Chapter 10: Errant Venture, 13 ABY
The Jade's Fire jolted back into realspace. Mara did not sigh in relief that their mission was over. How could she, when they had-once again-been completely unsuccessful?
Sitting next to her in the co-pilot's seat, Luke shifted. Mara shot him a glare. "Don't say it," she nearly growled at him. "I'm allowed to get frustrated."
"I would never suggest otherwise."
Mara snorted. Since they'd become a couple, she'd learned that Luke's calmness did in fact have a limit. That limit was just far higher than hers. That used to annoy her, but it had become one of the things she most admired about him.
Except now, when she was ready to tear her hair out. "How can you not be pissed off? We've been searching for this so-called First Order for almost a year. I'm beginning to think your father sent us on some wild bantha chase just to mess with us."
"Mara."
She huffed. "Well he could have been more specific. What's the point of being a Force ghost if you don't know everything?"
"Mara."
It was amazing how he could say her name twice and both times sound completely different.
She exhaled, and with it tried to expel all her pent-up energy. She missed sparring. Hell, she missed being on Ossus. The place she'd avoided for so long had become home over the past two years. Or maybe it was just that Luke had become home.
Damn him for making her sentimental.
"I'm just worried, okay?" Some part of her still hated voicing her misgivings, even to Luke. She was supposed to be cool, collected, unflappable. Didn't matter that she was a Jedi now. Her personality may have softened, but she was still the former Emperor's Hand. And she hated failure. "I don't want this First Order kriffing up everything you've done."
Luke took her hand. "Everything we've done."
She reveled in his warmth, but shook her head. "Nah. I showed up after you did all the hard stuff."
"Why do you think I set up an academy on Ossus if not for you to come train with me?"
Mara rolled her eyes. "If that's true, you play a long, dangerous game, Skywalker."
He squeezed her hand. "And I won, didn't I?"
She couldn't resist leaning across the aisle and kissing him. When she pulled away, he smiled at her. "Don't worry, Mara. We'll figure things out. We always do."
She wished she had his confidence.
She yawned, suddenly exhausted after their last week jumping through hyperspace. Luke's smile morphed into a frown. "You okay?"
"Just tired. I'm fine."
Luke gestured toward the crew cabins. "Why don't you go lie down? I'll take us the rest of the way to Ossus."
Mara laughed. "Still trying to find any way to fly my ship, huh?"
Luke crossed his arms over his chest, looking awfully pleased with himself. "Did it work?"
She shoved his arm, but it was tempered by her yawning again. "Fine. Have your fun, flyboy." She gave him another kiss on the cheek before making her way to her-their-cabin. She laid on the bunk and the room spun around her.
Great, just great, she thought as she squeezed her eyes shut and breathed deeply. Not only was she annoyed, but now she was having vertigo. Again. Luke knew something was bothering her but she hadn't told him what. The last thing she needed right now was to make time to see a doctor. They had more important things to do, like save the galaxy from a vague threat that may or may not exist.
Leia said it did, and Luke continuously assured her they'd find what they were looking for-but they didn't even know what that was. All Anakin had said was that the Imperials who slipped away after Jakku were biding their time, preparing to return to the galaxy and take back what they'd lost. How they planned to do that without Palpatine, Mara had no idea. Luke and Leia had theories: clones, Sith artifacts looted from the Massassi temples, or simply a new Emperor entirely. Mara certainly wasn't about to let that happen.
Although if Palpatine did somehow return, at least she'd have the chance to kill him herself this time.
She took another deep breath, forcing away the vertigo and her worries. She was never this anxious, and she felt like the Organa-Solo's Threepio droid.
Then again, she'd never had so much to lose.
As the thought went through her mind, another wave of vertigo hit her. She groaned again, more annoyed than anything. If this kept up, she wouldn't be able to keep it from Luke. And it was dumb of her not to see a doctor. She needed to be at 100 percent if she wanted to find and fight this First Order.
