Disclaimer: Star Wars is owned by Disney and Lucasfilm Ltd. The following work is not intended to add to, promote or distort this series. This is a work of fanfiction, and the author does not profit in posting. This is simply a writing exercise written for fun.

As night fell over Mandalore, Luke took a deep breath and sat against one of the walls in the catacombs. He was tired and hungry, reaching into a pocket to pull out one of his rations from the ship. Something had told him this would be a very long walk.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he let out a long sigh. He didn't want this break to take a while, so as to gather his strength, Luke attempted to still his thinking and just be. A second later, he was snoozing silently in the passageway.

"Luke?" came a voice from afar: Mara's voice. "Luke, please come back to me!"

Opening his eyes, he found himself in his apartment. The place looked just the same, the island clear of any dishes, the place spartan in decorations, much as his father's had been before he'd overtaken the palace. As he moved, he found himself wondering why his thoughts had brought him here and not the many other more memorable places he'd traveled to. Then he saw the why.

Mara was resting on his favorite couch with an arm over her eyes, her red locks splayed over the armrest. She was sleeping, but he could feel her presence reaching out to him. "Luke." she mumbled to herself, her voice almost a moan.

"Mara?" he asked gently, resting his flesh hand on her cheek.

"I feel you are so close to finding me, Luke." she muttered, turning over to her side and letting her hand drop to the floor. "And yet, I feel I'm losing you too. That you are going away." Kneeling down beside her, Luke collected her hand and kissed it, pouring his reassurance out into the Force for her. "Ca…" she started, but stopped half way before ending the thought, "me." She bit her lip then and turned away from him.

"I'm coming home, Mara." Luke assured her with a smile.

She shook her head, a tear falling down her face, "Can't you see me?" she suddenly and very clearly articulated. "I'm right there." And from those words, flashes fired into his vision. Places. People. Then nothing.

Luke suddenly shot awake, glancing about himself as he caught his breath. He found himself blinking away various images as he regained consciousness. Mostly, he saw a desert world and wondered why his thoughts would travel to Tatooine of all places. Or was it Tatooine? He couldn't recall seeing turned over imperial walkers anywhere in his backyard. Then there was the flash of a girl in white and gray facing away from him: he was quite confused.

"All things have a price, young Skywalker." A voice suddenly appeared as if out of nowhere. He turned, finding a man with a glowing blue stare gazing him down. He was Zabrak, his skin a dark tan and his horns scattering in all directions. The dark markings on his face actually made the blue of his eyes seem more intense, electric even. "No matter your choices now: your home will not be the same when you return. You are too different. The galaxy has to balance that now."

Slowly crawling to his knees to stare the ancient down, made in awe by the ghost's toothy grin, Luke gulped, "You mean, we've made things worse?"

Shaking his head, the Zabrak informed him outright, "Worse is a matter of perspective." He then tilted his head and informed him, "It's not as though you've changed yourself into some kind of full moon monster, capable of severe carnage in its wake… You're still just a man with heightened potentials in the Force."

"And what of Mara? Master…"

The Zabrak grinned, pushing his white hair back from his cheek, "Call me Aberash Shadowseer." Luke acknowledged him, reiterating his name as 'master.' "Your friend Mara is in a very complicated situation right now. Her sensitivity to the Force is greater than she anticipated, though I'm sure you knew that. She can sense that time is frozen, but also in flux." He then grinned, "Her bond with you is likely what solidified that."

Shaking his head and blinking a little, Luke wondered, "And how can you sense these things?"

Smirking as he stood tall, offering Luke a hand to rise himself, Aberash confessed, "The dead have a much more intimate connection with the Force… And the Force isn't impacted by time as we are." Turning about, he led Luke further down the way, the lights in the tunnel suddenly kicking on as he did. Blue as the man's eyes, the space was illuminated much like his bedroom had been as a small boy, back when the dark used to scare him.

