Padme asked her family to meet with her. She had to wait for them because they ran late from the meeting they were in. The Senate refused to declare war on the First Order, despite the fact that they controlled Endor, Sullust and had a strong foothold on Ryloth. It caused the family great frustration.
"Sorry we are late," Leia said, as she sat next to her daughter on the couch. Han sat on the other side, and Luke sat in the recliner.
"The Senate refuses to do anything," Hun grunted in annoyance. "To top it off, Sullust is under the enemy's control." Padme nodded her head in agreement.
"Wait, you knew?" Leia asked. Her daughter was not at the meeting with the different senators from the Outer Rim planets.
"I need to talk to you about what I want to do to help," Padme began, feeling nervous. Then she heard a friendly voice speak to her mind.
"Don't be afraid, Padme." It was Ben! Her heart was full of joy. Despite his circumstances, he was there to support her. He could not hear the conversation between Padme and her family.
"Padme, if you are asking to join the fight against the First Order..." Han began to argue. Padme raised her hand to silence him.
"I do want to join the fight. But not in the way you think," she replied back.
"What do you mean?" her mother questioned her. Luke already knew what Padme was going to say, and he gently smiled at his niece.
"Ben, I have to tell my family about you, what you are forced to do for Hux," Padme said to her love.
"No, Padme! Don't tell them! Hux will kill the both of us!" Kylo begged her. But she ignored his plea and continued.
"This fight against the First Order is not just a physical battle," Padme said. "It is also a psychological and spiritual battle."
Han asked what she meant by this, so Padme told them,
"This is just like the situation with Luke's ex-student. He wants us to be afraid of what he could do to us. But you," she paused, motioning to her family members. "You did not stop fear of this man from pursing a declaration of war against the Order. You continue to live your lives, despite the dangers you face."
"Sweetheart, this guy is probably still out there," Han reminded her.
"I know. But as a wise Jedi once said, 'Fear leads to anger, and anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.' The First Order wants everyone to suffer, especially Force users."
"What do you mean?" Leia asked.
"General Hux has been trying to get a Force sensitive to join the Order, so that he can discover where the Rebel bases are."
Han and Leia were shocked by this, but Luke was not. He knew what Padme had said was true.
"I've heard a few reports about them specifically targeting young Force sensitive kids. But so far, they have not seized one..." Luke said, before pausing. He glanced over at his niece, who gave him a look. He sighed, because he knew he was about to be corrected.
"The First Order has a Force sensitive man in their custody," Padme finally admitted.
"And how do you know this?" Han asked incredulously.
"Through the Force," his daughter responded, as if she was just asked how the weather was outside.
"Why doesn't your mother or Luke know about this?"
"Because we do not have a Force bond with the man. Padme does," Luke told Han.
"How far does this bonding go?" Han was now worried. "I swear, if this guy hurts you..."
"Han, stop!" Padme snapped in frustration. "I am safe. He is the one in danger. He was forced to work for Hux, so that Hux would not harm a person he loves." She was not stupid. She was not going to mention that she was the beloved.
"He was put in a difficult situation," Leia interjected, feeling sympathy for the man. "Are you asking us to go rescue him?"
"No. He fears both he and his beloved will die if the Rebellion tries to rescue him. But there is a way we can minimize the damage the Order will cause."
"How?" both Leia and Han said simultaneously.
"The Rebellion needs a Force sensitive on their side. But instead of the user causing destruction, they can bring healing, peace and freedom. We can have the wounded soldiers healed, so that they can get back out into the battlefield. This way, now it is a fair fight," Padme spoke boldly.
"And this is what you want to do?" Luke asked her.
"Yes, I do." Padme was thankful at least one of them understood.
"Absolutely not!" Han screamed. "You are not endangering your life. Do you know what it is like during a war? You see things that cause you to have nightmares at night!"
"Han, I already have lived through a war, and I survived." Padme stared at him. He knew what she meant, her experience as Vader's prisoner. He grunted internally. Why did his daughter have to be as stubborn as him?
"Luke, can Padme do this?" Leia questioned her brother.
"She is powerful in the Force, especially with healing. There is no doubt in my mind she can do this," he replied, giving Padme a wink.
"She is too young to go into a war zone! Even if she is not on the front lines!" Han scowled in frustration.
Leia rose from the couch and said to Han,
"I need to speak to you privately." She gave him a look. He knew that look all too well. He followed outside to the hallway.
"I know, Padme," Luke assured her. "This is why I agreed to train you with the lightsabers, just in case. But your insight is correct. What you want to do comes from a place of love. I am proud of you."
"I'm glad I have your support," Padme replied. "But my parents, especially Han..."
"Trust in the Force. Your parents will always worry about you, even when you are old and gray. They just want the best for you."
"Luke, if I can't do this, then they don't want what is best for me. What good does it do if I don't use my power to heal people? There is more at stake here..."
Padme's heart began to race. Her body trembled, and she closed her eyes.
"Padme, what's wrong?" Kylo asked her, feeling her fear. But she did not answer him.
"Luke, the fate of the galaxy is in my hands," Padme told her uncle. "And yours, and my parents. If the First Order takes control of the entire galaxy, they will not stop until only those loyal to them survive. It will be mass genocide."
She had her first Force vision, and it was terrifying! She heard Ben speak words of comfort to calm her nerves.
Her parents walked back in the room. Both Luke and Padme rose to their feet.
"Luke, when do you leave for Ryloth?" his sister asked, fighting back tears.
"Early tomorrow morning," Luke responded.
"Then I guess my daughter needs to go to bed early, if she is going to go with you," Han added. Padme's eyes widened in surprise.
"You're letting me go?" she exclaimed, not believing what she heard.
"I still have a bad feeling about this," Han told her. "But you are both a Skywalker and a Solo. Neither backs down from a cause they believe in."
Padme rushed to her father, and gave him the biggest hug. He gently held her, tears streaking down his face. Leia also cried, as she joined the embrace. Luke smiled, knowing somewhere, Anakin was watching this scene with joy.
"Padme, what happened?" Kylo asked, concerned she hadn't said anything to him in a while.
"I will let you know when I see you tonight," she told him, as the embrace was broken. "Right now, I need to say goodbye to my parents."
"Thank you," she said to both Han and Leia. "Since Luke and I are leaving early tomorrow, I guess we should say goodbye tonight.
"Come here, sweetheart," Han said first. Padme gave him a hug. He held her for a long time.
"You will see me again, Dad," she sweetly reminded him.
"Now when you are leaving, you call me Dad!" he teased her, as he pushed back a loose end of her hair. She smiled.
"I love you, Padme." Han kissed her cheek. Her mother came over to her.
"When did my baby girl grow up to be such a smart, determined woman?" Leia wondered, as she stroked Padme's cheek.
"Mom, please take care of Dad," Padme said to her mother's mind. Leia nodded in agreement.
"I love you, honey." Leia hugged her daughter. "You promise you will come back to us, okay?"
"I will, I promise." To both her parents, Padme said,
"I love you. Thank you for letting me do this." She glanced over at Luke, and she knew it was time for bed. "I guess I better go upstairs and pack."
"We will let Chewy know," Leia told her. The Wookiee had been confined to his bed with an illness.
She was about to walk out of the room when Han called out to her.
"Padme?' She turned around to face her family. Han smiled and said to her,
"May the Force be with you, sweetheart."
Padme smiled at them, before leaving the room. She headed upstairs to pack. She slipped into her nightgown and went to bed.
