Mara listened closely to Galen, making note of what he'd managed to remember about his parents. While she was glad for him, she was also slightly envious. She could not recall her own parents, no matter how hard she tried to focus. No doubt Palpatine had done something to block her memory in such a way. She wouldn't put it past that vile man. But at the question he posed her, Mara didn't even hesitate in her response. "Everyone dies, there is no way around that. So it is not so much as resigning myself to the fact that Luke could die tomorrow as it is enjoying life for what it is. If we get too fixated on losing those we care about, we become blind to the happiness that is around us. And truthfully, living a life so blind is no life at all, which is the greatest tragedy of all."
And again, at his questions, Mara had no hesitation in her answer. "I was an assassin, I too have blood that will never be cleaned from my hands. I once sat right where you are now, questioning who I wanted to be, what kind of woman could I become?" She paused a moment, deciding to teach hi from her own life experience. "I did not find the answer to that question until Luke helped me see that even after his death, Palpatine was controlling me. I am extremely sensitive to the Force to the extent where I am able to form telepathic links to some. I had one with Palpatine, and I could hear his voice no matter where in the Galaxy I was. When Vader tossed hi to his death, Palpatine gave me one last command, which was to kill Luke Skywalker. But his hate and anger were so overpowering that it lived through me for a time, controlled my actions despite my trying to resist it. Luke helped me break that link. I also went on the run for a while. I was being hunted by the Empire. But eventually, I came to the realization that it's not about the legacy you leave. It's about the life you live. You can become any kind of man you wish to be, that you choose to be. If a former Emperor's Hand can rise to become a Jedi Master, a wife and a mother, you can certainly achieve whatever you put your mind to."
Looking at him, she smiled. "You don't have to be a Jedi, I will not force you to follow that path. But you can still be a good man, Galen. You have that capability within you, you merely just need to realize it and see it for yourself."