Saga - OT The Journal of the Former Emperor's Hand [L/M] Updated: 12/24/17

Also the explanation of why he left R2-D2 behind.

 

Thanks. I would like to say it is out of character for the Jedi to hide...but that is exactly what Yoda and Kenobi did. But Luke has never been one to shy away from danger. I can't see him hiding away unless there was a good reason.

Yeah, I wasn't sure what was up with leaving Artoo in the movie. I wanted to give an explanation. Another reason might be he didn't want to wipe Artoo's memory to keep the secrets of the island safe.

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Entry 219

I stayed with Luke for a couple days. I wanted to stay longer, but I needed to get to the nearby Imperial planet, Kanthos, so I can develop an alibi to explain my ‘lost time’ spent on Q-13 ( or Ahch-To as Luke likes to call it). I had been investigating a new criminal organization attempting to take root on the planet. If I can get enough information to bring the gang down, then perhaps my superiors won’t be upset over my apparent inability to capture Luke Skywalker.

Entry 220
33 ABY

I found a way to get information to Leia, but it is so complicated that by the time she gets the information and deciphers the coded message the intel might be too old to be useful. I guess it doesn’t matter too much. I am still left out of the loop when it comes to what is going on in the Unknown Region. Supreme Leader Snoke has a blockade preventing movement in and out of the outer reaches of the region. Even I can’t get permission to travel to the area.

Entry 221
33.5 ABY

I have been splitting my time between Ahch-To, Jakku and Epta Prime. You would think this would impair my job performance, but I am just so good at what I do that nobody questions my journeys throughout the galaxy. My superiors simply believe I am meeting with confidential informants and investigating corruption. My team of investigators have brought down nine crime syndicates operating within Imperial space. All but two were newly formed organizations that didn’t have the brains to function undetected. The two that were well established were the Crymorah and the Pyke syndicate. I was awarded the coveted Medal of Loyalty for my achievements.

Entry 222
33.6 ABY

I ran into Kylo Ren while attending a military ball on the Imperial planet Avslort. I found him stalking around the buffet table and oozing with irritation through the Force. He was probably trying to figure out how to eat some of the mouth-watering morsels without removing his ridiculous full-face helmet.

I had spent most of the evening walking around the dance hall and covertly listening in on conversations during the event (Yes, Force-enhanced hearing is a thing). It appears that most of the military personnel dislike Kylo. His wild mood swings make him dangerous to work under, and therefore, his soldiers try to avoid him at all costs. He has a number of nicknames: Extreme Leader Ren, Pyro Ren, Tantrum Ren and Darth Nadir, to name a few. One guard referred to Kylo as “A psychotic punk in a little black dress.” I had to leave the room before I burst out in a fit of laughter after hearing that comment. Of course, all of these derogatory remarks were whispered to one another so the gossipers wouldn’t get Force choked by an irate and dysfunctional Lord Ren.

Supreme Leader Snoke was not in attendance but General Armitage Hux made an appearance. Hux is proof that nepotism is alive and well within the First Order. He is the son of General Brendol Hux who recently died from some strange disease that he probably caught on some outer-rim cesspool planet where he was recruiting (AKA kidnapping) child warriors for the First Order. The elder Hux was a cretin, but at least he was competent. Armitage has no redeeming qualities. He’s vainglorious, patronizing and ineffectual. Supreme Leader Snoke must have an infinite amount of patience in order to deal with Hux and Ren on a daily or weekly basis.

I watched from a distance as General Hux wandered up next to Kylo Ren. “The food is delicious,” he commented as he picked up a finger sandwich and popped it into his mouth. He made an appreciative ‘mmm’ sound before smacking his lips. “You should really try some Lord Ren.”

Stang! General Hux was actually taunting Kylo Ren and his inability to eat while wearing that vader-esque helmet. I coughed in an effort to disguise my laughter. I don’t think Ben/Kylo heard me, but Hux did.

“Colonel Colay,” Hux said as he walked toward me. “I want to congratulate you on taking down nine criminal organizations. Your Medal of Loyalty is well deserved.”

I gave a false smile. “Thank you General Hux.”

Kylo walked up behind the General and said in a mechanical voice. “The Colonel doesn’t have any difficulty finding crime lords but has yet to find one insignificant Jedi.”

Hux glanced back at Kylo. “Lord Ren, I assume finding a Jedi Master is no easy task.”

Kylo turned toward me. “I suspect the Colonel is not trying very hard.”

“Lord Ren,” I said slowly choosing my words carefully. “Skywalker once told me that his Jedi mentors were able to hide from Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader for almost twenty years…and they were powerful Sith Lords. If Jedi Skywalker is hiding out on some sparsely populated planet, he could go unnoticed for decades.”

Hux turned to Kylo and was doing his damnedest to not smirk. “You’re a Force-user, Lord Ren, perhaps you can flush out the Jedi using your…powers.”

“Perhaps I will,” Leia’s son said angrily before turning on his heel and storming away.

General Hux then turned his attention back to me. “Colonel, have you considered a change of venue? We can use your skills onboard the Supremacy.”

My brow shot up. Taking a position on Supreme Leader Snoke’s flagship could get me closer to discovering what was going on in the unknown region. Unfortunately, it would also put me at great risk. I would be working closely with Ben Solo and Supreme Leader Snoke. I am good at shielding my Force presence, but nothing is perfect. Taking the job might be signing my death warrant.

“I will consider your generous offer General Hux. I will have to discuss it with my commander, General Jakobs.”

Hux smiled broadly. “You do that, Colonel.”

“I do my best work in the field,” I continued. “If I took a position on the Supremacy, would that relegate me to a desk job?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. You can come and go as you please…but you would have the added duty of flushing out corruption aboard the Supreme Leader’s flagship.”

“Has there been a problem with corruption?”

He opened his mouth to say something but closed it and shook his head. “We can discuss the details if you accept the position. I do want to add that it will come with a promotion from Lieutenant Colonel to full Colonel.”

“Oh…I definitely will discuss your offer with General Jakobs.”

He smiled smugly. “Good, I look forward to your decision.”





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Entry 223
33.7 ABY

I am on Jakku for a couple days. I landed my shuttle near Rey’s salvaged AT-AT home, but she wasn’t there. I was able to reach out with the Force and determine she was at Niima Outpost, probably selling scavenged items to Unkar Plutt. I rode my swoop bike down the shuttle ramp and headed to the outpost.

While traveling there I thought about General Hux’s offer. If I accepted a position on the Supremacy, I could possibly discover what is going on in the Unknown Region. My best guess is a large weapons system is being developed and it had to be huge if it has taken decades to build. But there is a very real possibility of being discovered—both as a double agent and a Force-user. If that happens, I would be summarily executed, and Rey would never find out what happened to me. She would never know I’m her mother and Luke her father. I don’t want her to go through life believing that horrible story Plutt made up that her parents were alcoholics that drank themselves to death.

Unfortunately, telling Rey her heritage would put her at risk. If she divulged her secret to anybody the chances are the news would spread rapidly and eventually make its way to Supreme Leader Snoke. There is also the possibility that she inherited her father’s propensity of running into danger with no strategy in mind or, if any thought was given to the mission, it would most likely involve an incredibly dreadful and needlessly complicated plan of action. How Skywalker survived the war, I will never know.

Maybe I could give her the location of Ahch-To and then submerge that knowledge deep within her brain using the Force. I could have the memory triggered if she ever hears news of my death. She could then remember and find her father. Luke would be able to sense Rey is his daughter. He wouldn’t turn her away.

Yes, I could do that. I don’t want to die and have my daughter wither away on this barren planet all alone.

As I pulled into Niima Outpost I spotted my daughter walking away from the exchange area. She was carrying food portions and not looking very happy. I assume Plutt had once again lowered the exchange rate for scavenged parts. Her frown disappeared when she saw me. She placed her food rations in a side pouch and waved me down.

As I pulled up next to her, she reached over and pulled me into a big hug. “Mara, I’m glad to see you.”

“Same here.” When we separated, I pointed down at her bag. “Did Plutt short change you again?”

She grimaced as she opened the bag and pulled out three quarter portions. “He gave me this for a binary relay. Last month I got double that amount.”

I smiled widely. “Good thing I brought you some fresh fruit, vegetables and juices. They are in my shuttle.”

She squealed with delight and gave me another hug. “You are too good to me.” She pulled back and I could see tears welling up in her eyes. “I don’t know what I did to deserve a friend like you.”

I reached up and ruffled her hair. “You are a special person Rey. You’re…you’re like a daughter to me.”

I could see her bottom lip quiver and I was sure she was going to cry, but she is too much like her mother. She instead turned and changed the subject. “Unkar got a new ship. He said he stole it from the Irving boys.”

She pointed to my left and I pulled in a surprised breath when I saw the Millennium Falcon in the distance. At least I think it was the Millennium Falcon. I suppose it could be another beat up YT-1300f Corellian light freighter. The radar dish was different, but from what Luke told me, Han had a habit of knocking his dish off while flying through tight spaces.

“You want to go inside? Unkar lets me work on it. He said he is getting it ready to sell it.”

“Sure, hop on.” Rey jumped on my swoop and wrapped her arms around my waist as I accelerated toward the freighter. When we arrived at the ship she jumped off and ran up the entry ramp. I parked my swoop and joined her. When I entered the ship, I found her at the Dejarik table. It was then that I knew it was the Falcon. It was something Han had installed himself. It wasn’t standard equipment on these freighters.

“This is some sort of hologram game. I haven’t figured out the rules yet,” she said excitedly.

“It is called Dejarik.” I slid into the seat next to her. “And if you like, I can teach you how to play.”

As I went over the rules I started to wonder if the appearance of the Falcon on Jakku was simply a coincidence or was it a sign from…I don’t know where from, but a sign nevertheless. This was the ship that shuttled Luke off of Tatooine and into a galactic war. Was the Force at work here? Was it hinting that Rey’s place is off this barren planet and fighting against the First Order? Han has a homing beacon on his ship. Why hasn’t he stolen his ship back from Plutt? He has to know where it is. Why?

