"Dad, I can't lift it," Aayla complained as she struggled to lift a pile of rocks. Ben stood alongside her as he observed his cousin attempt to use the Force to lift the rocks. A seven-year-old Padmé stood next to her older cousin, her hand in his as she also quietly watched her sister at work.

"Yes, you can," Luke Skywalker insisted as he instructed his oldest daughter.

"They're too heavy," Aayla told him as she tried with all her might to lift the rocks. "Can't I lift something smaller?"

"It's all in your head, Aayla," Luke told her sternly. "Only in your mind are the rocks too heavy. You need to let go of everything you know. Trust in the Force."

"It's not working," Aayla continued to say, her face scrunched in discomfort. "I can't do it."

"Use the Force, Aayla," Luke repeated, trying to get his daughter to trust in her own instincts. "Let it guide you."

Aayla grunted in pain as she fell to her knees, the rocks tumbling back to the ground as she gasped for breath. Luke just stared at his daughter as she remained on the ground. Padmé frowned and stepped forward to comfort her older sister, but Ben stopped her. He shook his head no so Padmé just remained in her place.

"It's not possible," Aayla said, shaking her head. "Maybe I'm just not strong enough."

"Physical strength has nothing to do with it," Luke told her honestly. "It's the strength you hold within. My old Jedi Master Yoda was small, yet he was one of the most powerful Jedi in history. Size and strength have nothing to do with it."

"I'm not strong like Master Yoda," Aayla told him, and Luke shook his head.

"I'm not asking you to be like Master Yoda," Luke said sincerely. "I'm asking you to just be you. Trust in the Force and it will guide you. It will give you the strength you need."

"Dad…" Aayla trailed off, her green eyes filled with much uncertainty, but Luke rested his hand on her shoulder, giving her a look full of wisdom.

"Listen to me, Aayla," Luke said softly. "When I was younger, I thought the same as you do. Don't be afraid. Let go of your fear and the Force will guide you."

"Don't be afraid."


"Don't be afraid."

Padmé opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling in hers and Rose's room.

The dream she had wasn't startling like the night she had a Force vision of her sister. Technically, this wasn't a dream either. In a way, it was a Force vision as well but instead of the future, the vision was of the past.

Padmé thought she forgot about that day.

The day her father taught the three of them about opening themselves up to the Force and trusting their instincts. It didn't feel like an important lesson at the time but now it seemed even more important than before. She wondered why that memory in particular appeared to her.

What was the significance of it?

Was the Force trying to tell her something?

Padmé knew that she was trying to stop the Force visions, but it couldn't be helped. Ever since that night, she'd been plagued with Force visions. Of both the past and future. Sometimes Padmé didn't think she could tell the difference.

Her Force visions varied but more often than not, she saw an island in the middle of an ocean. The planet was foreign to her eyes but the island…she knew it. Padmé didn't know how she knew it, but she did.

The island stayed with her during the past couple weeks of Force visions.

Something about it lingered in her mind until Padmé found herself daydreaming about it during the day.

It was all odd.

For some reason, the Force was trying to tell her something. Between visions of the island and then past visions of lessons with her father. It was trying to tell her something even though Padmé was actively trying to ignore the force.

She didn't like this.

She didn't like that no matter how hard she tried to ignore the Force, it was still finding a way to reach out to her. This was dangerous and it worried Padmé. She worried that she was somehow opening herself up to the Force and her sister would discover that she was still alive.

Maybe Padmé should've just accepted her uncle's offer to join him and Chewie on the Falcon. It was better than constantly worrying about putting the whole Resistance at risk just because she couldn't completely shut out the force.

Padmé wanted to tell her aunt that she was still suffering from the Force visions, but she knew her aunt would just tell her the same thing as before. To not rely on her Force visions and to also be mindful of the connection she shared with her sister. Padmé knew it was easier said than done but she still couldn't stop the visions from coming to her. It was like the visions had a will of their own.

It was happening for a reason, but Padmé couldn't figure out the exact reason.

Whatever reason it was, Padmé was sure she was going to get even less sleep than before.


