Han hadn't expected Leia to go down so soon. All with the Resistance and The New Order. Frankly, he wasn't surprised that a heart attack struck her down a few days ago. He was by her side, translucent, while Poe and Finn were sitting alongside each other. Poe had blood shot eyes. BB8 was part of the group so was C3-PO. Poe looked like he was about to cry again. Finn placed a hand on the man's shoulder. He had only awaken days prior. Frankly, Rey reminded Han of Luke. The two men reminded Han of his relationship with the young man. He remembered how blonde, how adventure driven Luke was. Rey was somewhere else in space learning the ways of the Jedi. It was funny, Han considered, she was following the path that had started this ordeal in the first place. Except they got in through a sanitation worker rather than the other way around.
He didn't believe much it was the Force's doing that he met her.
But he had a theory that it was not just a coincidence that he had to meet her.
His son.
Ben Solo, now Kylo, was a wannabe Darth Vader. He was somewhere,alive, that was for sure. Han looked fondly upon the woman. She had a strong, tough woman. She had been and always will be that kind of woman you wouldn't fight against in the galaxy not unless she had a gun in her hand and had single handedly taken out the opponent using her knee against their abdomen. She was so busy in the early days before Vader-or Anakin-was slain. Slain by his own mentor. Leia was not much of a force believer nor force positive as she claimed. He theorized that she was wrong. In fact, she was strong with the force. Which explained many things regarding her character. She could get somewhere even without the Falcon but with the Resistance that got their hands on anything. That was the part he knew for sure. No matter what happened, the Resistance would always come back. The force was a strange, unusual power that connected others and could control others and search through others. Finn cleared his throat, appearing to be choked up.
"General," Finn said. "Thank you for believing in me. I owe you."
Finn reminded Han of Lando when he was younger. They were close friends. Very close friends preferably close as Finn was with Poe only except for the hand on the man's thigh. This relationship was like the one he shared with Luke. Close, intimate one. "I owe you one, kid.", He once told Luke. He had seen these two men make out in the closet thinking no one was watching. Han had accidentally come across when looking around for Chewbacca. Poe reminded Han of himself when he was his age. Passionate about what he wanted to do and stubborn. Finn cleared his throat as another tear made its way down his cheek. He had gone to a barber after waking up and got his hair cut. It looked good on him. Obi-wan approved of the new generation as did Anakin. Padme had spoken with Han shortly after his death thanking him for giving her a grandson and hope for the future for the galaxy. They had played a hand. They all did. Luke was no exception. Nor was the fierce, stubborn princess turned general. Her hair had turned gray over the passing years. She appeared to be gorgeous. They both felt guilt for the slaughter of young Jedi.
Han considered if she blamed herself, too.
The man was not their little boy.
"Ben should be here for this." Han said, holding her hand. "I . . . I should have called him out for his bluff." He briefly closed his eyes feeling emotional pain and turmoil. "And dragged his ass to the Falcon the old fashioned way. Luring him out instead-" He wanted to punch the wall. Anything, really. "Of approaching him." He stroked her hand. "I am sorry, Leia."
"You can repay the favor." Poe said.
"Rey should be here." Finn said.
"She has Jedi training." Poe said. "Perhaps she all ready knows."
"I want to believe that her brother does too." Finn said.
"Then believe it." Poe said.
Finn briefly closed his eyes then reopened them to see the woman on the medical bed. She didn't look at all like the woman a few days ago. It was a few days after Christmas. She had stopped breathing and became relatively still during the massive heart attack then fallen back to the floor with a thud. Panic went into the room that had been silent for the ride to a newly established colony to make up for the loss of one heavily populated planet. New procedures were put into place. There were more colonies established, eight of them in total, by the resistance. Hidden on planets that were disregarded by The New Order as 'insignificant' and 'useless'. Their bases were hidden on part of the colonies but nearby planet wise. Base of preparations. It had been Leia's idea to put colonies on fierce, savage like Earth planets. The animal was savage but they could be avoided and tamed. The new year was coming.
Finn made a promise to himself: I am not going to let her down. In her memory.
Rogue One gave hope.
Leia Organa gave hope to countless men and women.
Han allowed himself a thought to look at where his son was. He was aggressively training to be more skilled in the force. It was depressing to see his son this way with visible scars. It had been Finn and Rey who gave him those scars. His curly black hair was wet and pressed against his skin. He bore a resemblance to Anakin. Anakin went to the dark side out of fear for his family. Ben went over to the dark side out of none of that. None of that made him like Darth Vader. Darth Vader, compared to Anakin Skywalker, was a different persona of pure evil born out of fear. Han felt shame. He failed to bring his son home. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. . . He couldn't come back. He was too far into the dark side to be redeemed. He opened his eyes seeing the two men. They were bright and shining compared to the dull, gritty scenery. They were hope.
Despite what their son became, she was still strong and she fought like hell. They all did. She was ready to pick the fight back up where she had started with those side buns and long white dress. If she had to do it, Han figured she would have done it and used it as a rallying cry. But no, she went to a stage and made the announcement when The New Order arose. The location of the base was encrypted much like the transmission that was enough for a eleven year old to get through. She was in her own uniform during the announcement fighting back tears. She did good. It was hard to tell, from that transmission, that it was her son who had started it. She spoke passionately. Now the galaxy won't have that rallying speech. That is she didn't pull through. A feeling crept through his very being that she wasn't going to make it. Someone else will take her place.
"Good luck," Han told the two boys. "You will need it." He paused. "We will be watching." Personally? Han believed that Leia and himself were everyone's space grandparents. Even if he denied it when he was still alive. "Make us proud." Han felt it was time. "Come along, princess."
Han gripped her hand then pulled Leia's soul out of her body as a high pitch wail emitted inside the room. Poe and Finn's eyes shot over toward the direction of the empty body. Their eyes widened. Han found himself break into a smile feeling a slender, small hands wrapped around his waist and the whisper of the words, "I missed you." She didn't have the exact hair buns to the side of her head hair style. He returned the hug replying with, "At least I came before it was too late this time." The hug ended abruptly.
"Ben?" Leia asked.
"Still alive." Han said.
Her look of curiosity was replaced with a small smile.
"He still has time." Leia said.
"He doesn't have time to get back." Han said. "He is not our little boy, anymore." He looked her in the eye. "You didn't see the look in his eye. When I looked him in the eye . . . There was nothing left of Ben." Leia did not seem to be detered by Han's assessment of their son. "Now it is just a man named Kylo Ren walking around with my raggedy handsome looks."
"You were never raggedy." Leia said.
"Really?" He raised an eyebrow. "Let's ask Luke when he comes around."
"The handsome ones were you and Luke." Leia said.
"True." Han said. "Leia, there is people who have been waiting to meet you."
Leia looked over to see there was a bright light ahead of them. Han watched the expressions of her face change in seconds. Awe, shock, disbelief, and joy. From somewhere far away, Ben came to a stop in his training leaning against the side of the wall feeling someone yanked out from the force. Someone he had been close to before he went the way he did. He wiped a tear off his cheek and then heated, hot rage replaced the utter emotionally devastated reaction. He destroyed the wall entirely with the light saber while speaking in rage. In contrast, we can see a split scene of Luke, alone, in his bed room weeping. Our scene returned to Leia and Han who were side by side. She looked over toward the two men, "May the force be with you." She looked over toward Han.
"Come on, hot shot." Leia said.
Behind them, a nurse turned the machines off, as they went into the light.
May the force be with you.
The End.