Thanks to those readers who have taken the time to drop me a note or write a review. It is much appreciated. If you are not following the current Star Wars novels, you may not understand some of this chapter. PM me if you have any questions.

~JL~

CHAPTER 4

Mara dropped out of the Flow of the Force and into her body. She found herself in a large dark building, which appeared to be some type of industrial complex. She looked down at her hands and realized she was holding her blaster and a glow rod. There were other people around her, their faces illuminated by the soft radiance of their lights: Tahiri, Danni Quee, 'Face' Loran and Baljos Arnjak. They were all wearing simulated Yuuzhan Vong crab armor. Mara remembered going on a mission with them and Luke. They were in the underbelly of Coruscant to find Lord Nyax.

'This is the last place I wanted to end up,' Mara thought. She looked around, but didn't see Luke only a large slimy retaining pool in the middle of the structure. A small smile graced her face as she remembered this moment. Luke was swimming in the city's devourer tank used to break down organic matter from the sewer system. Since the tank wasn't hooked up to the pumping system the group determined it was a façade with the organic decomposers acting as guards preventing access to something submerged below.

Suddenly a loud rumbling startled everybody as the room began to vibrate. The chamber reverberated and shifted as a large metallic and stone plug rose from the front of the tank. Luke resurfaced from the tank with a splash. He stood waist deep in the pool for a moment before he slowly trudged over to the edge of the reservoir.

The small group looked at the rising structure in wonder. "What did you do?"

Luke pulled off his breathing mask. "I turned a wheel. Something obviously still has power." He went to move out of the tank, but Mara stopped him. "Before you step out of the tank," Mara laughed, "you might want to make sure you're presentable."

Luke glanced down finally noticing his chest was completely bare. Mara chuckled as he reached under the surface of the slime and blushed when he obviously realized he was completely nude. He gave her an abashed look, "I guess I forgot to tell the stuff, 'my clothes aren't food either.' "

"I guess you did," Mara said with a grin.

"Could you pass me my pack?"

"Sure, Luke," she went over and picked up his backpack, rummaging through it as she moved back to her husband. She pulled out a black clingsuit and handed it to Luke.

He gave her a shy look. "Can you stand between me and Danni and Tahiri?"

Mara smiled as she looked back at the two females. "Danni is a doctor, isn't she? I'm sure she's seen it all."

Luke gave Mara an exasperated glare. "Mara, she is a doctor in astrophysicist."

She laughed, "You're right Farmboy, she wouldn't need a telescope to see what you're hiding." She moved so she blocked the view of Luke from the two women. "What about the guys?" Mara asked. "I would hate if you gave Face Loran a bad case of lightsaber envy."

"Funny," Luke said as he climbed out of the tank. The microorganisms dropped completely away from his body as he exited the pool. Mara helped him into his body suit. "Watch that zipper," she warned her husband. "That suit isn't made for somebody going 'commando'."

He turned around and smiled at his wife and gave her a brief, but rousing kiss. "Even during a war, you have to tease me."

"Of course," she said as he retrieved his fake crab armor and assisted him in putting it back on. "Luke," she said softly, "do you remember the first time we kissed?"

He cocked his head and gave her a confused look, "Sure, it was on Nirauan, why?"

Mara sighed in relief. The timeline was safe!

"That is if you don't count that kiss you gave me at the Jedi Academy," Luke continued. "But, I always assumed you did that just to peeve off Callista." He laughed.

Mara stood in shock. She waschanging the timeline. So far she didn't appear to do any damage, but she needed to get back to 40 ABY immediately before she made a mistake that would totally screw up her future.

Luke frowned, "What is it Mara?"

She shook her head, "It's nothing. Let's get back to work." Mara took a deep breath and let it out slowly. If she remembered correctly she had a long day ahead before they took a break and she could get back to the flow of the Force.

'Stang, I need to get back to 40 ABY,'she thought anxiously.

After a long arduous day in the lower level of the city the group finally paused to rest. Mara sat down with her back to the wall and quickly went into a meditative state dropping back into the Force current.

When she came out of the flow Mara immediately felt different. She looked down at her hands and was shocked to realize she could see through them. She had not transferred back into her body, but was in non-corporal form. This was what she expected when she started to flow-walk, but why was this happening now?

She looked around and realized she was in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. She was relieved to see it appeared as she remembered it—before she started flow-walking. Perhaps she was back to her time and she simply needed to find the Shadow and get back into her body.

She saw a group of Jedi at one end of the courtyard. Mara was startled when she heard the loud voice of Saba Sebatyne, the Barabel Jedi Master ring out.

"We have come to this sacred place to say farewell to our dear friend, to a fierce warrior and a noble dispenser of justice. Mara Jade Skywalker…"

Saba continued talking, but Mara heard no more…she walked toward the group and caught her first glimpse of the funeral pyre. There she saw her body, lying prone, swaddled in white Aeien silk only her face expose. Luke stood next to the pyre looking down at her body. He had his Jedi robes on with his hood pulled far up over his head, but Mara could see the deep bags under his eyes and the mask of anguish he was trying to conceal. Behind her husband was her son Ben. Ben wasn't fairing much better. He was trying to maintain control, but everybody in the courtyard had to sense the sorrow and pain emanating from the boy. Mara's heart was breaking, not because she was dead, but because of the anguish she was now witnessing. Nobody should have to see their family's heartbreak at his or her own funeral.

