A Star Wars Christmas Carol, Part 5

Yes! The curtains were his own. The bed was his own. The room was his own. But happiest of all, his life was his own. There was time enough to make amends!

Scrooge hugged the bed curtains like a lover, his face wet with tears. “They are not torn down, rings and all! They're here! And I'm here!” Scrooge almost leaped out of bed, falling to the floor. “The spirits of all three shall strive within me! Heaven and Christmastime be praised for this, Sheev Marley! I say it on my knees! On my...” He winced as a splinter nearly went into his knee. “Maybe I shouldn't salute Christmas on my knees while on a bare floor.”

He was so excited, he found himself darting around his rooms, remembering and pointing. “There's the saucepan the gruel was in! I was so tired, I forgot to leave it to be cleaned. There's the chair where Sheev Marley sat. There's where the Ghost of Christmas Past stood when she arrived. There's the window where I saw those poor wandering spirits! It all right! It all happened!” He let out a fine, long laugh. It was quite a good laugh for someone who was very out-of-practice. The father of a long line of illustrious laughs!

He flung open his window. The fog and the mist of the night before had vanished. A glorious, chilly winter's morning had replaced the gloom of the previous day. He saw a familiar boy with blue-black hair making a snowman under his window, the one Caleb...Kanan had called Ezra.

“Lad!” He yelled. “I say, what day is it?”

“Today?” The boy shrugged. “Why, it's Christmas Day, sir!”

“Brilliant! I haven't missed it!” Scrooge danced around by the window, ignoring the strange looks the boy gave him. “The spirits gave me another chance! Of course they can! They can do anything they want! And you can help me now, my fine fellow. Do you know that prize turkey hanging in the window at the butcher down the street?”

The lad nodded. “The one almost as big as me? I should say I do!”

“A remarkable boy! An intelligent boy!” Scrooge grinned. “I want you to buy it.”

“Walker.” Ezra turned away, rolling his eyes at this obviously barmy adult.

“No! I am in earnest. Here.” He tossed a bag of money down to the child. “This will pay for it, and you can keep anything leftover. Give it to your father, with my blessings. Come back within twenty minutes, and I'll give you half a crown!”

“Wow! Thanks, sir!” Ezra waved and took off like a shot.

Scrooge rubbed his hands in delight. “I'll send it to my son's house. It'll be a wonderful surprise. He shan't know who sent it. It's twice the size of Tiny Tim!”

“Scrooge!” He opened his door to reveal not one, but two familiar faces. Jyn Andor was accompanied by her swarthy husband Cassian. Both wore their nightclothes and looked rather peeved. “What did I tell you about all the racket in here? It's Christmas Day, ye know. Some folks only have one day a year where they get to sleep in.”

“See, Senior Scrooge,” Cassian added in his lilting Spanish accent. “Others sleep. You must keep it down!”

“I'm sorry, but I'm just celebrating the holiday.” Scrooge grinned and pulled two bags out of his drawer, handing one to Jyn and another to Cassian. “I realize that I haven't been much of a tenant. That's enough for two month's rent, plus to help you do any repairs and landscaping that may need to be done, including restoring that old bell by my fireplace.”

“Mr. Scrooge!” Jyn's eyes were wide. Cassian's mouth hung open. His wife just shook her head. “I don't know what to say. We don't have nothin' for you.”

“Say 'Merry Christmas'!” Scrooge closed his hands around hers. “That's all that needs to be said. It's a gift...and a thank-you for being good landlords who have always seen to mine and the other residents' needs.”

“Why, you're welcome, Mr. Scrooge!” Jyn pumped his hand so hard, he nearly bounced off the floor. “Thank you so much!”

“We have friends who are monks at a church a few blocks away.” Cassian gave him a toothy grin. “We would be honored if you'd join us for the morning service there.”

Scrooge beamed. “It would be a pleasure. Just...” he looked down at his nightshirt, “let me get dressed first. I'll meet you downstairs.”

Shaving would have been hard enough with his hands shaking, if he hadn't been dancing while he did it. If he'd accidentally cut off his nose, he would have thrown a piece of sticking plaster over it and been quite satisfied.

