Notes: here begins The Force Awakens, so from now on I'll be following the movies, and changing things as I see fit to make this story flows like I want it to. Anything you recognize is not mine. Thank you for your comprehension.

34 ABY

D'Qar

The Resistance Base

Once again Poe Dameron caught himself calling her, he didn't exactly understand why he was passing on information unrelated to medical aid to someone who worked in their medical bay, but there he was. It felt wrong, odd, like he shouldn't be doing that — but still he hid in his private quarters to call her. He told himself that it wasn't like he was sending classified information to the First Order. However, he still didn't understand why he called her. Well, she asked me to keep her updated on her first day with the Resistance. She had asked and he had delivered once and nearly daily ever since. It had become an automatic thing. He sat on his bed with his communication pad in hands and punched in the code to call her.

"Hello", he heard her lightly accented voice.

"Hey, I've got updates. We know someone who has a piece of the map: Lor San Tekka. He's a member of the Church of the Force and lives in a spiritual village on Jakku. I'll be flying there to meet him in a few minutes."

"Good. Thanks for letting me know."

And she hung up.

It was always that awkward: he gave her information, she said 'good' and 'thanks' and that was it.

He shook his head as if trying to get rid of a fly in his ears, he always felt weird after talking to her. He resumed his preparations to go meet Tekka.

Sara, 28, was finishing her duties in the Resistance infirmary, but her mind was on Jakku, in the piece of the map that Poe said Tekka had. The First Order probably knows about it too; so Ben knows about it, he'll certainly be there. She closed the door of the medical bay and walked towards her private quarters, still thinking about him. In the four years since she had last seen Ben, there wasn't a day where she didn't think of him. She had a living, walking reminder of him by her side after all – their daughter was Ben's female version, only with blue eyes and curly hair.

Sara walked by the control room, always careful to avoid being seen by General Organa; she didn't know how Leia would receive her or the news of having a granddaughter; also, she feared that her mother-in-law blamed her somehow for all that had happened at Luke's Temple. Sara was about to turn right and head to her rooms when she heard:

"Tekka was killed, and the spiritual village destroyed by stormtroopers and the Knights of Ren." said Lieutenant Kaydel Ko Connix.

"And Poe sent us a message: he placed the information about the map into his BB unit and gave himself over to the Knights to give the droid time to escape." said Commander Joph Seastriker.

"It's confirmed." said another man. "Poe has been captured and taken aboard the Finalizer."

"I am afraid he won't be able to get away this time." murmured Connix.

"He always finds a way." said Admiral Ackbar.

"Let's hope so." said Leia.

Sara resumed walking to her private quarters, feeling sorry for Poe, he was a nice man. And Tekka and the villagers... Ben had killed them all. She tried to not think about it, focusing on her daughter who she had yet to feed and bath.

Inside the Command Room

General Leia Organa was lost in her own thoughts, her eyes on the many screens in front of her, but not really seeing anything. She was worried about Poe's situation. Ben was aboard the Finalizer – who knew what he would do to the Resistance pilot. Also weighing in her mind were Poe's countless calls to their infirmary assistant. Leia actually saw no harm in allowing that to happen, but it sure intrigued her. Why send field information to the infirmary? Information completely unrelated to their duties. She didn't know who was the woman to whom he called, she was a recent addition to the Resistance, she had yet to meet her, but whoever she was, Leia was certain she was Force-sensitive.

"General!" suddenly she heard Connix's urgent voice calling her attention. "We've got a distress signal from Jakku!

"Put it through." Leia ordered.

"General." it was Poe's voice through the intercom. "Can I get a lift?"

Leia smiled, relieved.

"Sure, commander, are you all right or should I send you to the infirmary?"

"That would be a good idea. Some bruises and a tortured mind needing some healing." he sounded tired.

"A ship will be on your way promptly. I'll meet you at the infirmary." she would take the opportunity to meet the woman to whom Poe had been sending information.

