The red lightsaber cast an eerie glow on young Luke's face as Anakin dueled him in what looked to be a practice room. Fireheart's blade was in her own hands, and though they sparred rapidly across the room, blades flying and clashing against each other with amazing skill, Anakin could tell from the exhilaration in Luke's eyes that it was nothing more than friendly sparring. This time, Fireheart was much more controlled, and she and Luke were almost equals. Almost. Anakin had fought Luke before, both in this galaxy and their previous one, and he knew that his son was holding back. "Good," Luke said when Fireheart made a rather impressive advance, that Luke easily caught up with.

"No," Fireheart said proudly with a smirk, "Excellent."

The corners of Luke's mouth twitched. "We'll see about that."

Abruptly, the scene changed.

Anakin/Fireheart burst through a door, leading into what looked to be someone's living quarters. To be more precise, a dormitory room. There were a few boys in the room in various states of undress, and they stared openly, mouths agape, as Fireheart stormed purposefully past to where Luke was getting gear out from beneath his bottom bunk bed. "You picked me as your partner?" Fireheart was asking before Luke had a chance to straighten up. No doubt Luke already knew she was there before she'd reached him. "Why?"

Luke took his own sweet time before standing up. He gave her a lopsided grin, crossing his arms over his chest, tapping his right fingers on his left elbow, his stance one of calm nonchalance. "Hey, Fireheart," He greeted her smoothly, "How remiss of me. I didn't realize that you were a boy now." A smirk crossed his face, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Oh, ha-ha, v-e-ery funny, Starkiller. Tell me something. Why did you pick me, out of everyone else that you could have…"

Luke suddenly turned serious, his brow furrowed, his eyes darkening with focused intent. "You want to know the truth?"

"I wouldn't have stormed in here if I didn't."

Another smirking grin from Luke quickly comes and then fades away. "I picked you because I trust you. I don't trust any of the others."

The scene suddenly changed again.

Now, Luke and Fireheart were in some sort of ornate office that Anakin didn't recognize. Luke had broken open a file cabinet and was rifling through the files in one of the upper drawers. He was wearing that same black uniform the assassin Obi-Wan had caught wore, but even with his face covered, Anakin knew who he was. His Skywalker eyes were a dead giveaway. Fireheart was holding a stack of file folders, evidently from some that Luke had pulled out. "Hurry!" Fireheart hissed, "He's coming!"

Luke cursed, shutting the drawer. "It's not here!" He said, whirling. "Let's just get…what are you doing?"

Fireheart was crossing over to the big oak desk at the other end of the room, plopping the folders down on it before taking a seat in the plush leather chair. She put her feet up on the desk, seemingly kicking back and crossed her ankles, a picture of calmness. Luke's ice blue eyes narrowed from beneath the mask. "Fireheart, what the hell…?"

"Shut it, Starkiller, and just trust me." Her eyes met his. "You said you did, so come stand next to me and look…I don't know. Menacing. By the time this is over, we'll have what we came for."

Anakin thought Luke would outright refuse and leave Fireheart to her own survival, which is what a Sith would do, of course, but he should have known better. Luke wasn't like that, even in this state. Luke sighed in frustration, muttered something about how stupid of an idea this was, but came to Fireheart's side nonetheless, eyes on the door, waiting…

And, once again, the scene changed.

Luke looked older...about fifteen or so, maybe sixteen now. He was still wearing that black uniform, but his hood was off, his mask cast to the side. Anakin was amazed at how much like himself at that age his son looked. He was lying down on what looked to be a granite block, high above the ground…Were they on top of a pyramid in Egypt? Anakin couldn't tell, but Luke was staring up at the stars in the inky black sky. "Do you ever wonder," He asked softly, "If we aren't alone out there...in the universe?"

Fireheart snorted, lying down next to him. The stone was hard beneath her and uncomfortable, but Anakin had a sense that she didn't mind. "What are you, some sort of conspiracy theorist?"

That got a laugh out of Luke. "Oh, yeah. Big time."

"So, is that your secret?" She asked, and suddenly Anakin felt her move her hand to grasp Luke's. Again, Anakin expected Luke to pull away…but he didn't. Instead, slowly, tentatively, he squeezed back, interlacing their fingers. Wait…was Fireheart Luke's girlfriend?! The moment the question had been asked, he knew the answer. His son had a girlfriend! He'd missed his son's first girlfriend…again.

"Why so interested in my secrets?" Luke teased, squeezing Fireheart's hand once more. "Why don't you tell me one of your secrets?"

Fireheart paused. "I really like baseball."

Now Luke was sitting up to look down at her, his face framed in darkness, but Anakin could see the mirth in his son's eyes. "Baseball?" He echoed incredulously. "Aren't you from Argentina or something?"

"Hey, it's a world sport, not just American. Ever been to Japan?" She insisted playfully.

"But, it's a dying one."

She gasped in mock-horror, holding her opposite hand to her chest. "Take it back! You know nothing!" Luke laughed and…

The scenes kept changing, rapidly. They sat in a stolen car that Luke had taken, listening to rock music. "I think I like this band," Luke was saying, and Anakin instantly recognized one of Queen's top hits.

"It's so old though." Fireheart complained, rolling her eyes, though she didn't sound like she was annoyed.

They fought side by side, lightsabers blazing, fighting off a barrage of actual gunfire. Anakin was intrigued. He, Obi-Wan and Ahoska had never actually had to use their lightsabers against real bullets and had debated what the outcome of such an encounter would be. Apparently, Palpatine had already tested this out and knew the answer, and now the Jedi would know, too. The lightsaber could block bullets, but as they did, the bullet melted immediately and splattered searing hot metal onto their uniforms. Normally, this would have been painful and likely would burn holes in their clothes immediately, but Anakin realized their uniforms were thick, designed to keep them from such an injury. Another good tidbit to know. Luke and Fireheart moved in perfect sync: They guarded each other's blind sides, apparently understood each other's strengths...and weaknesses. It was the perfect partnership: Well-practiced, smooth, graceful. Just like he and Obi-Wan.

They were wading through what smelled like sewage, the pungent grimy water up to their chests, the tunnel dark and only lit by their lightsabers. "Ewwww!" Fireheart groaned, her voice echoing in the darkened passage.

"Oh, come on! It's nothing a little shower won't fix." Luke said, though he didn't sound like he really believed that.

"Yeah, and how much soap?! Just shut up, will ya?" Fireheart hissed, "Don't act so tough."

Luke paused. "Okay fine, it's pretty gross. There! Happy?"

They were under the night sky again. Billions of stars shone clearly down on them. Luke had his arms wrapped around Fireheart's waist, looking at her so tenderly, that Anakin couldn't help but think back to the way he'd looked at Padme when he had first fallen in love with her (and still looked at her today). Clearly, Luke had it bad for this girl, and Anakin had a sneaking suspicion Fireheart felt the same way. Thankfully, before Luke could kiss her - and thus, thanks to the Force, him - (no father wanted that perspective to happen, even in a dream), the scene changed one last time. They were in their uniforms. They stood alone in a corridor. Both of them were tense. "Starkiller," Fireheart said softly, getting his attention. "Whatever happens in there…it won't change us, will it?"

He saw uncertainty flash in Luke's eyes before he responded. "I love you, Fireheart. Master Palpatine won't change that." Anakin's heart twisted. He hoped not. Thankfully, Palpatine had never destroyed his own love for Padme, not even during his horrific years as Darth Vader, but what about Luke's love? What about Fireheart's?

"I'm not going to go easy on you, though." Fireheart teased.

Luke nodded, and Anakin could imagine Luke grinning behind that mask. "Me either." He turned, about to head through the door leading into what lay beyond, but Fireheart's voice stopped him.

"Talia." Luke paused, looking behind him at Fireheart, one eyebrow cocked questioningly.

"My name. My real name. It's Talia."

