Mara and Me

So, this is my young mother. I looked over at the woman behind the wheel. Yeah, she's got the red-gold hair and green eyes. I opened the holopicture album and gazed at Mother and Father's wedding picture.

"Is that me and your father?" she asked me.

"Yes," I answered.

She stopped the car at a large Victorian house. "Here we are, Ben - this is your new home. I'll show you to your room, and we'll start training tomorrow." I turned off the album and grabbed my things. Later, after I had put away my things, I relaxed in the warm San Francisco sun on Mara's beach. It was very relaxing and calming as the waves rushed against the rocks. I closed my eyes and drifted into sleep.

What's this? A white mist, I hear a horse in the distance, and it's freezing cold. Wait a second, I'm in California, how can it be cold?

Dinner - I awoke from the dream. Wait, I hope she's a better cook than Father, even though he is improving. I got up and followed her into the house. She had set down a dinner suited to feed a family of seven.

"Mara, do you have a horse?"

Mara put down a bowl of salad. "I have two at the stables in Modesto, Lord and King. Why?"

I took a nibble of a steamed lotus bun. "I heard a horse while I was relaxing on the beach."

Mara gulped down some ramen. "No, Lord and King are at the stables, and my neighbors have no horses." She paused, "Ben, you must have been dreaming."

I nibbled on the bun some more. "It's weird, I hear a horse, then see white mist, and it's always cold. What are your dreams like?"

Mara cast her eyes down. "I already accomplished some of my dreams. After I came back to the states, I became an actress, then I realized that I was Sailor Vjun. But I can't wait for the day to see your father. I bet he hasn't changed a bit."

I gulped down some green tea. "Uhm, Mara. Something happened to Father."

Mara's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

I began to tell her what happened before I was born. "You're not going to like what I am about to say. It's a long story, but you are going to catch a terrible disease."

Mara's eyes widened. "Nani?!"

I began to calm her down. "Don't worry, you beat it."

Mara sighed, "Okay, carry on."

I continued with the story. "Father decided to become a scientist. One day, he decided to try a certain herb, and his hair turned blue."

Mara let out a giggle. "Blue? That's all, his beautiful blonde hair is blue! I thought he was possessed or was part android or something."

I began to laugh and sat back in my chair. "No, he's still the same silly farm boy that you fell in love with. But you guys argue a lot."

Mara smirked. "Ahh, I love a good healthy argument. I'm used to it - my surrogate mom and dad used to fight a lot too, but they really loved each other. He died after she did."

I continued on with the story. "I'm telling you what my father told me about what happened and how I came to be."

"What's with the towel?" she said.

Father gave her a half smile, then asked her, "Mara, would you still love me if I had changed?"

Mom took his hand. "Luke, you're a lousy cook, you're the most hideous thing I ever seen, but you're a wonderful teacher, a great fighter, a man who can fly and repair anything. I'm proud that you're my husband. Even if you had to change something, I'll love you, no matter what. But take a cooking class!"

"All right, Mara, but it's permanent, I can't do anything about it." Dad began to lift the towel off his head, showing Mom his blue locks.

Mother was surprised. "Nani! Your hair is blue!"

She paused, and Father turned away. "I knew you wouldn't like it."

Mom embraced him. "I love it, but you're still the ugliest thing in the universe." That made Father laugh.

"Why thank you, Mara."

Father kissed her and pulled down the shade; three months after, Mother sensed another heartbeat, a heartbeat from inside her. The Jedi Healer who was helping her could feel the other presence too. "Mistress Skywalker, are you all right?"

Mother placed a hand on her stomach. "It can't be, but it is. " Tears rolled down her cheeks, and Mom said softly, "I am going to have a child."

Later, at lunch, Mother was stuffing her face more than ever before, and Dad was eating with her. "Mara, I know you were raised by a Saiyan, but please, chew your food. You look like you're inhaling it."

Mother shook a drumstick at him. "What about you? You're about as piggy as I am."

Father crossed his arms. "I had a bad day. Borsk Feyla called me a mutant."

Mother growled, "Hmph - it's time that we do away with that good-for-nothing Bothan. Oh well. Eat now, kill later - besides, your brat that I am carrying needs to eat."

Father dropped his fork. "Huh?"

Mother gave him a smirk. "You heard me. I am going to be making weird food requests in the middle of the night, I am going to be having crazy mood swings that you wished I haven't had, and things will be changing very quickly, your worship! Be afraid."

Dad could be pretty cocky. "I'm not afraid."

Mom looked at him darkly. "Good. You will be, you will be."

"No, I'm not!" Father started to cry tears of joy. "I'm going to be a daddy! I can't wait to tell Han, Leia, and the others!"

Two months after, Mother was becoming a monster. "Servant man, fetch me a drying cloth at once!" she said from the bathroom.

Father was talking to Aunt Leia on the holophone. "Excuse me, Leia. There's a towel in the bathroom, Mara, you know where it is!"

At the beginning of my birth, she got very nervous. "Luke, what if I lose the baby, or if she's sick, or what if it's a mutation."