"Mistress Padmé," Threepio said as he walked alongside the short redhead on the base. "Since you seem to be the only Resistance member here who seems to listen to logic and you're so abundantly clever, even for a human, I thought-"

"We talked about this, Threepio," Padmé told him seriously. She wasn't really worried. No one really paid attention to her, so they probably didn't hear Threepio's mistake. "You're not supposed to refer to me as that anymore. The fate of the galaxy kind of depends on it."

"Of course, Mistress Padmé-I mean-Mistress Alana," Threepio said, immediately slipping it again. "My apologies. I was only inquiring as to you perhaps convincing the General to eat something. She's been overworking herself lately and has managed to skip not just breakfast but lunch too. I worry for her health but the General refuses to listen to any reason and-"

"I'll bring her some food from the mess hall," Padmé interrupted in the midst of Threepio's rambling. She gave the droid an amused look. Unlike so many other Resistance members, Padmé didn't find Threepio annoying. In fact, she was always amused by his need to deliver the odds during almost every situation. Not only that but he reminded her of her childhood.

Threepio remained one of the few things she had left from her childhood. Especially with Artoo sitting in a dark corner of the command center, no closer to coming back to life than the day he went into low power mode. It was sad but Padmé tried to look at the bright side. At least, Threepio was still up and running.

Her grandfather Anakin technically built Threepio and then he somehow found himself in her father's possession. It was only after everything he went to her aunt which she knew drove her uncle crazy. She was surprised her uncle never tried to sell him for parts but maybe her uncle had a soft spot for the droid, after all.

Padmé would never admit it, but Threepio helped cheer her up a lot after what happened with her sister and cousin. His nonstop rambling brought a smile to her face, and he was the only person who never looked at her in pity. Padmé knew he was a droid, so it wasn't possible for him to look at her in pity, but she still appreciated it nonetheless.

"Oh, would you, Mistress Padmé?!" Threepio exclaimed in a jovial tone. Padmé laughed because it was a wonder how the whole base didn't know who she really was. "I knew you would see reason. How extremely kind of you."

"Relax, Threepio," Padmé said, laughing at the excited droid. "It's not a big deal. I'll grab her some stuff for lunch if you carry the tray. I don't trust myself to not drop anything. The General always says how accident prone I am."

"Of course, Mistress Padmé," Threepio said, clearly forgetting the important thing both Leia and Padmé told him countless times. To think…her demise might not come from her Force visions. It just might come from Threepio's big mouth.

Padmé could not think of a funnier demise.


Padmé headed for the command center after a brief stop in the mess hall to get her aunt some much-needed food. She knew, maybe better than anyone else, how her aunt liked to neglect things like eating and sleep. The stubborn woman was so dedicated to her work that she forgot about her own health at times.

"This will be a wonderful surprise for the General," Threepio said optimistically as he carried the tray of food.

"She'll be delighted to see you, Mistress Padmé. She's been so busy with plans for the upcoming mission, but the General is always happy to see you."

"I know, Threepio," Padmé said in amusement. "Just remember that you can't call me that name around other people. It's really dangerous for you to even say it now."

"Of course," Threepio said apologetically. "I am so sorry that I completely forgot. Artoo always said I was so absent-minded."

"It's fine," Padmé assured him, but the droid continued his rambling.

"It's very odd to call you by anything but your true name," Threepio explained as Padmé just smiled at him. "I still remember the day you were born. It caused quite the stir when your mother went into labor on Naboo. Your father was on a mission in the Adega system so you can I imagine I was beside myself as to what to do. I believe the temperature on Naboo was precisely-"

"Here we go again," Padmé said, shaking her head at the rambling droid. He got on her nerves sometimes, but he wouldn't be Threepio if he didn't. Padmé adored him.

The doors slid open to the command center and Padmé was met with the sight of numerous Resistance members hard at work. Everyone seemed busy as they bustled around the room, looking over reports from various spies the Resistance had across the galaxy. They were desperate for any information that might help with the fight against the First Order. The command center during the daytime was definitely a contrast against how it looked at night with only her aunt remaining there.

Padmé spotted her aunt at the center of all the busy Resistance members speaking with none other than Commander Dameron. The very same commander Riva and Koo couldn't stop gushing over. So much that Padmé was already tired of the commander without ever having spoken to him.

