Chapter 148
3 years later
3 years that felt like an eternity. No time had ever passed as slow as the last 3 years did. 3 years since Laetitia had no longer been a part of anyone's life.
Ever since she had died on Nur, everything and everyone in the Rebellion was hollow.
They kept fighting the Empire, as Leah would have wanted them to, but it wasn't the same without her. They would feel her absence the most when they were celebrating a victory or mourning a loss. She wasn't there to comfort her friends and family when they were feeling down or give sarcastic comments when being happy. She was gone.
Every Rebel felt empty. Their victories were less than how they were when she was with them, and their losses were more heavy, but they kept on going. Nothing stopped them.
"There are somethings that even a deadly lightsaber can't kill. The passionate heart and righteous beliefs of a Rebel ... They will never be destroyed by a trash like you. No matter how many soldiers you march into battle, no matter how powerful you are in the dark side of the Force, you will never be able to stop the Rebellion. We were built on hope ... in the darkest and most desperate times. The Rebellion is an idea. It can never be destroyed. The Empire, on the other hand? You and your beloved Master are doomed to fail, just like the-once-precious Jedi Order you two destroyed."
What Laetitia had told her father in her hateful moment was true to the last word. No matter how badly the Empire hurt the Galaxy and its people, the Rebellion never stopped fighting. They would never stop until they brought peace and Republic back to the Galaxy. Rid the Galaxy of monsters like Emperor Palpatine and his second-in-command, Lord Vader.
Darth Vader, formerly known as Anakin Skywalker, was not the same since the accident. He was more ... brutal, if that was possible
He had lost his precious Little Sky, his little girl, the only shred of light in his fully-dark life. He had lost her before, when he thought she was dead for 9 years but miraculously showed up alive. But this time was ... different. He felt her die in the Force and that was the worst feeling he would ever feel in his horrible life.
He didn't care that Leah hated him. She may not have accepted him as her father but even her presence was enough for him. He loved her ... and Sith Lords do not love. He didn't care if that didn't make him the best Sith Lord or made his Master, Darth Sidious, suspicious of him. He no longer cared about anything or anyone.
Upon losing his daughter, Vader had also lost his apprentice, who was like a son to him. Laetitia died to save Thexan from his father and hers. He was informed of Thexan's arrest when he was on mission and was on his way to see what was actually happening when he felt his blood die in the Force.
To say that he was angry was ... putting it lightly. Darth Vader was enraged by his apprentice's betrayal. He had relied on him as much as a Sith Lord could rely on someone. Loved him like the son he never had. He would find him and make him pay for betraying his Master.
On the other hand, it made sense why Thexan had been a bit lighter in the Force since he escaped the Rebels. He had turned to the light side. Vader didn't want to think it was being around his daughter that made him change his mind and beliefs.
Was that really the case? Did Thexan really abandon the dark side because of what he felt for Laetitia?
That was what Darth Vader was worried about the most. That his daughter and apprentice had fallen in love with each other. That the dark side's hold on Thexan was weaker than his love for Leah. Exactly how it should have been for him, but it wasn't. He was even more lost and consumed in it that even he, himself, didn't recognize himself.
"Laetitia's gonna have tons of boys chasing after her. I'm okay with that because then, I can chase after them."
Oh, how much Vader wanted to chase after Thexan. It was his daughter. He may have turned to the dark side and not be Anakin Skywalker, but he still had the protective fatherly sense to make sure his daughter was celibate for life and stayed 'daddy's little girl'.
But he had to admit, if there was one person he would allow her to be with, it was Thexan. The only one who actually deserved to be with her.
But he didn't have to worry about that anymore. It was useless. Laetitia was gone and there was nothing anyone could do to bring her back.
Things were different everywhere, in both the Empire and the Rebellion.
After losing Laetitia, everyone lost their fun spirit and stuck to fighting. There was no victory party, not that they needed it, or any get-together moment. Everyone was into their own business.
Ahsoka took a step back to be with her family more but still participated in some of the important missions. She rarely spoke of Leah. It was too painful for her to think of her best friend for 20 years. She also began training her 10-year-old daughter, Mina, the ways of the Force. It was supposed to be Leah but she couldn't train Mina now.
Han and Chewie stayed in the Rebellion and helped them in any way they could. It was what she would have wanted. Han's anger towards Thexan began to fade away as he came to his senses. They were good friends as much as they could be. They were still a bit uncomfortable around each other. Not because of Thexan being the son of the Emperor, but because of Leah. It was hard ... for everyone.
