Luke's Missing Piece:

D201/4 ABY, Endor Moon

A half hour later, his missing piece flew into his life. Literally.

Luke extracted himself from the party as quietly as possible, the long, action packed adventure of the last four days finally catching up to him. He jumped down to the forest floor and aimed for the Lambda class shuttle he'd appropriated off the Death Star, that he'd left in the forest a ways away, wanting some peace and quiet so he could sleep uninterrupted by music and the Force presence of so many people. He also wanted a little distance between him and Leia and Han, who were radiating enough sappy love vibes to make him downright depressed. As he walked, Luke put a shield up between him and Leia so he didn't have to be subjected to their wedding night bliss, because that would just be WRONG.

He was only steps from the shuttle when a Headhunter class fighter zoomed right at him through a gap in the trees, making him drop to the ground to avoid losing the top half of his body. Luke sprang back up to his feet, feeling the rage coming at him in waves through the Force, and drew his lightsabre, ready to fight whoever came out of that ship.

Mara Jade, favoured of the Emperor's Hands (aka Force trained assassin / spy) landed her fighter beside the Lambda shuttle, with only one thought swirling through her mind in the Emperor's voice. The same one that had bombarded her for the last six hours during the entire flight to Endor; "Kill Luke Skywalker! He's on Endor. Kill Luke Skywalker! He's on Endor." Accompanying the thought was a picture of a man in his early twenties with blond hair and the prettiest blue eyes Jade had ever seen on a man, which confused her, because it was a contradictory thought to the first. The first thought, she had no control over. It simply wouldn't go away, no matter how much she tried to think of something else or even meditate. It was like she was programmed. So she went with it, since it was the only option that seemed like it would shut off the Emperor's voice.

Jade had been a servant to the Emperor for almost her entire life. He'd raised her, in a fashion, and taught her everything she needed to know to kill an enemy of the Empire in a thousand different ways. But he was dead now. She'd felt it. The Force bond he'd established with her was gone, making her feel free for the first time in as long as she could remember. Except for one thing.

The Emperor's last command.

She wasn't getting away from that, so she flew as fast as she could to Endor, or more specifically, a moon orbiting Endor. Finding Luke Skywalker hadn't been hard. The Emperor had sent her such a good impression of what Luke felt like in the Force, she was immediately drawn right to him.

Jade smacked the button to release the transparisteel shield over the cockpit and leapt up out of her chair and down to the forest floor, already igniting her purple lightsabre. She landed right in front of Skywalker, letting the Emperor's rage flow through her, figuring she might as well use it to make this quick. She had a whole life of freedom ahead of her to look forward to, and she wanted to get to it.

Luke's eyes near popped out of his head as the young woman dropped down in front of him. In the glow of their lightsabres, it looked like her long curls were a brilliant shade of red. And her eyes gleamed like emeralds in the most exquisitely beautiful face he'd ever seen. Her strong, lean, yet killer curvy body was covered in form fitting black synth leather with a belt around her hips holding a holstered blaster. If a person could fall in love at first sight, that's what Luke did. He didn't care that she was obviously here to kill him. He didn't care that she felt cold like she was channelling the Dark side. He didn't even care that they hadn't even spoken a single word yet. Somehow, he just KNEW she was the one he'd been waiting for. Luke fell and he fell hard. She was PERFECT.

Jade studied her opponent for a minute, since he wasn't making any moves to defend himself or attack. It looked like he'd been frozen to the spot, actually, which she found amusing. He was cute too. Really cute. Like your typical boy next door cute that you couldn't help but love. There was this adorable cleft in his chin that she had the urge to kiss. And those eyes. They were even prettier in real life than the image in her mind. Yeesh. Guys shouldn't have pretty eyes like that. It just made him harder to kill. Oh well. She'd let her training take over. Once he was dead, then this stupid, "Kill Luke Skywalker! He's on Endor. Kill Luke Skywalker! He's on Endor," message would stop driving her insane. No man was worth living with that for the rest of her life. No matter how cute he was or whether he deserved to die or not.

Jade had had enough of the long drawn out exchange of stares. She tightened her fingers on the grip of her lightsabre. "Sorry, Skywalker, but Master wants you dead, so it's lights out I'm afraid."

