My eyes opened with a gentle flutter, and I had to blink several times to focus. With a deep refreshing breath, I rolled my head to one side to see Skywalker sitting cross-legged on the floor next to me.

"Good morning," he smiled, "feeling better?"

I cautiously reached up with one hand and felt the bridge of my nose. The swelling and tenderness were gone, it felt fine. "Mmm…good as new, thanks," I managed after working my dry mouth open and slowly sitting up.

Skywalker only smiled again and continued to stare at me.

"Alright Skywalker, spill it." I said, folding my arms across my chest and leaning back against the cushions.

The Jedi chuckled but got up to join me on the couch.

"I did some meditation while you were healing. I wanted to understand what happened when you called me through the Force, and I think I have an idea," he paused to gauge my reaction.

I raised my eyebrows, intrigued, "Let's hear it, then."

"I think your mental shields caused it. You try too hard to keep everyone out of your head. Those barriers you erect in your mind don't just keep people out, they keep a big part of you in, as well. And when you tried to shout for me…" he took a deep breath.

"Like yelling in a small, enclosed space," I elaborated for him, catching on, "The sound is magnified."

Skywalker nodded enthusiastically, "Exactly. What happened to you was your body's reaction to the pain you caused inside your mind." Cocking his head slightly to one side, he ventured, "It would also help explain why you didn't hear my reply. Either your shields were too tightly closed, or you were just shocked into unresponsiveness."

I toyed with the idea in my head. It seemed to make a lot of sense, but…I hadn't been actively enforcing my barriers at the time. I frowned. Maybe it was just so ingrained by now that I didn't have to think about doing it anymore.

I looked questioningly at Skywalker and slowly expanded my awareness through the Force. Sensing his bright presence immediately, I floated a thought to him, 'Can you hear me?'

The Jedi's smile doubled in size when he realized what I was attempting, "You're coming through a little weak, and I don't get any actual words, but I am getting the meaning behind them." His smile faltered just a bit, "You're still locked up pretty tight, though. I can't seem to…" his faltering smile turned into a sudden frown, "are you trying to keep me out?"

My forehead wrinkled in concentration as I tried to work myself backwards through the creation of my barriers, "Keep your knickers on, Jedi. I've had these blasted walls reinforced for so long it's become second nature to me. Give me a minute to let it up some," I chewed on the corner of my lip and tried to relax, waiting for the instruction to come to me. It didn't.

I shook my head slightly in confusion as the tension started to build. Why can't I work through this? I'm the one who put these damn things up in the first place; I should be able to break them down if I want to!

"Mara, don't get frustrated. You need to relax."

"Don't tell me what I need, Jedi!" I said between clenched teeth. The harder I tried to knock down the walls in my mind, the stronger they seemed to become.

Skywalker placed his hand gently on my knee and offered a suggestion, "Perhaps if we tried together…"

I scowled at the presumptuous Jedi, "What, you think you know me better than I do?"

"No," he said carefully, "that's not what I meant, I just…"

"I know," I said softly, rubbing my temples in vexation.

I took in Skywalker's expression of calm and sighed. How can he have so much patience and I have so little? How can he still be so supportive of me when I treat him so cruelly? And when, exactly, had I come to hold him in such high regard?

"I'm sorry, Luke," I relented, placing my hand on top of his and offering a weak smile, "yes, I'd like to see if we can break through this together."

Skywalker gave my hand a squeeze and got down to business, "Okay, Mara. Extend your senses out, good, just like that. Now focus on me and tune everything else out."

I followed his instruction and started to focus on the bright spot right in front of me, ignoring everything else around me. With my eyes closed, I didn't see Skywalker take hold of both my hands, but I felt it and suddenly, the contact between us strengthened ten-fold. I could sense a distinct pulsation coming from the center of his being and narrowed in on that. Slowly, the pulsing resolved into a familiar pattern. I centered my focus on the pattern, trying to decipher what it meant, but the harder I tried, the more it eluded my comprehension. I decided to take an alternate approach. I let go of my focus and let the pulsing pattern find me. It swirled in my subconscious and tickled my mind, teasing it, but I didn't try to hold on to it. I relaxed and reveled in the sensations of the Force flowing through me. I bathed in the beauty of the light beside me and was pondering its strong warmth, when I heard it. Or felt it. Or both.

"Mara, I'm here. Please let me in."

The pulsing pattern I'd been trying to crack had been Luke. And now I could hear him. It was quieter than a whisper and softer than a breeze, but it was there.

"Luke, I can hear you," I sent back and waited for the pulsing to wash over me again with his reply.

"That's great, Mara! Now that you can hear me, let's take a look at those walls. Show me how you constructed them and together we'll break them down."

I conveyed a sense of agreement and felt Skywalker's presence follow me as I climbed up into the recesses of my own mind. I showed him the pillars of my defense: my heartbeat, my brainwave pattern, and my Force signature. I then demonstrated how the three can be woven together to form the beginnings of a protective web around parts, or all of your thoughts and feelings, and how it can be reinforced by then plaiting an intricate tangle of memories mixed with determination and resolve.

