After these previously long chapters, this one is surprisingly small...though in reality it's just preparing you all for the next chapter...

Be prepared!

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Enjoy!

Luke was woken the very next morning by a slobbery tongue in his face. He scrunched up his face, turning away from the saliva-filled assault with a groan.

"Nydri...go away..." he murmured, lazily pushing the tuk'ata's face away. He'd forgotten what it was like to be woken up by Nydri in the morning. Maybe she'd leave him alone and he could just go back to sleep...

That dream was quickly shattered as Luke suddenly found a heavy, four legged weight on top of him on the bed. His eyes flew open and he gasped, sitting up and jostling Mara.

For a moment he was absolutely confused. Where was he? Why was Mara lying in his arms in the first place? What happened? How did he get here?

Finally, everything floated back to him and he laid back down on the bed, letting Mara roll back onto his side while the memories glided back to the front of his mind. Sidious, the merge, his reunions, Mara's apology...

Falling asleep with Mara because there was only one bed in the room and he wasn't about to make a woman sleep on the floor and she wouldn't let him sleep on the floor either. They'd designated sides for the bed, but it seemed in their sleep the two of them had still wound up side by side with Mara's arm draped across Luke's bare chest.

Luke cracked his eyelids open once more, raising an eyebrow when he found Nydri lying complacently on top of him, ears pricked forward and tail wagging slowly and lazily. She was panting lightly, her tongue lolling out of her mouth, her blue eyes sparkling.

"What are you lookin' at?" he mumbled.

He could have sworn she was laughing at him. With a sigh, he started scratching behind her ear, glancing out the window of his bedroom to see the sun was already risen; he'd slept in.

"I guess I probably should get up..." he murmured. At that, Nydri got up and jumped off of the bed, trotting through the door, earning an eye roll from Luke. "You were down here to wake me up all along, weren't you," he mumbled even though the tuk'ata was already out of the room and probably down the hall. With a sigh, Luke gently removed Mara's hand from over his chest, doing his best not to wake her as he carefully slipped out of the bed. Once he was free, he situated the covers back around the sleeping red-head and slowly made his way out of the room, his bare feet sinking slightly into the carpet along the way.

Luke hefted the right side of his trousers a little higher as he gradually made his way to the vendetta, stifling a yawn. Voices wafted towards him and he frowned, straining his ears when he heard his father's voice as well as Obi-Wan's.

When had Obi-Wan come here?

"...you are the Grandmaster now Anakin, and this responsibility falls on your shoulders." Obi-Wan was saying.

Anakin's response came out dark, harsh, and raspy. "Don't ask me to do this!" he snapped desperately.

"I'm sorry Anakin, but it's just the way things are...the rest of the Council does worry that your thoughts will not be clear though and...though they want you to head it...they don't think that your vote should hold any merit or sway in his trial."

Luke pressed himself against the wall and froze, ice rushing through his veins at Obi-Wan's words. Trial...the Council knew he was back...they were talking about...

"You know what happened to Ahsoka, Obi-Wan; I will not go through that again, and I will not put Luke through this either," Anakin forced out. He sounded like he was holding back tears. "If he's handed over to the Republic like Ahsoka was—"

"This isn't the same Anakin. First of all, the Republic isn't corrupt or under Sidious' control like when Ahsoka had her trial; and this time he truly is guilty..." Obi-Wan said, adding the last part very, very softly. "What's happened can't go without consequence. More and more victims are being discovered even as we speak—"

"Do you think I don't know that Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked sharply. "You weren't there, you haven't seen how tortured he's been about what he did; you haven't seen what happened to him down there. Part of him was deceived, but part of him was imprisoned. This is too complicated for a simple trial, and I don't believe that anyone is going to understand—"

"Other than you?" Obi-Wan cut in. "Anakin, I am very well aware of how fragile this all is, but the fact remains; Luke has killed people...lots of people. That can't go unpunished."

"I guess you should put me on trial while you're at it," Anakin said harshly.

There was a few moments of silence. "That's different Anakin...all that life is now is a memory. Those that you killed then have not died by your hand now."

Anakin made a sound of disgust. "Do you think that changes anything Obi-Wan? It still happened, and their blood is still on my hands. I still killed them, even if it was in another life. I remember them as if they really happened, because they did; it all did."

"We're getting off track," Obi-Wan said sternly. "This trial is dealing with the crimes that your son did here, in this life, in the present. And I'm afraid that you don't have much of an option in the matter Anakin; they're going to put Luke on trial whether you like it or not."

Anakin made a sound of choked off fury, and Luke could practically envision him throwing his hands up into the air. Obi-Wan wasn't done however.

"They want him to be brought to the Jedi Temple to be put under guard in the exterior holding cells in the Detention Center so that he can't run and he can be maintained for everyone's safety."

