There were no stars in the sky. Ana remembers that much.

Although it had happened long ago, Ana remembers it as if it were yesterday. No stars in the sky. Just complete and utter blackness, the haunting torture of the night, encasing the Skywalkers in a forever nightmare that would soon become a continuous reality.

Anakin, only sixteen years old, was the first to see it. The blood. The aftermath. The destruction. The end of all ends.

Aeron, only nine years old, was the second to see it. The first to scream. The first to fall on his knees, throat raw and burning.

Anaïs, only nine years old, was the third to see it. The second to scream. The first to back away, horror painted on her face. The first to turn to her father for comfort.

It was dark. Unnaturally dark. Her father did not to turn to comfort her. He did not turn to comfort any of them. Instead, he stared blankly. Empty. As if the blood battered scene before him was nothing — just a dream, and nothing more. A nightmare. A horrible, horrible nightmare. Nothing more than that.

Han was the last to see it. The first to grow angry. The first to grab at Luke, to demand him what had happened, to demand what he had done, to demand why he had let this happen, to demand why. Why, why, why, why?

There were no stars in the sky. Ana remembers the pain. She doesn't think it will ever stop. She knows it won't ever stop. The blood still stains her vision. She can still feel the ghost of her tears on her cheeks, reminding her of the heartache, the regret, the pain.

And then, he was gone. Just like that, Luke Skywalker vanished, without a trace. Without saying goodbye. Soon after, Anakin left as well, never to be seen again. Ana remembers the fight, the way he had yelled at their father, the way he blamed him for everything, just before he had left, disappearing in the darkness. His words still echo in her ears, ringing insistently, making her grow sick and weary: You're a failure. Because of you, Mom is dead. Because of you, we've lost everything!

Years passed, and Ana and Aero stayed with Leia. Aero enrolled in the Academy; Ana knew it was only to distract him from what had happened, from all that they lost. Leia was patient with them. She watched over them for the next four years, caring for them as if they were her own children, and they stayed with her, mourning their losses. As time went on, Aero grew more and more distant. Ana grew wary — she was beginning to wonder if he was enrolled in the Academy at all. A few more years passed, and then finally, Aero returned. Finally, Aero was confiding in Ana once more.

"Let's leave this place, now," he had whispered, voice hushed and urgent, not wanting anyone else to hear. "Leave this all behind. There's nothing left for us here anymore, Ana. We can start anew. We can build a new life. We don't have to be Skywalkers anymore, we don't have a legacy to protect anymore. It can just be you and me, Ana. You and me, like it always should be."

Ana blinks suddenly, glancing up, flashes of her memory disappearing. She's sitting in the lounge of the Falcon. Han and Rey have returned to the cockpit, angling the ship into Takodana. He had told them that the only person who could help them would be Maz Kanata, a former pirate who would often aid the growing Resistance in times of need. Ana remembers Maz briefly from the time she and Aero spent with Leia; a small creature with wide-rimmed goggles that made her eyes bulge at an alarming size, with a voice so calm and steady it could take anyone off guard. Ana wrings her hands together, sitting in the lounge of the Falcon, staring back at the floor.

Blood. No stars in the sky. Screams, deafening screams that would never stop. Pain.

Something shifts beside her, and Ana turns to see Finn taking the empty seat next to her. He doesn't look at her — he plays with his fingers in a similar fashion to Ana, brow creased as he stares at the floor, lost in thought. He stays like this for a moment before his gaze sudden flickers towards her; their eyes meet and Ana hesitates, tempted to look away.

"Did you know Poe, too?" he asks suddenly, attempting conversation. Ana's brow furrows and he inhales nervously. "Uh, sorry...I was just wondering. Since your brother said..."

His voice trails off uncertainly and Ana glances over in direction of Aero, who's standing next to Chewbacca's cubicle, BB-8 by his side. The little astromech droid rolls his head around, beeping loudly, and Aero nods at what the little astromech says, a small smile on his face. Ana notices it doesn't reach his eyes.

