Sam Tico never tired of staring into the star-speckled black of the universe. He remembered falling in love with the stars the night that his parents had taken him to an observatory, when he was five years old. His younger sister, Aya, was there and was cranky, as three-year-olds tended to be.

But he remembered his father, the great Resistance hero, putting him up on his shoulders so he could interact with the holograms within the great dome. He clapped his hands around the light, expecting to capture stars. But he never did.

He supposed that flying in them was the next best thing.

"Stargazing again, Tico?"

He turned his head to see Danni Da Dameron approach from the door with a keycard next to it and a sign proclaiming it a restricted area. She crossed her arms, more to keep herself warm than anything else, Sam speculated.

"I like seeing what new constellations we can find in the galaxy," Sam said. "It's not the same in the observatories on Chandrila."

"It isn't, is it?" Danni smiled.

The two of them stood together in silence for a moment, before Sam pierced the silence.

"I heard that the whole reason for this mission is whatever you're working on in the science wing," Sam said. "Not to patrol the border between New Republic and First Order space."

"Not First Order," Danni corrected. "Have you heard what the Empress is calling it now?"

"I don't remember," Sam admitted.

"It's the Imperial Remnant," Danni said. "Not that it makes that much of a different. Still the same imps."

"It's just hard to switch the names," Sam said. "It's all the same thing— I don't see the point in all of the name-changes and pretending that they're something that they're not."

He wasn't just talking about the Empire. He was also thinking of the Empress herself.

"Maybe it's because they have changed." Danni looked back. "For instance, the Empress hasn't attacked New Republic Space. Usually the imps are just itching for war."

"Is that why we aren't helping the Jedi?" Sam asked. That question became one of frustration for him over the past three years. "Because she isn't attacking us?"

"We've given the refugees a place to stay on Chandrila and other Core Worlds," Danni said, a firmness in her voice. "We can't just go against the Remnant without being provoked. If we maintain the terms of the Treaty of Batuu, we could keep the galaxy out of yet another war."

"I guess so." Sam couldn't help his defensive tone. "Still, I wish we could help them more. The Jedi were our friends."

Danni smiled sympathetically. "Believe me, if Dad had more sway on Mom's politics, we would be going to war for Rey's sake. But they're still scattered, and we don't have the technology yet to go against them."

Sam loved the way her eyes lit up when she said 'yet.'

He glanced back at the door. "Is that what you're working on, behind that door?"

Danni glanced up at the ceiling and subtly pointed at a holocamera. "Classified, Tico."

"Oh, right." He blushed at his own stupidity, and ran his hand through his lush curly hair. It was somehow a mix between the textures of his parents'. "What brought you out here, to this corridor?"

"I thought I'd speak with my favorite stargazing pilot," Danni said. "I found your schedule in the network, and saw that you had this hour free."

"Really?" He was never happier that his blush didn't show itself as well on his dark skin. He was grinning like an idiot.

"Yeah, sometimes I just need a break from listening to everyone complain about what went wrong, and instead just think about something else," Danni said. "Sometimes it helps me solve the problems a little better."

She glanced at the camera and leaned in to Sam, whispering directly into his ear. "We're really close to a breakthrough, and I was hoping I could get some good luck from a chat with you."

"I'm happy to serve my duty to the New Republic."

She seemed slightly unsatisfied by this answer, but still smiled, looking just like her mother, Chancellor Kaydel Ko Connix. She glanced back at the stars. "What'll you be doing, once your first tour is over?"

"I'll try to go on assignment again soon," Sam said. "Somewhere nice, like Deyer or Naboo."

"There are a lot of beaches and pretty girls on Naboo," Danni said.

"Yeah, but I would miss you." It seemed like she was fishing for that answer. "Where are you going, after this?"

"I've already been requested to go to Naboo there's an engineering convention that will be happening after the mission wraps up, and the New Republic will want for me to explain what we've been working on, since it will be de-classified by then," Danni said. "I'd love it if you could get stationed there. I feel bad that you and all of the other soldiers here have no idea what we're working on— especially when you're acting as our escort."

"In war, we've all got to play our part, for the rest of the galaxy to get out safely," Sam said.

"But we aren't at war yet," Danni reminded him softly.

"It's easy to forget when you're on a warship, for classified projects and patrolling what became enemy space," Sam said.

"I guess so," Danni mumbled. She glanced at the chrono on her wrist. "I'd better get back there. Is there any way I could get a kind of good luck token?"

