand and synthetic skin," the droid said flatly. "The operation was a success."

"Can we see him?" Mara asked.

"The patient will be transported to room 1103 shortly," the droid said. "He may receive visitors in that room."

A few minutes later, Leia was knocking on the door to room 1103. Not waiting for a response, Leia opened the door and stepped in, leaving Mara and Han behind in the hallway. Luke was propped up with some cushions on a bed. When she entered, he looked up to see her, a grim expression on his face.

"How are you?" she asked tentatively as she sat down on the chair next to his bedside. Luke looked away, flexing his right hand which now looked identical to his left.

"I feel hollow," he said quietly. "I know I should be happy, but I just can't."

Leia swallowed hard and looked down, guilt weighing her down once again. "Luke, I'm so sorry –"

"It's not your fault that he's gone," Luke interrupted as he turned to look at her. "I don't blame you, Leia."

Leia shook her head and felt her eyes watering up again. "How can you say that?" she asked. "It's entirely my fault. He wouldn't have had to die if I hadn't tried to play the hero." Luke said nothing and closed his eyes, his lower lip trembling slightly. "We should go back to Ahch-To as soon as possible," Leia said faintly after a tense silence. "Mom is all alone."

Luke nodded and didn't respond. Feeling frustrated with herself, Leia stood up and walked towards the door. "Mara and Han will want to see you," she said as she put her hand on the door handle.

"Leia, wait," Luke said, causing her to stop. "Please don't leave."

Leia sighed and took her hand off the handle. Turning around, she returned to her seat. When she was seated, Luke held out his mechanical hand to her. Leia took it into her own and gave it a squeeze. It felt no different than a normal hand.

"He wouldn't want you to feel guilty," Luke whispered to her.

"How can I not?" Leia asked, wrapping Luke's hand in both of her own. "I'm responsible for his death."

"You're not responsible, Leia," Luke said. "When he went, he was at peace. He died with purpose."

"What about Mom?" Leia asked, a single tear escaping and falling down her cheek. "She'll be devastated."

"Then we'll be there for her," Luke said. "And I'll be there for you."

Leia smiled in spite of herself, awed by Luke's purity. "You're the most amazing person I've ever met," she said to him.

"That's funny," Luke said with a smile. "I was going to say the same thing to you."


"You're leaving?"

"As soon as Luke is ready, yes," Leia said to Mothma.

Mothma frowned and stood up from her chair in her office on the cruiser. Walking around, she sat down on the edge of the desk and gave Leia a probing look. "What happened on the Death Star?" she asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," Leia said once again, vexed that Mothma couldn't let this go.

"Leia, what has gotten in to you?" Mothma asked. "You show up dressed like that and tell me that Luke lost his hand, yet you refuse to tell me anything!" Leia nodded, thinking that this was an accurate summation of the situation. "I'm not going to let you leave without an explanation," Mothma said as she crossed her arms irritably.

"You can't contain me," Leia said ominously, staring back at Mothma defiantly. "If I want to leave, there's nothing you can do to stop me."

"Is that so?" Mothma asked, sitting up from the desk. "You're awfully confident in yourself, aren't you?" Leia nodded and said nothing. Exhaling loudly, Mothma turned around and returned to her side of the desk. "I'm not your enemy, Leia," she said when she sat back down. "I just want to know what's going on."

"You know what you need to know, alright?" Leia said. "The Emperor is dead and the war is over. What else do you want?"

"The war is not over, Leia!" Mothma exclaimed. "The Emperor may be dead, but the Imperial apparatus remains." Leia bit her tongue and looked away. "I want you by my side, Leia," she pleaded. "We can be very helpful to one another."

"I'm not going to be your puppet, Senator," Leia said fiercely.

"I'm not proposing that!" Mothma said exasperatedly. When Leia said nothing, Mothma sighed and regained her composure. "Can you at least tell me who that woman is?" she asked. "The one you brought back from the Death Star?"