Luke was silent for a long moment,just blinking at her, the gravity of what she'd just said weighing on both of them. "Only Master Palpatine is supposed to know our real names."

"I know." Talia, Fireheart, whispered. "But, my loyalties lie with you. Not Palpatine."

Luke processed this, swallowing hard, and when he responded, it was an attempt at awkward teasing, but Anakin could hear how unsettled he was by her admission. "Talia isn't a very Hispanic name." Certainly, he hadn't expected her to tell him her real name.

"Oh, hush," she said, stepping up beside him. "Get your head in the game, Starkiller. We've got a competition to win."


Everything felt fuzzy…even the Force seemed to be just out of his reach, just barely on the edge of his consciousness, but as hard as he tried, he couldn't muster enough energy to call upon it. Distantly, reverberating through the darkness and the images of the Force vision he'd had swirling through his brain, he heard a heavy metal door being creaked open and the sound of someone throwing something or someone heavy onto the floor next to him. He felt the heat of the object radiating out toward him when it landed with a whump on the floor, and instantly recognized it must be human. He struggled to open his eyes and managed to peel them apart just a little bit, but by the time his vision cleared enough to really focus, the metal door (or bars, he found out to his utter dismay) had been closed, their captor gone.

Where am I? He wondered, trying to sit up. It took him a few tries, but he finally managed it, though his body shook from the effects of whatever he'd been drugged with. He tried to remember why he'd been put in this situation, but he drew a total blank. Giving up on that for the moment, he tried to determine what it was he'd been drugged with. The effects of it almost reminded him of the Islamari, but that wasn't it. Those were creatures, not drugs, and besides they didn't exist on this planet (He'd checked and double checked that fact, just to be sure. He hadn't wanted that type of surprise to show up here unawares). So, it had to be a really strong dose of a regular sleep-inducing drug. Though he was awake now, the Force hadn't quite wakened to his call just yet. He continued to work on it as he propped himself against the cold hard wall and looked down and…His entire body tensed.

Mara Jade.

Perfect. Just kriffing perfect. He'd recognize her anywhere. She'd been one of Sidious' Hands. Vader had been well aware of her role, even if she hadn't quite known that she wasn't the only one. Still, out of all of the Hands Palpatine had had in their old galaxy, Mara had been the most competent by far. Vader had also been well aware of her jealousy of his own position as the Emperor's Apprentice. Whenever he ran into her, he made sure to remind her of that fact, all too pleased by the wild jealousy in those emerald green eyes, even if her expression was always a mask of cool indifference.

Now, here she was. Lying on the ground before him, her fiery red hair splayed across the ground, wearing an outfit that told him that she hadn't exactly been on a mission before she'd been kidnapped. Vader was not her cell mate now: Anakin was, and he didn't know what her role was on this Earth, and he doubted she knew his role on this planet either. He was at a loss for what to do, and he couldn't even call on the Force to guide or protect him, if need be. At the same time, he had this rather disturbing revelation, he remembered what he'd been doing before he'd been drugged. He'd been investigating his son's split from Palpatine. He could still feel the memory chips digging into his side in his jacket. He hadn't been alone—Leia had been with him, and she was not in this cell with him and Mara.

Leia!

Fear sank into his gut for a brief moment. He couldn't lose Leia. He'd go nuts if he lost both Luke and Leia. Not to mention the impact that would have on Padme...and the rest of their family. Just the idea was enough that he tried to force himself to stand only to collapse against the wall. However, as he gritted his teeth and tried to stand again, logic calmed his fear. Leia was almost a fully trained Jedi. She would be ready for her trials soon. Luke had not been anywhere near her level of training before he'd been taken by Ventress. Leia had her mother's gutsy determination and his temperament—both of those, combined with her training, meant that she was probably taking care of herself. At least, that's what he told himself to calm down. It did him no good to panic and waste his energy trying to launch a rescue mission from the inside of a barred cell.

He heard a groan, and his body tensed. Looking down, he found Mara's eyes fluttering open, the green eyes unfocused for only a brief moment before clearing. Slowly, she sat up, grimacing from having been thrown into the cell only minutes earlier. "Where…?" She muttered, turning her head to look around…and froze instantly when she caught sight of him.

For a moment, they just stared at one another like deer in headlights, neither one of them sure how to respond. Mara was the first to move. Despite being drugged and just as groggy as he was, she managed to scoot away from him, her back against the cell door. She glared daggers at him, as if daring him to come near her. "You!" She spat venomously, "What the hell are you doing here?!"

With a sinking feeling, Anakin realized that she recognized him. At least, she did in some form. He was determined to find out what exactly she did know before he responded to her question. "Do we…know each other?" He asked hesitantly, convincingly, squinching his eyes in a frown.

Still, Mara's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "No," she bit out. "But, I know who you are. You're Anakin Skywalker and you hurt my friend!"

Anakin frowned. "Your…friend?" He asked, honestly confused. Yeah. Sure. He'd hurt a lot of people before; although, in this galaxy, anyone he'd hurt was as a last resort and only in the interest of protecting others, even in executing Grievous.

"Yeah," Mara snapped, reaching into her boot. Anakin tensed, ready for whatever she pulled out…but he was surprised when she only pulled out two miniature pins. "You tried to kill him, actually." Her voice was still full of venom, and she moved to turn around to, Anakin assumed, pick the locks, but she stopped. "So, you'll forgive me if I don't want to turn my back on you."

"Who are you talking about exactly?" Anakin found himself asking, bewildered. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd actually tried to kill someone…and failed to do so. Usually, he didn't have to try to kill someone, he simply accomplished it. But, it had been a while since he'd done so because he'd had to (Grievous being the last time), and even longer since he'd done so because he wanted to.

Mara rolled her eyes. "We don't have time for this conversation. I'm getting out of here, so unless you'd like to stay here, I suggest that you move to where I can keep an eye on you while I pick this lock."

Typical Mara Jade. She reminded him of Padme somewhat. Both women had always had an escape plan. Grudgingly, Anakin positioned himself within her line of sight, and, just as reluctantly, she began to pick the lock. Anakin debated on pushing her for more answers, but Mara was not a person to be pushed. Even with them both still reeling from the effects of the drug used on them (and he suspected it was the same drug used on them both), Anakin had a feeling Mara had no qualms about attacking him if she felt like he was pushing her for information she didn't wish to share. Quietly, he leaned back and watched her work on the locks.

Hopefully, more answers would be forthcoming once they were free.


Luke closed his eyes as Han and Chewie maneuvered the Falcon close enough to the complex for him to probe and sense for Mara with the Force, but not close enough that the Inquisitors could spot their ship. Chewie had jammed their signal, so Luke was confident that the ship wasn't showing up on their radar. Han and Chewie knew what they were doing when it came to hiding their ship.

"I feel her," Luke said softly, "The Force is muted around her, but…" he broke off, unexpectedly feeling two other familiar presences. Damn! His father…and was that…Leia?! Unlike his father's presence, which was also muted like Mara's, Leia's was vibrant and full of defiance, but as his mind touched hers, he could sense her demeanor change to one of disbelief, excitement, and worry. Involuntarily, he felt his own Force presence latch onto hers, as if she was the very thing keeping him alive. But, it didn't just stop with the Force—it was also a very physical reaction as well. He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he'd found his twin sister, the other half of his soul, and unlike his father, who he had already decided to ditch, he couldn't, in good conscience,ignore Leia's distress. To do so would be to ignore his own need to breathe.

"Leia…" He whispered before he could stop himself.

Han glanced at him over his shoulder, a puzzled expression on his face. "Leia? Dammit, Luke! Who in blue blazes is Leia?"

Luke! He heard in his mind, as she found a way past his lowering mental shields. Her voice was full of desperation, not to be saved, but to get to him. He quickly, though reluctantly, pushed her out of his head. He needed to think clearly, and having her in his head wouldn't help with that. "She's…she's my twin sister."

