Heir to Skywalker ⤇ Finn

Chapter 34

Chapter 34

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"I heard what happened," Ekimi said, rubbing Padme's back to console her. "I'm so sorry."

Padme started to cry. "He's gone, Kim," She let a tear fall. She couldn't start bawling, she would never stop. "Han's gone, and Ben is beyond reach," She gripped tighter. "I was - I - I was ready to," She started, but couldn't finish. How was she supposed to tell her best friend she had been ready to be a killer? "I let the darkness in again, and I don't know if I'll be able to control it much longer."

"It's okay, Padme, I'm here," Ekimi hugged back. "I'll always be here."

"Kim what if I do something I'll regret? I was out for blood," She let go, but Ekimi didn't let her go far.

"Padme, you are one of the strongest people I have ever been lucky enough to know. I'm sure he didn't like what he did," She said, holding onto her shoulders. "You can still save him. You can always save him," She gave the younger woman a soft and empathetic smile.

"But I could have killed him," Padme stuttered.

"But you didn't," Ekimi stated. "And if you didn't then, you'll remember this feeling in the future. Next time, you'll remember this, right?"

Padme nodded, smiling a bit. "What would I do without you, Dr. Tille?"

Ekimi chuckled. "I don't even want to know," The two friends laughed together like they always did after serious conversations. It was medicine better than pills. Friendship was the key to keep Padme good.

"I should check on Chewie, I'm sure he hadn't taken it very well, either," Padme said.

Ekimi understood. "Okay, but I want to see you before you leave," She asked.

"Leave where?"

"I don't know."

"Then how do you know I'm leaving?"

"I don't know, just a feeling," Ekimi finished, before nodding to Padme once more and walking back inside to help treat Finn.

Chewie emerged from the med bay nearly immediately after Ekimi entered, and Padme walked to console him, one of her uncle's oldest friends in all senses of the word.

Padme walked towards the wookie with her arms extended. He groaned and sat down on a log. Padme took a place next to him and hugged him as hard as she had before he and Han left all those years ago.

"I'm sorry, Chewie, I should have done more," She said. Chewie hugged her back.

Padme took comfort in the arms that had done the same her whole life.

Poe let his droid go off all the time, so it was no surprise when he turned and BB-8 was gone.

He had gone wandering back to the old droid that had been by the resistance's side since before it began.

R2-D2 stirred when BB-8 approached. Finally, after years of dormancy, he had powered on again.

C-3PO must have followed BB-8, because he arrived shortly after.

"R2-D2! You've come back!" Artoo beeped at him. "You found what?" He beeped again. "How dare you call me that!" Threepio swatted at him before Artoo beeped again. "Find Master Luke how? Come, R2! We must go tell the others at once!"

Leia was the first to see Artoo arrive. Threepio approached her in her gloom.

"General? Excuse me, General?" Leia turned to him and saw the old droid next to the golden one. "R2-D2 may contain some much needed good news."

Leia's posture changed as she gained some hope again. Maybe Han survived, just like Luke had in Cloud City. She had hope. "Tell me."

She didn't expect what came next. After Rey, Poe, BB-8, Padme, and more officers gathered around, Artoo projected a hologram.

"Is that," Padme mumbled next to her aunt. It was a map with a missing piece. Leia grabbed Padme's hand. It wasn't what she had thought, but it was good news regardless.

The two Skywalkers almost didn't hear when BB-8 beeped for Poe to give him the drive from Jakku.

"Yeah, all right, buddy, hold on," Poe ran to get the drive from a computer. Everyone waited in silence while Poe brought back the drive. Rey walked up to the other side of Leia and held her hand too.

Poe returned and placed the drive into BB-8. He stepped back while his droid projected the contents of the artifact up near the bigger map. He adjusted the size to fit into the other one.

They were a perfect match. Everyone took a deep breath in, all meaning different things. Some joy, some hope, but for three, it meant family.

Chewie had arrived just in time to see the fit match.

"Oh! The map! It is complete!" Threepio announced, just in case anyone missed that part.

"Luke."

Everyone cheered and embraced once again, as if they had won the war again. Even Threepio was happy. "Oh my dear friend. How I've missed you," He said to Artoo.

"Padme," Leia said, grabbing her attention. She looked down at her aunt.

"Leia, I -"

"I'll go with you," Rey offered. "Maybe he could train me," She said.

"I'm afraid his training days are over, and what if he," Padme couldn't finish right then. "What if he doesn't want to see me? It's been six years -"

"Rey, it's a good idea. Why don't you start getting ready, I'll talk to Padme," Leia suggested. Rey nodded kindly and walked away.

"He's your father, Padme," Leia stopped her before she fell down a mental cliff. "Besides, it isn't your fault what happened. He blames himself, that's why he left."

"But what if he isn't there anymore? What if he's," No, she couldn't think that. She could think about the possibility he was "Dead," No. Leia would know, right?

"He's not dead, Padme, I know it," Leia reassured.

"I can't leave you too," Padme said, once everyone had scattered. "I can't, not now."

"Oh, Padme," She said. "I'll be alright. Go see your father. I couldn't bear for you to stay here."

Padme thought for a minute. Finally, she gave an answer. "Fine," She held her aunts hands again. "But I'm taking an x-wing, just incase I need to come back," She asked for a compromise, and her aunt agreed.

"Alright, but promise me, Padme," She looked into her eyes. "Promise me you'll talk to him. Promise me you will resolve your issues."

"I promise," She said, letting go.

"One more thing," She said, pulling out three bracelets. "These are for you."

a/n - almost to the last chapter! let me know what y'all think!

-olivia <333