Dressed in his best, he met young Ezra at the door to the main house. There never was such a bird! It was so plump, it could never have walked on it's legs when it was alive. They would have snapped like twigs. Poor Ezra practically disappeared behind it.

“You could never carry that all the way to Camden Town! You must have a cab.” Scrooge gave him the money and the promised crown. “Tell the driver to keep the change. And here,” he handed him one more coin, “is a not for your dear father. Tell him Mr. Anakin Scrooge, an old friend from his days with Yoda Fezziwig, would like to get together the day after tomorrow to discuss old times.”

Ezra's wide blue eyes were somewhere between confused and shocked. “All right, sir...Mr. Scrooge. Thank you! I'll tell Kanan that. Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas, lad!” Scrooge saw to it that the boy got into the cab before he was joined by Jyn and Cassian. Their friend Bodhi, a bright Arabic lad with gentle dark eyes, drove them to church.

Scrooge hadn't seen the inside of a church since his Padme died. The monk who greeted Cassian like an old friend and called Jyn “little sister” was a robust man with flowing locks and a weathered old face. He was joined by another man, Chinese like his friend, who wore a monk's cassocks and carried a walking stick. Scrooge noticed his pale, sightless eyes as he shook his hand.

“Hello there, sir.” The man had a truly lovely smile. It shown from ear to ear, giving him the look of beatific bliss.“Mrs. Andor tells me that you're a newcomer, or more, that you've returned to the fold. It's wonderful to hear that someone wants to start over in life. You're never to old for a fresh start.”

He wished the kind monk could see his own radiant smile. “Thank you, Brother. I think I understand that better now.”

After the church services, Jyn invited him to dinner at their rooms, but he declined. “Sorry, Mrs. Andor, but I already have an engagement with my daughter and her family. Perhaps we could get together next week and discuss those repairs.”

“That's too bad, Senior.” Cassian shook his hand. “When you do not yell, you are fun to be around.”

He took their leave and moved on. Everyone was out and about on this fine Christmas afternoon, chasing each other or sliding on the ice. As he took the first slide he'd had in overy 20 years, he almost literally ran into two familiar faces.

“Oof! Snips!” His grin upon meeting his former apprentice and gruff old Captain Rex was genuine. Though they wore finer clothing than they had the day before, they still carried their tin cups...and neither appeared to be especially happy to see him. “I'm so pleased that I ran into you. I'm sorry about what happened yesterday at the counting house.”

He was startled at how closely the grown Ahsoka, with her white fur cloak and long blue-ribboned braids, resembled the Ghost of Christmas Past. The sun even glinted off the tin cup like the Spirit's lamplight. “It's all right, Skyguy,” she finally admitted. “It's Christmas. If you're ready to forgive, so am I.”

“Let's say I've learned a lot in the past few hours, Snips.” He leaned over Captain Rex's ear. “Put me down for...” He whispered a considerable sum that made the Captain's dark eyes widen.

Ahsoka had been listening in. Her grin nearly split her face. “Do you mean that, Skyguy?”

“Skyguy.” Anakin threw back his head in a hearty laugh. “How I've missed you calling me that! Yes, I mean it. There's a great many back-payments included in that, I assure you.”

Captain Rex shook Anakin's hand so hard, Anakin could barely feel it when he pulled it away. “Thank you, Anakin! You've just made the present brighter for a lot of good people. Like this lad and lass here.” He pulled away...revealing two small ragged children, like the two that had been under the Spirit's cloak. “These tykes wouldn't have a Christmas at all if we hadn't given them a box with turkey and tinned food and gifts.”

“I was glad to do it.” His smile softened. “Put it in my name...and Padme's.”

Ahsoka nodded, a tear glinting in her eye. “Miss Amidala would have wanted it that way.”

“She'd be proud of you, mate.” Rex patted his shoulder. “And so am I.”

“Come and visit me!” Scrooge grinned. “Come and visit me next week! I'll keep the cider piping hot for you!”

