GUILT WAS a small seed that had planted itself inside Amara. The whole mission shouldn't have gone without her. She should've been there.
What was Poe thinking?
Ronon was a threat, they knew he was out there. He is clearly strong enough in the Force to speak directly to Amara through a vision, he clearly is strong enough to find them.
Amara felt the pang of guilt when she saw Torin in the medical tent with Janan next to him. The two friends from Lothal were seemingly all they had. They saw close together, well Torin was laying on a bed.
Torin had bandages covering the missing part of his arm.
Amara frowns.
As Amara stepped out of medical, she found the tent that housed the children from the First Order. She noticed some of the villagers that Rey, Jannah, and Torin managed to have saved were speaking to the kids.
She watched as a few of them began sobbing knowing that they're parent or parents were still alive before Ronon's attack.
But her eyes land on Orson.
He was sitting outside of the tent, alone.
Amara walked over to him.
He looks up at her.
Amara sees his red puffy eyes. He had been crying, or at least try to cover up that he's been crying. He rubs his face with his arm and lowers his gaze.
Amara sits on the ground next to him.
"Y- Y- You probably already knew," Orson says, "T- T- That my pa- pa- parents are dead."
Orson was sobbing as he spoke. Amara felt her heart break in the moment he opened his mouth and allowed words to flow. He sounded so hurt, so damaged.
"I-," Amara hesitated to reach out to him, "I'm so sorry, Orson."
Orson lifts his gaze at her, "My parents are- are dead." He repeats, "W- W- What's gonna happen to me?"
Amara grabs a hold of the boy and pulls him into a hug, "We'll figure it out, kid." She says, "We'll figure it out, together."
Amara's gaze moved to the right and noticed Poe standing afar. He had just finished speaking to Connix and then noticed the woman he loves dearly hugging the young boy she's grown fond of.
"I- I- I am all alone," Orson cries, "I- I- I don't have a family!"
Amara soothes the boy was rubbing his back and whispering things into his ear.
"Hey, hey." She says, "If you decide to stay, the Resistance can be your family."
Orson pulls out of the hug, "I- I could stay?" He asks with tears in his eyes.
Amara nods with a small smile, "Of course," She rubs away the tears on his face, "You have the freedom, Orson. You can decide your path."
Orson had a big smile before he hugged Amara tightly. This hug seemingly caught Amara off guard, but she held onto him without hesitation.
"I- I-," He tries to stop crying, "I wanna stay."
Amara gives a small smile, "Okay, Orson." She says, "You can stay."
{A NEW ORDER}
BEN FOUND his sister, alone. She was inside the Falcon, sitting in the cockpit. Actually sitting in the pilot's seat, their father's spot.
Ben leaned on the doorway, "I heard you practically adopted one of those kids?" He spoke.
Amara made no effort to turn to face him.
"I wonder how Poe will take to having him stay?" Ben asks.
Amara finally turns to him, "You think what I did was careless?" She asks.
Ben shakes his head, "I didn't say that."
"You suggested it." Amara says.
Ben tilt his head, "Look, you're bringing a kid into this already complicated life. Do you think you are able to care for another being?" He asks, "Do you think you can care for him and him not feel like a burden?"
Amara stands up, "Ben," Amara says, "It's won't be like that."
"Then what will it be like?" Ben asks.
"I see myself in Orson," She says, "I see a lot of myself in him at that age. Filled with wonder and- and was so damn innocent. If- If I can give him what I got, grounded, love, kindness, and support, where is the issue?"
Ben pushes himself off the doorway, "But do you think it's smart to keep him knowing where we are going in the next twenty-four hours?" He asks.
Amara frowns.
"He could loose you," Ben says.
"So could Poe," Amara says, "Just like Rey could loose you."
Ben and Amara lock eyes.
"You're stubborn," Ben shakes his head, "I don't know where you get it. Mom and dad were both pretty stubborn."
"Too much for their own good," Amara says looking at her brother.
Ben sighs, "I am just coming at you like this to make sure, a hundred percent that you'd take care of the boy." He says, "And not grow bored in him after a few weeks, month, or a year."
Amara shakes her head, "I'm not going anywhere," She says, "Orson needs me."
Ben nods, "Alright."
