Death Star II Mobile Battle Station

Through the Force, Luke could feel his father's churning emotions when he disclosed that Leia and Han were soon to be in Imperial custody. What was shocking to Luke was one emotion was conspicuously absent—anger. It was at that moment that Luke realized that the smoldering rage that was once ever present in the emperor had slowly faded in intensity over the last year and was replaced with something else. Luke couldn't fully comprehend what his father was feeling but he thought it was a combination of regret and unease.

Currently they were in Vader's private quarters. The emperor was seated in an oversized leather upholstered armchair while Luke lounged on a matching couch. Luke was waiting for a response to his revelation and was becoming increasingly nervous by his father's continued silence. Eventually Luke spoke, hoping to prompt a response from his father. "What do you want done?"

Luke's chest tightened with anxiety, hoping his father didn't order their execution or something equally horrific. The stillness stretched out for a minute longer before his father let out a mechanical sigh and slouched in his seat. "I will leave her fate to you.

Luke's brow rose in surprise. "Really?"

Vader nodded. "Yes. You take care of the situation. I trust your judgement."

A sense of relief washed over Luke. "Do you want to see her? Talk to her? Tell her you are her father?"

"No, she will never forgive me. I tortured her and murdered her adopted family along with her entire home planet. Being brought before me will only cause her more anger and pain."

"So," Luke said slowly. "Do you want me to keep the fact that I'm her brother a secret?"

Vader looked away before answering. "Tell her if you must, but wait until I am no longer on this mortal plane. I believe her ability to bear the news will be fortified with the knowledge that her tormenter is dead."

Luke gave a nod of understanding. "Her and Han are in a stasis cylinder...would you like to see her while in stasis. She won't know you were there."

"Perhaps," he said noncommittally.

Luke gazed at his father knowing something was wrong. "What's bothering you?"

Vader leaned forward in his chair and gazed at Luke intently. "I am considering stepping down as emperor and allowing you to take over the throne."

"What?" Luke was thoroughly surprised by this news. "Why?"

"I wish to ensure a smooth transfer of power. If somebody challenges your rule, I will be available to assist you in squashing any insurrection."

Luke sensed his father was not being entirely truthful. "Father...what is the real reason?"

"My time as ruler is nearing an end," Vader simply said.

Luke's brow furrowed. "You keep talking like you expect to die soon. Is there something I should know?"

Vader made a gesture of resignation. "As you can imagine, I'm not in the best of health. Crawling around in lava and breathing volcanic gas is not conducive to a long life. My suit is getting old and needing constant repair. But mostly, I need to draw more and more on the Force to stay alive."

"Oh," Luke whispered feeling like he had the wind knocked out of him. He finally had established a good relationship with his father and now he was faced with the prospect of losing him. On top of that, his father wanted him to become leader of the Empire! He never felt comfortable at being Supreme Commander and he was positive he wasn't ready to become Emperor.

"You are ready," his father said, either guessing Luke's thoughts or sensing his unease through the Force. "You will have Jade by your side. She was trained as a spy and assassin. She has a firm understanding of Imperial politics, she is mission driven and if you have earned her loyalty...she will be fiercely protective of her Emperor."

Luke chuckled. "Maybe we should make her Emperor."

"She would be an Empress," Vader corrected.

Luke grinned. "Are you asking if we are getting married? If so...umm she indicted she would agree to my wife if I could find a sufficiency romantic way to pop the question."

"No, I was simply pointing out that a female emperor is called an Empress." Vader straightened in his chair. "But since you brought up the subject of marriage...I highly suggest you research amorous proposals. You need her and she needs you. You complement each other—one's weakness is balanced by the other's strength."

Luke nodded in agreement. Mara was raised in the Imperial court. She understood politics far better than he did. "I will do so." He looked to his father cocking his head to the side. "How did you propose to my mother?"

Vader waved Luke off. "Do not ask me for advice when it comes to romance. That was your mother's strength...not mine." He shifted in his seat before continuing. "I want to go over the timeline for your rise to power. I want it to happen soon, while the Empire is celebrating our conquest of the Resistance and the recovery of the Katana Fleet."

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Death Star II Mobile Battle Station: Room of Mirrors

Mara had waited for Luke to return to the room they shared but he was taking an unusually long amount of time in conference with his father. She hoped they were not arguing about the fate of Princess Leia. Mara knew Luke wanted to minimize the consequences his sister would face. Mara was certain that if Luke could exile Leia and Han from Imperial space without pushback from his constituents, he would. The problem was, he already did that, and the princess repaid his mercy by attacking Corellia.

She had waited for Luke for hours before she decided to look at the Room of Mirrors again. Emperor Vader had told her that with practice she might be able to find herself in the various alternate universes. With Vader's permission she occasionally went to the room to search...to see how she faired in the parallel universes where she was not with Luke. With some concentration she found herself in all but a few of the other realities. In the realms where she could not be located, she assumed they were worlds in which she was never born.

