Deepest Roots

Setting: On Zonama Sekot 34ABY after the Yuuzhan Vong war

"I can't believe you've got me doing this," said the reluctant Mara Jade Skywalker.

Her husband asked beside her, "What's so unbelievable about it?"

"The fact that, through all my experiences and training over decades, you actually have me gardening."

"Technically, it's not gardening. This is a lesson in the Force."

Each of them were sitting cross-legged in a field of various plant life on the living planet, Zonama Sekot. The Yuuzhan Vong War was over. Luke and Mara could rest and enjoy time with their son, Ben, who had just arrived shortly from the Errant Venture. Within a few days, all of the surviving Jedi would convene on the living planet where the Yuuzahn Vong called a truce to the war. Luke prepared a speech that would discuss the future of the Jedi. In the meantime, Luke thought it was a good time for his family to relax and enjoy the unique nature of Zonama's make up. He also tried to squeeze in a small training session with his wife on the relationship between the Force and the living planet. He focused it on flowers. Mara tried to refuse.

"Don't you think I'm over the training phase by now?"

Luke smiled but shook his head. "A Jedi is always in training. Knowledge is endless, Mara."

"Whatever. So, what am I doing again?"

Luke reverted to his calming instructor's voice. "Try and concentrate on a specific plant or flower that you are familiar with. It can be from anywhere. Picture it in your mind."

"Flowers aren't exactly my forte."

"Humor me. Close your eyes. Concentrate. That's it. Imagine it coming through and blooming right in front of you. Excellent. Now, Mara...look before you on the ground."

She opened her eyes and gasped. A small bush of a plant suddenly appeared where it hadn't been a few seconds ago. The roots were plain and unflattering, but the buds formed petals of the richest color of swirling purple and white. They were quite stunning to look at. Mara had to catch her breath at the sight. She uttered, "A rutolu bush."

Luke looked on and said, "I thought that looked familiar. Native to Coruscant if my memory serves."

"Yes. They grew like weeds along the walls of buildings. They used to grow along my window in the Imperial Palace when I was very young. I thought they were beautiful when others dismissed them as pesky weeds." She furrowed her brow. "Wait a minute, these are indigenous only to Coruscant. How did they grow here?"

"Through you, Mara. Zonama Sekot is a sentient planet. It's connected to all living things that come in contact with it. Especially with those in tune with the Force. It knew your deepest thoughts about the bush and created it from your memory."

"It can do that?"

"Oh, yes. And much more."

"Well, that's new. What's next?"

Luke stared at her in his way to tell her she wasn't getting away that easily. "Why a rutolu bush, Mara?"

"I told you. It was something I thought was pretty when I was very young. Nothing big." She bit the side of her lip in hopes that her husband didn't catch her spark of emotion. He did.

"Something else triggered this memory, Mara."

She sighed in defeat and said softly, "When I was five or so, I told Palpatine that I thought the petals looked beautiful. He then set out to eliminate all the bushes growing against the walls of the Palace and made sure they would not grow again. He said it was his way of maturing me."

"Sounds more like he was dehumanizing you."

Mara gave a nervous awkward smirk. "Well, I wasn't exactly one of his stormtroopers."

Luke's voice became hard. "No, you were his destructive pet project. Why do you always downplay what he did to you?"

Mara gave a shrug and admitted, "It's a part of my past that I like to block out."

Luke took her hand. "Good or bad, it's still a part of you."

She nodded but then suddenly turned her head and performed the skill that Luke thought she was a prodigy in; changing subjects. "Where is Ben?"

"He's over there. Looks like he's choosing his own flowers."

She sighed in realization. "We're going to have to come up with a training program for him soon."

"Mara, we haven't seen our son in two years. I think we can give him some time."

"I don't think we can afford to. He hasn't used the Force yet on his own. He needs assurance now that he can. It's something I never received during my first training."

"Ben chose not to use the Force. He has his own reasons despite his age. That doesn't mean he never will use it."

"He's going to be eight soon. The longer we wait the less he'll retain it. Remember, the Jedi of the Old Republic took in children who were potential Jedi at an even younger age. Like your Obi Wan Kenobi."

"Yes, and they also severed all personal attachments, including their own families. Love, Mara. They banished love. My father didn't like that and he defied them."

"And we all know how well he turned out."

Luke ignored her remark but continued to defend his position. "As far as age being a factor, remember I was nineteen when I had my first lesson in the Force."

"You inherited the power from your father, so it was kind of already there."

Luke suggested, "Maybe Ben will inherit both of our Force abilities."

"I doubt he'll get much from my side."

Luke stood up and snapped, "Would you stop your self-pity trip?"

She stood up alongside him. "I will if you stop acting like a naive Farm Boy. You're treating your son like the moisture harvest on Tatooine. You wait and wait and before you know it, there's no moisture. Wait till next season, as your uncle always said."

"That's not fair, Mara."

