Skywalker Apartment, Coruscant. 32 ABY

She wasn't exactly sure why she'd come. Perhaps some of that latent courage, the woman inside of her that had defiantly faced death on the Eye of Palpatine, who had remained strong and true during those terrible years that followed. There was something left in her perhaps, that couldn't rest until she had followed through - until she had found peace again. The Callista she used to be would never have said such sordid things about another woman as she had said to Luke. Would never have tried to entice him away from his wife. It had been despicable behaviour - for which she had deserved his anger and rejection.

It truly had not been her intention, for Callista had never thought of herself as that kind of woman. When she'd heard of Luke's marriage, she had been resolved to accept it, but when she had seen Luke after so many years, all of her old feelings had rushed back to her. She remembered the way Luke had once held her, and kissed her malt hair, and sworn that he would love her forever. Callista had let those feelings, made more intense by her longing and loneliness, overwhelm her. But that was no excuse for how she had behaved – they were not the actions of a Jedi, even one without the Force.

Perhaps that was the reason she was seated across from Mara Jade, whose cold green eyes bore into her soul. Maybe she needed the chance for amends - if she was truly to join the Jedi. Callista winced under the scrutiny, but was sure Luke had not told Mara of her most unsavoury actions, since she was not lying in a lightsaber-defiled heap on the floor. For that, she supposed she should be thankful.

Callista shifted uneasily in her seat, her mouth dry and unable to form the words she wanted. Mara folded her arms and huffed angrily in response.

"I don't know when Luke will be back." There was venom in her tone.

Callista cleared her throat, apprehensively. She'd noticed that the moment she'd arrived. She was sure that if Luke had been at the apartment, she would have been herded away but as it was, Mara appeared to be feeling generous.

"Actually," Callista began, "I came to see you."

A red-gold eyebrow tilted sceptically as Mara looked her up and down. "What could we possibly have to say to one another?"

"Look, Mara," she took a chance with using her given name. "I didn't come here to provoke you."

Surprisingly, Mara let out a resigned sigh, her expression softening. "Fine." She gestured for Callista to continue.

Callista searched inside of herself for the right words. "I suppose Luke told you what I spoke to him about?"

A smirk appeared on Mara's face, and Callista regretted bringing it up. Still, if they were going to see each other, even in passing, it was best to find some sort of common ground.

"Luke did mention you wanting to rejoin the Jedi." Mara's bright eyes flicked. "I pointed out that the Temple kitchen needs a new Nerf Chef," she continued, her smug expression set. Callista balked at the insult, her mouth opening in horror, but that only seemed to fuel Mara even more. "And of course, there's always room on the groundskeeping staff. And the refresher facilities don't clean themselves." Mara smiled at her, raising a challenging eyebrow.

Callista wanted to run, to rush away from the indignity, but reminded herself that there was a higher purpose to her being here. And, hadn't she said much worse, much more damaging things about Mara to Luke? At least the other woman had the courage to say what she felt to Callista's face. Although the shame burned into her, Callista knew she had to bear it. Mara wanted to make her angry, see her suffer, and she wouldn't give the other woman the satisfaction.

"Mara, please." Callista eyed her defiantly. "I came here to talk, not trade insults with you like a couple of padawan schoolchildren."

This seemed to sober Mara as the smile was replaced by a more recognisable scowl. "Fine." She gestured again. "So talk."

"Dad?"

Luke peered around the hull of his X-wing, and struggled not to laugh at the sight of his son. Ben had found his flight helmet and it was currently balancing precariously on his head. The small boy held it steady, peering through the too-large flight goggles. Luke covered his expression in a mask of seriousness.

"I think it's a bit big for you, Ben."

Ben clucked his tongue and gave him a sceptical look. "Of course it's too big, Dad. It's yours."

"Oh," Luke nodded seriously. "Of course." He received a brilliant smile in return, and Ben bounded up to him, examining the hull that Luke was working on. "Look alright?" Luke asked, crouching down to his knees behind his son.

Ben squinted examining the alterations on the panel carefully. He then turned back to his father and nodded approvingly. Luke smiled, patting Ben gently on the back, before handing him a multitool. He showed Ben the exposed wiring, explaining where exactly to apply pressure and fix the problem. Mara would have his head if she knew Luke was allowing Ben to be so hands-on with machinery, so close to open wiring and possible danger. But Ben was a fast learner, and Luke had discovered his son had a great aptitude in the area. He was more than happy to show him the basics and allow him to help. Luke would never allow Ben to be hurt, and what Mara didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

The time passed easily between the two of them, Luke supportive and encouraging, Ben so eager to learn, in awe as Luke told him stories from his piloting days. He listened adoringly, asking questions and simply happy to be with him. It was these moments, Luke realised, this simple time with his son is what he had missed most from the past few years. A time when he was just a father with his small son, without the worries of the world pressing down on both of them.

