Or at least, it felt like everything had gone black.

It took a moment, but Palpatine and Vader finally realized that the feeling that they had suddenly lost all their senses was caused by loss of the Force, the work of one or more ysalamiri.

The nearly-asphyxiated Palpatine gasped and clawed at his throat, looking with angry, questioning, and surprised eyes at the Jedi whose hand was still firmly locked around his neck. He struggled to get loose, but the youth's strength surpassed his decaying body's.

Luke flatly informed the dying man, "You thought having ysalamiri on the ship might help control me. But you have many weak-minded officers that were easily persuaded to pick them up and then come here. Now what you once thought would help you will now kill you."

"Jedi, you haven't seen the last of me!" Palpatine croaked before slumping loosely onto the ground, a permanent look of animosity and disgust etched onto his face.

With a last look at the man that he had just killed, Luke's world went black again.

"Luke!" Leia cried, rushing over to her brother.

Mara slowly walked over to Palpatine, staring down at his dead body. In a way, she had helped kill him...

He was her master...

Master...

She had been born to serve her master...

Her master...

Vader appeared at her side and quietly spoke. "You're free now, Jade. You no longer have to obey his commands."

Mara was having second thoughts. "He was my master!" she shouted, attracting Han's, Leia's, and Padmé's attention. But she didn't care.

"He took you away from your home, Mara. He never gave you a choice in whether or not you wanted to serve him. Now you can do as you wish." For the first time, Vader didn't call her by her surname.

"But I was born to serve him."

Vader shook his head. "No. He lied. He lied to you, and he lied to me. You don't have to serve anyone but yourself."

Nodding, but still not believing, Mara turned to Skywalker. His sister, friend, and mother were all crowded around him.

"Luke," Padmé prompted quietly. Apart from his shallow breathing, the Jedi didn't move. Leia tried to call his name, but she was likewise unsuccessful. She prodded him then looked at her mother desperately.

Padmé lifted her head, "Mara."

Startled to hear the woman speak her name, Mara came to Padmé's side. "Yes?"

"You try," Padmé suggested gently.

Unsure of what exactly she was supposed to do, Mara knelt down beside him. "Luke?" she whispered, delicately sliding her fingers across his cheek.

Slowly, his eyes opened, a deep misty blue that was fogged by confusion. They took in Mara's features and cleared somewhat. "Mara?" He paused in confused thought. "The Emperor, is he—?"

"Dead," Mara replied simply. Her master's murderer was in front of her. And instead of slicing his throat, she wanted to kiss his lips.

Some loyal servant she was.

"That's great! That means that—" Luke's face fell. "What about—?"

"Me?" Vader said softly. Sadly, he continued to speak. "Palpatine's lies enslaved me to the Dark Side. When I heard of my Padmé's death..."

"I didn't die," Padmé walked over to him and placed a hand on his arm. What she said was obvious, but the way she said it made clear what she meant. "It was my handmaiden." She gave a sorrowful smile, "Sabé...The young woman who took my place as queen so many times...She had a terminal illness and insisted that she be a part in faking my death when I'd shown some interest in disappearing. She was going to die soon anyway, and she begged for me to let her help..." Padmé took a breath. "She caught me at a weak moment, so I agreed. Me, Yoda, and Obi-Wan had her body cremated before there could be any blood tests done...I still miss her."

Somewhat tentatively, Vader placed his arm around her. It had been so long since he'd shown someone affection, and he wasn't re-accustomed to it yet...Plus, there was a chance that the woman he had betrayed all of those years ago wouldn't even want him near her.

She stiffened at first, but then she melted into him and let herself have a good cry for the first time in years. Evidently, Sabé wasn't the only one who had caught her at a weak moment.

Han put an arm around Leia, averting his eyes to give Padmé some privacy, and then he grinned down at Luke smugly. Luke rolled his eyes, ignoring him, then he brought his eyes to Mara's face. She hesitantly stroked his cheek and brought her hand down to rest on his chest.

"Thank you," Luke whispered.

Mara's brow furrowed in confusion, "For what?"

"For coming...I'm not sure what would have happened if you hadn't."

"Oh, Luke," she whispered, smiling. A lone tear streaked down her face.

He brought his hand up and wiped it away, cupping her cheek. He felt several eyes on him and gave a quick grin. Then he brought the slightly unsure Mara's head down to his and lightly placed his lips on hers, snaking in his tongue in a mischievous manner.

She was a little surprised that he would display such affection in front of his family, but she willingly deepened the kiss.

It was a kiss of hope and new-found love, a sort of toast to the future.

Their future, she added mentally.

Vaguely, she was aware that Han was cat-calling and Vader was laughing at the smuggler. The small part of her that heard Vader's laughter decided that it was a good sound. Not a taunting laugh like the old Darth Vader might have made.

The two finally broke free, gasping for breath.

"'Atta boy, kid!" Han whooped.

"Han," Leia elbowed him sternly. But she grinned brightly at her brother.

"Leia," Vader called for his daughter's attention. Her face dimmed, and she looked at him warily. "Do you think that the Rebellion would mind having a Super-Class Star Destroyer in their fleet?"

Han's eyes widened. "Would they ever!"

Leia wasn't so sure. "What reason do they have to trust an offer like that?"

Vader shrugged. "I'm going to tell the crew of my intentions and let people defect with me if they so desire. If the Rebellion decides that my flagship is more trouble than it's worth, I shall deal crippling blows to the Imperials remnants on my own."

Mara helped Luke to his feet, and Leia heaved a sigh. "If only you weren't so conspicuous."

"Conspicuous he does not have to be," a strange-sounding voice from near the wall stated.

Everyone swerved, and simultaneously, Vader, Luke, and Padmé gasped: "Yoda?"

"Plan that, did you?" the wizened blue ghost chuckled. A second ghost appeared beside him, and elbowed him. "Ow! Have to do that you did not!"

"Sorry," the new ghost apologized to the humans. "I've found that little alien ghosts named Yoda tend to be long-winded." Obi-Wan smiled, giving a reprimanding look to the long-eared creature beside him.

Vader had to force himself not to shy away from the ghost of his former master. He had murdered the man, yet here was Obi-Wan appearing in front of him with no apparent bad will.

"Heal him, you can," Yoda ignored the other spirit.

"I see it, but I don't believe it," Han whispered, backing up a few steps. He wasn't used to the paranormal. Mara put a reassuring arm on him, and he gave her a wary look.

"How?" Vader questioned. It was almost worse to talk to Yoda since he'd been the one that hadn't wanted to have him trained in the first place.

"If work together the four of you do, soon Anakin will be like the rest of you." Yoda looked pleased at his rhyme and chuckled.

Obi-Wan Kenobi groaned, placing a see-through hand on his face. "See what I have to live with for all eternity? He's been making up cheesy poems for weeks!"

"Help guide you through the process will I, if agree you will to e'er remain a Jedi." Yoda was on a roll.

"Yes, I promise," the man that was not quite Darth Vader and not quite Anakin Skywalker whispered.

"Then listen will you, and soon we'll be through."