Athena's eyes fluttered open to the sound of the man whispering her name. Her eyes wide open, untrained, and filled with tears. A tidal wave had crashed over her, returning her past as if it had never left.
She was in a brightly lit meadow, the sun casting a warm halo around a man and woman, who sat contently behind their house in the Nayli countryside. Their attention was captivated by the toddler, their daughter, who sat in front of them on the soft yellow blanket. Her blue eyes were wide as her chubby hands lifted a shiny rattle up into midair.
A fire filled her vision next, smoke infiltrating the lungs of the four year old girl being rushed through the burning house by her frantic father. Once outside, her father placed her down on the grass, a safe distance away from the fire. "Stay here, I have to go find your mother!" The man instructed moving to leave, but the young girl's tiny hand caught his. "No Papa please don't leave me, I'm scared!" She sobbed. Another part of the house crumbled down in the background as her father stood frozen for a moment. He quickly retrieved a purple crystal from around his neck and placed the oversized necklace around his daughter's neck. "Wear this it's a Kyber Crystal, one like the Jedi's used to use in the stories your mother and I told you. It will keep you safe until we return." The child's hand clamped around the crystal watching as her father ran back into the burning house, only to never return.
The girl sat in a small white hospital room, any evidence of the fire being cleaned away as she now wore a white medical gown, the purple Kyber crystal still hanging from her neck. Tears streamed down her face, she knew her parents were gone, and she was all alone. A woman with fair skin, warm gentle eyes, and her dark hair braided up entered the room sometime later. Her eyes traveled from the focused little girl to the floating syringe beside her, a knowing smirk forming on the woman's face. "Hello dear, what's your name?" The woman offered her a sincere smile, stepping closer. "Athena Jinn" The girl whispered, the syringe dropping in the background. The woman frowned, "My name is Leia Organa, can you say that?" The child smiled softly, "Lele." Leia laughed, she supposed that was close enough. "Athena love, would you like to come home with me?" The girl nodded eagerly, perhaps this woman could provide her a new home, a new family.
The woman with a long braid trailing down her back, Leia, carried the girl into a spacious looking condo overlooking the capital of Chandrila, Hanna City. "Leia you cannot seriously be thinking of taking her in?" A deep voice spoke causing the little girl to whimper, snuggling deeper into Leia's shoulder. "I knew her parents, Mysa and Baron, it's the least I can do. She'd be an orphan if I didn't!" Two men sighed audibly and a large wookie mumbled incoherently as well. "There's another reason though..." Leia moved to put the girl down on a soft white carpet where a black haired boy with brown eyes, looking to be a year older than her, played with levitating toy blocks. As soon as the girl sat next to the boy, her hand lifted and flew a blue block over to her. The boy's head lifted, shooting her a glare to which she only giggled at. "She's strong with the Force, Luke." Leia said to the sandy blonde haired man. "You said Jinn?" Luke questioned. Leia only nodded and Luke let out a small laugh. "What's funny kid?" the dark haired man asked. "She must be the ancestor of Qui-Gon Jinn, Old Ben's master. His great niece or something! You have to keep her then..." The brunette man sighed once again, "Great another Force User, as if I wasn't already outnumbered!"
The girl, age six, woke in a dark room, a nightmare about her parents demise causing tears to fall thickly down her face. She quickly climbed out of her bed, her tiny legs carrying her to her sense of comfort. She looked out at the living room seeing the bustling nightlife of Hanna from the large open balcony, before entering the room next to hers. The boy was in his bed, tossing in his sleep, as the young girl approached his bed still crying. He suddenly woke from a sniffle, sensing her distraughtness in the Force. "Nightmare again?" He questioned rubbing his eyes, black hair messily splayed across the pillow. The girl only nodded and climbed into bed, into his open arms. "I'm sorry for waking you all the time Benny." She whimpered in his embrace. "It's okay that's what I'm here for Ath, always."
