I stood alone and confused in the middle of a thick haze. I could see nothing but the wispy vapor surrounding me, and though I didn't know where I was or how I'd gotten there, I wasn't frightened. The soft blanket of mist was moving past quickly, and I could feel it caress the bare skin of my arms and legs, being neither warm nor cool. I looked down at my feet, buried in white clouds, and wiggled my naked toes. My loose hair fell forward in gentle waves to frame my field of view and I frowned. Hadn't I been wearing my old combat boots with the small cut on the left ankle?

My frown melted away as it occurred to me that I would never have chosen to wear those dark, clunky boots with such a beautiful, light muslin dress. I took a moment to admire the soft, pale-green fabric that flowed from the narrow straps covering my shoulders down to my ankles. Strange, that the material should hang so still from my body with the vapor moving so hurriedly past.

A shadow to my left caught my eye, returning my attention to the surrounding veil of white. I watched the dark form through the mist, and with a newfound patience I waited for it to approach. I felt no fear or apprehension, only a mixture of curiosity and acceptance.

The shadowy figure slowly dissolved into the shape of a man, a Jedi, in fact. He was dressed in dark brown Jedi robes of the Old Republic, but when his face came into focus, I could see he was young, possibly my age. His hair was dark and shaggy, long enough to graze his broad shoulders, and his face looked hauntingly familiar, though I couldn't place him. I didn't know any Jedi from the Old Republic, not even from holograms.

The mysterious Jedi stood there for a moment, taking in the sight of me while I did the same of him, before he spoke slowly, "It's not your time, Mara Jade."

Surprised that he knew who I was, I decided to ask some questions, "How do you know my name?"

The Jedi smiled a soft, familiar smile and answered, "We knew each other quite well in my lifetime."

I frowned; surely, I would have remembered such a man. "I never knew any Jedi of the Old Republic," I answered bluntly.

The Jedi's smile broadened, and he chuckled softly, "You knew me in my later years, when my appearance was somewhat…altered."

Altered appearance? The missing piece clicked into place, and I understood.

"Vader?" I asked cautiously.

The Jedi's eyes sparkled as he corrected me, "Skywalker. Anakin Skywalker."

My eyes widened slightly. That would explain the familiar face and smile. He must have passed those features on to his son.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "Better yet, what am I doing here?"

Alarm started to build in me as I appended my questions, "Am I…dead?"

Anakin's smile never faltered, "No, Mara. You're not dead, not exactly. It's like I said, this is not your time."

The concern that had been building in me slowly washed away, but the confusion remained, "Then…why am I here?"

The Jedi chuckled again before explaining, "You feel the need to be forgiven for your past. This suffering you're undergoing is not the will of the Force, as you thought. It was brought upon you by your own guilt. Your own feelings of remorse." He placed a strong hand on my shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"The Force has forgiven you long ago, Mara. You have to forgive yourself, or you will end up like me. I wasted half my life because I couldn't learn to let go. I was deluded into thinking many terrible things were the result of my own doing, and I couldn't forgive myself for them. These events consumed me; they drove me mad. In my delusional state, I focused on the wrong things and found myself traveling a path I had never intended and causing even more pain to those I loved."

I looked deep into his eyes and saw the regret; the sorrow at having been robbed of the joy of raising his children after losing his wife.

Anakin let his hand drop from my shoulder and let go of his painful memories, A small smile returning to his face, "Don't let yourself succumb to the same fate. There are people who need you."

I thought of Luke and smiled. What would he do without me?

Looking back up into the eyes of the Jedi from the Old Republic, I saw the sparkle had returned. Another question was just forming on my lips when his image started to fade, "Wait! Can't you stay a bit longer?"

Luke's father ignored my question as he slowly dissolved into the surrounding fog, "You'll be fine, Mara."

"But how do I…?" My question trailed off as the form of Anakin Skywalker winked out of existence.

"Take care of my son," his voice echoed in my mind.

I glanced at the surrounding mist again and noticed it had stopped its movement. Taking a deep breath and holding it, I looked inward. Anakin and Luke had both been right. I needed to let go of this guilt. I wasn't the same person anymore. Those things I'd done so long ago were terrible, but they were done, and I couldn't take them back. I could only move forward, and that's what I wanted to do…with Luke. I focused on those emotions and memories, singling them out, and with the Force I grabbed hold of them and flung them into the suffocating mist. I could feel it start to move again, but this time instead of speeding past me, it swirled around me, slowly at first. Each memory and every pang of guilt I added to the mist fueled the spinning fog, until it had quickly formed a raging cyclone with me in its calm center. When the twisting vortex reached its peak power, I held my breath and let it go.

Slowly, I let out my breath and opened my eyes.

The light was nearly blinding, and I had to squint for several long moments before my eyes could adjust to the brightness. When they finally did, I realized I was no longer shrouded in the dense fog. Instead, I was tucked into an enormous white bed in a large white room. There was a huge bay window in the middle of the wall to my left from which a rich sunlight bathed the room's contents in a warm glow.

With my head still resting on a giant plush pillow, I turned it to the right and couldn't help but smile. A small folding chair had been positioned at my side with its occupant asleep in what was surely a most uncomfortable position. Luke Skywalker was slumped and teetering off the side of the chair with his head hanging at an awkward angle, as if he was trying to make out a secret message written on his shoulder. I briefly wondered how long he'd been asleep like that and how long it would be before he wound up on the floor with a face full of carpet. The thought caused a quiet giggle to bubble from my mouth.

Luke started at the small sound, and that was the end of his balancing act. He slipped from his seat and toppled to the plush white carpeting below with a hearty 'Oof!'

"Mara!" He exclaimed, pulling himself off the floor and resting his hands on the edge of the bed, "You're awake! How are you feeling?"

Wave after wave of Luke's relief washed over me, followed by a gentle prodding through the Force as he tried to gauge my vitals, and I swear I saw him wipe a tear from his eye with the back of his hand before he pulled me into a fierce hug. "Thank the stars! I thought I'd lost you!"

"I'm fine," I assured him, amazed at how clearly I was reading him through the Force without even trying. "You can't get rid of me that easily." I smiled as I luxuriated in the feel of his strong arms around me and breathed in his sweet scent.

Skywalker reluctantly released me from his hold, and I took another look around the room before glancing back at him with a raised eyebrow, "So where am I, anyway? This certainly isn't the Jade's Fire."

Luke's face reddened a bit before giving me a sheepish look, "Well, you were out for so long. I'd originally taken you to the med-center once we reached Coruscant, but there was really nothing they could do for you. I tried to take you home to your apartment, but couldn't get in, so…I just took you to my place."

Surely, I hadn't been unconscious for more than a few hours.

For the first time since I awoke, I took a good look at Skywalker's face. There were dark circles under his bloodshot eyes, his hair was mussed and stringy, and he was touting a fair amount of stubble on his lip, chin, and cheeks. Warily, I asked, "Just how long was I out for?"

Luke paused, as if he could sense that I was unsure about really wanting to hear the answer. He looked at me and I could see the recent fear in his eyes, "Ten days."