Luke gasped allowed as the haze dissipated from his mind. His eyes focused unsteadily on his lover, taking in the sight of her. Why had she come back?
"Why are you here?" He managed to mumble out, his tongue feeling fat within his mouth. "I told you to leave. Why did you come back?!"

Surprise registered on Mara's face.
"To save you." She said forcefully, as if it was obvious.

"No..." He muttered, shaking his head.
For the first time, Luke's eyes fell on the dark figure standing directly behind Mara Jade. Darth Vader. A sickness rolled over him. It was him. He brought her here. That was the only explanation!
"Mara…get away from that thing." He spat it out like an insult.

Mara's eyes widened as if surprised and Palpatine let out a cackle behind him. Luke ignored this and mounted to his feet.

"I said, get away from him." He repeated, his eyes shifted to a place to his left.

Mara followed his gaze and noticed a lightsaber encased on a far wall. It was enclosed within a glass case made out of Verital; the strongest glass ever.
"Luke…"

She took a step forward, noting the wild look in his eyes. Her words were drowned out as the glass casing shattered and the lightsaber snapped hissed to life, soaring into his outstretched hand. He ignited it and struck out at Vader. Mara saw it happen in slow motion, but knew without a lightsaber she was helpless to stop it from happening. Acting quickly, she reached for the nearest lightsaber, her own on Vader's belt and pulled it off. She ignited the blade just in time, her blade clashing with Luke's, making a very audible crackling sound as the two blades crossed.

"What are you doing, Mara?" Luke hollered, clear surprise registering. "Why are you defending this monster?"

"It's not what you think!" She yelled, gritting her teeth as she pushed back.
Mara could hear Palpatine cackling. He was most likely enjoying the show. She gritted her teeth, stepping forward and trying her best to maintain her position.
"This isn't you! The Emperor has turned your mind against him!"

"And what about you? What has Vader done to you?"
Mara let out a scoff.

"You're truly blind if you believe that." Feeling his mind floundering, Mara pushed hard with the Force, directing her efforts toward him. "Wake up!"

Luke was physically shoved backward and he almost dropped his lightsaber but retained his grip at the last minute. His eyes narrowed, glimmering with malice at Vader. Mara watched as he tightened his grip on the saber.

"Don't. I don't want to hurt you, Luke."

"And I don't want to hurt you. Stop getting in my way."

This wasn't working, Mara thought desperately, his mind though freed, was still slightly clouded. He wasn't listening to a word she said!
She faced Luke, with her saber humming between them. "It's him who's the actual manipulator." Her hard emerald gaze flicked to Palpatine, who was indeed watching everything with avid appreciation of the unfolding events. Doubtless playing right into his slimy schemes, Mara thought. This fueled her determination even further. "He's been leading you around and treating you like nothing more than a pet tooka on a string!"

Luke scowled, and yet, Mara was relieved to see he was hesitating, lowering his blade. The Emperor made as if to break in and try to reassert his dominance, but Mara took advantage of the lull as Luke's mind grappled with her words.
She leapt up the steps of the dais in one fluid move.

But Palpatine was ready, unleashing a Force blast that sent her tumbling backwards, the saber dropping from her grip. Then he unleashed a volley of Force lightning at her defenseless form before she could gather her wits and breath,get to her feet, and retrieve her weapon.
For his part, Vader watched. This was Mara's true test. He wanted to intervene, seal the triumph he could feel would be imminent and avert a catastrophic defeat if the Emperor prevailed ...
He stood in readiness if the situation demanded, but held back so that Mara would be able to prove her mettle.

Luke, however, was not so sanguine nor did he see the broader picture.
The last haze faded with the attack on Mara.
He sprang to her side and coldly faced the emperor.

Vader observed him carefully, for any telltales that he was verging dangerously on uncontrolled anger. But instead of a hot fury, there was a frigid calmness.

