The peculiar sound of birds chirping caused Athena to stir in her sleep. She blinked heavily, pushing away the lure of sleep as she rolled over in the large bed to examine the room filled with streaks of sunlight. The new room she was in was quite large, yet only a few items were in it. The bed she was in was on the back wall, a tall white wardrobe straight ahead, and a matching dresser was on the left wall with a vase of white flowers placed on top. A blast door was on the wall next to the dresser which presumably led out to wherever, a large window on the right wall where the warm sunlight trinkled in from, and another door was in the far right corner leading to perhaps a bathroom. Pulling back the soft blue covers, Athena swung her feet out to touch the floor. She was still in her gray and black First Order attire and as she stood she could still feel the ache in her right side. Where was she? Athena shuffled towards the door on the left, the door slid upwards to display a quiet white hallway and another door in front of her. Stepping out into the hallway, she gazed at all the different pieces of parchment scattered amongst the white walls. Some of the parchments depicting maps of various places: Hanna City, Naboo's Lake Side, and Nayli, the countryside of Chandrila. Other parchments illustrated ancient looking symbols that resonated with Athena, like she had seen them before, for some unknown reason. A particularly large piece of parchment hung at the end of the hallway, a young woman portrayed upon it. She had a long braid trailing across the crown of her head and down to her shoulder, the rest of her hair flying freely in the wind. She was beautiful, every feature elegantly portrayed, even the large scar on her neck. Athena's fingers immediately reached out to trace the ink outline of the scar, her scar. It was her, the portrait, of course it was. On the bottom corner of the paper, was tiny elegant writing. "Athena, 23 ABY." And signed below it were the initials "B.S.". Skimming all of the surrounding parchments Athena found they were all signed "B.S." Who was BS and why had they drawn her? Athena's bare feet were cold against the white wood floors as she continued into the main opening. The hallway exited out into a large, bright, and open space, a living room to her left with light blue couches and chairs surrounding a white table. In the far corner there was a bookcase stacked with hundreds of multicolored books, a hallway beside it, and a desk against the other wall. To her right was a small wooden table, two chairs positioned across from each other and a medium sized white kitchen just beyond it. Everything was so white, open, airy, and vivacious, with the sweet smell of flowers everywhere, she knew she could not be at another First Order Base.
Athena's mouth began to water as she saw the fresh fruits and vegetables packed onto the kitchen counter, each piece ripe and enticing. Hurrying into the kitchen, she plucked a shining red apple from the assortment and took a massive bite, internally savoring the juicy tart taste. When was the last time she even ate? How long had she been asleep for? The last she remembered, she was lying in a Command Shuttle. Her inquiries were cut short by the sound of faint shuffling entering the room. Athena turned slowly, eyes meeting a bare torso littered with scars. Looking up, she found a man with messy black hair covering most of his face, Kylo. For someone of such size and stature, the man was impossibly light on his feet. "Good Morning." His baritone voice was even deeper, thickened and raspier from sleep. "Um, Good Morning?" Athena mumbled shifting her gaze back to her apple. "I'm sorry, I didn't think you were awake yet." He stated, clearing his throat after as he reached for an apple behind her. "It's okay..." She trailed off admiring the scar tissue on his left side, almost mirroring exactly where her wound was. "Where are we?" Athena questioned taking another bite of the red apple and backing out of the kitchen. "Somewhere safe" was all he said, his back still to her, giving her time to note all of the other little scars that resided on his back that led down to the waistline of his loose black pants. "And where would that be?" She pushed. Kylo turned around to face her, taking a sip from his glass of water that seemed to appear from thin air, almost giving her a questioning look. "All you need to know is we are safe, no one to bother us." Athena rolled her eyes, she was not sure what delusional world he was in, but under what circumstances did he believe she wanted to be here with him? She sighed audibly before taking another bite out of her slowly dwindling apple. Ignoring him, she moved slowly throughout the main room, picking up random items to examine before setting them back down, all while Kylo's eyes were trained on her from the kitchen. "Why are we at a house and not another base?" She looked back at him, eyebrows lifting in questioning. "The Resistance was close to finding you hence why we left, but I knew it was only a matter of time before they would locate us at another base or ship. They will never search here though, that I know." Athena closed her eyes nodding along to his words. Damn he was smart which would only prove to make escaping or being rescued that much harder! She opened her eyes, ready to quip back at his statement, but a glimmer of light caught her eye.
