Leia introduces her son to the Force tree on Yavin IV
Han and Leia walked arm and arm along the well-trod path through the jungle. Leia closed her eyes and breathed deep the warm, humid air. Granted, it was nothing like Alderaan’s sharp mountain air, but it still brought her comfort. Yavin IV had become like a second home to her, a quiet respite away from the hustle and bustle of Hosnian Prime, and it had been far too long since they had been here.
Ben trotted along in front of them, his thick black hair bouncing along with his impatient steps. “Where are we going?” he asked. At only four years old, he hadn’t quite learned how to discipline himself, yet. “How much farther?”
“Not much,” Leia answered with a smile. “And I think you’ll like what we’re going to see.”
Han looked down at her. “You really think he’ll understand it?” he asked.
“He’ll feel it,” Leia responded. “He won’t need to ‘understand’ it.”
Han shrugged and they continued along the path. Their hosts for their visit, Kes and Shara, were back at their house preparing a special welcome meal. Kes loved to cook, something Leia had not known about him back in the days they first met during the war. His wife, Shara, an ace pilot who had flown with the Rebellion while her husband fought on the ground, joked that she was more than happy to give Kes the responsibility of feeding her and their son, as she hated to cook.
Suddenly, the narrow path through the jungle opened up to a large meadow. In the center of the meadow stood a tree with smooth bark and pale green leaves. It wasn’t very big, but it was much larger than it should have been at its age. Leia knew for a fact that the tree was about the same age as her son, and yet it already looked full-grown. Uneti trees were long-lived, but they must also mature fast.
She watched her son carefully as the boy got closer to the tree. He was focused on it intently, his dark eyes wide. He walked up to the tree without hesitation and placed his little hand on the bark, then he turned to look at his mother.
“I can feel it, mama!” he cried softly. “I can feel it.”
Leia nodded, giving the boy a soft smile, then looked at her husband, eyebrows raised in a “I told you so,” gesture. The walked up to the boy and the tree.
“What is it?” Ben asked, running his hands along the tree as if he was stroking a pet.
“It’s called a Uneti tree,” Leia told him. “It’s Force sensitive.” She herself reached out and touched the young tree. She had ‘felt’ it the minute they entered the meadow, but touching it gave her a sense of calm and peace. “Your uncle gave this tree to Shara a few years ago as a thank you, and I can see it is thriving here on Yavin IV."
There was a noise off to the side of the clearing and Han’s hand instinctively dropped to his blaster, but he never grasped the weapon, as he saw immediately that the noise was not anything to be concerned about.
A boy of about seven years of age stood on the edge of the clearing, a mop of curly black hair on his head, and a curious look on his face. He wore an oversize white shirt, shorts, and boots and looked to have just come directly from the jungle.
“Hello, Poe,” Leia said softly.
The boy walked toward them. “Mistress Leia. Master Han.” He nodded politely.
“Poe,” Han admonished. “It’s just Leia and Han.”
“No, sir,” the boy responded. “That would be impolite. Papa says I need to be more polite around adults.”
“Who are you?” Ben asked suddenly, and Leia remembered that the last time they had been on Yavin Ben had still been a toddler.
“This is Poe Dameron,” Leia told her son. “He is Kes and Shara’s son.”
Ben nodded. “Is this your tree?” he asked the older boy.
Poe shrugged. “Kinda. It’s really my mom’s, but I help take care of it.”
“Wizard!” Ben gushed. Poe smiled back.
“We should probably get back to the house and get ready for dinner,” Leia said, smiling at the two youngsters. All four of them turned and headed back up the path, Han and Leia in the lead.
She could hear the conversation behind them.
“I’m gonna be a pilot when I grow up,” Ben was saying.
“Me, too!” Poe said excitedly. “Have you flown the Millennium Falcon, yet?”
Ben scoffed. “My dad only let’s Chewie and my mom fly the Falcon,” the boy said morosely. “But maybe someday.”
“That would be like the most amazing thing ever,” Poe said. “Imagine flying the Millennium Falcon?” He laughed. “I fly with my mom in her A-Wing sometimes, but I really want to fly X-Wings. They are so cool!”
“X-Wings are pretty sick,” Ben agreed.
Leia smiled at Han, who also had a grin on his face. “This is the most I’ve heard Ben talk on his own in a long time,” he whispered. “I think coming here was a good idea.”
Leia nodded, her heart full of both joy and uncertainty. The war was over and it was time to start looking to the future. Good or bad, she knew deep down that the two boys behind her would play a major role in whatever that future might be.
She squeezed her husband’s arm, knowing that no matter what lay ahead, her love for him and their son would never die.
******
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