Han and Chewie glanced at each other. Chewie said something unintelligible, and Han translated. "Yeah. I want to know, too…you have a twin?"

"Sort of." Luke said lamely, trying to calm the rage of emotions that was threatening to drown him.

"Sort of? Look, it's not rocket science. You either do or you don't, Kid." Han snorted and rolled his eyes, as he finished landing the ship in the dunes next to the destroyed base. "Tell me something. Is she anything like your crazed father?" In other words, was she going to try to kill them?

"I don't think so," Luke said slowly, "When I left her, she mostly ignored me. We didn't have a good relationship, but we didn't exactly have a bad one either." The words left his mouth, but his reaction to her presence didn't match up with that. Still, as he quickly reviewed what memories he had of his twin, he couldn't deny what he remembered. Furthermore, since he'd killed their mother…he honestly had no idea how she viewed him now. He didn't mention that to Han though. He wasn't too keen on the idea of Han running into her just in case she tried to reveal that fact to Han and Chewie. He didn't want to explain…he didn't want to think about it. He didn't want Han's accusations or pity or…"You okay, Kid?" Han's voice brought him back to reality.

"I'm fine." Luke grumbled, shaking his head.

Han's eyes narrowed in suspicion, and Chewie said something that sounded like he didn't quite believe Luke either. "Maybe you should stay with the ship." Han said.

"No." Luke was already standing, pulling his lightsaber out. "You're about to dive into an Inquisitor base. You won't make it out alive without me." Frankly, he wasn't happy that Han and Chewie were there anyway, but after Mara had been taken and Luke, who had tried to catch her captor before he could take her to their ship, had lost her, he'd gone back to their home to try to grab what he needed to face these monsters. It had taken him a while, given that he'd never flown a ship before, and he doubted Mara would be pleased that he tried flying for the first time in her ship, and by the time he'd gotten back home, he'd already lost too much precious time as it was. So, figuring out how to fly a ship wasn't exactly an option.

Time was of the essence.

Luke didn't just get his lightsaber—he also got explosives. He knew that Mara was taken as an attempt to draw him out of hiding. His Sith training told him to give up and just let her die. According to his training, the only person he should care about is himself...and well, Palpatine.

He didn't give a rat's ass about Palpatine, quite frankly, but Mara was special. He didn't know what he felt for her exactly, but as they'd danced close to one another on the dance floor, it was undeniable that she meant something to him, something more than just platonic. He couldn't just let her die. So, just as he'd gathered the explosives, Han and Chewie had come home from their smuggling run and insisted that they help as soon as he'd explained the situation. The Falcon was way faster than anything Mara's captives had. They wouldn't overtake the ship that had taken Mara, but they'd catch up enough to track it, and he'd had a good idea of where they were headed, too. So, he hadn't given much of a fight at the time, but now, he was beginning to worry. He didn't want to lose Han and Chewie's friendship…but, he also couldn't lose Mara.

He couldn't lose anyone else he cared about. Not anymore.

Han and Chewie glanced at each other again, both clearly wondering if they should tie Luke down to keep him with the ship, but given that that wouldn't work anyway, Han just sighed, giving in. "Okay, Kid. What's your plan?"

Luke hesitated. He'd thought of a dozen different plans to accommodate for a dozen different situations. He had mentally prepared for anything…except for where they were about to storm. This was where the end of his allegiance to Palpatine had begun. This is where his whole world had been destroyed for the second time in his life.

This was where he'd last seen her...Talia.

He'd honestly thought he'd completely destroyed it all, but as he reached out with his senses, he not only sensed that the base above ground was still partially intact, especially towards the back end, but furthermore, he also sensed that Leia, his father, and Mara were not being held above ground, but rather, underground. Others, Inquisitors that he actually recognized the Force signatures of, were down there keeping guard. Shit! He hadn't realized before that there had been an underground level here, but at the time, he also had not quite been himself, nor had he ever been intimately familiar with this particular base before that day.

Now…he wasn't entirely sure how to proceed. He had no doubt that bringing Mara here, where his split from Palpatine had begun, was intentional. In fact, he was certain he knew who came up with the idea. Rysand. He'd always had a flare for the dramatic. Most of the time, Luke had found it annoying, but this time…it might actually prove effective. Kudos to him, Luke thought wryly. Already, with the unexpected presence of his father and Leia, coupled with Mara's kidnapping, and now this place…Well, saying Luke was 'off his game' was putting it mildly. He was...on edge. And, that was a very dangerous place for him to be.

So, he made a decision. "Alright, here's the plan…"


"Look, I have to find my daughter." Anakin said as he forced himself to stand after Mara had sprung the lock on his own binders. His body was still somewhat shaky from the drug, but he was beginning to be able to feel the Force come back to him. Mara was the first one out of the cell, slowly edging her way along the wall towards the door that kept them separated from the rest of the building they were in.

"Do what you will." She snapped, though she sounded distracted. Considering that it was taking quite a bit of concentration for him to put one foot ahead of the other without collapsing, he was sure her mind was occupied on other things. "Just don't do anything stupid and draw attention to me." She muttered.

"That's not part of the plan." He said as Mara cautiously opened the unlocked door. He frowned at that. Shouldn't their captors be more concerned about two Force-sensitives potentially trying to escape? He had a bad feeling about this, but he wasn't about to wait around either. He had his daughter to find, and make it out of here without getting any of them killed. "Would you have any idea if these people have her?" He didn't know if Mara knew the answer to that question or not, but given her shady past, she was likely to have more info on their captors than he did at the moment. Even if she did know though, he doubted she'd tell him. She'd never learned to work well with others in their old galaxy. Why start now? He figured.

Still, when she turned to look at him, the expression on her face was more than a little confused…and annoyed. "Why would I know that? I've…never even met your daughter."

He didn't have to be a Jedi to catch her hesitation. His eyes narrowed. "Oh? Are you sure about that?"

"Positive." She rolled her eyes. "Even if I did know where she was, I wouldn't tell you anyway. I'm not going to be responsible for you trying to kill yet another one of your own children." Her voice was filled with so much venom and accusation that he almost missed what it was she was actually implying.

"Wait," He said as she turned to head down the seemingly unguarded hallway. When she didn't stop, he forced himself forward, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around, his hands gripping her shoulders in a steel grip. "What the hell are you talking about?!" his voice was ragged, desperate, and harsher than he intended, but Mara didn't flinch. If she was in any pain from the hard grip he had on her shoulders, she didn't show that either. She merely glared at him.

"Don't act stupid," she bit out, attempting to push him away. He didn't let her go, and she snarled. "Luke. You tried to kill Luke, remember?" Her voice dripped with disdain...and disbelief.

Her words hit him so hard, he felt as if he had been hit by a Star Destroyer. He released her as if she were on fire, stumbling back, staring at her in abject horror. In the back of his mind, he knew that he and Mara should have been making their way towards freedom. He should have been more surprised that Mara knew Luke in this world—he should have pressed her for information on Luke's whereabouts, but in that moment, all he could think about was what she had just said to him.

He'd tried to kill Luke.

She believed he'd tried to kill Luke. His mind flashed back to his encounter with Luke on Bespin, to their final battle on the Death Star. Even before that, when he'd almost shot Luke down just before his son had destroyed the Death Star. Anakin had suspected that Luke was remembering his past life… But, did Luke remember all of that? Was that the reason behind Luke's intense hatred of him? Was that why Luke had apparently told Mara, to make her hate him in this life as she had in their last one?

"I…wouldn't hurt Luke. He's my son." He said through numb lips, but it sounded like a feeble defense, even to his own ears.

Mara scoffed. "Are you actually denying that you tried to kill him before?"