Keeping her head straight, she sat up and forced herself to look at the wall. Unlike previous vertigo spells, this move didn't help, and her stomach heaved. Oh, great-this wasn't vertigo, but actual illness. What the hell had she eaten recently? Nothing besides ration bars. A whole lot of ration bars. And Luke was fine, so they couldn't have gone bad without her noticing. Speaking of, if she had a stomach bug, wouldn't he have one, too? But how could she have gotten a stomach bug when they hadn't left her ship in the past week?
Realization hit her. She did the math in her head, math she didn't think she would ever have to worry about, because she'd grown up in the Empire and they'd messed with her body to make her the perfect soldier. She'd always been too scared to ask doctors about her fertility, suspecting Palpatine had taken that from her, too.
She closed her eyes, opened herself to the Force, and that was all the confirmation she needed. She felt her own Force essence inside her... and Luke's.
Mara was glad she was already sitting up, because if she wasn't she would have bolted upright and definitely thrown up all over the cabin.
She put up her mental shields thirty seconds too late. The door to the cabin slid open and Luke stepped inside, frowning. "What's wrong?"
Every instinct screamed at her to lie. To admit she had vertigo and agree to see a doctor. But she couldn't lie to him. This was his problem, too.
She stopped herself as she thought the words. No, not a problem.
She waited for him to sit next to her on the bunk, then took his hand. "I haven't been feeling well lately. I just realized why." She moved his hand to her stomach.
He stared at their joined hands, then back to her face. His back went completely straight and his grip tightened around hers. "Are you sure?" There was hopefulness in his voice, along with concern and restraint.
She felt all those things, too.
They'd talked about kids not long after getting together. Luke wanted them, which wasn't a shock, but to her surprise she didn't even have to question if she wanted them, too. She just did. But she also didn't know if that was possible, and had voiced those concerns to Luke. He had told her there was no rush, they could "see what happened" for now, and the lack of pressure had been a balm to her soul. She knew eventually she'd have to face the truth of what the Empire had done to her body, but for now, she could simply enjoy being with Luke.
"I know we haven't been trying. But we haven't not been trying, either." She moved their hands into her lap and covered them with her other hand. "I guess the Force had other ideas."
Luke swallowed hard, tempering his reaction, but she could feel his Force sense bursting. "You should see a doctor."
"That is customary, yes," she couldn't help teasing him. "Both for confirmation and to..." she trailed off, not wanting to taint this moment.
Luke must have sensed it because he pressed her knuckles to his lips. He hugged her and pulled her close, not squeezing her, but wrapping himself around her in the Force. It was comforting and warm and she never wanted to move. "We should get married."
She laughed into his shoulder. There was his Farmboy nature, always jumping in head-first. "I don't want you to marry me just because I'm pregnant."
"It's not. I've been planning to ask... was waiting for the right moment."
She could sense the truth in his words. "Maybe," she murmured.
He pulled away from her and looked deep into her eyes. "Will you marry me?"
She didn't know what to say. They'd talked about marriage, too, but she honestly hadn't seen the point. What could marriage give them that they didn't already have? As far as she was concerned, she'd made her commitment to him back on Ahch-To.
But if it was important to him...
"Yes," she said. "And no."
Luke's smile faltered. "Are you making things difficult for me again?"
She shook her head. "I want to be with you. You know that. I want a family with you."
He raised his eyebrows. "But?"
She hung her head, the implications of her new knowledge hitting her like a slap of duracrete. The room spun again, but she forced herself to look Luke straight in the eye. He deserved the truth.
"Evil is growing, Luke. I've sensed it, and so have you. The Empire might be gone, but something else remains, and they want revenge."
"I won't let anything hurt you, Mara."
She thought back to Ben Solo, kidnapped and taken to Mustafar just because of who his grandfather was. Knowledge he still wasn't aware of. Knowledge she would never be able to keep from her own child, no matter what Luke or Leia said.
And then there were her enemies, people who believed that becoming a Jedi was the ultimate betrayal from the Emperor's Hand. They would do anything to bring her back to serve darkness again.
"There are things we don't know about, Luke. The less people know about our relationship-especially that we have a child-the better. I don't want them to be at risk from our enemies."