The girl and Ben were three years older, running through the meadow of Naboo, visiting for a political meeting Leia had to attend. The family had escaped to the quiet fields one afternoon though. The little brunette girl was chasing the bouncing black curls of the boy. "Ben!" She called out, laughing, her smaller legs unable to keep up with the Ben's long strides. His legs already growing longer than hers, it was not fair. Ben only chuckled teasing her, "Keep up Athena!" The girl huffed pushing her legs to go faster, leading her to take a misstep and go tumbling into the plush green grass. "Athena?" Ben halted before doubling back and diving into the grass beside the unmoving girl, lying face down in the grass. "Ben is she okay?" A woman's voice called from up the hill. He rolled the girl over to see a sheepish smile on her face and the boy let out a sigh of relief. "I fell" She giggled and Ben with his warm eyes laughed in return. "So clumsy!" He pulled her back up to her feet before the same woman, Leia, shouted for them. "Kids come here, Han take a photo of us!" The children groaned to themselves, not another picture. "Coming Lele!" "Coming Mom!"
"Can you hurry up?" Ben groaned watching as the girl fiddled with the wire paneling of the office door. "Can you give me a minute?" The girl rolled her eyes, keeping her attention on the multicolored wires. The two had been locked up in a stuffy office all day while Ben's parents dealt with political problems, and it was time for a jail break. Rewiring a blue and red wire, the girl watched as the door flew open. "Ha take that Spaceboy!" Her teasing was cut short by C-3PO entering the room, clearly the reason why the door had truly opened. Ben gave her sly look and she pushed him out the door past the gold droid. "Go Ben go!" The girl shouted as the two ran through the hanger and out onto the landing strip, heading for the fastest piece of junk in the galaxy. "Young Solo, Miss Jinn where do you two think you are going?" C-3PO called out to the mischievous children. Ben only smirked to the girl as they raced up the ramp and into the cockpit. He slid into the pilot seat and she into the co-pilot. Oh Han would regret teaching these two partners in crime how to fly. Barely being able to see over the dash the two took off in the Falcon for a joyride. When they returned later, the Falcon covered in branches, Leia and Han with their arms crossed and faces red with anger awaited them. "Oh we're so screwed" Both children uttered.
Months later the children would find themselves back on the Falcon, with nervous expressions and intertwined hands trying to find comfort in one another. "They're only sending us away because of me." Ben mumbled, his inky black curls moving to hide his face. "No they want us to become Jedi's, to master the Force!" The girl corrected, an excited expression taking over her face. She would become a Jedi, like the ones her parents told stories about. He only shook his head, "N-No... my p-parents are scared, scared of m-me, of this part hidden in me." The girl's smile dropped, eyes widening at his words. Squeezing her best friend's hand, she urged him to look at her. His warm brown eyes held a look of sadness and fear, bottom lip trembling slightly. "Well I'm not Ben."
The girl and Ben were two years older dressed in variating shades of brown robes. Ben, had short black hair and a small braid trailing down his shoulder, was now officially a teenager as they sat cross legged on opposite sides of the room. Master Luke had to split them up, the two were always causing distractions during lessons. They were supposed to be meditating, searching the Force, but the two friends only continued to steal glances at each other, something strange and unfamiliar twisting its way into their stomachs.
Ben was meditating in his hut when the girl bursted through the entrance obviously excited. "C'mon Spaceboy its time!" Ben popped open one eye, glancing over at her. He was mildly annoyed with her for disturbing his meditation, but her grinning face seemed to diminish his irritation. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" He stood and the two walked out to the overgrown field just beyond the temple and huts, their place. Sitting down beside each other, the young padawans watched as the sun set beyond the ridge, their hands merely touching in the grass.
The girl clad in nothing more than a white nightgown and tears exited her tiny hut and walked to the one a tad further from the temple. Inside the other hut, lanky teen Ben awaited her on his cot, eyes turning sincere as she entered. "Are you okay?" He whispered already shifting over in his small cot. "N-No" She choked out, lying down beside him. "Do you want to talk about it?" She shook her head, "No, just hold me." Ben awkwardly wrapped his arms around her, her head resting against his bony chest. Feelings inside them both beginning to awaken as they fell back to sleep.