"Poe was always closer to Aero than me," Ana finally says, looking back at Finn. "I'm not that good at talking to people."

"Me neither," Finn says quickly, a look of relief flashing in his eyes. A faint smile tugs at the ends of Ana's lips at his enthusiasm, and he averts his gaze, flustered. "Thank you," he adds. "For not telling Rey."

Ana remembers what he had said to them earlier: I'm not with the Resistance; I'm just trying to escape the First Order. She shrugs, wringing her hands together once more. "It's not my secret to tell."

A heavy silence follows. Ana can tell Finn is still grateful, although he's no longer looking at her. She glances up, turning to look at Aero, but he's pinching at the temple of his nose, brow creased. Ana frowns, standing up on her way to walk towards him, but she stops as the Falcon gives a sudden lurch as it lands. Rey is the first to exit the cockpit, entering the lounging area with Han Solo trailing close behind her. Her eyes lock with Ana's almost instantly, and Ana holds her gaze; a small smile graces Rey's face, her eyes bright.

"We're here," Han says, making his way towards Chewbacca's cubicle. Chewbacca moves to climb out and Han holds out his hand, helping to support his Wookiee friend.

They follow after Han and Chewie, a flourish of green greeting them. Rey's eyes widen, awestruck at the scenery before her, and she steps forward tentatively, eyes trained on the clear water and foliage.

"I didn't know there could be so much green in one place," she breathes. Ana smiles, but her thoughts race, vision blurring.

There's a loud slam that wakes her up. Ana jolts from her bed to hear two distinct voices yelling downstairs. Rising to her feet, she scrambles out of her room, barely making it to the stairs to see her father and Anakin standing near the front door. What had functioned as their makeshift kitchen looks like a disaster — their stone table and chairs have been thrown about, messy and chaotic. A broken clay pitcher of water lays on the floor, scattered into little remains. Anakin stands beside the front door, hand wavering, as he looks back at their father.

"This is all your fault," Anakin spits, attempting to shrug off Luke's grip. "Our mom is dead because of you!"

Tears well in Ana's eyes, threatening to burn down her cheeks. Something shifts beside her, and Aero is gripping onto her hand. She can feel the tremor of his body, the way he shakes, staring wide eyed at the scene before them.

"Ani," Luke says, voice raw. "Don't do this."

"I'm not going to be like you," Anakin exclaims, eyes blazing. "I'm not going to sit around and wait for them to come back." His lip trembles, hatred making his last words sting like some sort of dark venom; it's enough to make Luke flinch. "I'm not going to sit around and wait for you to be a hero again."

The door slams shut, reverberating against the walls of their home, and Anakin is gone. Never to be seen again.

Ana jumps suddenly as a hand rests against her shoulder, bringing her back to reality. She blinks, turning to see Rey staring at her, peering with concern.

"Are you alright?" she asks. Her voice is soft and her eyes are kind and inviting.

Ana avoids her gaze, shaking her hand off. "I'm fine." She looks over at Han, who's standing a little ways behind them, watching the two, expression unreadable. "Where's Maz?"

Han nods in the direction of the foliage that breaks off into an intersection, leading to a large castle preening in the distance. Ana doesn't wait for him to say anything as she trudges forward, thoughts racing. She tries to think of something else, but she can't help but think back to that night. Everything that could have gone wrong had happened; they lost their mother. A few days later they lost Anakin. And finally, after weeks of waiting, they lost Luke.

"Dad?"

Luke says nothing. He shoves various things into his pack, ignoring Ana and Aero as they teeter back and forth, watching as their father gathers what's left of their home.

"Dad!" Aero whines, tears glistening against his cheeks. "Dad stop it. You're scaring me. What's going on? Where are we going?"

"We are not going anywhere," Luke says, avoiding their gazes. He starts towards the door. Ana sits at the table, eyes glazed over. He looks reminiscent of Anakin, standing near the entrance, wavering between leaving or staying. Somehow, Ana knows he'll choose to go. That's all anyone seems to know how to do now — leave, running away from what they fear the most, never to return.

