Disclaimer: These characters are property of Lucasfilm Ltd. I am making no
money from this. Also, I know certain lines are directly from the film
Return of the Jedi (screenplay by George Lucas and Lawrence Kasdan) as well
as Timothy Zahn's Vision of the Future. I do not claim these lines as mine
and are simply using them for effect. Credit for them belongs to the
original writers.

Summary: What would have happened if Mara Jade had been allowed on Jabba's
sail barge...
 
 

Luke Skywalker looked down at the mouth of the Sarlaac below as he was
prodded towards what Jabba the Hutt intended to be Luke's death. Luke
glanced up slightly and nodded to Lando Calrissian, who was disguised as a
skiff guard. Slowly, Luke looked up towards the sail barge and saluted as
he walked to his intended doom. Then, in the blink of an eye, an astromech
droid on top of Jabba's massive sail barge released a cylinder-shaped
object from one of his compartments and into the air.

The young, red-haired, green-eyed dancer who stood behind the slug-like
Jabba saw her chance. If she could catch Skywalker's lightsaber before it
reached him, he would have no weapon, which would make killing him all the
more easy. With amazing grace and agility, the woman leapt into the air and
landed at the edge of the sail barge. She then stretched out with the Force
and brought the lightsaber to her, clutching it tightly in her shaking
hands.

Luke looked up in horror as he lost the Force grip he had had on his saber,
and it flew into the waiting grasp of a woman who appeared to be one of
Jabba's dancing girls. A wicked grin spread across the woman's face as she
held his weapon, and Luke knew immediately that she was not at all what she
appeared to be.

Princess Leia felt her stomach drop as she saw Luke's lightsaber suddenly
change direction in midair and go not to Luke's hand, but to one of Jabba's
dancers instead. Leia looked down at the skiff that floated beside the sail
barge. She glanced at Han. He seemed so helpless, still blinded from
Hibernation Sickness. They had worked too hard to save him for it to end
now. All Leia could think about was getting the lightsaber back down to
Luke. Suddenly, the saber flew from the dancer's hand and back down to
Skywalker.

Luke caught his lightsaber in shock. How had it gotten down to him? He
hadn't used the Force to bring it down to him, had he? He pushed away his
thoughts, deciding not to wonder how the lightsaber got to him, but just to
be grateful that it did.

The dancer watched helplessly as the battle raged on under her. How could
this be happening? She had come so close to fulfilling her master's command
and killing Skywalker. Now she had failed. Suddenly, it went dark all
around her. Her eyes focused quickly, and she looked around to see
Skywalker's Rebel Princess friend strangling Jabba with the very chains
that the slimy Hutt had kept her enslaved by. The dancer smiled grimly. At
least Jabba was finally getting what he deserved.

Suddenly, the dancer felt her danger-sense tingling. She had to get off
that sail barge quickly. Using the Force to guide her, she leapt onto the
skiff below where a blinded Han Solo as well as a traitorous guard were
already waiting for Skywalker and the Princess. Since both the men had
their attention on saving their friends as well as themselves, the dancer
was able to sneak onto the skiff undetected. She hid behind some crates and
stayed hidden as the floating vessel flew away from the exploding sail
barge.

                                     ***

Luke Skywalker and his astromech droid, R2-D2, approached Skywalker's
X-Wing. Suddenly, Luke stopped. Something felt wrong. A woman stepped from
the shadows. Luke immediately recognized her as the red-haired dancer from
Jabba's. She pointed a blaster at him. "Going somewhere, Skywalker?" she
asked tersely.

"Actually, I was just on my way to visit an old friend," Luke replied,
conveying his calm, Jedi demeanor.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that. You see, I was sent here to kill you,"
the redheaded woman informed him.

Luke sighed. Just how many people were there in one galaxy that wanted to
kill him? "Who are you?" he asked.

"You can call me Arica," the woman told him as she tightened the grip on
her blaster.

"Alright, Arica," Luke said, doubting that that was indeed her real name,
"why exactly do you want to kill me?"

Arica felt Skywalker prodding at her mind with the Force, trying to get her
to tell more than she was willing to. "Don't try your Jedi Mind Tricks on
me, Skywalker," she said angrily.

Luke looked at her, his expression of one the red-haired woman could have
sworn was amusement. "I don't think you really want to kill me," he said.

"What makes you say that?" she asked, finding herself growing rather
annoyed with this farmboy turned self-proclaimed Jedi Knight.

"Because if you did, you would have pulled the trigger by now," Luke
pointed out, using the Force to keep his voice calm and soothing.

"That doesn't mean I'm not going to," Arica said defensively.

"No, I guess it doesn't. So why exactly do you want to kill me?" Luke asked
again, tentatively taking a step closer to her.

Arica's grip on her blaster never wavered. "It is my master's desire that
you to die, and therefore it is mine," she answered.

"Who is your master?" Luke asked.

"I'm not telling you that," she replied, shocked at the very thought that
Skywalker expected her to be stupid enough to reveal something like that to
him.

"I want you to come with me," Luke said suddenly.

Arica showed her first signs of nervousness. "What?" she asked, confused.
"Do you not realize that I seriously want to kill you?"

"Yes, I realize that," Luke replied. "You are standing there with a blaster
pointed at me. But I want you to come with me anyway."

"You're crazy, Skywalker," Arica decided. "You aren't even the least bit
afraid when you have an assassin pointing a fully charged blaster at you?"

"Fear is of the dark side," Luke replied simply.

"Don't give me that, Skywalker," she hissed, her emerald-green eyes
flashing. Suddenly, her blaster flew from her hand to Luke's. "Give me that
back," she ordered.

Luke gave her a small smile. "Something tells me that wouldn't be the
smartest thing in the galaxy," he said. "Now why don't you come with me.
There's someone I want you to meet."

Arica sighed. "You aren't going to give up, are you Skywalker?"

Luke shook his head. "I wasn't planning on it," he replied.

The woman tossed her red-gold hair. There was something about his offer
that she could not turn down. "Fine, Skywalker, I'll go with you," she
conceded, "but only because it will give me an opportunity to kill you."

"Then I guess that's just a chance I'll have to take," Luke said softly.

                                     ***

Arica stared at Luke Skywalker as he lay in some sort of Jedi trance. She
shifted uncomfortably in the cramped seat of the Y-Wing. Skywalker had
seemed somewhat reluctant to leave his X-Wing and astromech droid behind,
but knew that two people in an X-Wing would be way beyond cramped, and he
had figured that a fiery redhead with an intense desire to murder him
probably wouldn't be too thrilled if she had to spend the whole trip
sitting in his lap.

Slowly, Arica pulled out her small holdout blaster from her boot and
pointed it towards Skywalker. She took a deep breath. All it would take
would be one shot and her job would be done. She would be able to return to
her master with her mission successful. She watched as Luke Skywalker took
slow, steady breaths. For the first time, Arica noticed just how handsome
he was. She reached out and brushed a strand of sandy-blonde hair from his
face. Suddenly, she pulled her hand back, as if she had just been stung.
What was she doing? This was Luke Skywalker, the greatest enemy of the
Empire. She had to kill him. But for some reason, she couldn't bring
herself to do it. The young woman placed her holdout blaster back into her
boot and burst into tears.

Luke awoke to find Arica crying softly in the seat beside him. Without a
word, he undid her crash webbing, lifted up her limp form, and sat her down
in his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head in his
chest. Luke stroked her hair as he rocked her back and forth, waiting for
the flood of tears to stop.
 
 

Luke and Arica spoke very little for the remainder of the trip. Luke almost
asked her about her earlier breakdown, but one glance at the look in her
eyes and he decided against it.

Arica looked around her new surroundings as she climbed out of the Y-Wing.
"Skywalker," she said sharply, "why in the name of the Empire did you take
me here?"

"What, you don't think it's a quaint little vacation spot?" Luke asked
teasingly, amused by her annoyance.

She glared daggers at him. "Sorry, I don't have much of an affection for
swamps," she replied.

"It'll grow on you eventually," Luke assured her as he surveyed their
surroundings. Yes, he had managed to land them in the correct place. He
figured he probably had the Force to thank for that. He looked back at his
reluctant companion. "Oh, be careful around the water," he warned her.
"Last time I was here some sort of creature almost made a meal out of my R2
unit."

