As the Skywalker family sat down for dinner, Vader spoke, "Are the two of you well settled?"
"Yes everything has been just fine so far," Mara replied.
Vader nodded as he spoke, "You will have two weeks together. Then I will be sending Luke on a mission. Weather he takes you with or not will be his decision," Vader stated.
"Very well," Mara replied.
"You will be allowed to join me if you wish," Luke interjected.
"I think that I will," Mara replied as she glanced at her father in law. She didn't want to be around him if she could help it. It was almost like being in the presence of the devil himself.
After the tense family dinner, Mara took care of the dishes while the Emperor and Luke walked through the Palace together.
As the two men walked, Vader looked at his son and spoke, "So how is your apprentice?"
"My apprentice?" Luke asked.
"Don't play stupid with me your wife has already started to learn the ways of the Force from you."
Luke shook his head, "I don't know what you're talking about."
At that moment lightning burned through his body as he fell to the ground.
He felt a heavy stream of lighting flowing through his body as his father continued to torture him. He then heard the hiss of a lightsaber as he felt his back burning.
"Keep training her you have my permission," Vader stated with a laugh as he poured lightning into his son's burn.
Mara closed the dishwashing unit with a smile. She wiped off the counter one last time. The job was finished.
She then left the kitchen and headed into the living room where she sat down to watch the holonet.
It was several hours later when she felt two arms wrapping around her.
She felt Luke's lips touching her cheek as he picked her up.
"It's time for bed." Mara noticed the lustful look in her husband's eyes as he carried her towards their bed. He laid her down on the bed and pulled off his tunic and kicked off his boots. He climbed into the bed with her and wrapped his arms around her. She felt his hands pushing her dress up towards her head as they started to kiss.
It was late in the night when Mara was awoken by a voice, "Mara."
Mara opened her eyes and looked towards Luke who was sound asleep she heard the voice again, "Mara."
She stood up and was about to reach for her lightsaber when she noticed a grey haired man materializing before her.
"Who are you?" Mara asked uneasily.
"Leave the room and I will explain child."
"My clothes," Mara said.
She noticed the man pointing towards a nightgown on her dresser she reached for it with the force and followed the stranger.
"Who are you?" Mara asked.
"I am Qui-Gon Jinn, a Jedi Master who lived during the days of the Old Republic."
"You're dead?" Mara asked.
"I am one with the Force."
"Why do you seek me out?" Mara asked.
"You are married to Luke Skywalker. Luke needs to know love, and you can do that for him but not if you succumb to the dark side."
"So what do I do refuse to be trained?"
"Continue to learn the combat skills that he offers you but embrace the light by embracing your love for him that is growing. Show him that the light is the way. If you can redeem him you can save the Galaxy from darkness."
"What of Vader?"
"Do you give him what he wants?" Qui-Gon asked.
"No," Mara replied.
"Than you have my answer young one, a time will come when Luke will see that he cannot become a Sith Master. That is when you must be ready to stand at his side."
"I understand," Mara replied.
"I will see you again in the future this is all that I have to discuss for now."
Qui-Gon then disappeared as Mara headed back to her bedroom.
She removed her nightgown and climbed back into bed with Luke and wasn't surprised when she felt his arms tightening around her.
Mara awoke to an empty bed.
She looked towards the bedroom door and was awarded with the sight of Luke entering their room with a tray of food.
"You've been taking care of me for the last two weeks since our marriage. I didn't want to give you the displeasure of my cooking so I thought that I would bring you something from the Royal Kitchen."
"You're that bad of a cook?"
"Never learned," Luke replied.
Mara laughed as she sat up. It was then that she realized that she was still undressed.
She reached for her nightgown as Luke spoke, "I don't know how my father and I would have survived without the royal kitchen we are both horrible cooks. Your food though, it is the best food that I've ever had though."
"You've never had home cooked food besides badly cooked food that's why," Mara replied with a smile.