***

Luke turned in place, knowingly giving his back to Vader, and witnessed the woman who had become his very soul struck down by dark force lightning. With a new purpose in mind, he advanced upon his Master, but Palpatine must've sensed his purpose and flung another blast of the lightning in his direction. He raised how blade just in and felt the force of the Emperor's power batter against his lightsaber. The hilt practically shook in his hands as he strained to maintain his grip.

"You dare defy me!" Palpatine snarled, hurling power lightning in his direction. "you have failed to learn your lesson and thus failed me for the last time!" he increased the weight and knocked the lightsaber aside, driving Luke to his knees.
Luke surprisingly showed no hint of the pain he should have been feeling: his conditioning. The girl was another matter. So he increased her torture tenfold, listening to her scream as his second disappointment looked on dispassionately.

"You have both failed." Palpatine directed this statement to Vader as well as Luke. "How could it be otherwise? weaklings both of you." He turned his attention back to Luke, the girl's scream filling him with pleasure. "I should have let him kill you when you were a child." He gave a cruel smile.
Luke did not rise to the jibe, but Palpatine could feel him prickle none the less. Instead, he sucked in a breath of air through his gritted teeth.
"You're not as strong as you think." Luke willfully spat out.

A look crossed the Emperor's face. One Luke had not expected.
He strangely seemed more amused than angered. "I think it is you who are not as strong as he thinks. You are only as strong as I allow you to be."

"I am so much more." The former Hand corrected. "What are you afraid of, Master? Are you truly afraid I'd side with Vader? That I'd outgrow your influence? I'm sorry to say,Your Majesty, your control over me isn't what you thought..."

His voice held mockery and challenge.
Through a haze of pain and semi-consciousness, Mara heard Luke's words of defiance and his instant defense of her. it filled her with a pervasive sense of gratification. She was vindicated in her confidence that underneath it all, despite it all, he was still himself, not permanently damaged or tainted.
She tried to marshall her waning strength to summon her saber, but she could not. The barrage seeped past her defenses and sapped her ability to concentrate with each passing second.

Vader listened to the Emperor's unveiled contempt, and something within him snapped free. He'd been a pawn a tool, for far too long! He had swallowed whole the Emperor's silky promises and half-truths and sacrificed more than he could have afforded to lose, which had in turn led to the suffering of countless beings. The weight of guilt could have been suffocating.
Instead, he used it as an impetus for clarity and decisive action!
Even as these thoughts formed, he moved between the Emperor and Mara, taking the brunt of the attack.
This captured Palpatine's attention immediately, and his gaze fastened on Vader, as the latter deflected the Force lightning away from Mara for a precious handful of seconds.
"On the contrary," He rumbled, his cold voice slicing through the charged air like a vibroshiv. "Luke has just shown he is anything but a weakling. Attachment and compassion, these are not the evils and crutches you have always claimed. I am no longer blinded by lies, either."

The Emperor gave a derisive laugh. "You are overconfident, my friend."

"I was never by any stretch of the term your friend." Vader retorted.

Luke's eyes blinked rapidly. He watched in utter surprise as Vader willingly blocked the Emperor's lightning, shielding and protecting Mara with his body. He couldn't believe it.

"This will kill you!" Mara shouted at the Dark Lord.
Vader didn't respond, but the Emperor did. He seemed incensed at having another defiant servant and an obstacle to his prey. He blasted his apprentice with the lightning obviously intent on destroying him completely. Luke felt the burst directed at him dissipating and glanced at Mara briefly-she was recovering from the Emperor's blast, and scrambling for her lightsaber. Assured that she was fine, he sent her a message informing her of his intent.

Are you sure? She voiced.

I'm sure. It has to be me who ends this. Who ends him, were the unspoken words. I'll need a distraction-just for a moment. That's all I need. He realized Palpatine's attentions were returning to him, forcing him to spring into action.
He barely avoided the lightning dancing back from it and caught on the blade.
Mara moved into position around Vader, glancing at him with worry.