"Great," Arica muttered, looking down at her mud-caked boots in disgust. "I
wonder if this could actually get any worse."

Almost as soon as those words were out of her mouth, a huge flying creature
swooped down and carried her off. "Luke!" Arica screamed as the creature
took to the sky with her tightly gripped in its talons.

Quickly, Luke grabbed his blaster and pointed it towards the creature.
However, with the pattern in which it was flying, it would be all too easy
for him to shoot Arica instead of the creature. Reaching out through the
Force, Luke touched the creature's mind and filled it with thoughts of how
the prey it had just captured would not make a tasty meal. Suddenly, the
creature dropped Arica and flew off the located something that would make a
better supper.

Luke used the Force to guide the falling Arica to a gentle landing in his
outstretched arms. After catching her breath, Arica looked up only to lose
her breath again by meeting the penetrating gaze of Luke Skywalker's
ice-blue eyes. She wanted desperately to look away, but found that she
could not. It was his eyes had trapped her. Suddenly, Luke began to
chuckle.

"What is it," she asked.

"I just realized that back there when you needed me you called me 'Luke.'
You've never done that before," he replied.

Arica climbed out of his life-saving embrace and began to dust herself off.
"That's a mistake I won't make again, Skywalker," she said coldly.

Luke sighed. He noticed an aching in his arms now that he was no longer
holding her. Something told him that it had nothing to do with the burden
of supporting her, but everything to do with a longing to hold her again.
He pushed that thought out of his mind. Now was definitely not the time for
that. They were there for a reason.

                                     ***

"Master Yoda, are you here?" Luke called into the small hut.

Arica placed her hand on Luke's shoulder. "Who's Yoda?" she asked.

Before Luke had a chance to answer, a small, green creature with big,
pointed ears stepped out in front of them. Startled, Arica let out a small
scream. Luke reached out with the Force to calm her. "That's Yoda," he
explained.

The little green man laughed. "Yoda, I am," he said. Then he pointed up at
Arica with a crooked, knobby finger. "But who are you?"

"I am Arica," she responded, trying to remain calm and telling herself that
she had no reason to be so jumpy. This Yoda character was surely no more
than some bizarre, little, green swamp critter.

Yoda shook his head. "That you are not. That you are not."

Arica found herself getting defensive. "How do you know who I am?" she
asked.

Yoda laughed again, although Arica found nothing about the situation all
that humorous. "Many things I know, yes," he replied thrusting a crooked
finger at her. "Many things I know through the Force."

Arica suddenly felt very exposed, as if this strange creature could read
her mind, divine her every thought, no matter how well she guarded it. "I
know who I am," she snapped.

"So sure of this, are you?" Yoda asked, shaking his head.

Arica just stood, speechless. She knew who she was. Didn't she?

Yoda turned to look up at Luke, deciding he had said enough to Arica. "Come
with me," he told the young Jedi. "Talk we must."

Luke nodded and followed Yoda into the hut. Arica sensed that Luke wished
to be alone with Yoda, so she remained outside. With a sigh, she leaned
against the wall and began to think. She kept trying to push from her mind
the unsettling thoughts that Yoda had stirred in her, but she quickly
discovered that that was an impossible task.

Yoda had asked her if she was sure of who she was, and something told her
that he meant more than that he knew he name was not indeed Arica. She had
always believed that she was absolutely sure of who she was, not to mention
proud. But ever since she had met Luke Skywalker, that had begun to change.
Not only was she no longer sure of who she was, but as she looked back on
her life and some of the things she had done, that pride quickly faded into
regret and a little bit of revulsion. And, as if to make matters worse, she
was no longer even sure about how she felt about Skywalker. She had thought
that she hated him, and had done her best to hold on to that hatred ever
since she had first laid eyes on the man. However, try as she might, she
had been able to find no reason to detest him, other than the fact that her
master had ordered her to do so.

Her master's orders. Yet another thing she was beginning to doubt. Arica
had realized that this was the first time in her life that she had
questioned the will of her master, and that thought scared her more than
any other. He had always been like a father to her, raising her and being
there for her when she had had no one else. Now here she was with Luke
Skywalker, her master's number one enemy, and she couldn't even carry out
the simple command to end Skywalker's life. That lead Arica to ponder yet
another confusing thing: her sudden inability to carry out her master's
orders quickly and without any sense of remorse.

She had killed so many time before, had just done exactly what she had been
told without a worry or care. But now, here she was stuck in a swamp with a
man who she, in all rights, she should have killed ten times over by then.
What was it about Luke Skywalker that made her unable to just blast him and
then walk away, never to look back?

Arica sighed again. She felt so lost. She kept seeing his face in her mind,
his sandy blonde hair barely falling in front of his bright blue eyes. She
remembered how good it had felt when he had held her, comforting her when
she was crying. No one had ever done that before. She remembered crying
once before, when she was very young. She had fallen and scraped her knee,
and had gone to her master in search of comfort. But he had pushed her
away, telling her that he had no time for weaklings who cried at a mere
scrape. She had made herself stop crying after that, swearing that she
would never again do something to so displease her master. No matter what
happened, she vowed to never again let one more tear fall from her
emerald-green eyes.

But when Skywalker had appeared in her life and within only a few short
hours, she had broken that vow. But Skywalker had not pushed her away, the
way her master had done. Instead, he had comforted her and made her feel
safe. Arica sat down and pulled her knees up against her chest. All she
could think about was how warm and strong Luke's arms had felt wrapped
around her. She had felt things she had never felt before, there in that
Y-Wing cockpit, and frankly, that frightened her. She knew that she
probably shouldn't be feeling any of the emotions she felt for him, but it
didn't seem as if she had much of a choice. Her whole life was crashing
down around her, and, try as she might, Arica couldn't find anything to
hold on to.

Arica sat by the hut for a long time, caught in a vicious cycle of
daydreaming about Luke, realizing what she was doing, scolding herself and
making herself stop, then letting her mind once again wander to the young,
blonde Jedi, and the cycle would start anew...

                                     ***

Arica didn't even realize she had been sleeping until she woke up with a
jolt. Something had just happened, although she wasn't sure what. Suddenly,
she felt cold inside. After a few minutes, Luke stepped out of the hut.
Arica stood up. Immediately, she noticed the pain and loss in his eyes.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice surprisingly soft.

"He's dead," Luke replied, a far off look on his face. "Yoda's dead."

"I'm sorry," Arica told him, finding herself at a loss for words.

Luke looked at her, expecting to see a look of cold indifference, but
instead found only what he figured to be sincere sympathy. "He was my Jedi
Master," he told her. "Now I'm alone. The last of the Jedi."

Even Arica wasn't sure where the next words she spoke came from. "You may
not have a Jedi Master anymore, but you still have the Force. It will guide
you."

Luke nodded. "She is right," a voice behind Arica said. "And Yoda will
always be with you." Luke's gazed shifted to just a little past Arica.
"Obi-Wan..." he said softly.

Arica looked puzzled. Then she slowly turned around to see a shimmering
figure standing behind her. "Is that Obi-Wan Kenobi?" she asked in
disbelief.

Luke nodded solemnly as he walked off to speak to the spirit of his former
mentor and friend. Arica let out an exasperated sigh as she sat back down
beside the hut. She felt so left out.

                                     ***

Luke stared at the ghostly apparition of his former master, trying to
absorb what he had just been told. Leia was his sister? It seemed so
strange to Luke, and yet, somehow so right.

"Luke?" Obi-Wan said, breaking Luke's concentration. "You know that the
redheaded woman you are traveling with is more than what she seems, don't
you?"

"I know," Luke replied. "But I'm still not sure who exactly she is. She
certainly hasn't been in any rush to tell me."

Obi-Wan shook his ghostly head. "When you first met her, she was someone
who was known as the Emperor's Hand, that is, Emperor Palpatine's personal
assassin. However, now I have the feeling she doesn't view things as she
once did," the dead Jedi explained.