Down the hall in between the bookcase and desk was a door full of light. Mesmerized Athena's apple slipped from her hand as she walked towards the door, ignorant to the sound of following footsteps. As she reached the door, her hand extended outwards causing the door to slide to the left. Athena rushed out the door and into the blinding sunlight, blinking rapidly to take in the sight, a garden full of vibrant flowers and plants and just beyond a large lake glistening in the sun. Her breath was taken away as she moved along the path, bare feet taking in the sensation of the soft plush grass below, and her hands outstretched skimming the tops of tall luscious greenery. Although she quickly halted in her pursuit, a bush of white flowers, the ones from her room, catching her attention. She bent down to take in the euphoric scent, a strange sense of nostalgia washing over her. "Those are Gardenias, your favorite." Her thumb gently caressed a petal before she stood back up, facing away from Kylo. "Why did you bring me here?" She questioned, eyes raking over the quiet land surrounding them. "To keep you sa-" "No!" Athena cut him off, spinning around to face him, almost instantly regretting it due to the look of pure sincerity in his warm eyes. "Why am I here?" She tried again. She was a Resistance Fighter and he was the Supreme Leader of the First Order. She was supposed to be locked into an interrogation chair on a Star Destroyer, not galavanting through a garden with him. It did not matter that they were once friends, he had killed his own father, why was she any exception? Kylo nodded stiffly, "Take a shower, clean your wound" Kylo pointed to her gray sweater where blood was beginning to seep through the fabric. How was she still bleeding? Her movements must have agitated the healing skin. "Then we will discuss it all." Athena was taken aback by his demand but silently nodded and followed the path back to the house, grazing past him in the process. The skin contact left a sweltering heat behind in its absence, one Athena tried to shake away, yet it only seemed to spread beneath her skin like wildfire. Kylo followed behind her, maintaining a safe distance until she stopped at her door in the hallway and he brushed past her to stop at his parallel door. Both of them stood with their backs to each other, the fire inside Athena never wavering for a moment, something about this place was putting her on edge. Something about him was putting her on edge. Whatever it was, it was bringing out something in her she always knew was there. Still feeling his hovering presence Athena inhaled sharply and entered her room, the door closing behind her to shut Kylo out. Once safe within her quarters, Athena leaned against the wall and covered her burning face with her cooler hands. Something was not right, something about this place seemed eerily familiar, like she had been here before. Well, she must of been, her portrait hung on one of the walls... just another piece lost in her mind. Kylo had promised if she came with him, that he would reveal her past, a part of her was wondering if he would ever get around to that. Pushing herself off the wall, Athena headed to the bathroom, but halted in her movement. What was she supposed to wear? Turning on her heel, she walked out into the hallway, going to knock on Kylo's door. Before her fist could touch the metal of the blast door, it slid open on its own. "Kylo?" Athena poked her head in, seeing no sign of him and hearing the faint sound of running water. Stepping inside, her blue eyes roamed around the larger room, with more furniture and items scattered around. There was a large unmade bed on the back wall with purple and pale green sheets in a heap on top. Athena's hand reached out to feel the fabric, a part of her already knowing what the cool soft silk felt like, a part of her already knew what it felt like against her warm skin. There was a large gray chair by the end of the bed, the seat covered in black clothing, that she could only imagine belonging to one person. Between two large windows was a dresser covered in dust and face down picture frames, curiously Athena stepped forward to examine them, but something in the corner of her eye directed her attention elsewhere. In the right corner of the room, were odd lacerations seared into the cement foundation of the wall. Athena's fingers traced over the marks that were cold and faded, signifying their age, a decade old at least. It looked as if the marks had been burned into the wall, Athena's thoughts making her eyes widened in realization... Lightsaber slashes. "Ahh Athena?" A voice disrupted Athena's shock, the girl instinctively turning towards the person. Behind her stood a naked Kylo Ren, well practically, a towel was loosely wrapped around his waist. Athena gulped taking in the sight of glistening chest and the wet hair that clung to his face, his ears poking out slightly. The fire inside blazed as her eyes raked over his figure, her fingers itching to trace over every scar, divot, and even run through his hair. Snapping back to reality, Athena looked to see the smirk residing on Kylo's face before she whipped around. "Oh I'm so sorry! I just needed some clothes and... b-bandages, yes bandages!" She kept her one hand pressed to her face trying to diminish the hot blush and the other trying to eradicate her racing heart. "The wardrobe and dresser are full of clothes, I had them stocked for you. As for bandages I will find some for you." He answered simply, although she could detect a hint of humor hidden in his words. Athena rolled her eyes, how foolish of her to assume those would be empty. "Um yes thank you, I'll go now." Athena squeaked out, keeping her hand up as a shield as she exited the room.
