I awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of muffled breathing...like every breath was a straining effort.
I got out of my bed- a cot in the room I where I stayed with Luke- and found my way out into the hall, following the sound.
I walked until I came to a door, then opened it, finding a library of sorts, where shelves of paper books lined the walls and another doorway led to a sitting area...but sitting in the stairs before that doorway was a young man.
The sound of pain ceased as I laid eyes on him. His hair was long for a man and feather cut. A scar sliced down from his right temple to his cheek bone.
"Hello, young one," he said with a smile, "Your name is Sonja Dreka...yes?" he asked and I nodded, wary of him...but he smiled warmly, which calmed my nerves, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you...my name is Anikan. My son is Luke, my daughter is Leia...I understand that you'll be my son's first padawan," he sounded so proud.
"You-...aren't you dead?" I asked a bit bluntly and he chuckled, standing up and motioning for me to follow him into the sitting room, which I did.
"I passed on from my body...and in hindsight, thankfully so. I suffered in the end...but no one ever truly dies, Sonja. We live on through the Force, our lives join the ones we've lost," he explained as I sat down on a far end of a couch from him, "I lost my mother, too...and that grief nearly consumed me. Do not let it take you from a new hope," Anikan said with grave seriousness, resting a hand on my shoulder...I felt the weight, he was really there, "I too was born of the Force, without a father...you are meant to do great things, little one," he said, trying to reassure me, but I was worried.
"But-...but what am I supposed to do? Mama's gone!" my eyes brimmed with tears and Anikan frowned.
"Come here," Anikan said and I gladly went to his arms, crying into his shoulder as I grieved. I wanted peace...I wanted my mother, "I'm here with you...just as the Force is with you, Sonja..." Anikan held me as I cried and cradled me when I finally wept into slumber...
"Tell Luke that I'm truly free now..."
I woke up the next in the morning, alone. Anikan was gone, but I wasn't upset. I smiled for the first time in several days.
I walked out of the library, still sleepy-eyed, but smiling dreamily as I headed back to Luke's room.
Standing before the door was Luke, speaking to Han, "What do you mean she's gone?" Han asked.
"I mean that she left in the middle of the night-!" Luke paused, noticing me coming down the hall, a blanket held around my shoulders which I had kept with me.
"Luke!" I was tired, but excited, "Guess who I met? You won't believe it! He looked just like you!" I grinned and walked right up to him and Han who looked relieved, but also concerned.
"Who did you meet?" Luke asked with a smile.
I grinned, "I met your Papa!" they froze, "He was in this room with a bunch a' books n' stuff," Luke had visibly stiffened...but I was too young to notice.
"Sweetie, what did he look like?" Han asked.
I giggled, "I thought he would be scary, like the bad Snoke man...I heard bad breathing, like -koo hee- koo hee-..." I described it with a sound effect, "...but Ani was normal. He said that he never had a papa either and that I'm supposed to do big stuff when I get big," I explained to them and Luke knelt down, then picked me up.
He held me in his arms, hugging me, but I was confused until I heard a gasp from him...he was starting to cry, "Master, don't cry," I pulled back and wiped his tears with my small hands, "Ani told me to tell you that he's free now..." I didn't know why he was upset, but it got worse when I told him that. I could only hug him again and try to make him feel better.
"I think your Papa loves you a lot...please, don't be sad..."
