Category: New Republic

email: tbjrobbie@prodigy.net (Robin Roberts)

description: Luke sacrifies himself to save the lives of billions,
and Mara must deal with the aftermath of losing the man she loves.
WARNING:  "Vision of the Future" spoilers!  (I don't think it refers
to anything else).



Disclaimer: all the characters in Star Wars are 
owned by George Lucas.  This story is not written 
for profit, just for fun.  I'm not being paid or 
anything, I just wrote it to enjoy myself.  I 
don't mean to infringe on anyone's rights; 
this is just fan-fiction.



I love "Star Wars."  Who doesn't?  If you don't, this isn't 
worth reading.  If you do, by all means, READ ON, my friend!

		Robin Roberts (tbjrobbie@prodigy.net)


Preface:
This story takes place some years after Luke Skywalker and 
Mara Jade are married in "Vision of the Future."  Palpatine
is alive, by some bizarre happening (it's not relevant, and 
yes, I know, but you don't need to yet - and I am working 
on what leads up to this), and he hates them both, of course.

It's simple, really, for Palpatine.  He hates Luke and Mara, 
but he also FEARS Luke - so he figures that he can do what he 
pleases with Mara if he gets Luke out of the way.  

But first things first - he's got another Death Star (it's 
a mark II, if you care).  He blows up a planet (which 
one isn't relevant), and then offers the New Republic 
a deal.  He'll turn over the Death Star, if they give 
him Luke Skywalker.

Of course, Luke agrees.

He does it on Palpatine's terms, too, which means he won't 
escape, or the like, for a specified amount of time (and 
only Luke and Palpatine know how long it is).






		Destiny's Child



  Mara buried her head in her hands.  She had never 
expected to find love, and if she had ever even dreamed 
of it, she had never dreamed of this all-consuming, 
all-powerful passion.  She'd never dreamed of being 
willing to give her life for another because she wanted 
them to live more than she wanted to live without them 
- Mara had never imagined that someone could be so dear 
to her.  Some called it vitamor; she supposed that was 
the best name for it.  She loved Luke so much.
  And now she'd lost him.
  She'd lost Luke to a man that she despised more than 
anything, a man she used to serve.  She'd thought he'd 
given her everything, yet had only understood years later 
that he'd taken everything away.  Because of Palpatine, 
she'd lost her childhood, her innocence, and her life.  
And deep down inside, she knew that he must have been the 
one who had killed her family - just to get her.  She would 
have done anything for him while she had served him, but 
now she would have spit on him if she saw him.  He'd taken 
Luke away from her.
  And I thought that I'd convinced Luke that he didn't have 
to save the universe by himself.  She sighed.  Luke sometimes 
had too much courage for his own good - and to make matters 
worse, he didn't really ever think of himself.  He always 
wanted what was best for everyone else.
  Mara wasn't a crier, but she was close to tears.  Damn
him!  I need him, and he's run off to save the stupid 
galaxy!  Why must it be him?  We've finally found what 
we'd both been searching for all our lives, and now he 
has to leave!  He's not been gone a day, and I can't stop 
missing him already.
  A small voice intruded on her self-pity.  _It was his 
choice, it said.  He had to save them._
  What was it, his "destiny"? she demanded silently.
  _It was.  He has to face Palpatine again.  He's the 
only one that can._
  He doesn't even know what he's getting into! Mara 
protested.  I know what the Emperor will do to him 
- I saw it!  I was there.  Remember?
  _And that was your destiny.  This is his._
  What, to die in pain, tortured?  Mara felt the tears 
flowing down her cheeks.  He doesn't deserve that!
  _He will not die._
  Everyone dies.  Even Luke, Mara knew.  As strong as 
he was, as courageous as he was, Luke could and would 
die eventually.  And of course, Palpatine would never 
let him live.  He hated him too much.
  _He won't._
  He's human.  Don't give me false hope.
  _He is the one who will bring balance to the Force, the 
voice said._
  He already did that, Mara replied.
  _"In the time of the greatest adversity, the greatest 
Jedi will be born."_
  Mara felt like slapping the entity that was residing in 
her head, but couldn't.  She wasn't sure if it was her own 
heart or something more, but she wanted to kill it.  
"What's your point?" she asked bitterly.
  _It's not false hope.  It has already been longer for him 
than you know, and he'd not died yet._
  "Longer?" she asked.  Longer... Palpatine once told me 
of a place with a faster time flow...?  She groaned.  
"The longer he's there, the harder it gets," she said.
  _Yes it does.  Yet for him, it is no matter.  He is 
destiny's child._
  "I don't believe in destiny," Mara shot back.  "What 
do you want, anyway?"
  _To give you hope.  To give you the truth._ 
  "Don't patronize me, whoever you are."
  _This is everyone and no one.  It is a part of you and 
a part of the one you love._
  "What are you saying, that you're the Force?"
  _In a way._
  "You still don't know Luke better than I do.  I'm 
married to him."
  _You love him.  You know what he is._
  "Yes, I know he's human," Mara said impatiently.
  _And he's more.  He will live, and you will see him again._
  "I hope so," Mara whispered, not understanding why she 
wanted to believe that voice so strongly.
  _Hope, indeed, Mara Jade, for your hope means the lives of trillions._