Title: Master Skywalker Is Hungover
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Sadly it belongs to Disney.
Timeframe: sometime after Survivors Quest
The last time Luke Skywalker had woken up, this hungover had been…Before Hoth while still in command of Rogue Squadron. His head pounded, seemingly in time with his heartbeat, and his mouth was dryer than Tatooine. Slowly, he became aware of the sound of mechanical breathing close by. A moment later the sound of lightsabers clashing, and his voice - though not him - speaking.
"I fight for something you'll never have," the actor proclaimed. The accent sounded more Corellian than Luke's slight outer rim accent, which annoyed Luke far more than it should have. If the holo industry insisted on making inaccurate holos of his life, they could at least hire an actor who could speak with the right accent.
Followed by laughter.
Mara's laughter, which in Luke's current state, sounded like the alarm klaxons of a ship that was about to be destroyed. Didn't she have anything better to do this morning?
More clashing of blades.
Luke rolled onto his back, the blankets twisting around his lower half. Only realizing then, he was only wearing underwear and that Mara must have undressed him before putting him to bed. He didn't dare open his eyes yet, no need to antagonize his aching head further.
"Finally awake," Mara states.
"I feel awful." He says, while working moisture back into his mouth and rubbing his temples with his fingers.
Mara either muted the holo or stop it because the room was suddenly blissfully quiet. "Doing shots of Mandalorian kri'gee not agreeing with the Jedi Master?" She asks, in that falsely sweet tone she liked to use when she pretended not to be upset.
"Shouldn't you be sparring or meditating," Luke mutters. "Something?"
"Aww, I'd have loved to be sparring," Mara says. "However, my sparring partner," Luke feels her pat the side of his face with her hand, "seems to be incapacitated by his own doing."
Grabbing her wrist, he gently pushes her hand away.
The holo resumes playing and Mara says, "So, since my morning plans were cancelled, I opted to watch this rousing comedy. You may join. Since I was informed you probably don't remember much of it from last night."
Blast her. "That's cruel," he mumbles. Risking it, Luke opens his eyes and gingerly attempts to sit up. The bedroom, only slightly, spun for a few moments before Luke decided remaining reclined was his best option.
Mara sat on her side of the bed, already dressed for the day with knees bent, using her thighs as a backstop for the datapad that she had downloaded the offensive holo onto. Luke vaguely recognized the sequence, though by the time it had played the previous night, he'd been completely hammered. In the holo, "Luke" had won his fight against "Darth Vader" and was now fighting the "Emperor". Holo version "Luke" was beating "Palpatine" back, despite using worse lightsaber skills than Luke had on Bespin against his father.
"What do you think," Mara says. "Should they make a sequel that features how we met?"
Luke makes eye contact with his wife, then looks back at the holo. "Luke" was just finishing off the "Emperor" stating, "I've won the day for the Alliance!"
"Won't be much of a sequel. I'd be dead."
Mara giggles. "Gotta give the director credit. It's like Palpatine telepathically communicated with him at the end, too."
Making a sour face, Luke says, "I'm sure Palpatine could have sent you a vision of a better lightsaber duel."
Nodding, "He also had Vader helping," she points out.
"The director must have missed that memo."
The holo cuts from the throne room to the space battle taking place above Endor. Which played out, if not exactly like the real thing, similarly enough to how the battle had been won. Luke could almost see why the other Rogues, even jokingly, enjoyed watching these types of holos.
He was pretty sure every year around the Endor battle's anniversary a new film came out, and every year Wedge, Hobbie, Tycho, and Wes were first in line to watch the new holo. Each year they tried to drag Luke along, and only this year since there had been no new holo to go see had Luke agreed to join. Han and Chewbacca had been there last night too, and had joined the former Rogues in a display that could only be described as if it'd been a bunch of guys watching the biggest smash ball game of the season.
Luke just couldn't view combat, even if it was just actors pretending in that way. He didn't begrudge his friends their fun because he knew they had all experienced the hell that came with war. But Luke's part, especially in the battle at Endor, was so exaggerated even in the news media it was pure fiction. No matter how much Luke stated he had not killed the Emperor or Vader that night, that continued to be the prevailing narrative. It bothered him that he was credited with doing something he hadn't done. Most of the time, he simply ignored the false claims. Those closest to him knew the truth, but watching a holo pretending to recreate those events was not Luke's idea of a good time.
The holo ends with the celebration at the Ewok village. Another scene Luke could't relate with from what he remembered of the actual event. Oh, he'd been celebrating with his friends initially, but his excitement had soon morphed into being emotionally overwhelmed and physically he had been a wreck.
The credits roll, and Mara switches the datapad off.
"So, be honest." Luke begins. "Was that worth watching or are you just mad because you had to pick me up last night?"
Mara didn't answer right away. The swirling emotions Luke feels coming through their bond suggest her feelings on the matter aren't simply petty retaliation for his behavior the previous night. "I've never seen any of these Rebel Alliance based holos," she finally admits.
"It's like Imperial propaganda only in reverse."
"You think so?" She asks, looking at him strangely.
"You don't?"
"Face Loran is objectively a better actor," Mara states. "However, there was something about this holo I liked." She gives Luke a sheepish grin. "It's nice, even with being absurdly inaccurate, getting to root for a cause and people that I care about. Even as the Emperor's Hand, I didn't feel that way with the Imperial holos." Mara had been loyal to Palpatine and when he had died, her devotion to the Empire had, in a sense, died with him.
Luke smiles. Amused that his wife, who was well versed in art and had an affinity for the opera, was stating unironically that she enjoyed a holo, Luke's Uncle Owen would have found terrible.
"What?" Mara asks, sharply.
"You're amazing," Luke states. "The fact you can even say that, considering Endor, was quite possibly the worst day of your life."
Biting her lower lip, Mara gives a self-conscious shrug. "I've had you, and you happen to be a lot more impressive than any holo-dramatization of Luke Skywalker."
"Last night…"
"Skywalker, I know we promised in sickness and in health," Mara's tone had taken on her infamous threatening edge. "But next time you decide to get yourself smashed, I'm gonna show you the fastest cure to a hangover, and you better hope your acclaimed lightsaber skills save you."
"Deal," he agrees, and because he couldn't resist adds. "Though I could beat you drunk."
Mara scoffs. "The "Luke" from the holo could have beaten you last night."