The Children of the Stars

The Observatory

As the sun peeked over the horizon, Allana Skywalker and Valin Horn began the hike into the canyons where the old observatory once stood.

"We ought to be careful." Valin pulled binoculars out of his satchel bag and raised them to his face. "I heard that steelpeckers and madmen roam this place."

"Old men who were part of the Empire, driven mad," Allana murmured. "But surely they're all dead? They were old when my mother was a little girl."

Valin shrugged as he put away the binoculars. "All the same, I'd rather not deal with the steelpeckers."

"What else is a lightsaber for?" Allana grinned teasingly as she knelt down by the canyon-side.

She glanced out at the canyon as the rising sun slowly illuminated the shadowy floor. It reminded her of a day long ago on Ahch-To, during one of their vacations.

"You know, Anakin once figured out how to fly, when he was only eleven."

"Anakin was also more gifted with the Force than anyone would hope to be," Valin reminded her. "I'd come away from the ledge, Your Grace. We can descend with the Falcon."

Allana stood up, inhaling deeply. Perhaps it would be best to listen— but the day was young, and she was filled with the impulse to do it, to try everything and anything now that she had reconnected with the Force.

"Yes, it would be much better—"

She closed her eyes, extending her consciousness and energy outwards. The decision was made. The Force was all around her, like the rising sun whose light she basked in.

Goddess above, she'd missed the sensation.

"Princess, aren't you coming—"

She then laughed, and jumped into the canyon.

The wind danced around her as she threw her hands out, willing the Force to slow around her, for time to stand still. It was exhilarating, with all of the fun of the fall—

And all too soon the ride ended with a graceful stop, only about a foot above the packed sand and grit. Her hair spilled out in front of her, and the hem of her tunic and robe met the dust.

She giggled like she was a little girl again, and dropped into a heap on the ground, the sand as gentle as a pillow.

Anakin had done it before, jumping off of a high rock and landing just before a little bit of the path that the fish-nuns used to use.

Allana quickly sobered at the thought of Anakin. Right on time, she remembered the feeling of all the light in the world dying, watching Darth Keera stab him—

"ALLANA SKYWALKER!"

Allana looked up to where Valin had shouted from. She smiled weakly and waved.

"I'm okay, see?" Allana then stood, dusting off the mauve tunic with turquoise and pink beading. She examined for a moment the light brown of her pants— the dirt stains would wash out easily, she decided.

She then looked up to Valin, and her smile disappeared completely.

"I wouldn't have done it if I didn't think I could," she promised. "Please don't be angry with me— I'm okay, after all."

"You scared me, I thought—" Valin shook his head and placed his hand over his heart. "Just give me a minute to get to you."

"I could help you fly down," Allana offered. "You won't regret it."

Valin squinted down at Allana. "Are you crazy?"

"What, don't you trust me?" Allana's tone was light and teasing, but her expression revealed the deeper meaning of her words; She had to know that for all the dreams and prophecies about her queenliness over the Force that she truly deserved it. In her mind, that meant that she was capable of the kind of miracles that her siblings had pulled off regularly in their childhood.