"Dad!" Aero whines again. He attempts to latch on to Luke, gripping his arm, pulling him backwards, tears streaming down his face. "Don't leave! Don't leave me!"

A sad look flashes in Luke's eyes, but it's only for a moment before he pushes Aero away. Aero stumbles backwards into the table, and Ana jumps from the sudden impact. She quickly reaches forward, attempting to grab Aero's hand, but he pulls away from her, attempting to rise to his feet once more. His legs wobble and he lets out a defeated cry before falling back to the floor, shoulders shaking from his onset sobs.

"It's better this way," Luke says. Again, he's not looking at them. Ana can't remember the last time he's looked at them since their mother died. He's always looked away, avoiding their gazes, avoiding their tears. "It's better for you if I go. I can't do anything for you two now. I can't protect you. I can't even protect myself."

Back then, Ana hadn't understood why he had said such a thing — what he had been meaning to protect them from. But now, she thinks she's understands. At first, she thought he had meant the growing First Order, their fallen cousin, Ben, the Darkness that never seemed to go away, something so inevitable it'd take them all in an instant...but now she knows what he had really been referring to. Himself. His own failure. Luke Skywalker had failed. Clary Solo was dead, and Luke Skywalker wasn't there to save her.

When Aero and Ana had finally arrived at Leia's, she tried to reassure them. That it was grief. That he would come back to them, eventually, in his own time. As they grew older, Ana eventually learned the story of her mother, of Clary Solo — Clary Aldrin Kenobi, daughter of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ellona Aldrin, former Jedi and Sith. She learned the story of Han and Clary Solo, brother and sister despite the lack of bloodline, fighting against all odds, always for each other. She learned the story of the First Rebellion, the legacy of Darth Vader, the legacy of the Skywalkers. She learned the story of love; how love had saved them all from the inevitable terror and reign of the Emperor. Maybe it was that same love that made Luke act so drastically, that made him leave without another word, without a single trace of where he was going. But that didn't reassure Ana or Aero — it just made them angrier.

"I don't care what he's been through," Aero exclaims, throwing his clothes into his bag. Earlier he had said he applied to the Academy. He had said it so casually, so abruptly, that Ana had thought he'd been joking, but now, watching as he packs his things, all she sees is her brother running away. Just like Anakin. Just like Luke.

"Aero —" Leia starts gently.

"No!" Aero snaps, eyes blazing. Ana remembers Anakin. The same look of pain, the same look of anger. It had been in his eyes, too. "I don't care! He shouldn't have left us. He shouldn't have left me!" Aero zips his bag shut, teeth gritting, "Besides, it's not like I'm going away forever. It'll only be a few years."

Leia blinks, a tired look in her eyes. Sadness. Grief. Ana's lip trembles as she inhales sharply, throat raw. They all had already lost so much. But she knows there's no convincing her brother to stay.

"Luke will return—"

"He's never coming back!" Aero seethes, interrupting Leia. Ana stares at him, wide-eyed. Even Leia looks at a loss for words. "He left us, Leia. He left you. He left Han. He left Ana. He left me. He doesn't care about us. I don't think he ever did."

Leia rises to her feet suddenly, a cold look in her eyes. "I understand that you're angry, Aero," she says. "But you don't mean that. Luke loves you and Ana more than anything in the world."

Aero swings his bag over his shoulder, scoffing. "Oh, really? Then why hasn't he come back for us?"

"I don't know, Aero," Leia admits, but her voice remains strong and steady. She holds Aero's gaze evenly, hurt flashing in her eyes, but only for a moment. "People handle grief in different ways."

Aero's jaw clenches as he shakes his head. "My father isn't grieving. My father is a coward: a failure. And he's never coming back. And I don't want him to."

"Hey." Aero's voice pulls Ana out of her thoughts. She turns to see him standing beside her, eyes narrowed. She knows he knows what she's been thinking about. He opens his mouth, as if he's about to scold her for dwelling on past memories, but he's interrupted as Han leads them up towards the Takodana castle. Standing tall, towering above them, Ana spots a large figure covered in moss which she assumes is supposed to be a replica of Maz.