Her favorite otherworld was the one where she and Luke had a little boy. She couldn't help but smile seeing the little blue-eyed, redheaded boy playing with Mara's alternate self. That version of her was so happy and full of love.

It was much better than some of the other worlds in which she found herself. In one she had returned to work as an assassin for a crime lord. That Mara was cold and brutal. She avoided relationships. She occasionally had sexual dalliances, but she never stayed the night. That Mara was miserable.

In a different parallel reality she found herself in prison and in another she was killed on the first Death Star...destroyed by another Luke Skywalker.

She felt a tingling in the back of her brain and then words through the Force, 'Where are you?'

She smiled when Luke touched her mind. She could feel he was happy, if not a little nervous. Whatever happened between him and his father it obviously didn't entail the emperor ordering the execution of Princess Leia. Of that, she was sure.

She reached out to him, 'I'm in the Room of Mirrors.'

She could feel a tinge of confusion from Luke, 'I'm on my way.'

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Death Star II Mobile Battle Station: Room of Mirrors

Luke arrived to find Mara watching another Luke Skywalker in another reality fishing on some island. Luke stood next to Mara and observed his doppelgänger on top of a cliff and using a long pole to spear a fish in the water below. When he succeeded in impaling an aquatic animal, he pulled the spear up hand-over-hand until the fish could be brought to the cliff top.

Luke frowned. "Why doesn't he use the Force to pull the fish up? This looks like a very strenuous way to get lunch."

Mara shrugged. "I have never seen him use the Force while at this location. I have concentrated on going back in this time line and..." She paused for a second. "Well, he does some very out-of- character things."

Luke turned to her. "Like what?"

She shook her head sadly. "He drew a lightsaber on his nephew...your sister's son."

Luke blew out a breath. "He tried to kill his nephew? Was it provoked?"

"The young man was sleeping," Mara said softly.

"I'm a darksider in this reality?"

"No...no...I..." She pulled in a deep breath. "I think this version of you was confused or tricked. The nephew retaliates and goes to the darkside. Luke blames himself. He's unable to forgive his actions. He's a hermit." She turned to Luke her expression dour. "I have found your sister in many of these realities and often she has a child that turns to the darkside."

Luke's brow rose in surprise. "Do you think it is something genetic? Is my blood line doomed to produce darkside Force users?"

She shook her head adamantly. "No, I don't think it has anything to do with genes. It is in the realities where the Empire falls, and the galaxy is ruled by the Rebel Alliance that she has difficulties with her children. She struggles to hold things together. She is either a senator, a Chief- of-State or general. She has no time for her offspring because the Alliance is never truly stable. Her children in those realities are Force-users growing up in an unstable environment."

"You said many...meaning there are some alternate realities where Leia's has a child that doesn't turn to the darkside."

"Yes," Mara said slowly. "I have seen a few alternate realities where the Senate was never dissolved by Grand Moff Tarkin and Alderaan survives. She is still a rebel, but she is trying to make changes within the system. She isn't burdened with rebuilding a government. She has children who grow up to be politicians like their mother. It's the stress of rebuilding a government that usually tears her family apart."

Luke sighed. "Unfortunately, in this reality Alderaan was destroyed and the Senate dissolved. She will never stop fighting." Luke gazed at Mara. "Why the sudden interest in my sister's fate?"

She turned to him. "I got a transmission from Aves. He will be docking with the Death Star in a few hours. I know you want to let your sister go...exile her again. I just thought you should know what future she might face if you do so."

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Docking Bay 22: Death Star II Mobile Battle Station

As the Millennium Falcon maneuvered into the space station's docking bay Luke felt a rush of nostalgia along with some melancholy. It was this ship that flew him off Tatooine and brought him to the first Death Star where he met his sister. It was the ship that helped him escape the same battle station and it was also the ship that saved Luke from being shot down by his father during his famous trench run.

'Infamous,' Luke corrected himself. Only the Rebels rejoiced at the destruction of the battle station along with legions of Imperials. His current subordinates and Imperial citizens did not share that sentiment. He wasn't sure if he would ever be truly forgiven by his people. He could do a million reforms, but that is little solace to grieving parents who lost Imperial sons or daughters during the battle of Yavin.

A hand touched his shoulder. He turned to Mara and realized she sensed his sadness. She smiled at him softly, lovingly, but remained silent.

As the ship touched down it was surrounded by Stormtroopers. Luke shook his head and signaled to the deck officer. "That won't be necessary." He had informed his crew the ship would arrive, piloted by an Imperial tradesman, but he supposed that the appearance of a ship that was hunted by Imperials for so many years put soldiers on edge.

"Come on," Mara said as she walked toward the ship. "I don't want Aves to get jumpy."