Luke felt a lump build in his throat. He knew that someone had sent Arica
after Luke, but to find out that she was in the employment of the Emperor
himself...

"She's strong in the Force, isn't she," Luke said suddenly. It was not a
question.

"Yes. Very strong," Obi-Wan replied. "But you already knew that."

"I had very strong suspicions," Luke said, "although I was not sure if I
could be positive about it. That's why I wanted her to meet Master Yoda; so
I could be certain."

"You must learn to trust your instincts, Luke," Obi-Wan said softly.

"I know, Master."

"Luke," Obi-wan spoke as he slowly began to fade away, "She has the
potential to be a great Jedi; however, she also has great potential for the
dark side. Be careful. Don't lose her the way I did your father." And with
the last bit of advice, Obi-Wan Kenobi was gone.

Luke pushed himself up from the log and went back over to Arica. He
extended his hand to help her up and, much to his surprise, not only did
she accept, but also she didn't let go of him once she was standing.
Cautiously, Luke reached up and pushed a strand of red-gold hair from her
face. Arica reached up and took hold of Luke's other hand.

For a long moment, the pair just stared at each other, unspoken emotions
passing between them. Suddenly, Luke pulled away. Arica looked confused.
"What is it?" she asked.

"Arica, what's the Emperor's Hand?" Luke asked, trying to keep his voice
calm and steady.

Arica quickly turned pale and looked down at the ground. "Where did you
hear about the Emperor's Hand?" she asked meekly.

"Obi-Wan," Luke explained. "He told me that the Emperor's Hand was
Palpatine's personal assassin, and that it was you. Is that true?"

Arica tried to respond, but as a lump built up in her throat, all she could
do was nod. She looked up at Luke's stern but handsome face and suddenly
found her voice again. "You knew I want to kill you, Skywalker," she said,
her voice low, almost like a hiss. "I've never kept that fact hidden from
you. Why are you acting so shocked over this now?"

Luke ran his right hand through his sandy-blonde hair. "I didn't realize
you were working directly for the Emperor. I thought you were most likely
an Imperial, but I had no idea that you were..." He cut himself off in
mid-sentence, suddenly changing his train of thought. "Are you a Dark
Jedi?"

"I'm not any kind of Jedi," she replied, her voice displaying the cold tone
that Luke had for a bit been wondering if he would ever hear again. She had
been seeming to warm up to him, but now Luke could tell she was beginning
to close herself off again. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything to her
just yet. But it was too late to turn back now.

"But you're a Force-sensitive working for Palpatine. He didn't try to turn
you to the dark side?" Luke wondered.

Arica shook her head. "I don't think he saw the need," she replied. Then,
softly so he couldn't hear, she added, "Not yet anyway."

Luke turned and began to walk back to the Y-Wing. "Let's go," he called to
her. "There's nothing here for me now."

Arica solemnly walked behind Luke. What would happen to her now? Would she
become a prisoner of the Rebellion? Or would Skywalker try to send her back
to the Empire? She wasn't sure which one would be worse. Arica was
seriously questioning her decision to accompany Skywalker on this little
excursion.

                                     ***

Arica and Luke said very little to each other on the return trip. Arica
felt strangely lonely and she wished Luke would look at her, let her know
that he didn't judge her for her services to the Emperor, make her feel
less ashamed. Suddenly realizing that Skywalker's opinion meant that much
to her, Arica silently scolded herself. The last thing she needed to worry
about was whether or not the Rebel Jedi liked or disliked her.

When they finally reached the Rebel base, Arica felt a fear growing in the
pit of her stomach. He hadn't taken her back to the Empire, forced her to
face Palpatine after her treachery, but would being in the hands of the
Rebels truly be any better? She knew if this was the Empire and the
situation was reversed, she'd probably be shot immediately, no questions
asked, but what would the supposedly-kind Rebels do? Would she become a
prisoner of war?

Part of her wanted just to kill Skywalker then. Sure, she'd probably never
be able to get back to her master-especially after killing the Rebel hero
in front of that many people-but at least she'd be able to carry out his
last command.

Luke walked over to her side of the Y-Wing and extended a hand to help her
down. Arica sighed as she accepted his aide. Who did she think she was
kidding? She'd never be able to kill him now. She should have just done it
that day by his X-Wing, before she'd somehow gotten attached to him.

"Come with me," Luke said briskly, snapping her back to the present. The
sharpness of his words stung, but Arica showed no signs that she had been
hurt. He led her down a series of corridors until they reached a door. He
opened it, walked in, and then waited for her to follow. Once she was
inside, the doors slammed shut behind her, and Arica jumped a little at
their loudness.

"I'm going to find Leia," Luke announced. "Stay here."

"What are you going to do with me?" Arica asked, unable to go a minute
longer not knowing her ultimate fate.

Luke stared at her for a moment. "I'm not sure yet," he admitted.

"Are you going to imprison me?" she asked. "I am an agent of Palpatine
himself."

"I don't think that would really be necessary," Luke told her. Suddenly,
his expression softened. "Obi-Wan told me to teach you about the light side
of the Force. He didn't want me to make any of the same mistakes with you
that he made with my fa...a former student of his."

"I don't think I'd make much of a Jedi, Skywalker," she said softly.

Luke smiled at her, and they just stared at each other for a moment. "I
have to find Leia," Luke said, breaking the silence.

Arica nodded. Luke walked towards the door, barely brushing against Arica.
She felt her whole body tingle from the light touch. Luke must have felt
it, too, because he stopped and turned around to face her. He looked down
into her emerald-green eyes and gently cupped her chin in his hands. Arica
gasped in surprise as his lips touched hers, but soon she was kissing back.

Luke broke away all too soon in her opinion. Then, he looked into her eyes
one last time before leaving the room. Arica walked backwards until she
reached the couch, her legs unsteady. She sat down, and then reached up to
touch her lips. She could almost still taste him. Arica shook her head,
trying to once again clear her mind of all thoughts of Luke Skywalker. But
this time she was totally unsuccessful. By now she was already in too deep.

                                     ***

Luke walked back towards his quarters, where he knew the woman he had come
to know as "Arica" would be. He felt tired and worn, with more weighing on
him than ever before. He had had full intentions of telling Leia the
truth-that they were twins, and maybe even that they were Vader's
children-but with the impending attack on Endor, Luke knew that was going
to have to wait.

Now here he was, heading towards Arica, who he found to be a walking
contradiction. She was Emperor Palpatine's personal assassin, and swore
that she wanted nothing more in the world than to kill him, but to Luke it
seemed more like she was falling for him. And, as much as he hated to admit
it, Luke was falling for her, as well, with a sort of lack of control that
scared him somewhat. Still, he had to wonder if this was all part of some
sort of Imperial plot, although most of him found that hard to swallow. She
had had plenty of opportunities to kill him, so why wait? True, he had
taken her blaster, but Luke knew that someone calling herself "the
Emperor's Hand" would be able to kill him in ways other than simply
blasting him. Was the emperor the type of person who would send someone to
toy with him first, the way a nek plays with its food?

Luke stared at the door to his quarters for a long time, somehow nervous to
enter. He could sense Arica inside. How would she react when came in? Would
she say anything about the kiss, or would she just pretend it never
happened? And what did he want her to do? Part of him wished it had never
happened, but her lips had been so soft...

Finally Luke punched a series of numbers into a keypad, and the door slid
open with a sharp hiss. He walked in to find Arica, curled up on the couch,
asleep. He walked over and knelt down beside her. She looked so innocent
and peaceful, not at all like the vicious killer that she claimed to be. He
gently stroked her cheek, shivering at the soft warmth of her skin. Almost
instinctively, he kissed her lightly on the lips. She stirred, but did not
wake.

Deciding she'd be more comfortable, Luke picked her up and carried her to
his bed. He laid her down, then kissed her on the forehead. Arica's eyes
opened ever so slightly, and she smiled at him, before closing her eyes
again. Luke returned her smile, although she had already fallen back
asleep.

Silently, Luke walked back into the living room, thoughts of Arica drifting
through his mind. He sighed happily. He didn't fully understand his
feelings for her, but how could anything that felt so right be wrong?