In the infirmary

Sara watched over the sleeping man on the bed; Poe's condition was stable, he was just bruised and confused for someone had messed up with his mind — and she knew who. She had patched his wounds and healed his mind. Sara had asked to be his assigned nurse, feeling that she owed him, for all the information he had been giving her since she got there. Now, she sat on a chair by his bed, just enjoying a few minutes of silence. That was hard to find in D'Qar: silence. There were always shouting and running and one fight after the other. She had had a hard time adapting to that; meditating at night helped her find some peace, but the days were always chaotic. Sara closed her eyes, memories of her peaceful life prior to her joining the Resistance were what kept her sane – and knowing that her daughter was safer in D'Qar than in Takodana also helped. But in moments of silence, she let her mind go back home, to the peaceful mountain where their blue and white cottage sat, the comforting sound of the stream that ran close by. She even missed the busy hours she worked at Maz's Castle. The sudden sound of the door opening brought her back to reality and the last person she wanted to see walked in.

"General Organa." Sara said, standing up.

Leia stopped in shock when she recognized who that woman was.

"Sara Antilles?" she whispered.

"Hi, Princess Leia." she said, a small smile on her lips.

Leia just looked at her for a minute, as if she was seeing a ghost – memories of the past, of all that had happened and all that could have been going through her mind.

"It's so good to see you." Leia finally said, sounding relieved; she walked towards Sara and hugged her. This could have been my daughter-in-law. She thought. If only Ben hadn't... she forced herself to stop that thought.

Sara tried not to cry while they hugged. It was great to be received by Leia in such a caring way, she had been so afraid of meeting her.

"My dear. Is Poe ok? Could we go somewhere private to talk?" Leia asked.

Sara nodded, wiping a tear that had rolled down her face.

They left Poe's sick room and Sara followed Leia into an empty conference room. Leia closed the door after them and turned to face the beautiful young woman. She opened her arms and Sara hugged her again. After a while they broke the embrace and sat on some armchairs on the left side of the room.

Sara looked at Leia, nervously.

"Why are you so apprehensive, dear?" Leia asked.

"You are the only one here that knows who I am. And..."

"You don't want anyone finding out the truth about your powers. I understand. But using the Force to persuade Poe into giving you information was not a clever move, if you wanted to be incognito."

Sara blushed and tried to explain:

"I needed to know what was happening. No one would tell me anything when I arrived, I had to do something."

"Why didn't you come to me when you arrived here?"

"I was afraid. I didn't know if you blamed me or..."

"Blamed you? Why would I do that?"

"Because I was there, at the Temple, that night, and I did nothing to stop Ben from... doing what he did. I couldn't stop him from fleeing. I feel somewhat responsible for his stupid actions. Maybe if I had warned Master Luke that Snoke was trying to seduce Ben..."

"Nothing that happened at the Temple was your fault." Leia interrupted Sara. "My brother and my son made their own choices and those brought us to where we are today. None of it was your fault."

Sara smiled, all nervousness vanishing from her body.

"Thank you. I am relieved to know that's how you think."

"Now tell me how have you been all these years? I vaguely remember Han telling me he saw you in Takodana, that you were pregnant and alone. A widow he said you were." Leia looked at the red Rol stone in the flower-shaped ring in Sara's finger. "That's a beautiful ring, dear."

"Yes. I remember seeing Han about four years ago at Maz's Castle. I was pregnant and I told him I was a widow." Sara touched the ring.

"You told him. So it's not true?"

"The widow part, no. But I was pregnant, five months at the time."

"So you went to Takodana, after the destruction of the Temple, got married and had a baby." Leia smiled. "I am happy for you, dear. I can't help feeling a little sad as well, though; for I had always hoped that you'd become my daughter-in-law someday."

Sara smiled, not sure yet about telling her the truth or not.

"Master Luke took me to Maz Kanata after he closed the Temple, for I had nowhere to go. I bought a small house in Takodana and, when I turned 18, Maz gave me a job in the Castle."

"So you met your husband at Maz's Castle?"

