Rise

Epilogue

HAN POV

Let me die first,

or I will die twice.

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Her dying body in my arms.

Her bloodied hands in mine.

Her terrified eyes looking into mine, practically screaming for me to run.

It took everything in me to get up and run, towards the Falcon, with Luke and Leia. Those steps, away from her and towards safety, were the hardest steps I've ever taken in my life.

The hardest thing I've ever done was leave her, and I know it will be the hardest thing I'll ever do.

I collapse to the floor of the Falcon as the boarding ramp closes behind us. I'm barely aware of Leia rushing to the cockpit to get us out of docking bay 19. The lights in here are suddenly too bright and I'm having trouble breathing.

Her blood is all over me. It covers me and I gag, retching as I struggle not to completely and utterly lose it.

Luke is on the ground beside me, crying, tears on his face. I'm shaking uncontrollably, trying to speak but not being able to utter any sound other than a sob. "Han--" Luke chokes out, and suddenly, he throws an arm around me, across my shoulders. He pulls me close to him. "God--Han--we just left her--" Luke whimpers.

I close my eyes, and open them. I open my mouth to reply, but instead, I just cry harder.

Luke pulls me to my feet, standing beside me as he throws his arms around me. There's no words as we cry, like two broken, lost brothers.

The Falcon starts moving, and I suddenly break away from Luke. I remember the window looking out of the Falcon. Before I know it, I'm up against the window, and I see the Destroyer. We're leaving the docking bay and flying up, up and away.

Away from her.

Away from Ellie.

My Ellie.

My breath catches in my throat as I watch the docking bay get smaller, and smaller.

And then it explodes.

It goes up in bright white, orange, and yellow flames.

The light of the explosion makes me close my eyes; or maybe that's just because I can't watch her, my girl, get blown to pieces.

Dropping to my knees, my hands against the glass, I cry. I cry and I cry and I cry.

And that's when the memories start.

I remember seeing her in Mos Eisley, for the first time. Pinned under a stormtrooper, about to die. I'd gotten the guy off of her, and I'd turned around to see her. The first thing I'd noticed was her eyes. Her eyes. Her eyes that looked like they knew everything about you.

I remember stargazing with Ellie on Phariah. Seeing her watching the stars, and I'd thought about how much she looked like she belonged up there with them. I remember her saying the stars up there were so beautiful, but to me, the most beautiful star in the universe was laying right beside of me.

I remember seeing her beat Cecily in the fight at the Citadel. I'd seen the promise in her eyes; the promise that she would die for me, for Luke, for Leia. That was when I chose to trust her. And after that, while she'd been knocked out for a week, I'd wondered if she'd ever wake up.

I remember sitting with her in the Nexus Cantina on Naboo. The party lights dancing in the reflection of her eyes. How much I'd wanted to dance with her, but had been so afraid to ask.

I remember hugging her for the first time, in the cave on Echo Base, when she'd seen Stephan on the rebel screens. Ellie had sobbed into my jacket, her face against my chest, my hands in her hair. I'd made a promise to myself to never let anyone hurt her like Stephan had.

I remember showing her those lights on Hoth, on top of the mountain. She'd cried because of how much she'd loved that place, that sky...she'd cried because she hadn't been able to believe I'd shown her that place.

I remember dancing with her. Her, in that dress. That dress that only added to her perfection. Dancing with her had been the best part of that night; heck, she could've worn a simple shirt and sweatpants, and I still would've thought she was beautiful.

And finally, I remember hearing her telling me she loved me. I remember the thrill in my chest, my soul getting excited. I'd felt like a little boy; nervous, a little scared, and head over feet for a girl. And I'd kissed her, with more desperation than I'd ever felt before. I'd been so scared to stop, and if it had been up to me, I never would've stopped. I swear, I can still taste her lips; they'd tasted like moonlight and roses. I hadn't even known moonlight had a taste.

Everything she did or said, I admired.

And she was gone.

Her laugh that made me want to laugh was gone. So was her smile; the smile that made her nose wrinkle up and made her eyes become alight. I'd never feel her hand in mine, her soft, petal-like fingers intertwining with mine.

And I left her. I left the girl that I loved to die.

I feel Leia brush up beside of me, and I turn to her as she gets down on her knees next to me. I meet her eyes, feeling utterly and completely broken.

She hugs me, and I sob into her shoulder, falling apart.

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ELLIE POV

..............................

Everything is black.

I hear nothing.

I feel nothing.

I don't even have a heartbeat.

If this is dying, then it isn't as scary as I thought.

I hear a voice.

"I made a promise to you, Ellie Stone." Darth Vader's voice says. Turning around, I see him. He's barely any lighter than the darkness, the blackness, that surrounds us. "I promised that you would rise above the rest."

Narrowing my eyes, I step forward, through the inky darkness. "You never told me what that means, Lord Vader."

He chuckles. "You'll know soon enough."

And then he's gone, and the blackness is replaced by even more blackness. For what could be seconds or an eternity, I am nothing. I am nowhere.

But then I hear it.

I hear my heart begin to beat.

Thump, thump. Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

I feel fire. I feel the fire of life.

My heartbeat becomes louder.

There's a soft breeze, tickling my nose.

And then, I open my eyes.

I

a m

a l i v e.