That was the only warning he got before the girl leapt at him. Her voice was so low and sultry that Luke almost took too long to process what she'd actually said. He raised his lightsabre just in time to avoid being beheaded on the first swing. Then it took every ounce of his training to keep up with her as she attacked him and they danced around the small clearing in the trees in a battle to the death.

Anakin stayed at the party for as long as his children did, reluctant to stop watching them. He'd missed so MUCH of their lives that he almost couldn't bear to miss another instant. Obi-Wan and Yoda kept him company for the entertainment value. At the moment, Rex, Cody, Lando, and Chewie were having a drinking competition with native ewok liquor. Apparently the little teddy bears could really hold their drink and made some very potent stuff, because the three humans were so drunk they could barely sit upright and were cracking the most hilariously slurred jokes. And Chewie, despite his large size was canting to the side alarmingly. Obi-Wan was pretty sure one more drink would do him in.

After Luke left, Leia dragged Han away as well with a look in their eyes that Anakin didn't even want to think about. "Okay, time to go," he thought abruptly to the Masters, making them shake their heads and laugh at him. It was at that moment when they all felt a change in the Force and some very confusing emotions coming from Luke. Exchanging a look of alarm, they flashed to Luke's location and found him fighting for his life against a red-headed girl. Normally, they'd be tempted to let Luke deal with it, since he could use the training, but the girl was clearly better than him and she radiated a Force signature that felt way too much like Darth Sidious.

Anakin rushed forward and stopped the girl in her tracks with the Force, grabbing her by the neck and holding her up in the air. "Mara Jade," he growled with narrowed eyes. "Why are you trying to kill my son?"

Jade glared down at the Force ghost that she didn't recognize, staying calm despite the lack of new air coming in. This wasn't the first time she'd been held up like this by a long shot. "Orders," she gasped out through her constricted throat. And then she narrowed her eyes right back. "Who. Kriff. You?" she snarled.

Anakin flashed his image to that of Darth Vader, making her eyes widen in fear. She immediately went limp in his hold and Anakin set her down, knowing she wouldn't be a problem anymore.

Jade knelt in front of the ghost of the man she didn't know had perished as well, with her head bowed and breathed in precious air for a moment before speaking. "I'm sorry, my Lord. I didn't know he was your son. I wouldn't have gone near him, even with the stupid voice stuck in my head, if I had."

"You're forgiven, Mara Jade," Anakin said magnanimously. "No harm done." He gave Luke a quick look over, just double checking.

Luke was staring between his father and the girl kneeling at his feet. "You know her?" he asked stupidly.

Anakin smiled slightly. "Yes. She's one of many Force sensitives Sidious trained to do his bidding. Rowan's first Master, Naare, was also one. This one, though, while the best of the lot, was never exactly in love with her job. But we kept that a secret, didn't we, Mara Jade?"

Jade rose to her feet and crossed her arms over her chest, smiling slightly at Anakin. "Yes, we did. But I still have HIS voice in my head. And it won't stop. I'm afraid it won't go away until that one," she said with a nod of her chin at Luke, "is deceased."

"Help with that, I may," Yoda said, surprising Jade as she registered the presence of two more Force ghosts.

She tilted her head slightly and raised a brow at the tiny green creature. "I would appreciate it very much if you could. HIS voice is quite annoying."

Anakin snorted out a laugh. "I always thought so too."

Yoda chortled. "Kneel, young one," he said to Jade.

Jade did as requested, kneeling in front of the green Jedi, putting her slightly above level with his standing height. She felt little hands touch the top of her head. The VERY recently retired assassin closed her eyes and dropped her shields, letting the Jedi Master into her thoughts, desperate for any help she could get.

Jade sighed in relief as the command quieted and then disappeared entirely, leaving her thoughts her own again. The cold of the Emperor's dying presence also left her, chased away by the Light of Yoda's will. Jade basked in feeling clean on the inside for the first time in too many years to remember. Her access to the Light side of the Force increased dramatically as well, without the Emperor blocking her from it. Jade opened her eyes and smiled gratefully at the old ghost. "Thank you, Master Jedi. Thank you very much."

