This is a really short chapter, but I promise the next one will be longer. I just had major writer's block for this and I just needed to put it out there and then move on to the next one. Which is what I did.

DISCLAIMER: I own a Star Wars folder for the upcoming school year, but not the movie!

Chapter Twenty

"Imperial Presence has increased around Tatooine," General Rieekan stated, looking over the plotting board.

"Did Lando and Chewie get tailed?" Leia asked from her spot next to the General.

"No, the forces appeared far too late for them to have tailed the Falcon there," he said, furrowing his brow in concentration. "I'd wager that Vader positioned the fleet here in preparation that you might send a rescue mission for Captain Solo."

"And that's exactly what we're doing," Leia sighed, putting her face in her hands.

"Lando and Chewbacca will monitor the state of Captain Solo and Jabba the Hutt's Palace," Rieekan comforted. "Captain Solo will be fine until the Imperial Presence shifts."

"That could be years," she realized aloud.

"Oh, Lelila," Rieekan sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll get him back for you, don't worry."

"I know," she said. "Thank you."

"Any time," he nodded with a smile.

"Favorite color?" Mara asked, taking a bite of her cold ice cream.

"Green," Luke answered automatically. "Yours?"

"I'm thinkin' purple," she grinned. She was sitting on Luke's lap on his bed. The two were hiding out and enjoying some ice cream brought in on the last supply run, getting to know each other better.

"Really?" he asked. "I never would have pegged you for such a girly color."

"Girly? Really?" she asked. "And what about you? Green? How original!"

"For your information, I happen to love the color," he said smugly. "It's the color of your eyes."

"And my last name you sap," she teased and kissed him chastely. "Planet you most want to visit?"

"Naboo," he grinned.

"Ah, Farmboy loves water," she grinned knowingly.

"I've always been fascinated with it," he shrugged. "What about you?"

"Corellia. I've always wanted to go there and see why Han and Wedge are always boasting about it," she nodded.

"We'll go together then," Luke grinned. "As soon as the war is over."

She smiled. "I'd like that."

Luke kissed her softly, and she brought a hand up to lay on his cheek. He pulled back and asked, "One secret about you I don't know?"

"A secret?" she asked wide eyed. "Hmmm, let's see." She thought for a long moment and grinned. "Yoda told me it was okay to be attached to you."

"What?" he asked, surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah," she laughed. "While you were in the Dark Side Cave."

"Wow," he said. "Yoda: The Matchmaker."

Mara burst out laughing and pushed Luke's shoulder playfully.

"So, what's your secret, Farmboy?" she asked, still grinning. Luke thought of a good secret to tell her and landed on Vader.

"No, I am your father."

"Luke?" Mara waved a hand in front of his face. He jumped slightly and looked at her. "Where'd you go just now?"

He shook his head to clear it. She needed to know.

He inhaled deeply and looked at her seriously.

"Remember how I told you the other night that I'd tell you something later so it didn't spoil the mood?"

"Yeah," she said hesitantly.

"Well," he started. "I... I found out my father is still alive."

What?" Her mouth gaped open and then formed into a wide smile. "Luke, that's great!"

"No, no, there's more," he sighed. "I... My father... he... He's Darth Vader."

Mara's grin faltered and she looked at him slightly confused. "What? Luke... how do you..."

"He told me," Luke finished. "After he chopped off my hand at Cloud City. He told me he was my father."

"But I thought you said Ben told you Vader killed your father?"

"He did," Luke sighed and put his head in his hands. "Someone's lying to me. I think it's Ben, and that hurts so much. Even Yoda is in on it."

"Yoda," she shook her head. "Luke, I'm so sorry."

She rubbed her hand on his shoulder and he looked up at her.

"You're not disgusted with me?"

"What?" she asked, completely caught off guard. "Luke, how can you think so little of me that this fact changes how I feel about you?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "I guess since I can't take it I figured others might not be able to either."

"Luke, we don't choose our parents."

"Yeah," he nodded. "But, what if I become him? What if I fall just like he did?"

"You won't."

"You can't know that!" he cried out. "I saw it, in the Dark Side Cave! I saw Vader, and when I killed him, his mask blew off and revealed me. It revealed me as Vader. What if I become him?"