"Get a grip on yourself, Skywalker," he muttered to himself. Sure, Arica
was beautiful, but she had expressed an burning desire to kill him on
numerous occasions, and even if she didn't really plan on making good on
her threat, that still wasn't really a good basis to start a relationship
on. Still, he trusted her, although she had not even trusted him enough to
tell him her real name. However, Luke did feel somewhat afraid, but it had
nothing to do with Arica's past or her death threats. Somehow, he knew he
was falling in love with her.

                                     ***

Arica woke up with a start, feeling frightened, although she was not sure
why.

Suddenly, Luke came into the room, a look of worry on his face. "Arica, are
you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she replied, trying to assure herself as much as him. Then, her
location suddenly became clear. "Why am I in your bed?" she asked
tentatively.

Luke chuckled a little at the confused and almost frightened look on her
face. "Why Arica, don't you remember?" he teased.

"Remember what?" she asked cautiously.

"Falling asleep on the couch and then me carrying you in here," Luke said
with a smile.

Arica glared at him. "Don't scare me like that," she snapped.

Luke's grin faded and his face softened. "Would that really be so bad?" he
asked.

Arica looked away, refusing to give him an answer or to allow him to see
her blush. Luke decided now would be a good time to change the subject,
although he doubted the next topic would sit any better with her. "I'm
going to ask something of you, but I want you to know that you can say no,"
he said, his voice calm and steady.

Arica turned around to face him, her face no longer as red as her hair. She
could sense the importance in his tone, and pulled the blanket closer to
herself for security. "What is it, Skywalker?" she asked.

He let out a deep breath, and wondered if he was doing the right thing.
After all, she was an Imperial. But Luke knew what he had to do. Obi-Wan
had told him not to let her slip away, to show her the light side, and
something told Luke this was the way to do that. He knew if she would
succeed in this, then she would someday become a Jedi. He began: "We, the
Alliance I mean, are planning an attack on the new Death Star."

Arica turned pale. "But the Emperor will be there. If you blow it up, he'll
die," she said softly.

Luke sat down across from her on the bed. "I know," he replied. "That's why
I want you to come with us. I think you can be a great Jedi Knight, despite
what you think; however, you must first face the evil of the Emperor."

Arica looked down, saying nothing. She knew Luke was right. Suddenly, the
nightmare that had woken her flooded her mind, and she felt a whole new
wave of fear. "The Emperor knows we're coming," she said, her voice
sounding distant. "He knows of my betrayal, and he's going to kill you in
front of me, teach me a lesson."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take if it means helping you," he told her.

"I don't think I can do it, Luke," she said, forcing back tears. "The
Emperor's been like a father to me. I'm not sure if I could stay away from
the Empire, even if I wanted to."

"Arica," he said, taking her trembling hands in his. "You aren't the only
one who'll have to face their demons." Luke took a deep breath in
preparation for his confession. He had to tell her this; she had to know
just how much they were in this together. "Darth Vader is my father."

Arica felt her breath still in her chest. No wonder the Emperor had wanted
Skywalker dead so badly! She knew what she had to do now. "What's your
plan?" she asked, knowing that if she did not do this, she would forever be
haunted by fear of Palpatine.

"Han Solo's leading a team down to the surface of Endor's Forest Moon to
destroy the Death Star's shield generator. I'm going with him, and I want
you to join us," he informed her. "Can you do that?"

Arica sighed. "I don't want to," she admitted. "I'm afraid of what will
happen." Luke opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. "However, I
know fear is of the dark side, which is why I'm going with you."

Luke nodded, relieved by her answer. "I just need to know one thing," he
said. "Will you fight for the Alliance, or will you go back to the Empire?"

Arica swallowed hard. She had know that question would come eventually.
"I'm going to be honest," she said. "I can't promise you I will fight for
the Rebels." She added quickly before Luke couldn't argue, "But I can
promise I won't fight for the Empire. I may not be able to help you, but I
won't betray you."

Luke nodded. "Fair enough," he agreed. Then, there was an awkward pause
between them, neither sure of what to say. Luke leaned down and kissed
Arica on the forehead. Then, overcome by passion, Luke pulled her to him
and kissed her with an emotional fury that she had never known before.

Luke was overwhelmed by the varying degrees of intense emotions he felt for
this tiny assassin. He broke free of her embrace and hurried out of the
room.

Arica shivered as Luke left. She felt so alone.

                                     ***

"So who is this girl exactly?" Han asked after Luke requested that Arica be
added to the Endor strike team.

"Someone I met recently," Luke said, deciding that telling Han that she was
Palpatine's personal assassin would not exactly score her points with the
recently appointed Alliance general.

Han raised an eyebrow. "I don't know, Kid. This is a vital mission to the
Rebellion, and they already have one strike against them with me in
charge." Han gave Luke a quick lop-sided grin, but then his face got
solemn. "Seriously, Luke, I'm not sure I like the idea of bringing a
virtual stranger on a mission like Endor."

"Please Han. I would not ask you to do something like this if it was not
important. Arica can be trusted. Just give me the benefit of the doubt on
this one," Luke pleaded.

"Is this one of your Force things?" Han asked skeptically.

Luke nodded an affirmative.

The older man raised his hands in a gesture of submission. "I learned long
ago not to argue with you when it has to do with your Force. Arica's
coming. But let me just warn you now, Chewie's not going to like this one
bit. He can be very untrusting of strangers."

"Thanks, Han," Luke said with a nod.

"No problem, Kid," Han replied, although that wasn't exactly how he felt.

"What are you two talking about in here?" a familiar female voice asked. He
turned around to see Princess Leia enter the room. Han's face lit up as
soon as he saw her, and she rushed over to give him a quick kiss.

"Hello, Leia," Luke said.

Leia took hold of Han's hand, but smiled at Luke. "Hello," she replied.

Solo ran his free hand through his scruffy brown hair. "We were just
discussing an addition to the Endor strike force," he said.

"Oh? Who?" Leia asked.

"Her name is Arica," Luke answered. "She's a friend of mine."

"Just a friend?" Leia asked teasingly.

Luke blushed a little. "Yeah, she's just a friend," he said softly.

After a long pause, Han said, "I'd like to meet this Arica since it looks
like she's going to be a part of my team."

"Yeah, you probably should meet her," Luke agreed, although he wasn't sure
if a meeting between Han and Arica would exactly go smoothly. Luke could
tell Arica was still wary of the Rebels, and meeting one of their generals
was mostly likely not on the top of her to-do list.

"Maybe we could all have dinner together tonight," Leia suggested.

"Um, I'll see if she's up to it," Luke said hesitantly.

"Great," Leia said with a smile. "I'll get in touch with you in a bit to
discuss details.

Luke nodded, said his good-byes, and then left the room to go discuss the
dinner idea with Arica.

                                     ***

"You want me to have dinner with Han Solo and Leia Organa?" Arica asked,
her cool green eyes flashing. "Are you crazy, Skywalker?"

"Arica, it'll be the best way to get Han and Leia to trust you, and that's
going to be very important if you're coming with us to Endor," Luke pointed
out.

Arica sighed and flopped back on the couch. "I don't think I can do this,
Skywalker."

"What, have dinner?" Luke asked as he sat down beside her.

"That, and the rest of the Endor mission," Arica replied. "The Emperor is
the closest thing to family I've ever had. I know he's evil, and I know I
should turn away from him, but I'm not sure if I can. Luke, this is so
difficult!" Hot tears began to run down her cheeks.

Luke pulled her over to him, and she rested her head on his chest. "Just
remember, you aren't in this alone," he said as he gently stroked her hair.

"I know," she replied softly. "You'll have to face Darth Vader, your
father."

Luke swallowed hard. It was strange for him to hear anyone else actually
refer to Vader as his father.

"It's just like you told me last night," Arica said. "We'll both have to
face our demons." She forced herself to stop crying.

"So you do see how we're in this together," he said.

Arica nodded. Then suddenly she said, "Luke, I don't have anything to wear
to dinner."

Luke smiled down at her. "I'll see if Leia has anything you can borrow."

                                     ***

Arica gripped Luke's hand tightly as they walked to the princess's quarters
for dinner.

