RUHLSAR000 Here! I apologize for the delay on Ner Vod. But those take a heck of a lot of time to write and creating an archive for it really made sense. This was a short dabble I made after I saw the NYCC trailer and realized the likelihood of Ephraim is a clonetrooper is slim. Suffice to say Legacy blew this theory out of the water. As a writer, I am blown away and impressed. Especially, since I did not see it coming. That is rare. They are doing something right, if they can make me, a person who can watch Mufasa and Bambi's mom's deaths as well as watch Les Mis without a tear, go through the five stages of grief for character I haven't even met. Granted it was a very minor bout, but still. As a viewer… They made me go through the five stages of grief and put a pit in my stomach for three days after. Anyway, lets hurry up before this review is longer than the chapter. I DO NOT OWN STAR WARS REBELS! IT BELONGS TO THE COMPANY WITH THE MOST CRYING SCENES, DISNEY! I apologize for errors, delays, and long-winded author's notes.


A young girl sits on an old foldable chair as her mother runs a hairbrush through her daughter's black hair, illuminated by the glow of a camping lantern. Their family's radio sits on the foldable table to her left, playing soft Empire sanctioned music intercepted with various imperial reports. The mother attempts to stop herself from scoffing at the superficial reports. She could come up with fifteen rebukes before she even had to really start thinking.

"Mommy…" Her daughter pulls her mother out of that train of thought. "I don't want to go to bed." The young girl is no older than six. She is very small, though. And very skinny.

"Really, then I guess I don't get to tell the story I was planning to tell." Her mother smirks, knowing how to win he daughter over.

"Story?" The girl's head snaps to her mother, her blue eyes sparkling. "Tell me please!"

"You know the rules, Esther. One story, at bedtime." Her mother smiles, fondly. They'd never get her to bed without that rule.

"Then what are we waiting for!" Esther smiles, jumping up, running to grab her toothbrush.

"What indeed?" Esther spins around at her father's voice.

"Daddy!" She tackles his legs.

"Hey! Sweetie, have you been a good girl for you mother?" He scoops her up.

"As much as normal, Ephraim." Her mother smiles, fondly, "She's got too much of you to be anything but trouble."

"You wound me, Milady." Ephraim smiles. "Why don't you finish getting ready for bed?" He ruffles his little girl's head.

"Kay." The girl nods as she is set down. She rushes off to the bucket in the corner of the room and begins brushing her teeth like her mother taught her. Then, she notices the panel behind the bucket has a hole in it, revealing the night and the shack next to theirs. "Hey, Daddy!" She pauses, calling to her daddy who is whispering with her mother.

"Yeah, Sweetie?" Her daddy looks up.

"There's a hole in the panel, again." Esther points to it.

Her mother sighs, "I'll fix it tomorrow, Sweetheart."

"Kay," Esther smiles, and continues brushing her teeth.

Her mother looks over at Ephraim. "You couldn't find any work?" She sounds hopeless.

"Mira… I've tried everywhere… No one's hiring. No one. No one in this entire refugee camp can get work." Ephraim sighs, feeling both that he is being blamed and that he is to blame.

"Ephraim, we'll figure something out…" Mira touches her husband's cheek.

"How did I get so lucky as to end up with you?" Ephraim smiles. "Heaven knows Courtney completely blames Gar for not being able to find work."

"Yes, I can here their fights from across the camp." Mira smiles, weakly. "Right now, all we have is each other. We need to stick together, for our sack, and for our daughter's sake. You'll be my strength when I am weak. And I'll be yours when you are weak. We promised that so long ago."

Ephraim nods.

"Besides, I'm done blaming. Blaming does nothing. This whole thing is both are faults…" Mira sighs, looking over at her daughter. She deserved so much more than a life in a refugee camp. She wanted to fight for her daughter's freedom so badly, but… "I can't lose another one…"

"I know…" Ephraim's voice sounded equally heartbroken as he wraps his arms around the most amazing woman in the galaxy. These past eight years haven't been kind to her. Wrinkles cover her skin. Her hair, when not covered is now mostly silver. And her amazing big blue eyes are now sunken in. But, she is still the most incredible, kind, beautiful woman Ephraim had every seen. What she ever saw in a crazy dreamer like him he will never know, but he has been grateful to it ever since she said yes.

Esther looks over at them, having changed into an old stained shirt of Ephraim's that barely hung on her skinny frame. "Story…" She yawns.