He opened his mouth…and closed it. He would never hurt Luke. He would never, ever try to kill him. He loved his son dearly. But, he couldn't technically deny that he hadn't tried to kill him before. Even if he, as Vader, had ultimately wanted Luke to join him in the Dark Side, he had lost control during their fight on Bespin. He easily could have killed him. And, on the Death Star, even with his feelings conflicting within him, there had been a dark, evil, unspeakable part of Vader that would have done so. His overriding love for his son had driven that darkness away…but now, Luke apparently remembered those past events. Without any explanation, without any context, it certainly would have seemed to Luke that his father had been, at one point, a monster in a black suit who had tried to kill him on multiple occasions.

At his silence, Mara shook her head. "So no, I will not help you find your daughter, or anyone else you may be related to either, for that matter. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to leave this wretched place." She turned to leave, using the wall for support. Once more, Anakin was struck with the need to stop her, to demand answers as to where Luke was, but he remained rooted to the spot. He knew without a doubt that Mara would never tell him anything. Not now, not believing what she did.

Still, he had to find Leia…and then, perhaps, he could somehow use Mara to help him track down his son. He had to tell Luke the truth. He had to explain, to make this right. He had to beg his son's forgiveness and hope that there was still enough Light left within his son to help Luke at least consider a truce, even if he couldn't bring himself to forgive him. He began to follow Mara, feeling more of the Force returning to him with each step, but not yet enough to have foreseen the sudden blare of alarms that rang out through the entire complex, or, even worse, the electrified metal grates that slammed down from above in front and behind he and Mara, trapping them in a narrow space within the hallway. Anakin couldn't help but think of the ray shields he'd been trapped in before on various missions during the Clone Wars. Those pesky Neimoidians had favored their usage on their ships. "Shit." Mara hissed, and as soldiers…no, Inquisitors, he realized after looking at their uniforms, began to march down the hallway towards them, Anakin couldn't help but agree with Mara.

He knew he'd had a bad feeling about this 'escape.'


KKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

Leia heard the wailing sound of alarms first. Strapped to a chair, unable to move, she had no way to try to physically block the noise out that was making her ears ring, and she was forced to wait, hoping that it would stop eventually. She was alone in the empty, white room. She could sense the presences of those Force-Sensitive assassin's (her father had told her they were called Inquisitors) standing guard outside her door. She could also feel other assassins in the underground basement she had been dragged to after her father had been drugged, and she'd been overwhelmed by the Inquisitors. She could even feel her father, his presence muted in the Force, beginning to move around with another Force Sensitive that she felt like she should recognize, but didn't.

But, at that moment, all she could maintain focus on was Luke.

She couldn't feel his Force Presence anymore. He had hidden it, and hidden it well. So, obviously, he'd had some Force training. Probably Dark Side, given the destruction they'd sensed above ground earlier. But, she could still feel him—that brief touch against her mind had been enough to re-awaken their bond within the Force, a bond that ran deeper than just the fact that she happened to be related to him. He was her twin. She would know him anywhere. It wasn't quite the same as the bond he'd had with his father before it had broken: She couldn't use it to track him, exactly. But, she still could feel that he was coming, and though she knew, from the flicker of surprise she'd felt from him with their ever-so-brief contact, that he hadn't initially come to help her, he was certainly coming for her now.

He wasn't alone, either. She could sense two other beings. They weren't Force-Sensitive, but their life force was still vibrant within the Force. She frowned, concentrating momentarily on one of them. He felt…familiar. Achingly familiar somehow. As if he contained a missing part of her that she hadn't even known she was missing. The realization, unexpected as it was, unsettled her, and given that she was already desperately trying to struggle out of her bonds so that she could escape and reunite with her beloved brother, she was in a rather anxious state.

It didn't help when suddenly the alarms were overshadowed by a massive BOOM overhead, the basement complex suddenly shaking violently. Leia looked up at the ceiling, as dust rained down upon her, filling the air and making her cough, and a bad feeling settled over her as she swallowed the lump in her throat. Moments later, the doors opened, and two Inquisitor guards entered the room. She couldn't see their faces, but she could sense how tense they were, not because of her, but because of something, or someone, else.

She had a feeling she knew exactly who it was that was making them so tense.

"Master Palpatine would like a word with you." One of them said in an accent that sounded strongly East European to her, and she could hear the stress, but also the curiosity in his voice. They had attempted to drug her like they had her father, but she didn't think they had expected them to show up here. Because she was expecting it, it hadn't been hard for her to destroy the poisoned darts with her lightsaber….which was currently on the belt of one of the guards.

"Oh really? Now?" Leia scoffed, using her best "I'm-in-control" voice. She used it whenever she was in a debate in Model UN. She used it whenever a teacher tried to pull something unfair in class. She used it with her father whenever they disagreed and she wanted things her own way. With her father, though, it usually ended in an argument (with him winning), but most other people were at least intimidated by it. Not too many people her age had a persona like that, but then not too many people she knew outside the Order got to see Padme Amidala Skywalker in action in court either, and as much as she loved being a Jedi, Leia also loved to watch both her mother and her Aunt Satine tear it up in a courtroom, and she'd learned a lot from them as well. Smirking, she had to admit she was certainly her parents' daughter, to be sure.

It did well to hide the fact that the thought of seeing Palpatine, of being anywhere near that monster, not only filled her with anger at what he'd done to her family, but also fear at what he could do to her. Her father, her mother, her Uncle Obi-Wan, and even Galen, had all warned her numerous times that her too-quick-to-anger personality would be something Palpatine would try to use to his advantage. "I know he's not here. A man as vile as he is cannot hide his evil presence in such a small, secluded place like this."

"Shut up!" The other Inquisitor growled as they approached her chair. "You and your Jedi father have already screwed up our mission enough. It's bad enough that we have to keep you alive."

She maintained her steely composure, but inside, her anger was giving way to fear. As much as she hated Palpatine, there was no way she could face him on her own. She was not yet a full-fledged Jedi, and she didn't have the power to destroy him…nor, she feared deep down, did she have the ability to resist being twisted to the Dark Side.

"What of my father?" She demanded, her voice implying that she was to be answered to, even if she was technically in no position to get answers. "I'm not going anywhere until I see that my father is alright!"

"Shut up, you bitch!" The Inquisitor with her lightsaber suddenly slapped her across the face, hard enough that her vision blacked out for just a second…

Just as a figure appeared in the doorway.

When her vision cleared, her cheek now numb and stinging from the blow, she realized the Inquisitor who had slapped her was clawing desperately at his throat, making gurgling noises. "Don't you dare," A deep masculine voice that was so different than the last time she'd heard it, and yet, somehow so achingly familiar at the same time, reached her ears. "Touch her!"

The struggling Inquisitor in front of her made one last desperate attempt to escape before his windpipe was completely crushed, and he dropped limply to the floor at her feet. Swallowing the nausea that suddenly rose up to engulf her, she looked desperately towards the door where Luke stood, a red lightsaber in his hands as he faced the other Inquisitor who was now moving to engage him. The Inquisitor didn't stand a chance. Luke easily deflected his blows, and with one swift stroke of his blade, cut him down, the body slumping to the ground. Luke deactivated his lightsaber, giving the body no attention whatsoever, and stepped casually over it, his ice blue eyes resting on her.

"Luke," Leia breathed, drinking in the sight of him. After so many years…he was both what she expected and what she did not. He was very clearly taller than her, though not quite as tall as their dad yet. He was nearing six feet, though. In fact, he looked very much like their dad: The same sandy-blonde hair, the same tanned skin, crystal-clear blue eyes that were currently assessing her for injuries…He was as familiar to her as her own hands. He wore all black: Tight black jeans and knee-high boots, a black t-shirt, and a black leather jacket over it.

He reached her, kneeling before her, switching his lightsaber out for a knife at his belt, and he began cutting the ropes at her feet. "Are you alright, Leia?" Though she could tell that he was trying to hide it, there was definitely concern in his voice. Her heart soared, and she fought the desire to struggle against her bonds to launch herself into his arms. Her brother. Her best friend. Her twin. Her Luke! He was here, right here, before her very eyes after so many years…When Luke looked up after she didn't answer, he frowned in alarm. "Why are you crying? Are you hurt?"