Another year had passed and the girl now 14, with a thick braid trailing down her back wielding her purple lightsaber. Master Luke had thought the color odd, the color symbolizing a connection to both sides of the Force, and the girl purely exhibited the Light side. But she had been drawn to it because of her father's necklace which she could not part with. Or perhaps it was a possible indication of what her future held. Ben, 15, stood confidently across from the girl wielding his blue lightsaber. His hair was becoming longer, padawan braid becoming lost in the sea of curls, and he had grown beginning to tower even more over the girl. They grinned cockily at each other as they lined themselves up for a training session. They were the strongest amongst the group of padawans, in combat and in mastering the ways of the Force; Therefore the perfect partners, the perfect challenge as they continued to grow stronger. Ben striked first obviously impatient, but the girl easily deflected the advance with her saber. She went to strike back but he was too quick, moving swiftly to the side. The girl groaned repositioning herself for the next move. Ben swiped at her once again but she ducked and rolled off to the side. She quickly stood back up with a slight smirk plastered across her face. With black hair covering most of his eyes, Ben sent a playful smile her direction which she rapidly dismissed leaping forward to steal a strike. He didn't seem to catch onto her plan, seemingly too distracted by something else, causing her to tackle him to the ground. Ben groaned looking up at the girl smiling down at him, her saber merely inches from his neck. "Gotcha Spaceboy." His face turned a bright shade of red, his words seeming to be stuck in his throat. "I hate you." He finally choked out, a flustered expression still on his features. "I know."
The two, another year older, climbed into an old Tandem X-Wing. They had successfully convinced Master Luke to allow them to go to Chandrila for a grand ball Leia was hosting. They just had to be back within two day cycles and were not allowed to tell any of their fellow peers, which was not a concern. Ben did not talk to anyone really and although the girl was friendly with her peers, she stuck with her partner in crime. They're had been some sort of tension rising within the New Republic though, something Leia nor Master Luke would tell them about, but the ball was being thrown in an attempt to regain back the New Republic's favor. The girl leaned forward in her seat, placing her chin on the handsome boy's shoulder, his eyes locked tightly on the vast darkness of space ahead. He was a terrific pilot at such a young age, taking after his Father, Uncle, and apparently his Grandfather. His Grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, was once a powerful Jedi Knight before being murdered by Darth Vader. Master Luke always told them stories about him, stories he had been told by the man Ben was named after. He always seemed to be saddened by the stories of his murdered Grandfather and his Grandmother who died after childbirth. Ben missed them, even if he had never met them. "We're almost there." He mumbled and the girl smiled, they were almost home.
Landing in Hanna, the two were greeted by Leia, her eyes watering as they fell on the two children before her. In fact, they were not children anymore, instead transitioning into beautiful young adults. She had not seen them in five years, only ever seeing the occasional hologram. "Ben!" She grinned excitedly pulling her towering son into a tight embrace. Ben laughed hugging his mother back, "Hi Mom!" Leia pulled back and held her son's face in her hands, examining all the new little details and changes occurring on his face. The girl knew Leia saw it too, he looked like his Father... "Hi Lele." The girl spoke up from the side, her large smile never fading. Leia released Ben and turned to her, pulling her into a tight hug. "Athena dear, my goodness how beautiful you are becoming as well!" The girl giggled into the embrace as Ben questioned, "Is Dad here?" Leia pulled back from the hug and frowned. "No he had business he had to attend to, he's sorry he couldn't be here Ben." Ben stiffened and nodded slowly, his eyes glazing over. "Well," The girl cleared her throat, "We should go get ready for the ball, I don't believe Jedi robes are considered appropriate for tonight's festivities." Leia nodded and ushered them off, watching as the girl silently comforted her son, something odd transpiring in the Force around them.
