Star Wars: I Am a Slave ✓

Chapter 51 - Dinner with Mother

"Lor San Tekka? I've never heard of him. How do you know he wasn't killed?" asked Rey.

"He sent me a message a few weeks ago about the map he had found, the map to Luke," answered Leia. "He had lost his memory for many years . . ."

"Then you knew where I was, and you left me there?" asked Rey.

"I've only known for a few weeks. And, at that point I figured you were safer there than here with me. If your brother finds out who you are, his Force-sensitive sister, the granddaughter of—" Leia could not bring herself to mention the name.

Rey supplied, "Vader."

"You know?"

Rey nodded. "Granddad's been with me all the time since you left me. He prefers to go by 'Ani' now, though."

Leia visibly blanched at that thought. "Do you know what he did? When he was Vader?"

"Yes. We had a few rough spots to work past when I figured it out, but he's always been there for me, Mother. And he's not like that anymore. If you can believe that Ben has good in him, why can't you believe that your father does?" asked Rey.

"You can't know everything. He probably worded it so he didn't look so bad . . ." denied Leia.

"I saw him torture you. I saw him put dad in carbonite. I saw him cut his own son's hand off. And he told me about the children he slaughtered. But mostly, he told me about Padmé. Oh, Mother, he loved her so much. He was willing to do anything for her. He turned for love, Mother; and he turned back for love . . . love for you and your brother," persuaded Rey. "Please forgive him."

"When you forgive Ben. I know there's still good in him. I know he still loves me," bargained Leia.

"He does," answered Rey. "I saw it. In his mind. It's what tears him up on the inside, the love for his mother."

Leia hugged Rey as they both let down their walls of defense. "Can you forgive me?" asked Leia.

"Mother, I can't change what happened. I'm just glad to have you now," answered Rey. "I'll never leave you again."

Leia pulled away. "But you must, Rey. You have to be trained . . ."

"Granddad's been training me. He's done just fine so far," argued Rey. "Tell her, Granddad."

Ani appeared before them both and said, "Rey, your mother is right. I have reached my limits. You must go to your uncle. And you must be trained, or you too will go down the dark path."

"I don't want this. I never wanted this! I just want to stay here with you, Mother," argued Rey.

"Calm yourself, Rey. Let go of your anger," remarked Leia, staring at the ghost of her father.

"No. You weren't the one abandoned on Jakku. You weren't the one forgotten. You weren't the one denied your own father. You weren't the one tortured by your own brother!" argued Rey, standing up to leave again.

Leia ordered with all of her command presence, "Sit down, Rey."

Rey turned, scowling at her mother and granddad.

"Don't you dare walk out that door, Young Lady," commanded Leia. "You were never forgotten. Not a single day has passed that I have not regretted my choices, but that does not change the fact that it had to happen. Do you think you're the only one hurting? Everyone in this Resistance has lost something, usually many someones in their lives. I am not the enemy. Neither is your brother. The evil of the Dark Side is."

Rey softened a little, removing her hand from the hatch control and taking a step toward Leia.

"There isn't a person on this base who hasn't lost at least one person in his life," stated Leia.

"Is that why you've forgotten about dad already? He hasn't even been dead one day, and it's like he never existed to you," accused Rey. "I only knew him for one day, Mother, and I'm more torn up about it that you."

Leia let her wall of protection come down at that as she thrust her emotions at her daughter. "You think I don't hurt, Rey? I loved your father since the day that I met him. Every day that we were apart has been torture for me. I sent him away to protect you. If he knew that you existed, then Ben would have known. Do you think I wanted to do that?

"I'm the one who sent him to Ben. I'm the one responsible for his death. He would have turned away and left Ben alone had I not begged him to at least try. And what did it get me? My son? No. A dead husband . . . but also my daughter. If I wallow in my grief for Han, I will miss the joy I have with you. There will be time enough for me to mourn him later once you're gone."

Rey meditated on Leia's words, absorbing the emotions that were behind them. Ani softly spoke, "Rey, you must go. If you don't, you will turn into the same monster you despise in your brother." Rey opened her mouth to argue, but Ani cut her off, "Your anger consumes you. You have to learn to control it. You need training only a living person can give you. You need Luke."

"I'm not sure I want to be trained by someone who produced that monster," debated Rey. "He's obviously a coward; hiding on some planet while the universe is falling apart and needs—"

"You think you know everything, don't you?" accused Leia. "Luke is not hiding. He's waiting for you. He's . . ."

"He's what?" asked Rey.

Ani supplied, "He's resisting the temptation to kill your brother."

"If he's this wonderful Jedi Master—" started Rey.

"He's only a man, who is tempted daily to turn to the dark side. Every day it is a new temptation, and every day he meets it and conquers it. But that doesn't mean it's easy. His exile has been to protect Ben; otherwise, he would have slaughtered Ben years ago, like he almost did the day Ben killed his wife and unborn child," revealed Ani. "Luke's waiting for you, Rey. He has nothing else to live for. You must go to him. Only with his training will you be able to defeat the dark in Ben and return him to the light," prophesied Ani.

"Please, Rey," begged Leia.

Rey looked at her bag on the table, Ani's lightsaber sticking half-way out of it. She remembered how it felt to wield it, how it energized her. She remembered the Force flowing through her when she was calm—it brought her such peace, such joy, such ecstasy. Then she thought of the face—not the face in the snow, but the face in the chamber, the face filled with fear. The face of her brother.

Rey nodded her acceptance. "I'll go. But I'll need a ship."

"You have one. Or at least half of one—the Falcon," indicated Leia. "Han left his interest in it to his heirs—which is you. Ben never wanted it."

"All right then. First thing in the morning I'll go," agreed Rey.

"Dinner first, My Little Sunshine," mentioned Leia, looking at her grimy daughter and stroking her cheek in love. "Why don't you use the refresher while I finish preparing the meal? Run your clothes through the cleaner, too."

"Yes, Mother," answered Rey, kissing her mother on the cheek before moving toward the refresher unit at the back of the small suite.

"There's a grey vest hanging in the closet. I think it will fit you . . . try it on," suggested Leia.

Rey smiled.

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