Kylo Ren

XXXV

Once, a long, long time ago, there were no Jedi, no Sith, and no Resistance.

In this time, there was a very old inventor, named Heeshuptas.

He spent much of his life creating two things: a very real woman and a very special box.

The woman was a robot, programmed to be as near to a human as possible, even looking the part. She was named Pandora.

The box contained a pair of stones, into which he'd channeled a strange sort of power.

Heeshuptas knew he had very little time left to live, so he went to Pandora, and activated her.

She opened her eyes for the first time, and he marveled in the beauty of his daughter creation. Then he instructed her to care for the box, and to never open it.

If she opened it, he warned, the universe could be destroyed. She wondered what it was, but he wouldn't tell her.

Pandora told him, her eyes wide, that she wouldn't dream of it.

A week later, Heeshuptas died, in his sleep, with his "daughter" watching over him, for she never slept.

A man came to the isolated house one day, seeking the beautiful droid he'd heard tale of. His name was Epitehmeus.

When he looked upon her, Epitehmeus was so stunned by her beauty that it mattered not she was a droid. He wanted to marry her right away, and he did, and they lived in the little isolated house.

One day, while Epitehmeus was away, Pandora was cleaning. She came across the box Heeshuptas gave her.

Disregarding the warning, she pulled it out from under the bed, and opened the lid. The first of the crystals, larger and red, shone at her. She lifted it out.

Something called to her, and told her to press it to her forehead. She did, and the Dark Side of the Force was released, spawning the Sith all across the galaxy.

She fell back, ashamed at what she'd done, betraying her "father's" dying wish.

Pandora dropped the now colorless crystal, and picked up the other, which was smaller and blue.

She pressed it to her forehead, and closed her eyes.

Afren looked down at the little girl in her bed of furs, slowly sucking her thumb in slumber.

She smiled and stroked the dark-haired head. "That crystal countered the other, enlightening certain individuals to the Light Side of the Force, the Jedi."

A figure appeared in the doorway, blocking the light.

"Afren, there's someone here to see you."

"Thank you, Jasper."

She planted a kiss on the girl's forehead, who shifted in her sleep, then left, nervously twisting the ring on her left ring finger.

Afren went into the room that served as a kitchen and entertaining room.

A pilot was seated at the table, and he turned his head when she entered. "Poe?"

When he stood, she cried out in excitement. "Poe!"

He hugged her tightly.

Afren held him at arm's length. "What are you doing here?"

"What, not glad to see me?" Poe laughed.

"Well of course, but you aren't just here for a vacation. General Organa wouldn't let you do that."  Afren led him back to the table.  She and Jasper sat across from him.

"The general wants to send more troops out here, to reinforce the outpost."

Jasper and Afren exchanged a glance.  "How many more?"

Poe told him.

Jasper stood up, pushing his hands on the table to lift himself. "Well, sorry for the short conversation, but we're tired. There's a spare room just down the hall, there's a possibility that there will be an Ewok in there, just shoo him out. They're surprisingly clean creatures."

Poe followed suit. "Thank you. Good night, Afren, Jasper."

Sure enough, there was not one, but two Ewoks sprawled over the bed, asleep and drooling.  Poe clapped his hands and they left, chattering at him in annoyance.  One kicked at him.

The pilot closed the door behind them and looked at the bed.  There were greenish stains from the Ewoks' drool.  He stripped the top blanket and folded it.

Poe threw himself down on the mostly-clean sheets, and went to sleep.

He was awoke sometime in the middle of the night, by some unearthly noise at some ungodly hour.  He figured it was an Ewok, and went back to sleep without investigating.