Moving about a pace behind the ghost, Luke blinked a few times, trying to understand what stood before him. The Zabrak was different from the other ghosts he'd encountered. True Force ghosts had an odd light about them, them appearing somewhat tangible, but also etherial. They could interact with the environment and were very clearly there to those trained to see them. His grandmother's and Asha's spirits, bloodline ghosts, Luke decided to call them, lacked only that odd light that had surrounded Obi-Wan, Yoda and even his father. Then there were the Shaetin. Ghosts which seemed to still possess bodies and could manipulate their environment. The way this ghost was structured seemed almost like the latter-most option.

He found himself reaching out to the world voice instinctively, his blue eyes suddenly shining purple. Impressed, Aberash turned about and smiled at the man. "It doesn't surprise me that a descendant of Asha would be so talented." he praised, "But be careful, Asha lost her own nature over time due to this light: she only lives on in spirit through you."

Suddenly confused as they turned left, Luke followed the master through the tunnel with speculative eyes. "Are you saying that family is what grounded her?" He wondered aloud. When Aberash nodded, Luke then had to postulate, "Then, perhaps you can help me understand an argument I've been having with my Jedi council for some time now: if your masters are healed from the aftereffects of their power abuse through their offspring, wouldn't you say it important for the Jedi to have families?"

Floating over a small stream as they delved deeper into the tunnel, and at last revealing his post-mortem nature in full, Aberash shrugged and admitted, "I have no offspring: couldn't tell you."

Shaking his head, Luke shrugged and caught up with the master. He had to squint his eyes, as he was now entering a room that was filled with clear Kyber crystals. Clearly this was a long forgotten well of great crystals fell from the ceiling in large cascades, met by the jarring columns protruding from the ground. The blue of the lighting illuminated them, making Luke think back on the blade of his father's blue lightsaber. "These crystals are what helped me come back into my focus." Aberash admitted, "I was able to reconnect with my Je'daii self by meditating in this cave for the remainder of my life. So long as I never left Mandalore, the council had been agreeable: I was the least aggressive Drajdai at the time, you see."

Nodding, Luke sat down in the space on the remnants of a pillar. "I understand that you have the most benevolent light." He admitted, to which the Zabrak turned about and nodded proudly, "I was hoping to harness this power to save a very old Shaetin… And one which is turning."

Taking a seat on a higher column base, Aberash shrugged and contemplated this. "I see that you have begun to accept yourself for who you are, to not hold back on any aspect of this self and release your…" he closed his eyes before opening them wide. The grin from before, the elderly and entertained one dropped from his face and he was suddenly falling to his knees and bowing reverently. "Lenus kodi me is messa." he repeated over and over again, clearly in prayer. Luke watched him, uncomfortable as he stared at him with wide, now indigo eyes.

As Aberash rose from his knees, Luke wondered in a way he knew was disrespectful. "What was that about?"

Flushing a little, as he laughed, Aberash resumed his seat and shrugged. "My apologies, reverent one, I just wasn't aware I was in your esteemed presence." Furrowing his brow, Luke waited patiently for the man to figure out he had no idea what he was talking about. After a short time, Aberash's smile faded, him admitting a single, "oh."

Suddenly growing self-conscious, Luke decided as Aberash opened his mouth, "While I'm sure you have a very lengthy explanation, I think I'm more interested in what you have to teach me and not the likely long history lesson." For a moment, Aberash almost looked insulted, but that melted away back into his familiar grin and chuckle.

"You are most wise, Lord Luke." He bowed.

And that was where Luke had to draw the line: he didn't even like it when his padawans showed him such respect at the temporary temple. "We don't need to go that far: I'm just Luke." Aberash laughed, nodding. "In any case, I am pressed for time."

"Indeed." Aberash smiled and nodded, crossing his legs and focusing, making all the Kyber crystals glow with an ominous blue light. "You wish to master healing light. So far, I'm sure you've noticed, that the cost doesn't seem so high with this one: I assure you, it is."

Luke gulped, worried about this more than anything. "And what must I sacrifice?"

"Guilt." The ancient Zabrak insisted, "You have to accept the galaxy at large for how it is. You have to accept that, every day, you contribute to this galaxy for better or for worse. And you have to accept that, when you save a Shaetin, you kill them as well..." Luke's eyes went wide at the thought: Zion won't survive this either!