"We're Jedi, Mara. We will always have enemies."
"I know." She'd never been one to want to run away before, but the urge to turn the Jade's Fire around, fly to Ahch-To, and never leave that island was becoming more and more enticing. But she'd vowed to serve the Force, and she would. "I want to do whatever I can to protect our child. Just like you would."
Luke looked to the floor and nodded. "I understand." She could sense that he did, but he didn't like it. She could relate. "It just feels wrong, though. Hiding our relationship. Hiding a child. A child I didn't realize until now how much I truly wanted." His voice broke and he squeezed her hand. "Secrets destroyed my father."
Shame fell over her. She knew Luke hated keeping the truth about Vader from Ben, and now she wanted him to keep another secret from the entire galaxy. "It's not like that, Luke. The important people will know."
Luke nodded again. She hated that this moment between them held any emotion other than pure happiness. She didn't know how to prove to him that she loved him more than anything and wanted to be with him forever, but she vowed that she would.
For now, she pulled him close and kissed him.
.
.
.
The Jade's Fire jolted out of hyperspace directly in front of a Star Destroyer.
A decade ago, such an occurrence would have Luke scrambling to flee back into hyperspace or to prepare for battle. Now, he merely stifled a laugh while Mara got on the comm and initiated docking procedures. When she was finished, Luke shook his head. "I still don't understand what in the galaxy prompted Booster Terrik to paint his ship red of all colors."
"You've met the man," Mara said, rolling her eyes. "If he can't make a statement, what's the point of having a Star Destroyer in the first place?"
Luke had to admit it was a good way of separating oneself from the old Empire. "Besides throwing lavish parties, you mean?"
Mara shrugged. "It's his credits. I'll take advantage of any opportunity to dress up and hang with the old smuggler crew." She pointedly glanced at her stomach, then at Luke. "Since I can't partake in the open bar and take full advantage of Booster's credits, it's up to you to honor the Jade-Skywalker family. Think you're up for it?"
Luke smiled, thinking back to long, cold nights on Hoth. "If the Rogues were here, maybe."
Mara smiled as she turned back to the flight controls. "Good to know."
Luke furrowed his brow, but didn't bother asking. Since becoming a couple, Mara liked to file away facts to use against him-or for his benefit-later on. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know what this one would end up being.
He allowed himself a lingering glance at her stomach, still not showing any sign of her pregnancy, and settled back for the approach to the Errant Venture under Mara's deft flying. In the month since her discovery, her pregnancy had been confirmed by one of Luke's Jedi apprentices, a Mon Calamari healer named Cilghal, as well as a medic on Coruscant. Both proclaimed the pregnancy healthy and normal, as much as it could be at this early stage. To his surprise, Mara wanted to tell Leia and Han and Karrde right away, but no one else until she reached the second trimester. Luke had readily agreed, wanting her to be comfortable and understanding how much trepidation she still held about Imperial experiments and procedures done to her body without her knowledge or consent. Even now, she still hadn't been able to obtain a complete medical record.
Add that to the long list of the horrors of the Empire.
Luke also understood Mara's hesitation to make their relationship official in the eyes of the New Republic, or any other government, for that matter. Luke had deliberately distanced himself from the New Republic after resigning from the military to focus on becoming a Jedi, but in the past few years, after the conflicts with Gideon and Vanross and Thrawn, Luke had come to realize there would be occasions when armed conflict was necessary. He didn't like it, and would strive to keep the new Jedi Order as keepers of the peace, but that meant defending those who could not defend themselves. The New Republic was far from perfect, but its strength was necessary to keep the Empire from returning in whatever form. With the threat of the nascent First Order hidden somewhere in the galaxy, Luke had the sinking feeling he'd be called to action sooner than he wanted.
He'd thought training his nephew would be hard. Training his child would be even harder-if they chose to become a Jedi, of course. Mara had made it clear that was not a foregone conclusion and had to be a conscious decision on their child's part. Luke couldn't claim he'd always dreamt of teaching his child about the Force; he hadn't known it existed until he was 19 years old, and having children was the farthest thing from his mind for many years after that. After Leia and Han got married, he'd wondered if he'd ever walk that path, but concluded that the life of a Jedi and the life of a father probably weren't compatible.