"General," Threepio greeted, causing both Leia and Commander Dameron to glance at Padmé and the droid.

"Mistress Pad-I mean, Miss Naberrie, thought it would be nice if you ate something. She came upon the knowledge that you hadn't eaten in some time and became concerned."

"Threepio, did you go all the way down to maintenance to bother poor Alana?" Leia teased the droid, giving him a knowing smile.

"Why I never, General," Threepio retorted and Padmé smiled at him before turning to her aunt.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, General, but Threepio was very concerned," Padmé told her aunt, not noticing a pair of curious eyes on her.

"It's completely alright," Leia assured her. "Leave it to Threepio to take better care of me than I would myself. Thank you for the lunch."

"You're welcome, General," Padmé told her as Leia then turned and noticed Poe's curious gaze on her niece.

"Commander Dameron, this is Alana Naberrie. One of the Resistance's best technicians," Leia introduced. "Alana, this is Commander Poe Dameron."

"It's nice to meet you, Commander," Padmé greeted, and Poe returned her smile. He noticed the small redhead around the base here and there. Poe figured she must've been a technician due to her uniform and how she spent most of her time with the other technicians.

The young commander couldn't help but notice that Alana looked very young to be in the Resistance. Not that she was the youngest around. There were plenty of Resistance members on the young side…some even younger than Alana more than likely. Even so, Poe couldn't help the astounding guilt he felt that he wasn't doing nearly as much when he was the age of some of the younger Resistance members. Mostly just running spice which was something hopefully no one ever found out.

The young technician was very small and petite. Poe even dared to think she was adorable. Her red locks were up in an elaborate braided updo like most of the women in the Resistance. The redness of her hair contrasted against her vibrant blue eyes. Her skin was pale and looked soft. Poe couldn't tell if it was natural or if it was from being cooped up in this base for so long. What was even more cute about the small redhead was the small smattering of freckles across her face.

She reminded Poe of a woodland fairy in the stories his mother used to read to him when he was a child.

"Likewise, and just call me Poe," He told her, his smile unwavering. Padmé forced herself not to blush under his intense gaze. She definitely understood what Koo meant when she said Commander Dameron had a very charming smile. Padmé wouldn't deny that he had nice eyes and a kind smile, but she was also made aware of the commander's reputation around the base. It was no secret that he was a huge flirt and Padmé reminded herself not to forget that about him.

No matter how charming his smile was.

"I don't think that would be appropriate, Commander," Padmé said politely. She wasn't used to her superiors being so casual like Commander Dameron was being. Well, most of them were twice the age of Commander Dameron, after all.

"I don't mind," Poe said, his tone flirty and Padmé just decided to go along with it even though she refused to refer to him by anything other his title. Padmé didn't know him, but she could tell he wasn't the type of person you could argue with.

"Anyways, I was just accompanying Threepio, General," Padmé said, turning back to her aunt who was giving Poe an unimpressed look. Leia clearly wasn't impressed with him so blatantly flirting with her niece. "I should get back to work."

"I'll see you around, Alana," Leia said, finally turning away from Poe and smiling at Padmé.

"Thank you for the lunch."

"It was Threepio's idea. See you around," Padmé said kindly before turning around and leaving the command center. Threepio followed after her, rambling on about how he thought he might've needed a diagnostic scan because of his processing system acting slower than usual.

Leia stared after her niece for a moment before glancing back at Poe who was still staring at the door from which Padmé left. She rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she looked back down at the report in front of her.

Men.

They see a pretty face and all thinking went out the window.

Not that she blamed him. Padmé was very beautiful, and she was practically a carbon copy of her mother who had also been very beautiful. There was not a day that went by that Leia didn't look at Padmé and was immediately reminded of Vesper.

"So, um…she seemed nice," Poe said, slowly getting back to work but it was clear his mind wasn't on the matter at hand. Nor was it in his cockpit, for once. "Nice of her to bring you lunch and everything."

"I knew her parents," Leia said softly. It wasn't a lie, after all. "They were good people. They fought in the Rebellion."

"Really?" Poe said curiously.

"They were actually cousins of mine…on my biological mother's side," Leia said, telling a little white lie.

"Right…Naberrie," Poe said, finally knowing why that name seemed vaguely familiar to him.