"Skywalker, I don't want to do this," Arica said once they reached Leia's
door.

Luke gave her a quick kiss. "It'll be fine," he assured her.

Leia looked over the woman Luke had brought to dinner. Something was
familiar about her, but Leia wasn't quite sure what. Still, the initial
meeting went well, although Luke could tell that both Han and Leia were
wary of Arica. He could also tell something was bothering Leia, but he
decided not to ask her, since he doubted she'd give him an honest answer
anyway. Sometimes her background as a politician was all too apparent to
Luke.

Through most of the night, Arica and Luke gave each other shy looks and
smiles, and Luke even took her hand a couple of times. Leia leaned over to
Han and whispered in his ear, "Just friends, huh?" Solo gave her a crooked
grin.

Arica tended to keep to herself, listening more than talking. Still, she
did all she could to seem merely shy, as opposed to antisocial, and
answered all Han and Leia's questions the best she could without giving
away too much information. Still, she was glad when it was time to leave.
She and Luke said good-bye to Han and Luke, then headed back to Luke's
quarters.

Leia stared at the door long after Luke and Arica had left. She felt Han
place his hand on her shoulder. "What is it, Sweetheart?" he asked.

"It's Arica," Leia replied. "I feel like I've seen her before, but I can't
think where it could've be..." Leia stopped in mid-sentence as realization
sunk in. She turned around to face Han, he expression one of shock. "She
was the dancer on Jabba's sail barge that tried to keep Luke from getting
his lightsaber!"

"Are you sure?" Han asked.

"Positive," Leia assured him. Then, a new thought crossed her mind. "What
if Luke doesn't know that it's the same woman?"

"He probably does," Han said. "He seemed awfully nervous about Arica
meeting us. That could be a reason why."

"But is she going to jeopardize the Endor mission?" Leia wondered aloud.

Han pulled Leia into a comforting hug. "Luke assured me he knew what he was
doing on this one. I guess we'll just have to trust him."

"I hope I can do that, Han," Leia said, hugging him back even tighter.

                                     ***

Arica felt herself relax as soon as she entered Luke's quarters. Something
made her feel safe there. "Leia seems to think we're a couple," she said
after a minute.

"We're not?" Luke asked, only half teasing.

Arica looked at him, confused. "Well, I, um," she stammered.

Luke smiled as he walked over to her, wrapped his arms around her waist,
and pulled her close. "Do you want to be?" he asked softly.

Arica didn't know what to say. She wanted Luke, but she still had the last
remnants of her loyalty to Palpatine.

Afraid of what her answer would be, Luke pulled her to him in a passionate
kiss. Much to his relief, she kissed back. After a long moment, he pulled
away and looked into her eyes, searching for any doubts. He found only
affection and desire.

"Luke," Arica said softly, "Before anything happens tonight, there's
something I need to tell you."

"What is it?" Luke asked as he reached up and stroked her cheek.

Arica all but melted at his touch, but she knew she had to go on. She
needed to tell him this and prove that she trusted him and wanted him to
trust her as well. "Arica isn't my real name," she admitted.

"Really? I never would have guessed," he said sarcastically.

Arica gave him a dirty look, but continued her confession. "My name is Mara
Jade."

Luke smiled at her. "Mara Jade. I like it."

Mara smiled back, and blushed a little.

Luke's expression turned serious. "Thank you for trusting me enough to tell
me."

Mara wasn't quite sure of how to respond. Finally, she just smiled slyly at
Luke. "Want to go to bed now?" she asked.

Luke grinned. "I think that's the best idea I've ever heard," he said as he
picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.

                                     ***

Mara woke up in the middle of the night after yet another nightmare. She
tried to sit up, but found that Luke's arm was wrapped around her. She
began to struggle to get free, feeling suddenly trapped.

Luke woke up. "Mara, what's wrong?" he asked groggily.

Images of Mara's nightmare flooded her mind. To her, it was much more than
a dream. The Emperor knew of Mara's ultimate betrayal and was anything but
happy. Mara felt guilty and afraid. "Please, leave me alone," she said as
she rolled over and stared at the wall.

Confused, Luke reached over and lightly touched her arm. "Sweetheart?
What's wrong?" he asked.

"Don't touch me," Mara ordered.

"Fine," Luke said sleepily and angrily as he climbed out of bed. "If that's
the way you want it..." He then left the room and went to sleep on the
couch.

Mara wanted to stop him but found herself unable to move or speak. How in
the name of the Empire had she gotten herself in such a mess? All she had
had to do was kill a man, something she had done many times before, without
as much as a thought. But this time had been different. Now her world that
had once been so cut and dry had been turned upside-down.

                                     ***

For the next couple of days before the Endor mission, Luke and Mara said
very little to each other. Luke spent much of his time helping the Rebels
prepare, while Mara stayed in his quarters alone. She wanted to tell Luke
she was sorry for the way she had acted the other night, that she hadn't
meant what she'd said, but every time she tried she found herself at a loss
for words.

She felt almost relieved when it was time for the troops to leave for
Endor. As the whole Alliance rushed about, preparing for the upcoming
battle, Mara felt as if the tension between her and Skywalker was not as
strong as it had been. By the time they had joined the rest of General
Solo's crew by the stolen Imperial Shuttle, Mara and Luke were at least
speaking, although it was nothing more than conversation pertaining to the
mission.

Finally, it was time to leave. Tentatively, Mara walked onto the shuttle.
Part of her just wanted to run away, maybe get on some other ship, and fly
back to the "safety" of the Empire. But she knew now that she had betrayed
her master the Empire would never be safe for her again. Her only hope of
survival was to be the one thing she swore she'd never be: a Rebel.

Mara sat down and strapped in. She tried to relax, but all attempts she
made were futile. Suddenly, she felt a strong, warm hand on her shoulder,
and all her troubles seemed to melt away. She looked up only to find
herself staring into Luke Skywalker's deep blue eyes.

Mara gave Luke a small smile of gratitude, realizing that he was
responsible for the calm she was feeling. He gave her a simple nod, and
then sat down himself. Mara listened absentmindedly to the small bit of
conversation buzzing around the cockpit of the shuttle. She heard General
Solo make some sort of comment about being afraid he'd never see his ship
again, but other than that, she didn't hear much.

Slowly, the shuttle began to move away from the base, and Mara felt a
strange sensation wash over her. Suddenly the Rebel base was security to
her, and, in a strange way, it was the same sort of security she'd know
serving Palpatine. But now she was speeding away from security and heading
right into the heart of darkness. She let out a deep, emotional sigh as the
shuttle went into hyperspace.

                                     ***

The only moment that Mara found anywhere near exciting the whole trip to
Endor was when General Solo transmitted their clearance code, and it seemed
for a minute that the Empire might discover them. Other than that, Mara
felt bored and lonely. She had long grown tired of responding to the name
"Arica," but neither she nor Luke had told any of their companions to call
her anything else. Even Luke had gone back to calling her "Arica" in order
to keep up appearances. She hated hearing him call her that most of all. He
said it not as if he was simply calling her by a pseudonym in order to keep
her true identity a secret, but as if the woman called Mara Jade he had
loved that one night no longer existed, and in her place was no more than
the pitiful excuse for an Imperial assassin, Arica.

Mara took a deep breath as she stepped out of the shuttle and into the
forest of the small Endorian Moon. It was nice to feel something in her
lungs besides the stale, re-circulated air she had had to breathe on the
shuttle. The air had seemed staler than that of the Rebel base, and Mara
knew it was because it was from an Imperial shuttle. That air was just like
everything else Mara had ever known during her life with the Empire: cold,
lifeless, and overly sterilized. But this moon was different. It was green,
fresh, and new-full of life. She felt it was fitting for her to start over
on a world such as that one.

She looked around at her companions. They were Rebel soldiers, not the
polished, cocky stormtroopers Mara was accustomed too. These Rebels were a
ragtag group, unsure of their future, but ready and willing to fight for
what they believed to be right.

Mara thought about General Han Solo's wookiee companion, Chewbacca. By the
Empire's standards, Chewbacca would be no more than a slave, worthless
aside from his extraordinary strength. But in the Alliance, Chewie had
found a home, where he was worth so much more to his friends and allies.

