DISCLAIMER: Star Wars and all publicly recognisable characters, names and references, etc are the sole property of George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd, Lucasarts Inc, 20th Century Fox, Timothy Zahn, Barbara Hambly, YKW and the other writers of the expanded Star Wars Universe. This fan fiction was created solely for entertainment and no money was made from it. Also, no copyright or trademark infringement was intended. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any other characters, the storyline and the actual story are the property of the author.
Mara watched at Vaiya made her toys spin in the air around her, like she were a small planet and they were her moons.
"Slower, Vai," Mara instructed, and observed the reduced speed. Vaiya was learning the most important thing of all rather young--how to listen to instructions. Sometimes Mara asked Vaiya to so something just to make sure the girl was always paying attention. If Vaiya's attention wandered, it could be dangerous. Like the time she idley picked up the Artoo unit that Luke was so fond of, and even though the droid was quite used to being the subject of Force exercises, she raised him too high and the droid squealed in panic. Vaiya paniced, too, and wound up tossing the droid so hard it took all of Luke's strength to catch him before he was dashed to pieces. Thank the Force Luke had been there to do it.
Mara didn't like to think about how lucky they were that Vaiya didn't have many temper tantrums. There were a few ysalamari kept in a nearby shelter to put by her bed at night if there were any reason. Like potential nightmares, although Mara monitored her daughter's thoughts regularly. She had a good feeling for things like that, although she could never completely predict it. Once Vaiya levitated herself in her sleep, but that was as bad as it had ever been--without ysalamari. All the other times had been safely avoided.
She sighed. Motherhood was more work than two smuggling jobs and being a Jedi Knight. Tiring, too. She stood up and stretched.
"Okay, Vai, it's time for your after lunch nap."
"Awww," Vaiya moaned. "Why when you get sleep sleep, I gotta nap nap?"
"She's got you there, Mom," Luke said as he entered the apartment. Mara shot him a dirty look tinted with the hint of humor and scooped Vaiya up to take her to bed. The little girl yawned.
"See, you are tired," Mara said, then yawned herself.
"Okay, Mommy." The little girl curled into her mother's embrace. "'Night 'night."
"'Night 'night." Mara set her down in her crib. In a few weeks, there would be a new baby bed to put together. Force forbid those boys should try and help again. Although, Yoda love 'em, they *were* just trying to help.
Vaiya's eyes popped open again the second she was prone on the mattress. "Why we say that, Mommy?"
"Say what, sweetie?"
"Say 'night night' when it dayshine? What we say during sleepy in day?"
Mara had never thought about it. "I don't know. We'll have to think of something. Although I think you think too much, for a three-year-old."
Vaiya smiled. "I special for three year old, Mommy." She rolled over onto her side. "Day day."
Mara would have laughed, but Vaiya had instantly fallen asleep. She pulled the cover over her and crept out of the room.
In the kitchen, Luke was cleaning up the last of the mess and fixing them a light lunch. "Did they destroy all the bacon?" he asked.
"Yep. And the butter, too." She eyed the sandwiches he was stacking. Okay, so maybe lunch wouldn't be so light. "Not too much for me, Luke," she said, patting her stomach. "I still haven't shaken those last few pounds from carrying Vaiya around."
Luke looked at her admonishingly. "I don't make Skywalker supremes for dieters. Especially for those who don't need to diet." He frowned. "But I think something is eating you."
"When isn't something eating me?" she laughed wearily as she walked around behind him and put her arms around his shoulders. He'd always been so fine-boned and slim, and with his Jedi exercises he was surprisingly compact in the muscle department. Ever since Vaiya had been born, she'd felt like she was getting old--things sagged that had never sagged before, her hair was just barely sprinkled with some grey, and it seemed that all the lines on her face from her frowning and scowling years had caught up with her to turn her once smooth skin into a zig-zagging maze. She almost wished she had been more vain so that she could have fought this harder. But age caught up with everyone. Even Mara Jade Skywalker.
Luke reached around to put his arms around her waist, still keeping his back to her. He leaned his head back and it rested on top of hers, which was nestled between his shoulderblades.
"Are you sorry we decided to stay here?" he asked,
"No," she said, her voice sure. "Vaiya needs planet life. She can't live between the stars, like us. She needs sun, sky, fresh air--"
"She'd have those things in space," Luke pointed out.
"Not the same."
"Nothing is. The sun and sky here isn't the same as it is on Coruscant, or Tatooine, or Wayland, or Hoth!"
"Hoth?" She gave him an amused look.
"Just making a point, dear. Nothing will ever be perfect. It doesn't even matter where you are on the outside. It's where you are inside that counts."
She raised her head and let go of him. He turned to her, looking at her earnestly. It was easy for him to say. He hadn't aged much. He'd cut his hair so it didn't billow around his head in those sandy locks he used to have, and he'd changed his style of dress slightly, favoring button-down tunics made of light materials and heavy pants made of thicker but comfortable stuff--all black, but it was a change nonetheless. She had returned to her old flight suits, the black ones with the round collars and no sleeves. She even wore that white scarf-hood sometimes, when she went out in the middle of the day. Sometimes, Yavin IV could get a little bright.
"I know," she said. "Jedi's don't crave adventure and excitement. I know all that. I don't think I ever did crave adventure and excitement. It's that..." and she squirmed, instantly turning Luke into the cuddling husband with his hands on her shoulders. "I feel like I've been domesticated."
"And?"
"It bothers me."
"Why?"
"Because it isn't me."
"I agree. So what should you do about it?"
"I don't know." She frowned at him. "You're supposed to be objecting here, you know."
"Objecting to what? You being domesticated? I don't think you are, but you obviously do, and you have to do something about it. The question is, what?"
"I've thought about it," she admitted. "But to be honest, the only thing I can think of is a vacation away from here, away from Vaiya, even. Just you and me, like we used to. Or maybe...."
"Or maybe just you," Luke finished.
"But I don't want to leave you, and I certainly don't want to leave Vaiya." She shuddered. "Remember when we left Endor? She wasn't even three months old, and word was already out."
"It had to have been out for a while, for them to have planned so well." Luke smiled at Mara, remembering how ferociously she had defended the safety of her daughter. The Emperor's Hand may be dead, but she had left behind skills Mara would always find uses for, when the times were right.
"I don't want to risk that. I'd rather stay."
"And be miserable?" He shook his head. "No, Mara, you're right. You need to take that vacation. Just go away for a few days, you don't have to go long. Go and catch up on what you've been missing. We'll be here when you get back."
She shifted her feet. "I'll think about it."
"You'll be gone by the day after tomorrow," he predicted. "All you have to do is go call Karrde and find out what he's been up to. Trust me, Mara, I know you."
She grinned at him. "Have I told you lately that I love you, Skywalker?"
"Not lately, no."
She kissed him on the nose. "I love you."
"I love you too, Mrs. Skywalker. Now hurry up and get out of here so you can come back. I miss you already."