AWAKEN

9

MOVING FORWARD is never easy. Amara knew just because she lost her father, doesn't mean the war stop. Everything continues as if nothing had changed and despite her hating that idea, she knew she needed to push forward.

"Amara," Leia spoke.

Amara had stopped in the hall. She was going to be heading to the command center to check in with Connix.

"General," Amara asks.

Leia approached her daughter, "It's time,"

Leia managed to fit time with Amara to have some sort of memorial for Han. Both of the women needed some form of saying goodbye, even though this was war. The two had spent time in Leia's quarters, alone. They sat there in silence for a while but then it changed to talking about Han. Telling stories about special memories between the two of them. Leia's going back from when Han and Luke arrived at the Death Star to recuse her and Amara spoke of fond memories from her youth.

Amara fidget on her mother's bed, "I remember- I remember this time when I was five," Amara smiles at the thought, "Dad had just came home from a long trip and all he wanted to do was rest."

Leia sat on her bed staring at her daughter with a small smile.

"He came inside and was welcomed by- by us," Amara hesitated in mentioning her brother, "And despite him being overly exhausted from his journey, I asked him to play with me."

Leia reached over to touch her daughter's hand.

"We ended up in Falcon, I don't remember how." Amara smiles, "And- And then he let me fly the Falcon and by flying, he had the controls on for him and turned off mine. But I believed I was doing it. I was so amazed."

Leia kept a hold of her daughter's hand, "He always loved you, even if he had a hard time expressing it."

Amara nods, "I know he did, mom." She says, "Funny."

Leia tilts her head, "What?"

Amara glanced at her mom, "Before dad di- before you know, dad was talking to me about my feelings for Poe."

Leia made a face, "So my feeling was correct then? You have your eyes set on my best pilot, I see?" She asks.

Amara shifts a look from her mom to the floor, "I don't know what to call it, but dad told me that I needed to sort out what I felt for him." She glanced at her mom, "How did you know that you loved dad?"

Leia had a small smile, "I didn't honestly." She says, "I always found him repulsive and full of himself. I thought he was handsome, yes, but not put together completely."

Amara sat and listened.

"I started to see him differently when he came back to aid us in the Death Star," Leia says, "After that we spent a lot of time together and not just for Rebel attacks. We talked a lot. I spoke of my family and Han spoke of his lack of family."

Amara frowns.

"We never quite moved beyond talking and I know your father wanted me to. He knew I had feelings for him which I refused to admit. It took him nearly dying by being frozen in carbonite for me to say that I loved him." Leia says with a sad smile.

Amara held onto her mom's hand now. Leia looked at her daughter with a small smile before sighing.

"As for you and Commander Dameron," Leia says, "I have nothing personally against him. I see you two together and I see a version of Han and I from a lifetime ago."

Amara's eyes dart to her mom after that. Hearing her mom refer to Poe and Amara as a younger version of Han and Leia just seemed to mean something to Amara.