Leave it to Mara to overturn all his expectations.
Still, since he and Mara had gotten together, he had envisioned having a family. Training Mara had been the most fulfilling endeavor of his life, and he imagined it would only be surpassed by training his nephew and his child. But no matter what, he would abide by their child's decision. He'd fought the Empire so the next generation could have a brighter future. A peaceful future.
And if that meant hiding their child from those would do them harm, he would do it. If that meant never legally marrying Mara, he would do it. Anything to keep his child from becoming a pawn to evil, like Mara had.
But he couldn't help wishing things could be different.
The Jade's Fire settled down in the docking bay of the Errant Venture. Luke shook himself from his thoughts and gave Mara an approving smile, not that she needed it. This was a time for celebration, and they had a lot worth celebrating. "So what is the reason for this party again?"
Mara waved her hand. She'd been cryptic when she'd received the invitation, but he hadn't needed much convincing to take a short vacation from Ossus, especially if it helped her relax during one of the most stressful parts of her pregnancy. "You know smugglers. They'll make any excuse to drink."
"And this one is?" he prodded.
"Anniversary of the Smuggler's Alliance."
Luke counted backwards in his head. "It's the... third anniversary? That's an odd milestone." It wasn't some weird Corellian tradition that he knew about, but he wouldn't put it past old Booster.
"Well, yeah," Mara said, waving her hand again. "But the charter is no longer provisional, so I guess it's a big deal. I'm not sure of the specifics." She raised her eyebrows in his direction. "If you recall, I quit the organization two years ago."
Luke snorted. Mara never expressed regret about her decision to become a Jedi, but she took every opportunity to remind him how he'd upended her life. The feeling was mutual. "Well, I'll take any opportunity to admire you in a beautiful dress."
Mara rolled her eyes and undid her crash webbing. "Force, this pregnancy has made you even more sappy than before."
He stood and held out his hand, not that she needed help getting up. He just enjoyed helping her. "And this surprises you?"
"I'd be disappointed if you weren't." She took his hand and let him lift her to a standing position, then kissed his cheek. "Looks like the welcoming party is already there." She gestured out the viewport to where Leia, Han, Threepio, and Ben stood expectantly. Leia had been invited to the party as a representative from the New Republic, and she also never turned down an opportunity to make her husband get dressed up. "Lead the way, Farmboy."
As Luke turned to leave the Jade's Fire, he could have sworn Mara's grin grew bigger. He glanced over his shoulder, but her shields were as tight as can be. He mentally shrugged and continued walking. Probably some smuggler ritual she wanted to surprise him with. He'd let her have her fun. It was the least he could do since she couldn't partake in the open bar, he chuckled to himself.
Luke barely got off the ramp before Ben flew forward and hugged him. "Hi, Uncle Luke!"
Luke hugged him back. At eight years old, he was already more than half Luke's height. Ben must have inherited his height from his grandfather. The thought made Luke's stomach clench for more than one reason. "Hey, Ben. Greeting me first for a change?"
Ben gave him a mischievous look, which was basically every look at this age. In that matter, he definitely took after his father. "I'm helping Mom and Aunt Mara first. So I wanted to say hi."
Luke furrowed his brow. "Helping them with what?"
Leia took that moment so step forward, sweep Ben away, and give Luke a kiss on the cheek. "Get ready for the party, of course."
Luke gave his nephew a knowing grin. "Of course. You don't miss any opportunity to pester Aunt Mara with questions."
Ben grinned back. "Just preparing her."
Mara winced and pulled Ben into a half-hug, half tackle. "My kid is going to be well-behaved."
Han, who'd been following the conversation with a smirk, threw back his head and laughed. "Good one, Jade." He waved his fingers out of the hangar. "Now go on, Threepio will show you to your quarters."
Threepio stepped forward. "Oh yes, Mistress Mara! I will be glad to assist you with all the preparations-"
Leia smacked her hand over Threepio's mouth. "We get it, Threepio." She rolled her eyes and waved her fingers back at Han. "See you soon."
