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.
He stands alone.
Holding the handle of his lightsaber.
"Hey, kid."
He knew that voice. That rough voice came from only one man. He turned around to be faced by his father, Han Solo. Han Solo was not a Force projection, he was not blue or ghostly. Han appeared before Kylo as almost like Han was actually there, but the truth is Han Solo is dead.
Nothing can change that.
Han gives his son a small smile, "I miss you, son."
Kylo Ren breaths a little heavy, but his eyes do not turn away from the man before him.
"Your son is dead," Kylo Ren says.
Han shakes his head as he took a few steps closer to Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren did not back off, he didn't show any signs of anger.
"No, Kylo Ren is dead." Han says, "My son is alive."
The young adult man before Han was overwhelmed by feelings. He wasn't even sure what or who he was anymore. However, one thing is for sure. The young man did have regret written on his face as he stares down his father.
"You're just a memory," He chokes out to Han.
"Your memory," Han says.
Han gives his son a smile. Neither men breaking eye contact with one an other. The younger man looked as if at any second, he'd begin to cry.
"Come home," Han says.
"It's too late," The younger man shakes his head, "She's gone."
Han sighs, "Your mother's gone, but what she stood for, what she fought for that's not gone."
The two men continue to stare intensely at each other. The father looks to his son, he sees his son at any moment going to loose it and begin to cry.
"Ben," Han says.
"I know what I have to do, but I don't know if I have the strength to do it." He says to Han.
Han reached up and cupped the side of his son's face. The younger man lets out a sobbed exhaled at the mere touch of his father. Han gives his son a small smile.
"You do," Han says.
Han lowers his hand from his son's face.
The younger man lifts the saber handle upward, but not daring to look away from his father in front of him.
"Dad," He says to Han.
And now is when he begins to cry in front of Han. Han gives his son a small smile at him.
"I know," Han says.
The younger man exhales and without hesitation, he turns around and throws the lightsaber into the ocean of Kef Bir. He turns around to look to his father, but Han Solo was gone.
As was Kylo Ren.
He did not wear that name anymore. He was Ben Solo, once again.
{RISE OF SKYWALKER}
SHE SAT there inside the quarters of her mother. R2-D2 was stationed next to her, chirping sad beeps at the sight of the fallen princess. Amara looks at the droid, she pats the top of him, before turning back to her mother. There was a white sheet over her. A way of respecting the fact she is dead. Amara wanted to reach out and touch her but it felt wrong of her to do so. She just sat there in silence.
"Oh mom," Amara says.
A single tear slid down her face. She lowered her head down, trying to suppressed herself from crying again.
R2 beeped at her.
Amara turned and saw the droid open up a compartment. Pulling out golden dice on a chain. The droid held them out for her.
Amara choked out a sob but smiled.
Amara takes them from him, "Thank you."
Amara held the golden dice in the palm of her hand. These dice. These dice had been her father's for as long as she remembered, and after his passing no one knew where they were. That was until Luke brought them to Leia, which stayed with Leia until now.
Amara exhaled.
"Amara,"
Amara knew that voice.
"Ben," She says.
She stands up and could visibly see him. He was standing on Kef Bir, he was soaked and still stood where he was prior. Ben could see where Amara was standing, but not fully. He didn't see Leia's body being covered by the sheet.
"I need your help," Ben says.
Amara kept her stare at him, "What is it?"
"I need to get to Exegol," Ben says, "I know what I need to do."
Amara crossed her arms on her chest, "And what is that?"
Ben looks down and then meeting her gaze, "Making things right."
Amara nods, "I don't know what to offer you," She says, "I can always send someone to pick you up-."
"Sister," Ben says, "It needs to be you."
Amara almost scoffs, "Ben, I cannot pilot a ship. I'm not the pilot you or dad were."
"It's in your blood, Amara. You can pilot." He tells her.
Amara frowns.
"We need to finish what was started," Ben says.
Amara lowers her arms from her chest to rest at her side. She stares at her brother, seeing him from another planet.
"Might I ask what it is you want me to help you finish?" Amara asks, "The last time we spoke, you either wanted me to join you or die at the hands of the First Order?"
She hears her brother sigh.