The man was now more focused on Vader's defiance than Luke. The Hand slipped quickly into The Emperor's blind spot, moving quickly up around the dais to his right. He raised his blade to strike and Palpatine momentarily averted his attention and raised up a hand to ward off Luke's lightsaber.
He cackled gleefully.
"So that was your plan, was it not?" You're all in this together - then you all wish to die together."

"Not today." Luke promised and dropped back, catching Palpatine off guard.

The Emperor sort of staggered; he threw up his hand once more to augment this falter. He focused a blast of Force at Luke and the man sank to his knees. More lightning was pouring forth as Palpatine switched his attention.
From his peripheral vision, Luke could see Mara had abandoned Vader who had also fallen to his knees, and was creeping around to Palpatine's left. It was just the opening he needed, really. Palpatine must've sensed her intent because his lips cruelly curled up.
Luke felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

He heard Mara gasp as Palpatine held her throat in his Force grip and through her backward. She crashed back down the steps, landing in a heap next to Vader.
Luke reached for her, assuring her that all was well. The anti-hero becomes the hero, he thought bitterly. That wouldn't be so bad. He felt her mind feebly touching his as she tried to struggle to a sitting position. Luke turned his attention back to Palpatine, steeling his resolve and rising to his feet as Palpatine let forth another blast. He didn't deflect with his lightsaber this time but let it directly hit his body. He felt the searing pain as the electricity played over it. It hurt so much.

What are you doing? Came Mara's incredulous thought. Fight, Luke.
"I am." He stated, defiance in eyes.
"Are you?" Palpatine hissed.
Trust me, love.
Mara's heart skipped a beat at the endearment and she linked her mind with his as if gripping his hand. I do.

Luke seemed to nod mentally, the pain becoming stronger as he felt his knees buckle. He stepped forward, determined to get to Palpatine. He knew this might kill him and he was foolish as a haze engulfed his vision. He pondered this when a feeling of peace washed over. It was Mara…her assurance and Force power were drenching him.
He embraced it fully.
"You can't defeat us, Your Majesty."
Luke then raised a hand in front of his chest, surprising the Emperor by catching the dark Force lightning in the palm of his hand.
"We are more powerful together than you could possibly be alone." He was truly alone without Vader, Luke thought smugly.

Mara's mouth dropped open, also startled by the sudden show of power.

"He's drawing on you." Vader rasped.
Mara's head whipped about. "What?!"
"He's drawing on your Force power."
She realized then that he was right, the Force was leaking from her as if it was being sucked into a vortex. And it was all being directed at Luke. He was augmenting his power with her own!

The Emperors face became mottled with rage as his lightning seemed to do nothing but make his wayward hand more determined. He attempted to turn his attention back to Jade and Vader.
"i'm your opponent!" Luke snapped and closed the gap in between them.
With palm directed outward, he threw the emperors hand aside and planted his own against the emperors chest in one movement. Leaning in with the Emperor immobilized for the moment, he ignited his lightsaber and thrust it through the emperors chest.
The Sith Lord stilled and Luke watch the emotions of shock pain and disbelief Play over his face. With his last bit of strength he jerked the lightsaber upward, laying the Emperor out and followed after, collapsing upon the dais himself.

Mara felt her world spinning out of control as she saw Luke collapse on the dais. Her intense connection to him had made her feel everything - be in syncrony with his every move. Now, suddenly, she was not so entwined but still strongly attuned to him and knew he was in grave peril.
She held frantically onto Luke's force sense. It was there, but faint.
"We have to get him out of here." She said in a choked rasp. "Hurry! Help me with him!"
Her heart was bursting with pride and love and at the same time her mind was awash with trepidation.
Could the universe be so cruel as to bring she and Luke together in such a great melding of power and closeness and to achieve such a resounding victory only to snatch him from her?!