"What?" Anakin thundered. "The exterior is for Sith and Dark Jedi!"

"I tried to change their mind, but everyone is jittery and on edge and they won't have it any other way. They want him there just in case he's still a threat. I tried to change their minds to something like house arrest Anakin, I did, but they won't have it that way."

"When are they coming to get him?" Anakin asked, his voice strained and cracked.

"Any time now...they said they would send sentinels not too long after I left so that after you were informed of all of this Luke could be taken into custody. Again, I tried to change their minds but they want him in custody and in the holding cell as soon as possible."

"He's still asleep; he needs all the rest he can get after what he went through..." Anakin tried to say.

"That doesn't matter to them Anakin. They're coming from him and will be here any moment now; these consequences are already in progress and no one can stop them now."

"I can't let them take my son Obi-Wan...if his trial moves on to the Senate...if they give him the conviction I think they will..."

"Anakin, don't talk like that," Obi-Wan said gently.

"I can't help it Obi-Wan. We've ignored it ever since he turned back to the light side but we all know that would be the normal sentence," Anakin forced out. "I can't even count how many people have died because we haven't even found them all, but he knows Obi-Wan. I gave him one digit of how many the Council had found the last time I knew and he was already disagreeing with me. Obi-Wan, I can't lose him after everything I just went through to get him back."

"Anakin...you can't give up yet all right? There's still hope. The Force works in mysterious ways, and perhaps his situation may hold some sway over the courts, at least perhaps enough to avoid a...a death sentence..."

"I can't help it Obi-Wan! I thought that we had more time...and I don't want to see this family torn apart another time..."

"Speaking of...where are the others?"

"I sent them away when you told me that you were coming...it wasn't hard to guess why, and I didn't want them to hear. They either went with Padme to one of the local parks or they went to the Temple. Luke's in the back in his room. He was still asleep when I got your call..."

"You might want to wake him and explain things the best you can...the sentinels will be here any moment now..."

"There's no need," Luke said shakily, stepping out from around the corner. The scene finally came into view of his father on his hands and knees staring down into the water fountain with tears streaming down his face while Obi-Wan stood beside him with a hand on his shoulder. When Luke entered, their heads snapped up and their eyes riveted to him. "I've already heard everything..."

Anakin pushed himself to a standing position, his red-rimmed eyes, riveted on Luke. "Luke, I—"

Luke waved whatever he was about to say off. "No, don't say anything...I've already heard all that I need to hear...I'll go get dressed so that I'm ready when they come for me..." he said softly, already turning around.

"Luke, your back..." Anakin stated in surprise.

Luke turned his head back to glance at his father. "Mara healed it last night," he said shortly before he finished making his way back to his bedroom. Once inside, he slowly let his eyes gaze around the room's interior, just in case he never saw it again.

The thought of never coming home again pulled at his heart, and he had to blink back tears as he shuffled forward towards his dresser. He pulled out yet another shirt that was ironically the same make and color as what he'd worn on the Second Death Star, shrugging it on as quietly as he could before he grabbed some socks and his black boots and pulled them on. His eyes roamed the length of the room once more, falling on the holo of his father and himself that Mara had been looking at last night. Before he possibly changed his mind or he could forget, Luke pocketed the picture, taking care to make sure that his lightsabers were in sight where the holo had been not moments before.

Behind him, Luke heard the covers shift and he inclined his head slightly as the bed creaked. "Morning," he said emotionlessly.

"What's going on?" was Mara's first question. Apparently she had already noted the absence of the holo and the strategic placement of the lightsabers. His tone probably added to her suspicion.

"The Jedi are taking me into custody; I'm leaving any minute now," Luke said softly, keeping his back towards her as he looked up at the ceiling. "They're worried that I'm too much of a risk to have under house arrest, so their going to hold me at the Temple until my trial."

More creaking behind him signaled Mara had either sat up straighter or gotten to her feet. "When did all this happen?"

"Just now," Luke said quietly. "Obi-Wan just told my father. I overheard and...the sentinels will be here any minute now according to Obi-Wan."

Her hand touched his shoulder and Luke instinctively turned to face her. She was frowning, and her entire expression was etched with worry. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going with them," Luke said simply with a shrug, trying to hide the flicker of fear and the sting of tears. "I'm not going to fight them. If I try to run or resist then I will just make things worse than they already are. I'll go quietly."

"Luke, if you're put on trial—"

"They could give me a death sentence for what I've done. Trust me, I know. Obi-Wan and my father already had that conversation," Luke muttered, staring at his feet before he looked back up and clasped her hand in his, gently peeling it away from his shoulder. "Listen, while you're here, just try to stick to my mother's side. I'm sure that she'll make certain that you're treated right while you're here."

Mara bit her lip, staring at Luke in worry. "I'm guessing that I'm still not allowed to kiss you, even if this could possibly be the last time I see you; if not the last time for a long time..."