"Her parents were killed by the First Order a few years ago so I took her in," Leia informed him. "She decided to join the Resistance officially when she became of age on her own volition."

"I'm sorry, General," Poe said, giving his condolences to the older woman. Leia smiled sadly. It had been five years since her sister-in-law died yet Leia was still quite not over it. Vesper hadn't just been Leia's sister-in-law, but she'd been a best friend. They'd become fast friends from the moment they met on the Death Star.

It was Vesper who Leia complained to about Han and who she eventually confided in about her emerging feelings for Han as well.

It was Vesper who she cried to once the realization of Alderaan being gone forever finally dawned on her.

It was Vesper who she shared her fears with over the darkness she felt in Ben. Vesper could easily relate with the darkness she sensed in her own daughter.

This was part of the reason why Leia had started the Resistance.

Because she knew Vesper couldn't die in vain. She couldn't die while everything she once fought to destroy rose back up from the ashes. It would be a disservice to her memory.

"It's been a while," Leia admitted, and Poe nodded. There was a brief moment of silence between them before he hesitated to ask the General something. Being Poe, he couldn't really keep anything to himself.

"So…she seemed young. How old is-" Poe started to ask but Leia immediately interrupted him.

"Too young for you, Commander," Leia told him with an amused look on her face. "Don't even try to charm your way into her good graces. I've long advised her to stay away from cocky flyboys like yourself."

"Who? Me?" Poe said, feigning innocence. "I wasn't suggesting anything, General. I'm just curious about my fellow Resistance members. As a commander and pilot, I think I should get to know the technicians here on base. The people behind the scenes, you know."

"Oh, I have no doubt," Leia said sarcastically before taking a bite of the lunch her niece brought her. She could tell Poe was going to give her a lot of amusement in future months. There were parts of him that reminded her of her brother…his moral compass, his stubbornness, and his unwavering determination. However, there were parts of him that reminded her of Han too. His charming nature, his cockiness, and his sense of humor.

Leia knew the Resistance would thrive with someone like Poe in command. He was definitely a force of nature. Just what she'd been searching for all this time.

Leia just hoped that he'd forget about her niece. More than likely flirting with whatever pretty female Resistance member that caught his attention next.

Something, either Force or pure instinct, told Leia that it wasn't likely.

Padmé wasn't someone easily forgotten once she caught your eye.

A trait only shared with her mother.


A couple short weeks later Padmé was assigned to work on one of the X-wing starfighters. The Black Squadron had been on a mission the day before and there were some minor damages reported. Rose was on the other end of the hangar working on a different damaged X-wing while Padmé was assigned to none other than Poe Dameron's X-wing.

If she was being honest, she hadn't thought much of the commander since they met. Between her Force visions and her work, it was fair to say she was busy. That still didn't stop Riva and Koo for begging her for details from her very brief conversation with the commander. You would've thought he was someone incredibly famous. Although…in the Resistance, she supposed he was famous in a way.

Padmé had run diagnostics on the X-wing fighter a short while ago. It seemed to mostly be in good condition save from some scratches and dents but those could be easily fixed. The only damaged part of the X-wing fighter was the S-foil servo actuator which Padmé was currently fixing towards the back of the X-wing.

In a way, Padmé didn't mind doing work like this. Sure, it was different than how she was raised or what she ever thought she'd do when she grew up, but it took her mind off things. It was funny. When Padmé was younger she was sure she'd be a Jedi Knight by now. Jedi Knight by twenty and Jedi Master by twenty-five.

Here, she was at twenty.

A technician instead.

Maybe it was better. With being a Jedi, came complications. Constantly being locked in a struggle between the light side and the dark. Padmé didn't want to end up like Aayla and Ben. Being a technician was better…safer.

No one paid attention to her. She was just one of the wheels that kept the machine that was the Resistance going. Padmé was okay with not being important. The pressure of being the daughter of Luke and Vesper Skywalker…and of being the future of the Jedi was just too much. It was different at the Resistance.

People didn't know about her past.

To them, she was simply Alana Naberrie.

A completely ordinary technician for the Resistance that did her job and then kept to herself.