"Solo," Finn says suddenly, hurrying past Ana to walk beside Han. "Why are we here again?"

"To get your droid on a clean ship." Han doesn't bother to look back at him.

Rey's brow furrows. "Clean?"

Han sighs. "Do you think it was just luck that Chewie and I found the Falcon? If we can find it on our scanners, the First Order's not far behind." He stops, suddenly, as they near the front door. He glances back at the group, expression unreadable. Ana stumbles as a tall, red droid from behind them makes its way towards the door of Maz's castle, creaking loudly as it passes by, nearly pushing Ana off her feet. "Want to get Beebee-ate to the Resistance? Maz Kanata's our best bet."

Ana looks up at the statue of Maz again. It stands high and tall, arms outstretched, as if welcoming anyone and everyone into the makeshift cantana. Hundreds of flags hang around them, of all different colors and shapes. One flag stands out the most, though — it hangs below Maz's statue, a stark contrast against everything else; a white flag with the broken horn syndicate sigil etched in dark blue.

"We can trust her, right?" Finn asks as Han nears the front doors. Ana quickens her pace, realizing she's fallen behind the group.

"Relax, kid," Han sighs. "She's run this watering hole for a thousand years." He glances over his shoulder, brow furrowed. "Maz is a bit of an acquired taste, so let me do the talking."

Aero snorts under his breath, rolling his eyes. Finn exchanges a confused look with Rey.

Han turns fully, now, facing the group. He shoots Aero a pointed look before glancing at the others. "And whatever you do, don't stare."

"At what?" Rey's brow creases.

"Any of it."

The big metal doors in front of them open on command, and Han leads them further into the castle. They haven't even fully made it past the entrance before being greeted by the soft, low hum of music. Ana glances over at Aero, and he holds her gaze for a brief moment before looking forward once more, assessing the area. The hall is a complete mess — a dozen of different creatures, of different heights and colors and species, crowd within the castle, making Ana's head spin. Dozens of conversations are being held at once, becoming an indistinct chattering. Before Ana has the chance to focus, a loud voice is bellowing, causing a heavy silence to fill the castle: "Han Solo!"

In an instant, nearly everyone in the room has turned to face the group, an uncomfortable silence hanging in the air. Ana steps back, reaching for Aero on instinct, but her hand lands on Rey's. She jumps from the unfamiliar touch, meeting Rey's gaze sheepishly before turning away, face burning.

"Oh boy," Han mutters under his breath. BB-8 lets out a short beep in surprise, turning. Han forces a wry smile, waving awkwardly. "Hey, Maz!"

Thankfully, the loud chatter has returned as everyone continues with what they were doing previously, as if the interruption had never occurred. Ana feels Rey's eyes on her, but she ignores it as she wrings her hands nervously. Maz approaches them, a small, four-foot-tall alien with skin the color of rust and small beady eyes, amplified by her round-rimmed glasses. She examines the group, her gaze lingering on Ana and Aero momentarily before looking back at Han. She scowls.

"Where's my boyfriend?"

An exasperated look crosses Han's face. "Chewie's working on the Falcon."

Aero clears his throat, standing on Han's other side, attempting to hold back a snicker. Maz is unfazed as she holds Han's gaze.

"I like that Wookiee," she says. She glances over again, scanning the rest of them. "I assume you need something?" Her gaze wavers on Rey for a moment. "Desperately. Let's get to it."

She turns away from them, disappearing amongst the crowd. Ana shares a confused look with Rey and Finn while Han merely gestures for them to follow Maz. They make their way past several tables, filled to the brim with different species, before they finally reach Maz at an empty table. She maneuvers around it, laying out various dishes as the rest of the group gathers. Aero is the first to sit down, an indescribable look in his eyes. Ana watches him for a moment, wishing for the times where she used to know what he was thinking just as well as she knew herself. Han is relaying the information back to Maz, who merely nods, concentrating on the different platters of food.