Luke was loathe to ruin it, but he could no longer ignore what Mara had discussed with him a few nights previous - Ben's diminished sense in the Force. He could feel it now, since his presence was harder to pinpoint, and lacking in clarity. It troubled Luke, to feel such uneasiness. He and Mara had tried not to thrust the Force upon their son, allowing him to form his own identity other than that of a Jedi. But Luke had always tried to encourage the use of the Force, since Ben had always shown such immense potential.

But rather than work himself up over the development, Luke thought it was best to confront the issue with his son.

"Ben?" He tried to make his tone as neutral as possible.

"Yeah?" Ben didn't turn his head away from his work. Luke gently reached out a hand to cover his son's, guiding him into the right position against the panelling.

"Was there anything you wanted to talk to me about?" He kept a steady hand on Ben's, careful not to let the tool slip from the boy's fingers.

"Like when you're gonna teach me to fly?" He tweaked the multitool and twisted a wire free.

"Not exactly." Luke sighed, leaning back to examine Ben's adjustments. "I mean about how you are feeling. If everything is okay."

Ben halted slightly, but readjusted his grip on the tool and continued to work. "I'm fine, Dad."

"Okay." Luke shifted. "What about the conversation we had the other night? Are you... alright with everything we talked about?"

"That was a whole week ago." Ben rolled his eyes. "You and Mama made up."

Luke pulled down a new panel and began to examine it. "So you're not... " He struggled to find the words. "Hurting any more?"

Shifting closer to Luke, Ben turned his attention to the newly exposed machinery. "It feels better," he admitted. "It doesn't hurt... so much".

Luke placed a reassuring hand on Ben's shoulder, turning the boy to face him fully. Carefully, he pulled the helmet off his head and looked deeply into his eyes. "Because you're shutting out the Force?"

If Luke had any doubts that Ben's actions were deliberate they would have been confirmed by Ben's sorrowful expression. Ben leaned back on his haunches, close to the ship, dropping his multitool.

Ben's face flushed as his head bowed. "I thought it would be okay."

Luke gently put his hand beneath Ben's chin, lifting the boy's downcast face, his eyes already filling with tears.

"I'm sorry, Dad." His face crinkled as he tried to hold the tears in. "I wanna be like you... but it's so hard."

Impulsively, Luke swept his son into his arms and held him tightly. Although diminished, he could still feel Ben's pain through the Force. His desire to please him, to become the Jedi Luke wanted him to be. The inadequacy he felt at what he felt was his failure - it almost broke Luke's heart. He pulled back slightly, looking at his son's tear-streaked face. Gently he pushed Ben's strawberry-blonde hair out of his eyes and gave him a reassuring smile.

"I love you, Ben," he began softly. "Nothing you ever do will disappoint me - or your mother. I want you to follow your own path, not mine." His thumb came to bush away Ben's tears. "You have such a strength in the Force, but if you chose not to use it, I will support you."

Ben didn't look convinced. "Mama would say it was giving up."

"No." Luke shook his head, trying to impress to words as strongly as he could. "There is a difference between giving up and... knowing when to step back. Your mother would never want you to suffer in that way." Not in the way she has, Luke thought silently. "Ben, no matter what you choose, we will be here for you."

Ben finally raised his gaze to Luke's and a broad smile broke out on his face. "Promise?"

Luke again drew his son into a tight embrace. "Of course."

Callista steeled herself, taking a deep breath before meeting Mara's gaze. "I've always envied you, Mara."

This seemed to take the other woman by surprise, and she shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She had probably never expected Callista to admit her resentment so freely. But she knew this was the only way, if she was going to survive here.

"Even when I was with Luke, you had this - hold on him," she continued. "The two of you had a connection in the Force that I'd lost. And then when I came back, I hated you for being happy." Callista's gut twisted and bearing her feelings so openly to the woman she'd always considered an enemy. "That you have the life I should have had. All I could think was that you'd stolen it from me."

"You walked away from him freely, Callista." Mara's words were harsh, but there was a softness to her tone, the lack of acidity she'd displayed before.

"I know," Callista admitted. "But it still hurt. I'd always thought, hoped even, that Luke would have never gotten over me, and the love we shared."

"Rather selfish of you."

