Ch 5

Rey

After I buried the lightsabers in the sand, I decided to stay on Tatooine for a while. I needed some time to process the events of the last few days.

The First Order was dead, Poe had begun to enlist help in restoring the Republic. Finn and Rose were at his side, of course. Finn was trying to get the storm troopers back to their families. We found out that much like the Empire, they stole children to use them for their own gain, what we came to realize, though, was that for the most part, they were all Force sensitive.

It made sense in retrospect. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer or something like that.

After walking around the place I decided I wanted to try and restore the old moisture farm as much as I could, it had been abandoned for a long time and nearly uninhabitable.

I started working in what appeared to be an old repair shop of some sort, it was very messy with parts and scraps all over the floor and counters. I mostly came down here to find any spare parts to repair the moisturizers outside.

And that's when I felt him, he was here. I turned around, my eyes scanning the room, sometimes I would see Force ghosts, but there was no one there.

I closed my eyes and tried to reach out to him. My brow furrowed, I felt myself start to break a sweat, but there was nothing. I opened my eyes and felt emptiness once again.

I sat on the ground and tears began to fall from my eyes, I had never felt more alone since I'd met him.

"My sweet darling girl..." I heard a woman's voice say around me. I quickly looked up and wiped the tears from my eyes.

She was beautiful and young, she had a cascade of brown curls pinned back. Her face was very regal, her high cheek bones were strong, yet there was a kindness in her eyes. She wore a simple white gown with a blue velvet robe over it.

She stood only 5 feet away from me and I couldn't help but just stare at her.

"It's alright, do you know who I am?" She asked.

I shook my head and continued to stare. She reached out her hand to me to help me up, I took it and we were eye to eye.

She wiped the remaining tears off my face and continued to talk.

"Darling, you're beautiful, those tears do you no justice. But regardless, I can see why he fell in love with you, there's a beam of light all around you..." she said as she waved her arms in a circle as if it would make it obvious that it was there.

"There's darkness too, but... it's a balance, they must live together, as you've come to figure out."

She walked towards the stairs that led to the main entrance of the small repair room and then turned back to look at me.

"My name is Padme Amidala, I'm Ben's grandmother. I'm here to help you" she said as she flashed a smile of perfectly shaped teeth.

"You're... Queen Amidala of Naboo... you were a Senator of the Republic before it fell to the Empire and... you formed the Rebellion"

She laughed softly and clasped her hands.

"Yes, I was all of those things, more importantly, I was in a similar position like you've been. Love came to me at a high price... looking back I don't regret it, but I wish... I wish things had been different so I could have been with my children, and my Ben. To guide and help them. I may not be Force sensitive, but I have a good perception of people and their feelings. I had to do for my husband as you've done for my grandson"

She spoke of this with great sorrow and pain, I could see it in her eyes.

"How... what do you mean help me?"

"I won't be here long, I have another visit soon on the other side, I just want to know where your heart is. You need to be ready for what's coming, let's go"

She turned back and walked up the stairs, a part of me was scared, a part of me was confused. What was I supposed to be ready for?