Yoda smiled warmly. "Welcome you are, young one." He glanced towards Luke and added quietly in her mind. "Enamoured with you, 'that one' is. Amiss that path would not be."

Jade raised a brow and glanced at Luke again contemplatively. "Perhaps," she thought back. She rose to her feet gracefully. "Assuming that his father doesn't kill me for it."

Anakin walked forward a step and winked at her. "Go get him," he also said in her mind. "Poor kid's lonely."

Now both Jade's eyebrows rose, but she said nothing more to the ghosts. Instead, she walked over to Luke and held out a hand to shake. "Hi, I'm Jade, and I'm sorry I tried to kill you."

Luke stared at the hand offered and had a mini panic attack. Oh poodoo, he didn't know what to do. He really didn't want to mess this up and scare her away. In that millisecond of panic, the soothing voice of Obi-Wan filled his mind. "You're the son of a queen. Act like it."

Luke blinked and smiled softly. Of course. He gently grasped the somehow delicate AND strong looking hand offered and raised it to his lips, placing a kiss on the top of her hand, startling her. "I'm Luke," he said, eyes meeting hers. "And you can try to kill me anytime you want."

Jade felt a little thrill go through her, starting from their joined hands, since he hadn't let hers go yet, his thumb caressing her softly. Holy nerfherders, was he ever smooth. How was he single? She glanced over her shoulder at the ghosts with wide eyes, but they just grinned at her and disappeared. Okay then. Just her and Luke, in the dark, alone. She could deal. "Sooo, you're the son of Darth Vader, hunh? How did that happen?"

Luke smiled down at the warrior girl who was only slightly shorter than him, and led her by their joined hands towards his shuttle, starting the story that Obi-Wan had told him not even two hours ago. "Once upon a time, there was a young slave boy on Tatooine who met a beautiful Queen..."

Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade had nothing in common.

He was born to a galaxy filled with pain. His father was a Fallen hero. His mother, heartbroken royalty.

She was born on a world almost untouched by the war that had ended a little more than two years before. Her father was a scholar. Her mother, an artist.

He was accepted by relatives-in-law that refused to let him be trained to his potential.

She was loved by parents who adored her.

He was raised in a harsh land ruled by Hutts, crime, and the lack of water.

She spent the first three years of her life surrounded by lush rainforests and gleaming oceans, and then was taken to a planet comprised of one massive city that circled the globe in countless levels of corruption, wealth, and poverty.

He didn't even know what the Force was until he was almost nineteen.

She was taught the ways of the Force from the age of three onwards.

He was Light and good and the epitome of hope.

She was Dark and deadly and despised her life.

Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade had nothing in common. Except one thing:

Darth Vader.

Who'd have believed that the galaxy's worst fear would bring them together?

Certainly not Obi-Wan, as he watched Luke look at the girl (who'd just tried to kill him) like he'd just found his own version of heaven, and the girl gaze back at him in return with blossoming awareness.

This really had been an incredible day of redemption.

Luke and Jade had talked all night long. And he didn't even realize it until a glimmer of real light made its way into the cushy living area of Vader's personal shuttle. Jade now knew his entire life story and he hers. They'd raided the small galley for snacks and then settled into what had to be the softest couch Luke had ever sat on, each at opposite ends facing each other. Over the course of the night, they'd moved a little bit closer with every mundane shift or trip for another drink or visit to the state of the art refresher.

Now, by whatever miracle Luke had been graced with, Jade was sleeping quietly against his shoulder, having nodded off while he was talking about the goals of the Rebellion. Luke hadn't dared move, lest he wake her and lose this precious moment to just study the exquisite lines of her face. The red gold eyelashes that lay like the softest of fans on her cheeks. Her adorable little nose. Her lush pink lips that tempted him to taste, but he would never dare. He'd learned his lesson long ago to let the girl make the first move in regards to kissing. It was much safer that way. The long strawberry blond curls lay wild around her head and clung to his black tunic, also tempting him to see if they felt as soft as they looked. He hoped to find out one day, but for now, he just remained still, hands carefully tucked under his crossed arms to keep them under control, and let his eyes do all the caressing he didn't dare put into action. Not yet.

