A/N: This story will fit (mostly!) into the canon timeline, taking place about 6 years before The Force Awakens. There are also some Legends/EU tidbits tucked in here and there, along with plenty of my own inventions. T Rating is for violence and some emotional/physical abuse in certain chapters.
All reviews are welcome, especially constructive criticism.
"And so passed the Age of the Jedi, and with it all the light and wisdom they brought to the galaxy. Perhaps someday, when they are needed most, the Jedi will again appear; and then there will be many more tales to tell.
"The end."
The little girl, whose eyelids had been slowly drooping under the lulling spell of her brother's voice, jerked awake. "That is not the end," she said firmly, sitting up and trying to grab the thick book from him.
"Hey!" he said, holding it away from her with a laugh. "You're supposed to be going to sleep. And it is too the end."
"Is not," she insisted, throwing back the covers and making a leap for the book in his outstretched hand. "I think you're lying. I think you're just pretending that's the end so you don't have to read to me anymore."
"Fine, see for yourself." He tossed the book down on her bed, and she pounced on it, flipping to the back. She frowned as her eyes scanned the page, picking out the words she knew and guessing at those she didn't. Finally she sat back on her heels, staring down at it sadly.
"Satisfied?" her brother asked.
She shook her head slowly. "But that can't be the end," she said. "What about Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader and the Death Star? What about the princess and the Millennium Falcon?"
"It's an old book," he said. "And those things only happened a few years ago. You can't expect them to be written in here."
"Well, somebody should write them down."
He smiled. "Maybe you should do it."
"Maybe I will." She flopped back against her pillow and wiggled down underneath the covers, pulling them up to her neck. "Tales of the Jedi: Part 2."
She was silent for a moment, then looked over at him thoughtfully.
"Cass," she said, "are you going to be a Jedi someday?"
"Me?" He shook his head. "No. You know the stories; you have to be special to become a Jedi."
"But you are special."
"Not like that," he said. "I could be a soldier, maybe even a pilot, but not a Jedi." He leaned in close and brushed the hair from her face, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "Can I tell you a secret, though?"
She nodded eagerly.
"I may never be a Jedi," he whispered, "but I think you will."