So I’ve been a fan of Star Wars since I first saw New Hope (I wasn’t even born when it came out, but I was still a fan 😉). In seminary, as a poor student family with nothing but the nearby library for fun, my husband and I discovered these things called Star Wars books 🤩. We started with Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn and devoured every Star Wars book in that library. Then we started hunting for more (including comics).

We were the couple that when a new book was announced, we were the first to pre-order, then read each book together and discuss it in length. We journeyed with Luke, Leia, and Han through creating a New Republic, setting up a new Jedi Academy, navigating new and old villains, marriage, and children.

We found new characters to love (and hate): Mara Jade, Thrawn, Talon Karrde, and more.

I even wrote a blog post a couple years ago about how Luke and Mara were my favorite fictional married couple because they were awesome apart, but together they were unstoppable (and I wanted to write a couple like that which eventually lead to my Ravenwood series).

So yes, I was a Star Wars fan. Not a toxic one (please don’t lump me with that group), but one who dearly loved that world (I even read fanfiction and played all the video games).

So when the movies started coming out, I was soooo excited. I was going to get to see my favorite characters on the screen 🥰.

Except all my favorite books were labeled legend. Disney was going to go in a new direction.

Oh. Okay. But this is Star Wars! Still Awesome! 😎

And I (for the most part) enjoyed TFA, but was kinda sad that I didn’t get to see a reunion between the big 3, and wasn’t sure what to think of Han’s death.

As you can guess, I didn’t really like TLJ. It didn’t feel like Star Wars to me. Actually, I’ve been so disappointed that I’ve been on the fence about seeing the last one (only one other show made me feel like this that for years I couldn’t talk about it, Dan knows which one that is).

Then Dan and I started talking about what could have made the movies better and he said Mara Jade. And it all clicked together.

Mara Jade could have saved Star Wars. You could still have the story we have right now and Mara Jade would have redeemed it.

She’s a strong female character. She has a past with the Emperor (when Snokes is taken out, Mara could have said I sense something stronger here. Like my old master). She could have been with Luke, trying to pull her husband out of his depression and exile and worked with Rey to help him. She could have been Rey’s mentor and lamented over her nephew’s turn to the dark side because she was once that person. She could have been the mentor who ultimately dies to launch her student into her destiny.

As a storyteller, I began to see what an incredible story that could have been. There is so much Mara could have done with the current story line that would have tied all the loose plot strings together.

Mara Jade could have saved Star Wars.

There is a part of me that wishes that’s the movie out right now. The conclusion to an epic story. Thinking about that makes my heart beat faster. Instead, I’m not sure what I’m going to see or if I’m going to see it.

Please don’t mistake me, I’m not toxic. Just a fan who misses what might have been.