Fair Warning [SPOILER] for episodes 8 & 9
Everyone's at the Solo family home. Both the Solo, and Skywalker family, are there having a family gathering. Padme's turning four today. Soon after her birthday she'll be youngling age ready to join her brother Ben at the academy. Ben Solo's fourteen and has been under his uncle's jedi-tutelage for ten years now. Padme finally gets to join in. Ben's outside the family home in the backyard. He practices tricks with the lightsaber. Sparks shoot off blade as it slices through the air. The saber's quite aerobatic in it's flight. It cuts up a sawed-off puzzle piece designed for such maneuvers.
Attached to the light show Han and Leia approach from behind and watch from the porch. As the act reaches its crescendo the couple claps, impressed with the performance.
Ben retracts and hilts the saber. He runs over and joins his parents on the porch. Gesturing to the puzzle Ben remarks, "I wanted to squeeze in a practice before the performance tonight."
Han puts his arm around Leia and remarks, "Wow, I can't believe how you keep improving. You're gonna give Uncle Luke a run for his money onna these days."
Ben rolls his eyes and says, "One day."
Leia chimes in, "Padme's gonna be really wowed by the show."
Ben shrugs and says, "Well it isn't just any other birthday. I wanna send her off to school with a bang."
Han gestures to the lightsaber and says, "Be careful with that thing."
Ben waves his hand dismissively, "Oh please, it never leaves my side." He pats the saber, now hilted to his belt.
Leia cautions, "Geez. It's hard to keep Padme's hands off it as it is. Now she's gonna go crazy for that thing." She too gestures to the saber.
Ben drones, "I know."
Han looks worried and remarks, "Still I'm nervous. A bunch little kids waving around lava sticks."
Ben rolls his eyes again and chides, "Yeah right. You know the younger kids don't use real ones. I only graduated to real thing last year."
Han smirks and says, "Well try not mix up the real ones from the fake ones."
Ben sighs with exasperation and assures, "Father, you can trust me. I won't take my eyes off Padme and she'll be perfectly safe with me at school."
Leia warns, "Padme's sure busting to go to school."
Ben nods and says, "Well, I look forward to mentoring her."
Mr. And Mrs. Solo aren't the only ones who were attached to the light show. Another boy, the same age as Ben, can seen inside the house. A bob of red hair pokes out from behind the door frame. It's Luke Junior. The redhead boy is in fact Luke Skywalker's son that he had with his wife Mara Jade. (L.J. will later be know as General Hux.) L.J. eavesdrops in on the Solo family's conversation.
Han remarks, "Uncle Luke's class sure has grown."
Leia agrees, "That's right, he's up to eight students."
Ben injects, "Well eight including me. So Padme will make nine." (Note that in T.F.A. "The Knights of Ren" have seven members, including Ren, and eight, including the one Ren kills to protect Rey. So the addition of "little Rey"/Padme would of made nine in total.)
With mock concern Han offers, "I hope Padme doesn't get lost in the shuffle." He's well aware that Padme will be the new little star.
Curiously Leia ponders, "I wonder, how big's the class gonna get way?"
Ben guesses, "Oh, I don't think too big. Since Luke only takes the best and there isn't that many Jedi left in the galaxy. Being how it's in the blood and all." Ben gestures to his mother indicating the bloodline.
Leia says quietly, "Well... it's... usually in the blood." She looks regretfully to ground, thinking of her nephew, Luke Junior. Unlike her own children, her brother's son was born without "the force." L.J's lack of power is a sore subject for the family.
Looking uncomfortable, Ben replies dismissively, "It can also just be a random roll of dice I guess." Not liking where the conversation is going, Ben moves to make an exit.
Ben makes an excuse, "I have to get more supplies from the house."
Han grabs Leia's hand and playfully pulls her, "I'm ready for that stroll." He chides his wife.
Han and Leia hike down the field to go for a walk. Ben waves his parents goodbye from the porch then heads back inside the house.
Ben enters the home with the performance on his mind. He wants everything to go just perfect for Padme's birthday. Without realizing it he walks straight past L.J. L.J.'s been standing there the whole time, listening by the door.
The carrot-top cousin has his freckled arms folded. With a gleam his cold blue eyes, he taunts Ben, "They're right you know."
Ben halts mid-stride. His shoulders rise feeling the tension between the two of them. The tension had been there ever since Padme was born. Lately it had gotten worse. Ben and L.J. used to be good friends. Then Padme came along. The little girl's midi-chlorian level was tested at birth. Like Ben, it was through the roof. Being the odd man out really got to L.J.
Without turning to face L.J., Ben asks, "They're right about what?"
L.J. gleefully chides, "What they said, your parents."
Ben still has his back to L.J. With trepidation he repeats, "About what?" Again, he doesn't like where the conversation's going.
L.J. smirks and continues, "You know that, 'four-year-olds and lava sticks don't mix well.' Maybe the school isn't as safe as you think." L.J.'s grin broadens, knowing just how press his cousin's buttons. Padme's safety is Ben's top priority.
Shoulders still high, Ben slowly turns on his heel to face L.J., giving his cousin a weary gaze, he replies, "Listen and look."
Ben casually tosses his unlit saber above his own head. A foot from ceiling it freezes. L.J. glances at the saber that's now stuck mid-air. But Ben never takes his eyes off L.J. Ben doesn't need to look at the saber to move it. With irritation in his voice, Ben continues, "Padme's safer with me than anywhere else in the galaxy." Then, in one smooth motion, Ben somersaults the saber back into his own hilt, showcasing his control. In a threatening tone he asks, "Okay?"
The telekinetic showboating does the trick and gets L.J.'s goat. He grimaces at the display, revealing his own intense jealousy towards his cousin.
Ben turns back on his heel and walks off. Before exiting the room, he pipes out, "When it comes to Padme's safety, don't worry your little redhead about it."
L.J. snarls and fumes as the other boy strides away. Watching yet another cousin join his father's school was just a bit much to bare.
L.J. mutters flatly, and deadly, under his breath, "We'll see how YOU like it. When something you want so BADLY is just taken you."