A/N: This is actually inspired by my mom's fetal pig dissection manual, which she wrote my dad's name and initials and her name with his last name all over the book, sometimes with hearts. It's amusing and cute, and I wanted to do the same for Mara and Luke.
Despite her age, Mara spent most of her classes with Luke and Leia's group. As padawans, they all had fewer classes, but they still had to take some to supplement their knowledge. Frequently going on missions, though, made it hard sometimes to attend class.
Which was why Mara was bolting through the Temple hallways clutching her biology holobook. She had just got back from a week-long mission and just barely had time to make it before missing class. Master Bonteri was reporting to the Council alone so she could run to class.
Mara skidded to a stop in the hall where the classroom was with five minutes to spare. Corran, Ezra, Galen, Luke, and Leia were waiting outside the closed door of the classroom. Mara joined them and bent over her knees, panting.
"How was the blerg-festival?" Ezra asked.
Mara groaned. Memories of charging through blerg stables after blerg-race saboteurs, being covered in blerg saliva and droppings flooded her from the place she had banished them. "I never want to see another blerg again."
Luke chuckled. "That bad, huh?"
Mara straightened, her face growing hot. Every time Luke talked to her these days, she got flustered. Her eyes caught as they had before on his longish hair hanging in his eyes and past his ears. Leia made fun of the longer hair, saying he couldn't look good in it like Master Skywalker and needed a haircut, but Mara thought the haircut was handsome. It made him look manly, just his age of seventeen. She shook herself. He was still waiting for an answer. "Yes, it was. I wound up arresting blerg saboteurs covered in blerg dung."
Why had she given him that image? She wanted him to see her as poised and put together, always beautiful, like his mother, and competent, graceful, deadly. Not a foolish girl that got tricked into the compost pile and had a lightsaber fight covered in dung. Instead, he should see the girl President Amidala taught to dance and fight that could put him on his back with a leg sweep and give him a black eye. Again she vowed not to talk to him unless she could do it without putting her foot in her mouth.
"Hey, Mara?" Corran asked. "I lost my biology holobook. Can I borrow yours? You did better on the last test than me, so you won't need it as much."
All the…notes Mara had scribbled over the pages of the holobook imposed themselves in her brain. If Corran saw them, she'd never live it down. She'd have to move the Outer Rim, join the AgriCorps. She reflexively hugged the holobook to her chest. "No, I don't think I—"
"Thanks, Mara." Corran snatched the holobook from her arms.
"No, wait!" Mara stretched out her hands, unsure what course she should take to get the holobook back—pull it out of Corran's hands with the Force, punch him in the throat and take it back, give him a brain aneurysm, go straight to Force choking? Her hesitation cost her valuable time.
Corran turned the holobook on and a page appeared, one of Mara's large notes superimposed on the page. He chuckled. "What's this? 'Jedi Knight Mara Jade Skywalker'?"
Mara froze, her blood chilling. It was over. Her life was over. She could never face any of the Skywalkers, any Jedi ever again.
"What? Let me see that." Ezra bent over the textbook, then burst into laughter. "You got something to tell us, Mara? Someone you like?"
"No!" Mara cried. "Give it back, Corran."
Instead, Corran swiped to another page, one more covered in writing. "'Mrs. Mara Jade Skywalker. Mara Skywalker. Mr. and Mrs. Luke Skywalker'."
"Corran, give that back!" Mara dove for the holobook, but Corran held it out of her reach. For the first time, Mara cursed her short height instead of thanking it for making her the perfect height for Luke. She kicked Corran's foot, but Corran stood firm. "That's my textbook!"
Still holding it out of her reach, Corran swiped until he found another page with writing. "Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker. Luke Naberrie Skywalker. Jedi Masters Luke and Mara Skywalker."
"I'm going to kill you!" Mara charged Corran, tackling him to the ground. He didn't lose grip of her textbook, but she didn't care. She straddled him and swung her fists again and again into his face.
"Woah! Mara!" Ezra exclaimed.
Leia darted in and snatched Mara's textbook away from Corran.
Galen wrapped his arms around Mara's waist and lifted her bodily away from Corran. Mara kicked and punched the air, spitting Huttese curses she'd learned from Master Bonteri when Ahsoka thought she wasn't listening or was trying to repair a ship. Leia's eyebrows rose and eyes grew wide with every curse Mara spat. Luke stood at the edge of the group, face bright red. He ducked his head when she looked at him.
Corran climbed to his feet and charged Mara. Ezra caught him and held him back. "Calm down!"
"Calm down, Mara!" Galen said.
Mara struggled against his firm arms. Her eyes and cheeks were wet. She was crying. "But…Corran…he…"
"Forget about Corran," Galen said. "Knocking the stuffing out of someone is not the Jedi way."
"But it's my way!" Mara cried. "Let me go!"
Corran started forward again.
Ezra pulled him away. "Come on, let's go." He led him down the hall away from Mara.
Galen didn't let Mara down until Corran was out of sight.
Mara sniffed and wiped her tears away. She was never going to live this down. She'd have to leave the Jedi Order. She could probably make a good smuggler. Or maybe a Sith. How bad were Sith really? Was it really so wrong to murder someone if they were really, really obnoxious?
Leia held out Mara's textbook. "Here's your textbook."
Mara's face burned. Leia must think she's so stupid, mooning after her brother. "Keep it," she choked out. She fled down the corridor, away from the Skywalkers, away from everyone. She could never show her face in public again.