The ball had officially commenced and the event center overlooking the city was filled to the brim with people dressed in elegant wear. The girl nervously walked around the dancing couples, picking at the seam line of her mauve colored dress. Leia's handmaids had transformed the young padawan into a princess: with purple vines painted up her cheeks, white gardenias and lavender woven into her tightly curled hair, and flowers and vines embroidered into the mauve colored dress. She looked like a child of spring. Eyes followed her as she moved throughout the ballroom, hers only searching for one. And there he was across the room, in dark blue robes, brown eyes wide and already locked on her. His wild hair was tamed and sleek, his red tipped ears poking out slightly as he stalked across the floor to her. He stopped in front of her and the girl's heart rate picked up, he was becoming outrageously handsome, it was not fair for her best friend to be so... distracting. "Dance with me." Ben blurted out, hand restlessly tugging at the high neck of his blue tunic. "Of course." She smiled and the two awkwardly stuttered into the flow of the dancing couples. "You look stunning, if it wasn't obvious." The girl blushed fiercely head dropping in an attempt to hide from his prying eyes. "Thank you Benny, you look handsome as well!" His cheeks flushed a bright red and he dropped his head as they continued to waltz. "What are these white flowers? They smell beautiful." He mumbled into the crown of her head. "Gardenias, my parents used to grow them by the house in Nayli. They are supposed to represent pure love." Ben pulled back slightly, smirking down at her, making her heart rate pick up once more. He was close, too close for them to be just friends. "Is that so?"
The pair were back at the Jedi Temple, age 17 and 16, smirking confidently at each other as they positioned themselves for another fight. Their power only continued to grow, and they had an ongoing wager on who would win, both of them the strongest padawans especially together. With quick strategic movements the two danced around the training room as other padawan's watched curiously, despite their apprehension of Ben. He moved with such agility, it left the girl a little breathless as they kept deflecting each other's strikes. Suddenly as the girl stepped back her ankle rolled, causing her to lose her footing. Not being quick enough to deflect the impending attack from Ben, a scream pierced through the previously focused and tranquil atmosphere. The girl crumbled to the ground in agony, her hands flying up to her neck only to instantly cry out again. Ben dove to the floor, their lightsaber's long forgotten. "A-Ath, I-I'm so s-sorry!" Master Luke rushed over alongside other students, quickly examining the singed skin on her neck. "Bring her to the infirmary now!" Ben with tears streaming down his pale face, pushed away the other students and lifted the girl himself. "Nephew." Master Luke warned sensing the fear and self-hatred rising in him. He simply ignored his uncle watching the girl's eyes flutter shut, lightheaded due to the movement and the white hot pain radiating from her neck. "It's going to be okay, you're going to be okay." Ben reassured more to himself than her as he carried his best friend to the infirmary.
The next memory, Athena had seen it before, but there was more to it than she had previously seen. The girl was lying in the infirmary bed once again, and Ben's head was still pressed against their intertwined hands, sobbing. "Ben," She whispered to the clearly distraught boy, "Look at me." His head slowly raised to latch onto her own watery blue eyes. "I-I'm in love with you." She whispered, cheeks burning. Ben inhaled sharply, pushing himself out of his chair to hover over her. A large smile broke across his tear streaked face, "I'm in love with you too." He quickly pressed his lips to hers, both forgetting the sacred code of the Jedi. A Jedi will not know love, will not be involved in romantic relationships, as it will only prove to be a distraction. Their sweet innocent kisses grew heated, the girl sitting up to remove his tunic, hers soon following. They broke their kiss at the removal of their shirts and the boy whispered, "I love you." His sweet eyes were hooded in love, lust, and amazement as he stared down at the girl. "I love you more." She gleamed pulling him back into a feverish kiss, a silent vow being passed between their shared breaths and confessions. Their love was worth living in secrecy over...
