FORTY IS THE NEW YOUNG
"I am so looking forward to this," Mara said to Han, rubbing her hands together, a malicious grin spreading across her pale freckled face.
"I consider this my revenge," Han told her, referring to Han's 50th surprise birthday party about three months back.
"That was a great party," Mara said. "Even if I was tossed in the pool four times."
"I'm not sure how many times I was thrown in. Of course, I was pretty drunk not too long after it started."
"Luke was the most shitfaced I'd ever seen him," Mara grinned. "Of course, he had the hangover from hells the next morning. I'd try to compete with him tonight, but this kid is sort of demanding I don't," she added, pointing to her stomach. She was five months pregnant with her and Luke's second child, a daughter. Luke hadn't stopped grinning since they'd received the news.
The event was going to be held in one of the large conference areas of the former Imperial palace. They'd attempted to secure the recreation and pool area as they'd done for Han's party, but it had previously been booked. The ruse was that Mon Mothma had called Luke and Leia in for an emergency meeting. Mon Mothma had actually been willing to go along with it.
"Just be careful," Mara had warned Han. "She might think you're serious about an emergency meeting."
"Well, I'd rather have not invited her," Han stated, "but she is Leia's boss, and she hasn't been as horrible. Not that that's saying much."
"I think Leia fought back at her enough that she got tired."
"Where in the nine hells are my three older children?" Han demanded. "They're supposed to be helping and the caterer's due any moment." Jarik and Ben were playing on the floor with their vast collections of flying vehicles, mostly crashing them.
As Han spoke the three materialized. "Caterer's here," Jaina announced.
"Took you guys long enough. So, go help the caterer!" Han said, shaking his head. "Gods, they're impossible to get out of bed at a respectable hour."
"The caterer wants credits. Lots of credits," Jaina reminded her father.
"What, you guys aren't paying for this?" Han said, raising an eyebrow.
"Not on the allowance you give us," Jacen said sullenly. The fourteen year old twins were in a rough phase of adolescence. Jaina argued incessantly with Leia, and Jacen was generally silent and sullen.
"You're lucky you get what your mom and I give you," Han retorted. "Did you bring my guitars?" The Screaming Green Nebula was performing at the event.
"They're in the speeder," Jacen responded. "What, you're gonna make me drag 'em in? I've got my own gear, too, y'know." Jacen would be playing with the band.
"You have a younger back than I do," Han told him.
"Yeah, that's right, you're old," Jaina responded to her father.
"I'll remember that next time you want to fly the Falcon," Han reminded her. "And the next time you sneak in at 0200 instead of 0030."
"I did NOT sneak in last night!" Jaina said irritably.
"Yeah, but you did last weekend," Han told her. "Where's Anakin?"
"Probably making friends with the caterer," Jacen muttered as he left. "Anakin! Get moving, dude!"
"Shut up!" Anakin snarled at his older brother.
Han looked at Mara. "Please tell me again why I wanted children."
Mara laughed. "Because you love being tired and broke."
"That must be it. Excuse me while I get much broker." Han headed off to part with a not insubstantial supply of credits.
Jaina began setting up tables for the food as Jacen and Anakin dragged in the musical gear.
"Aunt Mara, siddown, I got it," Jaina told her.
"Honey, I'm pregnant, not disabled," Mara reminded her. "Although your Uncle Luke sometimes forgets that, too."
"Nah, he's just looking out for you," Jaina said. "I thought Daddy was a bit silly the way he was when Mom was pregnant with Jarik, but seems like if he hadn't it coulda been a lot worse."
"What happened to your mom was unusual," Mara said, wincing a little.
"Sorry, didn't mean to say something bad," Jaina apologized, acknowledging her aunt's unease.
"I know. Let's get the food out. The band's about to arrive."
01123581321345589144233377610987
"I cannot believe Mon Mothma's calling us in on our birthday," Luke grumbled as they reached the former Imperial Palace, now offices for the GFFA. "I don't see what's so important that it can't wait till the weekend's over!"
"I can believe it. Because she's done it to me in the past," Leia said unhappily. She was intensely irritated. "And she's done it on Han's birthday and the kids' birthdays and when I was on maternity leave...lather, rinse, repeat."
"You said you're retiring next year," Luke said.
"The university has offered me a part time teaching job beginning next year and I want to take it. I've been working for the Alliance for 25 years and I'm tired. I think it's time to send the next generation out there and let them accomplish things."
"Have you told Mon Mothma this?" Luke asked her.
"I only received the written offer yesterday, so at the start of work in a couple of days, I'll be informing her."
"I can see it now," Luke said. "She'll start with the guilt trip."
