Hera's persistent thought made her startle. She would never let go. Never could. How could she? Her love for him burned hotter than that wicked fire that had robbed her of him. Let go? She would sooner stop breathing. Sometimes it felt as if Kanan surrounded her; she'd felt him right before they'd left on Loth-wolves for the mysterious temple.
She had lost many times before. Had forgotten those descriptions of pain and suffering. Some, entirely; other not as much. His death was a new, crushing experience, and yet, hoped tingled inside of her. Could she be with him again, one day? The little triangular ornament meant everything to her. They had never officially become wife and husband, like Sabine and Ezra. But, little did that matter. The specifics of her people's time-honored tradition mattered little to her now.
Kanan was her family. Always would be. Sitting alone, enjoying the light breeze caress her bemused face in the dwindling light of day, Hera pondered aloud: "All those years ago when you stepped aboard my ship, I had a dream about what my life would be. I thought that maybe, for once, I'd finally met someone who could keep up with me." Her whispers grew softer still. She believed he might hear her. Wasn't that the essence of the Force? It's strangeness. Yes, somehow, Kanan would know. "I imagined we'd be heroes together, like the ones in the Clone Wars. Sadly, it's truly now that I know what I didn't readily understand…the possibility of great, painful loss that comes with heroics…"
The artifact of her heritage, with the little triangle newly-attached to it, felt good in her hands. Its blue swirls like the blue of his blade. Where was his weapon? In Imperial hands? She trembled, wanting it back with all of her might.
"It should've been me. I should've died. Not you, my love. Never you."
Her words echoed in the twilight as she gazed up at the solemn stars. She imagined the depictions of a simpler Lothal on the walls of that special place Kanan had meditated. Neither of them had come from this planet and yet it had become home.
"I would die some meaningless death that was sudden, unexpected and wouldn't mean a thing. I thought I would die trying to be a hero and you would saunter off to another bar, another brawl. But that was before I pulled you into this," Hera murmured, feeling her eyes swell with tears. She closed her eyes expecting to feel his hand on her shoulder again, waiting to hear his voice funnel into her ear.
Nothing. The air was still.
"I made you fight my revolution. You liked it in the end, but you resisted so much at first. If I had listened to you…." If they had just run away into the far reaches of the galaxy. But would he have stayed? Of course he would've. Wouldn't he have?
Tears began dripping from her eyes. They never stopped. "I should have said it more. I should have let the galaxy know I love you."
She looked at the Kalikori. Still unable to accept he was gone, she stroked it. She'd go on battling for him and what was left of her family. "For you, my love…"
Through her tears, the spellbinding conglomeration of stars winked.
What was that? Had she really heard it?
'The Force will be with you always…my love.'