Sara hesitated – more lies would take her nowhere. And Leia had the right to know that her granddaughter was running through the corridors of the Resistance base.

"Well, I re-encountered him there." she said, expecting Leia to understand what she meant.

"What do you mean? Did you know him already, from Chandrilla perhaps? Or..." Leia stared at her, comprehension filling her face, her smile getting bigger on her face. "Wait. You're saying that my son was the one who put that ring on your finger?"

"Yes. He found me on Takodana, three years after the destruction of the Temple and..." she sighed. "I tried to stay away from him but..."

"The heart wants what the heart wants, dear. This is such great news!" Leia briefly hugged her again. "Finally, one good decision my son made! But you know, talking about the heart's desires, when I first met Han, all I wanted was to stay as far away from him as possible. I was a Princess, I couldn't lower myself getting involved with a smuggler." Leia shook her head. "Then, four years later, I was married and pregnant." she suddenly remembered something: "Speaking of which, you were pregnant!"

"Yes. You may have seen a dark-haired little girl running around the base, generally after C3PO."

"Yes, I have. That cute little thing is my granddaughter?" Leia's eyes sparkled.

"Yes."

And Sara saw herself being hugged again.

"Oh, my dear, in such turbulent times to receive a gift as beautiful as a granddaughter is a blessing."

"He doesn't know, General."

Leia broke the embrace to look at her face.

"Call me Leia, Sara. And who doesn't know what?"

"Ben. He doesn't about Hope."

"Hope. That's an appropriate name." Leia smiled. "You never had the chance to tell him?"

"No. And I don't want anyone else to know. She's my daughter, and I'm a widow; it's safer this way."

"I understand, and I'll respect that. But does she know who her father is?"

"I told her a little about Ben, so yes." Sara smiled. "She knows his name and that you're her grandmother; she's been watching you every day. She heard 3PO calling you a Princess and her fascination by you grew immensely."

"Where is she now?"

"Running around the base, as usual. I had just finished giving her dinner when I was called to return to the infirmary."

"Is she Force-sensitive?"

"Yes. And I've already taught her to meditate. We do it every night. And although she's inherited some of Ben's darkness, she's able to control it. No problems so far."

"Good. I wasn't able to help Ben, but I know you'll do great by Hope. When can I meet her?"

"As soon as we find her. Let's go for a walk?"

And they left the room going after a dark-haired, blue-eyed, little girl.

As they walked, Leia spoke:

"I am glad to know my son is still capable of love. Snoke doesn't own him completely."

"Ben's conflict is natural, not moral, he was born with it, it's part of him. He has always had equal potential for Light and Dark." Sara paused. "But it's been four years since I last saw him... and some days I hope that some of that love is still in him, that he hasn't willingly given himself over to the Dark side, but when I hear of some of the things that the Knights of Ren have done... like Tekka's death, all that hope vanishes."

"Kylo Ren killed Tekka." said Leia.

"What difference does it really make? Ben changed his name, but it was still his hand, his power that killed the man, and so many other innocents, because of pieces of a map to Master Luke. And when it's not his hand, it's his order. Kylo or Ben, it doesn't matter how we call him – they are the same person."

"It's true. It's just that I hoped for so long that he could be turned. But my love wasn't enough to keep him from Snoke."

"Neither was mine." Sara whispered.

They heard fast footsteps on the next corridor and then a little girl went crashing into Sara's legs.

"Mommy!" the girl shouted, laughing. "I was looking for you! I am so tired. And definitely ready for my shower and bed."

"I'm glad to hear that, honey. But, before that, I'd like to properly introduce you to someone."

Then Hope looked up to the woman beside her mother.

"Does she know who I am?" the girl whispered to Sara.

"Yes. I told her, and she wants to meet you."

Leia kneeled down to be on the same height as the girl.

"Can I have a hug?" she asked, tears in her eyes as she looked at the girl's long black curls, her smile — all so familiar.

Hope threw herself into her grandmother's arms.