"A friend," Leia said stiffly. "That's all you need to know."

"I would appreciate a little more specificity," Mothma said.

"That's all you need to know," Leia repeated irritably.

Mothma rolled her eyes and put her hands on the desk. "You must be like your father because Padme would never have been so difficult," she said.

Leia stiffened at the mention of her father. "Can I go?" she asked.

"At least tell me if you intend to return," Mothma said.

"Perhaps," she said. "It all depends on what my mother wants."

"She will want you to return," Mothma said confidently.

"I'm not so sure of that," Leia said, pursing her lips as she considered her mother. Would she hate her for what she had done? Or would she forgive her like Luke had?

Leia stood up and turned to leave. "Leia, wait," Mothma said, standing up as well. Leia turned around and gave her a questioning look. "May the Force be with you," she said.

Leia looked back at Mothma silently for a moment. "Goodbye, Senator," she said coldly before turning to leave.


Padme was weeping softly on her bed when there was a knock on her door. Surprised, Padme looked up and stopped crying for the first time in what felt like days. She was all alone on this island. Who could possibly be at her door? Was it the Caretakers?

Getting off the bed, she shuffled towards the door. Opening it, she saw Luke standing in the doorframe. Dressed in his Jedi robes, he looked so much like his father.

"Oh, Luke!" Padme exclaimed, hugging him tightly. "I was so worried!"

"I'm okay, Mom," he said softly in her ear. Padme didn't let go of him for a full minute, relishing in his warmth. At least she still had her children…

"Leia wants to know if you're angry at her," Luke said when they finally separated.

"Why would I be angry at her?" Padme asked as she wiped her eyes.

"Um… no reason," Luke said unconvincingly. "We're just outside when you're ready." Luke turned around and walked away. Padme watched him go for a moment before turning to get changed. Throwing on a pair of pants and her coat, Padme left the hut. Waiting in the grass was Luke, Leia, Han, and a woman whom she didn't recognize.

Without a word, Padme rushed to Leia and hugged her tightly. Leia seemed tense, as if she hadn't expected to received warmly. Releasing her, Padme looked down and frowned. "What are you wearing?" she asked sternly.

Leia blushed and looked away. "Mara gave it to me," she said sheepishly.

"Mom, this is Mara Jade," Luke said when Padme opened her mouth to ask who Mara was. Looking at the pretty, red-haired woman, Padme extended her hand to her. "You're Padme Amidala," Mara said with an awed expression as she shook her hand.

"I am," Padme said modestly.

"I heard stories about you as a girl," Mara said. "You were an idol to me."

Padme nodded her head, but didn't say anything. Normally, she would have been delighted to hear this, but she couldn't muster up any enthusiasm at the moment.

"I assume you know what happened?" Padme asked, turning to Luke. "To… to your father."

Luke nodded and put a hand on her shoulder. "We felt it when it happened," he said softly. Padme looked away from his compassionate expression and bit her tongue, willing herself not to cry. Fortunately, she had no tears left to spend.

"Tell me what happened," she said in a wavering voice. And so they began their story. Padme said nothing when Leia confessed that it had been her idea to run away. She had suspected that that might have been the case. Leia had been so frustrated with Anakin's lack of action in the past few weeks. Padme understood why Leia feared she might be angry at her. From her perspective, she felt as if she was responsible for Anakin's death. Padme couldn't be angry at Leia, however. She cared for her too much to blame her for that.

She could feel angry at Obi Wan, however. It was clear that he had egged Leia on and was supportive of her abandoning Anakin. The coward had evidently decided not to come back to Ahch-To, either.

When Luke began to tell her about the duel on Endor, Padme finally interrupted him. "Wait a minute, you're a Sith?" she asked Mara.

Mara flushed and looked away from Padme's eyes. "Not really," she said lamely. "Sidious never made me his apprentice."

This seemed like an irrelevant technicality to Padme. "What is she doing here?" Padme asked Luke.