"You won't," she said again firmly. "You're stronger than him. Way stronger."

"But-"

"No buts," she said. "I saw Vader in the Dark Side Cave too, you know."

"What?"

"He told me something," she explained. "After he morphed into what he looked like before the suit. Now that I think about it, Luke you two look so much alike. Same eyes and hair. Similar facial features... But he told me something. He said, 'You don't know the truth. The truth is the weakness'."

"The truth?" he asked.

"I think it means that now that you know that Vader is your father, and he knows you're his son, we can use it against him," she said. "I think we can take him down."

"Mara," he started shyly. "Do you think we could turn him back to the light?"

"You mean can we do something that has never happened in Galactic History before?"

"I wouldn't phrase it like that, but yeah," he nodded and looked at her. "Do you think we could turn him back to Anakin Skywalker?"

She sighed. "I don't know Luke. That man is really angry. He's one of the most powerful sith ever, and he is just trapped by the suit."

"But he was once a great Jedi Knight," he insisted. "He was good for the first 20 something years of his life."

"And he's been evil for the last, well, how old are you? Twenty-Three?" she pointed out.

"Mara, I think we can do this," he said. "I feel it so strongly. I think the Force wants us to return him to the light."

"But the Republic will charge him with war crimes regardless of his status in the Force," she explained. "Even if we succeed, he will still be trapped by the laws of the Republic. He won't magically become the father you never had, Luke. You need to understand this."

Luke sighed and leaned his head back on the wall behind him. "I need to try, Mara."

"I know," she said. "And I'll help you. I just don't want you to have a grand fantasy of playing Smashball in some field on Naboo."

"I won't," he assured her. "Thank you."

"Anytime, Farmboy," she grinned and kissed him on the lips. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She straddled his lap and clung to his neck as they kissed. Mara moaned as Luke's lips traveled down her neck some, seeking out her collar bone.

A knock on the door sounded and Luke groaned quietly. "Every time, every-kriffing-time..." he mumbled under his breath as Mara got off his lap and he headed to the door to unlock it. He palmed it open and saw Leia standing on the other side.

"Hey, Leia," he smiled and gestured for her to come in. Leia saw Mara sitting cross-legged on Luke's bed and bit her lip before smiling apologetically to Luke.

"Sorry for interrupting, but I wanted to let you guys know the current situation on Tatooine," she said.

"No, sure," he grinned and leaned up against his wardrobe. "Did Lando infiltrate the Palace yet?"

"I don't know," she said. "But the Imperial Fleet has taken up guard around the Tatoo system, mainly Tatooine."

"Damn," Luke said and ran a hand through his hair. "Vader knows we plan to rescue him."

"And he's setting a trap to catch us," Leia finished. "He mostly wants you Luke."

"I know," he nodded.

"So what do we do?" Mara asked.

"We wait it out then," Luke shrugged. "There's nothing we can do. We just need to wait for the fleet to give up and move along."

"Luke, I'm sure they were appointed by Vader," Leia said. "And you saw his devotion to do anything to trap you for the Emperor."

"They can't stay there forever though, Leia," he said.

"So we just monitor the situation and work out the kinks in the plan with what Lando tells us," Mara said. "It's really the only thing we can do at this point."

"Right," Leia agreed sadly.

"We'll get him back, Ley," Luke told her. "He's our friend too and we want him back almost as much as you do."

Leia smiled. "I know. Thank you."

"Anytime," Mara grinned. Leia nodded and stood to leave.

"I have to get back to command," she said. "We're discussing what system to head to next. For the time it seems that we'll be staying on this ship, but they want to be closer to a planet so the officers can have leave."

"Sounds good to me," Luke shrugged. "I'm tired of breathing this recycled air."

Leia laughed and nodded. "Me too." She turned and exited the room, the door sliding shut behind her.

And there you go. Now you know the truth behind Mara's vision in the Dark Side Cave, AND they're closer because he told her!

NEXT CHAPTER: The Rebellion is getting curious about the Imperial Fleet shifts and what the Empire could be planning, and Luke and Mara grow a little closer.