Disclaimer: Last I heard Uncle George hadn't insert my name
on is will. So, SW still belongs to him. I'm not hearning any money (dollars,
Rands, Euros, Yens, shells, beads, or whatever with this.
It
was all about public image. Leia had talked with her brother. A Jedi Master
should not act like that in public. Talon had talked with his second in command.
The organization was trying to be respectable.
And
so, Luke and Mara found themselves agreeing being the guest of a cook show.
Together!
Their
last fight had gone too far. A public dance where some instruments of the
orquestra had end flying with the power of the force and ended in not a very
good shape. This public appearance was kind of a public apologie, saying that
everything was ok. The galaxy had not to fear that their favourite Jedi Master
would not end killed by his friend (or so they claimed) Mara Jade. What best
than an innocent cook show? (In fact a children show would have been best,
but Leia was afraid that people would get the wrong idea…. You know… Luke
and Mara as a happy family… Reading to children… That kind of thing…
ok… Back to the story arc).
The
host was nervous. He was in the middle of the Wookie month, all he had for guest
during thismonth were tall and furry nice beings, and so he was having trouble
not looking up while talking to the guests… And he had two of them this time.
And force sensitive ones. And really famous… It was too many ands for a
regular host of a regular cook show of a regular channel in the holonet.
Mara
and Luke were asked what they wanted to cook. The confusion started there. Luke
wanted to cook a traditional Tattoine plate, with lots of bread and eggs; Mara
wanted to teach how to cook a ration bar.
The
show team had made a special agreement and they would cook both. So now they
stood front the holocameras, the host at the middle, all 3 smilling the most
wonderfull and fake smile that the galaxy had ever seen.
“Good
morning. We’re here today in a special show of «How to cook». Our very
special guest today are Mara Jade and Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.”
Mara
and Luke smiled even more.
“Telll
us Mistress Mara, what are we cooking with you today?”
“Good
morning. I’m going to cook ration bars!”
“Hmm
Yes. But tell us, are you going to teach us how to do ration bars, or how to
cook with them?”
“How
to do them? What am I? A factory?”
Luke
tried to relax, surely Mara would not kill the host with all the galaxy watching.
But he didn’t resist in mocking her throught the force.
“You know Mara. That way everyone will know for sure
that you can’t cook”
Mara
opened her eyes and made an indignant sound, crossing her arms and turning to
the other side. The host didn’t knew what had just happened, but he was not
happy. He turned to Luke, his best grinning face.
“And
Master Skywalker, What are you going to show us?”
“
Good morning. I thouhgt I showed a traditional dish from Tatooine Bread and eggs,
all scrambled.”
“Ah!
It sounds delicious!”
“I’m glad we have our ration bars!”
Luke
heard Mara throught the force at the same time the host spoke. But he didn’t
heard him, so without thinking he did a real angry face towards Mara, and the
host that was in the middle thought Like was angry with him.
“Hmmm.
Delicious and nutritive, of course….”
“What?”
Luke was confused.
“Better
if we start. So each one of you have the ingredients and all the material you
need. Mistress Mara, what will you
do first?”
“Me.
Well, you hu, first you peel the ration bar, of course.”
“You
peel it?”
“Yes,
well, actually first you choose the flavour. This one is Hoth Berries.”
“Hoth
Berries? I didn’t knew there were berries on Hoth…”
“There
aren’t. They made up the flavour.”
“Oh!”
“Now I know why all your life feel hollow Jade. You
only ate stufff that doesn’t exist”
Mara
heard Luke and made an angry face. But as it had happen with him, the host was
on the middle. He turned white.
“I’m
sure it’s fascinating Mistress Jade. Master Luke. Our turn.”
“Well,
I have bread and I have eggs. I cut the bread, I put the eggs on a bowl and then
the bread there too. I cook them and I eat it.”
“Ah!
It sounds simple.”
“You forgot the part where you throw it away and eat
a ration bar”
“Why
do you keep insulting me?”
Luke
had forgotten to use the force. Oblivious to all the silent dialog, the host
thought he had really said something bad.
“I’m…
I’m.. I’m sorry Master Skywalker….”
“Way to go Skywalker. Turning to the Dark Side in
front off the all galaxy. Of course if they eat your cooking they will turn to
the dark side in anger.”
“Oh yeah. Better than yours. Peel a ration bar? What
kind of cooking lesson is that?”
“Look farmboy. It’s all about survival. Anyway, I
didn’t got to the part of the juice I take with it.”
“ Ahhh! We lost the fascinating world of opening a
bottle.”
Mara
was red in anger. Luke was about to explode. The poor host wanted to disapear.
He didn’t knew what he had done to make both of them angry, and they seemed to
be getting angrier.
Sundenly
he saw Mara picking up the bottle of juice on the table and opening it, she
trown the content directly thowards Luke. With the Force Luke avoided it, and in
return he thrown the eggs waiting in the bowl. Mara avoided it too with the
force. Finding some oil it was her time to attack. Luke replyed with some blue
milk and Mara was preparing herself to throw some chocolate topping, when they
heard a sobbing.
The
host was sobbing in the middle of the two. Oblivious to everything but their
fight, they had sent all the food directly to him, that stand now in the middel,
covered with food. The holocameras had been recording and sending the images to
everyone in the galaxy.
Luke
and Mara stared at the host and at the cameras. They started trying to clean the
poor man with their hands, while fighthing throught the force.
“It’s your fault Skywalker! You want to save the
galaxy and end making others unhappy!”
“My fault? You were the one starting the fight at the
dance reception!”
Mara
started to be angry again. And so she picked the first ration bar she found and
hit Luke with it, right in the eye.
“There, now there are some berries from Hoth just for
you”
“Oh Yeah. Take this if you like”
He
wanted to thow to her the content of a bottle of liquor, but has his ends were
sliperry, he ended throwing the bottle too. It hit her right on the head and
broke. A red liquid start running from Mara’s head and Luke couldn’t tell if
it was from the content of the bottle or if it was blood. She opened and closed
her mouth on schock several times, Thinking that she was hurt he ran to her.
“Oh
Force Mara! I hurt you. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. I would never do
anything to hurt you, you now that!”
But
she ony got angrier, and started breathing with difficulty as she thought the
better way of killing him. Luke only thought she was really hurt, so he grabbed
her, feeling guilty.
“Mara please say something. Say I didn’t hurt you.”
“I’m not half as bad as you’re going to be when I
finish with you!”
“Thanks the Force. You’re ok. I thought I had
killed you.I thought I had lost you!”
“You’re not that lucky!”
“Lucky? How can you say that. I love you!”
And
he stopped. He didn’t meant to say that. But as soon as he thought she was
bleeding, he lost control of his thoughts and actions. They stood there, facing
each other, a puzzled host and the cameras forgotten. A eternity passed throught
them, and quietly and with a softness that no one had eve testimony she said,
aloud.
“And
I love you Luke!”
Luke
smiled and kissed her.
Sundenly
the lights started blinking. It was near the end of the show. Usually it was the
time for the host to say his thanks and his goodbyes.
Luke
and Mara stopped kissing, they blinked too, with the lights, sundenly realising
where they were and what they were doing. They blushed and for once neither of
them had a reaction. Caughing the host reacted.
“And
thank you all. It was a wonderfull and truly special show. How to cook with Mara
Jade and Luke Skywalker.” He said while he start thinking about another career.
Beted
by Karen