The Return of the Skywalkers - Rey Skywalker // Book IV in A Spark of Hope

Chapter Twenty Four- Leia.

"Today is a day I've never thought would come." Luke begins, standing in front of the large group of people, his voice cracking as he speaks. I stand with Poe and Chewie, both who keep their heads towards the ground.

We wipe the tears away from our eyes, our attention staying on the Grey Jedi who stands before us, who is also sniffling.

"Han Solo was a friend, a husband, a brother, and a hero." Luke continues, blinking away the tears. "I remember when we met. We didn't get along very well. I thought he was selfish and all about himself. I didn't think he had a heart. But turns out I was wrong. I've never been so wrong."

"I've fought alongside him, and I've fought with him. No, our fights were never as violent and dangerous as the fights we had with the stormtroopers and Darth Vader, but we did still have them."

"I have to say, the last few years of Han's life, I wasn't there." Luke says, guilt taking over him. "I wasn't there for him, or his wife, my twin sister, Leia Organa. I was selfish. I didn't think of their feelings, instead I thought of mine. And I regret that terribly. And it pains me I can't make up for it. Never will the three of us be able to hangout together again. We'll never talk. We'll never roll our eyes at each other's stupid comments. And we'll never talk again. One of the worst things, is it's all because of me. I couldn't save their son."

A sob escapes my lips, tears streaming down my face as my brother talks. Everything he says makes me think of everything we've been through together.

When we met, all our battles, me and Han's wedding, Ben's childhood and turn to the dark side, Kyra's arrival and abandonment, the departures and reunion, his ... death.

Everything.

It all comes back to me. The happy memories, and the sad. Everything.

Luke blames himself, but I can't help but believe it's actually my fault. I made him go. I thought he'd bring him back. I was selfish. Luke wasn't. I was. And I'll always have to live with this pain and guilt that this has caused me.

A few minutes later, Luke finishes, and we say our goodbyes, despite the fact that there's no body. We say bye to a photo of him. We then bury his blaster along with a few other things he cherished. I keep his most loved possession.

His Wookiee and vest.

Chewie was silent the whole funeral. He didn't make a noise afterwards either, and just went straight to the Millennium Falcon.

Poe was very close to him growing up, he looked to him as a father. And now he's gone and he feels he's lost a parent again.

Kyra (Rey) cried through the whole thing. I guess even though she doesn't remember him as an uncle, she still felt affected by his passing.

Finn stood by Rey, and, as well, cried. He didn't cry as much as her. But he did cry. He cried like it was his own family members passing. I guess both Rey and Finn were really connected to him somehow.

They both had to witness the lightsaber being forced through his heart, which pains me.

After the funeral, everyone leaves. Rose, Finn, Poe, Lyra, and Rey go hang out like usual, the others return back to the main base, and I stay behind.

Unable to process everything that happened the past years.

"Hey..." Jyn greets, gently placing a hand on my arm.

Yesterday her and Cassian, along with the recruits they brought, returned to the base. Turns out one of the recruits is one of the few survivors of the battle on Scarif.

"Hi," I tell her quietly, not making direct eye-contact due to my tears.

"I'm sorry," she tells me, now her voice cracks, and her eyes are welled up with tears. "I'm so sorry, Han didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve any of this."