“We will, Skyguy!” Ahsoka waved as Rex grinned behind her. “We will!” And her eager voice sounded as if she meant it.

Scrooge had never had such a pleasant late afternoon. He questioned beggars and treated them to hot chestnuts from a wagon, scratched dogs between the ears, patted children on the head, and looked into windows, waving to people getting ready for their holiday meals as he passed. As the sun dipped slowly behind the rooftops, he finally got up the nerve to go to his daughter Leia's front door and knock.

“Hello, sir?” The little golden-haired lass with the two buns on the top of her head greeted him. “May I help you?”

“Is Mr. and Mrs. Solo at home?” Dear girl! Pretty and smart, he'd wager. There was something in her pert expression that almost made him think of his own Leia in her younger years. She had that same intelligent mischief to her.

“They're in the dining room, sir,” she explained. “I'll show you upstairs.”

“That's all right, lass. He knows me.” Scrooge followed her to the dining-room door. “I'll just let myself in from here.”

The moment he went in, he noticed the enticing array of food on the tables. Kes and Poe were already helping themselves to biscuits and cakes and candied fruit. Little Bee Bee the pup begged for treats by their side.

“Leia!” He called out at the top of his lungs.

Dear me, how Han nearly jumped six feet! Scrooge had forgotten that his nephew by marriage was sitting on the footstool by the corner. Leia was no less startled when her father went right over to her and gave the biggest hug and kiss he possibly could.

“Father?” Leia sputtered, speechless for once in her life. “What...how...I thought you weren't coming!”

“I changed my mind. Decided I wanted a decent meal for a change. Gruel every night does get very dull after a while.” He went to shake his nephew-in-law's hand. “Han, my boy. It's good to finally meet you. I heard you have a shipping business. Your wife says you do quite well for yourself. Perhaps we could chat sometime soon, businessman to businessman.”

“Well...yes.” Han's famous smirk spread across his handsome face. A capitol face it was, too. Truly, Leia's husband could have been a matinee idol or an explorer from the penny dreadfuls if he'd had a mind for it. “I'd like that, sir.”

“Call me 'Father.'” He gave him a grin of his own. “We sensible businessmen ought to stick together. There's so few of us.”

Han's smirk widened even more. “Damn straight, Dad.”

It was a wonderful party. He was at home in five minutes. There were the Tico sisters, when they came in, and they looked just the same. So did Finn and Lando, when they came, and Kanan and his children when they came. He greeted Kanan like a brother and talked old times with him, and Kanan thanked him for the payment to his son Ezra for delivering the turkey.

Old Ben Willkins was sipping cider and reading a book in the corner when Scrooge found him. “Ben,” he said, “I'm going to say something I should have said a long time. I'm sorry. I was an idiot, and not much of a brother. I know you could probably never forgive me...”

Ben gave him that same warm smile he'd known so many years before. “You've already proved that you're at least somewhat willing to change just by coming here. Perhaps we could discuss it further over lunch in the back of my bookshop next week, after the New Year. I always order it from Lando's Tavern. He makes a smashing shepherd's pie.”

“That would be splendid! I haven't had a good stick-to-your-ribs shepherd's pie in years.” He gave Old Ben a hug, just like he used to when they were as close to brothers as anyone who wasn't related could be. “I've missed you, old friend.”

“And I've missed you.” His friend nodded in the direction of the younger Ben and his two friends. “Why don't you talk to your grandson? He's got a good head on him. Maybe you can use him. He's wasting away with that blighter Snoke.”

Scrooge nodded. “I think I will. Thank you, Ben.”

Indeed, Young Ben, Hux, and Phasma were all chatting in a corner, just as they had when he was with the spirit. “Hello there, grandson!” He shook the young man's hand so firmly, he nearly shook all the cider out of his cup. “You know, I've been thinking about taking on more help. I'm going to be taking on a new partner, and there will be an opening for a clerk. I can pay you twice as much to start off as that blaggard Snoke would, and you'll be keeping it in the family.”

“You will?” Ben raised an eyebrow. “I thought you said I had to keep my nose to the grindstone and not let myself get involved with day-to-day distractions.”