Amara seemed a little confused, "Alright?" She asks, "That's it?"
Ben shrugs, "Sure. I guess, I don't care what you do personally. You're a smart girl and if you feel like this is something you need to do, fine. I trust you." He says.
Amara gives him a small smile.
"So, how did Poe take it?" Ben asks crossing his arms on his chest.
Amara sighs and sits down, "A little overworked." She says, "He supports me wanting to care for Orson, here on the base, but- but thinks Orson would have a better life away."
"Perhaps." Ben says, "Perhaps, this is where he belongs."
Amara looks at him, "I- I just know, Ben, I know I have to be the one to take care of him." She says, "I just- I just know."
Ben nods.
He walks over to his sister and sits down on the seat next to the pilot seat. His knees and Amara's knees touch. Ben leans forward and placed a hand on top of her knee.
Ben sighs, "You don't have to explain it to me, Mari." Ben says, "I support what you choose to do and since it's adopting this kid, then okay."
Amara looks at him, "Thanks, Ben."
Ben look at her with a grin, "I mean, I didn't expect to become an uncle until you and Poe left on your honeymoon."
Amara shoves him forward.
When Amara shoved him, Ben laughs. He laughs a childish laugh, a laugh that causes Amara to grin only for it to turn into a laughing fit. The two siblings laughed in their father's cockpit, before the laughter died down.
"Ben," Amara says, "Really, thank you."
Ben smiled at her, "No problem, Mari."
{A NEW ORDER}
A SINGLE craft was being fueled for the Solo siblings to take. They had a date. A date with a madman and this was the only way to keep their loved ones and friends safe.
At the hangar, technicians and mechanics were checking over the craft before Ben and Amara boarded. This gave them a moment to say goodbye to their loved ones.
Ben and Rey embraced in a hug. Her arms around his waist and her face buried into his chest. Ben held onto Rey around the back of the neck and upper back. His head resting in the crock on her shoulder.
Amara knelt down to Orson, giving him a big smile. He had a brave look on his face. She gave him a big hug, kissing the top of his head. Amara parted with Orson to see Poe approaching. She and Poe embraced within seconds.
Orson stepped over to Finn, who placed a hand on Orson's shoulder for support.
Amara and Poe parted for a moment, only to kiss on the lips passionately. Poe held onto Amara's waist and Amara cupped the side of Poe's face.
"Come back to me," Poe says when they part.
Amara leans her forehead on his, "I will," She says, "I promise."
Ben and Rey part from their hug and then Rey stays on her tip toes to give Ben a kiss. The kiss wasn't nearly as passionate as Poe's with Amara, but the emotions were there. The kiss was quick.
Ben held onto both of Rey's hands, "I'll return."
Rey looks at him, "You better."
Ben nods.
Ben glanced up and noticed Amara saying quick goodbyes to Rose and Finn, before turning her gaze to her brother.
They nod.
Ben and Amara say one last goodbyes to their loved ones before heading to the craft. Once they disappeared into the craft, it was only a matter of seconds before Ben piloted the shift and took off.
Poe, Rey, Finn, Rose, Orson, and a handful of others in the Resistance watched the children of the woman responsible for the Resistance leave to protect them.
Poe rests a hand on Orson, "She'll be back, kid." He says.
Orson nods, "Yeah, she will."
{A NEW ORDER}
BEN AND Amara sat in the cockpit, although Ben was piloting the craft. Ben had just entered them into hyperspace, and then switched to auto-pilot.
"How long until we arrive to Vrogas Vas?" Amara asks.
Ben doesn't look at her, "Four hours." He says.
Amara nods.
The silence consumes the two of them again. That is until Amara had a thought, a thought that randomly came to her mind.
"When you were-," She paused, "When you were training with Luke,"
Ben glanced over with interest.
"Did he ever mention an Aunt Freya?" She asks.
"Aunt Freya?" Ben asks.
Amara nods, "Well Freya Koda,"
Ben let go of the stirring console, "I- I don't think he mentioned it to any of us," He says, "But I have heard the name before."
Amara looks at him in shock, "Where?"
"Back when-," Ben grimaced at the thought, "In the First Order, we had a known list of potential threats we knew of, and she was on it."
