Title: Unfinished Business.
Author: Anaika Skywalker
Author's Email: lindsay30@austarnet.com.au
Rating: R (sexual content)
Authors' note: This is an alternative ending to Return of the Jedi that I wrote one night when I was bored and couldn't sleep. It added a few twists to the tale, and the character of Mara Jade isn't like what's depicted in the novels but she fitted in to this tale. A special thank you to my beta reader, you're the best Kazzy.
Jena Jinn: I'm glad you liked it so far; I hope you enjoy the rest.
Unfinished BusinessChapter Five: The Rescue
By oh two thirty hours it became obvious to the troopers and officers in the barracks something was wrong. Leia and Amelia were prepared when the call came through. Calmly informing both troops and officers it was a computer malfunction, and then signed off.
"That's not going to hold them long." Leia noted.
Amelia agreed. She pressed the comm. button for the training room. "Luke, we're going to have company."
"Acknowledged," came his sleepy reply.
Both women left the control center and returned to the training room.
Leia smiled as they came in. Han was asleep in his chair, his feet up on one in front of him. "That man can sleep anywhere," she commented.
"He's not the only one," Amelia noted.
Luke was leaning against the wall, his eyes closed. Mara was lying beside him, her head on his lap, fast asleep.
"He must have gone back to sleep," Leia decided. "I'll wake Han, you wake Luke."
"You get all the fun jobs," Amelia grumbled, but went to do it anyway.
Leia smiled and went over to Han, kneeling beside him she bent over and kissed him.
Han opened his eyes, smiling. "Morning."
"Time to get up. We have company coming."
"Okay, sweetheart," he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Standing, he helped Leia to her feet.
Luke and Mara were standing. "When this is over, I want to sleep for a week, at least," she grumbled.
They laughed, but their laughter was short lived. Those who were Force-sensitive shivered and looked towards the door, seeing Vader standing there.
"Well, well, my traitorous family," he sneered, glancing at the woman he loved. "No drug is completely effective on a Sith, my darling Amelia."
"I'll remember that," she remarked sternly.
Luke stepped forward. "It's over, Father, we're no longer your prisoners."
"You will always be my prisoners, son." Vader retorted.
"I don't think so."
"I do." Vader drew his lightsaber, the new one he'd recently completed. It was larger then his old lightsaber, which he'd, lost on the Death Star. He activated one end, and then the other.
Luke and Mara activated their lightsabers simultaneously. The others were moving out of the way. Luke linked with Mara through the Force; they were stronger that way.
Vader found out how strong as they attacked. The two of them forced him out of the training room and into the open corridor, determined to push him away from their friends.
Han had drawn his blaster. "The strike team should be here in a matter of minutes."
"Vader has probably unlocked the barracks," Amelia announced. "We need to get to the entrance hall," she informed them. Both she and Leia had drawn their blasters as well.
Leia agreed, although she'd have rather stayed with her brother.
Running they made their way to the entrance hall as the large doors were blown in. Rebel soldiers were backing in, shooting it out with stormtroopers.
Lando and Chewbacca made it to Han's side. "Nice to see you, Pal," he greeted his life-brother. "You too, Lando."
"Better late then never, but good to see you too Han." Lando stated. Chewbacca growled his relief also.
"We'll have plenty of time once this is over, to swap stories, Pal," Han told him. They barricaded themselves in and started blasting away.
Wedge crawled over to them. "Where are Luke and Lt. Jade?" He asked Han, nodding to Amelia. He was relieved to see she was all right.
"Back that way, fighting Vader," he answered, he glanced to his left. "Hey, Jarrad. How are Luke and Mara?"
She reached out with her Force-sense. "Luke's doing fine, Mara is tiring."
"I'll go check on her," Leia volunteered.
"Go with her Wedge," Han ordered.
"Yes sir," he said and edged away with the Princess. He had to run to keep up with her.
They heard the hiss of lightsabers before they saw them. Amelia was right, though, Mara was tiring and Vader knew it.
Leia was conscious of the lightsaber attached to her belt. She was reluctant to use it, because her father had made it for her.
"What can we do to help?" Wedge asked.
"I'm not sure," she admitted. Then she held back a scream as Vader's blade came down severing Mara's hand off while it still held her lightsaber.
Mara went down, but didn't panic. She pulled at her sleeve and yanked it over the cauterized stump, using the Force to control the searing pain. Pulling her lightsaber to her, using the Force to yank it out of her severed hand, she stood snapping it on with a hiss.
Vader laughed. "Coming back for more, my dear?" He snarled.
"Taking my hand won't slow me down, Vader," she sneered. "You cut my father down and he became more powerful then ever."
"But you're not your father," he retorted, while holding Luke at bay with his lightsaber. He Force-pushed Mara into Leia and Wedge, sending all three down. Then he concentrated on the battle with his son.
Mara quickly snapped off her lightsaber, stopping it from hitting Wedge.
Luke's voice yelled in her mind. *Stay there; let them help you, protect our child.*
She knew he was right. He'd made the discovery she was pregnant, in the training room. During their break, while Han slept. The fact they could sense their child so early, meant he or she was strong with the Force. *All right my love.* She sent back.
Tycho Celchu arrived with a medic, having been called by Wedge. The medic carefully worked on Mara's arm, easing her pain.
Vader pushed Luke hard against the wall with the Force, his son collapsed like a rag doll. He'd heard their thoughts. He stormed towards Mara. "No grandchild of mine is going to be born to a Kenobi whore!"
Wedge throw himself over Mara, protecting her with his own body. Even though it was a hopeless move, Vader would just kill them both.
Leia pulled free her lightsaber and ignited it, thrusting upward. She impaled her father as he loomed over them. He looked at her, shocked, as he staggered back out of the blade's reach and fell to the floor. His lightsaber clattered on the ground after him, and extinguished itself.
Leia switched hers off as she crawled over to her father, finding Luke there too. Behind them Wedge sat up, seeing what was going on. Vader looked at his son and daughter, feeling his life force slipping away.
"Forgive me, my children," he gasped, and then let death take him.
Han came running in with Amelia, seeing what had occurred. He shook his head.
Then he announced. "We've got to move. The Death Star is headed this way, the Alliance did too good of job at trying to get rid of it. It's out of control, it'll crash into Coruscant in a matter of minutes."
Wedge scooped Mara up, and the medic stood along with them. Tycho picked up Mara's lightsaber and also the medic's equipment bag. He followed his friend and the injured officer as the medic rushed to keep up.
Luke pulled Leia to her feet and they followed the others.
The stormtroopers who'd been attacking the Rebels had fled and left the Rebel force free to board the Millennium Falcon. Han and Chewbacca raced to the cockpit, along with Lando. Quickly, they ignited the engines, and the freighter lifted off the landing platform, blasting away from Coruscant.
Leia came into the cockpit. She could see the Death Star plunge towards the planet. "Look!"
They did as the space station plunged into the planet, erupting.
"We're not sticking around, sweetheart," Han announced. "Lando?"
"Ready to go," he reported.
Han pushed the hyperspace throttle forward, making the jump to lightspeed and to safety.
To be continued.