Hope Remains - A Reylo Story

⭐Thirteen⭐

Lira sat in the dark of the smuggling compartment with no idea of what the time of day was, not that she could yet tell the time.

She lay on her back reminiscing over her time on Naboo: it was so pure the air and everything was bright and peaceful. Eventhough Lira did not have a clear cut understanding of the power she harboured inside of her core, her mother had begun to show her how to tune her energies to the organisms and sentient life forms on the planet. The metal framework of the Millennium Falcon hindered her ability to connect with the life bustling outside on the serene planet she was on right now.

Instead she tried meditating how her father had recently taught her. Ben had told her she must close her eyes and calm her mind, a task she found tiresome to begin with as her mind was always running with activity: the need to explore, play, learn, sleep. But as Ben had found more time in the day to devote his attentions to Lira and teaching her how to relax and meditate, she found the task less arduous. And as Lira cleared her mind now, she pictured her thoughts being drained out of a bath like water the way she was told. Once in the state, Lira was able to focus on the energies of the Force flowing inside her and the warring Rey had described so often. Except it was considerably less with Lira. She didn't feel drawn to the darkness that she could subconsciously feel tucked away in the corner of her mind. Lira knew both her parents worried over how she would grow in her talents of the Force but Uncle Luke had always assured her that she would know what to do when the time came.

Lira opened her eyes and found that she was no longer on Pillio. She was in fact home on Naboo, that was what her mother had called it. Lira surveyed the green meadow she stood in, strands of long grass tickled her hands. It suddenly occurred to her that her mother's energies had felt different. Lira didn't understand how or why but there was just... Something!

A bright blue glow caught Lira's attention out of the corner of her eyes and she turned her head to see the ghosts of Uncle Luke and Nana Leia! The young girl's eyes instantly brightened with adoration and she ran to her family thrusting her arms open. "Uncle Luke, Nana!" Lira exclaimed excitedly.

Luke scooped up Lira in his transparent arms and embraced his Great Niece as warmly as the Force would allow. "Hello, Little One!" Luke greeted her.

"I didn't come here to see you give your uncle all of your warm hugs. Now come to and give your old nana a hug!" Leia demanded in a lighthearted tone full of jest. Lira obeyed and Luke passed over Lira to his sister. She often was able to see them in the meditative dream scape and commune with them. Lira had once been blessed with meeting her Great-Grandfather Anakin Skywalker but she remembered very little of him as she was only a few months old a the time.

Leia lowered Lira to the grassy ground and the three of them sat on the sun drenched grass. "Something is troubling you, young one. What is it?" Luke enquired gently after a few moments.

Lira's brows furrowed. A sense of nostalgia overwhelmed Leia as she reminisced over the likeness Lira held to a young Ben. Oh yes, Lira was every bit the spitting image of Rey but she had the same raven her and intensity of emotion in her eyes that Ben did whenever her brows pulled together in thought or frustration. "Everyone has an energy yes?" The young girl started. Luke nodded and she continued, "Mama's feels different and I don't know why! We are with Uncle Poe, Nana but both of them are acting weird."

Luke and Leia exchanged a knowing glance. It was Leia who spoke up first, "Lira come here." Lira did as she was told and entered Leia's ethereal embrace. It was a strange feeling as neither of them were here nor there, yet in this meditative dream scape, Lira could hold them as if she was holding Rey or Ben. "There are some things that adults simply cannot explain to a child no matter how wise beyond their years that child may be."