This isn’t so much a WIP as a work abandoned. When I was trying to figure out how to write the Mara memoir, I came up with a premise where she was forced to recount her and Luke’s love story to Vader’s ghost in the cave on Dagobah. I clearly abandoned this premise, but there are parts of it that might be fun to read so here’s some of it:
I moved hesitantly forward in the dark [of the cave]. Without Luke’s comforting presence in the corner of my mind, I felt very lonely and on edge. It was amazing how quickly I’d gotten used to him being there, how he calmed me.
As my eyes adjusted, I saw there was a small source of light ahead, like a dim window in the cave wall. I moved towards it and realized there was a cloaked figure standing in front of that window. The Emperor! My training kicked in and I scanned around me for something to use as a weapon, but, of course there was nothing, and I had left my stash with Luke. Within a few tentative steps, I determined the figure was much too tall to be Palpatine.
Then the being turned towards me and removed the hood to reveal a human man, older but not wizened, bearded, with wistful blue eyes and scars criss crossing what could be seen of his pale face. In the dim light, the cloak was revealed to be jedi robes, sleeves flowing long enough that I could not see his hands.
I stood there in silence, unsure what to think. The man seemed similarly taken aback.
“Well, if the Force had told me, all those years ago, that I would be here meeting up with you. I would not have believed it, Mara Jade.”
“Mara Jade Skywalker,” I corrected tartly, but automatically, trying to place the voice. It was almost familiar to me.
The jedi ghost stared a moment and then promptly began to chuckle to himself at length. Apparently, he found my married name hilarious.
I was at a loss. This was not what I had expected when I nervously walked in here.
“Well you seem to know who I am.” I said, feeling a little aggravated, “Who exactly are you?”
He grinned, a maddeningly familiar expression that I couldn’t place, and shook his head.
“Haven’t figured it out yet?”
“No,” I drew on the arrogance of my youth, “ and I dislike guessing games.”
Obnoxiously, he found this even more amusing. I felt anger bubbling up inside before I checked myself. There was nothing to be gained by getting angry at this ghost.
I let out a long slow breath and tried to let my frustration and fear float away with it.
“Okay,” I said, changing tactics, “Why have you called me here? Whoever you are.”
He stopped laughing and looked thoughtful.
“I didn’t call you here. We were both called by the Force, although I expect your method of travel was a bit more arduous.”
“Because you’re dead,” I said by way of confirmation and he nodded again. I continued to search my memory files for how this person and I might have known each other. Had I really seen that many people die that I couldn’t even figure this out?
There was a nervous pause.
“Is Luke with you on planet?”
The tender way he said Luke’s name made my jaw drop, and my eyes zeroed in on his.
I knew who this was. The wistful blue eyes, the web of scars, the oddly almost familiar voice, and the poodoo eating smile I’d seen on my husband’s face a thousand times since we’d met.
“Vader” It came out on a breath.
A shadow passed across his features and he nodded.
“Darth Vader.” I repeated, staring into the face I had only ever seen sealed behind a mask.
He nodded quietly again.
I stared too long. I couldn’t help it. I could suddenly see both my husband and my sister in law in that face but couldn’t imagine how they were related.
I said the first thing that came to my stunned mind.
“Luke never mentioned you had a beard.”
“It’s complicated” was all he said in response.
I found that oddly unsatisfying as responses go, but this whole situation was ludicrous.
Here I was in a cave, supposedly facing some great Force test, and I bump into the ghost of my father-in-law, who had also been my...rival? Colleague?
“Well, Shavit.” I looked at him again and shook my head before lifting my face to the endless nothing above us.
“What the Kriff, Force,” I cried in annoyance, “What is your plan here?”
Vader spoke up, “I have been sent here to witness the justifications of a married jedi.”
“What?”
“The Jedi order forbade bonds between Jedi, and for some very good reasons. I’ve been called to hear you explain why you think your relationship is worthy of an exception to the rule.”
I know my expression became skeptical and dangerous, but Vader held up well. He never had been intimidated by me, I guess. Why would he start now?
“I have to convince you that Luke and I deserve to be married?”
He nodded.
“Convince you?!”
He shrugged, “Well, the Force actually, but convincing me is a start.”
I let out a solid stream of invective in several languages. I let him know what I thought of the idea of the Force sending an ex Sith Lord to judge my fitness for love and marriage.
Truth be told, I was a little impressed by my creativity, especially when I realized his eyes had widened and there were signs of colour on his cheeks.
Apparently I knew words that could make a Sith Lord blush.
“I see my son chose a cultured lady of the court.”
“Et Chu Ta,” I blustered, “you know who I am.”
“On the contrary,” he responded, “I know who you were. I very much doubt either one of us is much as we were or we would not be standing here.”
“But why the kriff am I standing here? You want to talk to someone about my marriage, why didn’t they call your son? He would love to sit and chat over a cup of hot chocolate with you. He’s the one who missed out on knowing his father. I spent most of my life with you breathing down my neck - mechanically.”
“And I have nothing to prove to you.”
Vader straightened.
“Well, apparently you have something to prove to the Force.”
I let him and anyone else who might be listening know what I thought of that idea.
“Chuba, where did you learn some of those expressions?”
“I spent a good ten years in the company of smugglers after Palpatine died. What were you doing?”
“Atoning.”
His tone was quiet and sober, but heavy with unspoken experiences, none of which I wanted to know about.
I sighed.
“Yeah, me too.” I pursed my lips and looked at him sharply, “and it appears I’m not done yet.”
“You have nowhere near as far to go as I do, Mara.”
“Don’t be too sure,” I muttered.
I squared my shoulders.
“So what do I have to do?”
He nodded.
“You need to tell me how you wound up married to my son.”
I smirked bitterly. No way that was all there was to it.
“Well that’s simple.”, I began, crisply, “As he was dying, our dear old Emperor, convinced me that you and Luke murdered him together and commanded that I kill Luke. The command literally haunted me and I spent five years fantasizing about how I would dispose of him. Then I met him…”
“And he changed your mind?”
I rolled my eyes.
“Really?, Twenty-two years as second in command to the most evil man the galaxy has seen since Exar Kun and you think just meeting Luke could undo his brainwashing like that?”
I snapped my fingers by way of illustration.
“No, I wanted to kill him even more then. He was calm, reasonable, and so utterly confident I wouldn’t do it. He was obnoxious. It was practically a dare.”
“Jade, this isn’t doing much to convince me you love him.”
“Then you don’t know a whole lot about love.”