I'd never been so nervous my whole life for something, not even Jedi training. In fact, even leaving the resistance three years ago to fine my father seemed like a walk in the park compared to how I felt about becoming a General and leading the memorial for the lost rebels.

I dressed in a long, dark grey dress, the skirts flowing out like waves of the sea. The top of it came to the top of my neck, though it was sleeveless. The lack of sleeves showed off my scar, but I didn't care. In fact, although my mother didn't approve, I attached my weapons belt around myself, my lightsaber and blaster hanging off proudly.

My mother did my hair, plaiting it into two long braids then twisting it into two buns at the back of my head. With a small smile, she threaded through tiny blue forget me knot flowers through the buns. She always used to love it when I wore flowers in my hair, and we both knew my dad did too. It was almost like saying he was still with us, although we both knew with heavy hearts that he wasn't.

"You look like him, Lucinda," she spoke as she took a step back to look at me properly. I felt tears pricking but forced them away, offering her a sad smile. "He was so proud of you, Luce, he loved you more than anything else in the galaxy,"

"More than the Falcon?" I joked, though my voice was thick from holding back tears.

"Even more than the Falcon," she let out a single laugh, reaching into her pocket to pull out a small ring box. "That reminds me... a long time ago, I think you must have been about twelve at least, when he tried his hand and racing with the Falcon, your father won a large sum of money. Instead of wasting it, he invested in something special for each of his children. He didn't want to give you this until you turned twenty five, but when he left five years ago, he left me this to give to you, and I know he'd want you to have it know,"

Frowning, I watched as my mother extended her shaking hand to me, offering the pearlescent ring box. I took it carefully, looking at her warily, unsure as to what would be in the box. She gave me a nod, and with a deep breath I carefully opened the box. Inside I saw a chain with a ring threaded onto it. I left out a small gasp as I took it out with shaky fingers, lifting it up to see. On the chain, right next to the ring was a small charm resembling a dice, exactly the same as the ones which hung up in the Falcon. The ring was thick and silver, featuring a large pearl which had been shaped into the silhouette of the Millennium Falcon, details carved into it and embossed with tiny crystals. Looking at the band, I saw the inscription: 'LOS, My Luck, My Fortune, My Greatest Achievement'.

I felt my heart grow heavy and the tears were harder to fight but I still tried to stop them from falling, except I felt Mum pull me into a hug of support.

"I know," Mum sighed, placing her hand on my head gently. "I miss him too, both of them,"

She was talking about Ben. My brother was lost, I'd managed to accept that but clearly my mother hadn't. Maybe she'd just lost so much in her life that she refused to count my brother as dead. I considered offering some sort of comment on my brother but before I could begin to speak, Mum continued.

"We're going to make this right though," she continued, and I sensed that this was her speaking to me as a general to a peer, not as a mother to daughter. "You're going to be a great leader and a wonderful general, you were born for this position,"

I nodded, sniffing. I wanted to see my uncle, but my place was at the Resistance, with my mother, with Poe. This was where I belonged, and this was where I was needed to make a difference. I had spent so many years struggling with myself, trying to find where I fit in the universe, but my place had always been at the Resistance.

***

Poe looked hot.

There was no other way to describe him than hot. He'd combed his curly hair back, looking neat for once and had dressed himself in a black shirt buttoned all the way up and a new black leather flying jacket. The jacket reminded me of Finn, and my heart ached ever so slightly at the thought of my injured friend, but I pushed the feelings away to focus on Poe and the ceremony about to happen.

Once I came into Poe's view, I saw his eyes latch onto me, a look of amazement fixed across his face as if he was looking at the best thing in the universe. A small smile played across his face as I walked closer to him, making a blush form on my face.

"Luci, you look..." He began but trailed off, looking me up and down. "You look stunning. I'm sorry I didn't say it back to you the other day, but I love you too,"

If we weren't about to walk out in front of the entire Resistance, I'd have kissed him, but I knew that the code of conduct would be blown to pieces if I did that. Instead I smirked at him and took hold of his hand, squeezing it tightly. He knew how I felt, considering I had already told him, and the fact that we were always going to end up this way, the little aspiring jedi and hopeful pilot. We were always going to end up together.

"I know, now are you ready, Commander?" I flashed him a teasing grin as the doors opened and the two of us began to walk forward, our hands still linked.

Every member of the Resistance was lined either side of the room in complete silence despite the trumpets and drums playing a melody I knew to be the same that played when my father and uncle received their medals for destroying the first Death Star. Everyone's eyes were trained on Poe and I, and normally a situation like this would have caused me to become anxious, but I had Poe at my side. My father kept me confident too, the thought of him making me feel brave as I thought of how proud he would be of me. I wished he was there, making my heart ache slightly, but I gripped the necklace around my neck instead of imagining him alive again, the charm and ring acting as a form of support, as if part of him was still with me, and part of him would always be with me. 