"I am going to kill Palpatine," Ben says, "And I need your strength to help me do it."
Amara bit her lip for a moment.
"Amara," Ben says, "You know I'm not lying to you. I mean every word I am saying to you now."
Amara looks up at him, "Ben,"
"Kylo Ren is dead," Ben says and offers his hand out, "Please, help me make up for all I've done."
Amara looks to him and then to the R2 unit beeping at her. She knelt down next to R2-D2, she placed her hand on the top of the astromech.
Amara sighs, "It won't be easy for me to sneak away," She says.
R2-D2 chirps beeps with concern.
"I know it won't be," He says and sighs, "Especially now that our mother is gone."
Amara nods, "Yes."
"But you're so much like you, Mari." Ben says.
The second Ben called her by that nickname, something in her switched. At first it was a bit uncertain whether or not she fully trusted Ben. But she did believe that getting him to Exegol to fight the Emperor is better than leaving him on Kef Bir.
Hearing Ben call her "Mari" made her feel like this was her brother. That this was the very Ben she grew up with. The same Ben who hugged her every time she cried. The same Ben who watched out for her when they were alone. The same Ben who always teased her just because.
"And you know it, too." Ben says.
Amara swallows back the tears that are threatening to slide down her face. She bit her lips to keep herself from crying again. Instead she nodded.
"Okay, Ben." Amara says, "I'm coming."
And with that, the communication between her and Ben ended. She did not see him anymore nor felt him. She stumbled back and exhaled deeply.
She placed her hand on her chest and then felt some object against her chest. She moved her hand out and looked at the golden dice in her hands.
{RISE OF SKYWALKER}
AMARA HAD managed to exit her mother's quarters undetected by anyone from the Resistance. She moved through the base, avoiding any and all people.
She was dressed differently. She wore a light brown long sleeve top, dark brown pants with a belt on it where he saber is attached to, dark brown boots, and her hair in a ponytail braid. She had a bandage wrapped around her left hand from the injury she had endured on Pasaana.
She stopped behind some crates and saw Poe, he was speaking to D'Arcy. Likely to figure out what happened to Leia. What caused her death.
Amara frowns.
Amara hears R2 beep at her.
"R2," Amara looks at the astromech, "I told you to stay."
Amara knelt down to R2. She placed her hand on top of the droid and gives him a somber smile.
"You have the message for Poe," Amara says, "I need you to deliver it to him once I'm done."
R2 beeps at her.
"I'll be safe, R2." Amara says with a small smile.
Amara stands up. She gives the droid that has been in her family for generation's a small smile before parting off.
Amara continued to duck and hide around crates until she made it out of the cave. She sprinted through the landing field, scouting for the perfect X-Wing to swipe. She spotted Black Squadron and knew she couldn't dare to touch any of those fighters, expect she realized Karé can't fly at the moment.
She recalled Snap mentioning how Karé is pregnant.
Amara looks at the X-Wing and then glanced back to the base, she shakes her head. She begins to climb up the ladder to get into the cockpit of the X-Wing. She gets herself into the cockpit and grabbed the helmet resting on the seat.
She put the helmet on and then sat down on the seat. The hatch above her shut.
Amara exhaled.
She looked at all the switches and controls.
"Time to see if I can really pilot anything," Amara says to herself.
She switched on the ship and then flicked a few more switches without really thinking about it. Suddenly the X-Wing was on and it was as if Amara had been a pilot for years. She reached for the handles and thrust it. The X-Wing took flight and out of Ajan Kloss.
{RISE OF SKYWALKER}
POE'S DAY has gone for bad to even worse. Not only has he been told of the death of a person he had seen as a mother to him, but now is being told that Kijimi was destroyed by the First Order.
"Kijimi? How?" Poe asks.
Larma looks at him, "A blast from a Stardestroyer."
Poe was standing in the middle of command. He was listening to good person of the Resistance fill him in on what has happened.
"A ship from the new Sith fleet." Larma says, "Out of the unknowns."
Walking over to Poe was Beaumont Kin and Torin Kallus. Torin held a datapad whereas Beaumont had more information to give to Poe.
"The Emperor sent a ship out from Exegol." Beaumont.