She hadn't even realized she was crying. She took a deep shuddering breath. "Get me out of these bonds." She managed to say. How could she put into words just how much she had missed him? She opened herself to him in the Force, willing him to see the depth of her emotions….but he paled suddenly as he looked at her, his eyes flashing with pain for a second before they closed, and he gasped. "Luke? What's wrong?" Her voice was worried, and through their twin bond, she could feel the echo of his pain.

But, as quickly as the pain came, it disappeared and Luke shook his head. She tried to touch his mind, but as before, it was as if he'd erected a durasteel wall around it. "I'm fine," He said, though his voice shook a little. "Just hold still." It didn't take him long to cut through the bonds at her feet, and just a little longer to get through the ones restraining her hands. The moment the ropes were free, however, she threw herself into Luke's arms, where he caught her in surprise, as if he didn't expect her to do that. It was an odd reaction, but at the moment, she didn't care.

Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face against him, tears flowing freely now. She wasn't a crier normally, and when she did cry, it was never in front of others. But Luke was different. She had missed him so much, and now, he was here in her arms, everything about him feeling like home. His presence, even guarded in the Force, wrapped around her, and she felt as if she'd been missing him for much longer than just these last nine years. "Luke," she said through her tears, "Oh Force, Luke…how much I've missed you!"


For a moment, Luke was frozen, as his sister hugged him as if he were her lifeline. This was not what he expected at all. He expected…anger at him for killing their mother. Indifference even that he'd come for her. Annoyance maybe that he was still alive. He'd expected all of that, but this outpouring of obviously intense love and longing - and he knew that's exactly what it was - were the last thing he'd ever expected. At the same time, however, it felt…right. Despite the fact that their relationship had never been close, he felt that same aching love and longing for her presence, something he did not expect of himself. Hesitantly, he reached up and wrapped his own arms around her, holding her close as she cried into his neck. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but he found himself choking up, tears springing to his own eyes, and he stopped himself. For just this moment, he held his twin sister...and breathed in home.

But soon, reality pressed against him.

They had to get moving, or else they would be overwhelmed with Inquisitors. Besides, Mara still needed him, and Han and Chewie would be coming down to rig up explosives at any moment—they may have started already. Luke pulled away gently from Leia, though she resisted at first. "We have to get moving, Leia," He said, choosing not to look at her. He didn't want to get choked up again, and he didn't want another strange, painful vision again. The last one while he'd been cutting her out of the rope was short and fleeting, but it had been painful nonetheless. He couldn't afford to be more distracted than he already was. He had to focus.

Too much was at stake.

But Leia, as reluctant as she seemed to be, steeled herself, becoming almost a different person. She reached over to the Inquisitor he had choked to death, grabbing a lightsaber off of his belt and igniting it. A blue blade burst forth, and Luke knew immediately that it was her own lightsaber. "Right behind you." She said. Luke had to admit, he was impressed. He could feel her wanting to stop and ask him a million questions, but even she could see the need to keep moving. So, she pushed that desire away for the time being, and followed Luke out of the room and down the hallway.

"We have to find Dad," Leia said, as they ran down hallway after hallway. A few times they ran into Inquisitors, but Luke was ready for them every time. He engaged swiftly, Leia joining him at his side. To his surprise, Leia was more than adept with her lightsaber: In fact, she almost matched his own skill. Together, they took down the Inquisitors quickly, and moved forward.

"I'm not looking for him." Even he could hear the bitterness in his own voice, but he didn't particularly care. Still, he was a bit surprised to feel Leia's shock at those words.

"But, Luke, he's our dad…." She began, her eyes, so much like their mother's, were widened in shock, but he cut her off.

"I don't care what he is!" he snapped. It took all of his willpower not to stop moving and whirl on her to continue the argument. "I'm here for Mara, and she's the one I'm going to save. If you want to help that ass, go right ahead."

"Luke!" Leia admonished, completely flabbergasted at her brother's venomous diatribe, and he suddenly felt her hand on his arm, forcing him to stop. He tried to shake her off and continue forward, but she was having none of that. She pushed herself in front of him, blocking his way, not intimidated by her twin in the least, and he was forced to stop and look down at her. There was confusion in her eyes as she gazed up at him, but her expression was firm, almost haughty, like she expected him to answer her truthfully and immediately. "Why are you so…"

What else she said disappeared. For in that moment, the expression on her face triggered another one of his stupid, painful visions. He tried to stop it from happening, but it couldn't be stopped.

"Chewie! Come here!" Han was standing in front of him, beckoning to a massive, fury creature Luke had never seen before…it looked a little like Bigfoot, actually. Luke didn't get a chance to really take the image in, or process the fact that Han had called it "Chewie" because another voice interrupted, causing both Luke and Han to look over and see...Leia.

"Listen." She was wearing a white dress, dirty, the hem wet and streaked with gunk of some kind, and her hair was done up so it looked like she had two giant cinnamon rolls stuck on the sides of her head. "I don't know who you are, or where you came from, but from now on, you do as I tell you." Han looked back at Luke incredibly, as if to say 'Can you believe her?' but Luke said nothing. Honestly, given his sister's personality and Han's personality, he wouldn't want to get in the middle of that conversation anyhow. "Okay?"

She turned and began to follow the giant Bigfoot-Chewie-Guy-Thingy down the strangely lit hallway. Han followed, breaking out of his stunned expression and into a defensive one. "Look, your worshipfulness, let's get one thing straight! I take orders from just one person—me!"

Luke sort of expected Leia to get angry with Han's defiance, but she seemed more annoyed than anything else. "It's a wonder you're still alive." Leia responded sarcastically before gesturing to Chewie, the-Crossbow-Carrying- Bigfoot-Thingy. "Would someone get this walking carpet out of my way?" She demanded, as she shoved her way past the creature.

Luke and Han looked after her, both stunned by Leia's…well, by Leia. "No reward is worth this!" Han grumbled…

"Luke!" Leia was shaking him. He was leaning against the wall, barely standing. Leia was practically holding him up as she shook him. There was worry in her eyes as she tried to bring him back around. "Luke!"

Shakily, he managed to get his footing, and he gently but firmly pushed her away from him. "I'm…I'm fine, Leia."

Leia stared at him like he was crazy. "You are not fine." She insisted. "I'm your twin sister, remember? I can feel when you're lying to me, even with that stupid shield up around your mind."

Actually, he'd forgotten about that. He hadn't been around her in so long, he'd forgotten what she could and couldn't feel whenever they were together. "Well, I'm going to have to be fine." He insisted, pushing away from the wall. A wave of nausea swept over him, but he managed to keep his footing. "I have to save Mara."

"Who on Earth is this Mara anyway?" Leia asked, obviously perplexed, following him as he continued his way down the corridor.

Luke hesitated. "A…friend."

Now he could feel Leia's frustration begin to melt into curiosity. "Oh? A friend, huh?" From the tone of her voice, he could tell that she suspected that Mara was more than that to him.

"Yeah, a friend, okay?" he replied, still refusing to look back at her. Right now, whatever was happening to him…he had to find Mara quick and get out. If he got caught up in a battle with the Inquisitors and he looked at Leia and had another vision…he'd be a goner for sure.

"I see." Leia seemed amused, but she dropped the subject. "You never answered me. Why are….?"

They rounded a corner and were immediately facing down a group of five Inquisitors. Luke swiftly activated his lightsaber, moving to engage them, Leia promptly cutting her question off and moving to join him. They were outnumbered, but they still moved with grim determination, refusing to surrender, even as the Inquisitors moved on them with their lightsabers drawn…

Gun shots suddenly rang out through the hallway, and two of the Inquisitors dropped like rocks while a third whirled to block the other gun shots with his lightsaber. Luke promptly ran him through from behind with his lightsaber before lashing his hand out towards the next one, using the Force to pull him off of his feet and forward, where he promptly impaled him with his lightsaber. Leia dispatched the Inquisitor she had been facing, looking over at the Inquisitor Luke had just forcefully killed. "Luke," she began, her voice shaking with uncertainty. Luke didn't need to know what it was she was going to say. He could already feel the difference between the way they used the Force: Her Force Presence was filled with Light, while his was filled with Darkness.