Mara had entered the apartment in the Temple she shared with the Bonteri family and was packing the belongings she hadn't brought with her on the mission when Master Bonteri entered.
Ahsoka raised her eyebrows. "Why are you packing? We just got back."
"I'm leaving the Jedi Order," Mara said briskly.
"What? Why?" Ahsoka drew back, frowning. "What's brought this on? You did well on the mission. Don't be embarrassed because you got tricked into falling into unsavory substances. It's all right. We all do it."
"It's not about that," Mara cried. "I can never show my face in public again."
"Is this about the Luke thing?" Ahsoka gave a bit of a smile. A smile! How could she smile at this?
"You know?" Mara cried in dismay. "That's it. I'm moving to the Outer Rim."
"Luke has family in the Outer Rim," Ahsoka said.
"Then I'll go further!" Mara said.
"This whole Luke thing will blow over in a few days. It'll be fine, don't worry." Ahsoka put a comforting hand on Mara's shoulder, but it didn't matter. Nothing could erase Mara's embarrassment.
"No, I can never look Luke in the face again. I should just leave."
Ahsoka sighed. "Is your being a Jedi entirely dependent upon Luke Skywalker?"
"Yes!" Mara cried. "No! I don't know. I just have to leave. Forever."
"You can't give up all that you've worked hard for all your life because of a little embarrassment," Ahsoka said.
"Then do I have your permission to murder Corran Horn?" Mara asked.
Ahsoka laughed. "Murder is not the Jedi way. It'll be all right, Mara. You'll see. Why don't you go meditate in the Room of a Thousand Fountains and calm yourself down? You'll get a better perspective on this and have the courage to face it."
Mara sighed. "I hope you're right, Master." She dropped her bags on her bed and trudged out.
Mara stared at a fountain and bit her lip. She'd tried to meditate, but all she could think about was Luke's face. He had to think she was so stupid. He probably thought of her as a friend or cousin since he called her master Auntsoka. If she spoke to him about it, then he'd probably let her down nicely and say he hoped this wouldn't make the missions together they'd inevitably go on awkward.
"I thought I'd find you in here, if you weren't off to murder Corran," Leia said.
Mara glanced up. Leia stood beside her, holding the biology holobook.
Mara snorted. "I never want to see that again."
Leia sat down next to her and set the holobook down. "Don't worry, I didn't read it."
Mara groaned. "You must hate me."
"Why would I?"
"Because…" Mara gestured to the holobook. She and Leia had been friends for a long time, but this was certain to come between them.
"Why, because you like my brother?" Leia shrugged. "Why should it bother me that the girl my brother loves reciprocates his feelings?"
Reciprocates? Surely she wasn't saying what she thought she was saying. "You don't mean…Luke likes me?"
Leia rolled her eyes. "How could you not see it? He stares at you all the time. He asked to be your lab partner instead of mine. He's constantly asking to spar with you. He was even moony-eyed over you when you gave him a black eye."
Mara hunched in on herself. "You're sure?"
"I'm positive." Leia nudged her. "I don't blame you for wanting to kill Corran."
Mara laughed. "He deserves it."
Leia clapped her on the shoulder. "Well, maybe later we can come up with some adequate revenge." She stood and nodded to a nearby waterfall. "Luke's hiding behind that waterfall."
Mara drew in a shaky breath. She stood and marched towards the waterfall. She was still probably going to die of embarrassment, but she had to know.
Luke sat on a ledge behind the waterfall, spray coating his face. He couldn't believe what Corran had done to Mara. If he hadn't been in such shock, he would have defended her. As it was, Mara was probably disgusted with him by now for not standing up for her or telling her he felt the same way.
He groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face. He should have just spoken up right then, he probably should have spoken sooner, but they were young and busy with missions and he didn't want to bare his soul only for Mara to laugh at him.
Mara stepped through the waterfall. Her hair stuck to her face in clinging strands. She blinked water droplets out of her eyelashes. "Leia told me I'd find you here."
Luke nodded, swallowing hard. He wasn't sure whether to be thankful to Leia or angry. "I'm sorry about…earlier, I should have defended you and…"
"No, it's all right." Mara stepped up to him, close enough to lay her hand on his chest, not that she'd ever want to. "I suppose it's not horrible that you heard all that." Her cheeks grew pink.
Luke couldn't restrain a smile. She was just so adorable when she was flustered. "I love you, Mara Jade." His eyes widened. He hadn't meant to say that out loud, not for years.
"I think I love you too," Mara whispered.
Luke cupped the back of her head and pressed his lips to hers. Mara wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss.
Mara walked (or was she floating?) into the Bonteri apartment and snatched a towel from the 'fresher. Ahsoka was sitting in the living area reading a datapad.
"I guess I won't be leaving the Jedi after all."
Ahsoka smiled. "Good. I didn't think you would."
A/N: I know next to nothing about Galen Marek's personality, but from what I can tell, who he is was driven by being raised by Darth Vader, so take that away and I can make him what I want. Not that I plan on writing about him that often.
Not shown is Ahsoka realizing how freaked out she was when she heard Mara say she was leaving the Order and calling Anakin to apologize in tears.
Ahsoka: I'm so sorry! I never knew how hard it was and I'm so sorry I left you and it was unforgivable you must have been so devastated can you forgive me for leaving the order?
Anakin: Ahsoka, that was eighteen years ago