“Son, let me tell you something.” He put a hand on the youth's shoulders and gazed straight into those black doe eyes that looked so much like his daughter's. “Someday, you're going to wake up and discover, like I did today, that those day-to-day distractions were more important than all the ledger books and all the cash boxes in the world. Working hard doesn't mean you can take time aside to enjoy the small things in life. Don't let them pass you by.”

Hux snorted. “What tripe!”

But Ben's eyes shown, and he looked thoughtful. “I'll consider it, Grandfather.”

It was a delightful party after that. He joined in on every game, even 'Yes and No.' He danced with Leia and Rose, sang along when Poe played the guitar, fed Bee Bee pieces of chicken and fish when no one was watching, and exchanged stories with Han, Kanan, and Lando about their experiences in business. In short, he had the best time he'd experienced since the beginning of his and Padme's courtship, and it made him feel ten years younger.

But he was at the office bright and early the next morning. Oh, he was early! He wanted to catch his son coming in late. That was the thing he had his heart set upon.

The clock struck 9 on the dot. No Luke. A quarter-past. His son was nearly a full twenty minutes late when he dashed into the room, his usual scarf and waistcoat flying behind him like fairy's wings.

“I'm so sorry, Father!” He gasped, rather red in the face from running. “I didn't mean to oversleep, but we were making rather merry last night. Someone had Kanan Jarrus' boy deliver the biggest turkey you ever saw. I thought it was a mistake at first, but Mara said no, it was ours...”

“It was no mistake.” Scrooge narrowed his eyes and tried to look stern. “Come over here, boy.” He glared behind his desk as well as he could as Luke slunk slowly into his office. “I'm not going to stand for this sort of thing anymore! It's about time we did something about it!”

“Oh Father, no!” Luke was nearly on his knees in front of the desk. “It's only once a year, Father! Don't fire me!”

“You know what I'm going to do?” Scrooge's pockmarked face broke into the widest grin it had worn in 20 years. “I'm going to raise your salary.” He laughed as Luke's jaw dropped open. “Yes, my boy! I'm going to raise your salary, give you a promotion to partner, and assist your struggling family! Scrooge and Son! How does that sound? Better than Scrooge and Marley, ehh?”

“I..I...oh Father...” That was when Luke remembered. “I...Father, I have something for you. To thank you. I guess it's a Boxing Day gift now. My son Temiri and I made it. He's so clever with carving. The suns look like they could actually give heat, they're so real.” He pulled the wood twin suns pendant out of his pocket and handed it to his father. “Merry Christmas. No matter what happens to you, Temiri and I love you.”

Anakin stared for a long time at that pendent, turning it over in his fingers. “It's fine work, lad.” He gave him a shy grin. “You know, I have a knife that I haven't used for a long time. Perhaps, if you don't mind, sometime in the next few weeks, I could visit your home and give your son a few carving lessons. I used to carve quite often myself as a lad. I wish I could show you the pendent I made for your mother, but it was buried with her.”

“I'd like that, Father.” Luke's grin could have lit every lamp in London. “And Temiri would, too.”

“Now, lad,” he immediately went to the coal scuttle, “let's fill that stove and warm up this icebox, and we'll discuss all of this over a bowl of smoking bishop.”

He did it all, and infinitely more. The very next day, they finally replaced that old sign over his counting house door with one saying “Scrooge and Scrooge.” Ben Solo came to him two days later, saying he'd left his job with the First Order Savings and Loan and was still interested in the clerk job, if it was open. He eventually hired on sensible Rey as well.

He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man as the good old city ever knew. He could frequently be seen chatting over tea and a new novel with Ben Willkins, or enjoying a hearty stew at Lando's Tavern, or giving out boxes to the poor with his daughter. He never again was visited by spirits, but he never forgot the things he learned that foggy Christmas night. It was said that he knew how to keep Christmas alive in his heart, if any man ever possessed the knowledge.

May that be truly said of us, and of all of us. And as Tiny Tim, who did not die, once said, “God bless us, every one!

The End