I knew I had to be serious but yet I couldn't help but grin, especially when I caught my mother's gaze and saw she was smiling at me too. As Poe and I reached my mother, stood at the front of the hall, surrounded by other generals, we stopped facing her. I glanced behind her to see Threepio, Artoo and Beebee-Ate, the sight of all three droids together making me smirk. Turning my attention back to my mother, I watched as she was handed a rank plaque, the plaque which she reached over and attached to Poe's jacket. I noticed he stood up a little straighter once it was fixed to him, as if this new title was a newfound source of pride and rightfully so. He beamed proudly at my mother, offering her a salute which she responded to with a small laugh. 

Then it was my turn. Another general handed my mother another plaque, this time it being a General's medal. I took a deep breath as I felt her steady hands pin it to my dress, and once it was attached, her hand lingered slightly, almost stroking the plaque with pride for me. I tried to hold back a laugh which instead turned into a grin, looking down at my badge of authority and title. 

General Lucinda Organa-Solo. Poe was right, it did have a good ring to it, though I would not let myself get overwhelmed with pride, as it was a Sith trait. Instead, Poe and I turned to face the crowd who were now applauding. At the front I saw Erika and Izzy who had also noticed my hand in Poe's, causing them to both wink at me knowingly. Next to them was Kaydel Connix, a young lieutenant who had been a friend of ours back in our teens when we used to lead rogue missions against the First Order. Connix always used to be in awe of my mother, even styling her hair like my mother's iconic hair buns, which was why she was General Leia's favourite leuitenant. Rey was next to Connix, a small smile on her face, though I could see in her eyes that she was eager for this to be over; of course, she was to leave to find my Uncle as soon as this was all over. 

A gentle pat on my shoulder from my mother disrupted my thoughts, but I knew what was to happen now. This wasn't just a ceremony to give Poe and I our new titles officially, but also a ceremony to remember our dead, and my mother had asked me to speak in a way of memorial. Taking a deep breath, I dropped Poe's hand, taking a step forward, looking out at the crowd as I prepared myself. 

"Rebel," I began, taking in another deep breath. "That is a title which brings me more pride than General or Jedi. The title of Rebel is one I have worn with pride from the age of fourteen, when I was arrested by the First Order. When they asked me if I was involved in the traitorous cause of Leia Organa's resistance I told them I was guilty of being a rebel, though there was nothing to be guilty for.

"Up until that point, I had always wanted to call myself a Jedi. As many of you know, I trained under Luke Skywalker, and for years I wanted nothing more than to become a Master Jedi. It was all I wanted, and why not? The Jedi were honest and wise and fair, all aspirational traits. However, when at the age of thirteen a vote was proposed to the New Republic to allow the First Order to take significant power over the galaxy, I realised that these traits, whilst admirable, were not possessed by those within the First Order and if we were to stand up against a power my peers decided was wrong and would bring darkness to the galaxy similar to that of the Empire, I would have to possess these traits too, but along with a few more.

"When the First Order rose up when I was just thirteen, I discovered the Resistance. My mother led the way for this new cause and like any diligent daughter I wanted to follow her. My mother relates to the traits of the Jedi, but she also shows determination, fearlessness, resilience and sheer grit. These are the traits that make up a rebel and I learnt that being a Jedi was about peace, meanwhile I was growing up in a galaxy on the verge of war. I decided that for the good of the galaxy, I would have to disobey my training, training I anticipated for most of my childhood.

"I was a child when this war started, and I still feel as if I could be too young to stand in front of you and help lead this cause, but many of the young rebels I met at the start of the war have been killed. Growing up in a war zone meant that everyday my peers and I counted waking up alive as a privilege. We have lost many, many people in this war. Friends, colleagues, family. This war has destroyed planets, torn families apart, ruined lives. 

"Here we are though. We are the resistance. We have lost people, each of us bears the wounds of a lost loved one. Wounds scar, and that's okay, because we will forever remember those we have lost, and we will remember the history of our movement, we will remember the sacrifices our friends, family and loved ones have made, because we are the Resistance. We are the Resistance and the fact that we have lost so many shows the traits I saw in my mother at the very start of the war; determination, fearlessness, resilience and sheer grit. 

"We will not be ignored, we will not be trodden on, we will continue to fight right until the last moment, because we are the resistance and we will not be silenced when we know that the galaxy is being oppressed by a force that is wrong. Thank you, Rebels, may the force be with you,"

***

Word count: 2205

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Hey guys!

Slowly I'm transitioning into The Last Jedi, at last! I've had mocks all this week and next week too so updates may be a little slow but the next few chapters are gonna be long ones!

Please comment and vote!

~Olivia