Skywalker's sense of awe over the subtle workings of my barriers was evident as we both took a few moments to get a feel for it. Silently, I showed him the several methods I'd tried to bring it down and he sent back a wave of comfort to sooth my rising frustration. After another few heartbeats, I felt an uncomfortable tug in my mind followed by a quick apology and rising excitement.

"I'm going to try something," he sent, "I'm guessing it won't feel pleasant, but it shouldn't hurt."

I had an idea as to what he was about to try and thought he might be on to something, so I gave him the go-ahead.

"If you experience any sort of pain, we'll stop."

I sent him a surge of encouragement, "Whenever you're ready."

It started slowly; I almost didn't notice it at first. It was a rather unpleasant feeling, more awkward than uncomfortable. It felt like a cold, wet Yiishaarian noodle had somehow tangled up in my head and was now slowly being pulled free. I had to make a conscious effort to stay relaxed and to not fight it. The sensation seemed to go on forever. Realistically, it probably took only a few minutes.

When he was finished, I felt his anticipation grow and he pulled back just a little. "Try it again, Mara."

I took a cleansing breath and focused once more on the tangled weave of my mental barrier and realized what Skywalker had done. That one thread he removed…it was so obvious. It had been holding the whole thing together for so long. I wondered briefly how he'd spotted it, let alone managed to remove that solitary strand from the intricate tapestry in my mind.

You will kill Luke Skywalker!

Those words…I thought I had tossed them aside so long ago and left them to rot. Evidently, I had just buried them deep in my core where I couldn't see or hear them, but they remained, shielding me from the one person I had grown to admire. Keeping him out and locking me in.

Another inward glance at the web of shielding and I knew exactly what to do. A tug here, a slight pull there, and suddenly…

I gasped and held tight to Skywalker's grasp as my barriers collapsed completely and the Force rushed through me like a tsunami. It was like absolutely nothing I had ever experienced before! All of a sudden everything was bright, and my awareness stretched easily across the galaxy. I opened my eyes and the colors around me were more vibrant, the smells more intoxicating and the sounds more beautiful than anything I'd ever heard.

And Luke. I looked at him with wonder in my eyes. I could see the delight he felt, plainly on his face, but it was nothing compared to the sheer joy and love that simply oozed from him through the Force.

"I…I…" I didn't know what to say. I wanted to shout, to cheer and sing, but I couldn't find my voice or didn't know the lyrics.

I could feel my eyes start to brim with tears and realized my emotions were laid bare for all the worlds to see.

I looked inwardly again, this time to reflect on myself. I knew Luke's presence was still with me, but I didn't mind. In fact, the fragile connection we had shared had blossomed into a special sort of bond, a closeness that should have made me feel, at the very least, violated. Instead, I found it comforting.

Sorting through my jumbled thoughts, I picked over the pieces and slowly examined them; an assassination for Palpatine, the smell of the purple plains on Dantooine, the mechanical breath of Vader, the velvety softness of the drapes that adorned my quarters on Imperial Center at the height of the emperor's reign. I cherished the fuzzy recollection of a cozy house with a fireplace…a dark-haired man and fiery haired woman sat holding a small child lovingly.

A tear slipped down my cheek and I felt a wave of sympathy from Luke.

The memories came unbidden after that. Memories I had tucked away so carefully, not wanting to feel the emotions associated with them. All the years I had spent under Palpatine's control, all the missions I had undertaken, now came flooding back to haunt me.

Waves of grief washed over me as my perfect memory replayed each occurrence. I couldn't stop it and I didn't want to. I deserved to feel the same pain I'd delivered to so many over the years. The Force was angry with me for locking it away, for ignoring the consequences of my actions and laughing in the face of Death. The battery of guilt, sorrow, and despair threatened to overwhelm me, and I was willing to accept my fate when I recognized the comforting familiarity beside me siphoning off a fair amount of the rampant emotion. A fair amount, but not nearly enough.

"Don't give up! This is all in your past, Mara, you've changed. You've atoned for your mistakes and have been forgiven. Don't give in to the despair! You're stronger than this evil, my sweet Mara. You have to come back to me!"

I could hear Luke's pleadings through the Force as clear as if he'd said the words aloud, but there was nothing I could do to stave off the near physical barrage of fury brought forth from the Force. It was as if my heart was being gored by a lightsaber as my mind was ravaged by the memories of my past, and inner demons of the present. I could only let it run its course and hope somehow, however unlikely, to survive its onslaught.

"I'm sorry, Luke. I was never as strong as you."

"NO! Mara, don't give up!" I felt Luke clutch my body tightly to his in a fierce embrace and his anxiety leaked through the bombardment of all the other emotions that were assaulting me.

On top of everything else, I was disappointed that I didn't have the time to tell Luke just how much he really meant to me.

"It's okay, Mara. I already know. I…I love you, too."

I knew that I had very little time left; it was getting harder to keep a conscious thought. Somehow, I still heard Luke's words and I wanted so much to apologize for all the times I'd been angry or snapped at him instead of appreciating his friendship.

"Luke…"

Vader had me in a strangle-hold for spoiling an attempt of his to overthrow Palpatine. My lungs burned and my sight darkened.

"…remember…"

The emperor attacked me with his Force lightening because I had left a witness to an assassination. I fell to the floor from the assault, and everything went dark.

"…I'll love you always."