My Fair Lady ♔ Star Wars : DISCONTINUED

[ Guilt ]

Guilt. Guilt was all Mara had felt when the frantic search for Ben Solo began. She had felt guilty for not letting anyone know about Ben's behavior sooner. She had felt guilty for letting him fool her into thinking everything was okay after he'd have a moment. She felt guilty for believing that there was so much light in him. She felt guilty and selfish for trying to fix the problems herself.

So what did Mara Nikos do?

She ran away, leaving two missing Jedi, grieving mothers, and concerned uncles. All in the span of one night and afternoon, the guilt had done quite a number to her. She was unable to face anyone who passed by her, and she refused to answer any questions regarding Ben and would give an "I don't know." No one dared to even approach her besides her family when they had arrived to comfort her. Her mother's tight embrace and her uncle constantly telling her that it wasn't her fault when she knew all too well it was. She didn't want to face anyone else and add to the growing pile of guilt. So she decided to hitch a ride to Takodana.

Maz's Castle was very welcoming to her, although it was filled with the shadiest of characters-ranging from smugglers to bounty hunters to weary travellers. Her father had taken her here many times, as he was a well-known visitor and a friend to Maz Kanata herself. Even if it wasn't really a suit place to take a child, Maz Kanata never minded Mara's presence, being one of the first to see her strength in the Force.

Mara stepped into the castle, immediately feeling all eyes on her form. A lanky teenage girl walking into a sizzling cesspool of questionable figures was not a regular occurrence. Maz had turned from the bar, wondering what the fuss had been about before she adjusted the large spectacles over her eyes. "Goodness, child! What brings you all the way here?" Maz cried out, the short woman heading to Mara for a better look.

The castle's patrons had returned to whatever business they had, chatters and glasses clinking filled the ambiance once again previously to Mara's arrival. Mara stooped to Maz's short stature for a welcoming hug which she gladly accepted. "Hi Maz.." Mara greeted with a small smile.

"I haven't seen you since your father passed." Maz murmured, stepping back and taking another look at Mara, adjusting her goggles once again. "My...you're troubled. I see it in your eyes, come along."

The dark haired teen followed Maz further into the castle, further away from the crowded bar scene to a private corner table. "I caught news that Ben Solo is missing, Riley came here earlier to check and ask." Maz stated, taking a seat atop the stool. "So if you're asking for him-"

"-I actually need somewhere to stay for a while." Mara admitted. Maz looked to her expectantly, as if telling her to continue. "I'm...still dealing with Ben and everyone's been giving me a rough time."

Maz leaned over the table and peered into Mara's eyes like she would when she talked with others. "I can tell when I'm being lied to, missy." Maz remarked, leaning back into her seat. "Guilty, are we?"

"You have no idea..." Mara sighed, hands fiddling with the end of her sleeves atop the table. "I just..saw it was coming, and I couldn't stop it when I thought I could fix it. I believed in Ben and...I thought he believed in me. It's all my fault. I could've prevented all of it. I just...don't want to face anyone right now, I feel like they'll know it's my fault if they take one look at me."

"Oh, child.." Maz cooed, placing her small and frail hand atop of Mara's. "Don't blame yourself. Those on the dark side and their evil ways, they show no mercy to anyone. I'm sorry you have to feel this way but, you were blinded and fooled and no one can blame you for that. The dark side takes and takes but, we never let that bring us down." She lightly squeezed Mara's hand reassuringly. "I know that Ben Solo is still there and you can help him still, child."

Mara looked up to Maz with a better, more genuine smile than before. "Thank you, Maz. I really needed that."

Maz removed her hand from Mara's and gave her a slight nod of her head. "The truth is always what you need. And you're welcome to a room here, for as long as you think is right."

"Thank you so much, I have credits-" Maz raised her hand, signalling Mara to stop. "-Nonsense, child. You're free here for all that your father has done for this place."

"You're sure?" the teen pressed on.

"Of course. It's how I can repay your father for all those favors around here...he is still missed." Maz sighed saly, looking around at all the colorful assortment of specimen around the castle. "I think everyone saw Hutch for a moment when you walked in."

"He always was popular around here, wasn't he?" the girl let out a small laugh, reminiscing on the days her father would bring her here and meet his friends. They would often teasingly ask her, 'Your father came in really mad a couple of days ago, what did you do little troublemaker?' into which a young Mara, no younger or older than 5, would mischievously giggle and lean further back into her seat.

She now realized that just like her father, she had walked in here in a problematic time. She certainly didn't remember any faces her father introduced her to, but spotted out new ones. Although she seemed like a stranger, who seemed really out of place, it felt like a piece of home in the way of everything had reminded her of her father.

She had even noticed that the very table she had been sitting at with Maz the entire time was the one her father usually claimed, as it was dubbed 'Hutch's Table' by how often he would come here. She scanned for the little carvings her father would make with his pocket blade whenever she would win a game of chess against him. Her fingers brushed against the carved chart that had 18 points under the letter 'M' and the 2 points under 'H'. She glanced up to the small table-setting, a vase of flowers that looked freshly picked stood with a sad smile.

Who knew that the simplest things of her father's presence would help Mara drown away her woes?

-

this is very mara based but i kinda wanted to just show she does try to run away from problems but will realize that it's not very good and all these reminders of her father just get her into thinking 'oh jeez, what would my dad-the good guy-even do??' 

and i kinda relate to this chapter and it has a lot of emotion in it i guess idk i'm an emo bean

;Mochi