"Naberrie!" A familiar sounding voice greeted. Padmé was immediately snapped out of her thoughts. She was met with the sight of Commander Dameron who grinned at her. "It is Naberrie, right?"

"Yes," Padmé said quietly as she looked up at him.

She was suddenly a bit self-conscious. Padmé knew she wasn't exactly clean from working on X-wings all day. Normally she wouldn't care but it became harder not to care under his gaze. She really wanted to not find him attractive. Padmé didn't want to be like all the other women at the base, but it was incredibly hard not to notice how handsome he was. She even thought he was the most handsome man she'd ever seen before.

Not that she had much experience with men.

Before she joined the Resistance, the only men she hung that much around were her father and Ben. There were some of the boys at the Temple, but they were either her age or younger.

"So, you're the one they assigned to my X-wing," Poe said as he admired how she cute she looked working on his X-wing. Her uniform had a few oil stains on it and there was a smudge across her forehead probably from working on X-wings all day long.

Poe didn't think a woman had looked more attractive to him than in that moment.

To be honest, it was a lie when Poe pretended like he needed reminding of her name. Poe definitely knew her name and hadn't forgotten about the small technician since meeting her a couple weeks before. It was rare that he saw her around base even though he constantly looked for her.

No one seemed to know who she was.

Kare, Snap, and Jess who seemed to know everyone didn't know who she was.

Not that they knew many technicians, after all.

Technicians usually seemed to keep to themselves.

"I'm afraid so, Commander," Padmé told him, giving him a polite smile. Poe's smile faltered a bit. He didn't really like being referred to as commander. At least, not outside of the cockpit.

"I told you to call me Poe," Poe reminded her.

"I don't think that's appropriate," Padmé said which was the same response she had when they last met.

"Who cares what's appropriate or inappropriate?" Poe said nonchalantly. "We're all friends here."

"I don't think the General would like me to refer to my superiors in such a casual manner," Padmé told him, and she almost wished that the pilot would leave her alone. She was a bit busy with his X-wing and he was highly distracting. Him and his stupid perfect hair paired together with his big brown eyes and playful grin.

"Aren't the General and you related?" Poe inquired and Padmé gave him a stunned look.

Did he know?

How did he know that?

"Because you're cousins, right? She told me the other day," Poe finally said, giving Padmé some relief. "She told me about your parents too. I'm sorry about that."

"It's fine," Padmé said, remembering the cover story her aunt and uncle invented for her. That she was a distant relative of her aunt's whose family had been killed by the First Order during a raid on Naboo. "It's been a long time."

"It gets easier but no less painful," Poe said, apologetically. "My own mother died when I was a kid. I still miss her."

Padmé stared thoughtfully at him for a moment.

It was true.

It had been five years since her mother died. The pain might've been easier to manage but it still hurt. The pain felt just as raw as it did the night she discovered her mother was dead.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Padmé said sincerely, and Poe just smiled at her before shrugging.

"That's why we're here, right?" Poe told her and Padmé shook her head.

"I don't want revenge against the First Order," Padmé admitted because even though she abandoned her Jedi past long ago, she still wasn't a person out for vengeance. That would make her no better than Kylo Ren and Vora Ren. It wasn't the Jedi way, and it would only lead to suffering.

"What do you want then?" Poe asked her curiously. Padmé took a deep breath as she considered his question for a moment.

"My parents fought for the Rebellion, and they're gone now," Padmé told him. Maybe her father wasn't dead, but he was definitely gone. At least, to her. "They grew up during the Empire's reign and always dreamed of a more peaceful galaxy. I don't want them to have fought for that peaceful galaxy in vain."

Poe smiled.

His father once said something similar to him when he was younger. He asked his dad if he was ever scared while fighting for the Rebellion. If there was a moment, where he was ever hopeless, and his father told him that he wasn't scared, but he was scared now. Scared because he was afraid it was all for nothing.

"That's noble," Poe said sincerely and Padmé shrugged but grew tense at Poe's choice of words. Her sister always teased her for being noble and self-righteous. It always made her feel nervous about speaking up because she was afraid of what her sister would say. Maybe it was foolish but a part of her was still afraid her sister would appear beside her and start taunting her.

"Anyways, I'm just a technician. You're the pilot," Padmé told him as she continued working on the X-wing. "Everyone says you're the best."

