Star Wars EU Ships and One-Shots

A Mother's Love

  There was a dirty village on the planet of Sapella in the Outer Rim. It wasn't too shady, just mostly dirty and poor. It was a dark place overcome with darker shadows of nothing lives. Every day was a scare, a challenge to continue on, each inhabitant hoping they'd survive long enough to find a way off. It was always cold and windy and it didn't rain often, but thunder and lightning were a nightly event.

  There was a young woman, just barely a woman, who lived in a small shanty house in that dirty village. Her place was only a room, just big enough to fit her and her daughter. There wasn't much space for anything. All that the room held was a crib for her child. At night, she would always sleep on the floor beside her daughter. The young woman's name was Moira.
  She hurried into her room while lightning struck around the village, illuminating the sky with every burst. Moira reached into her child's crib and picked up her baby, cuddling her to her shoulder. "Good morning, darling. How are you? Did you sleep well? I hope you did." With one hand, she caressed her baby girl's head, twirling those red curls around her fingers one last time. Moira held her child in front of her and the girl's eyes slowly opened, revealing glittering jade eyes. Moira smiled, kissing her daughter's cheek. "I love you, Mars. I love you so much and I really hope you know that. I really do. Guess what? A man just came here, to Sapella, and he's going to take you to Coruscant! Doesn't that sound amazing? I've always wanted to go to Coruscant. Well, he's going to take you to Coruscant and, there, you won't have to hide anymore. You won't have to hide your powers." Moira pulled the crib's sheets back nicely. Without her hands. "You won't have to live in fear like I do. You'll be safe and away from all the danger. And then you'll grow up happy and you'll meet a wonderful man who loves you as much as I do and he'll take care of you. He'll love you with your powers, just like I do. Doesn't that all sound so wonderful, Mara Jade? Huh? Don't you like that sound of that, baby girl?"
  "Where's the child?!"
  Moira gasped at the sharp bark and spun around to see the old, dark man's guard as they entered her home. She looked at Mara in her arms with sad eyes and nodded. "This is her."

  "Are there any more?! Do you have any more that are Force-strong, too?"
  Gulping, Moira shook her head. "She's my only child."
  The man lifted his hood to reveal pale, wrinkly, and sunken features. He reached his arms out and nodded to Moira. "Come on, girl. Just hand me the baby."

  Slowly, Moira gave him her baby. "She'll be safe?" she asked again. The man nodded, taking the child and grinning at her. "Oh, yes, my dear. You have nothing to fear. She will be quite safe with me. Yes. Now, you said her name is Mara, yes?"
  "Mara Jade."
  "Alright." The man's guard stepped closer to Moira with his lightning weapon and pointed its tip to her neck. "My Emperor, what about her?"
  "She's young," he answered before shaking his head. "But too old to be trained now. Kill her."

  And Moira was dead within seconds. The old, dark, wrinkly man stepped over her body and carried the child out of the room, muttering to her, "I hope you're ready to go home, Mara Jade."