Something in his sister's voice gave Luke pause. He almost asked what was going on, but then Mara smiled at him and turned away, her posture calm and relaxed, her sense in the Force exuding pure happiness. She walked arm in arm with Leia, Threepio leading the way as he nattered on, Ben playfully antagonizing him with pointless questions while dragging Mara's bag.
It still warmed his heart to see Mara fit so well with his family. Their family. And soon, he would have a child of his own.
He forced himself not to cry or Han would never let him hear the end of it.
Speaking of the devil, Han smacked Luke's back. "Now it's time for you to get ready, Junior."
Luke glanced down at himself. He had worn a flight suit for the trip, and was planning on wearing Jedi robes to the party to mess with all the other smugglers. Definitely not something that required a lot of preparation. "I think I'm okay on my own, Han."
Han snorted. "We'll see about that." He shoved a bag into his hand.
"What's this?"
"From Mara. She said you can't wear robes to the party. Now come on."
Luke shook his head and followed Han out of the hangar.
.
.
.
It took Luke all of ten minutes to run through the sonic shower in his and Mara's shared quarters, throw on the clothes Han had thrust into his hands, and run a comb through his hair.
He stepped out of the refresher and spread his arms. "There. Now we have..." He made a show of glancing at the chrono. "Fifty minutes until the party."
Han, lounging on the couch with his hands spread across the back, gave an approving nod. "Good. Plenty of time for a brotherly chat."
Luke groaned and settled into one of the chairs in the room. He glanced around for Artoo for help, but the little droid was nowhere to be found. Traitor. "Fine. What's up, Han?"
"What's up?" Han raised his eyebrows as he leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. "You're having a kid, Kid. You're bound to have questions."
"Know anyone I could ask?" Luke said, unable to stop himself from teasing.
Han snorted. "You've been hanging around with Jade too long."
"Yes," Luke said fondly. "I have."
It fell silent for a long moment. Han regarded him with a blank look that Luke couldn't place. Han was one of the luckiest people Luke had ever met, it was hard to believe sometimes that he couldn't touch the Force. Especially now, when Luke couldn't get a read on him.
Must have been a result of all Han's years playing sabacc.
"She makes you happy," Han finally said. "I'm glad. You two should have come to your senses long ago."
"We rarely saw each other, Han. Things never would have worked until it did."
Han waved his hand. "I know that tune." He leaned forward more. "You sure you're okay not getting married?"
Luke squirmed in his chair. It wasn't like he didn't want to talk to his family about personal issues. But this was something he wasn't totally comfortable with admitting to himself. How could he explain that he wouldn't change a thing about how his life had turned out-except he wished that he could?
Then again, Han probably wished he'd never been orphaned. Leia definitely wished Alderaan had never been destroyed. Mara wished she'd never been stolen from her family.
It wasn't a bad thing to wish things had been different. But they could only make do with the life that had been given to them.
Luke shrugged. "I have to be okay with it, Han. Whatever it takes to keep our family safe."
"You really think not being married will stop the bad guys from finding out about you?"
"No," Luke sighed, "and deep down I don't think Mara does, either. But it's something she can control, and right now, she needs all of that she can get."
"But?"
Luke clasped his hands in front of his mouth. Han was far more intuitive than people gave him credit for. "What if she changes her mind? What if she decides it's too dangerous to be with me? What if..." He couldn't voice his last fear-that Mara would take their child and run away to keep them safe. He knew she would never do something like that. But they'd never had a child together, either. And she was right-the First Order was out there, biding its time.
"Hey, Luke." Han's soft words, and his use of Luke's first name, made Luke look up. Han gave him a cocky smile. "I'm sure everything will work out. Now come on." He shot to his feet and his demeanor changed in an instant, like he was preparing to go into battle. "Let's have a drink."