Luke marvelled at the wondrous creature that had appeared in his life just when he was feeling the most lonely, despite all the friends and family he had. Jade was so strong to have survived everything she had at the hands of the Emperor. Her training to be an assassin had been brutal, Sidious' one goal to remove all that which was inherently soft and light from her very being. She'd been put to work by the time she was ten, as no one would suspect a child of being a killer.

When not on missions, Jade had lived her life in the Emperor's palace in the guise of a servant when she was younger and then as a dancing girl as she matured into a teenager. Now, at the age of twenty-one, Jade had more life experience in one year than Luke had in his whole life. She'd seen and done things he wished he could remove from her past because he could feel how they haunted her. She'd had to fight off countless slavering men who desired her body, despite the Emperor's orders that she was only there to be seen and not touched when he entertained guests. She'd killed hundreds at the order of the Emperor, not able to do anything but his biding due to the enforced bond he'd kept in her mind.

Most would have just turned fully Dark and not cared an iota about anything anymore under such circumstances. But not Jade. She'd clung to the fragment of the Light side that she could still feel underneath the Emperor's conditioning. Clung to her humanity. Clung to the vague memories of loving parents that she sometimes saw in her dreams, reminding her that life wasn't always torture and hate. Oddly enough, it was Darth Vader who had encouraged her to keep fighting to maintain her own identity. He'd vowed that one day she'd be free of the Emperor's durasteel rule, and now she was.

Luke's first goal in his quest to see her have the life she deserved was to find out if her parents were still alive. Someone in the intelligence division should be able to find them, although he didn't have much for them to work with. She remembered the name of her home planet and her parents' first names, but that was it, being torn from them when she was only three.

Despite his desire to never stop looking at her, Luke's eyes eventually fell closed and stayed that way as his head sank deeper into the cushion behind him. After being awake for more than two days, Luke's body finally put him to sleep whether he liked it or not.

When her pillow listed slightly to the side, Jade startled awake, surprised that she'd even been asleep. That wasn't like her at all. She never let her defences down like that. But there was something about Luke that made her feel safer than she ever had. Jade peered up at Luke as he tilted slightly further, his body going boneless the deeper into sleep he fell. She smiled a little as a soft snore escaped him.

Jade sat up fully as Luke fell the rest of the way over onto the couch. She pulled a pillow under his head with the Force just in time to cushion his fall. Not that he really needed it, the couch was so soft, but it would be more comfortable in terms of position and save him from waking up with a crick in his neck.

Rising to her feet silently, she knelt by his head and brushed a stray lock of dark gold hair away from his eyes, marvelling at how soft it was. "Sleep well, farmboy," she whispered before crossing to the other side of the room and curling up in a equally soft chair. Resting her head on another large pillow that she hugged tightly, Jade shuddered in a soft sigh. She watched Luke sleep until her eyes once again closed of their own accord, a sweet smile playing across her lips. For the first time in her life since she'd been stolen by the Emperor, Jade felt safe. And there was a new bond tugging at the back of her mind which felt like warmth and home instead of the ice, fear, and hate she'd grown accustomed to living with from the Emperor.

If you had asked her even a day ago, she would have said she never wanted to be bonded to someone again, but now, after talking to the Jedi Knight all night long, she thought she just might be alright with it. He was adorable and sweet and humble; the exact opposite of her Master. He'd grown up in near poverty, and discovering he was actually descended from royalty hadn't changed his outlook on life at all. All Luke wanted to do was right the wrongs of the galaxy as best as he could. He didn't have a power hungry, hateful, or ambitious bone in his body, which made her like him all the more. Talking to him had been so easy, and the longer they talked, the clearer his emotions and thoughts were to her. Without even trying, they bonded over their life stories. Literally. And now she was in the process of falling in love with him. It was kind of overwhelming, but felt really really nice at the same time.

Against all odds, Jade had found where she belonged. Who knew it would be with the son of a man who had been capable of amazing heroics and heinous crimes? A man who was both the most famous Jedi AND the most famous Sith. The Force really did work in mysterious ways.