"And end with it. I don't care. Spare me about abdicating my obligations. I've spent more than half of my life working my butt off. Okay, that was figurative."
"You could come to do some Jedi training," Luke suggested.
Leia narrowed her eyes. "I'm thinking more along the lines of taking time for my husband and kids."
"You have the ability, Leia."
"It's our birthday, Luke, and I don't want to spend it discussing this," Leia said, with more weariness than sharpness. "All right, let's see what sort of misery Mon has in store for us."
01123581321345589144233377610987
"That sounded like crap," Jacen told the band as they'd run through their sound check. "Do it again."
"We'll be fine," Han informed him. "We've had lousy sound checks before and we've been totally on it at the performance."
"Whatever," Jacen said, standing up.
"All right, Jace, since you said we sounded like crap, it's your turn to see if you sound better," Han told him as he glared at his oldest son. Jacen had been grating on him as of late. Han tried to remember what it was like at fourteen but he'd been in a completely different set of circumstances and he did everything he could to give his kids all the advantages he hadn't had. The kids were not always grateful.
Well, I signed on for this, he told himself as he led the band through another sound check.
01123581321345589144233377610987
"Thank you for arriving on such short notice," Mon Mothma greeted Leia and Luke.
Leia was about to make a somewhat scathing remark but held it in.
"What's so important that we need to be here on a weekend, and on our birthdays, no less?" Luke asked, in a much more polite tone than Leia could have mustered. Then again, she wasn't Luke's boss so he wasn't subject to her constantly.
"The Prime Minister of Mawan has located a number of Force sensitive individuals and wishes to discuss the best way of educating them, and wishes to build a Jedi temple as well. This was the only time he could get away." She got up and motioned them to walk with her. "I'll take you to him."
"That's strange. I never heard of anything like this from Mawan, and I think I'd have known," Luke said.
"It's a very large galaxy, Luke," Mon Mothma pointed out. "And not everyone's work week coincides with ours."
It was strange for Leia to see Mon Mothma in casual clothing. In all the years she'd known her, she'd always seen her in business or ceremonial attire.
"I'd really like to talk to this person and see if he himself is Force Sensitive, because really, that's the only way he'd know," Luke said.
"He's such a pompous jerk," Leia said. She'd met the Prime Minister and she was not one of his biggest fans.
"Since he's not here he didn't hear that, but please, Leia, you're a diplomat and you know better," Mon Mothma said sternly. She continued walking down towards a corridor that Leia knew existed but hadn't been in a long while. Finally, Mon Mothma pointed to a door.
"Now, I know both of you are skeptical but please hear him out," Mon Mothma urged. She slowly opened the door...
"SURPRISE!"
Both Leia and Luke jumped back a bit.
"Happy Birthday to both of you," Mon Mothma said, actually smiling.
There was a huge banner that read 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUKE AND LEIA!' and a horde of people and other sentients.
"Happy birthday, sweetheart," Han said, giving his wife a birthday kiss.
"Did you really think I'd forget your birthday?" Mara said mischievously as she kissed Luke.
"I don't know. You didn't say anything about it," Luke told her, wrapping his arms around her. "Then again, when you don't say anything, I should be suspicious."
"You're not kidding," Han told them and turned back to Leia. "Whaddya think, sweetheart?"
"I think you may have outdone yourself," Leia said happily. Jaina, Jacen, Anakin, Jarik and Ben swarmed their mother, father, aunt and uncle.
Han kissed Leia one more time. "I need to go. Can't have a party without music now, can we?"
Before Leia could respond, she felt something wet being poured on her and Luke. Rogue Squadron was laughing heartily as they committed the deed.
"I'm gonna kill all of you!" Leia shouted at them, but with a smile.
"Great, now I'm soaked!" Luke complained, but he was laughing.
"Way to go, guys!" Jaina called to the Rogues. One of the guys, who was Han's trainee, slipped his arm over Jaina's shoulders.
"Hey! No touching my niece!" Luke shouted. "Unless you want Han to kill you!"
"And remember, he shoots first!" Leia reminded them.
The crowd then hoisted the birthday boy and girl and passed them.
"All right guys, set the birthday kids down!" Han eyed Rogue Squadron. "I just can't take you anywhere, can I?"
"Your fault! You invited us!" one of the trainees shouted, and the room reverberated with laughter.
The first dance was for the birthday twins, and the band played something humorous, energetic and above all, loud. Lork, the vocalist, keyboardist and bandmaster then ordered everyone to get out on the floor. Even Mon Mothma was laughing and smiling and dancing.
Lork took a chance between songs to make an announcement. "Seems my guitarist has this mad urge to dance with the birthday girl, so we're going to have to have someone take his place. Jacen, get up here!"