‘Chewie!’

The answer came to me. Or at least a possible answer. Chewie knows Rey is Luke’s daughter. Could Chewie have arranged for the ship to be here? But to what end?

I shook the thoughts out of my head. It was a coincidence. It had to be. Just a strange coincidence.


Entry 224

Rey and I raced our swoops back to her home. She has no fear. She flew over dunes at a breakneck speed. I imagine Luke doing the same on Tatooine. She is definitely her father’s daughter.

In fact, I think she looks just like Luke when he was her age. He has a holo of himself as a boy that he got from an old friend on Tatooine…I think the man’s name was Laze, but Luke referred to him as “Fixer”. The holo was of Luke when he was around sixteen or seventeen years old and dressed in all white desert garb, similar to what Rey wears on Jakku. Rey and Luke's facial structure is so similar. Rey has Luke’s nose, forehead and cheekbones. Rey’s hair is a little darker than Luke’s, but not by much. Luke’s blond locks have darkened over the years until his hair can better be described as light brown. Rey’s eyes are a good mixture of her parents. They are hazel—a combination of my green and Luke’s blue eyes. She inherited his impulsiveness and my temperament. She can be stubborn and hotheaded on occasion.

When we arrived at her abode, we dined on some of the food I brought. I bring enough fresh food for a couple days and the remainder as nonperishables. And of course, I bring water…lots of water.

After our noon meal, when it is the peak heat of the day, we usually take a nap. Well, at least Rey thinks she naps. I usually use that time to do Force training that I later push down into her subconscious using a Force suggestion. If did it right she won’t remember her training until she is faced with a life-or-death situation.

Today I was going to give her something different. I want to impress upon her the location and images of Ahch-To. After she fell asleep I walked over and placed my hand on her forehead and said the words that would put her into a trance. “Ad’ika.”

It was a Mando’a word for ‘child’. One of my first instructors when I was training to be the Emperor’s Hand was Mandalorian and he often called me that. He was one of the few kind instructors I trained under and the name always brought back good memories.

When I uttered the word, Rey woke up. She tried to rise from her supine position, but I pressed my hand against her shoulder holding her down. “Don’t get up. I want you to meditate like I taught you. Close your eyes and open up to the Force.”

Rey did as she was told. I then sent her images through the Force. Images of the Island, the water, the steps, the ancient books Luke showed me, the location of the planet, everything. “Rey, you will remember these images if you hear of my death or if I disappear for over a year. You will travel there and discover the identity of your parents. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Rey said sleepily.

“Go back to sleep. When you wake up you will have no memory of this discussion, Ad’ika.”

I then stepped away and let Rey nap.



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Litassa's activities have earned her a well-dserved Medal and also the notice of the First Order; she can definitely use that to her advantage, although it will certainly put her at risk. Wonderful bittersweet entry with her and Rey, with the latter receiving vital personal information.

 

Your Mara does not only help Luke to see reason but to act reasonable again. Sometimes our partners know us better than we know ourselves and have more patience with us. And belief.

 

I am trying to explain why when Kylo searched her mind he saw the island. She shouldn't know about Ahch-To. I have another theory about why she would know, but that wouldn't jive with this story. I may write another story based on my new fan theory.

I hate making Mara look so much more reasonable than Luke, but TLJ didn't give me much to work with. Poor Luke...his life and legacy was ruined so a director could subvert fan expectations.

Thanks everybody for reading. I will probably go to the end of TLJ. Both movies happened within months, so it shouldn't take me long to get to the end of this never ending fanfic.

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Entry 225
33.8 ABY

I decided to take up General Hux’s offer. I was worried about running into Kylo Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke on a regular basis, but I seriously underestimated the size of the Supremacy. It is as large as a city being 13 kilometers long, 60 kilometers wide and with a height of almost 4 kilometers. There are over 2.2 million military personnel onboard and the 501st Intelligence and Security Battalion (my new command) has less than six hundred First Order Troops. At 1/3rd of 1% of all the personnel walking about the ship…my unit is nearly invisible. I make sure I attend every strategic planning meetings, but other than that I rarely see anybody from the high command.

I was able to acquire quarters on the far port side of the ship that was as far away from Kylo quarters, the bridge and Snoke’s throne room as possible. My cabin is huge for a starship. I have a private bedroom and bath and a viewing port facing the bow of the ship.

I did discover what ‘corruption’ General Hux was talking about when he offered me the job. Drugs and alcoholism are a problem onboard. There is the equivalent of an underground drug cartel operating on the ship. We have a situation where two million men and women are confined on a ship and are deployed for six to twelve months at a time with few planetside port calls. Spice and booze are often used to relieve the monotony of living in a confined space. Most commanders overlook small infractions, but the situation is getting out of hand onboard Snoke's command ship.

General Hux also appears to be a bit paranoid when it comes to a number of his senior officers especially his captain in charge of the Stormtroopers.

I was surprised not only by the captain’s unusual chrome armor, but that the person inside the armor is female. I talked to her once to give her intel on a planet (that I assume her and her bucket-headed lackeys were going to invade) and she towered over me. That is not too shocking since I am only 1.6 meters in height, but this woman had to be at least two meters tall. She is taller than Han Solo and is just a little shorter than Chewie.

Her height might be intimidating, but the way she carries herself is more menacing. Through the Force she absolutely oozed of arrogance and blind ambition. She struck me as the type of person who would kill to climb the ladder of success…and who knows, she probably did. I have heard rumors that she may have killed Captain Cardinal who once trained the younger cadets in the Stormtrooper academy, but that is just a rumor---one that I overhead two intoxicated captains whispering to each other in the Officer’s Club. I haven’t found any hard evidence of the murder. But I assume General Hux may have heard the same gossip and would like me to keep an eye on her and a handful of other senior officers.

Entry 226
33.9 ABY

I got word that Kylo Ren and a contingent of stormtroopers deployed from the Supremacy to parts unknown. It makes me nervous when I don’t know where Kylo is located. He has swore he would find Luke and I know he won’t rest until he finds his uncle.

Entry 227
34 ABY

Kriff! I just discovered that Kylo Ren and his stormtroopers have gone to Jakku aboard the Resurgent-class Star Destroyer Finalizer. I can only assume that he either knows the existence of my daughter or he discovered that the Church of the Force might know the location of Luke Skywalker. I am quickly making up a fake mission and flight plan and heading out for Jakku.

Entry 228

My worst fears have come to pass. Tuanul Settlement has been burned to the ground. Lor San Tekka and all of his followers are dead. Niima Outpost is in ruins from an attack from the First Order and I can’t find Rey. I did find a very angry Unkar Plutt who was adamant that Rey stole the Millennium Falcon.

I got in my shuttle and flew around the planet. I found downed First Order Tie Fighters with laser scoring on the hulls…which was a bit confusing. If Rey was flying the ship, who was manning the guns?

The one good thing is the Falcon can be tracked. I just need to contact Chewie.

Unfortunately, I didn’t know how to get ahold of him. I could contact Leia, but she might have too many questions. I did have the comm frequency to Captain Kort. There is a chance that he knows what ship Han and Chewie are flying and how to contact them.

Entry 229

I finally was able to contact Captain Kort…Karrde or whatever his current alias is. He was able to give me information about Han’s new ship. It is a Corellian Baleen-class heavy freighter named Eravana. I have no idea why Han needs a ship of that size. It is 426 meters long dwarfing the Millennium Falcon’s 35-meter length. I guess Han could be blaster running for the resistance or perhaps smuggling contraband to fund his wife’s insurgent group.

I was able to send Chewie a message written in Shyriwook. I know Han speaks Shyriwook, but I doubt he learned to read or write it. Hopefully Han will think it is a message from Chewie's family and not run it through a translator program. I couldn’t encrypt the message because I don’t know if Chewie has access to the encryption program I previously used to send messages to Luke. I tried to make the message as cryptic as possible.

“My Jakku cub escaped onboard the Millennium Falcon. I need to locate her as soon as possible. Request activation of your ship's locating device. Please find her."

I didn’t even identify myself. Chewie will know the message is from me. I didn't specifically tell the Wookiee not to tell Han, but I hope he would keep Rey's identity secret until I could reveal her existence to Luke myself. I didn't want him to be the last person to know about his daughter.

I pushed the send button and then set a course to Ahch-To. I need to tell Luke. Things are getting bad and there is a good chance that Lor San Tekka revealed Luke's location. For all I know the First Order may be on the way to Ahch-To right now.

Entry 230

I am halfway to Ahch-To when I intercepted an intelligence report that Lord Ren had captured a ‘person of interest’ on Jakku, but the prisoner subsequently escaped in a Tie Fighter. Kylo is being very tightlipped about what happened and that is not really surprising. Whenever Kylo Ren screws up a mission his after-action reports are scant on details until he can finger a fall guy to blame the disaster on.

I suspect that the ‘person of interest’ is Rey. I gave her flight simulator modules for just about every small ship within the First Order and the New Republic. Who else on Jakku would be of interest to Kylo Ren? Lor San Tekka is dead. I saw his lightsaber eviscerated body with my own eyes. Obviously Lor San Tekka revealed the existence of Rey, probably under torture...or perhaps Lord Ren used the Force to pull the information out of his head. Either way, Ben found her and brought her aboard his ship. She escaped back to Jakku and then stole the Falcon, leaving the desert world behind.

Of course, I can’t confirm that scenario without knowing the identity of the ‘Person of Interest’. I am hanging on to the hope that Rey is alive and fleeing the First Order.






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Great tie-ins to TFA events and observations of the schemes of Hux and Ren.

 

Thanks. Mara/Litassa got most of her theory wrong, but she didn't know Leia sent Poe to find Lor San Tekka or that Poe was captured and he was the person who subsequently escaped. She is trying to put the pieces together with little information. Kylo Ren screwed up so he is not revealing much information about the fate of the mission.