Han led them to the closest bar, thankfully dropping the more serious subjects and focusing on shockball finals and Lando's new business. Luke caught Han up on all the news from the Jedi temple on Ossus, including his new batch of apprentices. Ben was eager to start his own training in a few years. It would be informal at first, whenever his formal schooling had a break, because it was important to both Luke and Leia-and especially Han-that Ben learn how to be a person first, and a Jedi second. Luke couldn't deny he was excited, too. He'd already taught Ben some basics, as had Leia, but this would be more serious, setting him up for his chosen destiny. Luke's own child might choose a different path, but Ben had decided to be a Jedi from the moment he truly comprehended what that meant.
Ben would be a great Jedi, someday. Luke was certain of it.
After they finished a drink, Han motioned for them to quit. Luke was barely feeling the effects and checked the chrono. Still a while until the party was supposed to start. But Han rose and motioned for them to leave the bar. "Time to move."
Luke shook his head. Since arriving on the Errant Venture all he'd done was follow Han around. Not that he minded spending time with his brother-in-law, but he was starting to get suspicious something was going on. It couldn't be related to the baby since so few people knew about it yet. A surprise birthday party? No, that would involve Leia, too.
He hurried to follow Han, who was taking shortcuts through the Errant Venture's maze of corridors. "Where are we going?"
"You'll see."
Luke groaned. "That isn't very reassuring."
"Now you sound like Threepio."
Luke rolled his eyes. Whatever. Let Han be cryptic. He could sense Mara was close by and was eager to get back to her. She was planning to wear one of her favorite dresses that wouldn't fit as soon as she started showing. Luke rarely cared what she wore, but he couldn't deny she looked absolutely beautiful when she dressed up. She always looked beautiful.
Yes, Mara, I'm getting sappy again, he thought through the Force. He could feel her amusement, but also... nervousness? Then she threw up her mental shields and he got nothing else.
Okay, something was definitely going on.
He pursed his lips and followed Han into another zig-zagging corridor. "Han! Where are we going?" He hadn't been on a Star Destroyer for several years, but he'd memorized their layouts during the Rebellion. None of the spaces large enough to act as a ballroom were even close to this direction.
"Didn't you know? Booster's throwing the party in one of the hangars. Says he likes the view."
Luke couldn't deny that it was one hell of a place for a party. Before he could ask any more questions, Han threw out his arm, stopping them. "Hold on a sec." He glanced around the corner, then pulled back. "Okay, we're good to go."
"Good to go for what?" Luke started... and then all his questions faded away as he wandered into the hangar, filled with rows of seats facing toward the magcon field, an aisle down the middle. It reminded him of the ceremony on Yavin IV. Even soft music played over the speakers.
He turned to Han, who was wearing the smuggest expression Luke had ever seen on him, and that was saying something. "What's going on? I thought this was a party?"
"It is. For you." Han leaned in and gave Luke a small thump on the back. "Come on, Kid. I told you everything was going to work out fine." Then, without any further explanation, Han proceeded down the aisle.
It wasn't until Luke spotted Karrde standing at the end of the aisle, dressed in fine formalwear and holding a datapad, that he realized what was going on.
This was a wedding.
Slowly, he followed Han. The occupants of the seats grinned at him, those along the aisle whispering good luck and other words of encouragement. He spotted his old squadron mates near the front; all his former and current Jedi apprentices; friends from the Rebellion and early days of the New Republic; all of Mara's colleagues in the Smuggler's Alliance and the crew of the Wild Karrde.
When Luke reached the end of the aisle, he turned around, tears stinging his eyes as he observed the audience. No, the guests. They were there for him.
And for Mara.
This was their wedding.
As the thought went through his mind, Mara appeared at the entrance to the hangar, Ben and Leia standing in front of her. Ben wore a suit that matched his father's and Leia wore a light blue dress, but Luke only had eyes for Mara. She was not wearing the dress they'd previously discussed, but rather a flowing white gown that reached her ankles, a short train trailing behind her as she practically glided down the aisle. Her hair was down, with small white flowers acting as both decoration and holding hair back from her face. Luke had no doubt she was wearing makeup, but he couldn't tell from this distance, and not that it mattered with how much she was smiling at him. It was brilliant and vibrant and only for him.