Luke, on the other hand, was neither angry or in denial. He was freakishly calm. After Laetitia's death, he channeled all his anger and negative feelings and focused them on becoming a better Jedi. He didn't have more things to learn in politics. Mon Mothma and Lux helped him become the best Senator anyone could ever hope to be.
Luke was so frustrated that his sister had died. He thought it was his fault. Leah didn't let him join her last mission because it was a 'Jedi mission'. That frustrated him. If he wasn't so selfish to follow his dreams and become a Senator, maybe she would have let him join her and she would still be here.
So, after Leah's funeral, Luke asked Thexan to train him. It was an informal training. Thexan wasn't his Master but he did help him in any way he could.
Thexan.
He was different from inside and out. Qui-gon appeared to him not long after he left the Empire and offered to help him become an official Gray Jedi. Thexan was more than happy for it. Honestly, the thought of him being a Jedi was so weird, but he didn't want to call himself a 'Sith' anymore. He wasn't one. Leah had helped him become the better man.
And he stayed in the Rebellion to help them defeat his father. This was all his fault. All of it. And he would make sure that the sadistic bastard would pay for what he did to Leah and everyone else.
Thexan was sure that the scream he heard in Laetitia's funeral belonged to her. He was sure she was alive. But when he presented the possibility to Ahsoka, she bit his head off and called him 'crazy and in denial'. He knew she didn't want to think of the possibility of her being alive. Because if it turned out that she wasn't, it would destroy her all over again and she couldn't go through that.
But Thexan didn't give up. He knew Laetitia was alive. He could feel it in his heart, not in the Force. But this time, he didn't let anyone know. Only Qui-gon and Obi-wan knew and it was because they were Force ghosts and he couldn't exactly 'kick' them out of his room.
The good thing was that they also believed Leah was alive. They thought no one else could hear her scream because no one had a deep connection with Leah other than him. Thexan thought that Luke also heard something in her funeral because he had the same expression as Thexan did, but he said nothing and acted nothing.
After destroying the Imperial supply depot and finishing the Battle of Jade Moon, which Luke, Thexan and General Crix Madine participated in, they all landed their X-wings on their new Base, Scipio Base. After they found a spy in their system 3 years ago, they moved the Bases to be safer.
Though their actual Base on Hoth wasn't ready, the Scipio Base wasn't bad, either. It was a snow-covered planet, like Hoth, making it harder for the Empire to find them. And they had improved the security.
After finishing the report, everyone was so tired. It was a tiring battle. Thexan put his hand on Luke's shoulder, bringing him out of his thoughts.
"How you doing, kid?" He asked.
Luke smiled warmly. His smile was so similar to Laetitia's. They both calmed you down and made everything else disappear. And in the last 3 years, Luke and Thexan had gotten a lot closer. Thexan was practically his 'Master', but Luke thought of him as an older brother. He knew Thexan only cared about him because of Leah, but he was still grateful to have him.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm actually gonna go see Han and Ahsoka. You coming?"
"Uh ..." Thexan stopped when he noticed his comlink beeping. He turned pale. Luke felt like it was an emergency.
"Sorry, I have to take this. But I'll meet you there." He quickly said and didn't even wait to hear an answer as he ran to his room.
Luke was left alone, wondering what it was about or who was calling him. Whatever or whoever it was, it was important.
When Thexan noticed his secret comlink beeping, he ran to his room to be alone. He didn't want anyone else to know who was calling and why. Especially not Ahsoka. If she found out why they were calling, he would give another you're-in-denial lecture.
He sat on a chair, put his comlink on a HoloProjector and turned it on. He already knew who it was but was relieved to see him.
Cal Kestis.
The red-haired Jedi Knight smiled when he saw Thexan. 3 years ago, Qui-gon advised Thexan to ask Cal for help to find Laetitia. He was a Jedi Knight with a Night Sister, living alone with no Empire or Rebellion. He didn't join the Rebels but he kept helping in any way he could.
"It's been a while, Thexan." Cal started.
"Yes, it has been." He finally said.
It had been 3 years since they first and last spoke to each other. Thexan knew Cal was only supposed to call if he had found actual evidence that Leah was alive, so he was anxious to know what he found.
"So?"
"I found something ... She's alive ... Laetitia's alive."
Done :)