Pressed against the side of the temple, the girl and Ben stole quick kisses in between lessons. "Ben we have to go before someone notices we're gone." She giggled as he pressed his lips all over her neck and face. "No, we can spare another minute." He mumbled against her skin before pressing another chaste kiss to her lips. "Ben Solo! Where are you? Don't make me hologram your mother!" Master Luke shouted from somewhere, causing Ben to groan dropping his onto her white clothed shoulder, a string of incoherent words tumbling from his lips. "I forgot I have my private lesson today..." He lifted his head displaying his bottom lip jutted out in a pout. "Go" The girl giggled, "before we get caught, or worse he calls Leia and she chews both of our ears out." Ben laughed, "The latter sounds worse." She giggled agreeing as he pressed his lips to hers one last time. "I'll come find you after." Ben whispered, his hot breath fanning across her face, before parting.
Months later the two sat stiffly in an empty classroom, guilt and nerves etched onto their faces as a furious Master Luke stood before them. They had been caught, caught in a compromising position that clearly stated they were romantically involved, the biggest no in the Jedi Code. "How could you two be so careless? You both know the Jedi are not allowed to have partners, let alone be involved in such activities as you two were!" The girl and Ben both ducked their heads, blushing at the fact they had been caught during one of their nightly secret hut rendezvouses. "Children can you please excuse the two of us for a moment?" Leia's voice rose from her hologram placed directly in front of them. Not needing to be told twice, Ben and the girl rushed out of the room, stopping outside the door threshold to eavesdrop. "Leia why are you not furious? They are jeopardizing their ability to become Jedi!" His sister sighed, "I'm not mad Luke, that's why. I think you should allow them to continue being together." Ben and the girl's head whipped to look at each other, surprised by Leia's words. Apparently they weren't the only ones. "What? Why?" Luke demanded confused. "Luke they will continue regardless of your advisory and remember our parents. Who married in secret, who's secrets were their demise. Please I beg you don't let that happen to my boy. Don't let that happen to Athena." Luke let out a frustrated sigh, fisting his graying hair into his hand. "Fine, Fine! But no one else is to know of their relationship." Luke reluctantly agreed. Ben and the girl outside the door let out a loud cheer as they embraced each other tightly. Leia laughed hearing them and Luke groaned, already regretting his decision. "You two also need to be taking precautions, I don't want to be a grandmother yet!" Leia called and Ben's face burned bright red. "MOM!"
Kisses were being peppered across Ben's exposed skin as he carried the girl on his back, heading to the quiet fields ahead. The sun was touching the horizon as the day came to an end, soft pastels painting the sky and clouds. Ben squatted down once he arrived at their spot, letting down the girl. The two sat, the girl placing herself between Ben's legs, her blue eyes watching the sunset with immense happiness. "So beautiful." She traced the swirls of lilac woven into the pink sky with her index finger. "You are." Ben whispered pressing a kiss to her hair, eliciting a small snort from the girl. The two watched the setting sun for awhile, enjoying the tranquility of the evening when Ben spoke up once again. "Will you marry me?" The girl jumped in his arms spinning to look at him, wide eyed. "What?" Ben's face flushed immediately, "I mean I don't have a ring, but marry me?" The girl gawked for a moment, her mind unable to process fully. "We're so young though..." "So, you're the one. My grandfather was nineteen when he married my grandmother. I'm 18 what's the big difference?" The girl's face broke into a large smile as she turned fully, straddling his lap. "I'm the one?" She whispered hands lifting to hold Ben's cheeks. "You always have been. You and I were written in the stars, brought together by the Force." The girl giggled, "Such a poet Mr. Solo." He snickered lightly, still waiting for her response. "Yes, of course." She answered finally. Ben's grinned so widely, pulling her down into a messy kiss. "Shit," Ben breathed when they parted for air, "I'm going to need to find a ring."