There was a slight commotion as Jacen Solo arrived to her funeral late. He gave an excuse that sounded contrived to Mara. After talking to Tenal Ka and Kenth Hammer her nephew worked his way up to the pyre to stand next to Luke and Ben.

Mara moved forward so she could see and hear what was happening better. Luke had his hand on Jacen's shoulder. "I'm glad. It's time we healed this rift between us. I think that must be what she's telling us."

Jacen appeared confused at his uncle's remarks. When his gazed returned to his aunt's body Jacen took a startled half-step back as her remains begin to glow and become translucent. Mara Jade Skywalker was becoming one with the Force.

Mara then saw something completely unexpected. From her fading body the spirit of Mara Jade Skywalker sat up from the pyre and drifted over to Ben and Luke joining them as they regarded her fading body. Flow-walking Mara looked to her Force spirit, then to Luke and Ben and then to all in attendance. Nobody reacted to the appearance of Mara's life-force. Obviously she was the only person able to see the apparition. The spirit looked up and locked eyes with Mara and smiled. A ghostly hand reached out and crooked a finger toward Mara beckoning her to come forward. Mara hesitated for a moment, but then flow-walked toward the now empty pyre.

Luke continued to talk to his nephew. "She waited until we were together," he said. "I think there's a message in that, don't you?"

The Force-ghost nodded eagerly with a smug look on her face.

"I think that must be exactly what Mara is telling us." Jacen said, "We can't save the Alliance without working together."

The Force-ghost scowled at Jacen, shaking her head.

"Good point," Luke said. "I'll try to remember that this time."

At that point the spirit threw up her hands in frustration and disgust. Obviously Luke did not get her message correctly. The Force-ghost turned and walked away from the pyre, making an obscene gesture to Jacen as she passed him.

The specter came forward until she stood in front of Mara. The spirit's mouth moved, but no sound came forth.

"I can't hear you, can you hear me." Mara asked.

The apparition nodded and then motioned for her to follow.

Mara followed the Force presence out of the courtyard. As they moved away from the temple they were surrounded by a white mist, which swirled and thickened until Mara had a hard time keeping track of her guide. Finally the fog thinned and she found herself in a dark dank room with soot smeared metallic walls. The only light came from what appeared to be the red glow of a furnace. Upon further inspection Mara realized she was on a starship's incinerator where rubbish was burned.

Close to the mouth of the incinerator she could see a body on a gurney. Mara's brow furrowed. Bodies should never be disposed of in a garbage incinerator! Most people wouldn't even do that to their pets, let alone a human. She walked over to the gurney and gazed upon the face of the hapless body. She immediately recognized the once handsome features of Prince Isolder, father to Queen Tenal Ka. His face was swollen and purple either from a beating or natural decomposition. His head was bent to the side in an unnatural position…it was obvious his neck had been snapped violently.

As she turned away she heard a commotion at the end of the large room. It was the very familiar snap-hiss of lightsabers in combat. As she moved toward the noise she could see the flashes of a red and purple blade as they clashed together. When she saw who was wielding the weapons, Mara felt sick. There, Jaina Solo—the Sword of the Jedi—was in a death struggle with her twin brother. Jacen looked battered and bloodied with one arm and leg injured and breathing harshly. He stumbled, letting his guard down for only for a second, but long enough for his sister to make the killing blow.

Jacen's legs buckled as he slowly sank down to the floor. He was dead before his body landed fully on the deck. Jaina deactivated her saber and cried out mournfully. She fell to her knees next to Jacen, pulling her brother toward her and cradling his head in her lap as she rocked back and forth sobbing.

Mara couldn't watch anymore. She closed her eyes and turned away. When she opened them she found her Force spirit looking at her sadly.

"Jacen, he killed me, didn't he?" Mara asked.

The life-force nodded.

Mara walked away wanting to put distance between her and the horrific scene she just witnessed. "I can see why I would rush to face him," Mara explained. "Jaina was my former apprentice and my niece. She should never have been sent to kill him. Even if he was Sith, he was her brother, he was her twin; this will forever haunt her."

The spirit did not reply, but simply motioned Mara to follow her once more. They entered the strange white mist that suddenly coalesced within the room. Mara wasn't sure how long they walked within the mysterious fog. Time did not seem to exist within the mist. When they finally exited they were in a rock-strewn meadow covered with moss and crisscrossed with streams that gurgled and flowed into a large dark lake with a translucent vapor swirling over its surface. Mara's guide walked directly into the lake. When she was waist deep, she turned to see if she was being followed. Seeing Mara at the shore the spirit beckoned for her to continue.