Back in the safety of her room, Athena's mind raced, why was she having these bizarre thoughts? He was the enemy, who had committed horrendous crimes, yet these thoughts still emerged. He was a monster, yet this newly surfacing part of her wanted to believe the man in the other room had been seduced to the dark side like General Organa said. Maybe Athena only wanted to believe that because he held the key to her past. With her chest weighing her down, Athena retrieved clothing from the wardrobe and dresser and tossed them onto the bed, before entering the bathroom. The bathroom was decently sized with white floors and gray walls, the shower calling her name. Undressing and removing her leaking bandages, Athen slipped into the shower. She allowed for the warm water to wash over, hoping that it would cleanse away her confusion. Yet, as she turned off the water, a grimace fell over her features the restless confusion still eating away at her. Grabbing a soft ivory towel from a shelf, Athena wrapped it around herself as she caught her reflection in the fogged up mirror. Wiping away the moisture she revealed her dripping wet reflection, her scar red from the hot water. Mindlessly her index finger reached up to trace the jagged outline of the skin causing a flash of an image behind her eyes to illuminate.
Athena was suddenly overwhelmed by a searing burning pain on the right side of her neck. She looked around to find herself now lying in an infirmary, a young boy seated besides her bed, his awkwardly long body tucked into itself as his head was cradled in his hands. "Ben" she whispered. His head sprung up at her hoarse voice, his eyes red and filled with tears. "Athena" He choked out grasping her hand tightly within his. Silent tears continued to shed from his eyes as Athena's free hand softly wiped them away. "I'm so sorry" he mumbled, but she only silenced the boy, caressing his sad stricken face. "It was an accident, I knew better than to move that close." The boy only shook his head, his inky curls bouncing at the movement. "Stop, it's my fault." Tears still staining his flushed face. "Ben..." Athena went to move, her voice faltering at the pain spreading through her neck. She grimaced biting the inside of her cheek, not wanting to bring attention to her discomfort, but the boy watched her intently... he always did. "I could never... if you ever..." His voice broke, not being able to deliver the painful words. "I'm not going anywhere Ben." She smiled comfortingly, letting her fingers run through his wild hair. The boy leaned forward pressing his wet lips to her forehead, "I can't lose you Athena." His voice was stern, determined and almost threatening, but she dismissed it more worried about the tears still falling down his cheeks. His face covered by his black hair fell down, resting against their intertwined hands. "I know Ben, I know."