I just thought the fact that Han shows up to capture the Falcon shortly after Rey and Finn escape Jakku was a huge coincidence. I really hope EP9 ties everything together because it is just too strange that the Falcon is on Jakku and the Falcon is the vehicle that takes a potential Jedi off a desert planet...like it did 35 years earlier on Tatooine. Also, how does a desert scavenger know how to speak Shyriwook, droid speak, fly just about every space vehicle, use a lightsaber without practice, use the Force for the first time and be able to Mary-Sue her way out of captivity? Either there is a HUGE secret that will be revealed that will let us know what is going on or it is the sloppiest writing ever.

I am hoping for a huge secret reveal. I really want to be watching EP9 and go..."DAMN, I didn't see that coming! It all makes sense now." I think I have a 50/50 chance of that happening.

Thanks for reading and taking the time to review.

 

Okay, this chapter is going to be very difficult. If you recall this story is a prequel to my short story Reunion. I have been trying to work this story to fit in with Reunion, but it is difficult. Because I never intended Reunion to become a long story I had to put a lot of information into the dialog to explain what had happened in the proceeding 30 years. This story overlaps the story Reunion starting on Entry 232. The short story ended after Mara delivered the line, "I was the Emperor's Hand", at that point new dialog starts up.

Because Reunion was a short, one-shot story the dialog may be a little jarring when you read it in the context of this very, very long fanfic. I hope I was able to pull this off. I didn't want to change the dialog from the original fanfic.

This is not the last chapter. I intend on going until the end of The Last Jedi, but I will condense a lot of time into short posts. I should be done with this story next month...I think.


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Entry 231
34 ABY

I exited hyperspace and pulled in a horrified gasp! Something was wrong with the Force…very wrong. It felt like there was a cataclysmic wound in the Force on a galactic scale. The last time I experienced something similar was with the destruction of Alderaan…but this dark sensation was far, far worse. What the kriff happened in the days I was in hyperspace?

I went to my transceiver and contacted my Intelligence unit. The call was answered by my second-in-command, Major Verdin, who looked relieved to hear from me. “Colonel Colay, good news. The First Order has struck a great victory over the New Republic’s resistance movement. We have destroyed the Hosnian System and their traitorous population. Five planets with one strike.”

I didn’t have to use the Force to figure out Major Verdin suspected our conversation was being monitored. He was a loyal Imperial, but he had family that died on Alderaan and was outspoken about the use of weapons of planetary destruction. The haunted look in his eyes and the hollow sound of his words let me know he was deeply disturbed by the slaughter.

“Excellent,” I tried to sound sincere, but failed miserably. I was absolutely shocked by this monstrous turn of events. I didn't think the destruction of Alderaan could be topped when it came to coldhearted barbarity, but I was wrong...and how the hell do you destroy an entire solar system with one strike? “How did our illustrious Army of the First Order accomplish such a decisive attack against the heart of the resistance?”

Major Verdin cleared his throat. “Supreme Leader Snoke developed a super weapon that was hidden within the Unknown Region. It is more powerful than all of Emperor Palpatine’s super weapons combined. Knowledge of its existence was above my pay grade.”

“As was mine,” I said softly. "Does the First Order have future attacks planned?" I was hoping the Major knew something. Perhaps I could give the Resistance information allowing them to warn other planets.

"Ummm," the major swallowed hard before averting his eyes. "Rumor has it that...umm...the weapon is currently inoperable. Details are sketchy."

Whenever details are sketchy that usually meant General Hux or Kylo Ren made a phenomenal blunder and they are currently trying to hide their incompetence.

“That is unfortunate," I lied smoothly. "I will finish my current intel mission and return to the Supremacy. I trust you will keep things running smoothly until then, Major.”

I didn’t give him time to reply, but simply ended the connection. I sat back in my pilot seat, emotionally drained from the news. I know I'm a double agent, but I don't think anything can justify my continued involvement with the First Order. I know the Resistance needs my intel, but this is just too much. At least I knew Leia wasn’t on Hosnian. I had been funneling intelligence to her resistance base on some backwater planet called D-Qar. She was there a couple days ago, and it would take at least four days for her to journey to the Hosnian System. She’s probably safe. I hope Han and Chewie weren’t there. I still haven’t heard back from them. With any luck, they're out looking for the Falcon and my daughter. I pray that the Force is with her!

Damn! I don’t want to unload this news on Luke all at once. I am going to concentrate on informing him about his daughter. Luke probably knows about the destruction of Hosnian already…unless he’s still cutting himself off from the Force. I guess I’ll find out when I see him.

Entry 232
34ABY

As I approached the island of Ahch-To, an increasing feeling of dread overwhelmed me. I have been keeping secrets from Luke for almost thirty years. I hid from him my true name, the fact that I was the Emperor’s Hand, and worst of all… his daughter. I can only imagine how furious he will become. I wouldn’t be surprised if he never wanted to see me again. I can try to justify my decisions all I want, but deep down I know my excuses will never be enough. I did him wrong.

I circled the island a few times before descending to a small clearing near the shoreline. I carefully maneuvering my ship, cautious of the wind shear threatening to bash my shuttle into the cliffside. I considered landing near the top of the island, but without a protective hangar or apron tractor-stabilizers my shuttle would probably end up in the water next to Luke’s X-Wing.

As I my ship touched down I opened myself to the Force fully, letting him sense my arrival. In the past, he could feel my presence all the way across the galaxy, but after the tragedy at his academy he has been more and more shut off from the Force. I popped the canopy and jumped down from the two-man craft. I looked at the stairs leading up to Skywalker and sighed. I hated the climb, but it gave me time to prepare for a very overdue and awkward conversation. I dreaded Luke’s reaction to my news.

Kriff! No more procrastinating! I squared my shoulders and began the upward journey.

Entry 233

When I arrived at the top I saw Luke waiting for me. That's a relief. That means the First Order doesn't know where he is located, otherwise they would be here already.

"I am honored that a First Order high official has lowered herself to confront me in person." He joked, putting his hands out in front of his body. "Do you wish to cuff me, Commander?"

That comment answered my question about whether he felt a disturbance in the Force when the Hosnian system was destroyed. He wouldn’t make a cheeky comment if he knew billions of people had recently died. He was still muting himself within the Force. He gave me a soft smile and a surge of melancholy washed over me. I knew my upcoming conversation would probably put Luke over the edge and I may never have these lighthearted moments with him again.

I forced a smile on my face, not wanting this upbeat, teasing moment to end. "Stuff it, Skywalker.” I shook my head in mock annoyance. “You may have been charming the first time I captured you three decades ago, but now you are a decrepit old hermit."

He gave me a hurt, pouting look. "I still have a lot of fight in me…if you are interested in going against me, one-on-one."

Oh, how I wanted to take him up on that offer. I miss his touch. I miss making love with this man for hours…but now is not the occasion. "Perhaps another time. This isn't a recreational visit. Things are going bad, real quick."

I felt a pang of worry from him. He nodded as he gestured to the building he had appropriated as his residence. "Please join me in my quarters."

My eyes narrowed, thinking he was still trying to make this into an intimate evening. He smiled as he clarified his statement. "To get out of the wind, Commander."

I gave him a curt nod as I moved past him and into the stone shelter. He followed behind and closed the door behind him. He then walked over to a stone hearth, throwing another log on the fire to cut the chill. He gestured to a small dining table. “Please sit.” He pulled out a chair and sat down. I settled down across the table from him. He grinned at me, but eventually he must have picked up my troubled thoughts. “What is it Litassa?”

I pulled in a deep breath and blew it out slowly as I reached up and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Your nephew is getting exceedingly good at capturing Resistance members and pulling information out of their heads. Eventually my cover will be blown.”

I wasn’t sure if Lor San Tekka was actually a member of the Resistance, but if I mentioned the man by name Luke would have questions and that would derail my rehearsed speech. “I have served under a Sith and now a dark supreme ruler, but I don't think I can hide much longer. I'm going to have to disappear."

Luke frowned, obviously not liking the sound of that. "Is this going to be like when you disappeared twenty years ago? You were gone for over a year! I worried about you every day, not knowing if you were dead or alive." He reached out and put a hand over mine. "You should have left the First Order. You are strong in the Force. You would have made a great Jedi."

I scoffed at his selective memory. Did the man forget that I wanted to defect? I craved to be with him and went to Chandrila almost two decades ago for the sole expressed purpose of deserting the First Order, but his sister and Mon Mothma convinced me to stay and work as a double agent for the New Republic and later for the Resistance. Hell, it was only a year ago that he hinted that I should stay with the First Order because Leia desperately needed my intel.

I sighed deeply knowing the futility of rehashing the past. "I probably would have been killed by your insane nephew." My voice took on a mocking tone. "Kylo Ren Dark Lord of the Emotionally Unstable Crybabies."

Luke sighed. "Together we could have stopped him."

That raised my ire as my lips drew into a flat line of disapproval. "No, no, don't try to shift blame to me, Skywalker. I have saved hundreds of thousands of your resistance fighters since I became a spy and at great personal risk to myself, I might add. You are not going to guilt me into taking any responsibility for the destruction of your Jedi. That is all on you and your darkside dysfunctional family."

Luke put up his hand in a gesture of surrender. "You're right Litassa. I'm sorry." He gazed at me for a long moment before heaving a sigh. "Why exactly are you here?"

My posture stiffened as I clamped down on my emotions. I didn’t want to tell him, but I knew it was time.

"Luke…I have lied to you for decades. I have hidden from you…" My voice faltered causing a spike of fear in the Jedi that reverberated through the Force despite his attempt to cut himself off from its power. I struggled to control my emotions, but I was now on the verge of tears.

"Litassa, I know you are a spy and you have to keep some things secret. Why are you upset?"

I bit down on my lower lip in an attempt maintain my composure. "When I left twenty years ago, it was because…I was pregnant."

Luke sat back in his seat in shock. "What?" He paused, momentarily speechless. "Was it my child?"

I gave a forlorn nod. “Yes.”

The Jedi looked like he was going to pass out. The blood drained from his face and I noticed his hands were trembling. "Where is he?"

"She," I corrected. "I knew she would be strong in the Force and I wasn't going to let Supreme Commander Snoke get his hands on her. I gave her to subordinates of mine…a close couple.”