Sorry, Farmboy, she whispered through the Force, not sounding sorry at all. Wanted it to be a surprise.
Luke couldn't help himself. Tears rolled down his cheeks and he didn't bother to wipe them away. Everyone probably expected it from him, anyway.
Sure enough, Han leaned over and whispered, "Thanks, Kid. I bet you'd start crying right away. Lando said you wouldn't until you exchanged vows."
Luke didn't care that everyone had known about this before him. If he'd done this for Mara, she would have thrown something at his head. But this was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for him. She knew his anxieties about not making their relationship official, and this was how she'd chosen to ease his worries: by standing in front of all their friends and family and vowing to love him for all eternity.
When she reached the end of the aisle and he took her hands, he had never been so happy in his entire life.
"How did you do this?" he whispered.
"Booster owed us for saving his Star Destroyer. Figured I'd call in the favor and have our wedding someplace no one would be able to spy on us."
Luke chuckled and squeezed her fingers. He wanted to ask her why she'd done this, but that was obvious. This was her way of reassuring him that no matter what their relationship status in the eyes of the law, she was in this for the long haul. She didn't have to do such a thing, of course, but that didn't matter.
He was the luckiest man alive.
.
.
.
The wedding had been a complete success.
The idea came to Mara the day after she realized she was pregnant. She didn't think about it again until after the pregnancy was confirmed. She knew Luke wanted to make their relationship official, and she did, too. But she was scared. Luke Skywalker's child would be an even bigger target than his sister's, and Ben had already been kidnapped once. Her heart constricted at the thought of her child being hunted by dark Force users, or lost Sith, or hidden warlords, or the elusive First Order, or, or, or...
She had fought hard these past nine years to tear herself out of Palpatine's shadow. She was no longer the Emperor's Hand, but she could use his lessons to her advantage. The evil forces in the galaxy wanted her to be afraid. They didn't want her to be happy. Well, screw them. She'd already been victorious over the dark, and now was the time to revel in her victory.
They would keep their relationship hidden from those who wished to do them harm. That didn't mean they had to hide from everyone that mattered.
Mara sipped the non-alcoholic wine, grateful Leia had arranged some bottles to be served at the reception so Mara didn't raise suspicion by not drinking at all. Not that every woman at their current table hadn't already figured out her and Luke's not-so-little secret. Mirax Terrik, Horn's wife and Booster's daughter, had been the first to say something, jerking her head at Mara's glass and asking how far along she was. Mara had sputtered and pretended to be confused, but Mirax was used to being around wily Jedi and wouldn't be deterred. Besides, Mirax had pointed out, she knew the smell well, and raised her own glass.
They were both pregnant at the same time? Well. That could be beneficial. They'd shared a toast and agreed to get together later.
It would be nice to have a friend of her own. Sure, all of Luke's friends had become hers, and she cared for them all, but this felt different. An echo of the relationship she still had with Karrde.
She still couldn't believe she'd asked him to officiate her wedding. She still couldn't believe he'd said yes.
She sat quietly, enjoying conversation with the group of women at the table: Leia, Mirax, and Shada; Leia's aide Winter; Iella Wessiri from New Republic Intelligence, who was also Wedge Antilles' date; Shara Bey, who she'd met during the fighting on Yavin IV; Iden Versio, who'd also defected from the Empire and whose husband assisted Luke with researching the Jedi Order; and her fellow Jedi Knights Cilghal, Kirana Ti, and Tionne. Mara had never imagined she'd one day have such a large group of friends, much less women friends, and it still astounded her that she was here. At her wedding.
She glanced around the room, searching for Luke, who was ensconced with his former Rogue Squadron mates. The wedding had floored him, of course, but seeing his old friends had meant just as much. Mara couldn't imagine them not being here, and made a note to hang out with them after a few more drinks had been imbibed, so she could hear more embarrassing stories about Luke in the Rebellion.
Ben Solo came racing across the dance floor and almost slid into Mara's chair. "Sorry, these shoes are so slick!"