"Mom, Mara is a friend," he said defensively. "She helped save our lives."

Crossing her arms, Padme gave Mara a dirty look but said nothing else and allowed Luke to continue with the story. Luke hesitated, however, when they reached the Death Star. Glancing at Mara, Luke looked uncomfortable. "What happened, Luke?" Padme asked, confused by Luke's hesitation.

"Mara defended the Emperor when I tried to attack him," Leia said, intervening on Luke's behalf. "She cut off Luke's right hand."

Padme gasped, her eyes widened with shock. "But his hand –"

"It's mechanical now," Leia said. "They applied synthetic skin so it looks no different."

"Oh, Luke," Padme said, reaching out and taking Luke's hand. She would have had no idea that it was artificial if Leia hadn't told her. Raising his hand to her lips, she kissed it softly. "I'm so sorry," she said.

Leia began to continue with her story, but Padme interrupted her. "I don't want her in my sight," she said angrily, pointing at Mara. "I don't care what you say, Luke," she added when Luke opened his mouth to offer an objection.

"But Mom –"

"No, it's okay," Mara said, backing away. "She has every right to hate me." Padme watched Mara walk away, trembling with rage.

"I think I'll go keep an eye on her," Han said, backing away as well. "Make sure she doesn't do something stupid."

"She's a good person, Mom," Luke said when Han had gone. "She's been horribly abused by the Emperor, just like Father was."

"I don't care," Padme said bitterly. "She harmed my son."

Unsure of what to say, Luke was silent. "I defeated her," Leia said, breaking a tense silence. "After she cut off Luke's hand, I was so angry. I pushed her back and disarmed her. Sidious told me to kill her, but I didn't even though I wanted to. The Emperor was angry when I refused to join him, so he electrocuted me."

"He did what?" Padme asked incredulously.

"He held out his hands and shocked me with some sort of lightning," Leia said, grimacing as she relived the experience. "It was the most excruciating pain I've ever experienced."

"Oh, Leia," Padme said, holding her hands up to her mouth in horror.

"He saved me, though," Leia said. "Father came to save me." Padme arched an eyebrow in surprise. Since when did Leia refer to Anakin as her father?

"I was able to escape when he arrived," she said. "Sidious was furious and tried to kill him, but his lightsaber went straight through him. While he was distracted, I was able to cut his head off from behind."

"You killed the Emperor?" Padme asked, stunned. "You really did it?"

"She's a hero," Luke said proudly.

"I'm not a hero," Leia said. "Father did all the work."

"Do you know how he did it?" Luke asked her, ignoring Leia's humility. "He wasn't really there at all, was he?"

"He projected himself from Ahch-To," Padme explained in a strained voice. "Qui Gon taught him how to do it in their private sessions."

"But why –"

"He knew he would die if he did it," Padme said, deciding it was best to power through this explanation without stopping. "It required a tremendous use of power to project himself like that. He sacrificed himself to save you."

"I killed him," Leia said. "This is all my fault."

"No, Leia!" Padme said, reaching out and grabbing Leia's hand. "This isn't your fault, okay? You did what you thought was right, and you shouldn't blame yourself for that."

"That's what Luke said," Leia mumbled, not looking Padme in the eye.

"Luke is a very wise young man," she said, flashing a sweet smile to her son. "There's no point in dwelling on what might have been."

Abruptly, both Luke and Leia looked up to their left. Confused, Padme looked up as well but didn't see anything. "What is it?" she asked. "What are you looking at?"

Neither of them seemed to register her question. "Are you back?" Luke asked, still staring off into nothingness.

"Luke, what is happening?" Padme asked urgently, grabbing his arm and yanking it violently. Luke tore his eyes away from what he was looking at and turned to her.

"You can't see him?" he asked.

"See who?" Padme said, utterly bewildered. Once again, Luke turned towards the left for a moment before looking back at Padme.

"It's Father," he said. "He wants you to know that he loves you."