The tall teenager, who to Leia so much looked like what her husband must have looked like when he was younger, smiled shyly and headed for the stage.
"This one's for your mom, so play good," Han told him, but gently, as he exited the stage.
"Happy Birthday, Mom and Uncle Luke," Jacen told them as he slipped on one of the guitars Han had given him. Han and Leia and Luke and Mara were the only ones dancing for the next number. Both couples were laughing and smiling as if they were newlyweds. Mon Mothma smiled and Jacen did as well.
The band took a break, and everyone raided the tables which were groaning under the weight of the food and intoxicants set upon them. Many cuisines of the galaxy were featured - well, those that didn't include food that was still alive when it was served. The culmination was the cutting of the birthday cake.
"Whaddya think, Mom? Dad got it at Greatest Galactic Bakery," Jaina told her.
"Well, there goes my diet," Leia said, laughing.
"What diet? You look great," Mara told her.
"In no universe would I be mistaken for 20," Leia said to her.
"It's a good thing you're not 20 anymore," Han said, handing her a plate of her favorite foods. "I'd never be able to keep up with you."
"I can't keep up with Mara, ever," Luke conceded, but his face was luminous.
"I'm glad you've gotten used to it," Mara said, taking him into a full embrace, and then placing a hand over her swelling belly.
"When did I ever say I was used to it?" Luke teased.
"You'd be bored if you could," Mara taunted back.
More dancing, more drinking, more music, more of everything marked the night and made it a wonderful celebration of life and love.
At one point, Mon Mothma motioned Leia aside. Leia's first thought was, she's expecting me to do something tomorrow. But Mon Mothma smiled at her.
"Leia, I wanted you to be the first one to share the news with," Mon said to her.
"What news?" Leia was confused. Or maybe it was the wine. She wasn't sure.
"I've given over my life to the Rebellion, the Alliance, and the GFFA for over 25 years," Mon Mothma said softly. "It's been my passion, my raison d'etre, for all that time. It's been my greatest joy and at times my deepest sorrow. I'm tired now. I'm ready for someone else to run for Prime Minister, someone younger, more energetic. And while he isn't here tonight, there is someone special in my life. He's wrapping up some loose ends on Corellia - yes, my child, I'm in love, and with a Corellian, no less. A minor official in the education ministry, but a man with a heart and soul as large as your husband's."
"I'm...I'm so happy for you," Leia said, a smile covering her face. "I'm glad that at last you've found your joy."
"You wouldn't happen to consider running, would you?" Mon asked her.
Leia smiled. "More than half of my life has been devoted to public service. It's been an honor and a privilege. But the university has offered me a part time position as a lecturer on foreign relations. I think it's just the thing I need."
Mon smiled sadly. "You would have been a marvelous prime minister, Leia. But I understand that only you know when it's time to step aside, to pass the torch. Winter Celchu will be an excellent candidate, and there are some in the other parties that are able enough."
"And I'll be turning out some candidates," Leia said to her.
"You'll do well, Leia."
"When are you leaving?"
"I've told Karish - that's the man I love - that I will step down after the elections, which are in nine months, as you well know."
"That explains the trips to Corellia," Leia laughed. "I knew they'd been experiencing some internal strife with regards to certain factions wanting to separate from the GFFA."
"And you didn't wonder why I always volunteered for those in the past year?" Mon asked mischievously.
"You kept me so busy that I had no time to consider it," Leia admitted.
"Well, your work has always been vital to the survival of the GFFA."
"And now it's time for someone else to do it. For both of us."
"Indeed. Now, this is your birthday party, and I know you're thinking you're forty and you couldn't possibly have gotten that old. I have memories of you when you were a toddler. Now THAT is old. From where I sit, forty is the new young."
"I hope you enjoy your retirement. You've earned it," Leia told her sincerely.
"I plan to. Now, not a word to anyone. And we must get back. There are at least half a dozen members of the Rogues whom I promised dances to."
They must really be drunk, Leia thought, smiling.
By midnight, Ben and Jarik were fast asleep, the dancers weary, the Rogues beyond intoxication, Jaina, Jacen and Anakin complaining about being the cleanup crew, and the band was blasting its last song of the night. The birthday boy and girl were exhausted but thrilled.
"Great party," Luke said to Mara and Han.
"Believe me, after what you guys did for me on my 50th, I wasn't gonna let you get away with it," Han said. "Mara, thanks for the help, appreciated it."
"I wasn't going to pass this one up," Mara said fiendishly.
"Hey, you're only two years away," Luke reminded her.
"Don't worry," Leia said, laughing. "Mon Mothma has assured us that forty is the new young."