And then there was Han and Leia. Mara could sense their new, yet strong
love for each other. She had never known an emotion even akin to love when
she had been with the Empire. Not even for her master, who had raised her
from a small child. No she had not known that emotion until...until Luke.
Just the thought of Luke made her heart ache. She knew that she loved him,
although she feared now that it might be too late to tell him. She watched
him as he surveyed his new surroundings, and as the sun danced on his
blonde hair and his blue eyes sparkled. He was in contrast to all Mara had
ever known.

Mara smiled to herself. Yes, this was truly the man she loved. A man that
could understand the pain and darkness she knew, but still had enough light
inside of him to care for her the way she so desperately needed. It
suddenly dawned on Mara that, by some strange twist in her destiny, that
this man who had begun as just another person she had been ordered to
assassinate had become all she needed in her life. Like Mara, Luke was a
walking contradiction of Light and Dark. Mara had to tell Luke right then
how she felt about him. She couldn't play this game anymore; she loved Luke
Skywalker, and he had to know.

But before Mara could go to Luke, an image of her master, Emperor
Palpatine, appeared in her mind. "You have betrayed me, Mara," he said in a
voice so evil that it chilled Mara to the bone. "For that, you shall pay
dearly." Suddenly, Mara's whole world turned black.

                                     ***

When Mara Jade regained consciousness, she found herself lying in the arms
of Luke Skywalker. She gave him a small, weak smile to let him know she was
okay.

"She awake, Kid?" Mara heard General Solo ask. His voice sounded far away,
but she knew he was close.

"She just woke up, Han," Luke replied.

Luke looked back down at Mara, his blue eyes full of concern. He brushed a
strand of red-gold hair from her face. "What happened?" he asked softly.

"I guess I'm just tiered or something," she answered, not wanting to
discuss the real reason for her collapse in front of a group of Rebel
soldiers who were listening to every word she and Luke said, even if they
were pretending not to be.

Luke nodded, knowing it was more, but not wanting to push her. "Are you
going to be okay now?" he asked.

Mara nodded an affirmative and, to illustrate her point, got to her feet.
She immediately wished she hadn't, since the initial head rush made her
feel as If she was going to faint again, but after a couple of seconds she
was fine.

The mission had been going well, and Mara was beginning to wonder if maybe
the Alliance had a chance at victory. Then, the scout troopers had been
alerted, and Luke and the princess had gone after them on speeder bikes to
stop them from calling for backup. Now Mara was sitting with General Han
Solo, beside a tree, waiting for Skywalker and Organa to return.

"Can I ask you something?" Han asked Mara.

Mara nodded. "Sure."

"What's going on between you and Luke? Are you just friends, or..." He cut
his sentence off there.

Mara shrugged. "To tell you the truth, I'm not even sure most of the time,"
she replied.

Han grinned at her lopsidedly. "I know how that goes," he told her.

"Is that the way it is with you and Leia?" asked Mara, figuring if he could
pry into her private life, then she could pry into his.

Han laughed a little. "Maybe," he replied. "She says she loves me."

"Do you share those feelings?" Mara asked.

Han shifted a little. "You sure know how to turn the tables on a guy," he
pointed out.

"It's one of my specialties," she said with a sly smile. "So do you love
her?"

"Probably," Han replied after a second.

Before either Mara or Han could ask anymore questions, Luke walked out of
the woods. Mara hadn't even realized how much she'd been worrying about him
until she saw him. On impulse, she ran up to him and threw her arms around
him.

Luke was surprised by her sudden display of affection. "Miss me?" he asked
softly.

Mara pulled away, looking slightly embarrassed. "Maybe I was a little
worried," she admitted.

Luke smiled warmly at her, and then the two of then walked over to where
Han was standing and looking around nervously.

"Where's Leia?" Han asked as soon as Luke approached.

"What? She didn't come back?" Luke asked.

"I thought she was with you," Han replied, his tone almost accusatory.

"We got separated," Luke explained. "Hey, we better go look for her."

Han nodded, and the search was on.

                                     ***

During the next few hours, Mara found herself wandering through a forest,
captured in a net by fuzzy little creatures, almost made into a meal by the
said fuzzy little creatures, and finally set free and made a part of the
tribe of the aforementioned fuzzy little creatures. Now Mara was standing a
few meters away from a wooden bridge waiting for Skywalker. He had told her
to wait there for him while he talked to Leia, and then they would go in
search of Vader.

She watched the emotions play across Luke and Leia's faces and wished more
than anything that she could tell what they were saying. Without warning,
Mara found herself struck with fear. What if Skywalker had feelings for the
Princess? What if that was what he was telling her now? Mara had assumed
she herself was whom Luke cared for, although he had never actually said he
loved her.

Mara pushed that thought out of head almost as quickly as it came and
chuckled at herself slightly. Although she could sense that Luke felt a
strong bond towards the Alderaanian Princess, she knew that while it was
love, it was not romantic love, but something else entirely. She made
herself a mental note to ask Luke about it after the battle—if the Rebels
were victorious, that was.

Luke walked away from Leia, who was still standing on the bridge, crying,
and over to Mara. "Will she be all right?" Jade asked.

Luke glanced back over at Leia. "Han's with her now. He'll comfort her."

Mara nodded. She wanted to ask Luke what it was he had said to the
princess, but knew now was not the time. "Well, looks like it's time to
find Vader," she said, staring out into the starlit Endorian night sky.

"Are you okay with this, Mara?" Luke asked. "You'll have to face the
Emperor."

Mara met his eyes with a steady gaze. "And you'll have to face your father.
We both have a difficult task ahead of us, but this is the only way we can
truly defeat the Dark Side and reach our true potential in the Force," she
replied.

Luke took hold of her hand. "Sounds like you actually have been listening
to me," he said. "So are you ready to go?"

Mara grinned. "Almost," she said as she used her free hand to reach in the
pouch around her waist and pull out a silver cylinder and clip it to her
belt. "Now I'm ready," she announced.

Luke raised his eyebrows. "A lightsaber?" he asked. "I didn't know you had
one that all this time." Luke considered asking why she hadn't pulled it
out and sliced him in half earlier when she had been claiming to want to
kill him, but decided it was best not to bring up that particular subject.

Mara kissed him on the cheek. "I'm sure there's a lot you don't know about
me, Skywalker," she teased.

Luke pulled her into his arms. "And I plan on learning all of someday," he
whispered into her ear.

Mara clutched him tightly. "Guess that means we better win this fight,
otherwise you'll never have the chance."

"Oh we'll have the chance," he assured her.

"We better," Mara told him with a smile. "Otherwise I'll probably be upset,
and you know how I get when I'm cranky."

Luke chuckled softly. "I love you, Mara Jade," Luke told her, his voice
full of emotion.

Mara held back the tears she wanted to cry at hearing those three words
combined with her name. "I love you, too, Luke Skywalker," she replied.
"You've brought light into my life, and I will always be grateful to you
for that."

Luke looked down into her eyes. "I know that this is sudden, but I feel a
connection to you, a sort of Force-bond that I never even knew could exist
between two people." Luke swallowed hard, his nervousness apparent in the
way he was tightly squeezing her hands. "Mara...will you marry me?"

"You mean if we get out of this alive?" she asked.

Luke shook his head. "I mean regardless."

Part of her wanted to make him sweat a little, to be the Mara Jade she had
grown accustom to and not make this too easy on him. But she knew she
couldn't, not then, not with Luke. He had become a part of her, and she
knew she could not allow her defenses to resurface. "Yes," she said. "I
will."

                                     ***

Mara had thought she'd be afraid when she met Vader again, but she wasn't.
And even now, when she knew the shuttle they were riding on would bring
them to Palpatine, she felt strangely at peace. Mara knew it was her love
for Luke that made her feel this way, knew it was finally having someone
truly care for her that made her feel so whole.