He didn't feel like debating it. They didn't have time to.

He turned, ignoring her unspoken question to find Han and Chewie moving towards them, their guns pulled out. "You okay, Kid?" Han asked as he approached, looking to Luke, sparing a glance at Leia…and then back to Leia, where his gaze stayed, a frown creasing his lips, his eyebrows furrowed. Luke restrained himself to look at Leia, but he had a feeling she was looking back at Han as well.

"Who…?" she began, her voice filled with confusion…and a strange sense of longing.

"You're…Luke's sister, right?" Han managed to say, starting to recover from whatever it was that had come over them. Still, he continued to stare transfixed at Leia as if she were from another planet.

"Yeah," Leia said, and Luke could hear her recovering as well. "I'm Leia."

"Han." Han responded immediately, eyes still glued to Leia's face.

"Well," Luke started, "This is great and all, but we need to…" He cut off speaking as another wave of pain hit him, followed swiftly by yet another vision. But, he hadn't looked at Leia! He thought desperately as his mind was overtaken by…

They whirled around a corner, Han holding his gun. Facing them was a squad of masked, armored men dressed all in white. It was the same uniform Luke had seen in a previous vision, ones that vision-Leia had called 'Stormtroopers.' "It's them!" one of them said, as the group stared at each other in shock for a moment. "Blast them!"

But, Han was quicker. He shot at them…but the gun that he used didn't shoot bullets. It shot a red blast of light, hitting the leader square in the chest, knocking him to the floor. Though the troopers outnumbered them, Han's response somehow made them turn and start to run in the other direction as Luke grabbed Leia and pulled her back.

But, what was even more insane was that both Han and the Chewie-Bigfoot guy chased after the soldiers. "Get back to the ship!" Han shouted over his shoulder.

"Where are you going?!" Luke yelled after him incredulously.

"Come back!" Leia yelled, but it was in vain. Han and Chewie disappeared around the corner. "Well, he certainly has courage." She said with a stunned look of awe, and Luke could detect the admiration in her voice. Why, he didn't know. It was a stupid move….but totally something the Han Luke knew in the real world would do.

Apparently, Vision-Luke agreed. "What good will it do us if he gets himself killed?"

Now, it was Han yelling his name as Luke came to. "Luke!" He was being supported by Leia, one arm slung over her shoulder. He could feel her frantic worry overshadowing Han and Chewie's worry for him. Once Han saw that Luke was back in reality, he shook his head in frustration. "This is why I told you to stay with the ship, Kid!" He made it sound like he was upset, and perhaps he was, but Luke knew he was mostly just worried for him.

"I'm…I'll be fine." Luke forced himself to say. It was a struggle to get the words out. His vision was swimming…but he forced himself to get back on his feet. "We have to get Mara."

"Let Chewie and I do that." Han began to insist, but Luke was already pulling away from Leia, moving once more down the hallway. He didn't even bother to respond to Han. At this point, it was all he could do just to keep moving. He was going to save Mara. They were going to escape. He would kill Rysand, and they would make it safely back home, unfollowed by either Inquisitors or his father. He wouldn't lose anyone else he cared about.


The Inquisitor who called himself Rysand frowned at the screens that were displayed on the wall. There were multiple camera feeds showing the interior of the underground complex, and currently, he was monitoring Luke, Leia, Han and Chewie through the halls, the four of them successfully taking out Inquisitors as if they were the perfect team. And, they were the perfect team—they always had been. It was almost surreal for Anakin to watch them in action again.

Still, he'd watched as Luke had collapsed not once, but twice. Though Rysand was clearly more interested in what they were doing, or what they were saying (for he did have audio capabilities on the monitors), the fact that Luke had collapsed twice in the span of a few minutes was worrisome to Anakin. Han's comment to Luke the second time he'd collapsed had Anakin suspecting that this was not the first time Luke had experienced something like this. A million possibilities swarmed through his head, making it difficult to concentrate on the here and now. He needed to escape, but his mind kept going back to his son's health, even though now Luke fought and dodged those electric grates that sometimes went crashing down with seeming ease.

Anakin and Mara knelt on the hard ground behind Rysand, their hands tied behind their backs, an Inquisitor standing on either side of them with their lightsabers activated, guarding them while the rest of the Inquisitors moved to engage his children and his son's friends. Anakin glared at Rysand's back, willing more and more of the Force to return to him, but also doing his best to hide that from the Force-sensitive Inquisitors around him. "So." Rysand finally spoke, not turning around. "Starkiller's real name is Luke Skywalker. How...interesting."

As much as Anakin hated that Luke had been taken from him and given that codename, he also recognized that it had been important that his true identity stay secret from the rest of these Inquisitors. If Rysand managed to escape and tell the rest of Palpatine's men…but then, why hadn't Palpatine told the Inquisitors of Luke's true identity?

Rysand continued to speak. "And, Leia Skywalker is his twin sister." He scowled. "Given how powerful Luke was, it's no wonder Palpatine has demanded that she be brought to him alive."

Fury slammed into him at that revelation: There was no way in Sith's Hell that Anakin would let Palpatine go near any of his children again...Be it Leia, Hayden, or Luke. He wouldn't let Palpatine have the chance to try to turn another Skywalker ever again. He tested out his control of the Force again, finding that more and more of it was waking to his call.

Rysand turned then, and Anakin's eyes flashed down to his belt, where both his and Mara's lightsabers hung. Just a little more..."So, obviously, that makes you Starkiller's father." Rysand scoffed. "If everyone knew that our greatest enemy's son was among us while we were growing up, we wouldn't have ever let him have the chance to turn on us."

"This whole thing is stupid." Mara suddenly snapped, drawing Rysand's attention. Anakin began to casually work the rope, using the Force to slowly loosen it while Mara distracted him. "Why kidnap us and take us here? If you just wanted to kill Starkiller, why do it here?"

Rysand grinned, though there was no humor in it. "He never told you, did he?" Mara opened her mouth, but no words came out. Rysand continued. "Let me tell you a story."

"Oh great, the Orator speaketh," Mara muttered, rolling her eyes, but Anakin could sense her curiosity underlying her annoyance. For whatever reason, Anakin suspected Mara didn't know very much about Luke's past as an Inquisitor. Why Luke hadn't told her, Anakin didn't know and couldn't fathom, but he suspected it was for a good reason.

"Mara…" Anakin began, his voice full of warning, but Rysand spoke over him.

"Once upon a time, there was a Golden Boy named Starkiller. Unlike the rest of us, he wasn't brought into the Inquisitors by one of Palpatine's minions. Nooooo. Uh-huh. He was brought in by our Master himself. None of us knew why at first, but it became crystal clear that his skill in the Force far outweighed the rest of us. Except for one girl: Another Inquisitor by the name of Fireheart. She had been with the Inquisitors as long as the rest of us, but when Starkiller arrived, she took a sudden keen interest in him. Eventually, as the years went by, they teamed up, became each other's official partners. They were inseparable, but none of us knew the depth of their relationship until it was too late. When we all turned 16, we were put to a test. The winner of the test would become Master Palpatine's Apprentice, and the undisputed leader of the Inquisitors. Starkiller and Fireheart, though partners, had made it clear they each intended to win, but only one of them could do so. We all thought Starkiller would be the one to win. We suspected our Master expected it as well. But, it was Fireheart who actually won, though barely."

Anakin was almost through the ropes, but at that revelation, he paused. It had been clear, even in his visions, that Luke clearly outmatched Fireheart….Talia. How could she have won?