Devastator: One Month later:
It was a month to the day that Mara had been married to Luke. After her husband had been ordered to put down an uprising on Malastare she had agreed to accompany him on the ship. A trip with Luke was much more appealing to her than having to be in the presence of her father in law on Coruscant.
As she awoke she felt his arms tightening around her. She turned to see him looking straight at her with his steel blue eyes.
Luke looked into Mara's eyes as he thought of the last month since their forced marriage. He noticed how secure she felt in his arms. He couldn't count how many mornings he had awoken with her still resting in his arms after their nights of love. He kissed her as he spoke, "I have to interrogate the rebel prisoner today before we can move on."
"Do you want breakfast first?" Mara asked.
"That would be nice," Luke replied.
Mara attempted to move towards the edge of the bed as she realized that Luke had her tightly held in his arms.
She laughed as he spoke, "Not yet."
It was an hour later when Luke stood over the rebel Gran in disgust, "Who are your leaders?"
The gran said nothing as Luke let loose another storm of lighting.
Luke felt disgust as he spoke, "What reason did you have for joining the Empire?"
"Your Death Star that can destroy entire worlds is just one reason that is good enough for me Lord Skywalker."
"That doesn't exist. As the son of the Emperor I can tell you that it doesn't exist."
"It does, we know for a fact that it exists Milord that is why I fight for the Galaxy. It must be destroyed."
"I've had enough of you useless fools!" Luke yelled as he raised his hand. The Gran's throat started to constrict until his neck snapped.
Luke kicked the corpse and stormed out of the cell and headed for the turbolift in anger.
He passed several officers as he spoke, "Get that corpse out of there."
"Yes Milord."
Luke walked into his office and pressed his holocom. Within minutes, an image of his father appeared directly before him.
"The rebels on Malastare have been taken care of father. Everything is back to normal here."
"Good, very good son did you obtain any information from your prisoners?"
"No, they chose death despite all of the interrogation that I gave them they didn't break."
"And what were their reasons for joining?" Vader asked.
"The Death Star once again. I don't get it, this thing doesn't even exist. It is propaganda that the Rebels have created and it's pulling thousands to their ranks."
"Yes I know, not to worry son in due time the Rebels will not be a problem. They pose very little threat the way that it is," Vader replied.
"What are your orders?" Luke asked.
"I want you to go to Naboo. Moff Panaka has something of great value. You must bring it back to Coruscant for me," Vader replied.
"As you wish father," Luke replied.
"You may spend time with your wife on Naboo but you may not take her to see her mother."
Luke frowned, "She really misses her. What would five minutes do?"
Vader raised his hand and lightning burned into Luke's body. He looked down at his son as he spoke, "As long as I'm breathing you do not question me because I am your father and I am your Emperor and above all I am the Master and you're the Apprentice."
Luke felt another stream of lightning burning into his body as he let out a scream.
Mara had just finished making dinner for herself and Luke's officers when she heard footsteps. She turned to see her husband standing in the kitchen. She approached her husband and gave him a kiss on the cheek as she spoke, "I noticed that we went into hyperspace."
"Everything is over. My father has ordered us to go to Naboo to collect something of value. During our time I thought that we could have the honeymoon that we didn't have."
"You mean it?" Mara asked as she noticed the smile on his face.
"Yes," Luke replied.
As Mara served dinner for Luke, Han and Biggs. Luke spoke, "You can give the men shore leave for the week. We will spend one week on Naboo and then we will get back to work."
"That sounds reasonable to me," Biggs replied.
"Take some yourselves we all could use it," Luke replied.
Biggs nodded in agreement as he spoke, "I may just take a shuttle and go to Tatooine to visit my father, it's been too long and it would only take me an hour or two to get there from Naboo if that."
"You have my permission to do that," Luke replied.
"Thank you," Biggs replied.
"Luke, is it possible for me to see my mother?"
"I asked my father about that, I asked him for just five minutes and he didn't take it well."
"What did he do?" Mara asked uneasily.
"I don't want to talk about it."
Mara stood up and approached her husband.
