Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Han woke up quite late that day, feeling miserable and with headaches comparable to the worst battles.
"Obi-Wan is going to kill me," Anakin said, checking the time, unsure of where he was.
"Leia isn't going to let me forget this," Han said, waking up in an unfamiliar apartment.
"I'm not going to kill you, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, falling off the couch. "I'm right next to you, in worse shape," he said, trying to stand.
"Is that good?" Anakin asked.
"I don't think so," Obi-Wan laughed.
They couldn't pilot the ship in that state; they wouldn't be able to take off and would be falling. There was only one sensible option left.
"Ahsoka," Anakin called over his communicator. "Do you think you could come get all of us from Obi-Wan's apartment?" Anakin asked, his voice sounding miserable.
"Master?" Ahsoka asked. "Where are you?" Padmé has been looking for you since this morning; she's afraid something might have happened to you.
"We're in Obi-Wan's apartment," Anakin said nervously. "Maybe we overdid it with the drinks."
"Are you drunk? Is Obi-Wan drunk too? Has anyone seen Han? He's disappeared, and Leia even thought you'd killed him," Ahsoka said worriedly, and Han's laughter could be heard.
"He's here with me," Anakin said, looking at Han. "Alive."
"That's good?" Ahsoka asked, puzzled. Well, her master almost never drank, much less Obi-Wan's Saint, and it was definitely strange that Anakin was drinking with Han, whom he had sworn to hate. But she'd seen stranger things in the war.
"I think so," Anakin replied.
"Good, I'll come get you. I hope to find you in better shape than you sound," Ahsoka said, leaving through another entrance to avoid Padmé and her husband. She didn't think it was a good idea to tell them where they were just yet.
"Good." When Ahsoka arrived, they looked much better. They had showered and drunk whatever would allow them to stay on their feet without wanting to sleep. Although the hangover wouldn't go away for many hours.
"So?" Ahsoka asked, amused.
"Long story, know-it-all," Anakin said.
"I'll drive slowly," Ahsoka said, getting into the Millennium Falcon. She had had to use public transportation to get there and be able to take the ship.
"I hope so. I don't think I can handle the speed," Obi-Wan said, patting her head.
Once they were in the ship, Anakin was Ahsoka's copilot while Obi-Wan and Han sat in the back.
"Master," Ahsoka said softly, "Will you speak with Luke?"
"I don't think he wants to talk to me right now," Anakin said, feeling his headache worsen.
"I don't think he wants to talk to me right now." "You won't know unless you try, Master," Ahsoka encouraged.
"You're his father, of course he'll want to talk to you, Anakin," Obi-Wan said.
"The boy admires you," Han said before falling into a deep sleep.
They arrived at the temple quite late and reported to the council.
"I have a mission for you," Master Shaak Ti said.
"What has happened, Master?" Anakin asked.
"Mysterious murders on Coruscant."
"What's new about that?" Obi-Wan asked, confused. "There were always murders on Coruscant."
"They were killed with a lightsaber."
"A Sith?" Anakin asked. "Could it have been Ventress? Or Dooku?"
"The witnesses have blamed Mace Windu," Master Shaak Ti said. "They've blamed the Jedi."
"Why have they blamed him, Master?" Anakin asked, looking at Mace Windu.
"Because whoever the killer is," Mace Windu said, "wields a lightsaber of this color." He displayed his lightsaber.
"Damn it," Obi-Wan said, and they left.
"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news," Han said, waiting outside with Leia. "But we can hear everything from out here."
"Will you help us search?" Anakin asked.
"Maybe now we have two people to search," Leia said, and Anakin looked at her, confused.
"The boy heard everything. As soon as he heard about the color of the lightsaber, he ran off," Han said.
"Damn it!" Anakin shouted, running toward the hangar. He didn't want to have to search for his son. What on earth was he thinking? They had to catch that mysterious killer, and his son seemed to be the only one who knew who she was.
He ran as fast as he could while Obi-Wan followed.
"Luke!" he shouted when he saw Luke quickly board one of his ships. "Don't do it, Luke!" he yelled, looking him in the eyes.
"I'm sorry, Dad," Luke said with a wistful look that didn't quite grasp the meaning. "I'll never be like you," he said, and before Anakin could stop him, he took off, but not before firing at the hangar to activate the shields and prevent them from following him, at least for a while.
"Where did he go?" Obi-Wan asked.
"We have to find him," Anakin said, taking one of his ships.
"I'm coming with you," Obi-Wan said, taking his own ship.
"I'm coming with you." "Leia, find Ahsoka and go to Padmé," Anakin said. "Tell her what happened."
"Shouldn't we go with you, Master?" Ahsoka asked hesitantly.
"We must stop that woman from reaching Palpatine," Han said, and Leia nodded.
"We'll find any excuse for Mom to distract the Emperor," Leia said, walking toward the Millennium Falcon.
"Take care of them," Anakin said, looking at Han, who nodded with a smug smile.
"Since when do you get along so well?" Leia asked, but they both just smiled.
"Master!" Ahsoka called before Anakin left. "May the Force be with you."
"May the Force be with you, Padawan," Anakin smiled, and after deactivating the shields, they left in search of Luke, who had deactivated the trackers on Anakin's ship.
"How will we find him?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Don't worry, R2 will be able to track him," Anakin said, trusting his droid.
"I hope so," Obi-Wan replied.