"Oh, what would be fair? Calling you the son of sadistic evil fiend?"

Luke shot back, "At least I wasn't trained by the galaxy's most infamous lunatic!"

Mara screamed back, "That training was over a period of decades! How long was your training with Kenobi and Yoda? A few months, tops?"

"A mistake that cost me my hand," Luke cried.

"Your hand? Poor you! After my training I lost my soul!"

Luke's sarcasm dripped. "Isn't that too bad. At least I–"

"Mommy? Daddy?" Little Ben interrupted them.

Both of the boy's parents looked at their red-haired son with looks of embarrassment. Rendered speechless for a suspended time, Mara finally replied to Ben, "Yes, honey?"

"Are you and daddy all right?"

"Yes, of course. We were just...discussing something." Noting the distinct flower in his hand, Mara used her most effective skill again. "What do you have there?"

Ben looked down at the strange flower and his demeanor changed instantly from concern to glee within seconds. The flower was made up of yellow-orange petals that formed a cone out of a stem that hooked into a J-shape. "Oh, this came up from the ground just now. I was just thinking about these and it came up."

Luke said immediately after seeing the flower, "It's a funnel plant."

"Right," said Ben. "They grow on Tatooine."

"My Aunt Beru planted them in the courtyard of our farm," Luke reflected with no small amount of emotion. "I never saw them bloom, though. They take too long."

Ben nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but these fully bloomed with minutes. This place is amazing!"

Luke asked him, "Do you know of their importance to Tatooine?"

"Yeah, they absorbed the hot air and converted it into a moisture in the hook here. Many on Tatooine ignored them because they just look like weeds without the flowers. But once they grew up they were very helpful."

Mara asked her son, "When did you become an expert on plants?"

"I studied them while I was on the Errant Venture. I only saw holo-pics of all kinds of flowers because you can't really grow them well on a spaceship."

"This is true," Mara said.

Ben's voice became more excitable. "Since dad told me this place is magical and can create things from my mind, I thought of some flowers and they grew right there on the spot."

Mara warned, "Just so you don't think of any poisonous flowers."

"Oh, no," Ben said before giving a short laugh. "I'm not about to grow a dart flower. Those things would hurt."

"Good," Luke said. "I think your mother and I have had enough of poisonous things in our bodies for a lifetime." He ignored the sideways glance from his wife.

"Oh! I forgot," Ben exclaimed. "I created a plant for you, too, mom."

"You did? Where?"

"It's over here. I couldn't pick the flowers on it. C'mon!" He shot off a few meters away and his parents followed at their own pace.

Before them was a small, stout bush that was deeply rooted by purplish thin vines. At the ends of the vines were flowers with petals that ranged in an exquisite mix of deep red, green, and orange colors swirling together.

Mara cocked a red-gold eyebrow. "I've seen these somewhere before."

"They grow on Yavin 4," answered Ben. "They're nebula orchids. See, I couldn't pick these flowers because that'll hurt the vines and purple goo will come out of them. The vines have to always stay in contact with the flowers or they'll get lost and hide."

"I see," said Mara.

"Hey, are we staying here? This place is so lubed!"

"Lubed?" questioned Mara.

Luke cleared his throat and uttered to his wife, "New slang term by the kids. Means cool or awesome."

Mara gave a sigh. "We are getting old, Farm Boy."

"Speak for yourself. I plan to live forever."

Ben interrupted, "Well? Are we staying?"

Luke answered, "For a little while. All of the Jedi are coming here and I have to speak with them. Then we have to leave."

"Oh, kark it!"

"Hey!" Mara snapped, "I know that slang term, and I better not hear it from you again!"

"Sorry, mom. Do I have time to check out the caves over there? I think there's a waterfall on the other side but there's a space that's too small for big people like you but I think I can squeeze through."

"Sure," Luke replied. "Be careful. If you have a doubt that you can do something, trust your instinct and don't do it. Understand?"

"Yeah, got it!" Ben was already speeding off toward a hillside that was home to caves he spoke of.

Mara nudged her husband's side. "Kind of contrary to the 'do or do not; there is no try' philosophy, isn't it?"

"I'm fairly sure Yoda didn't have a seven year old son of his own, either."

As they watched their son flee away in his own happiness, Luke placed his living hand on her shoulder. She answered with placing her own hand on top of his. He murmured, "I'm sorry."

"Me too."

"I guess we can let him enjoy this while we can. Before we start his training."

After a moment, Mara replied, "No. We don't have to start his training just yet."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. And you better not make me admit you were right or I will think of a dart plant to shoot at you."

"Wouldn't dream of it. What changed your mind?"

After a longer moment of reflection, Mara answered, "After all of my rigorous training and hard lessons I had at a young age, I believe we can give our son something he deserves that I was never given."

"What's that?"

"A childhood."

She didn't have to see his smile, nor his warmth as he snuggled closer from behind her and whispered into her ear, "That is so lubed."

The end.