I considered telling him it was the Dartens that cared for his daughter, but decided it was best that they remain anonymous. “They were deserters from the First Order. They cared for her until a bounty hunter showed up in their village looking for them. They left our daughter with a group of New Order expatriates…traitors. I made sure they were compensated generously with New Order embezzled funds in exchange for them secretly watching over her and protecting her. They lived undercover as benevolent scavengers who taught her to fight, fly and fix things. They spent the last two decades protecting a girl whose true identity they never knew."

That statement was true…in a way. I was Rey’s primary teacher, but I did pay a number of scavengers to keep a watchful eye on my daughter. I don’t know why I hesitated to tell Luke I had a relationship with Rey.

That’s a lie. I felt horrible that I stole fatherhood from him while I relished in my role as mother and protector of our child. It was so unfair that I was reluctant to reveal the entire truth.

“Our daughter doesn't know anything about her family," I continued. "That was done to keep her safe. Or at least I thought she would be safe. My intelligence reports indicate your nephew may have captured her."

Luke stood abruptly. "Then let's go save her."

I rose and placed a hand on his shoulder. "She escaped." I shifted my blaster belt in a nervous gesture. "I'm going to look for her. You stay here. The entire First Order is searching for you." I looked to him sadly. "I am so sorry for all the lies. I thought I was doing the right thing." I pulled him into my embrace and kissed him tenderly on the lips. “I wanted to let you know the truth…just in case something happens to me.”

I turned to walk away, but Luke grasped my hand and held me fast. “Litassa, you said ‘lies’. What else did you lie about?”

I looked to the ground and frowned. "Some secrets revealed could jeopardize other undercover agents." I squeezed his hand. "What I can tell you is... you know me by my alias. I changed my looks and name to keep Supreme Leader Snoke from finding out my true identity."

"Which is?"

I smiled sadly. "I wasn't an Inquisitor. I worked for Palpatine. I was the Emperor's Hand."

He shook his head, confused. “What is that?”

I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. “It was similar to an Inquisitor, but I worked directly for the Emperor. I wasn’t an apprentice, but it was similar. The Emperor could communicate with me just like you can. He could pop into my mind at will and command to do his bidding. Knowing what he did to you…the Force lightning attack and all the other things he did to hurt your family…I thought you would be disgusted with me if you know my intimate connection to Palpatine.”

I felt a wave of revulsion flow from Luke and I knew I was right to hide my identity. “What do you mean by intimate?”

I stood for a moment confused by the question, but then I realize he thought I had a physical relationship with the Emperor. “Ack! Not physically intimate. Mentally, almost emotionally. I saw him as a father figure.”

Luke’s shoulder’s relaxed. “Oh, I ah…” He ran a hand over his face. “Litassa, that doesn’t bother me.”

“And my name isn’t Litassa. It’s Mara Jade.” Luke was beginning to look overwhelmed by this conversation. “But you can continue calling me Litassa.” I added. “Only our daughter calls me Mara.”

‘Frack!’ That slipped out unintentionally.

His eyes went wide. “She knows you? You kept in touch after you gave her up for adoption?”

I groaned inwardly. This was not a conversation I wanted to do now when the galaxy was falling apart around us. “I did give her away, but I trained her to fight. She doesn’t know I’m her mother. Her name is Rey.”

“Rey,” he said slowly, his voice full of emotion. “What is she like?”

I put a hand on his shoulder. “Luke, we don’t have time for this conversation. Haven’t you felt what has happened through the Force? Billions of people have died. We just discovered what the First Order was building in the Unknown Region…a weapon system more powerful than the Death Star. It destroyed the entire Hosnian System. Five planets in one shot.”

“Oh,” Luke gasped before his knees went weak and I had to grab him before his collapsed to the ground. I helped him over to his chair and to a sitting position. “I’ve cut myself off from the Force. Oh gods, what have I done.” he whispered hoarsely. “I hid on this island licking my wounds, not wanting to face Leia and Han. I’ve been avoiding the grieving families of my murdered Jedi students and dodging the news media.” He shook his head sadly. “And meanwhile, the First Order was building a weapon to wipe out the New Republic and the Resistance.”

“Luke,” I gave his shoulders a shake. “Stop it. You've been guarding the nexus and I've been trying to figure out what the First Order was up to for decades. I’m a high-ranking officer in the Order and it was hidden from me. There was little that you could have done.”

He started to stand. “I can go back and fight.”

I pushed his back down to a sitting position. “Luke, you are more useful to me here. You are sitting on a Force nexus and that is an invaluable asset. If you stop cutting yourself off from the Force you can help me find our daughter from here. I need you to help me recon the galaxy for her. Please stay here.”

For a moment, he looked like he was going to argue, but that quickly passed. I closed my eyes briefly, wondering where my eager, optimistic, and often reckless farmboy had gone. So much has changed over the decades. After the slaughter at his academy it was like Luke Skywalker died inside. His body was walking and talking, but that spark I once saw in him was extinguished.

He nodded his head and, for the first time in the last three years, I felt him open up to the Force fully.

I shivered when I felt his Force essence brush against me, mingling with my own. If it wasn’t for Rey, I would be tempted to stay with my Jedi and forget the rest of the galaxy.

He gave me a wane smile as he stood. “I’ll keep in contact with you. Just let me know what you need from me.”

“Luke, I’ve missed you so much.” I stepped forward and kissed him on the lips. “Don’t break our connection again. I never want to be without you.”

“You won’t,” he said softly. “We’ll be together forever.”

I took the time to kiss him again, this time soft and unhurried. Eventually I pulled back and drew in a ragged breath. “Yes, forever.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small holoprojector. "I have been taking holos of your daughter since she was a toddler. Her name is Reyne, but she goes by Rey.” I gazed at him sadly. “She looks so much like you when you were young.” I reached out and placed it in the palm of his hand. He curled his fingers around it as I saw a tear roll down his cheek.

“I’m so sorry Luke. I hope you don’t hate me.”

He looked down to the ground and made a snuffling noise. “She’s alive. If she was at the academy, I know for sure Kylo would have murdered her.” He looked back up to me. “You did the right thing.”

I nodded softly. “I’ll find her. I need to find her. She is a reckless as you were as a young man. Knowing her she’s probably hunting down Kylo and planning on turning him away from the darkside…redeeming him…like you did with your father.”

Luke groaned. “There is no redemption for Kylo Ren.”

“Maybe,” I said quietly. “But maybe we can save Ben Solo.”

I then slipped away and returned to my ship.






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I can imagine Major Verdin is choosing his words carefully ... Oh my, the talk between Luke/Litass was extremely heart-tugging, but their devotion and love continues.

 

Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment. I am working toward the end of this story.

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Entry 234

I contacted the Supremacy’s Officer of the deck and requested rendezvous coordinates. To my great surprise I discovered the ship was deep within the Unknown Region…a place I had tried to get permission to enter for years. I was cleared to bypass the barricade and return to my ship. I was excited. I am fairly sure I was going to get the chance to see Snoke’s planet-killing weapon. I was told it was currently inoperable, so I suspect I will find thousands of repair technicians attempting to rectify the problem when I arrive.

Entry 235

Son of a Sith! Inoperable is not the correct word. Destroyed, annihilated, or demolished would be a more accurate description. I came out of hyperspace to find the Supremacy in a wide orbit of what looked like a planet smashed into smithereens. My best guess is they were unable to contain what power they were harnessing, and the weapon and planet exploded with a huge surge of energy.

I hoped the First Order leadership was on the planet when it blew, but I am never that lucky. Snoke, Hux and Ren were reportedly alive and well. I am glad I was not around when Kylo discovered his precious battle station was destroyed. I bet he did a lightsaber renovation of the bridge or whatever room he was in at the time.

I docked my shuttle and hurried to the Intelligence department. If anybody knew what happened it would be my people.

Entry 236

“A Corellian freighter did what?!” I practically screamed at my second in command making the man startle. I immediately regretted my outburst. I have recently discovered that Major Verdin has often taken the brunt of Kylo Ren’s outbursts. I had seen a photo the Major taken a year ago for his promotion board. His face was handsome, wrinkle free and topped with jet black hair, but now the poor man was graying at the temples, his forehead wrinkled with worry and with dark bags under his eyes.

“It’s true.” Major Verdin looked down at his datapad. “Preliminary reports suggest it came out of hyperspace within the planetary shields of Star Killer Base, therefore, bypassing their defenses.”

“That’s impossible.” What he described was insane and if that freighter was the Millennium Falcon then there was a good chance that Rey was the pilot that performed that insanity.

Major Verdin put his hands out in a ‘who knows’ gesture. “Either that or they had someone working on the inside who dropped the planetary shields at the exact time the ship exited hyperspace. That would be exceedingly difficult thing to time. Unless they were being tracked through hyperspace.”

“Which we both know is impossible.”

“Ahh…not totally impossible.”

My brow shot up in surprise. “I thought hyperspace tracking technology was at least twenty years away.”

He shrugged. “It’s not exactly hyperspace tracking but the ability to identify where and when the ship exits hyperspace. We found trackers attached to a number of the smuggler ships bringing supplies to the unknown region. I suspect it was the New Republic trying to track the supply ships. The technology department reverse engineered the trackers and realized they are inert except when the ship enters hyperspace and exits. The trackers are activated by Cronau radiation emitted by the hyperspace engines. We have managed to get these trackers on many the New Republic ships and have flooded the Unknown Region with probe droids to pick up those tracker signals. If any of these NR/Resistance ships enter areas where our probes droids are located, we will know where they went.”

I ran a hand over my face in frustration. The First Order found the New Republic trackers and are now using their own technology against them.

“If there was an inside conspirator, then they are probably dead with the destruction of Snoke’s battle station.” I was horrified at the thought. Rey was last seen leaving Jakku aboard the Millennium Falcon. If she pulled off that impossible feat…did she survive? If she died while I was in hyperspace, I probably wouldn’t feel her death. “Did the freighter escape?”