The corners of Luke's lips twitched up and he moved away from her back to the door before she could even try anything. "I have to go..."

"May the Force be with you," Mara whispered before the door hissed shut behind him.

As he made his way down the hall, Luke heard new voices drifting towards him. Instantly, he felt numb and his movements became automatic, his mind going blank, and he was positive his heart flatlined for a few moments. He was much more afraid than he would let anyone realize, his hands shaking as he neared the end of the hall towards the vendetta. Still, he could not back down; he had to move forward. He had stood toe to toe with Darth Vader on Endor, and had stood tall in defiance before Sidious on multiple occasions. He could gather the will to walk to his certain death. He'd done it before, even with a broken will.

"Where is he?" a low, gruff voice said just around the corner. Luke nervously cleared his throat, schooling himself to be as calm as possible and steady his hands before he rounded the corner and emerge into the vendetta.

"I'm here," Luke said, unable to help the twinge of pride he felt at the fact he'd managed to keep his voice calm. He offered up his wrists to the six sentinels that stood in front of Obi-Wan and his father just inside of the vendetta as he approached. "I'm assuming I'm to be bound?"

One of the sentinels stepped forward and clipped heavy binders on Luke's wrists, and he couldn't help that his insides withered whenever the click sounded and at that exact moment he was immediately cut off from the Force. A familiar panic rose inside of him, ingrained deep within his being from his imprisonment. Being cut off from the Force reminded him way too strongly of his time in captivity. Still, he swallowed all of the raging emotions and lowered his bound hands in front of him.

"Luke Skywalker, you are under arrest for charges of mass murder, treason, sexual assault, conspiracy, torture, kidnapping, arson, blackmail, and theft," the sentinel rumbled.

Luke closed his eyes, his teeth grit as his crimes were rattled off. He didn't agree with the sexual assault; he had no recollection of ever doing such a thing. Now wasn't the time to argue the point though. Now was the time to go quietly. He could feel his father's gaze boring a hole through him even as the sentinels gathered around him to lead him away from his home and family. Before they could entirely cut him off, however, his father reached out and grasped Luke's arm.

"Luke," Anakin said in a strangled voice. There were a billion things to say and no way to say it.

Luke gave him a weak smile, his eyes stinging yet again as he echoed the words of the past, though he changed a few things for the circumstances. "Search your feelings father...you can do this..." Luke told him evenly. Gently, he pulled away, casting his eyes down as the sentinels led him out of the apartment and into a small shuttle. They sat him down rather roughly in one of the seats, though Luke said nothing and kept his expression blank.

He'd hardly even had enough time to truly process what was happening.

Luke's hand subconsciously drifted to his pocket where he'd stored his holo. At least he'd have enough time in his cell to let everything sink in.

Hardly an hour later, his muscles ached, sweat poured down his face, his breathing was ragged, and the world around him was a blur that made sense at the same time it didn't. Anakin's lightsaber was among the blurry world around him, and a small part of his brain registered that his injuries were already screaming at him to stop.

His heart, his mind, his soul, and his emotions, however, screamed louder. They screamed that his pain was not yet gone and that he still had not pushed himself to the point where he could forget, where his suffering could be relieved.

His only son being led away in cuffs, the spitting image of that prisoner transfer on Endor...

"Search your feelings father, you can do this..."

Or is it 'you can't do this,' like he originally said, Anakin couldn't help but wonder as he pushed himself to keep moving.

I can't lose him...I can't! If he gets a death sentence...

"Luke Skywalker, you are under arrest for charges of mass murder, treason, sexual assault, conspiracy, torture, kidnapping, arson, blackmail, and theft..."

My son...I just got him back and already he's being ripped away from me...

"This meeting is just a formality!"

Please, please don't let this happen again...please, Force, spare my son...

His body finally decided that it had enough and Anakin collapsed, thankfully having enough mind and strength to deactivate his lightsaber as he fell to the floor. He didn't bother to get up. He simply laid there, panting, the picture of a shattered man as his grief caught up to him despite his best efforts and he allowed tears to slip out of his eyes. Thankfully, he was in a secluded corner of the Jedi Temple Ahsoka, Luke, and he had trained in together that hardly anyone visited anymore, where no one would disturb him. He'd been careful to keep himself masked so that no one could pick up his emotions or presence through the Force, allowing himself this much needed time to try and take all of this tragedy off of his mind.

Obviously it had not worked.

Anakin managed to push himself onto his hands and knees, allowing himself his much needed sobbing and tears in this solitude where no one could see him.

After what felt like an eternity, Anakin heard the door open behind him, and footsteps slowly and cautiously made their way toward his trembling form but staying at a safe distance.

"Anakin?"

Anakin looked up, staring at the wall in front of him as tears and sweat mingled on his face and in his eyes. "Ahsoka...I need your help..."