Mara helped Luke bring everyone on board the ship that Anakin, Siri, and poor Katana had taken out to this place.
"Thanks for everything, Mara," Luke said, as he walked up the ramp of the ship.
"Not a problem, Luke, not a problem." Mara replied with a sad smile.
"Are you sure you don't want to come with?" Luke asked.
Part of Mara wanted to scream 'Yes! I never want to come back here again!' but instead she said, "No. My place is here."
"If you're sure..." Luke said, "If I go now, are we still best friends?"
Mara nodded, "We'll always be best friends, Luke." she said.
~*~
Anakin shook his head, everything was fuzzy. Why was that? Then he remembered. They had been fighting Palpatine! He had been knocked unconscious! Anakin tried to sit up but everything became dizzy for him. He vaguely heard someone- he couldn't tell who- say "We'll always be best friends, Luke."
What was going on? He heard someone else say, "I'll miss you," and then the door to the ship closed. Anakin tried shook his head, his vision coming into focus, and memory of everything that had happened came into focus as well. Luke had just stepped on board the ship.
"Luke? What are you doing here?" Anakin asked, standing up. "What happened?"
"I'll tell you everything later, but right now we need to go," Luke said, going into the cockpit.
~*~
Mara smiled a little to herself as Luke's ship pulled out of the hangar bay and into space. She would find another way to harm Obi- Wan, a way that didn't involve Luke. Mara walked over to her Master's crumpled form. She would have a lot of explaining to do when he awoke.
~*~
"She let us go?" Anakin asked, as Luke explained what had happened.
Luke nodded and smiled, "I'm not surprised."
Anakin closed his eyes, if they didn't get Mara back soon, it was more than likely she would loose what innocence she still had. He knew the training Sith had to undergo. Palpatine would teach her to hate, and teach her that the force was a tool for her disposal, nothing more. He had half a mind to go back to Wayland and get Mara back that instant. Who knew what Palpatine would do to her if he found out what she had just done! However, he knew it was more than likely that Siri and Obi- Wan were hurt pretty badly, probably with broken bones, and Siri emotionally hurt because of Katana's death. He himself would probably have several bruises and he knew he had sprained his wrist. At this time there is nothing we can do for Mara he reasoned.
"Dad, Mara will be fine," Luke said, reading his Father's thoughts.
Anakin turned to regard him, "I know," he lied.
~*~
Obi- Wan came back into consciousness to see Siri laying next to him, crying. He tried to move his mouth to ask her what was wrong, but found it very difficult. He closed his eyes again. He knew what had happened, he just didn't know where the were. They had been fighting Palpatine and- Mara. He shut his eyes. The Mara he had known was surely gone. Katana was gone too, killed by Palpatine. That was why Siri was crying. Anakin and Luke were here too. He just didn't know exactly where. He tried to sit himself up, but found he didn't have the strength. One of his arms was broken. He propped himself up on his elbow, the one not broken.
"Siri?" he asked, propping himself up on his elbow further. "Are you okay?"
Siri shook her head. "She- she died, because of me." she said, coming over to him. Apparently she could stand. "I was in charge of her, she was my Padawan, and she died."
"Siri," he said, trying to sit himself up. Siri bent down and helped him stand up. "Its okay. Katana is in a better place. She is one with the force. Everything will be alright," he said, pulling her into a one armed hug.
Siri didn't say anything but only sobbed onto his shoulder. Obi- Wan knew Siri needed him now, just has he had needed her when Anakin had gone. Siri had been there for him, at least to talk to. He knew this was hard for her. He had never ever seen her cry. Never. If something was bothering her, she never let it show. This was Siri crying.
"Siri," he whispered, "Katana died nobly. She died fighting the most powerful Sith Lord we have ever come across. It wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done."
"I know that, but I still wish I could have been there for her, spent more time with her." Siri said, into his shoulder.
"I know, I know," he replied.
~*~
Half an hour after Obi- Wan and Siri had awoken, Luke and Anakin came out of the cockpit to check on them. "I was wondering when you'd realize we were awake." Obi- Wan, said as quietly as he could.
Anakin smirked, Obi- Wan and Siri were sitting down on a bench, Siri was asleep on Obi- Wan's shoulder. "We knew you were, we just let you be."
Obi- Wan rolled his eyes, "Very funny Anakin, so where are we?"
"We're on our way to Courescant. Only two more hours until we arrive." Anakin replied.
"So what exactly happened?" Obi- Wan asked, "Back on the ship I mean?"
Luke began to explain what had happened for the second time.
Maybe Mara isn't completely gone after all. Obi- Wan thought with a small smile.
~*~
Their ship pulled into Courescant, with ease. Padmé, Leia, Yoda, and Mace Windu, greeted them.
Padmé nearly knocked poor Obi- Wan over as she was running to Anakin. She kissed him soundly.
"Let him breathe Padmé!" said Obi- Wan, who couldn't help but grin.
Padmé turned to half glare- half grin at Obi- Wan. Then she turned and found Luke. "Don't ever scare me like that again!" she said, hugging Luke tightly.
"Daddy!" called Leia, running to hug Anakin. Anakin smiled, at Leia and picked her up.
"Some welcoming committee," remarked Siri.
Obi- Wan shook his head, chuckling.
~*~
Once everyone had finished exchanging greetings, Anakin, Obi- Wan, and Siri needed to see the Jedi Council where they would tell of what had happened.
"Show potential as a Jedi he does." Yoda said when they told of Luke's appearance. "Tested to become a Jedi, young Skywalker shall be."
"And Leia?" Anakin had asked.
"Not as strong in the force is she." Yoda replied, he paused for a moment, "Tested to become a Jedi she too shall be."
The three of them proceeded to explain everything, and no one spoke when they told of Katana's death.
"We're deeply saddened by this, and we can only give you our deepest regrets, Siri." said Mace Widu.
"You're thoughts dwell on her. You mustn't blame yourself for her death." Kloo Ploon agreed.
Obi- Wan smiled at her reassuringly, and Siri said, "I know."
The three of them finally finished explaining, when Obi- Wan asked what Anakin had been wondering the whole time.
"Is Anakin to become a Jedi?"
Yoda closed his eyes, "A difficult decision this has been." he said.
"Anakin betrayed us once before." Adi Gallia interjected.
"However he overcame his betrayal." said Obi- Wan more sharply than he meant to. "He is with us now."
Yoda chuckled, "Insistent on him being a Jedi you are, Obi- Wan."
"Have you come to a decision, Masters?" Anakin asked, quietly bowing his head with as much control over his impatience as he could manage.
And a genuine smiles played across everyone's face as Yoda said, "A decision we have come to. A Jedi you shall be."
_*_
AN: ::sobs:: one more chapter and this story will be over!!! Thanks everyone for all of your reviews throughout all of this. If not for you, I would never have written this in the first place!
- Sarah