• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

“I’m so sorry, Ves. I didn’t know. I couldn’t know …”

Vestara nodded, still silent, still shaking. Ben reached and gently stroked her hair, as if this fierce and proud young woman were a child in need of comforting, and she accepted it. Ben closed his eyes, melting against her. They lay like that for a long time. Ben was almost asleep when she turned in his embrace.

“Ben?” She lifted her face up to his. “Do … you think I could?”

“Could what?”

A long, long silence. She had completely dropped her guard. He could sense her in a way he never had before, and knew that whatever she was about to ask meant everything to her. That she was full of hope and fear so strong it almost overpowered her, and that she knew she was opening completely to him. He waited, patiently. In this moment that seemed to stretch out forever, Ben realized that when it came to Vestara, he had all the patience in the universe.

Then, softly, in a voice that quivered, she said the words that made Ben’s heart leap. The words he had been wanting to hear for so long.

“… become a Jedi.”

For a moment he couldn’t speak. He felt her fear grow—fear of rejection, fear of the trust she was offering, and while he struggled for the words he concentrated on sending her reassurance, comfort … yes, and love … in the Force.

“Vestara Khai,” he said, his voice as soft as hers had been, “I know you can do anything you want. Yes. Oh, yes. You can become a Jedi. And it would be the greatest honor of my life to help you. I’ll be there every step of the way. I promise.”

Relief and joy and hope emanated from her, chasing away the tense, cold, disabling fear, and she smiled radiantly. Following an impulse, Ben reached and brushed the little scar at the corner of her mouth gently with his thumb. She didn’t pull away, instead closed her eyes. His lips followed his touch, pressing a kiss on what he knew she despised most about herself, letting her know he found it beautiful, found her, all of her, beautiful. She understood at once, and he tasted the salt of sudden tears as she turned her head slightly to complete the kiss. He held her tightly, both of them trembling, caught up in the overwhelming release of at last laying down the weapons of suspicion and hatred.

She would become a Jedi—a great Jedi. Finally, she would walk in the light, and feel its warmth, and open her heart to the joy of giving and receiving complete and utter trust.

Trust … and love.

And Ben would be with her.

Every step of the way.

“I’m glad to hear you’re finally coming back to Coruscant,” Leia was saying. Her hologram stood before Luke, and he couldn’t help but think about the first time he had seen her—just like this, a small hologram. Forty years had come and gone since that time, and they had been through so much together. But at her core, she was still the Leia he had seen then, determined and beautiful, the brave and amazing woman he was proud to call “sister.” Jaina sat beside him, letting him do most of the talking.

“We should, I hope, be arriving at the same time,” Leia continued.

“I thought you were working with Dorvan and Treen,” Luke said. “And you said you wanted to help Padnel ease into his role.”

“I was working with Treen and Dorvan, and we were at least able to have dinner with Padnel. From what I’ve heard, he’s doing fine on his own. We … left for a while to chase a lead on Daala’s location.”

Luke and Jaina exchanged glances. “Any luck?”

Leia glanced over at something or someone Luke couldn’t see and made a slight face. “I’ll let you know. We ran into some … old friends. It’s been … interesting.”

Luke couldn’t help but chuckle. “Sounds like nothing’s changed much then. We’ll see you soon.”

“ ’Bye, Mom. Give Dad a hug for me.”

When Leia’s image had disappeared, Jaina turned to Luke. “When we get back, I need to talk to Natua,” she said. “She thinks she may have a lead on Ship. I didn’t want to say anything to Mom until Natua told me about it.”

“That would be the first good news we’ve had in a while,” Luke said.

Jaina nodded. “At least Gavar Khai isn