•LEGACY - A Reylo Story•

EPISODE XXXII - I'M NO JEDI

"I still think that training him to get even stronger in the Force is a terrible idea," Finn declares.

"It's been almost fourteen days, and he's yet to try and escape," General Organa says as she passes Finn a cup of tea.

"Enjoy, Princess, Finn," says C-3PO as he totters out of the room.

"General," snaps Leia.

"Pardon me! General."

Finn drinks. The hot, spicy brew burns the roof of his mouth. "Ouch!"

"Careful," she warns.

"Sorry," he mutters. "I know he's your son."

"He's my son, but I'm not blind to what he did. I love him regardless. But I imagine you are far more familiar with the horrors of the First Order."

Finn shrugs. "Well, yeah. Yeah. I am." Familiar with... and a participant in. "But you and Luke-I heard you saying that he's holding something back. Couldn't that mean-"

"I can sense through the Force that's not the case. He's trying to hold on to the Light."

Finn leans back in his chair. "Pardon me if this too bold, but: why did you never train in the Force? General? Didn't you ever want to become a Jedi?"

She presses her lips together. "Since becoming aware of it, I have learned how to feel the Force. I can do simple tricks, but no, I've never worked to develop it further."

"Why not?"

Leia laughs. "Because found out Luke was my brother right before the Battle of Endor. Within a year Han and I had Ben. There wasn't much time."

Finn brings the cup back up to his mouth and sips. Better. Although his mouth will definitely blister. "Do you regret it? Not training?"

"No." She sighs. "I only wish I'd spent more time with him. Han, and my son. We were both busy, Han and I, trying to set things right in the galaxy. I think we forgot to keep things right at home. And I knew almost from the beginning that Snoke wanted Ben."

Finn spits his tea out. "Wait, what?" The steady drum of rain beats against the roof of the base, shrouding the conversations of those around them and shrouding their own.

"I was told-by Poe's father, actually-that Snoke was desperate to harvest Force users for his own devices. He created the Knights of Ren not long after. And I was warned he'd specifically go after our son, as a descendant of Anakin Skywalker." Leia stares into her cup as if it can offer her answers.

"So you sent him to train with Luke to protect him?"

"The worst mistake I ever made. Han didn't want him to go. He was so angry." Leia shakes her head. "I just... I wish Han were here."

Finn has no idea what to do with Leia's sudden vulnerability. His memory transports him back to that horrible moment Kylo Ren ignited his lightsaber on the Starkiller base. And Finn had charged up the lightsaber Kylo screamed belonged to him. Come and take it.

Apparently, Kylo turned down that very lightsaber when Luke began training him. "I'm sorry."

Leia waves her hand. "It's fine."

What would it be like, to love someone so much, and lose them in so cruel a way? Finn thinks back to his fellow stormtroopers, to his friend who smeared his blood over Finn's helmet, marking him, changing him. He thinks of Han, of Rey.

We have to find her.

Sitting around, waiting for information, is not working for Finn. He stands and excuses himself.