AWAKEN

54

THEY HADN'T moved from where they were. Chewie was still beside himself that his princess was dead. Finn and Poe still stood above. Amara still held the Wookiee.

"On Kef Bir," Finn says.

When the man opened his mouth to say what he started to say, Amara and Poe looked to him.

"When Jannah and I returned, you were upset. Did- Did you already knew that Leia was-," Finn halted before finishing.

Amara's frown deepens, "Yeah."

Poe frowns, "And you didn't tell us?"

Amara glanced to her pilot boyfriend, "She contacted me before she did what she was going to do," Amara said, "And yes, I was too big of a coward to tell you all before arriving back at the base."

Chewie speaks.

The Wookiee growls something along the lines of Amara not being a coward but instead was grieving the loss of her mother. She was still coming to terms with it.

Chewie growled again.

Amara looks to the Wookiee, "I appreciate that, Chewie." She sighs, "But the fact reminds I had information and I neglected to tell you."

Amara rose to her feet.

"As painful as this is," Amara bit her lip for a moment to keep her lip from quivering, "We still have a war to win."

And with that said, Amara walked toward the direction of the base. As Amara set foot in the base, people stopped what they were doing. Rose looked up from where she was. Connix lowered the datapad in her hands. Snap lifts his head after he was nudged by Karé. Karé, Snap, and Jess looked at her. Maz stepped over to Amara. The smaller woman reached out to hug Amara, and Amara accepted it. She had to kneel down a little to accept the embrace.

"Oh, little Mari." Maz says.

Amara swallowed back a chance that she might begin to sob all over again. She just nodded in Maz's embrace. Behind her, was the others arriving in. Poe, Finn, and Chewie. The three of them look into the base to see the sorrowful room of Resistance members staring down the daughter of their fallen leader.

Maz pulls back, "If you wish to see her," Maz tells Amara, "She is in her quarters."

Amara nods, "Thanks Maz."

Maz nods at the young woman.

Amara stands up. She stands tall.

Amara is watched as she walks pass member of the Resistance towards the direction of her mother's quarters. She passed Rose, Connix, and the pilots. Some of the members of the Resistance bowed their head to her in a way of being respectful. Amara glanced at them and gave a small smile before continuing.

Amara halted when she stopped by R2-D2. The blue and white astromech beeped at her. Amara knelt down and placed her hand on the top of R2.

She gives the astromech and small smile, "Okay, R2. You can follow me." She says softly.

After that, she rose yet again and began to walk towards her mother's quarters with the R2 unit droid following after her. Everyone in the Resistance looked at the young daughter of the infamous Leia Organa as she somehow made herself looked calm and composed, but only knowing how much was for a show and how much she'll fall apart the second she steps into her mother's quarters.

{RISE OF SKYWALKER}

HE STOOD there alone. Waves crashing against his body as he looked at the ocean on Kef Bir. He stands on a peak on the remains of the Death Star he be been on since his fight with Rey. Since the death of his mother.