Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars. George Lucas does. This is his galaxy far, far away. I'm just playing around with my own little warped idea of what that galaxy could be like. I'm not making any money off of this. Please don't sue me. I have no money (but you can have my debt if you'd like).
Author's Note: As far as Luke goes, assume everything through The Truce at Bakura happened and for Mara, everything through Mara Jade: By the Emperor's Hand. It should fit in nicely with those and, if not, write it off to the fact it's an AU.
Prologue: A Lonely Path
Luke Skywalker sat on the forest moon of Endor looking at the stars of the night sky as the nearby campfire started to die away. He found his eyes constantly moving to focus on the same spot in the night sky. The spot where the second Death Star had once orbited Endor. The place where Luke's life changed in an instant. Luke had finally regained the father he had been seeking since childhood, only to have him ripped away. He was left alone in the galaxy. Luke was not entirely alone, of course. He had his sister and Han as well as his other friends in the Alliance, but none of them would or could understand.
He was the sole remaining Jedi Knight. The burden of teaching the ways of the Force and keeping the galaxy safe from any who would abuse that power was on his shoulders. Someday, perhaps, Luke would not be alone in this task, but that day was far off. It would likely be years, if not longer, before the war was settled enough for him to take on his new role as teacher. Luke still had much to learn himself about the Force, his place in the galaxy and life in general.
Ever since Luke had left Tatooine, he had been defined by the war. At first, he was the green pilot who hit a one in a million shot to destroy the Death Star. Later, he proved himself as a pilot and was known as the hopeful Jedi, ace X-Wing pilot and commander of Rogue Squadron. And up until recently, Luke was the Jedi charged with facing the Emperor and Vader and ending the Dark Side's reign once and for all.
But Luke wasn't the one who had completed that task. At least not directly. It was his father that had destroyed the Emperor. Anakin Skywalker had broken the bonds of the Dark Side to answer his son's plea and save Luke's life. For a few brief moments, father and son were reunited and there were two Jedi to defend the galaxy once more. Sadly, that time could not last and Anakin Skywalker became one with the Force, leaving Luke fatherless once more. Luke had no one to look to for guidance beyond his own memories. Every role model in his life had left him, leaving Luke to find his own path.
Luke just wished he knew what that path was. He knew the task that lay before him, but Luke felt as if something was missing in his life. As a child, he had dreamed of adventure in the stars, but now that those dreams had become a reality, Luke realized he wanted something else. Something bigger, yet simpler. Luke Skywalker would always be a Jedi and the Force would always guide him, but he did not want to become known as the all-powerful Jedi Master. In some ways, he still wanted to be the simple farmer from Tatooine. Someone who could live a simple life away from prying eyes and settle down, perhaps even raise a family.
Luke snorted at his thoughts. His life would never be simple and settling down wasn't in his blood. The Force would always call him to fulfill his place as the last of the Jedi Knights. Luke couldn't turn his back on his calling, but perhaps he could have something more in his life. A family wasn't out of the question. In fact, he dreamed of having a child someday once the war was over. First, however, Luke would need to find someone willing to share his hectic lifestyle. He would have to find a woman to love that could love him back. Someone who could understand him and keep up with the life of a Jedi. That kind of woman didn't just come out of nowhere.
His campfire had died down to burning embers when Luke finally turned his gaze away from the night sky. He hadn't realized he had been out here in the middle of the forest thinking for so long. Luke glanced at the chronometer on his wrist. It was 0300. He had been out here for close to three hours and still felt unsettled. Luke doused the glowing embers that remained of his fire with some nearby dirt and began hiking through the forest towards the camp to attempt sleep he was sure wouldn't come.
Reaching the camp, Luke stopped at the Millennium Falcon. He could feel his sister's peaceful presence on board, likely asleep with Han. She had known that something had been bothering Luke the last few days and had told him to come to her at anytime when he was ready to talk. Luke considered taking her up on that offer then and there, but thought the better of it. He didn't begrudge Leia's happiness, but he couldn't help but feel jealous that she had someone to help her through these times in a way he didn't.
Luke stood watching the dormant ship for a few minutes before hearing a beep from behind him. He slowly turned around at the familiar sound to find R2-D2 rolling up to him, concerned about his master's extended absence. Having Luke's attention, R2 whistled an inquiry. "I'm fine. I just lost track of time. Too lost in my thoughts I guess."
Luke glanced once more in the direction of the parked Millennium Falcon. Soon, they would be leaving Endor to continue fighting. The Empire would only lick its wounds so long before attempting a new strike and the Alliance had already spent a good deal of time dealing with the incident that had sprung up at Bakura. When the fighting began anew, Luke would once again be caught up in the hectic lifestyle of a starfighter pilot. Right now, that was not what he needed. Luke had to follow his own path for a while. What he needed was time alone. Luke turned back to his faithful droid. "R2. Fire up my X-Wing."
The droid beeped in surprise at his master's request. Luke stood silent for a moment, considering his decision. Was this really what he wanted to do? Luke closed his eyes and reached for the guidance of the one thing he knew wouldn't fail him. He could feel the Force calling him to follow his heart. Luke's eyes popped open and he patted R2's dome as he made his way to his bunk to gather his things. "I'm sure. And try to keep the clearance quiet. I don't want anyone to know I'm gone until morning."
Luke guided his X-Wing out of the atmosphere of Endor, pushing himself into the inky black of space. He never felt freer than when he was flying, but it had lost some of its thrill as of late. Luke had allowed himself to get so caught up in his responsibilities that he no longer had the motivation to take pleasure in the simple things. This was why he needed time alone. He needed a break from the pressures of the war. The Alliance could go on without Luke Skywalker for a while. It had done so before.
Looking down at his scopes, Luke found that he was out of Endor's gravity well. However, he had no destination. He had packed up his few belongings and written a hasty note to quench Leia's worries as best he could. The only thing Luke knew was that he needed to get away. Where did not matter. He pulled up a star chart on the ship's computer. Perhaps, he could return to Tatooine for a while. Luke shook his head. Going to a place so tied into his past would only hamper his ability to look forward. Tatooine was out.
Luke looked at the map in front of him. For what it mattered, he could pick any habitable planet. However, Luke kept finding himself drawn to an unfamiliar point on the star chart. He tapped on the system to see if he could divine its importance. He watched the information scroll down the screen. Naboo, a system on the edge of the Mid Rim with a temperate climate. While under the nominal control of the Empire, its presence there was minimal. Luke looked at the holographic image of the blue and green planet as it rotated before him. It was almost as if the Force was calling him there. Without another thought, Luke entered the coordinates for Naboo into the navigation computer. After a few moments, his X-Wing disappeared into hyperspace with a flicker of pseudomotion.