"Did you- Did the First Order take her out?" Amara asks.
Ben glanced at her, "No." He says, "We could never seem to find her. It's like she wanted to be alone."
Amara nods.
"Why are you so interested in her anyways?" Ben asks looking at her.
"Luke mentioned her," She says, "She fought with him and mom and dad."
Ben looks away.
"She was- or is a Jedi, no- she's Force sensitive." She says.
Ben glanced at her, "Yeah, I know that. That's why she was on the list." He says.
"But- But she rejected it after they won against the Empire." She says, "That's what Luke said. How he wanted to rebuild the Order and Freya refused to be apart of that."
Ben sighs.
"He also loved her," Amara says.
Ben glanced at her as he leans against the chair.
"Apparently I- I have some similar traits with her that Luke sees," Amara says, "And I- I want to meet her. Know her."
Ben looks up at the ceiling of the spacecraft, "Maybe if we both survive this, we'll look for this Aunt Freya together."
Amara looks at her brother with a small smile, "Alright." She says.
{A NEW ORDER}
MEANWHILE, CLEAR across on the planet of Tatooine landed a ship. The ship had landed in front of the Lars's home. The very home Luke Skywalker lived in for a good portion of his life before joining the Rebels.
The ramp of the ship opens, revealing a small green and white astromech droid. A R unit droid. The droid rolled off the ramp, before it turns its head looking around to see nothing but sand.
The droid beeps back up at the ship.
"I heard you R7," Said a female voice.
Stepping down the ramp was a woman. An older woman with red hair, long hair in a braid. She was wearing a grey short sleeve shirt, a dark brown leather jacket, light brown pants, and dark brown boots.
She steps off the ramp and allows her boots to settle in the sand. She looks around, taking in the planet and her surrounding.
She walks over to R7, "Guard the ship." She says.
R7 beeps at her before wheeling itself back up the ship.
The woman walked towards the Lars's home. She recalls this place in memories from a different time.
She halted near the home and looked down at the ground, and knelt down. She touched the sand surface and then nods to herself.
"So," She says, "Leia's and Luke's sabers are laid to rest. I see."
She stands up.
She walked further towards the home and sees how much of a mess it is. How much sand storms has trashed the home of the legendary Luke Skywalker. She sits down on the edge before the sand pit that was once his home.
"I know you've been trying to reach out through the Force," She says, "And I've been ignoring your calls."
She glanced from the pit then to behind her.
Standing there was a blue figure. A Force ghost of some sort.
"Leia," Spoke the woman.
"It's been a long time, my friend." Said the voice of the fallen General.
The woman stands and looks at the Force ghost of Leia Organa. The two have both noticed how the other has aged over their time apart.
"You look good," Said the woman.
"I look dead," Leia corrects, "Like we all thought of you."
The woman grimaced at that.
"Look," Leia says, "Luke never hated you for leaving, but I know he wishes he fought harder on keeping you around."
The woman looks down.
"He loved you," Leia says.
"And I loved him," She says.
Leia gives a sad smile, "You, Lando, and Chewie are all that remains from that time." She says, "We're all fading away and a new light is taking over."
The woman keeps her eyes on Leia.
"My daughter is so much like you," Leia says smiling, "Han was so protective of her due to that."
The woman nods, "I'm sorry about Han,"
Leia shakes her head, "I don't need sympathy."
"Then what do you need, Leia?" She asks.
"I need my friend to go home and stop wandering the galaxy like the lost soul she's been since she left the Rebellion." Leia says.
"Leia," She says.
"I mean it, Freya." Leia says, "You owe me. You owe me big."
Freya frowns, "And to think that the princess wouldn't use that over my head?"
"You thought wrong." Leia says.
And then the ghostly figure was gone. This left Freya standing alone by the home of the Lars. She looks back at the home before turning to her ship.
The woman, Freya, continues to her ship. She steps up on the ramp and then reaches for something attached to her belt. A handle of a weapon.
She looks at it and the ignites it.
A purple saber.
"I wish- I wish we could've had what they had, Luke." Freya says indicating what Han and Leia had together, "But- But it wasn't in the stars."
And with that said, the woman turned off her saber and then walked up the ship ramp.
(re-uploaded: 7/19/21)