Athena jumped back to see herself still standing in front of the fogged up mirror, finger still loosely trailing the rim of her scar. Was that a memory? How was she remembering? She closed her eyes, feeling the boy's lips graze across her forehead. She could not connect the young boy to Kylo, yet there was no denying they were the same person, or once were. It felt too unrealistic to tell herself that the sweet crying boy was the monstrous murderer just a room away. What was more horrifying was how close they seemed as young adults, how drawn to him Athena was beginning to feel. None of it was making any sense and it was starting to sicken the girl. Releasing a deep sigh she exited to her room, seeing a few freshly picked stems of lavender placed on top of her clothing. She hesitantly approached the edge of the bed and reached for the tiny purple plant. A smile overcame Athena's face at the intoxicating smell, she could not even help it. A distant sound of wind brushing through trees and water slowly lapping against the shore filled Athena's ears, making the girl feel somewhere else. She could feel the warm setting sun on her skin, the smell of fresh lavender and cherry blossoms floating into her nose. She could hear a distant voice speaking to her, whispering her name.
Out of shock, she dropped the stems of lavender, the sounds and sensations disappearing with it. What was happening? She needed to find answers. Hurriedly Athena put on the plain beige colored undergarments, black flowy pants, and a dark purple blouse, along with her black boots. The clothes contrasted sharply against her Resistance attire, even the First Order attire she had worn. The only true piece of her was found in the purple crystal that never left her neck. The clothes reminded her of the more formal clothing she had worn on Hosnian Prime, with the Strkyers. She was the "daughter" of the Senator after all, she had to look the part. Oh how she missed them, perhaps they were not her real family, but they had taken her in when Athena was only a shell of a person. They had helped her find her purpose, in helping others, and gave her a family. She only hoped that if she could discover who she truly was that they would still be looking upon her in pride wherever they now resided. Lingering for a moment, Athena took a deep breath attempting to gather her courage. Fear encasing her heart at the thought of her past finally being revealed, that had to be what Kylo would discuss with her, right? Who was she before? Was she the same or a completely different person? She closed her eyes willing away the fear, knowing she would never come to fear anything if she did not leave this room. Silently reassuring herself, Athena stepped out into the hallway and walked towards the main opening. Her boots slapping against the wood only adding to her nerves as she came to find the main living area empty, no sign of Kylo. Down the hall the blast door was open, a large boulder preventing it from closing, and Athena quickly realized why, heading outwards. She exited back outside in the beautiful garden, the bright light and vivid colors of the greenery making the whole scenery seem like nothing but a dream. Her eyes drifted across the land, enchanted by each blossoming flower and small tree, but her bright blue eyes caught something else in the mix. A dark figure standing down by the shoreline of the sparkling lake. Her feet lead the way down a stone path straight to Kylo, while Athena took the time to examine their hideaway. It was truly just a house, a white structure with rich blue trim detailing the outline of the house and around the windows. The house looked like a dream too, perhaps this was all just a dream. Athena laughed the idea away, her imagination was not this extensive or creative. Finally reaching the shoreline, Athena came to a stop besides Kylo, who was silently watching the water. His black hair had dried and instead of just a towel, he wore black pants and a dark navy blue sweater. He almost looked normal outside of his menacing Supreme Leader uniform. Her eyes trailed back up to his head, finding his eyes had turned away from the water and were now focused upon her. A twitch of his lips, an almost smile appearing on his face, as his hand extended down to caress her cheek. His rough calloused hand brought a rush of blood forward under her skin, painting them a faint pink, his touch erupting a fire in her she could not ignore. It was as if she was under a trance, under his spell, as she felt the allure to him, the need to trust and open up to him. "I think I remembered something." She mumbled still enjoying his soft strokes. "You did?" He exclaimed faltering in his motions. Athena lifted her hand up to once again trace her burn mark, "I remembered after I got this... the Infirmary..." She trailed off watching the guilt cloud his eyes. "It seemed like an accident, I don't remember what caused it, but you were so worried after... so distraught." She added remembering the crying boy, deep down a part of her could feel his pain, as if it were her own. "I never forgave myself for that day. We had practiced countless times before and one misstep and I hurt you in exchange." Athena's eyebrows knitted together, what had they been practicing? "From what I remember, it was no one's fault, a simple accident." Kylo only shook his head, "No, if I had been an inch closer I would've killed you."
"Well I'm alive so..." She laughed trying to comfort him, lifting her hand cautiously to his face. His stare intensified as he looked down upon her, making the girl almost squirm uncomfortably.