"There must be some way to save someone still alive and infected!" Luke demanded, "That's what I came here to learn!" Frowning, Aberash shook his head wearily, suddenly appearing very tired, "That is possible Luke… but to pull it off, you absolutely cannot hold back any of your power. You have to bring an intensive light out of you so forcefully and so swiftly, that the victim isn't thrown into shock by your power. Few have ever managed this: I've failed more times than I can count." As Luke appeared despondent, he then added, "But I have also had successes."

With a deep sigh, Luke nodded, "Let's begin then." Aberash merely nodded, his smile small.

As Padme led the Tanos down the carpeted pathway to Dutchess Satine, she gulped. Explaining herself was going to be rather difficult, especially since Ahsoka had been the one invited to stay by the formidable figure herself. Sighing, especially since she was very distracted by the feeling of Luke vanishing, though she couldn't explain the sensation, Padme was slow to offer her greeting to her old friend. Rather, Satine was swifter than her mind at the time.

"Padme!" Satine cried out, sitting forward in her seat while the Jedi Knight named Quinlan Voss stood beside her. He appeared bored out of his mind. Or his mind is elsewhere, as Jedi's tend to be, Padme relented. "I was expecting just Ahsoka! This is such a surprise!"

Smiling, Ahsoka stepped forward, her typical Jedi bow following the action as her two future offspring matched her. "It is good to see you again, Dutchess Satine." She then crossed her arms over her chest, "How are Corky and his friends?"

Smiling, Satine nodded her way, "Well enough. They seem to miss you very much." Nodding her thank yous, Ahsoka stepped back, allowing Padme to resume the roll of highest rank. She was a senator, after all.

"Thank you for this invitation, Dutchess Satine." Padme smiled at her, "It was both unexpected and highly welcomed."

Standing up, Satine motioned that they follow her into the next room, her entourage being dismissed as they moved. Striding down the hallway pridefully, Satine took Padme's arm and inquired of her, "I'm surprised to see you here, given the restrictions on visiting with Separatist senators." Her voice was hushed, despite the fact that the Togrutas could hear everything. Luci looked up towards Quinlan with a furrowed brow, wondering if his hearing was as good as hers. He merely turned to her and winked, taking a few more steps to suddenly be at Padme's side.

"I was just doing reconnaissance." Padme admitted, "I want the senate to sue for peace, but I need evidence to make this possible."

With raised brows, Satine nodded, "I'm impressed."

As they moved into the next room, the sun still fairly high in the sky, they noticed Obi-Wan standing behind a chair at a large table. Smiling, Padme nodded to him as she had Quinlan Voss. The whole group of them, all seven of them, took a seat at this large dining room table. It was pale white, like most of the room, save for the dark slate tiles that made the room more dramatic.

"I'm surprised to see Jedi here." Ahsoka admitted, Padme nodding beside her as Mina and Luci waited patiently to understand the situation. This act came far more easily to Mina.

Shrugging, Quinlan nodded towards Obi-Wan with a grin. "We got tasked with tracking someone relatively important, and Obi-Wan foresaw he'd come here next."

"He is here." Obi-Wan assured him, his eyes now falling on the Tano sisters. "And who might you be?" Shrugging, the girls looked to one another worriedly. They never thought to consider a cover story for themselves.

"We are.." Mina attempted, Ahsoka cutting in suddenly.

"They are relatives of mine." She admitted, her honesty showing clearly in the Force, "We ran into them on the last planet we were on and they needed a little bit of help. I'm taking them back to the temple with me until we can sort out their… family drama." She noticed Padme smiling, impressed with how she wove the topic so well into a story. She'd make a fine politician.

Nodding, and sensing no falsehoods in the cover whatsoever, both masters leaned forward, focusing on the task at hand. "Just be careful." Obi-Wan warned, "You know how the temple feels about making connections with our families." Nodding, Ahsoka acknowledged his wisdom.

"I still don't understand that." Padme suddenly conjectured, "Family is what gives us perspective."

Satine nodded beside Obi-Wan, a glint in her eye that almost screamed 'I told you so.' Obi-Wan shrugged, not wanting to be ganged up on when his only teammate was one who also had problems with the code. "Indeed." Obi-Wan attempted to reroute the conversation, turning back towards Ahsoka, "But since you are here and we are facing a very powerful adversary: would you be interested in assisting us?"

