Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.

After fending off Tremayne and his pirates, the Falcon ventures further into Imperial Space. All the while, Luke uses the Force to safeguard the ship from potential threats, somewhat aided by Booster.

Enter Jacen.

Jacen. Perhaps you should get some sleep, Luke.

Luke starts to protest.

It's fine, man. Give somebody else a chance to save the ship, eh?

Luke returns to his quarters.

Exit all but Luke.

Luke. [aside] I know Jacen is right, but after today I don't know if I will be able to sleep. Tremayne beat me so easily. Hell, he could have killed me without breaking a sweat. He only kept me alive because someone else wanted to pay for the privilege of killing me later. I feel like a quarrel has slipped through a chink in my armor . . . as if I still had the blessing of Hoth, and someone has found my weak spot. The older I get, the longer I survive as a Jedi, the more my friends look up to me. They depend on me and rely on my powers. Even the Imperials raised me on a shield and made me Grand Admiral. And I only knew them for a couple of weeks. I don't feel powerful. The more heroic stuff I do, the more I realize how limited I am. I feel like a fraud. Maybe this is why I've started to fear suffocation. It's not so much literal drowning, but the feeling that I'm sinking into too many expectations, literally getting in over my head.

Luke shakes his head.

Bloah. When I start having thoughts like that, I know I've spending too much time with Mara. Ashla once told me my fatal flaw: I'm supposedly too loyal to his friends. I can't see the big picture. I would save a friend even if it meant destroying the galaxy. At the time, I shrugged this off. How could loyalty be a bad thing? Besides, things worked out okay against the Sith. I saved my friends and beaten Palpatine. [sighs] Now, though, I've started to wonder. I would gladly throw himself at any monster, god, or alien to keep my friends from being hurt. But what if I'm not up to the task? What if someone else has to do it? That is very hard for me to admit. I even have trouble with simple things like letting Jacen take a turn at watch. He don't want to rely on someone else to protect me, someone who could get hurt on my account.

Luke looks out into the distance as he recalls the past.

My mother did that for me. She stayed in a bad relationship with a gross mundane guy because she thought it would save me from monsters. Corran, my best friend, protected me for almost a year before I even realized I was a demigod, and Corran was almost killed by the Gamorrean. I'm not a kid anymore. I don't want anybody I love taking a risk for me. He have to be strong enough to be the protector myself. But now I'm supposed to let Mara go off on her own to follow the Mark of Ashla, knowing she might die. If it came to a choice — save Mara or let the quest succeed — can I really choose the quest?

Exhaustion at last overtakes Luke, and he falls asleep.

In his dreams, Luke finds himself outside the Temple at the Jedi Praxeum.

Abeloth's Voice. So this is your home. Take a last look, Luke Skywalker. You should have returned here. At least then you could have died with your comrades when the Empire invades. Now your blood will be spilled far from home, on the ancient stones. And I will rise.

The ground shakes as Jaina's tree erupts into flames, and the Praxeum subsequently burns to the ground.

Enter Abeloth.

When I reclaim the cosmos, I will leave this spot barren forever, to remind me of your kind and how utterly powerless they were to stop me. It doesn't matter when you fall, my sweet little pawn . . . to Xendor or Antinnis Tremayne or my dear twins. You will fall. And I will be there to devour you. Your only choice now . . . will you fall alone? Come to me willingly. Bring the girl. Perhaps I will spare this place you love. Otherwise . . .

Abeloth opens her eyes, silver lights reminiscent of tiny stars at the bottom of a deep well.

Upon Abeloth's gaze, Luke withers into dust.

Enjoy the Maw, my little pawn.

Exit Abeloth.

Luke awakes.

Enter Jacen, looking excited.

Jacen. Hey, man. We're descending over Bastion. You really should see this.

Exit all.