"Do you remember anything else from my visit to the Infirmary?" He questioned a glimmer of hope sparkling in his warm eyes. "No? Should I?" Kylo chuckled lightly, the apples of his cheeks tinting a slight darker shade, "No I suppose not, not yet at least." Athena retracted her hand and pondered his words, she could not remember anything else after his confession. "Oh I found bandages as well." Kylo announced retrieving a small bundle of beige wrapping from his other hand. His eyes looked to hers, then flickering down to her side, and back up questioningly. Athena let out a sigh of defeat, "Be quick with it." Turning her head to watch the lake, she lifted the right side of her blouse revealing her wound to Kylo. She vaguely saw him lower himself to one knee, his hands faintly skimming against her skin, particularly an old scar from a rough landing with Poe long ago. His thumb ran over the healed skin multiple times, before snapping himself out of his trance. Finally looking to her red and scabbing blaster wound, his hands moved to wrap the bandages around it tightly. The wind skimmed across the surface of the lake, creating gentle waves, reminding her of the noises and sensations she heard when smelling the lavender. "There's something about this place, something that is resurfacing parts of my past." Athena confessed dropping her blouse back down to cover her abdomen, her blue eyes looking down to him questioningly. "I was hoping it would, that means they are in there still. It means I can get them back."
"They?" Kylo ignored her questioning, standing up and backing away from the lake and heading towards the garden. Athena stood there frozen, contemplating whether or not she should follow, until he turned around. "Do you want your memories back Athena?" Her breath hitched in her throat at his words. Was it possible? Did she want to remember? Of course, but why did she feel her stomach twisting itself into knots? Was she afraid of being disappointed in who she was before or perhaps hate who she had become? Athena nodded, her mind too busy to form a coherent sentence. Kylo's hand extended outwards and Athena graciously took it, her nerves bursting with electricity at the contact. She wanted to know who Athena Jinn was and maybe her past could light the way to who Athena Stryker was meant to be. The two walked at a brisk pace back into the garden following a different path away from the door into the house, the silence guiding them, and her hand still clasped tightly in his. Kylo came to an abrupt stop, causing Athena to slam into his hard back, lose her footing, and land on the plush grass. "Athena!" Kylo whipped around searching her for any sign of an injury. His serious expression broke when Athena began to giggle, extending her hand out to him for help. Kylo let out a small chuckle, pulling her up and into his chest, the electrical current imbedded in her bloodstream warming her skin at their close proximity. "You were always so clumsy." He whispered, his warm breath fanning over her flushed face. He held her close as Athena lost herself in his addicting scent, cedarwood, cloves, and lavender. It was nothing like the bar of soap on the Star Destroyer, this was enticing, he was enticing. The two held eye contact, both lost in the depths of each other's eyes. How could Athena have forgotten such beautiful brown eyes? "Athena" he whispered, to which she only hummed out a response, still hypnotized by him. Kylo cleared his throat, tearing his eyes away from her, breaking the spell. "You need to close your eyes and clear your mind." Athena swallowed thickly and followed his instructions. With her eyelids shut and purely listening to the rhythm of her heart, she let Kylo guide her to sit down on a cool stone slab, a bench. Her hands instantly gripped the edge in anticipation, her nerves making her heartbeat pick up. "I'll try and make it as painless as possible, don't forget I'll be right here, okay?" She nodded silently, pressing her lips into a fine line, mentally bracing herself. She could hear Kylo back away silently and the movement of fabric before she suddenly felt a tug on her brain, eliciting a nervous exhale from her lips. The tug intensified and Athena tightened her grip on the bench, trying to prevent any indication of the pain she was in. This was worth it, she just had to fight through it . "Calm your mind Athena." Kylo reminded and she inhaled deeply, listening to her rapid heartbeat. Her heartbeat quickened as another painful pull rippled through her mind. A whimper escaped her lips as a sudden burst of light illuminated inside her mind, an internal wall crumbling down.
"Athena?"