"I'm so happy to finally meet you, grandma! 3PO said you're a Princess! Is that true?"

"Yes, dear, Princess of Alderaan. But my planet was destroyed a long time ago."

"Can I be a princess too?"

"Of course, sweetie." Leia caressed the little girl's hair. "I'll see if I can find you a tiara. I think I still have mine, from when I was your age."

"General... Leia, you don't have to." Sara said, worried about what kind of tiara Leia was talking about.

Less than an hour later, Leia walked into Sara's private quarters with a black box in hand. Hope had just finished getting dressed after her bath, and was now sitting on the bed, her mother combing her hair.

"Grandma!" Hope exclaimed when Leia walked into the room.

"Hey, dear. I've brought you a gift."

Sara looked at the box apprehensively.

Leia sat on the bed, in front of Hope and opened the lid of the box.

Sara couldn't believe her eyes.

"Is that...?" she began.

"Yes." Leia confirmed. "This, Hope, was the tiara I used to wear during important events in Alderaan. It is thought to have been lost, stolen from my vault many years ago. And it was. But I recovered it. Well, Han did, and most of the other Crown Jewels of Alderaan too."

"Leia, we can't..." Sara began.

"It's her heirloom. She'll inherit it all, eventually. "

"But you're not dead yet."

"But I could be tomorrow." Leia picked up the delicate silver tiara, adorned with small glowing sein stones all around it.

"It's so pretty, mommy." Hope said in awe.

"Yes, but that's not a toy, Hope." Sara explained.

Leia placed it on top of her granddaughter's head – the black of her hair making the sein stones stand out more. Hope ran to the mirror to look at her reflection.

"It's yours." Leia said to the little girl. "But your mom is right: that is not a toy, you won't be able to wear it around the base."

"But can I wear it in here?" Hope asked. "Just in the room."

"Yes, sweetie." Leia watched her beautiful granddaughter, dressed in pink pajamas and a silver tiara on her head. "She's amazing," she whispered to Sara. "I can sense her powers too, they're incredibly balanced; not in the least as raw as Ben's."

"I've been working daily with her since she was two years old."

"You're doing a great job, dear." Leia took Sara's hand. "Thank you."

Sara smiled, looking at her daughter admiring herself in front of the mirror.

"And Ben may never know." Leia said, sadness filling up her voice.

"No. It would be too risky. I don't know how far into the Dark side he has fallen in the last years."

"And you're right." Leia agreed. "We must protect her."

The two observed the little girl for a while until it was time to put her to bed. Then Leia told Hope a story of bravery about a girl that saved the entire Galaxy from evil by helping the Rebels of her time discover how to destroy the First Death Star.

Hope fell asleep with the tiara on her head. Sara took it off carefully and put it back into the black box, fearing for her daughter's safety in the future. Somehow that tiara made her realize that Hope wasn't just her little girl, she was Leia Organa and Han Solo's granddaughter, great-granddaughter of Darth Vader, Kylo Ren's daughter, and heir to the throne of Alderaan – had the planet not been destroyed. She lay down beside her daughter and tried to hold back the tears of fear that threatened to spill from her eyes, wishing they had never left Takodana.

Notes:

1. The Finalizer was a Resurgent-class Battlecruiser used as flagship and stormtrooper training academy by the First Order. (Canon)

2. Lieutenant Connix, Commander Seastriker and Admiral Ackbar are all canon characters.

3. The Crown Jewels of Alderaan were one of the last surviving treasures from the planet Alderaan. They were the royal property of the House of Organa and were kept safely guarded with Leia Organa after the first Death Star destroyed her homeworld during the Galactic Civil War. But, some three years after the Battle of Yavin, Leia used the jewels as collateral to finance a new squadron of T-65 X-wing starfighters. She removed and kept her jewels in a safety deposit box at the Bank of Aargau. Darth Vader hired the Assassin's Guild to take out Viscount Tardi to distract Leia's attention while the Sith Lord achieved his true objective of stealing the crown jewels. (Legends)