At first Mara was apprehensive about diving into an unknown lake, but now that she wasn't in physical form she didn't see what harm it would do. After a moment of uncertainty she walked into the water and continued to follow her spirit guide. Mara expected to feel the chill of the water or the panic for air, but she felt nothing. As they walked to the bottom of the lake Mara looked up and saw the brilliant blue sunlight sparkling over the surface of the water. There were rock upshots rising from the bottom of the lake forming a broken bridge across the water creating a path of stepping stones from one shore to the other. Mara saw a shadow fall over the water and then another. There was more than one person hopping from rock to rock on the surface of the water.

The spirit reached out a slender semi-transparent hand to Mara. She grasped the offered hand and together they drifted closer and closer to the surface. When they were only a few meters from the surface they stopped. The apparition indicated for Mara to stay where she was.

"Mara?" a familiar voice called from above. Mara was shocked at the sound of her husband's voice. She looked up and saw him peering into the waters. She tried to swim up toward him, but she remained in place. The spirit drifted upwards towards the surface becoming more and more solid until she was floating on top of the water in full bodily form.

"Skywalker," the spirit replied.

Mara was shocked to hear the Force apparition speaking to Luke. She was now in full physical form, perhaps that is why she can be heard. Mara still didn't understand why the apparition could hear her while flow-walking, but the ways of the Force were often a mystery.

"What are you doing here?" the spirit asked.

Mara listened intently as Luke told Mara's spirit about his hunt for somebody named Abeloth. Then their conversation took a shocking turn.

"It meant so much to me to see you in the dreams—to be able to roll over and touch you right before I wake up," Luke said, his voice filled with emotion.

"Luke," the spirit said softly.

"And even when I am awake, I feel you with me. You even talk to me." Luke continued.

"Luke," the spirit said a little more sternly and the Jedi went silent.

"Whoever you were with on the Jade Shadow…it wasn't me."

The rest of the conversation barely registered with Mara. All she could think about was who or what was lying in bed with her husband! Some entity was caressing Luke's mind and body and making him think it was her!

She didn't know if she had any powers in this realm, but she was going to kick some Force-apparition butt when she found out who's been messing with her man!

The spirit floated down from the surface becoming more translucent as she did. When she was next to Mara she moved in the direction they had come until they exited the water and returned to the meadow.

Mara turned to the spirit. "I know you can't talk to me in this form, but you can hear me. Please show me who has been spooning my husband at night so I can kill her."

The specter smiled and started walking away from the lake through the rocky valley until a fog suddenly formed around her. Mara quickly hurried after her before she disappeared from sight. They walked in the mist for a short time until they arrived at the ruins of an old courtyard, overgrown with vegetation and covered with moss.

Luke and a group of people Mara didn't recognize bolted out of a tunnel near the base of a mountain and headed to the ruins, making their way to a fountain at the center of the courtyard.

Luke activated his saber calling for the mysterious Abeloth.

Mara's spirit guide pointed to a figure standing near the fountain.

"Luke," the figure said as she moved toward the Jedi.

Mara reeled in surprise and disgust. There in the courtyard stood Callista Ming! Callista smiled at Luke as she walked closer to him. "You've come for me. You've finally come for me. I knew you would. All this time, I had faith."

Mara turned to her spirit apparition. "No, no, oh hell no!" Mara spat out in anger. She went to grab her lightsaber, but realized it wasn't there. If it were possible she would take off Callista's head right there and then.

Mara went to move toward them, but the fog began to rise, obscuring Luke and his former lover.

"Wait, don't send me back now," Mara begged the spirit. The Force apparition shook her head sadly and gestured for Mara to follow.

"You mean to say that that kriffing sleemo bodysnatching piece of Mradhe Muck has been Force molesting my man and now is trying to get him back?" Mara yelled. "Shavit, how long was I dead before she tried to seduce Luke? Was my body even cold before she made her move? I should have known that Force reanimated skidcrust would come for Luke as soon as I was out of the picture."

The spirit regarded Mara with a dispassionate expression, which infuriated for former assassin even further. "Why aren't you furious? He was your husband also."

The figure shrugged, putting her palms up in a 'what can I do?' gesture.

"All this time that I have been flow-walking I have been desperately trying to make sure I didn't change the timeline and for what? Are you actually saying I am trying to preserve THIS future? A future where Jacen turns Sith, murders me and has to be killed by his own sister? A future where my husband has to raise a son alone and a slag-sucking, bodysnatching bimbo is chasing after him? Isn't it bad enough that we suffered through the Vong War?"

The spirit simply stood and stared impassively.

"Snoigit! I need to get back!" Mara said with determination. "I don't give a womp rat's arse if I screw up the entire timeline when I do. I really have no clue as to how the last 40 years could get much worse! Fierfek! Chewie died, Anakin died, trillions of casualties throughout the galaxy…war after war, and death after death." Mara ran her hand over her face in frustration. "I can change the timeline while flow-walking, I am going to stop all this!"

The spirit's unemotional mask faltered and became a wide grin, as if encouraging her to do exactly that.