The Major shrugged. “It is unknown, but Lord Ren ordered his troops to search for the ship and…a girl.”

My stomach dropped. “What girl?”

Major Verdin shook his head. “We don’t know. Lord Ren simply said to find the ship and bring the girl in alive.”

I let out a sigh of relief which the major interpreted as a sign of frustration. “I know, it is annoying when your own people filter information down to the Intelligence department in a trickle. It’s like Lord Ren doesn’t trust his own men.”

"True," I said with a nod. “It is hard to know who one can trust during these trying times.”







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Entry 237

I put in a request to interview the few survivors of Star Killer Base, but I was denied permission by Supreme Leader Snoke himself. It is obvious that the senior leadership wants to control the narrative of this story. All information is classified for Supreme Leader Snoke’s eyes only. The official explanation says nothing about a freighter infiltrating Star Killer Base nor a hint that sabotage was involved. Instead there is a story about operator error causing a fatal malfunction in the firing system which resulted in a cataclysmic explosion.

Kylo Ren ordered my command to find the Corellian freighter that reportedly broke through the First Order blockade (he purposely has refused to identify it as the Millennium Falcon) so that is what I am going to do. I ordered my men to monitor all frequencies and report any sightings to me directly. Meanwhile I fueled up my shuttle and went on a reconnoiter mission to find my daughter.

Entry 238

Once my shuttle was in hyperspace, I took the time to get a little shuteye. I am not sure how long I slept before I felt a presence next to me. My eyes popped open and I instinctively reached for my blaster. I was surprised to find Skywalker’s projected image standing next to me.

“Luke, is something wrong? Did the First Order find you?”

He pulled his Jedi robes around him as if he was cold. It appeared his was standing on a windy outcrop on the island. “I was found, but not by the First Order. The Millennium Falcon landed. I sense the presence of a female. Her Force signature feels like…like you. I believe it is our daughter. What should I do?”

I was relieved that Rey was alive and has found Luke, although I am not sure how she accomplished that feat. My Force suggestion should still be buried deep down in her subconscious. Perhaps she heard some rumor that I died, and the images of the island surfaced. “Luke, she’s your daughter. You should be able to forge whatever relationship you want with her. I’m not going to tell you to lie to her.”

He looked troubled. “If she discovers I’m her father she might get some fool notion that she should take on Snoke.”

“Like you did with Vader and Palpatine?”

An embarrassed smile crossed his face. “Yes, I was foolish and reckless as a teenager. I don’t want her doing what I did. It was just pure luck that I survived.”

“She’s there for a reason. Either she knows you are her father, or she wants you to join her in a fight against the First Order, or she would like you to train her to become a Jedi.”

He sighed deeply. “You once told me the Jedi should end. I now think you were right. If she wants to train, I will attempt to dissuade her.” He looked over his shoulder. “She is on her way up the stairs. I have to shut down in the Force or she could possibly sense I’m her father…knowing her parentage would only encourage her to become a Jedi and run off on some insane mission.”

“Do what you think is right, Luke.” I smiled at his image lovingly. “Trust your instincts. I love you and hope to be with you soon.”

“Goodbye, my love,” he said softly before severing our connection. After that message I couldn’t get back to sleep. Rey was going to meet her father. I considered plotting a course to Ahch-To, but I thought it best to avoid the area. The First Order was on hyper-alert status after the destruction of Star Killer Base. A tracker beacon might have been placed on my shuttle and all communications are being monitored. Supreme Leader Snoke and Kylo Ren may want the bulk of the First Order troops to believe sabotage was not involved in the destruction of the battle station, but they know the truth. They will scour the galaxy for the Falcon and members of the Resistance. I can’t risk leading them to Luke…or my daughter.

Entry 239

I decided to travel to Takodana. It is a logical location to pretend I am looking for the Millennium Falcon, but I am going there for more personal reasons. The planet brings back good memories. It was the start of my relationship with Skywalker. It was the location of our first kiss and the beginnings of Force training.

As I entered the planet’s atmosphere, I was shocked to find the place in shambles. The castle that had stood for a thousand years was toppled and dozens of humans and aliens were at work repairing the structure. They turned when they heard my Imperial shuttle land and quickly ran for cover. I examined the destruction from the safety of my ship, trying to ascertain what happened. There was carbon scoring from large and small blasterfire and evidence of Flame Trooper activity. Kylo Ren didn’t file a report that he was on this planet, but I could recognize his handiwork. Lord Ren loves using Flame Troopers…which explains his nickname Pyro Ren. I wrapped my blaster around my waist and lowered the ramp of the ship. I haven’t seen any guards on the premises, just workers. I was confident I wouldn’t have trouble, not after the destruction the First Order apparently rained down on this smuggler haven. I am sure anybody seeing my First Order uniform would run for their lives.

I was startled when I was met at the castle entrance by a diminutive orange skin alien with large eye goggles and holding a deadly looking blaster rifle at port arms. I stopped in my tracks and fought against my instinct to unholster my blaster. I didn’t want any trouble and I didn’t sense she was out for blood. She stopped and gazed at me for a very long time before pointing a finger at me. “You’re a friend of Solo and Skywalker.” She grabbed her weapon’s sling and pulled it over a shoulder. “I didn’t know you were in the First Order.”

“I am.” I looked around at the destruction. “Did the First Order do this?”

She nodded. “Kylo Ren himself. Han, Chewie and a young man escaped on the Falcon.”

“Did a girl escape with them?”

She cocked her head to the side and looked at me oddly. “She arrived with them, but she was captured by the First Order.”

I was developing a headache behind my eyes. It looks like Rey escaped Jakku on the Falcon, met Han and Chewie at some point before getting captured by Kylo on this planet. If that was true, then the Falcon arriving on Star Killer Base may have been a rescue mission to find Rey and perhaps destroy the station in the process.

“Skywalker’s lightsaber called to her,” the alien said softly interrupting my thoughts.

“What did you say?”

“I am a collector. One of the items I procured through the years was Anakin Skywalker’s original lightsaber. It changed hands and eventually was Luke Skywalker’s first lightsaber…before losing his hand and the saber in the process. The saber called to the girl.”

I shook my head in confusion. “How does a lightsaber call to anyone?”

The alien smiled knowingly. “The crystals within a lightsaber are Force-attuned to their wielders. Some cultures believe they are almost sentient and can non-verbally communicate with living beings. The saber called to the girl…it recognized her as…”

“As what?”

“As belonging to one other,” the alien said softly. “She’s a Skywalker…but she doesn’t know it.”

A cold feeling rolled down my spine. I didn’t want that knowledge getting out. “Nobody should know.” I said tersely. “It will just make her a target.” I considered attempting some Force memory rub on the alien but for some reason I didn’t think Rey was in danger from this alien being.

“My name is Maz Kanata, or as some people call me—the pirate queen. I have run this smuggler outpost for a thousand years and keeping secrets is my specialty.”

“Good,” I commented. “What else do you know?”

Maz chuckled. “I know you are more than a friend to Skywalker. My boyfriend, Chewie, is not as good at keeping secrets as I am…but he is still good. I don’t think Han even knows the true identity of the young lady he brought to this planet.” She gave me a curious look. “Is your daughter still at the mercy of the First Order?”

I scoffed. “It is more like the First Order is at her mercy. She escaped and is now with Luke.”

“Good, good,” she hesitated. “Then why are you here?”

I shrugged. “I am with the First Order and I have orders to find her…so I am looking in all the places I know she’s not.”

Maz laughed. “That is smart.” She motioned for me to follow her. “Come, we can have a drink together while you are not looking for her.”

I shrugged before following behind the alien. "Sure. Why the hell not."

 

Superb tie-in. How wonderfully Litassa fits into the stream of events.

 

Love the conversation with Maz Kanata.

 

Phew, reading marathon. But I still love it. The only thing that I hate, all good stories need to end at a point. You did a brilliant job when you had that scene when Litassa finally gave Luke her true name: Mara Jade. I needed to keep my emotions in, otherwise I would have clapped to frantically and made my mom drop out of bed with her bad hip. So I am still sitting at the kitchen table, trying to breath calmly. Well done!

 

Thank you. I am glad you are enjoying the story.

Thanks for reading and not injuring your mother. lol! I am getting to the end. I still haven't decided on which ending to do. Maybe I will write multiple endings.

I think Maz and Mara would be fast friends if Mara actually got into canon. I would love to see Mara Jade show up in EP9, but I think the chance of that happening is about the same as me winning the Power Ball Lotto.

Thanks everybody for reading.


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Entry 240

I was sleeping in one of the few unscathed rooms in Maz Kanata’s palace when Luke contacted me through the Force (I once asked him why he always showed up while I’m asleep and he told me, “Because I want to make sure you are alone”).

“Litassa…Mara?” he called out.

I jumped out of bed when I saw his projected image across the room. “Luke!” I wrapped my arms around him and was surprised when they didn’t slide through his body. He was solid! I could feel his chest moving with each breath and I could even detect the faint smell of his aftershave. I let go and stepped back in surprise. “I can feel you.” I looked him up and down. “Are you really here?”

He smiled as he leaned down and planted a soft kiss on my lips. “No, it’s the nexus. It makes my connection to you much more powerful.”

I returned his kiss savoring in the feel of him for a long moment until I noticed the sensation of sorrow projecting from him through the Force. I pulled back and looked at him worriedly. “What’s wrong? Is Rey okay?”

“Rey is fine.” There was distinct sadness in his voice, and I could tell he was trying to maintain his composure. “It’s Han.” His face twisted into an expression of deep sorrow. “Han’s dead. He died on Snoke’s battle station.”

“Oh no,” I whispered, horrified by the news. “He got caught up in the destruction?”

Tears streamed down my sweet farmboy’s face and I felt absolutely heartsick to see him so ravaged by emotion. “Rey told me Ben killed him. Impaled him through his heart with his lightsaber…a lightsaber similar to the one I taught him to wield.”

I grabbed him up in a fierce hug and laid my head on his chest. “Luke don’t start blaming yourself again. You are not responsible for Ben’s actions. If anybody is to blame it is Ben and Snoke.