Callista glanced away. "Sometimes love is selfish," she said softly. Her gaze returned to the woman opposite. "I heard about your disease." The words seemed to unsettle Mara, and her eyes darkened slightly. Obviously it was a time in her life that Mara did not wish to be reminded of. "He wanted to help you so much, didn't he? Not understanding that his attention, his care, his very love was stifling you. That it was something you needed to deal with on your own."

Mara shifted uncomfortably, taking in a shaky breath. Callista knew she'd hit close to home.

"I never would have left him," Mara's voice wavered ever so slightly. "Not ever."

"But you thought about it," Callista pressed on, knowing she was right. "You felt guilt that he was devoting all of his time and energy to you, when he should have been leading the Jedi, fighting a war?" She smiled sadly. "We're more alike than you think, Mara."

Callista expected a retort, a defiant insult or another outburst, but Mara was surprisingly calm. She wouldn't meet Callista's gaze, and she knew that perhaps, she'd struck of chord with the woman. She was grateful for the breakthrough. While they would never be friends, or perhaps even amiable acquaintances, Callista knew at least they shared one thing - a love for Luke. They could learn to accept one another.

When Mara spoke, her voice was softer and more exposed that Callista had ever heard it.

"Ben seemed to like you," she said, her smooth gaze rising to meet her eyes once more. "And Luke loved you, once. He still cares about you." Mara took a deep breath. "Perhaps I should trust their judgment?"

Callista spoke just as softly. "I would appreciate that."

For the first time since she'd arrived, Mara gave her a somewhat genuine smile. It was small and almost imperceptible, but Callista appreciated the effort. Somehow she believed that a true smile from Mara Jade, even a small one, meant the world.

"I wouldn't give up on love, Callista," Mara said, uncharacteristically tenderly. Her eyes glossed over in her musings, and her smile widened. "I never imagined that the Force would lead me to this, but I'm so grateful for it."

For once, Callista did not feel jealously when she looked at the woman before her - she saw the love in her gaze, and understood Luke's words to her. She saw the bond between them, and accepted it.

"If I'm honest, I don't think I will love again," Callista shared with her one-time adversary.

"Oh?" Looking intrigued, Mara leaned forward slightly.

"No, I don't think it's in my path," Callista smiled softly. "I've always given my life to love first. First Geith, then Luke. I lived for them rather than myself. Even when I left, I still thought of them, and I think it blocked my way." She felt a sense of peace overcome her, the knowledge that she was speaking the truth, and following the right instincts. "I am a Jedi of Old, Mara, and I never acted like one. I must dedicate my life to the Force if I am ever to find it again."

Mara nodded, but was quickly distracted by something Callista couldn't hear or sense. It took a moment for her to realise that Mara was looking towards the entrance, and a few moments more before she realised there was someone there. She looked at Mara, expecting for her to stand and go towards the door, but she turned back to Callista and gave her a mischievous smile.

She heard the sound of the door activating and within moments Luke entered the room, Ben perched on his shoulders, ducking to avoid hitting the ceiling. He halted immediately as his gaze settled on the two women. He cleared his throat nervously, but Ben chuckled, and began to climb down off his father's shoulders. He ran towards his mother, climbing up on the couch beside her.

"Hi 'Lista," he smiled, either unaware or ignoring the apparent discomfort of his father.

Callista smiled in return. "Hello Ben," she turned towards the man still frozen in the doorway. "Luke."

"Callista." Luke nodded in return, glancing surreptiously at Mara.

Perhaps, one day, the three of them would be able to be in a room together without the discomfort and tension filling the space between them, but Callista knew it would take more time. Mara clearly wasn't planning on reducing Luke's uneasiness any, so Callista thought it best to take her leave. She nodded to Mara with newfound understanding and she hoped, solidarity.

"Thank you for the talk, Mara." Callista stood, straightening her worn clothing, trying to sum up as much dignity as she could to walk towards Luke. She knew what she had said in her apartment to him had been unforgivable, and yet she knew that for Luke, compassion was never an impossibility. She finally reaslied, looking at him with Mara, with his son, that she'd never been what he needed, and could never have made him as happy as he was with his small family. All she'd been chasing was a dream, one that would always fade in the light of dawn.

"Callista," Mara's voice stopped her. "I... I hope you find your path."

She nodded gratefully in return, before walking to meet Luke at the entrance. He followed her into the front alcove, out of the view of the living room, smiling warmly.

"I talked to Tionne today," he said, clasping her gently on the arm. "She needs help with administration work, if you are willing. Especially in further research of Jedi history, which I think you would be suited for." He squeezed her arm affectionately. "You can see her at any time for the details."

"Thank you, Luke," Callista smiled but did not return his warm caress. "For doing this for me."

"I want the best for you, Callista," he said softly. "I want you to be happy."