Father calmed her down. "Don't worry, Mara, the little prince is going to be fine."

"Prince?" Mom whispered.

Father smiled. "I had a vision of our children, Mara. A lavender-haired man sitting regally on a throne, then I saw a girl with long golden hair teaching at the Jedi Temple. Don't worry my beloved, everything is going to be just fine."

Mom nodded in agreement.

Mara had those weird cravings at night, too. "Servant man, bring me some Braised Bantha, a big bowl of fruit, chocolate caramel candy fudge ice cream and sushi from Calimari from the Menari, I want a pizza with everything on it too, and ramen - a big fat bowl of ramen!"

Father yelled, "Mara, I am not your servant!"

Mom gave him an evil hiss. "Do it now or else."

Father was defeated. "As you wish, master."

The nine months had passed. Right in the middle of a Jedi Council meeting - "Luke, my water broke!"

Father sighed - the ordeal was over.

No - it was just continuing. Now they'll have to deal with diapers and baby mess.

Mother was rushed to a birthing room, moaning, cursing father and all men. "Skywalker! Get this brat out of me now! Heh, heh, were's Feyla, I feel like killing something! No! Get me Anor - he must pay for harming the galaxy! I want him dead!"

Father thought, She's delirious, it must be the disease and the labor, hold on baby, be strong! With a labored breath, Mother passed out. "Oh no, Mara! Mara!" Father shouted.

She was in another place, and there was a bright light.

"Mara, not yet, it's not your time to go," a man's voice told her. "Fight it - do it for the pride and the dignity of the galaxy. I want you to promise me that you will fight this! You must be there for your mate and your son."

She shouted, "I will! For I am Mara Jade-Skywalker, Princess of Vjun and jedi master! I shall not be defeated!"

Mom regained her energy and slowly opened her eyes, Dad, Winter, a nurse, and a doctor were standing around her. "It's gone, Luke, the disease is gone." Mom gave a look of concern. "Where's my baby, where's little Vegeta?"

Luke put a hand on her shoulder. "He's coming, and we're not naming him Vegeta."

Mom suddenly remembered the pain and it hit her at once.

Father growled. "For the god's sake, Mara, cool it!"

She began the breathing process; Mom screamed and grabbed dad's hand and began twisting it, and his face went from scarlet to a whiter shade of pale. An hour after, I came out.

"What does he look like?" Mom had her eyes shut.

Father told her softly, "He's quite normal - blue eyes, peaches and cream skin, and beautiful lavender hair." Mom and Dad decided to name me Benjamin Vegeta in honor of their great mentors.

A day after, everyone was there to see me, even Threepio. "Oh, my, he's got lavender hair."

Aunt Leia smiled at Father. "He's very beautiful, Luke, but he looks a lot like Mara."

Han slapped him on the back. "Good going, kid! He looks strong, like his mother. I have some news to report though - the Vong have been chased to back, but Anor is standing firm on Ithor."

Mother was on her bed, putting armor on, and Father went to her. "Mara, are you nuts?" Mom didn't say a word. "You just had a baby and beat a fatal disease."

She plaited her hair. "I need to finish something, Luke."

Father put his hand on her shoulder. "Well, then let me come."

Mom shook her head. "No, I must finish this alone. If I don't come back, you'll have to be there for Ben."

Father gritted his teeth. "You arrogant woman!"

Mother kissed him. "Baka, it has to be done."

Tears ran down his face. "I love you, but please promise me that you'll return."

Mother let him go. "Don't worry, I'll be back."

Mother had taken a lambda class shuttle and headed for Ithor. Dad looked out at the fleeing shuttle. "You better come back," he whispered.

Mom had landed on Ithor, and Anor was standing near a building. "It's you, and you look better."

Mother crossed her arms and smirked. "Well, I must say that you have gotten more disgusting the last time I saw you."

The evil tyrant hissed. "Well, maybe I just have to kill you on the spot instead of having you suffer." Anor began to touch an area near his only eye. Mother formed a small ki blast that hit him in that eye, destroying it.

"Ahh, you witch!" Mother then tapped into the Force; she opened up and enveloped the evil tyrant in a beam of light.

"What in Hades are you...?!" he screamed.

Mother put one hand out and the other hand on her wrist. "Final Flash!" Suddenly, she was joined by the spirit of her mentor. "Anor, go away forever!" they shouted. His beam joined hers, and the evil despot was turned to ash.

She came back a few days after. Father was happy and there was a big celebration - the galaxy was free again. They raised me well, taught me the ways of the Force and martial arts. Then two years after, Bebi came; Dad is getting ready to wind down a little, but Mom is still a spitfire. I'm doing well in school. Mother wishes that I marry a princess, and Bebi is on her way to becoming a Jedi Master like Father.

Mara wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm glad you turned out so handsome. Well, I am going to clear the table."

I got up also. "Let me help too, Mara."

Mara nodded. "Thanks, Ben. We'll clean the dishes, then we'll begin our training tomorrow."

I gave her a smile. This is going to be some adventure.