Mara knew the time of her execution was at hand, the muted sounds of her guard's boots walking the grimy hallway outside her door told her as much. She remained seated on her cot, eyes closed, listening to the dull clip-clomp of approaching boot heels and the harsh forced-air coming from her cell's air vents.

Mara's mind was in overdrive. Hearing Luke's voice, during Jaina's visit, had reopened her mind, removing her self-imposed barriers. All she could do, it seemed, was remember--the warmth and thrill of Luke's gentle touch, and the pleasant ache she would feel deep within her throat when Ben would wrap his pudgy arms around her neck and tell her that he loved her, his Mommy.

A single tear fell down Mara's face at the idea of what she had taken, from the galaxy, from her family, from herself, and from Luke and Ben.

The clack of boot heels stopped outside of her door, and Mara stood, ready to face her execution. As the cell door opened, Mara looked to the floor, preferring not to look directly at her guard. The small wind created form the door's opening swirled the dust on the floor, and it seemed to Mara, for a moment, that she saw the word FEAR outlined in the grime collected there.

She bent to further investigate but was impeded by the guard, who pulled her hands in behind her back. Mara reached forward with her shoe, and ran it through the dust, but nothing was there now, no words or hidden meanings.

Nodding to herself, Mara allowed the Twi'lek to lead her unresisting from the room.

Walking a steady pace to her execution, Mara concentrated only on placing one foot in front of the other. Her face was shuttered, and her arm was held tightly by her escort. In front of them was a vaulted execution chamber, and it seemed the further Mara walked, the greater the distance between herself and the room actually became.

She held no fear over her pending death, though she wondered what would happen to her, afterwards. She had no doubts that Ben had become one with the Force, perhaps he had been greeted by Luke's father and his cousin, Anakin, with kisses. Luke…Luke would surely take that path, as well, once he breathed his last. He deserved no less. But Mara knew that she did not deserve peace, tranquility, or reunification with her husband and son.

The ysalamiri were seemingly everywhere, and in no spot could Mara access the Force fully. She had tried, in vain, since the moment she had heard Luke's voice in her head to access the vital energy, to use it once more. Luke had spoken of fear, but she did not know why he would call to her about it now.

As she and the guard finally reached the execution chamber, a final thought burst through Mara's mind.

Why fear? Was it Luke's fear that I would do what I did, to him and our son?

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Mara knew the golden med-droid was speaking to her as it outfitted her arm with the execution device, but she was struck by the droid's bright color, so like that of C-3P0. She could hear Han in her head, even now, saying with his infamous smart attitude, What's the droid going to do? Talk ya to death? Mara allowed herself a moment of dark amusement, and wondered at herself, that her face could still form a tight smile.

Once, Mara's nightmares had included thoughts of execution. In truth, Mara wondered if there were any other way for her to die. Certainly she had been a Jedi, a wife, and a mother, and while in those guises she had done good deeds for the galaxy. But perhaps it was fitting that she be killed as a murderer and a betrayer…perhaps that was all she was capable of being.

She had once asked Luke, if he thought Palpatine had chosen her as his Hand due to a preordained series of order…was she chosen because she had the propensity to be cold-blooded and an able killer, or had she been made into those things by Palpatine himself? There were no easy answers, of course, and she had shunted Luke's answer, preferring not to dwell upon it, regretting the question almost as soon as she had asked it.

"Systems check, subject is ready," the golden droid pronounced in it's monotone voice.

Mara lay strapped to the table, the small execution device attached to the crease of her arm. The droid rolled to the back of the room as the wall panels moved back, revealing the viewing room on the other side of the thick transparisteel.

"You may now speak your final words," the droid said, and Mara felt surreal, laying on the table in the brightly lit room, being told by a droid that she had to now say her last words.

Mara opened her mouth, but found she couldn't speak.

"Please speak your final words," the droid said, again.

Mara tried to clear her throat, turning her head to look out at the people who had gathered to watch her execution. The room was sparsely populated, and Mara saw few people that she actually knew. Her eyes took in the defeated look that graced Talon Karrde's face, and she looked away, not wishing to witness his disappointment. Jaina nor Jacen were in the room.

Last words… The thought raced through Mara's head. My last words… Mara panicked, realizing that this was it, the end, the last. She had murdered Luke, and Ben, and now she faced the death she deserved, and had to speak her last words.

Mara closed her eyes, to gather her thoughts, and opened them again only to find two identical sets of bright blue eyes staring at her.

"Momma!" Ben called out to her, "Momma!"

Mara stared, almost unseeing at her life--her husband and her child--sat before her, separated from her by the thick transparisteel.

"Luke," she whispered, amazed, "Ben…"

The golden droid, intoned, "Let the record show, subject's last words are Luke, Ben." There was a pause and then the droid said, "Administering sedative."

But Mara couldn't tear her eyes from her husband and son…who sat, watching her execution it seemed, looking whole, and real, and wonderfully alive. But how…how could that be? Karrde sat next to them, not acknowledging their presence. Force Spirits…?

Just then Mara felt the familiar stirs of the Force moving around her, and her connection to Luke spring to glorious life. And, then, in the midst of it all, she felt the huge light of Ben, her baby, reach for her. But what of the ysalamiri?

Tears began to leak, uncontrolled, from Mara's eyes, as she stared out onto the visages and felt the warm currents of the Force run through her body. The sedative she had been given was taking affect and she felt numb, woozy, and unsure.

"Have you come for me?" she whispered, to Luke and Ben, wondering if they could hear her, and answer. "Have you come for me after all?"

Luke, with Ben on his lap, pinned her with his eyes. She almost felt as if she could feel his roughened hand holding hers…

"Remember, Mara," he said quietly, "you must remember your fear."

But I have no fear…

Only…

Mara remembered…

She and Luke, fighting for their lives, on a mission they should never have taken…

Luke's blade, emerald fire, striking, moving…her own blade deflecting blaster shots, until…

A tiny prick, at her neck.

Cast off, Mara thought immediately, ignoring the small itch that quickly bloomed from the spot.

But then…

She fell.

Luke was screaming, but she couldn't hear his words, until he knelt beside her, cradling her, having incapacitated the others quickly, angrily.

"Luke," she said, breathing heavily, "what…what…just a puncture…why…" she couldn't move her arms, or legs. "Why am I dying?"

Luke answered, frantically, "It's fear, Mara, not death. But fear!"

Mara tried to shake her head, and saliva rolled from her mouth. "What fear? I have no fear…"

She couldn't hear Luke any longer, and her eyesight had grown hazy. But he was still talking, and reaching to her through the Force, even as her connection to reality grew weaker. He said something, and she tried to read his lips, as the world grew dark…

Two syllables:

Poison.

Mara remembered, and opened her eyes, finding herself still strapped to the execution table…she turned to look out of the transparisteel, only Luke and Ben were no longer there, only she could feel the echoes of them through the Force.

The droid, spoke, "Begin administering…."

Mara tuned him out, mind in overdrive. Poison, fear…NOT death…she hadn't murdered…

Mara blinked.

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I'd like to thank JadeLotus and Estatica for their help with this chapter! They're both so encouraging and sweet. Thanks, ladies! I hope to have the 4th and final chapter up sometime soon, and then a sequel that I have brewing in my mind. Thanks for all the reviews!