"This isn't what I meant."
"No." he said, "You wanted a convenient, comfortable trouble-free truth. You wanted your truth, your way. But it's not mine and it never was - I never made any secret of that Mara. You want me - you want me to trust you? You want to step forward through that barrier? Well this is it, Mara... it's now or never."
"Is that an ultimatum?"
"No, it's just a fact. You always knew it would come to this- that one day you'd have to decide between him and me."
"Don't Luke; I won't be held to ransom by anyone - not even you."
"I'm not trying to force your hand Mara. I would have left this forever, you know that. I would never have asked ..."
"You'd have kept me in the dark! Kept lying to me!"
"Protected you..."
"Copishit!"
".. from ever having to be in this position." Luke said, his voice hardening now. "Don't play the injured innocent Mara- it doesn't suit you. We both knew we were playing with fire..."
"Me!? I've done nothing wrong!"
"No? Where were you last night?" he asked, pulling no punches, "How close have we been this last year? You saw the signs, Mara, you must have, you just chose not to read them. Your loyalties have been divided for a long time - you started this, not me. You've been holding me to ransom since I first met you... I've lived with your double standards for a..."
"I have double standards!? You're disobeying a direct order from the Emperor- a fundamental command; No unauthorised contact with Vader- none! He's always made that clear- what you're doing is a premeditated defiance bordering on treason and you know it!"
"Yes I'm disobeying; it's an unreasonable command; he's my father, Mara. What's your excuse, with us?" His words were clipped now, his own fast temper rising to match hers. "You saw something you wanted and whatever the hell irresolute morals you still had just became... what? An inconvenience?"
She twisted free and took a fast step back, and when she swung her arm up it was in a fist.
Luke stepped in quickly and caught her closed fist in his hand, reflexes like quicksilver. For a second she struggled to free herself but he was far stronger than she and merely held her hand until she stopped, her eyes full of fire.
"I won't let you do this Luke- I can't let you. It has to stop, do you understand?"
He shook his head slowly, eyes locked on hers.
"Don't make me stop you, Luke- because I only know of one way to do that, and I don't want to see you hurt."
"That's your decision to make, Mara- either you tell him, or you let this go..... But this is all or nothing, understand that - I won't be held to ransom any more and I'm not gonna have this argument with you again and again." He shook his head, voice very sure, "And I won't go down to that cell again- the only way he'll get me down there is in pieces."
"You know he'll do that. Without a second's hesitation."
"Yes... and so do you. Which makes it your call Mara. Not Palpatine's; yours. Whatever happens, it's on your head - no more easy excuses."
They remained locked in silent battle for long seconds, neither willing to give a fraction of an inch. Finally, Skywalker straightened and took a step back, releasing her, though his eyes never left hers.
"But let's lay all the cards on the table, just so you understand; I'm flying to Mosiin Barracks now as ordered. And if I'm under arrest when I land, you'd better make sure there's a hell of a lot of them waiting because the moment I think you've betrayed me I'm turning around and walking out of there forever... and you'd better tell them all to shoot to kill, because there is nothing they can do short of that which will hold me. Not anymore."
He turned to walk around the shuttle to the nose ramp, back very straight, chin high, completely self-possessed.
"Don't-" Mara said simply. The word, part warning, part appeal, stopped him at the ramp.
"Your choice, Mara." He said without turning, "My fate's in your hands- didn't I always tell you it would be?"
.
Chapter 31
Mara stood statue-still on the massive Palace landing platform and watched Luke leave, shoulders sagging, completely lost.
What should she do? She had no idea- none at all. His last words rang again and again in her head, so much so that she wondered whether he'd used the Force to instil the thought.
Fate. Him and his stupid, stubborn, irresponsible, dangerous Fate. Was that what this was- just another test, another of his bizarre opportunities for Fate to even the score if it was meant to be, or whatever the hell reason he took these reckless, unreasonable risks?
Had he pushed his luck to the limit again just to see how far he could go before it all fell down about him?
He could have lied to her and she would have believed him. And even if she didn't he could have charmed and cajoled her as he always did. Why this? Why admit the truth when he knew it could damn him- and to Mara, who had never hesitated to make her allegiance known.
Him and his precious intractable, uncheatable Fate. Damn them both, Mara thought. And damn Vader for colluding; for putting his own son at such risk, knowing the consequences.
He knew - Luke knew what she would do and she wouldn't be made to feel guilty for doing her duty.
She set forward from the roof, jaw jutting in determination... and slowed to a stop, shaking her head.
Because he really was telling the truth. He wouldn't yield to Palpatine again- not now; not anymore. Forewarned, he'd never let them get close enough to use the drugs; he wouldn't be taken and he wouldn't be brought back to the Palace... and what would Palpatine do, when his Jedi wouldn't back down this time?
He would rip Luke to pieces- completely, as he had done when he'd had first arrived here. Worse, because Luke would be that much less willing to capitulate. The last time had nearly killed him- had changed him completely at some fundamental level, even she could see that.
But Palpatine would do whatever was necessary to take his precious Jedi apart and rebuild him again, just as he had before. Luke was simply worth too much to him.
And what would be left when he had finished? Not the man she... loved.
What little was left would despise her for being the one who did this to him- who knowingly turned him over to his persecutor.
Persecutor? Mara frowned at the concept... at the belief. At the consequences...
For a brief moment she wavered, indecisive, lightheaded, weightless, as if the galaxy itself held its breath...
Then she shook her head, suddenly intensely sure;
She couldn't do it. If she did this - if she took this to Palpatine - she condemned Luke.
And she couldn't do that. At the end of the day, it all came down to that one fact.
She couldn't do it.
Was this what he had really wanted - to give her the chance to come to this decision on her own?
No tricks, no deceptions... just the truth. All of it.
Funny; she'd always been terrified of this moment. He was right, she'd always known it would come and dreaded it- when she'd have to make the choice; Luke or the Emperor. Now, finally brought to this moment, it seemed incredibly easy.
She walked slowly from the platform, head down, lost in thought... unbelievably easy...
.
The summons to the Emperor's presence came three hours later- enough of a gap that Mara was unsure whether it was connected or not. Enough that she hoped...
She walked slowly down long, lofty corridors to his sprawling apartments, arranging layer after layer of shields about her thoughts as Luke had taught her, aware of the distinction this time; of the gravity of her situation. Before it had been a minor dissent, if there was such a thing in her master's eyes, tinged with Luke's insistence that Palpatine already knew the truth about herself and Luke even if he chose not to acknowledge it.