She pushed his tunic down to reveal his red skin as she spoke, "The monster can shock you through the holocom?"
"Of course he can," Luke replied.
"Luke if you knew that he was going to get angry you should have..."
"I'm not going to let him tell me what to do. Don't worry we will find a way to get you to visit her."
"I'm not going to visit my mother with the knowledge that you're being tortured by that animal for my actions," Mara replied.
"If it makes you happy I can take it," Luke replied.
"Seeing you suffer doesn't make me happy. It is wrong for me to have what I want when you have to suffer for me to have it," Mara stated.
"I'm sorry Mara," Luke replied.
"There are these long time friends of my mother's that I would love to see if that would be acceptable."
"Who are they?" Luke asked.
"Queen Amidala's parents. My mother grew up with her so she was a close friend of her family and I just want to visit them if you have no objection."
"I see no harm in that you may take a speeder and do that when we arrive," Luke replied.
"Thank you Luke," Mara replied.
As the group finished their dinner, Mara stood up to collect everyone's dishes.
As she left Han spoke, "She seems like a very good wife for you."
"I just do my best to be a good husband to her. You should have seen her face when she found out that my father punished me like he does."
"Do you really think that you deserve to live like this?" Biggs asked.
"What other way is there?" Luke asked.
"Your popularity in the Empire," Han interjected.
"What are you saying?" Luke asked.
"What I would do," Mara interjected.
Luke frowned as Mara sat down, "You're not an evil man Luke. You have a conscious you have a heart and I do not believe that you can destroy innocent lives if you rule the Galaxy."
"So I destroy..."
"No that's what he wants. He wants you to destroy him and lose your soul like he did when he killed Palpatine and your mother. He wants you to become some horrible monster like the one that he is. He wants to die so that he doesn't have to be miserable but you don't give it to him."
"What do I do?" Luke asked.
"Go to war with him, apprehend him and put him on trial for his crimes and don't give him the satisfaction of dying at your hand," Mara replied.
Luke noticed Han looking at Biggs as he spoke, "I like her."
Luke looked at his two friends as he spoke, "I'm going to think about this."
"The dark isn't the way Luke. I've seen the good in you. Your father hasn't kept you fully immersed in the dark. There is good in you. That is why you haven't hurt me in our time together. That is why you care to help me see my mother. You are good not evil."
Luke looked at his wife and then at his two friends. He then stood up and left the room.
Mara stood up to do the dishes as Han and Biggs assisted her in gathering the plates.
Luke sat in his meditation chamber with his eyes closed as he meditated.
He found himself wondering if going to war with his father was really the way? How would he defeat him without the dark side? What could he be if he wasn't a Sith? The Jedi would never accept him. Who would? Luke didn't know what he was going to do.
As the doors of the room opened, he saw Mara standing in front of him.
"We just got into orbit above Naboo," Mara stated.
Luke stood up as his wife approached him. He looked down for a long moment before he spoke, "I feel so lost Mara."
"Lost?"
"I feel like being the man that my father wants me to be isn't what I'm supposed to do. At the same time, I don't know what I'm supposed to do or where I'm supposed to go. This life is the only one that I've known."
"So why not make one for ourselves?" Mara asked.
"Without the Empire?" Luke asked.
"Why should you give such a wretched man what he wants? He wants you to take his life he wants you to become Emperor and he wants you to carry on this dark legacy through our children and their children. If we have a son do you want to abuse and degrade him like your father has done to you. Can you do it?"
Luke looked down at the ground before looking at Mara, "No."
"Embrace the light side," Mara replied.
"I don't know how to. Can you tell me how?"
Mara thought for a moment as she spoke, "I know someone on Naboo that may help you. A friend of my mother's who is very well read on the history of the wars between the Jedi and Sith. We will ask him."
Luke nodded as he stood up. He kissed his wife as he spoke, "Let's go to bed it is late."
alright that is it for now. I hope that you enjoy it. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. It seems like people are liking this so far. I know I'm doing this story a bit different than others.
-Fallen Jedi 79