The platoon of Stormtroopers was dismissed, but they lingered around the bay, examining the ship from a distance. Luke really couldn't blame them. Many Imperials thought the existence of the Falcon was a fabrication of Rebel propaganda. No one could believe a beat-up YT-1300 light freighter could travel as fast as it reportedly did or maneuver with such precision. Luke smiled slightly knowing most of the impressive feats attributed to the Millennium Falcon rest solely on the flying skill of Han Solo. Even with the Force, Luke doubted he could match Han's proficiency behind the steering yoke of such a large ship.

The loading ramp of the Falcon lowered, and a nervous looking Aves appeared at the ship's entrance. The middle aged, blond haired, blue-eyed man that served as Talon Karrde's communications officer gazed down at the white armored stormtroopers with some apprehension until he spotted Luke and Mara. He raised a hand in greeting as the tension in his body visibly diminished.

"Mara, Supreme Commander," he greeted as he gestured for them to join him inside the ship.

Luke made his way up the ramp with Mara following close behind. As he stepped into the ship he could catch the sweetish scent of coolant, the acrid smell of an electrical short, and the faint lingering odor of Wookiee hair. The smell of Chewbacca saddened Luke. He wondered where the Wookiee was now. Luke assumed he was frantically searching for Han and Leia. Luke was tempted to contact Chewie's family on Kashyyyk and let them know Leia and Han were alive and well, but that might prompt Chewbacca to attempt an ill-advised rescue mission. No, it was best that he didn't know the location of Han and Leia for now.

Aves must have noticed Luke gazing around the ship while sniffing the air. "I noticed that weird smell also. I don't know what it is. I searched for an electrical fire or leaks, but I can't find anything."

Luke chuckled. "Don't worry...the Falcon always smelled like this. The first time I saw it I thought it was a hunk of junk."

Aves shoved his hands in his coverall pockets as he looked around the ship. "I thought so too, but I have to admit that she handles well and can go faster than I expected."

"Yeah...she's one fast hunk of junk," Luke said wistfully. "Where is Leia and Han?" Aves threw a thumb in the direction of the cargo bay. "This way."

As Luke moved through the bulkhead doors, he immediately located the humming stasis cylinder in the far corner of the bay. He went to it and gazed down at his sister and Han. Solo was laying on his back with Leia snuggled up next to him, her head on his shoulder and one arm draped over his chest. Other than the fact that they were fully clothed they looked exactly like two lovers cuddling after a night of passion. Luke looked over to Aves. "Did you pose them like this?"

The older man shrugged sheepishly. "I knew they were your friends. I didn't want to dump them into the cylinder like sacks of starch tubers."

"Thank you," Luke whispered before looking up and spotting a familiar object a few meters away. "Artoo?" He moved over to the droid. "Artoo?" The droid remained silent, inert. Luke bent down and saw a large military grade restraining bolt, the type used to deactivate or control combat droids, attached to his chassis. Luke turned back to Aves. "Did you do this to him?"

"Hell yes!" The man pointed at the little droid with an irate expression. "That droid is feisty. It zapped me with its arc welding arm. I put on a regular restraining bolt, but it didn't look like it would hold him for long. I ran back to the Wild Karrde to get this bolt and was finally able to shut the little bishwag down."

Luke laughed at the thought of his Artoo unit giving Aves a fight. "Will he be alright?"

Aves nodded. "Sure, but I wouldn't suggest you take the bolt off. Push the center button and it will allow the droid to power back up. It will only follow orders...so unless you order it to attack, it should be safe to be around."

While kneeling in front of the Astromech Luke pushed the button. The red light on his dome flickered and the droid rocked back and forth for a moment before it focused his optical sensor on Luke. The droid shrieked before letting out a rapid series of beeps and boops directed to the Supreme Commander. Luke grimaced before standing.

Mara walked up to him, a smirk on her face. "My droid speak was never great, but if I'm correct, he just called you a traitorous, chuff-sucking, di'kut...or did I get that wrong?"

Luke sighed. "That was the basic gist of his comments." He turned his attention back to the little droid. "Artoo, I know Leia and Han are furious at me, but I never harmed them. I exiled them and the other members of the Rebellion from Imperial space. I didn't jail them or execute anybody. And once I became supreme commander, I started instituting most of the reforms Leia wanted. I outlawed slavery. I closed the death camps. I brought peace and prosperity to most of the worlds within the Empire and surrounding area. I know you keep up on what's happening in the galaxy. Are you telling me you haven't noticed the good I have done?"

The droid did not immediately respond but revolved his dome, so it was no longer facing Luke before making a razzing sound. It was the droid's way of giving him the cold shoulder.

Luke ran a frustrated palm down his face before giving his attention to Aves. "I will have troopers retrieve the stasis cylinder. Meanwhile, lock down Artoo and secure the ship. The Wild Karrde is still berthed onboard. If you want to go planetside, let me know, I'll lend you a personal transport shuttle." He gestured to the stasis cylinder. "Thanks for bringing them to me."

"No problem, Supreme Commander. I was a little worried that you would be angry that I stunned them."

"No. They brought this on themselves," Luke gave Leia and Han a long sad gaze before turning and leaving the ship.