A soft sob escaped his lips. “My poor sister. She lost a son to the darkside and now her husband is dead. Killed by his own flesh and blood. How could Ben do that? My father was Darth Vader, the most despised man in the galaxy, and even he couldn’t bring himself to kill me. How could Ben do something so vile?”

“Luke, Ben was kidnapped and brainwashed by the cult of Vader and later by Supreme Leader Snoke. Ben adored his grandfather…a grandfather who died saving you. Maybe in his warped mind he thinks love and attachment makes him weak…and he wanted to destroy any weakness. Who knows…you can’t understand the actions of somebody so deeply entrenched in the darkside.”

He sighed deeply before a sad smile graced his lips. “You must have trained Rey well. She fought Ben in a lightsaber duel and lived. She was helped by a young man—a former Stormtrooper who deserted from the First Order.”

The mother in me kicked in. “A young man? Is he there on the island?” I wanted to know everything about a man hanging around my daughter.

“No, he was injured. Rey came to the island with Chewie.” He looked at me intently. “Is that overprotectiveness I hear in your voice?”

I wanted to deny it, but with our Force bond he would know I was lying. “I don’t like the idea of her hanging around a former First Order trooper.”

I was surprised when Luke laughed out loud. “Litassa, you do know you are in the First Order High Command.”

I pushed him away. “That’s different. I’m a double agent.”

“And the young man is a deserter.” He gazed at me lovingly. “I guess Rey inherited the Skywalker propensity for dating Imperials…or at least former Imperials.”

“They’re dating!”

He laughed as he pulled me into his embrace. “I don’t think so. According to Rey, they take turns saving each other’s lives. It sounds like she is very fond of him, but she hasn’t mentioned any romantic involvement.”

I blew out a relieved breath. In all my time on Jakku with my daughter I never gave her…the talk. Hopefully she will use her common sense and not let some former soldier sweep her off her feet. I don’t relish the thought of becoming a grandmother any time soon. “What do you think of her?”

Luke smiled, but I noticed a slight roll of his eyes. “She’s as stubborn as you.” He chuckled as he untangled from my arms and began pacing my room. “She wants me to train her to become a Jedi and join the Resistance.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I asked her if she expected me to grab a laser sword and take down the whole First Order?"

I snickered because I was fairly certain that is exactly what Rey expected. She had probably heard about Luke Skywalker the hero at some point in her life. “Are you training her?”

He shook his head. “No, I’m trying to persuade her to leave the island…or at least convince her I am not the hero she imagines me to be.”

“How are you doing that?”

“I brought her out to the beach and drank warm siren’s milk directly from the source. You told me if you saw me do that, you’d immediately leave the island.”

“You suckled milk from a sea cow?” My voice was a mixture of revulsion and shock.

“No! Out of a jug like you saw that caretaker doing.” He stopped pacing and shuddered in disgust. “I want to convince her to leave the island not make her think I’m insane.”

That comment made me laugh. “Okay, but don’t try too hard to get her to leave. She is safer there than with the Resistance. Now that I’m stationed on Snoke’s command ship I have access to more First Order information than I have in the past. It is difficult getting intelligence reports to Leia, but I managed to notify her that the First Order tracked a Resistance reconnaissance ship back to the Lleenium system and will be targeting her base on D’Qar as soon as our fleet can get there. I stressed that they needed to get out of there immediately. I’m not sure where they will go next. I am funneling her information through a third party, so I am hopeful I can continue to contact her no matter where she goes.”

Luke nodded slowly. “Good. I’ll do what I can to recon the situation through the Force, but the times that I can do that are limited. I don’t dare open up with the Force while Rey is awake. I am sure she would be able to sense I’m her father.” He paused for a long moment. “If she does figure it out…do you want me to tell her you are her mother?”

I thought about it before nodding. “Yes, don’t lie to her. I’ve done enough of that. My entire life with you and her has been filled with lies. If she asks…she deserves the truth.”

“But if she doesn’t ask?”

I blew out a frustrated breath. “I think as soon as she discovers her identity, she will run off to face Supreme Leader Snoke. She will see it as her destiny.”

“True, that is the Skywalker way,” he said grudgingly. “So, it is agreed. I won’t volunteer the information, but if she figures out that I am her father or you are her mother…I will tell her everything.”

He looked to the right at something out of sight. “I sense she’s waking up. I need to go. I love you.”

“I love you too, Luke.” His image disappeared before I could reach out and kiss him goodbye. I sighed deeply, worried for my daughter. Luke doesn’t need to teach her anything. She is as ready as she will ever be to face Supreme Leader Snoke. I just hope she doesn’t figure that out on her own because Luke is right…it is in the Skywalker DNA to run into danger.







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A soft sob escaped his lips. “My poor sister. She lost a son to the darkside and now her husband is dead. Killed by his own flesh and blood. How could Ben do that? My father was Darth Vader, the most despised man in the galaxy, and even he couldn’t bring himself to kill me. How could Ben do something so vile?”

Ow! Those are some painful questions with no good answers.

Got tickled by the comments about whether Rey was dating or not.

I agree with the plan of how to handle Rey's figuring out about her parentage versus not -- and that honesty if she overtly asks is the best way.

 

Parents are always overly protective about their kids...especially girls. Funny thing...a family member of mine was recently told by his girlfriend's father that he is forbidden from seeing his daughter ever again. The father said he was a bad influence on his daughter. The reason...my family member believes one should vaccinate children and the girlfriend's family doesn't. I guess if you are going to be a bad influence...that is the way to go.

Yep, parents are very protective...in their own way.

Thanks for reading. We are swiftly approaching the end. I think maybe there will be one or two more chapters for me to close out this story. Thank you so very much for reading and taking the time to review. It is much appreciated.
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Entry 241

I left Takodana and returned to the Supremacy. After I docked my ship and made my way to the Intelligence department, I was told General Hux had deployed to the planet D’Qar with a number of Star Destroyers and a Dreadnaught intent on wiping out General Organa Solo’s Resistance group. I hope my message to Leia about the impending attack was received.

Entry 242

Leia must have gotten my message because they were already evacuating when General Hux’s attack forced dropped out of hyperspace. Initial reports are not good for the Resistance. Although they managed to destroy our Dreadnaught, they sustained heavy damage. The Resistance was down to a few ships. I confirmed that the Resistance’s own tracking technology was being used to find them after a hyperspace jump.

The Resistance is doomed.

Their ships are smaller and faster, but our Star Destroyers have more fuel than the New Republic cruisers. We just have to follow them until they run out of fuel. Then we can then pick them off one by one…and there is nothing they, or I, can do about it. Nothing. I could sabotage the Supremacy, but that wouldn’t stop the dozens of Star Destroyers from taking out the Resistance.

I hope Luke contacts me. Perhaps he will have some idea as to how to help his sister.

Entry 243

I did something a bit reckless today, but it was worth it.

Tie Fighter sublight engines can move faster than both our Star Destroyers and the New Republic star cruisers. Because of this, Kylo Ren took his Tie-Silencer (a Tie/vn space superiority fighter) and an attack group of Tie Fighters to intercept and attack the Resistance ships at close range. Kylo was taking a risk because the Resistance ships were out of range of our Star Destroyer’s turboblaster and ion cannons. We were unable to give any cover fire to the smaller and swifter First Order ships—not that I really care. I would never admit it to Luke…but I was hoping a Resistance ion cannon would find Kylo Ren and blast him into space dust. The man committed patricide and, in doing so, Leia lost her husband and Luke lost one of his oldest and closest friends. The man deserves to die.

I was in my private quarters on the Supremacy watching the war rage on from my cabin’s viewport. Our Tie-Fighters were attacking a Resistance MC80A star cruiser, when I felt a familiar twinge in the Force. I risked reaching out with the Force and realized it was Leia. Then there was another recognizable Force signature…Kylo Ren. I went to my desk and pulled out some macrobinocular, then returned to the transparisteel window and focused on the fighters. Kylo was bearing down on Leia’s ship. He was in range…but he didn’t take the shot. Unfortunately, Kylo’s men did not hesitate and the star cruiser’s command deck was annihilated. I sucked in a breath as I realized I could feel Leia’s pain…it was a suffocating coldness that she projected. She had been sucked out of the ship and was now quickly dying in the vacuum of space.

Luke once told me Leia was not exceptionally strong in the Force, therefore I really doubt she has the skill to do a cold-shirt crossing back to her ship. Hell, I don’t even know if I have the skills to move through vacuum. I was told how to do it, but I never had the urge to test my training when it came to surviving in space without a vac suit. I could possibly help Leia, but I would risk being sensed by Snoke or Kylo.

I hesitated only for a moment before I thought, “Kriff it!” I couldn’t bear facing Luke knowing I let his sister die. I reached out with the Force and grabbed hold of Leia and pushed with all my might, directing her back to the bridge of her ship. I’m familiar with the MC80A star cruiser and know there is an airlock between the corridor and the bridge. With any luck the airlock is intact and Leia can get back into her ship without causing another vacuum breach. But I have to hurry—humans can only survive lows pressure for less than a minute before catastrophic organ damage occurs.

Fortunately, it only took a few seconds to move her back to her ship. After I deposited her in the airlock, I broke contact and immediately attempted to become ‘small’ in the Force. Kylo or Snoke possibly sensed another Force user in their proximity. I want to ensure they don’t find me.

I decided it might be time to leave, but I really can’t depart now without bringing attention to myself. I have to wait and look for a reason to take my shuttle and leave the Supremacy.

Entry 244

I’ve been on edge lately. I keep expecting Kylo Ren to rush into my quarters with his stupid looking crossguard red lightsaber blazing away…but it didn’t happen. I have been totally shut down in the Force since I helped Leia. Unfortunately, this means my ability to sense looming danger is gone. No more prescience or Force intuition. It is like having one of your senses taken from you…in fact, it is exactly that.

If Luke wanted to contact me via the Force, I doubt he could find me. I hope he doesn’t believe I am dead.