Torin looks worried, "Does that mean every ship in the fleet has-?" He was cut off.
"Has planet killing weapons. Of course, they do." Poe says still distraught, "All of them."
Beaumont glanced to Rose, who was managing controls. Rose looks up from the controls over to Beaumont and then to her friend, Poe.
"This is how he finishes it," Poe says.
Rose was getting something in her controls. A sound, some sort of code, or something. Rose glanced back at her controls and started pressing buttons.
"Listen," Rose says, "It's on every frequency."
After she said that, people began to walk over to listen. To hear what is being broadcasted out to everyone. The language was not in their common language, but Beaumont knew what it was saying.
"The Resistance is dead," Beaumont says, "The Sith flame will burn."
Everyone; Poe, Larma, Rose, and Torin look at Beaumont. Those words being broadcasted was to cause panic and fear.
"All worlds surrender or die," Beaumont continues, "The Final Order beings."
Poe shakes his head frowning.
Rose looks from Beaumont and then to Poe, "Leia made you acting General. What now?"
Poe looks at Rose and ran his hand through his hair. This was a lot, not just the fact of now being a general but having to deal with this The Final Order. The Emperor.
"I'm going to go find Amara," Poe says, "She might have some sort idea on what to do next."
Rose nods.
Torin points towards a direction, "I last saw her in Leia's quarters."
Poe nods and moves pass.
Beaumont shakes his head as he watches Poe walk away. Beaumont crosses his arms on his chest and looks to Larma.
"He isn't ready to lead." Beaumont says.
Larma shakes her head, "Leia wouldn't have picked him if he wasn't ready." She says.
{RISE OF SKYWALKER}
POE FINDS himself in Leia's quarters, but doesn't see Amara there at all. Instead, the older man noticed the body covered by the white sheet. His mentor. He goes from standing and looking at the sheet to finding a spot to sit down. He rested his elbows on his knees, resting his chin against his hands.
Poe inhales, "I gotta tell you, I don't really know how to do this." Poe says.
He was trying to keep himself from crying. He didn't cry when Amara and D'Arcy told them the news of Leia's passing, he had it in his head that he had to be strong for everyone. Be strong for Amara.
"What you did," Poe exhales, "I'm not ready."
"Neither we're we," Spoke a familiar voice.
Poe turns around and see Lando.
Lando steps further into the room and Poe stands to address the general of the past war.
"Luke, Han, Leia, me," Lando says, "Who's ever ready?"
Poe takes a step closer, "How'd you do it?" He asks, "Defeat an Empire with almost nothing."
Lando gives a small smile, "We had each other. That's how we won." He tells the man.
Poe nods at him, "Thank you, General Calrissian."
Lando kept the smile on his face.
Then Poe watched as the older man glanced over to the sheet covering the body of Leia. Lando's eyes moves back to Poe.
"Can I have a moment with her?" Lando asks.
Poe nods, "Of course."
Poe moves out of the room, but glanced back one last time to see Lando sit down where Poe had sat prior. He could hear some muttering coming from the past general, but then Poe left to give Lando space. As Poe was no longer in Leia's quarters he saw R2-D2 rolling over to him. The R2 unit astromech was beeping at him.
"R2? What?" Poe asks, "A message?"
R2 beeps again.
Poe knelt down and pressed a button on the R2 unit. Once he did, there was a blue hologram of Amara there.
"Is this working?" Amara voice can be heard through, "Okay, okay. Poe, I am leaving."
Poe looks at the hologram version of his girlfriend with confusion.
"I am borrowing an X-Wing and heading out to get Ben and go to Exegol. We are going to fight the Emperor and end this once and for all." Amara says, "I'm sorry this isn't a proper goodbye and really awful of me to leave you like this, but this has to be done. He must be stopped and- and I have a feeling it has to be at the hands of us. Ben and I."
Poe ponders over that.
"With Rey gone we're the only shot, Poe." Amara says, "We're the galaxy's only hope."
Poe sighs hearing that.
"I love you, Poe Dameron." She say.
And the transmission ended.
Poe knelt there still holding his hand where he had pressed the button to start the message in the first place.
"I love you too, Amara Solo." Poe says.
(re-uploaded: 7/18/21)