"The Resistance needs technicians just as much as pilots. We wouldn't want our X-wings falling to pieces mid-flight, would we?" Poe said, giving her a smirk. Padmé smiled to herself in amusement, trying to keep her eyes off the pilot in question. "Do you think I'm the best? Pilot, I mean."

"I've never seen you fly but if the General holds you in such high esteem, then you have to be good at what you do. It takes a lot to impress her," Padmé said truthfully.

"Maybe you'll see me fly someday so you can form your own opinion," Poe responded as he flirted with the small redhead although he was disappointed that she didn't seem to have a reaction to him flirting. Little did he know that Padmé wouldn't know if a man was flirting with her even if someone pointed it out to her. She was oblivious to that sort of thing.

"Maybe I'll even give you a couple flying lessons."

"I know how to fly," Padmé said quietly as she took a tool and started bolting down a replacement part for the servo actuator. "My father was a pilot. My uncle too."

Poe looked at her in surprise. He wouldn't have expected that. Maybe it was her petiteness that made him think that way. Padmé didn't look like she belonged under an X-wing much less inside the cockpit of one. Although…his father always told him never to judge someone on appearances alone.

"Then what the hell are you doing here fixing my X-wing?" Poe demanded, suddenly seeing the younger woman in a different light. "We could always use more pilots."

"My sister was more of a pilot than me. I don't think I could ever be one," Padmé said softly. "I prefer the work I do now."

It wasn't just that.

Padmé knew her aunt would never let her get into an X-wing. There was always a risk of getting captured and her aunt wouldn't let her get into a situation where she could end up in Snoke's clutches…or worse, her sister and Ben finally finishing her off. It was too dangerous for her to be on the frontlines.

"Your sister…" Poe said and Padmé grew quiet for a moment before answering. She already said too much. It was no secret that Padmé was terrible at lying.

"She was killed by the First Order too," Padmé admitted and in a way it was true. The sister she knew was dead. Consumed by something evil and dark.

Vora Ren was not her sister.

Vora Ren might've looked like her sister but that didn't make her Padmé's sister.

"I'm sorry," Poe said, feeling sympathetic towards the technician. He lost his mother when he was a kid but losing your whole family…that was something else entirely.

"It's fine. She'd be proud of me joining the Resistance," Padmé said with a small smile. Aayla always did love hearing Uncle Han's stories about the Rebellion and all the adventures their parents and Ben's parents went on. Padmé and Aayla's parents rarely talked about their days in the Rebellion, so they hung on to their Uncle Han's every word. Especially Aayla.

The Aayla Skywalker that Padmé used to know would be proud of her shy and quiet little sister joining the Resistance to return the peace to the galaxy that their parents once fought for.

"I'm sure she would be," Poe said, returning her smile. Padmé just nodded before resuming her work. Poe was about to ask her something else when Kaydel Connix came running into the hangar.

"There you are, Commander," Connix, breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath. "I've been trying to contact you for the past half an hour. The General wants to see you in the command center."

"Will do, Lieutenant," Poe told her before turning back to Padmé. "I guess duty calls. See you around, Naberrie."

"See you around, Commander," Padmé said politely, and Poe just shook his head in amusement, giving her a grin.

"You're not going to stop calling me that, are you?" Poe asked as he started to leave and Padmé just held in a laugh as she pointedly ignored him, focusing back on her work. The young commander followed Connix but he couldn't help but turn his head to catch a few more glimpses of the redheaded technician who seemed to have caught his attention in more ways than one. Especially after their conversation.

"I'd keep your eyes elsewhere, Commander," Kaydel teased, observing the obvious way in which Poe seemed to have his attention drawn to the small woman. "The General wouldn't be pleased to catch you staring at her favorite technician like that."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Connix," Poe retorted although he couldn't keep the grin off his face. "I can't make friends with technicians? Is there some kind of rule against that?"

Kaydel rolled her eyes, wondering how much longer this war was going to last and how much longer she was going to have to deal with cocky flyboys like Poe Dameron. He was a great pilot, but his cockiness and flirtatiousness were going to get him into a lot of trouble.

"I think you have a bit more than friendship on your mind, Commander."