Rysand continued, his voice full of bitterness. "Starkiller didn't seem to be upset though. He accepted Fireheart's new role, even encouraged the rest of us to pledge our loyalty to her. It wasn't long before she was ordered to come to this base where she would officially take the title of Sith Apprentice. She was supposed to go alone…in fact, she did go alone. But, the next thing we knew, Starkiller was gone from our home base, having snuck away in the night. The next morning, we found out why. Fireheart and Starkiller had teamed up to try and destroy our Master. Our Master had foreseen this, of course, and had escaped, but most in the base above us did not. They were cut down, but not before killing Fireheart. Now Starkiller, or Luke Skywalker, as we now know, is systematically hunting down my Master's men, one by one, intending to kill our whole order." Rysand leaned towards Mara's face, which had gone pale as his story had continued. "So, you see, I will destroy him, where it all began, but before I do so, I will make sure he watches as I kill you. He will watch as the woman he loves dies where his partner was killed, and he will suffer before I cut him down myself."

Mara swallowed hard, her skin still unnaturally pale. "Joke's on you, Asswipe." She said in a quavering voice, "He doesn't love me." Force, Anakin certainly hoped Luke didn't have a thing for her…He wasn't dumb enough to try to stop Luke from loving Mara if that was his choice, but Mara was dangerous. Still, though the thought of Mara and Luke being together filled him with dread, Anakin realized that didn't matter at the moment. None of this did, although Rysand's explanation of what happened to Luke and Talia was both enlightening and puzzling at the same time. He didn't have time to think on it. He finally loosened the ropes enough to slip his hands through the loops, and the moment they were free, he whipped one hand out towards his Inquisitor guard, throwing him far across the room with a Force push where he slammed into the wall, dropping unconscious to the floor. At the same time, his other hand stretched towards Rysand's belt, calling his lightsaber to him. It broke free easily, and he used the Force to ignite it before it even entered his grasp.

Rysand swore as Anakin, ignoring the still woozy effects of the drug in his system, launched to his feet, blocking the lightsaber of the other Inquisitor who had been guarding Mara. He expected to fight the battle by himself, but a split second later, Mara was free of her bonds as well, her own lightsaber in her hands, ignited into a violet blade that swiftly engaged Rysand. He hadn't even realized that she too had been working out of her bonds. Despite the fact that he didn't necessarily like Mara, he couldn't help but be a bit impressed at her skill level...and her determination, so much like his own wife's.

It took him a little longer to dispatch the Inquisitor guard than it normally would have, but it still didn't take Anakin long to slam the boy into the other wall, also knocking him unconscious. Mara was still engaging Rysand, evenly matched. Anakin moved to help, but before he could, Rysand let his guard down and Mara drove her lightsaber through his chest. "Well, Storyteller, looks like you're the one joining the rest of the Inquisitors Luke killed here." Mara said coolly, as she ripped the lightsaber out of the Inquisitor's chest. Though his mask hid most of his face, Rysand stared at Mara in utter disbelief as he collapsed back onto the control board of the monitors, where he went limp and lay still.

Mara breathed hard, turning to Anakin, their eyes meeting. They stood there, frozen, waiting for the other to make a move. Clearly, Mara was debating on attacking him…but she hadn't yet. Perhaps she was waiting to see what Anakin would do. But, Anakin was suddenly tired of fighting. He was tired of killing those who knew no better because of how they were raised. He was tired of fighting his son and his son's friends. So, he deactivated his lightsaber, returning it to his belt, looking at Mara pointedly with his eyebrows raised. He watched as she hesitated, confused and surprised by his action, but reluctantly, she deactivated her lightsaber as well. Unlike him, though, she kept it in her hand.

"I'm going to my children." He said warily. "I'm not going to let you stop me from that."

Mara was silent for a moment, weighing his words. "Why?" She asked. "So, you can try to kill Luke again?"

Anakin flinched. "No." He said, and when Mara opened her mouth to argue, he held up a hand, cutting her off. "I'm not going to stand here and try to convince you. I love my son. I always have. What happened between us…it was complicated, but I need to try to seek his forgiveness."

Mara looked doubtful. "And, if he doesn't forgive you?"

Anakin knew that was a very real possibility. What he'd done to his son in their last life…it was unforgivable. But, Padme hadn't done anything to him. Leia certainly hadn't, nor had Hayden. His family had a right to be reunited with Luke, even if…even if Luke didn't want to be around him. "I still have to try. My family deserves that." He said softly.

Mara regarded him for a moment, but she eventually seemed to at least accept that he would follow her. She turned around, headed for the door. "Fine." She said, "But, if he tries to kill you, don't say I didn't warn you."


KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

Luke waited while Han set another explosive, his eyes scanning the hallways for more Inquisitors. He reached out with his senses…but to his surprise, he found there were none. Instead, he felt Mara and his father moving through the hallways towards them. "Hurry up." He said to Han, "Mara is on her way."

"Wait," Han looked over his shoulder at him, "She's….?" Luke nodded, and Han laughed a bit under his breath. "Of course. Figures. Shouldn't have expected any differently."

Luke smiled a little in agreement. Han had a point. Mara was anything but a damsel in distress. Still, given that her presence was still muted in the Force, he had a feeling she wouldn't have made it out by herself in the current state she was in.

Suddenly, he felt a gentle hand on his back, and he turned to find Leia at his side, looking up into his eyes. The look in her eyes made him step back, guilt and uncertainty filling his heart. Her eyes were full of worry, but they were also filled with…revulsion. While Leia had not shied away from killing, she had still tried to spare Inquisitors when possible, opting for knocking them out instead of outright killing them. When she had killed them, she had done it as quickly as possible. Luke, on the other hand, had Force-choked, smashed, and slashed his opponents to death. Each time, he had felt her horror at just how violently he'd killed them, how seeped in the Dark Side he was…and he was ashamed for it. For the first time in his life, he felt shame for his actions. He quickly averted his eyes. As much as Leia often was quick to anger, she was still good at heart. Luke, on the other hand,…Luke was not. "Luke," She whispered.

"When Mara gets here," Luke said, not wanting her to say it, "We're leaving. There is another exit out of the complex, just around that corner." He nodded behind them at the corner they'd passed. "Take father and go before those bombs go off." He nodded to the explosive Han was almost finished setting.

Leia was shaking her head. "No. You're coming home with us. We miss you." She said it so earnestly, he almost believed her. But, he couldn't believe her. He knew how his father wanted him dead, even if she seemed oblivious to it. How she could ignore that fact, Luke didn't know, but he didn't care to ask at the moment. Every second they delayed, his father and Mara were coming closer. Any moment now, and he could get Mara and they could escape. Already he had spotted the little control panel that marked where those grates would fall down, a plan forming in his head.

"I'm sorry, Leia," He said, pulling away from her. He could see the pain that flickered across her face as he did so. "It's not about you. It's…"

"What? Is this about Dad?" Leia demanded. "Why won't you tell me why you hate him so much?! What did he ever do to you?"

Now, it was Luke's turn to be surprised…and angry. His father hadn't told her what Luke had done? He hadn't told her that he had tried to kill Luke for it? "Of course, he didn't tell you," Luke said bitterly, angrily.

"Tell me what?!" Leia asked, frowning.

"He tried to kill me, Leia!" Luke told her, and he watched as her face paled, shock and confusion and disbelief flickering across her expression.

"That's….impossible!" She said breathlessly, "I was there when we lost you, Luke. I saw how devastated he was…how devastated he still is! Mom…"

"NO! STOP, LEIA!" Anger and despair overwhelmed him, and as he glared at her, Leia closed her mouth, her eyes widening. Whatever she saw in his eyes, it had frightened her. In the back of his mind, he knew he had to calm down—if he could scare Leia, then he really was out of control. He felt out of control, too—like he needed to destroy something.