Entry 245

I was on my way to a command meeting when the entire ship shook and klaxon alarms started blaring. Overhead loud speakers warned of a vacuum breach on the ship's starboard side. All this commotion startled me and for a brief second my shields faltered and I opened up to the Force. What I sensed made my knees weak and my stomach lurch. Rey! My daughter was aboard this ship! Snoke must have captured her. I was about a half kilometer from Supreme Leader’s throne room. I pushed my way past hundreds of First Order soldiers running to their battle stations or escape pods and made my way toward my daughter.

As I neared Snoke’s seat of power another explosion could be heard, and I felt my daughter’s Force signature dim. She wasn’t dead but injured and probably unconscious.

When I arrived, I found the heavily fortified doors of the throne room closed. Supposedly, only the elite Praetorian Guards, General Hux and Kylo Ren had the code to enter the room…but I am a top slicer and I had managed to gain the entry code shortly after transferring to the ship. I only hope the code had not changed in the last couple weeks.

I punched in the appropriate numbers and the door slid open revealing a horrifying sight. Praetorian Guards were lying dead throughout the room. The remains of Supreme Leader Snoke’s bottom half of his body remained seated on his throne while his torso laid at his feet. I looked around and spied Rey lying on the ground at the edge of the room. I ran up to her and was relieved when I realized she was breathing. I dropped to my knees next to her and checked for wounds as I lightly shook her shoulder. “Rey, wake up! Are you okay Rey?”

Eventually her eyes fluttered open. She saw my face and gave a confused smile. “Mara?” She raised up to a sitting position blinked her eyes trying to focus. She reached out to me, but then stopped as she gazed at my uniform. Her eyes locked on mine accusingly. “You’re a member of the First Order!” She tried to stand but fell back down. She instead used her feet to scooch herself away from me. Her expression of anger and betrayal almost broke my heart.

“Rey, I’m a double agent. I’m working for the Resistance.”

She looked doubtful but stopped trying to escape my presence. I walked over and grabbed her around her waist and helped stand. “I’ll explain everything later. First, we need to get you out of here. Snoke’s ship took a major hit. We can probably escape in all of this confusion. Can you walk?”

She looked at me warily before nodding. I let her go but stood close until I was sure she was steady on her feet. She looked around on the ground and picked up what looked like pieces of metal. “What are you doing?” I asked.

She held them up. “It’s my lightsaber.”

“Okay, let’s go. We have to hurry.” I motioned for her to follow, but as we neared the exit she wandered off in the opposite direction.

“Where are you going?”

She pointed to a man in dark clothing lying on the ground on the other side of the room. “I need to check on Ben.”

I unholstered my blaster. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he doesn’t follow us.”

I was surprised when she whirled around and snatched my blaster out of my hand using the Force. “No, don’t hurt him. He killed Snoke and he helped me kill the guards.”

I shook my head not liking the idea of leaving Ben alive. “That’s not a good idea. You should never leave an enemy to your back.”

She gave me that all too familiar stubborn look. “He’s not my enemy.” She went over to the young man and checked for a carotid pulse. “He’s alive, but unconscious.”

“He’s dangerous.” I warned my daughter.

“If he stays here, he will be blamed for Snoke’s death. The First Order will kill him.”

I shook my head. “He’s very good at pinning blame on others. He’ll blame you. There isn’t any security holocams in Snoke’s throne room. Nobody can disprove his side of the story.”

She looked down at the prone body of Ben Solo for a long moment before turning and moving to the exit. “Chewie is waiting for me a short hyperspace jump from here,” she said as she handed me my blaster. “He’ll come and get me.”

“It’s too risky.” I looked out of the door for guards but saw only people running from station to station in a near panic. “I can get you to the docking bay. Nobody would dare take Snoke’s private escape craft. It should still be there.”

Nobody stopped us on our way to the shuttle bay. I found the Supreme Leader’s escape craft and helped Rey get into the one-person cylindrical pod.

“What about you?”

I forced a smile on my face. “I will commandeer and shuttle or Tie-Fighter. Don’t worry about me. We have to get you off ship before Ben wakes up.” I went to close the door but hesitated. This might be the last time I saw my daughter and I felt compelled to tell her the truth. “Rey, I need to tell you something I should have told you a long time ago. Your parents weren’t drunks who sold you. Unkar Plutt lied about that. You were brought to Jakku to hide you from Supreme Leader Snoke. Your parents knew you would be strong in the Force and Snoke would try to turn you.” I paused not knowing if I should tell her I was her mother. If I did, she may not want to leave me behind. I wanted to stay with my daughter, but the longer she stayed on board the greater the danger. Ben could wake up at any moment and lock down all outgoing ships. We didn’t have time to look for a ship that could carry us both.

“Rey, your mother…” I paused, deciding it wasn’t worth the risk. When she was safely out of the clutches of the First Order I would let her know.

Rey reached out and put her hand on mine. “I know who my mother is.”

My brow went up in surprise. “You do?”

She smiled at me lovingly. “It’s you. It’s always been you. I don’t care who gave birth to me. You were the one who cared for me, taught me, and loved me all these years. I couldn’t ask for a better mother.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but words failed me. I instead embraced my daughter and cried. I only allowed myself a few seconds of melancholy before I broke away. “You need to go. I will follow in my shuttle.”

She nodded as I closed the door. I stepped back and watched as the craft shot off away from the Supremacy.






.

 

Fantastic with Litassa and Rey. I am very relieved Litassa was able to help Leia and Rey.

Very touching, that Rey may not realize the mother she has always known emotionally is also her mother biologically... But hearing those lovely words was bittersweet indeed.

 

Like, same.

 

Thank you @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha and @Cowgirl Jedi 1701 for reading and taking the time to comment. I have been wracking my brain trying to think how to end this. Please let me know if this ending is satisfying. If not, I am up to write an alternative ending.

Thanks to everybody who has read this story through the last three-and-a-half years! This is the final post... unless I decide to write alternate endings.

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Entry 246

I searched the numerous shuttle bays on the ship and finally found an unattended Xi-Class Light Shuttle. I used my slicing skills to override the locks and boarded the ship. The shuttle is mainly a troop/supply ship, but this model has two laser cannons and minimal shields. I would need it because if the First Order figures out that I stole the ship they will shoot me out of the sky. Also, if I can’t convince the Resistance I’m a friendly they might also fire on me. Once I leave this docking bay, I am on my own.

Entry 247

I heard chatter on the First Order frequencies that Kylo Ren and General Hux followed the Resistance to a planet called Crait. I guess my shuttle hasn’t been reported stolen yet because I can still access the computer and all the First Order communications and outgoing orders. Ren and Hux traveled to the planet in an Upsilon-class command shuttle. In addition, a battle group of All Terrain Megacaliber Six walkers and a superlaser siege cannon was transported down to the planet’s surface. The First Order has discovered where the Resistance is hiding and is intent on breaching their defenses.

Entry 248

I wasn’t sleeping this time when Luke appeared in my shuttle. I almost jumped out of the pilot’s seat when he showed up only feet from where I was sitting.

He looked ragged and anxious. “There you are! I’ve been searching for you in the Force.”

“I figured as much,” I replied apologetically. “I had to Force cloak. I used the Force to rescue your sister and I wasn’t sure if I was detected by Snoke or your nephew.”

Luke frowned deeply. “Is Leia alright?”

I nodded. “I think so. You probably can sense her better than I can.”

Luke closed his eyes and I knew he was reaching out with the Force for his sibling. His eyes popped open as he gasped. “She’s in trouble.”

“Yeah, she’s in trouble. The First Order has them trapped on the planet Crait.”

“Crait,” Luke whispered. “That used to be a Rebel outpost. Long ago it...”

I hated interrupting Luke, but I didn’t have time for a history lesson. “Luke, Rey is here…probably with Chewie on the Falcon. Snoke is dead…killed by Kylo Ren. And now your nephew has the Resistance trapped on Crait. I need your help figuring out what to do. The Resistance needs a kriff’n miracle. I know you have some trepidation about tapping into the Cosmic Force, but the Resistance needs you. We literally can use a Luke Skywalker swinging a laser sword and taking on the First Order!”

He stared at me stone faced for a long moment before sighing deeply. “I will try to recon the situation.” He abruptly turned and spoke to somebody out of my line of sight. “Yeah, yeah…I’ll do it, not try!”

When he returned his attention back to me and I asked, “Who are you talking to?”

He shook his head in frustration. “Yoda. He decided to make an appearance earlier today. He set my sacred tree on fire, burned my ancient Jedi tomes, and whacked me in the face with his glimmer stick.”

“Okay,” I said slowly. “You can explain that to me later. Get to reconnoitering and see if there’s any hope.”

He lowered his head and closed his eyes. After a few long moments he looked up to me. “I may be able to stall the First Order’s attack. There is a back entrance to the base that the Resistance members might be able to escape through. How many people can your shuttle carry?”

I looked back to the shuttle bay. “It’s made for a crew of two and six passengers. I may be able to take fifteen people if they squeeze in tight.”

“There is at least twenty-five people still alive on Crait. We’ll need a bigger ship.”

“Rey and Chewie might still be around.” I closed my eyes and reached out for my daughter and was alarmed by what I felt. “Kriff! A couple Tie-Fighters spotted the Millennium Falcon. I’ll go help the Falcon. Do whatever you are going to do to stall the attack.”

He nodded in acknowledgement and disappeared. I powered up my laser cannons and plotted a course to the Falcon.

Entry 249

This may be my last journal entry. I found the Falcon just in time to destroy a Tie-Fighter bearing down on them. A second First Order ship hit my shuttle with laser fire before Rey, who was manning the Falcon’s quad blasters, took him out.

While Rey was still in the gunner’s station I talked to Chewie and told him he needed to get to Crait to pick up the surviving Resistance members. The next words that came out of my mouth were a lie, “I’ll be alright. I have a couple repairs to my ship, and I will rendezvous with you when you leave Crait.”