Glancing over towards her daughters, Ahsoka took a deep breath and wondered what to do. She was supposed to guard Padme, but she's actually not bad at taking care of herself against the Sith now, thanks to Leia. She also knew she should watch over Mina and Luci, but they are also Jedi in training. Frowning as she decided what would be best for all their covers, Ahsoka nodded, "It would be an honor, Master Kenobi."

Smiling, he nodded and leaned on his elbows.

Sensing something off about him, Padme added, "I'll assist too." She then tilted her head to the side, "I'm pretty good with a blaster, after all."

While the two men became weary of the suggestion, mostly Obi-Wan as Quinlan was amused by the statement, they also nodded. Lastly, Satine set her hands down, "Then I suppose I should get my romping gear on." She stood tall from her chair, waving that some of her staff come in and escort everyone to their rooms, save for the Jedi. "We'll convene in the main hall in one hour."

After Satine had left, Padme had chosen to stay behind and better understand the mission. While she had wanted to remain with her, a very, very blatant yawn reminded her she had more duties than just her Jedi ones at the moment. As Ahsoka led her daughters down the hall, Luci ran up and took her hand. "I want to help too!" she declared, almost pulling Ahsoka to the floor.

"Um…" Ahsoka attempted to let her down easy, "Aren't you still a youngling?"

But her sister intervened, "Luci may be young and she may be an upstart, but she has the best ears here." Smiling, Mina stepped up, "And she's pretty good at sensing the dark side now too." Frowning, Ahsoka wondered what she could say to deter her children from joining the mission. She'd learned a great deal about their lives while en route to Mandalore; doubting their capability would be insulting by this point.

As they strode into their joint rooms, two double bedded spaces joined by a door, Ahsoka attempted to not mumble frustrating words under her breath. She wasn't used to being around other Togrutas with hearing as good as hers.

As Luci jumped up on the bed, adding an additional bounce as she did, Ahsoka and Mina took a seat on the other twin sized bed. "This is going to be a long night." Ahsoka realized as Mina turned on the small HoloProjector on their dresser with a wave of her hand. The news popped up first and foremost, not surprising Ahsoka, as most politician's aides who would use this room would be catching up on current events here. She frowned to see the images of soldiers landing on an unnamed planet, hoping it was just stock footage. The three of them sat in eerie silence a moment, just watching the news reel. Apparently, the 501st was already in action, even with their regular general and commander unavailable. She was actually made upset by that fact, wishing they had a longer resting period.

When one trooper took his helmet off, however, the conversation started up with the most interesting, innocent statement. "Daddy!" Luci shouted, falling back onto her back with a smile. Turning towards her sister, she insisted, "We should go visit him next!"

Mina sighed and shook her head, Ahsoka all the while trying to understand what was just said. "Your father's a clone trooper?!" she near demanded. When both girls nodded, she sighed and fell back on the bed in much the same fashion as Luci. "This is going to be so awkward now!" She moaned. While the two girls chuckled, she reached overhead and covered her flushed face with a pillow. Images of many, many troopers passed through her mind: all of them shared a face, but all the men possessed a very different spirit. Her mind was now wondering which one would apparently steal her heart in the years to come.

Sighing, she tossed the pillow aside and then decided, "Please don't tell me anything more about my future: I really just want to live my life out in peace at this point!"

Laughing, Mina nodded, "No problem: I won't tell you which clone our father is if you promise one thing." Opening a blue eye her way, Ahsoka watched as Mina smirked and stated matter-of-factually, "Trust us to help you… We may be inexperienced, but that doesn't mean we won't do our best."

Blinking a little, Ahsoka sighed and nodded. "Deal."

As the council gathered on Coruscant in the high tower of the Jedi Temple, Mace Windu faced his dilemma head on. He'd meditated all night about what to do with the information he'd procured, his conscience and the Force actually arguing with one another. One told him to follow the rules and report what he'd found, the other explained that Anakin Skywalker's future should not be tampered with. And, since he was a Jedi first and foremost, he followed the guidance of the Force easily… Even if his mind wouldn't let him hear the end of it.

