Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, Lucas does. No money being made, so don't sue.
Author's Notes: Just a little thing that wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it. Enjoy, I hope. I've updated the formatting so now italics are dream sequence and bold italics are dream thoughts.
Memory Found
by Jessa
Lightning flashed and thunder rolled across the sky, accompanied by the scarlet flashes of blasters. A small child huddled in a small room under her family's house. She could hear the whine of blasters and the muffled blasts of explosions in the near distance.
They're coming.
The little girl cried out for her mother, to no avail. The blasts had gotten loud enough that she could no longer hear herself when she screamed in terror at each thunderous roar of an explosion. She clutched at the coin on her necklace, her grandfather's Jedi credit, hoping against hope that it would somehow keep her from being found.
Coming for me.
The explosions stopped suddenly. The girl could hear the commotion in the room just above her. She heard her mother scream as she was shot. Then all was quiet save for the thud of booted feet on the floorboards above her as the room was seached. They stopped, then the trapdoor above her was flung open and the barrel of a blaster rifle was all but shoved in her face.
Found me.
She looked up into the face of a kind-looking man. He had brown hair and warm brown eyes and reminded her of her father. She started to reach out for him, then realized that he held the blaster that had probably killed her mother and pulled back.
The man handed his rifle to someone as yet unseen and pulled her out of her hidey-hole. Her gaze fell on the body of her mother. The red-haired woman had been shot through the chest. She lay sprawled on the ground like a child's discarded plaything, her flame-colored hair fanned out around her head.
Mama!
The child screamed hoarsely and buried her face in the uniform of the man who held her. The officer shifted, somewhat uncomfortable with the position he was in. He pried her away from him and set her on the ground. She promptly sat down and refused to move. The officer leaned down to pick her back up, then stopped and turned it into a bow. "My Lord."
"Stand up, Mara Jade. Stand up and face your destiny."
Awestruck, the child did as she was bidden. As young and inexperienced as she was, Mara could feel the power radiating off of the man in the doorway.
"Come with me, child. I will teach you many things, and you will be my Hand throughout the galaxy. Come, child. Your destiny awaits."
Mother.
Mara Jade Skywalker awoke to the sight of her husband's light blue eyes watching her intently. She was sitting up, the bedsheets twisted and her body drenched in sweat.
"Are you okay, Mara?" Luke asked, his worry blazing like a beacon through the Force.
"I think so. Just a nightmare. But it was so real, like a memory." She shuddered, remembering the wrinkled face of the Emperor from her dream.
"Tell me about it."
"It was the first time I saw the Emperor. We were at home, it was night, when the troopers came. They killed my family. My mother had hidden me in a secret room under her bed. She died protecting me." Her hand rose unconsciously to the spot where her grandfather's Jedi credit had rested.
"My grandfather was a Corellian Jedi Master. He gave me one of the credits, which I wore on a chain like Corran Horn does his. The Emperor took it away from me and must've had it destroyed. Just like he took me away and destroyed who I had been. He was a master at destruction. He destroyed our little town, then my life, then Alderaan. Some good came as a result of his actions, though.
"If he hadn't destroyed my life, I would never have met you. If he hadn't destroyed Alderaan, it's a possibility that he might still be in power. I mean, the survivors of Alderaan gave fire to the Rebellion. Alderaan's destruction gave many people a purpose--put out the fire of the Empire so atrocities like that would be prevented in the future."
"I know. You said your mother died protecting you. Do you remember who she was, what she was like?"
"I know she had red hair like mine. My father had brown hair and eyes. I think they were farmers on Corellia. I was all of five when I was taken, so I don't remember much."
"If you would like, we can try to find records of your family, see who they were."
"I've never really been one to live in the past, but I think I would like to know where I come from. Thank you for listening."
"Thank you for telling me. And now, wife mine, let's get some more sleep," Luke said, stifling a yawn.
Mara Jade Skywalker settled back down and sent a silent thanks to whatever forces had brought Luke Skywalker into her life.
Fin