But, at that moment, Han finished setting up the last explosive, and Mara and his father rounded the corner. Seeing his father following Mara sent another wave of anger through Luke, and he clenched his jaw. "I'll see you around, Leia." He said in a tight voice, and as Mara passed the threshold where the grate would fall, he used the Force to gently push Leia back and into their father's arms, who steadied her, but disappointedly, did not fall over.

Instead, his father met his eyes, desperation and longing in their depths. "Luke, please, listen to me, Son…"

But, Luke was through with listening. He was through with being chased. He was through with those he cared about getting hurt. Pulling the gun he rarely used from his own belt, he pointed it at the little control panel in the wall and shot it. "LUKE, DON'T…." Leia cried, but it was too late. The grate came crashing down, sparking with electricity, separating his father and Leia from them.

Mara whirled, startled by the sudden crash of the grate. "Luke…" she began, turning back to him, but as Luke peered at the panel he had destroyed to make sure that it truly was unusable, another wave of pain hit him, his vision blinking in and out, and…

He was running down a corridor, Leia by his side. Red bolts of light were whizzing past them, barely missing them. Suddenly, the walkway ended, and Luke jerked to a stop, off balance, starting to fall…But Leia grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "I think we took a wrong turn!" He said, peering down over the edge and into the long drop below. He couldn't even see the bottom, and his voice echoed.

Suddenly, more bolts of light blasted at them, and Leia hit a control panel switch, shutting a thick metal door behind them. She continued to fiddle with the panel, and after a moment, turned to him in frustration. "There's no lock!" She said.

Not wanting to face more fire, Luke took Leia's hand and moved her, using his own gun to blast the panel. "That oughta hold them for a while," He said.

When he came to again, Mara was holding him up, grim faced as his vision cleared. "Luke!" his father was yelling, and he sounded frantic, as if he really were concerned about him.

"Luke," Mara whispered, "I think we should…"

He pushed away from her. "Let's get out of here." He said, glaring at Han and Chewie, who were looking between Luke and his father as if they were unsure what to do.

"Sure kid," Han said slowly, "But…"

"Now, Han!" Luke growled, turning to go…but his father's voice stopped him.

"I'm sorry, Luke!" Sorry? His father was sorry?! Luke's anger was practically choking him now, and the Force swelled within him in response, as his father continued. "Please listen. I can explain…"

"Explain what?!" Luke snapped, whirling again, his hands shaking with anger. "You tried to kill me! That doesn't need an explanation!"

Pain flickered across his father's face, and this time it was Leia who was trying to convince Luke. "I told you, Luke, that's impossible!" she looked up at their father. "Tell him!"

For a long moment, there was silence. "It's not what you think…" his father finally began, and Luke was almost satisfied to see Leia pale, looking at their father like he had grown two heads.

"I was your son!" Luke was yelling now, his hands tightening into fists. He felt Mara approach him from behind warily, as if offering her support…or perhaps getting ready to stop him if he did something drastic. "I don't want your damn apologies, or explanations! I want you to leave me the hell alone, or I will end you!"

"Luke!" Leia gasped, and now she was looking at him like she didn't know him. And, sadly, she didn't know him. They hadn't seen each other in years, and before that, she had barely paid attention to him. Despite whatever…tender feelings he'd had when he'd first found her, nothing could change the fact that she didn't know him now. She didn't really care.

"I know apologies mean little," Now his father sounded upset. His voice was starting to rise. "But, I've changed! I'm not going to turn my back while you run around and ruthlessly kill people…"

"Wait," Han interrupted, "Kill people?" He turned to Luke with a shocked look, his hands on his hips.

Luke turned sharply. "I said get out of here, Han," He snapped, though he only snapped because he didn't want Han to know the truth. He'd worked so hard to hide his assassinations from his friend…

"I take orders from one person, Luke—me! Now, what the hell is your old man talking about?!" Han was mad now, but Luke couldn't deal with it then. He still had his father trying to convince him to listen to his ludicrous explanations.

"The path you're going down is only going to lead to more pain, Son. Can't you see that?" His father's voice was so earnest and full of pain that Luke paused, turning back to stare at his father. "Trust me, I know. But, at least listen to what I have to say, and if you still don't want to come home because of me, at least come home for your mother…"

The tension and anger that had been building within Luke snapped at the mention of his mother. There had only been one other time when he'd snapped like that, and it had also happened in that same location. "I said," Luke snarled viciously, "Don't talk about her!" Without consciously thinking of what he was doing, he outstretched his hand towards his father, the Force filling him with darkness as he used it to grasp hold of his father's throat.

"LUKE!" Leia was yelling, trying to help their father, but she was helpless to stop Luke's attack.

"Shit, Luke! What the hell has gotten into you?!" Han was saying, and he felt his friend's hands on his shoulders, trying to pull him away. It only made Luke grasp harder on his choke hold. All he could think in that moment was getting rid of the problem, of setting himself free of the fear and hatred he had for his father.

But, it was the image of his father that imprinted into his brain. His father's hands were at his neck, his blue eyes that matched his own were wide with pain, shock, and…hurt. It wasn't quite betrayal, but it was as close as one could get. As his face reddened, he tried to open his mouth, tried to say something, but Luke's hold was simply too tight.

But, his father's eyes….that hurt….there was so much sadness, so much anguish, so much loss…but there was also…understanding? Puzzled by that, Luke's hold began to slip…

"LUKE! STOP!." Mara was shaking him. She sounded pissed off, and when he ignored her and kept strangling his father, she hissed and suddenly…Her hands were grasping his face roughly. She was pulling his gaze off of his father, pulling it back to her startling green eyes. The next thing he knew, she crushed her mouth against his, kissing him hard.

Just like that, the anger suddenly evaporated, vanished, as if it had been knocked out of him entirely. In its place was disbelief…and confusion. He felt his hold on the Force slip from his control…and disappear. Distantly, he heard his father drop to the floor, gasping and gagging as Leia murmured words of worry. His hand dropped, his eyes widened, and his brain simply…stopped functioning correctly.

The only word he could think in that moment was: What?

But, just as soon as it had come, the kiss was over. Mara pushed him away, glaring daggers at him. "Let's go, Luke." She growled. The threat was clear: She was ready to drag him off if need be.

"Y-yeah," he said, turning to look back at Han and Chewie. Both men looked at him grimly, as if they were looking at a stranger who had run over their cat, not their friend. The disbelief and surprise he'd felt upon kissing Mara dissipated, leaving a sinking, horrible, gut-wrenching feeling behind.

He'd screwed up. This time, it was a massive screw up.

Glancing over at his father and Leia, his father still gasped for breath on the floor, but it was Leia who looked at him. She looked at him like he was a total…monster. A monster to be feared, not her twin brother who was loved. His own throat tightened. He considered apologizing, but he doubted it would help any. So, slowly, he turned around, following Mara, Han, and Chewie out of the complex. "Do you still want to detonate those explosives?" Mara asked as they climbed the stairs to the upper level. It was Han who had the detonator.

Han didn't even turn around when he replied. "No. There's been enough killing here today." The last comment was pointedly directed at Luke, but Luke didn't say anything in return. For once, Luke agreed with that statement.

He'd gone past the point of no return. He didn't feel victorious. He didn't feel strong.

He just felt empty.


So, no spoilers, but that is the last time Luke and Anakin will have a violent confrontation. Promise. So, don't kill me.

Super long chapter, I know. Tons of stuff happened. But I haven't updated in a while, not because of what happened recently, but just because my Beta went out of town on vacation. Given the awesome work she does, she deserved the vacation.

The songs for this chapter are:

Luke and Talia dream scenes: StarWaves from the movie Oblivion, We Will Rock You by Queen, and Northern Downpour by Panic at the Disco

The rest of the chapter:

The Pit of Carkoon/Sail Barge Assult By John Williams

Monster by Skillet

Luke and Leia by John Williams

Review!

Love,

Sarah