"Lista, wait!" Ben skidded across the floor towards them, breathless. He swallowed heavily. "I told my friend about you."

"Oh?" Callista looked questioning at Luke, but he gave her a shake of his head and a don't ask gesture.

"Yep." Ben continued, nodding vigorously. "He said that sometimes when we're ready, what we want will find us." He looked curiously up at her. "Do you know what that means? He wouldn't tell me."

Callista almost didn't know what to say. She remembered Ben's appraisal of her sense in the Force when they'd first met. Like a cloudy day, when the sun is hiding.

"Yes," she whispered softly. "Yes, I know what it means."

"Good." Ben grinned. "Will I see you again?"

Glancing at Luke, Callista was unsure of how to answer.

"I'm sure you will," Luke said resolutely, patting his son lightly on the back. "Now go tell your mother about how you didn't help me with the X-wing today."

Ben gave his father a conspiratorial wink. "I only watched, right?" He chuckled lightly. "Bye, 'Lista!" he yelled, running back towards the living room.

"Goodbye Ben," she called softly. Smiling, she turned back to the man before her. "You have a wonderful family, Luke." Slowly, she leaned in towards him, giving him a light, chaste kiss on the cheek. "I'm so glad you're happy."

She pulled back and took one final look at her former love, and knew this was the last time she would think of him in that way. "Goodbye, Luke," she whispered, so softly she barely heard it herself. And without so much as another look back, she walked out of his life.

Luke flopped down onto the couch next to her, and Mara swung her legs up over his lap.

"You survived?" He smiled at her mindlessly and rubbed her shins affectionately.

"Hmmm," she regarded his apparent good mood. "It would seem so."

"So, thoughts, ruminations, musings?" he asked, still grinning. "Anything more to share with me?"

Mara smiled and leaned back against the cushions. "I think I've done enough soul-baring in the past few weeks."

"Fair enough." He took stock of the room. "Ben?"

Mara smiled. "Gone to examine his toy X-wing. Apparently he's been inspired to make some 'modifications' on it."

"Oh." Luke smiled again. "Wonder where he got that idea?"

"Hmmmm." Mara let it pass. They sat in silence for a few moments, as she studied the face of her husband. He looked more relaxed than he had in weeks. Months, even. Mara knew she would look the same. The final visit from Callista had lifted the huge bearing weight from her shoulders. It was true, she might see her occasionally around the Temple, but Mara no longer bore her any ill will. Every malicious, jealous and resentful thought had been purged from her mind. It felt like such freedom.

"I was thinking about Ben's 'friend' today." Luke interrupted her quiet contemplation.

"Oh?" Mara was inquisitive. "Get to the bottom of it, then?"

"I just think he's lonely, Mara." Luke reached for her hand. "He went through so much during the war - more than we understood - he's still feeling the pain from it. That's why he's shutting out the Force, why he created this friend, to help him through it."

"We should be helping him through it," Mara cut in shortly. She didn't like to think that her son couldn't confide in her.

Luke rubbed her leg reassuringly. "And we will. But he's afraid of disappointing us. You remember what that is like."

Mara grimaced. She remembered all too well what that kind pressure was like. "He wants a confident - someone on his own level," she added, understanding. Force knows she could have used that growing up.

Luke nodded. "He needs someone to talk to... and I know I haven't been here enough for him. But I intend to be."

Mara sat up, shifting onto Luke's lap, leaning her head against his shoulder. "You know how I feel, Luke. But are you sure you want to move away from Coruscant?"

Nodding resolutely, putting his arms around her tightly. "I'll talk to Omas tomorrow." He took an apprehensive breath. "And I also think... " He hesitated.

"What?" Mara ran her fingers over his chest encouragingly.

"That, no matter what, we should keep Ben with us." He looked at her expectantly.

"On missions, you mean?"

He nodded again. "I don't want to miss out on one more second of our son's life."

Mara looked up at him. "Even if it puts him in danger?"

"I think," Luke gently reached to cup her cheek with soft fingers. "It would cause him more damage if we keep leaving him behind. He might see it as a rejection." He reached to kiss her softly. "Don't worry, my love. We'll be okay."

Mara embraced him tightly. "Even if Ben never finds the Force again?" She wanted the best for her son, but she knew the pain of denying the pull of the Force for far too long.

Luke held onto her tightly, his cheek brushing against hers softly. "Yes. Believe me, Mara that nothing will ever come between the three of us."

In the warmth of his embrace and hearing the soft, resolute sounds of his voice, she did believe him. Never again would she be forced away from her family, have to survive without them, without the close comfort of their unconditional love.

No threat - past or future, would ever come between the three of them again.