Mira smiles at her daughter. "Of course." She goes over and picks up her daughter, who rests her head on her mother's shoulder and takes her to the one back room, where all three of them slept. It is colder than Mira wants, but there is nothing she can do except bury her daughter in extra blankets. And Esther is starting to realize more blankets for her, means less blanket for her mommy and daddy. Mira knows that when Esther figures that out, she won't like that.

She sets Esther down on the ten or so cardboard boxes that make up her mattress. Along with three or so blankets.

"Alright… Once upon a time," Mira begins her tale of dashing Jedi saving princesses and secretly falling in love with them. Mira smiles down at her sleepy daughter. "And the Jedi went to live with his love and they lived happily ever after."

"Mommy…" Esther grumbles softly.

"Yes, Sweetheart." Mira stroke her head.

"What was my brother like?" Esther asks. "I just want to know… I dream about him sometimes…"

Mira sighs. It hurts to talk about her son. But… Esther deserves to know. That is why she does answer her question. "He was always running around. Always laughing." Mira sighs. Esther knows this… "One day, at breakfast, he asked when his little sister would get here." Mira smiles at the memory. The child had timed it just perfectly enough for Ephraim to be drinking kaff right as he asked. The table had been soaked and both of them were gaping like fish trying to ask and/or answer the other's questions.

Mira looks down at her daughter, who giggles slightly, "I don't know how he knew about you. But he did. Whenever he drew our family after that, he'd draw you there, too. He loved you so much." Mira smiles, "One thing he'd always say was that his sister's eyes sparkle like stars." Esther knows that,

"That's why you named me 'Esther'." Esther smiles.

"Yes, because he was absolutely right." Mira smiles.

Esther falls into a restless sleep. Then she hears it the radio in main room. "We're rebels. Fighting for-" The radio cuts off.

"Mira!" She hears her father say. "What if it's-"

"It's not. He died a long time ago. Because we couldn't protect him." Her mother says. Esther gets up and walks to the door, pulling back the ragged patchwork cloth serving a door just so slightly. She sees her mommy by the main door.

"But what if it is?" Ephraim asks, standing by the foldable table.

"Look at you. Letting yourself get hopeful over nothing." Mira says, in hushed voice.

"You said once as long as there is hope, the weakest of creatures can weather the greatest of storms." Ephraim says.

"And having it killed can break the mightiest." Mira says.

Ephraim starts, "What if –"

Mira cuts him off, "What if? What if? Ephraim, I play that game everyday. It's a game you don't want to play. Think of Esther. Are you really willing to risk fighting again? Don't say you have no desire to fight. I see it in your eyes everyday. Kriff, I feel it everyday! But at what cost! I know her future isn't good. But at least she has a future!" Tears stream down Mira's face. What can she do for her child? She storms out of the front door.

"Mira!" Ephraim calls after her, rushing through the front door.

Esther gulps, as she slips into the main room and turns on the radio. The young male voice comes through again. "So stand up. Stand up together, because that's when we are the strongest. As one!"

Esther can't help but smile. It is deeper than the one holo-vid she had seen of him. And there is a weariness in his voice that Esther is all too familiar with. But it is him. It's got to be. Who else could her parents be referring to? The signal cuts out. Esther frowns, wishing to have caught more of it. But… Esther smiles again. "Don't worry, Big Brother, we'll meet someday. I know it." She smiles, slipping back to bed, and falling to sleep.

Mira comes in an hour later, having calmed down, to check on her daughter. She sits down next to her daughter, smiling sadly. She brushes a strand of hair from her face. Mira sighs. Could he possibly be… No, don't let hope build… It will only crush you. A tear slides down Mira's cheek. If it is him… What type of life has he had? It doesn't matter. It's not him. She will not risk her daughter's safety for some false hope.

A hand lands on her shoulder. Mira jumps, but relaxes as she sees Ephraim looking sadly at her. Ephraim sighs, "You know how powerful hope is better than anyone… If it is him, then he survive. I know that's a scary thought. Opening yourself up to a maybe when every ounce of your being screams no… but… No matter how small a hope is, it can turn surviving into living. The boy in the broadcast was living. He has hope. We've been surviving for so long… Maybe it's time to start living again."

Mira leaned over and fell into her husband's arms.


Writer's Corner: This is where I suggest writer's in the SWR community to check out. Today's is Superherotiger. She has a large number of stories, a lot are family based ones. My personal favorites are Remember Me and Beasts of Legends.

Question Time 1: What do you think of Legacy?

Question Time 2: What do you think of Esther?

I'd ask on thoughts on Star Wars the Force Awakens, but I am not seeing it till tomorrow, so please if you want to rant about please, please, please keep it spoiler free. I have gone out of my way not to see any spoilers.