The truth is I sustained a hit to the hyperdrive that damaged the fuel core. My shuttle can blow up at any moment. Because of that, I wanted the Falcon as far away from me as possible. Also, my life support was heavily damaged. I don’t know how much longer the oxygen will last. I am taking these last few minutes to finish this journal and transmit it to the Millennium Falcon. I also asked Chewie to keep the communication line open and record what I say. I wanted to transmit a message to my daughter. I asked him to record only; do not live view the feed. It was a private message to my daughter for her to see after she’s safe.

That was a partial lie. It was a message for my daughter, but I didn’t have privacy concerns when it came to Chewie. I just worried that if she discovered my shuttle was doomed, she would come back and risk death. I can’t have that. She is my daughter. She’s a part of me and Luke—born out of love. I can’t risk losing her. I only wish Luke and I could have raised her together. But she is alive…that is most important thing. I can only hope she will read this journal and realize how much her parents loved each other and the sacrifices that were made for her safety.

Rey, if you are reading this, I hope you don’t hate me for my deception. I can understand if you do, but don’t blame your father. He had no idea. He holds no blame. He would have made a wonderful father if I let him. I’m sorry things turned out the way they did. I love you very much and I know your father loves you.

Goodbye.

Close Journal: 34.2 ABY

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34.3 ABY

Continuation of Journal by Rey Jade Skywalker

Entry 250

Chewie gave me my mother’s journal to read last week. It took me five long days to get through it. At times I laughed and other times I cried. I find it ironic that all that time I was on Jakku wondering about the identity of my parents…my mother was with me, albeit not all the time, but enough to forge me into the person I have become today.

My mother transmitted the journal to the Falcon but kept the transmission line open for video and audio. Chewie kept his word and didn’t show me the holovid until after we made our escape from Crait with the surviving members of the Resistance.

Leia watched it with me. She wasn’t surprised to find out I was Luke’s daughter. She said she suspected…I felt like him through the Force. She then hugged me and said she was glad she had a niece. She had experienced so much loss; it was nice to gain a family member. It slightly cushioned the blow of losing her husband and brother.

Which brings me to the video recorded after my mother transmitted the journal. I will try to write out what happened, but I doubt I have my mother’s writing skills to do it justice.

--------------------------

Holovid Footage from the Xi-Class Light Shuttle piloted by Mara Jade, aka Colonel Litassa Colay.

[Mara Jade looks up to the camera and gives what looks like a forced smile]

“Hello Rey. I hope you get this message. I suspect you will view this holovid before reading my 400+ page journal, so I will give you a synopsis of what you will find in the diary.”

[She paused and took a deep breath]

“I am your mother, your biological mother, and Luke Skywalker is your father. I was telling you the truth when we were on Snoke’s ship. You were hidden on Jakku to keep Supreme Leader Snoke from finding you. Luke didn’t know about you. He was told of your existence only days before you found him on the island of Ahch-To. He kept your parentage a secret because he was afraid that you would do something stupid like face Snoke alone if you discovered you were a Skywalker. He didn’t want to lose you, so he actively discouraged you from becoming a Jedi. He was right in his belief…because you ended up in Snoke’s throne room. I don’t know how that came about, but I’m glad you and your cousin Ben were able to defeat the Supreme Leader. Maybe there is some good left in Ben Solo. I hope you are right about that.

“I lied to Chewie when I told him I’d rendezvous with the Falcon. I sustained heavy damage. My life support is slowly failing, but most importantly, one of the fuel rods were ruptured and this shuttle can explode at any second. I tried to use the escape pod, but that is damaged also. I didn’t want to endanger the Falcon in an attempt to save me. I didn’t….”

[Mara stops talking and looks behind her to the rear of the shuttle]

“Luke?”

[My mother stood up and I can see my father inside the ship. Leia told me that Luke had projected his image across the galaxy to trick Ben into fighting him. It was a tactic to stall the First Order and give Chewie time to get to the planet. I assume my father projected his image into Mara’s shuttle, but I am not sure. He seemed very solid in the video, especially when my mother ran to him and almost crushed him in a fierce hug]

“Luke, did you succeed? Is the Resistance safe? Is Rey safe?”

[My father looked exhausted. He was breathing hard and had trouble talking]

“I stalled them long enough to escape.”

[He coughed and pulled in a harsh breath]

“I had to tap into the cosmic Force. I think I’m dying.”

[My mother shook her head adamantly]

“Oh no, no, no. You can’t die on me, Farmboy! You have to take care of your daughter.”

[He leaned into my mother’s arms]

“Sorry, I’ll have to leave that to you.”

[I couldn’t see my mom’s face, but I knew she was crying]

“Oh gods. Luke, my ship is damaged and can explode at any moment. I won’t be around for Rey.”

[Luke coughed as he hugged my mother]

“I guess we’ll die together.”

[She pulled back far enough to look into his eyes]

“Do you remember the sea spray that hit me when you communicated with me through the Force? We talked about the possibilities. I want to be with you. The real you. Now, before it is too late.”

[He shook his head]

“That could kill us both.”

[My mother laughed]

“We’re both dying anyway. I’m getting low on oxygen. It is getting harder to breath. In ten minutes, I’ll be dead. You can do this. Tap into the Cosmic Force one last time and bring us together. You can do it.”

[My father nodded and lowered himself to the deck and moved into a cross-legged meditation position. My mother did the same, facing him. He held his arms out to her and they clasped hands. A sad smile crossed his bearded face before he said his last words]

“Where would you like to go?”

[I couldn’t see my mother’s face, but I could tell by her voice she was smiling]

“Anywhere with you would be wonderful.”

[It was then that they both disappeared. All that was left on the deck of the ship was my mother’s clothing]

End Holovid Recording

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We believe the ship exploded soon after my mother’s disappearance. My Aunt Leia explained to me that a Jedi will disappear when they die and become one with the Force, leaving behind only the clothing they wore. She believes my parents are dead.

I am not so sure. My mother was not on death’s door when she faded into oblivion. I wasn’t certain what she was talking about when she mentioned the sea spray, but she might be referring to teleportation. Could my father have folded space and brought himself and my mother to some other location?

It is possible. I have been reading the ancient tomes that I stole from the first Jedi Temple. What caught my eye was the term skywalker. In the old texts, it wasn’t a surname, but a title. Over ten millennia ago, prior to the establishment of hyperspace lanes, intra-galactic travel was only possible with the use of a skywalker navigator—a Force sensitive that can use their prescience skills to avoid dangers. What really got my attention was a puzzling paragraph that claimed the most powerful skywalkers could move through space without a starship. I interpreted that as teleportation. It has to be teleportation because I doubt the author was suggesting skywalker navigators moved across the galaxy in a hovertrain.

There is just one problem with my teleportation theory. Why were my mother’s clothes left behind?

I asked Chewie that question, and he laughed and answered jokingly, ‘Maybe where they were going, they didn’t need clothing.’

I didn’t understand exactly what he meant until I read the journal. I can’t believe the Luke Skywalker I met on Ahch-To could be so…amorous in his youth. I am extremely glad my mother didn’t go into any provocative details in her journal. Still, there were times I read her words with a hot blush on my face.

My parents loved each other. I want to believe they teleported themselves to some clothing-optional tropical island where they are happily living out their remaining days. They sacrificed so much for this galaxy. They deserve to be together.

I wanted to honor my parents by becoming a Jedi…but I read that my mother was against the Jedi continuing. My father also voiced that opinion on the island. He talked about the hubris of the Jedi and bemoaned the fact that they were deified by the public.

He was right about the deification of the Jedi Order. The tales of the Jedi that I heard in my youth described them as almost godlike. I am embarrassed to admit, but I was deeply disappointed when I found the legendary Luke Skywalker. I saw him as a broken man wallowing in remorse and defeat and unwilling to help the Resistance. After reading my mother’s journal I have a better understanding of my father and I deeply regret the fight I had with him prior to departing the island.

He was protecting a powerful Force nexus. He wanted to be with my mother and she with him, but they put their desires aside to do what was best for the people of this galaxy. The Resistance lives because of the actions of my parents.

I often wonder if my father actually wanted the Jedi to end. Perhaps he simply wanted to destroy the misconception that the Jedi were omnipotent protectors of the galaxy. One Jedi cannot take on the First Order, neither can a thousand. The belief that they can makes people complacent with their lot in life. They expect somebody to come save them, when they actually need to save themselves.

The martyrdom of Luke Skywalker, the last known Jedi Knight, has sparked outrage among the populace of the galaxy…and action. People are rising up in open rebellion on a few worlds. General Leia is hoping to regroup and rebuild the Resistance by recruiting these disheartened and disaffected citizens of the galaxy. After I told her about the background of the Skywalker name, she has begun calling her resistance members ‘skywalkers’.

“Skywalkers of the past led the way through the galaxy and protected travelers from danger,” she once told me before going off to recruit more resistance members. “My skywalkers will do the same.”

I want to believe my parents have survived to witness the rise of skywalkers. But even if they have passed on to the flow of the Force, I am sure they will know…and I hope they approve. I can’t think of a better way to honor the Skywalker legacy.


End Journal 34.3 ABY

~Fin~

 

Bravo on a very compelling and touching conclusion!! I liked Rey's speculations and commentary at the end.

 

Nice. And now I'm extra excited for Episode 9.

 

I hoped it was an acceptable ending.

My friend thought it was cheesy, but he said the ambiguity of the situation made it a little less campy. For those who want Luke to have died like he did in the movie...they can interpret the ending as such. For those who want Luke and Mara to have transported to some far away place to live their life in peace...you can interpret it that way.

I even thought up a horrendously macabre ending that is so appallingly violent and detestable that there is no way I could post it here because it would go against TOS. Why my brain when into such a dark place...I will never know.

Anyway, that is the end of the story. I look forward to seeing EP9 and hope I am not too disappointed.

I am still hoping for Mara Jade to make an appearance in the new canon. I just finished the new Thrawn novel and it looks like Tim Zahn is slowly bringing legends characters back to canon. I think many people would love to see Mara and Luke together in some animated adventure series. I know I would.

Thanks everybody for reading. I truly appreciate all the comments.

Now I have to figure out something else to write.