Sam's heart pounded as Danni blushed.

"Like a kiss?"

He felt breathless at her request— in a good way. Like she had just given him all of the air he needed.

"I think I can manage that." He leaned in for a kiss, but she turned her head at the last minute, so it was a kiss on the cheek. Before he could ask, she pointed at the viewport. He turned to see several Alderaanian starfighters and TIE fighters coming straight for the ship. Blaster bolts rained from the guns of the starfighters, and the Princess Leia rocked.

In all the confusion, Sam didn't remember how he'd gotten on the ground, until Danni offered a hand to him. Without hesitation, he accepted it, and she pulled him into the forbidden door. Sirens wailed, the emergency red lights flashing in Sam's peripheral vision as the scientists ran around, trying to collect data and results.

Danni pulled out her datapad, furiously typing in commands. Sam grabbed onto a table as the Princess Leia continued to pitch as it was bombarded from various sides. He was extraneous— or so he thought.

When he finally had regained his balance, Sam looked up to see Danni and a blue-skinned woman with iridescent pearl-colored hair. He recognized the feathery hairstyle, and nodded his head as formally as he could, when trying to keep his balance.

"Dr. Xux," he said, referring to the head military scientist aboard the ship.

"Tico's son, eh?" Dr. Xux looked to Danni. "At least we know we can trust him."

"What's going on?"

"Just got a message from the bridge," Dr. Xux explained. "They took out the gunners and the pods, and they're now heading toward the hangar bays."

"It's an invasion," Danni elaborated, taking care not to drop a fragile-looking disc in her hands. "They know what we've been working on— and the First Order cannot have that information. Not as they are now."

"It would prevent any chance for us to avenge the Jedi, or Rey's children," Dr. Xux added. "And I think I speak for most of the New Republic when I say we'd like for that not to happen."

"We need to get out of here," Danni said.

"How can I help?" Sam asked.

"You're my escort," Danni explained. "Dr. Xux thinks two heads are better than one, and you can help me steal a ship from those bastards and get us through the Transitory Mists."

Geography was never Sam's greatest strength— hence why he was not a pilot in the New Republic military. Even with how he loved the stars, he wasn't particularly great at navigating them. But he'd forgotten about how close the Hapes Cluster was.

"We've never gone to them before," Sam said. "They just closed their borders the night it all happened."

"The outlying planet of Silvanus will take you," Dr. Xux promised.

The Princess Leia finally went still, and everyone was silent, despite the alarm still screaming.

"And you need to leave, now." Dr. Xux turned behind her. "I've got one more thing— the most important."

Danni quirked an eyebrow, Sam noticed. She stood on tip-toe to peer over his shoulder.

Dr. Xux flipped a switch, activating the hover-repulsers, causing the large silver crate to lift into the air for smoother transport.

What could possibly be in there? Sam wondered. Only one look at Danni confirmed that she had no idea, either.

His thoughts couldn't wander long, for Dr. Xux spoke again.

"Here's the remote for it." Dr. Xux placed the sleek instrument into Sam's hand, wrapping his fingers around it.

Her pearly eyes found Sam's. "This is our most important discovery. This crate cannot fall into enemy hands under any circumstances."

"I don't understand." Danni spoke the words that Sam was thinking. "I've never seen this— when did we even get this?"

Dr. Xux shook her head. "That's a question for another time. Or rather, for the scientists on Chandrila. Your mother will know what to do."

Dr. Xux then coughed. "That reminds me— the contents are dangerous. Under no circumstance are you to open it, not until you are in Republic space with your parents, or other officials. Am I understood?"

"Yes." The word was empty, a soldier's chant.

But Sam and Danni both knew that there was no time to further pry or prod or take instructions into their own hands.

"Get down to the hangar, get a ship that can take both of you, and the crate," Dr. Xux ordered. "Make sure our story reaches the New Republic, and that the First Order doesn't get our research."

"They won't," Sam promised. He glanced up, seeing the schematics in his mind. "I need a barricade. We're not leaving through the doors."

AN: Thank you for reading the first chapter of The Children of the Stars. This story will follow several canon elements that were introduced in The Rise of Skywalker except for one major one. You know which one. Anyway, I hope to create the kind of saga that would follow the children of the current protagonists of the Sequel Trilogy. I hope you enjoy this experience as much as I did writing it.