"Stressing information," Yoda suddenly called out to him, his pull in the Force both gentle and powerful, "you wish to present us with."

Nodding, Windu leaned forward on his knees and took a deep breath. As much as this information troubled him, he wasn't keen on doling it out on his brethren. "I followed a tip last night regarding the identity of the mysterious Sith in the senate." He confessed, "Jaina Darklighter had hinted to me that she believed the chancellor to be none other than the Sith lord himself."

Suddenly a bit more shaken than expected, Ki-Adi-Mundi pointed out right away, "Interesting that you would consider her sentiments, given the fact that she and her brother are under such heavy scrutiny with the council." Mace nodded, not even contemplating what he'd actually learned about them. He didn't want the temptation to share their identities anywhere in his mind.

"Trust me, I was quite leery of her at first." Windu pointed out, his eyes turning on Master Mundi with absolute certainty, "But the Force bid that I follow her lead… She suggested proof could be found by tracking down an encoded HoloComm system. My meditations led me to the chancellor's office, where I found such a device." He then pulled out his device from before, triggering the data inside it to play in the center of the room.

They all watched in silent horror as the hood, then the projector came into view. Windu skipped over the parts of the conversation pertaining to Darklighter's actual identity very quickly, pausing on the image of the Sith lord himself. He then triggered an image of Chancellor Palpatine be brought up beside the image, their profiles being tested for a match. Match confirmed, it reported, showing its statistical analysis. Windu's shoulders sank as he saw that, hoping that his thunder would be destroyed by a denial of confirmation. But it seems that isn't to be. He thought to himself as he turned towards the other masters, each with their jaws agape as they contemplated the information.

"I realize it is difficult to stomach this," Mace assured them, "Especially since I had to procure this evidence illegally."

"Indeed." Shaak Ti nodded, her face showing just how worn this information made her, "We can't use this evidence at all, even in procuring a search warrant…. We will have to watch the chancellor very closely until suitable evidence is found."

Frowning still, Mace turned towards the holographic image of Obi-Wan seated on the far wall. He was still on Mandalore for some reason, his tracking of Darklighter bringing him there. "Perhaps we could attempt to capture Dooku once more." The bearded Jedi suggested, "He'd mentioned this Sith lord prior. Maybe he'll do it again." The whole of the council nodded at the thought, each still very somber.

"And what of your attempts to find Darklighter?" Luminara Unduli wondered, "Has your trap been set?" Smiling, Obi-Wan nodded.

Windu could only frown. Something told him to call Obi-Wan off the search, but another said he was where he needed to be at the moment.

"Based on my calculations," Obi-Wan admitted, pulling at his beard a little as he did, "We should corner Darklighter in two hours time."

Sighing, Windu nodded, turning his attentions back towards Obi-Wan for only a moment, "Your former Padawan is very close with the chancellor, correct?" The red-headed Jedi knight nodded, "Could he be persuaded, especially with this evidence, to act as a monitor for the chancellor?"

Frowning, Obi-Wan deliberated that, "He'd view it as a betrayal of trust, I'm afraid." He then added, "I'd even go so far as to wager he'd accuse you of making these allegations up."

Sitting back, Windu conceded. "It was worth a try."

Tilting her head, Luminara Unduli suggested, "There may be a way he can unwittingly help us." The others turned to her, all curious, "We could put a bug in his lightsaber and send him as a Jedi representative to the chancellor."

Again, Obi-Wan shook his head, "That's like asking Anakin to completely disregard this council."

"Indeed," Yoda finished the idea off, "Very little faith in us, he has already. Cautious to use him, we must be." Windu nodded in agreement, four other masters doing the same.

Rest easy Skywalker, Mace realized as he frowned once more, feeling like such a hypocrite at the moment, You're not our primary weapon just yet.

Author's Note: Hi everyone! As promised, here is the next installment! I just wanted to point out that the whole moonlight monster bit was actually a nod to the genre I'm weaving into this sci-fi story. As are the names Mina and Luci: let me know if you figure out which popular novel I'm referencing in choosing their names :) You might actually figure out what happens next to them if you do!

Anyways: Thanks to those of you who reacted to my story in some way. Please don't forget to review! Reviews make my day!