Vader had taken both her and Luke's lightsabers, and usually the lack of a
weapon would have made her feel bare and exposed. But it didn't this time.
She had the Force with her, and she knew that with it as her ally she was
never truly defenseless. She looked at Luke and noticed he was in some sort
of trance, probably meditating. Vader piloted the shuttle almost silently,
the only sound being the Sith Lord's artificial breathing. The Death Star
II approached ominously on the horizon and Mara could feel the Emperor's
presence getting stronger. She knew he was waiting not only for Luke, but
for her as well, and she could sense that he was almost pleased by the
union she had formed with Luke, hoping that he might be able to twist them
both to his evil will.

Mara Jade made a vow to herself right there. She would not let the Emperor
turn her back into his weapon—never again would she do his bidding. She
would die before she would let herself fall back into the roll of the
Emperor's puppet. As the shuttle landed in the docking bay of the Death
Star, Mara felt at one with the Force. Skywalker walked in such a manner
that Mara believed that he, too, had had somewhat of the same revelation
she had.

"Are you going to be able to go through with this?" Mara was startled when
she heard Luke's voice in her mind.

"It's a little late for me to back out now, even if I wasn't," Mara
answered back. "But yes, I'm fine. The Force is with us."

Mara could feel Luke smile even though the grim expression on his face did
not change. "I love you," he told her, mentally squeezing her hand.

Jade sent the same comforting gesture to him over their Force-bond. "I love
you, too, Skywalker."

Part of Mara wanted to turn and run as soon as they reached the Emperor's
throne room, but she didn't let her calm go away. "Welcome Young Skywalker,
Dear Mara," she heard the Emperor cackle. "I have been expecting you."

With a flick of his hand, the Emperor caused the binders around Mara and
Luke's wrists to fall to the ground. He dismissed his crimson-cloaked
guards and then turned to face the two young Jedi that stood before him.
The Emperor gave a sickly grin. "I am looking forward to making you both my
loyal subjects," he said, the sound of his voice making Mara's stomach
churn. "In time you will both call me Master...just as you did until
recently, Mara."

Luke became defiant. "I will never call you Master...and neither will Mara.
Her days as your pawn are over, Palpatine," he said. "When you say you will
convert us the way you converted my father you are gravely mistaken."

The Emperor rose from his great throne and walked over to Mara and Luke.
Mara felt a wave of cold hit her as he approached. She wondered now how she
had ever been able to live when she had been in near the Emperor almost
every day. Had she truly been that dead inside before she met Luke?

Vader approached his Emperor, handing him Mara and Luke's lightsabers. The
Emperor discarded Mara's to the ground, allowing it to hit the metal floor
with only a small clatter. Mara knew what he was doing. It was a tactic he
had used on her many times before. He was attempting to make her feel small
and insignificant. She pulled herself into an almost regal pose, making
herself convey a sense of being big and important despite her petite frame.

The Emperor noticed Mara's defiant pose but chose to ignore it, deciding to
instead prey on Luke, hoping if he could get him to turn that Mara would
quickly follow her lover to the Dark Side of the Force. The dark man
realized now that Mara had greater potential than he had seen in her
before, and that she could be more than just his Hand—that she could truly
be a Dark Jedi.

The Emperor turned to Luke, clutching the young man's lightsaber in his
hand. "Ah, yes, a Jedi's weapon. Much like your father's," said the dark,
cloaked figure. Palpatine noticed Luke squirm a little at the mention of
his father and decided to use this to his advantage. "By now you must know
your father can never be turned from the dark side. So will it be with
you."

Luke realized what the Emperor was doing and refused to take the bait.
"You're wrong," he informed the Dark Master. "Soon I'll be dead...and you
with me."

The Emperor's cackle sent chills up Mara's spine. "Perhaps you refer to the
imminent attack of your Rebel fleet," he laughed.

Luke looked down at the ground, taken aback by the Emperor's knowledge of
the Rebellion's plan, yet ashamed that he had believed that someone as
strong in the Dark Side of the Force as the Emperor would not know of
something like that.

Mara glanced over at Luke then glared at her former master. "Whether you
know of the attack or not means nothing. They will still destroy you," she
snarled.

The Emperor darted his eyes over at Mara then back over at Luke. "Despite
what your red-headed companion may believe, I assure you we are quite safe
from your friends here."

Luke looked up at the Emperor. "Your overconfidence is your weakness," he
told him.

"Your faith in your friends is yours," Palpatine snapped.

Mara gave Luke a soft look then flashed her green eyes back over to the
hooded, wrinkled form of the Emperor. She thought of something that she
herself had learned only recently. "Faith in your friends is never a
weakness, Your Highness," she said curtly.

The Emperor glared at her then began to walk to back to his throne.
"Everything that has transpired here has done so according to my design,"
he said as he walked. "Your friends up there on the Sanctuary Moon are
walking into a trap. As is your Rebel fleet! It is I who allowed the
Alliance to know the location of the shield generator. It is quite safe
from your pitiful little band. An entire legion of my best troops awaits
them."

Mara sensed the anger building in Luke as his eyes darted between Palpatine
and his lightsaber, still resting in the Emperor's hand. She tried to reach
out to Luke, let him know that they could defeat the Emperor, and that Han,
Leia, and the others still had a chance as well. But she could not reach
him. It was as if Luke's growing rage had severed their bond. Mara let out
an almost silent sigh of despair. She knew she wouldn't be able to last if
she lost Luke, and she feared that the entire Galaxy would be lost if he
gave into that darkness.

Like Mara, the Emperor, too, sensed Luke's rising fury. He smiled his vile,
black-toothed smile. "Oh...I'm afraid the deflector shield will be quite
operational when your friends arrive," he teased.

Suddenly the Alliance fleet came out of hyperspace, only to be bombarded by
the firepower of a large part of the Imperial Navy. The Emperor sat in his
throne and gazed proudly out the large window, watching the space battle.
"Come boy, see for yourself."

Luke and Vader approached the Emperor, but Mara did not. She stayed put,
refusing to let herself be pulled in by the Emperor's tricks. Palpatine
noticed this, but again chose to ignore her. He could tell that Skywalker
was falling into his grasp and felt confident that once he fell, Mara would
soon follow. The Emperor gestured to the raging battle. "From here you will
witness the final destruction of the Alliance and the end of your
insignificant Rebellion," he taunted Luke.

Luke glanced back down to his lightsaber, fighting with all his strength to
resist grabbing his weapon and destroying the Emperor. The Emperor followed
Luke's gaze and patted the saber. "You want this, don't you?" the old
emperor asked the question, although he was already well aware of its
answer. "The hate is swelling in you now. Take your Jedi weapon. Use it. I
am unarmed. Strike me down with it. Give in to your anger. With each
passing moment you make yourself more my servant."

"No!" Luke yelled, refusing to give into Palpatine's will.

"It is unavoidable," said the Emperor. "It is your destiny. You, like your
father, are now mine!"

"Luke, please, don't listen to him!" Mara shouted. "Don't give into your
anger...that's what he wants you to do! If you give into the Dark Side now,
the Rebellion truly will be lost! Please, Skywalker, listen to me! Together
we can use the Light Side of the Force and defeat the Emperor the right
way! Please, just remember all you've told me!"

Luke pulled his eyes away from the Emperor and his lightsaber and over to
Mara. He felt his anger melting away at the sight of her face and the
Emperor could sense this. "Don't listen to her, Foolish Boy," Palpatine
said. "The Rebellion is already over. Your fleet is lost. And your friends
on the Endor moon will not survive. There is no escape, my young
apprentice. The Alliance will die...as will your friends.

Luke's anger began to build again. Mara wanted to cry. This wasn't how
things were supposed to happen! Luke wasn't supposed to give into the Dark
Side—he was so much stronger than that, she just knew it!

The Emperor felt Luke's anger as well as Mara's hopelessness. "Good, I feel
your anger," he told Luke. "I am defenseless. Take your weapon. Strike me
down with all your hatred and your journey towards the Dark Side will be
complete."

"Skywalker...Luke...don't listen to him! Fight him with the light side! I
know you can do it, I've seen the all the goodness you possess! Don't let
the Emperor turn you into another Vader!" Mara pleaded.

"I grow tired of you, Girl," the Emperor snarled at Mara. He released a
shower of Force-lightning from his wrinkled finger-tips, causing Mara to
fly across the room and into the wall.

