Day 10 of 30 Days of SW

[jedimara77]

This one deserves it's own entry.

Day 10: Your favorite EU character





In a way, Mara Jade Skywalker is the reason that I'm such a huge Star Wars fan today.

I first saw Star Wars in the summer of 1992. Around that time, Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy novels were released. Wanting to get my hands on anything Star Wars related, I sucked up the EU. If I hadn't had that outlet, I don't know if I would have become so obsessed.

I distinctly remember reading that first scene between Luke and Mara. I loved Luke, so to say I hated Mara was an understatement. Who was this bitch who wanted to kill the best character in the universe? Who did she think she was? Well, it only took several mnoths until I read Dark Force Rising and my feelings completely changed. At the end of that book, Mara is injured and Luke is distraught. Han thinks that Luke looks like he just lost his best friend. From that moment, I knew that they had to be together.

Luke gave Mara his old lightsaber at the end of The Last Command. As I've always said, you don't just give any girl your dead father's lightsaber. Of course, I had to live through several years of authors stringing us along, giving Luke failed relationship after failed relationship, and leaving us clamoring over any Luke and Mara scene we were given.

Then, Timothy Zahn got the contract to close out the Bantam line of books. He said he wanted to do two things: end the war between the New Republic and the Empire, and get Mara Jade and Luke together. They agreed, and finally, FINALLY, Luke and Mara admitted their feelings for each other. I'll never forget reading Vision of the Future and literally squealing when Luke proposed to Mara. Afterwards they fought the Yuuzhan Vong together and had a son, Ben. I wasn't very happy with the way Mara was written in all of the books, mostly after Ben was born, but she still got to kick ass in some parts. We even got another Luke/Mara book out of Zahn in 2004.

Then, three years ago, Del Rey pissed off a huge amount of EU fans when Mara was killed by none other than her nephew, Jacen Solo-turned-Darth Caedus. I wasn't reading those books, but after hearing about this I had no reason to start. I know that they can always go back and write some more Mara stories, but I can't get over the fact that she is gone from the current post-ROTJ timeline. Most of all, it bothers me HOW she died, and that she died in a stupid, horrible storyline that should never had taken place. (Did Jacen ever SEE the prequels?) Also, we never got a Zahn story with Luke, Ben and Mara. I'm hopeful that maybe, he may go back and write a story about them before she dies, but I doubt it. I'm just grateful that he's still willing to write Star Wars books at all!

I listed Luke as my favorite Star Wars character. Mara is, without a doubt, my favorite character of the EU, and a very close second to Luke overall. In fact, sometimes I like her more than Luke. I just default to Luke because he's the hero. As an insecure teenage nerd who hated confrontation, I aspired to be like Mara. I didn't love her because she got to be with Luke Skywalker. I loved her so much that I wanted her to be with him. She was the only one who deserved it.

Comments

[jadesfire55.livejournal.com]

*loves this*

Remember how I said I routinely read *only* the Luke/Mara parts of Spectre of the Past and Visions of the Future? Yeah...I totally want to do that now. I squealed so hard during most of VOTF. :)

[jedimara77.livejournal.com]

Haha, I read parts of Vision of the Future over the past week. SUCH a good book. I want to reread all the Mara parts of the EU now, but I just got Luke Skywalker and the Shadow of Mindor and I feel obligated to read that...plus I've got three more EU books coming. :D