Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: Aftermath

2: The Cave

-13 years ago-
Amaliea still remembered the first time her mother brought her to visit her fathers grave. It had been a bright, sunny day in Lothal, nothing that matched the atmosphere inside the approaching dark cave. On one side of her was her mother, squeezing her hand, staring straight ahead, looking strong for her daughter. On her other side, a Jacen in his early twenties, the boy she loved like a brother, trying his best to keep her smiling as they progressed down the rubble pathway towards the cave. And behind her, the droid they nicknamed Chopper, and Hera Syndulla, hugging herself subconsciously, as she came to visit this cave everyday since she had returned to Lothal.
Amaliea didn't remember the details, being five years old, but she still remembered the strange things she felt as she continued towards the gaping mouth of the cave. A strange emptiness filled her for the first time in her life.
Eventually Jacen and Hera stopped walking and waited at the end of the pathway, and that left only Amaliea, her mother, and the droid as they entered the room. It had high ceilings and a wide space to roam around. Lanterns illuminated the walls. Two low tables sat opposite each other.
The first one was filled with portraits of a handsome man with brown hair styled into a ponytail, a child's drawing, and a hair tie. A pile of scraps that could've been something long ago sat next to the thing.
The second table was the one that interested Amaliea. There sat a holographic image of a boy with black hair and his two parents. Beside that lay letters written in her mother's handwriting, and responses from who she assumed was her father. There was a design of a Phoenix sprayed onto the sides of each of the tables, and underneath, the words; May you be with us.
Sabine Wren lowered herself to Ezras table and closed her eyes, repeating a single phrase.
"Be with me."

Amaliea opened her eyes to see the metal ceiling of their ship, The Shadow, to meet the eyes of Rey, who was sitting across from her.
"You fell asleep," Rey observed with a small smirk.
"Oh come on, lady, we've known each other for a day and a half, you don't get you make fun of me." Amaliea swung her legs over the edge of the bed to sit herself in an upright position. The other girl laughed. "Okay, okay, fine." she looked around the inside of their small but capable main hanger.
"So.. you probably know a few things about me."
Amaliea shrugged. "You were a nobody, you discovered you were Force-sensitive, you found out the biggest bad in recent history was related to you, you saved the galaxy, yada, yada." she shot the other one a look. "Am I close?"
Rey blinked. "Uhhh.. yeah. That sounds about right." she paused. "What about you?"
"Not too interesting, i'm afraid. My dad died in some freak accident right after I was born, saving my godfather and one of my uncles. I found out I was Force-sensitive when I was four, My mom died when I was eleven, and no one has ever bothered to tell me how. I was raised by my godparents and Jacen's mom and so Jacen is practically my brother. That's about it."
"That, uh.. isn't nothing interesting." Rey tried to smile sympathetically. She was pretty sure it came out looking more like pity, because the tall girl scoffed and turned away as a response.
"Yeah, okay." she mumbled.
Suddenly, Rey doubled over in pain, clutching at her stomach.
"You okay?" Amaliea asked, raising both her eyebrows.
Rey nodded but didn't sit upright. She then started retching and Amaliea stood up in alarm. "Jacen!" she called frantically.
"What do you want? I'm flying a ship here!"
"Do you want puke all over your precious ship?" she shot back.
He came running with a bucket, which he tossed to Amaliea, who sat it under Rey, allowing her to continue vomiting in the bucket.
"This escalated way too quickly for my liking," she muttered as she rubbed the other girls back. When she was finished, Rey wiped her mouth in obvious displeasure and sat back. BB-8, the droid, beeped a concerning noise and wheeled around to Reys side.
"What was that?"
"No idea," the Jedi replied, rubbing her head with a sigh.
"Well, uh.. I'll keep the bucket here just in case," Amaliea answered, patting Reys back awkwardly before returning to her side of the ship. "You dont get hyper-sickness, do you?" she asked. Rey shook her head and BB-8 made an agreeing noise.
Okay.. this girl is a little weird, Amaliea thought, furrowing her brow.
Amaliea shot Rey a sympathetic look and stood, walking towards the bow of the ship, where Jacen was.
"So.. what's wrong with her?" he asked as Amaliea dropped down next to him in the co-pilots seat.
"She's just acting strange.."
Jacen perked an eyebrow and glanced over his shoulder at Rey, who was now rubbing her temples with a confused expression.
"She is a Jedi, and we all are a little strange,"
"Yeah right! In what world are you a Jedi?" she snorted, punching him in the shoulder.
Jacen looked over, obviously offended. "Excu-se me! Who rebuilt my fathers lightsaber, on his own, with no prior training? Hmm? I don't see you using one!"
Amaliea crossed her arms. "I've already told you I don't-"
"-want that kind of responsibility but I could make one if I wanted to, yabba yabba, I've heard it before," Jacen cut her off, adding a wave of his hand for dramatic effect.
"You already made me carry around this stupid Darksaber, I don't need another one adding weight!"
Jacen rolled his eyes. "You know how important that thing is to Mandolorian culture."
"Which is why i'm hanging onto it! But I'm only doing it for Mom. You know that."
Jacen didn't reply. Amaliea put her feet up and sighed. "I miss Evie."
He just smirked.
The young Mandolorian made a noise directed at him, blew some hair out of her face and leaned back in her seat. She crossed her arms and said nothing more.