"Then maybe you shouldn't be running in them!" Leia pointed out. She wasn't drunk yet, but halfway there, and she gave Ben a look that almost made Mara wilt.
Ben rolled his eyes like a teenager. "Aunt Mara, come on, let's dance!"
Mara put down her glass and stood, taking his hand. "How can I say no to that?" she said, throwing Leia a smile. Leia smiled back, eyes glistening with tears that had nothing to do with her level of intoxication.
Mara followed Ben onto the dance floor so she didn't start crying, too. She'd lasted the entire ceremony and reception so far, and considering the hormones flowing through her body, she considered that a win.
Ben held Mara's hands and attempted to lead her through an Alderaanian dance. "Mom taught me," he said proudly.
"You're doing very well," Mara said. "I hope you follow instructions just as well when you start Jedi training."
Ben lifted his chin. "I will. Uncle Luke already teaches me some." He glanced at his feet, his Force sense turning unsure. "Maybe you could teach me, too."
Mara frowned at him. Her, teach? She'd trained with other Jedi during her apprenticeship, and had taught a few combat classes. But teaching a child how to use the Force was completely different. Could she really take that responsibility?
A wave of nausea reminded her that she would eventually have no choice in the matter. Even if her child decided not to be a Jedi, they would at the very least have to learn about the Force to protect themselves. And if their child did want to be a Jedi, Mara had no intentions of leaving their training solely to Luke. That was her responsibility, too.
Maybe it wouldn't be bad to get some practice with Ben. After all, he'd be almost nine years older than her child. He might be able to teach them, too.
Mara smiled at Ben. "I'd love to."
He grinned back. "I'm glad you and Uncle Luke are having a kid. It'll be nice to have company."
His words warmed Mara. She'd been worried he might see a new cousin as some sort of usurper to his Jedi heritage. But that was silly. Two Skywalker descendents were better than one. "I'm glad, too."
The song ended, and a fast tune came on. Ben let go of her hands but kept dancing, jumping up and down in place and urging everyone to join the dance floor. The current and former Rogues tore Luke's drink out of his hand and practically pushed him toward Mara.
He nearly slammed into her, his breath reeking of ale, but she didn't mind. His arms wrapped around her and he kissed her hair. "Hey."
"Hey, yourself," she responded. She'd barely seen him at the reception, but again, she didn't mind. It still awed her that she could enjoy herself in a place like this. And the knowledge that she could be happy on her own, but still have Luke to return to, made life even sweeter.
They twirled around the dance floor. Mara laughed at Luke's intoxicated dancing, but he wasn't as bad a dancer as she thought he'd be. It appeared Jedi training had imbued him with some semblance of rhythm. Or perhaps it was a remnant from his time on Tatooine.
She much preferred dancing with him here than at the Imperial Palace.
At a slow interlude in the song, he pulled her close and dropped his lips to her ear. "I guess I can't call you Mrs. Skywalker, can I?"
She shivered at the sensation of his breath on her skin, a reminder of how she'd gotten into this position in the first place. She placed her palm on his cheek. "You can. You can call me whatever you like."
"Same goes for you."
"Okay, Farmboy."
With a grin, he grabbed her back and dipped her, to the cheers and whooping of the crowd. Warmth bloomed across Mara's cheeks and she almost yelped at Luke to pick her up. But she stopped herself, staring deep into the blue eyes that would never, ever hurt her. That would always be there for her, as long as she lived.
Even after that.
She kissed him hard, not caring who saw or what they thought. Let them cheer. It only made her happier. These were the people who mattered, not the rest of the galaxy. These were the people who had become her colleagues, her allies, her friends. Her family.
And soon, there would be one more.
Together, they could handle anything the galaxy threw at them.
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END
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A/N: And they lived happily ever after... for now.
I do have ideas for this AU set during the Sequel Trilogy era. I can't promise that will be written soon, but hopefully will be started sometime in 2024. (If you've read the beginning chapters of a fic I posted here a few years ago, it's basically the same idea, but expanded not that I've written this one.)
Thanks for joining me in my foray back into L/M fanfic. I've enjoyed it immensely. :)