Luke piloted Anakin's ship, thinking that stealing his father's vessel wasn't the best idea. He was sure he would find him soon, but he needed to know if it was her—the assassin who had tried to kill him in Jabba's palace, the assassin who was the Emperor's loyal companion, the one who had always envied Darth Vader.
He left the ship in a strategic location on Coruscant to distract Anakin, then took another transport to reach the lower levels of the Senate building. If it was her, she would attack strategically, seeking to eliminate the senators who would lead the rebellion. He couldn't allow that, nor could he allow her to get close to the Emperor and tell him what was happening. That would put him on high alert, but he was sure Leia would take care of that.
Nobody could recognize him; that's why he had acquired a robe that covered him and made him look like just another Jedi.
He knew it was her, but he couldn't let them find her, nor could he let her interfere with his plans. He knew the wisest course was to tell the truth, to reveal her identity and let them capture her. But he knew they would kill her; he couldn't imagine returning to his timeline without her there, because that was the reality. Luke Skywalker, who hoped to save the future, was risking everything for love, for a forbidden love, even more forbidden than his parents' love. He couldn't let her die. Not when the future was so uncertain. If only he could convince her that his cause was the wrong one.
Luke saw Senator Bail Organa emerge. If he was right, he should do whatever it took to save him. Bail had always been one of the senators who used the least security; that would be a problem, though he doubted security could withstand her.
And indeed, he was right. He saw her walking slowly through the crowd; he would recognize her anywhere. He had to stop her before she attacked. Just as the woman prepared to attack, Luke rushed to save Senator Organa, who watched the unfolding events in shock.
"Don't do it, this is wrong," Luke said, looking at the woman who glared at him defiantly.
"Get out of my way, Skywalker. You won't stop the Empire, you won't stop the great power of my master," the woman said.
"Please, Mara," Luke pleaded, looking into her eyes. Mara Jade, the Emperor's assassin, second in command after Vader. Luke was right; she had been sent to the future somehow, most likely through the mythical World Between Worlds.
"I see that even now you remember my name," Mara said, looking into his eyes.
"You can't do this, I can't allow it," Luke said, drawing his lightsaber to block an attack from the woman.
"I will complete my mission no matter how hard you try to stop me," Mara said, attempting to attack the senator, who had fallen to the ground unconscious. No one else was there; the attack had come just as the senator was trying to reach his ship to return to Alderaan.
"Do it for us, Mara," Luke said, looking at her with longing, and she seemed to hesitate. "Please."
"You didn't think of me when you came to destroy the Empire. It's the only thing I have, and you came to take it from me," Mara said, attacking Luke.
Luke fought her, not truly wanting to hurt her, but Mara's attacks were clearly meant to harm him. She was right; he hadn't thought of her. He had done what he had to do.
"For some reason, you saved us on Mustafar," Luke said, trying to reason with himself.
"I wanted to be the one to kill them," Mara smiled. "That way I can finally finish off Vader and his damned bloodline."
"Great, I was just looking for you," said Anakin's voice, which had appeared behind Luke.
"Dad," Luke whispered, turning around.
"Did you really think we wouldn't find you, Luke? Did you really think Senator Organa wouldn't use security?" Anakin asked.
"What?" Luke asked, not understanding how they had found out.
"I'm sorry, kid," Han said, appearing on the scene.
"Luke, don't do anything stupid," Leia pleaded as Obi-Wan led Senator Organa out of the danger zone.
Then Luke understood: they had used the senator to lure them both in; they had fallen into his parents' trap. He saw Padmé looking at him sadly from the ship they had arrived on as Obi-Wan left Senator Organa in his care.
"Luke," Anakin warned.
"Good, finally a challenge," Mara said, stepping back as she drew her lightsaber again.
Luke looked at Mara. He had betrayed her by coming here, but he knew it was the right thing to do. He would prevent the Empire from forming, but he wouldn't sacrifice Mara's life to achieve it. He closed his eyes and ignited his lightsaber. Anakin attacked Mara, who didn't hesitate to attack him. He wouldn't win; it was impossible, Luke thought. Obi-Wan joined Anakin. They had to capture her alive to learn the Emperor's secrets, but Luke knew they would probably kill her for attacking a senator, for killing innocents.
"I'm sorry, Dad," Luke said, blocking an attack from Anakin that would undoubtedly have hurt Mara.
"What are you doing, Luke?" Anakin asked, surprised.
"You'd do the same for Mom," Luke said, attacking his father.
"Luke, snap out of it," Obi-Wan said, surprised by the turn the situation had taken.
Luke, for his part, knew it was impossible to defeat two of the most powerful Jedi. Mara watched him, surprised. Why was he defending her?
"Go," he whispered to Mara as he shielded her from an attack by Obi-Wan.
"Come with me," Mara asked, looking into his eyes, and Luke nodded.
"Run," Luke said, using the Force to push Anakin and Obi-Wan away.
Mara and he ran as fast as they could. Luke helped her climb the Coruscant buildings, following behind her. He would convince her to do good, but first, he had to save her. He was still following her, but suddenly he saw Obi-Wan and Anakin coming up behind them.
"I'm sorry, Mara," Luke said, and she looked at him with longing. "Run," he told her, and she did; she had a mission.
Luke tried to stop Obi-Wan and Anakin, attacking them without any intention of hurting them.
"Why did you do this, Luke?" his father asked, his gaze completely disappointed.
Then Luke heard a blaster fire in the distance, and he saw Ahsoka knock Mara unconscious. It was the last thing he saw before Anakin used the Force to knock him unconscious as well.
"I'm sorry, Mara," he said again before falling into a deep sleep.