Harry Potter and the Dark Lord of the Sith

Chapter 60.

Voldemort suddenly twisted around, igniting his lightsaber, just as Mara Jade was practically flying towards him. With a snap-hiss, her own blue blade flared up. Voldemort struck before she landed.

Harry watched in shock as Voldemort and Mara collapsed to the floor, their lightsaber blades buried in each other.

"You--" Voldemort spoke his last word.

"Mara!" Harry yelled. Mara Jade was still clutching her lightsaber, despite an enormous hole in her chest where Voldemort plunged his. She fell into Harry's arms.

"Oh, no..."

Harry picked Mara up and walked downstairs. Luke was down there. Vader was leaning against the railing, one of his hands cut off. There was no sign of the Emperor.

"Luke!"

"Harry!"

"What happened?"

"Vader's gone," Luke said. Harry stared at him, then looked at Vader.

"This is Anakin Skywalker," Luke said. "My father."

"You turned him back?"

Luke nodded. "He killed Palpatine. What happened to you?"

"Mara killed Voldemort... but he struck her." Harry laid Mara down.

"We better get out of here," Luke said.

Harry nodded. Luke picked up his father, and Harry carried Mara out into the elevator.

XXXXXXX

Hermione felt the danger before she saw it. Her instruments only showed three TIE interceptors approaching them, but as soon as she looked at them, she felt cold. They had the red markings, just like the fighters that destroyed a quarter of their squadron within seconds.

"Watch out!" she warned the squadron. Then, she turned her X-wing towards the Imperials. She wouldn't give them a chance to get close and wreak havoc. She fired a pair of torpedoes.

The fighters immediately broke formation. Hermione cursed, watching the missiles miss. She opened fire with her lasers.

Fortunately, her pilots were ready, and were making evasive maneuvers. And there were seven of them to three Imperials. It's nice to have numbers on our side for once.

"Four, get on my tail. Eight, come about right," she ordered. "Twe--" But Linra'sin knew what to do. As soon as the fighter chasing Eight turned to follow it, she dropped behind it.

The Interceptor was faster, and got out of Lin's field of fire before she could destroy it. But the Imperial had not counted on Hermione being only a quick turn away. With a few laser bolts from her fighter, he was space dust.

Alarms rang out as Hermione was hit from behind by another fighter. She boosted her shields to maximum, which helped--but only a little.

Her rear shields suddenly did collapse when the Interceptor exploded. She saw Loth fly by her, and she realized he must have used a torpedo. "Thanks," she managed.

Turning about, she saw the remaining Imperial chasing another of her X-wings, Blade Two. None of them would get there in time, and the TIE was catching up.

She fired two torpedoes, which locked onto the Imperial. He noticed and tried to avoid them... too late. Both missiles struck.

"Two, you all right?"

"Nothing major," the reply came.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. She now had to think. Taking the entire squadron into the Death Star was a bad idea... some fighters should remain outside, in case another attempt was needed.

"Eleven and Twelve," she said. "Follow me. Four, you're in command."

"Roger, Leader."

"Concentrate all fire on that Super Star Destroyer," Ackbar commanded.

"That's your job, Four," Hermione said. "Good luck." And with that, she, Loth, and Linra'sin plunged their fighters into the bowels of the battlestation.

XXXXXXX

In the vast corridors of the Death Star, panic reigned. Imperial soldiers ran in all directions, fires erupted all over the place. Loud explosions thundered throughout the station. Harry, already exhausted from the battle, could hardly breathe by the time they reached a small hangar, which, fortunately, had an operational shuttle.

Luke, equally exhausted, lay his father's body down. "Luke," Vader said. "Help me take this mask off."

"But you will die," Luke protested.

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

Luke began to take off Vader's helmet. Harry turned to Mara. "Are you all right?" But he didn't need to ask the question to see that she wasn't. Luke paused in his work, and took Mara's hand. Mara looked at him and smiled.

"Mara," Harry said. "You can't die--"

"Now," Anakin Skywalker--a very pale, hairless man beneath the black mask--said, "go, my son. Leave me."

Harry looked at Luke for a moment, before turning back to Mara. "I am already gone, Harry," she said. "I--"

"No!" Harry protested, and was suddenly joined by Luke. "No!" he repeated. "Just because you were a Horcrux--"

"Am a Horcrux, Harry. Can you--"

Harry knew that once an object became a Horcrux, it remained so until it was destroyed as to be unrecognizable. A living Horcrux had to be killed. But Mara...

"You already have, Luke," Anakin said. "You were right about me. Tell your sister... you were right."

Sister? OK, I'll ask him later, Harry thought.

Anakin suddenly extended a black-gloved hand towards Harry. Instinctively, he knew what it was the man who was Darth Vader wanted. He gave him a firm handshake.

The hand went limp as Harry shook it. Anakin Skywalker was dead.

They turned to Mara. Her breathing was becoming erratic. "Mara!" Luke said. "No!" "Goodbye, Harry," she whispered. "Thank you. Goodbye... Luke." Her bright green eyes, just like Harry's, slowly closed. Then her breathing ceased.

Harry and Luke both cried as they looked at the body. Mara Jade, Emperor's Hand, clone of Lily Evans Potter, Imperial traitor, the final Horcrux, and Voldemort's last victim. The body flickered, and vanished into thin air, leaving behind a gray jumpsuit, a utility belt, and a lightsaber.