Luke paled. As he watched Mara hit the ground, unconscious. He ran over to
her and tried to wake her, but found her to be unresponsive. It was all
Luke could take. With a warrior-like cry, he charged the Emperor, using the
Force to call his lightsaber to him as he ran. He lifted his lightsaber to
attack Palpatine, but Vader blocked Luke's strike with his own lightsaber.
Luke began to fight Vader, but soon realized that he was giving in to the
dark side. Quickly, he found a place to hide, hoping that he could remain
hidden at least long enough to formulate some sort of plan.

                                     ***

Luke crouched in a small corner. He could see Mara across the room, still
crumpled in a huddled mass. He wanted to reach out with the Force, see if
she was still alive, but he knew that as soon as he opened himself up,
Vader would find him. He actually tried to clear his mind of everything,
knowing that Vader could probably find him fairly easily. He heard Vader
speak.

"You cannot hide forever."

Luke projected his voice, making it impossible for Vader to determine where
it was coming from. "I will not fight you." Against his will, Luke felt his
thoughts drifting to Leia. He thought of how the Emperor had told him his
friends on Endor would die, and he couldn't help but worry about her. He
tried to push the thoughts from his mind before Vader heard them, but it
was too late.

"Yes, your thoughts betray you," Vader said between deep, mechanical
breaths, "Your feelings for them are strong. Especially for..." Vader stops
for a second as he intercepted his son's stray thoughts. "Sister! So...you
have a twin sister. Your feelings have betrayed her, too. Obi-Wan was wise
to hide her from me. Now his failure is complete. If you will not turn to
the dark side, then perhaps she will."

Luke felt his anger boiling up inside him as Darth Vader's suggestion that
Leia could be turned. Luke would not allow that to happen. He jumped from
his hiding place, his lightsaber in hand. He charged at Vader slashing with
a fury the young man had never known before. He would destroy this monster
before he could hurt Leia, no matter what the cost.

                                     ***

Mara felt herself slowly reviving. She pulled her head off the ground,
ignoring the pain. Luke had backed Vader against a wall and was hacking at
him with a lightsaber. "No..." Mara whispered. Luke was the man who had
shown her the path to light, and now here he was, engulfed by darkness. She
wanted to jump up, to grab Luke and make him stop, to make him run away
with her, maybe find a shuttle and get away, go somewhere where they could
just be together. But she knew it wouldn't happen...not now. Mara felt as
if every molecule of her body was crying out as she lay there, paralyzed
and helpless to save the man that she loved.

She watched as Luke brought his lightsaber down on an all-but-defeated
Vader. The green blade sliced into Vader's forearm, severing the Sith
Lord's hand.

The Emperor cackled at the furious display. "Good! Your hate has made you
powerful," said the wizened old man to the blonde Jedi. "Now, fulfill your
destiny and take your father's place at my side."

Luke looked down in horror as he realized that his father's right hand had
been nothing more than a mechanical replacement, much like Luke's own
black-gloved limb. That sudden insight hit Luke like a punch to the gut.
"Never!" Luke declared. He switched off his weapon and Mara breathed a sigh
of relief. She could feel the anger and hate draining from Luke. Maybe
they'd make it after all.

"I'll never turn to the dark side," Luke informed the emperor. "You've
failed, Your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me."

The Emperor was infuriated by Luke's rejection of the dark side. "So be
it...Jedi" he growled. "If you will not turn, you will be destroyed."
Bluish-purple lightning shot from Palpatine's shriveled hands, causing Luke
to fall to his knees.

Mara watched helplessly as her former master taunted Luke, and as her lover
called out to his fallen father to help him. She couldn't let this happen.
She just couldn't watch the only person who had ever loved her die like
this. She mustered all the strength she could and reached for her
lightsaber through the Force. It flew from the ground to her outstretched
hand and she drug herself to her feet. She pushed the power button on her
saber, igniting the fuchsia blade with a snap-hiss. She charged at the
Emperor, making sure to stay away from the path of anger. Palpatine sensed
his Hand coming for him. He turned away from Luke, promising himself he'd
finish the hapless Jedi soon. Bolts of Force-lighting shot from his fingers
and towards Mara. Mara felt the Force flowing through her as she brought
her lightsaber up to block. Most of the Emperor's energy was deflected by
the blade and sent flying back towards its source; however, a few stray
bolts were not deflected, hitting Mara square in the chest and causing her
to fly backwards.

The majority of the bolts hit the emperor, however, who was shot back into
the now standing Vader. Crackling lightning continued to fire from
Palpatine's hands as Vader carried him over to the near-by central core and
threw the evil emperor in, causing an explosion of dark energy to shoot up.
Luke crawled to his father, pulling the dark figure towards him.

"You must leave now, Son," Vader said, his breathing sounding more labored
than usual.

"I cannot leave you, Father," Luke protested.

"Luke, help me take this mask off."

"But you'll die," Luke protested.

"Nothing can stop that now. Just once, let me look on you with my own
eyes."

Reluctantly, Luke removed his father's mask to reveal a man with skin so
pale as to make it obvious that it had not seen the sun in over two
decades. He had no hair and his face has horribly scared. Anakin Skywalker
smiled slightly. "Now...go, my son. Leave me. You have to save Mara. She
will need your help and you will not be able to carry us both."

"No," Luke protested. "I can't. You're coming with me. I'll not leave you.
I've got to save you."

Anakin took a haggard breath through long-dead lungs. "You already have,
Luke. You were right. You were right about me. Tell your sister...you were
right."

"Father...I won't leave you," Luke tried to protest. But it was too late.
His father had already left him. Slowly, Anakin Skywalker's body faded away
before Luke's eyes, much the way both Obi-Wan and Yoda's had. Luke wanted
to take his father's armor—all that was left of him—back to Endor with him,
maybe give him a proper ceremony for a Jedi Knight, such as a funeral pyre,
but he knew he could not. Mara was unconscious, and for all Luke knew,
barely alive. He would not be able to carry them both at one time, and the
constant rocking of his surroundings alerted Luke to the battle raging on
outside the Death Star and reminded him that his time was short. He would
have to leave his father. Reluctantly, he got to his feet and lifted Mara
in his arms, carrying her to a nearby shuttle. Without a word, he flew off
the Death Star and to the safety of the Forest Moon's lush jungles just as
the Empire's ultimate weapon exploded into flames.

                                     ***

Mara woke as the Imperial shuttle Luke had "borrowed" landed. "Where are
we?" she asked groggily.

"Endor," Luke replied.

"How did we get here?" Mara asked, trying to sit up but, after feeling a
jolt of pain, decided she was much happier lying down.

"I flew us here," Luke replied as he shut off the ship.

"What about the Death Star…and the Emperor?" She paused. "Vader?" she
asked, her voice soft.

Luke took a deep breath. "All gone. Vader gave himself to help us. After
you deflected the Emperor's bolts Vader caught him and finished Palpatine
off," he explained.

Mara could tell that Luke was near tears. "Come here," she called to him.
Luke pulled himself up from the pilot's chair. He sat beside her, buried
her head in her chest, and let the tears flow. They stayed there like that
until nightfall.

                                     ***

Leia ran happily to Luke as she saw him approach the ewok village, wrapping
him in a hug. Mara limped behind Luke. Leia smiled and approached Mara,
giving her a small hug. "I know," Mara said softly into Leia's ear. "Luke
told me you're his sister."

Leia nodded. "And I know about you and Luke, too. I can sense it. I'll be
proud to have you as a sister-in-law," the princess said with a warm smile.

Mara grinned and her green eyes sparkled. "It'll be nice to have a family."

Leia looked over at Luke, who appeared to be staring out at nothing,
smiling. She went over to him and pulled him back over with his friends.
Mara wrapped her arms around Luke's neck, pulling him into a joyful hug. No
matter what destiny had in store for her, Mara knew that everything would
be fine as long as Luke was by her side.
 
 
 
 

So there's my story. Hope you liked it. Comments are welcome, positive or
negative, but no flames, please. People who send me email about how I'm a
moron are rude and probably just insecure little people that feel as if
they have to insult others to feel good about themselves. J