"Athena wake up." Ben whispered one night, weeks later. "Hmm what?" The girl shifted in her small cot, seeing Ben fully dressed in his darkest robes, kneeling down beside her. "If we leave now, we'll be back before dawn. No one will know, not even Luke." The girl blinked heavily, pushing away the sleep still clinging to her. "Leave to where?" She questioned, puzzled. "To get married." Ben smiled, as if it was obvious. "Oh you were serious about that?" The girl joked, pushing her blanket off. Ben scoffed helping her stand as he did. "What about the rings? And a dress? Witnesses? Ben what about all of that?" She questioned looking into her love's eyes. "You're lack of faith in me is disturbing. I have it all figured out don't worry about it." The girl narrowed her eyes, observing him. "Okay let's go!" Ben grinned and pulled her out of the hut and towards the old Tandem X-Wing.
The sound of wind brushing through trees and water slowly lapping against the shore filled the girl's ears as she walked towards the balcony overlooking the endless blue of the Naboo lake. The place she had loved so much as a child and now she would be wedded here. At the place where Ben's grandparents had secretly sworn their endless love to each other and now she would do the same. The ivory dress, with white flowers blooming throughout the body and sleeves, blew gently in the warm breeze as she walked towards her fate. She grinned to herself in excitement with nerves filling her to the brim as she thought of their secret wedding about to take place. It was simply beautiful in Naboo: she could feel the warm setting sun on her skin, the smell of cherry blossoms floating through the air, and the gentle warm breeze flowing through her. A crown of white gardenias and lavender was placed on top of her ivory lace veil and her purple kyber crystal still hung from it's usual spot. She could feel it in the Force, in a way, her parents were with her.
The girl looked up to Ben, who grinned whole heartedly down at her. Their hands intertwined as the Minister asked them to recite the vows of unity. Ben and the girl in synchronization recited, "My soul honors your soul. I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides. I honor the light, love, truth, beauty and peace within you, because it is also within me. In sharing these things we are united, we are the same, we are one." The girl's blue eyes filled with tears as they placed the delicate silver bands onto their ring fingers. "I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride." Ben eagerly swept the girl into his arms and bent down placing a sweet passionate kiss to her lips. The Minister excused himself as the two broke away. "My wife, Athena." Ben breathed out testing the word for the first time. "My husband." The girl whispered back, grinning. C-3PO congratulated them but the two ignored their one witness, only focusing on each other. "How did you find this lovely gown?" She questioned her husband. "I had some help." Ben smiled looking over to the woman standing next to C-3PO, his mother. Leia approached them, tears in her eyes, "As much as I would love for you two to stay longer so we could celebrate, you have to go before Luke finds out you left, and find a way to hide those." She pointed to their left hands adorned with a silver wedding band. The couple nodded saying their goodbyes before running back to the X-Wing, hand in hand.
"Would you stay still?" The girl groaned trying to remain still, but her back was starting to kill her. "How much more do you have to do?" She questioned Ben, who sat to her side, illustrating her portrait into a large piece of parchment. "Not much, now stay still." He responded eyes flickering up to study another area of her face. "You're lucky I love you." The girl mumbled observing the black leather necklace that hung from Ben's neck, holding and concealing his wedding ring underneath his brown tunic. A similar necklace hidden under her tunic as well. They had been married for 3 months and Leia had kept their secret, vowing that she only wanted them happy. Ben snickered, the ink from his pen gliding perfectly against the piece of paper as he continued to commit her image. "I know."
"Ben talk to me." The girl pleaded as her husband's screaming woke them both up in her tiny hut one night. He had been distant lately and the girl was unsure why. She could feel this other side of him edging it's way closer and closer to the surface, but she was unsure what it even was. His nightmares seemed to consume him every night, dark circles starting to form around his eyes. "It was you, you died." The girl nodded slowly not showing any sign of being bothered by his words. "How?" Ben only shook his head, "I'm not sure it was blurry, but you were crying and there was smoke... but that's not the worst part." The girl's hand rubbed up and down Ben's back soothingly, silently asking him to continue. "You were being carted through the streets of Hanna. Your skin was pale, flowers placed in your hair, your whole body l-lifeless." Ben shuddered at the thought, tears slipping down his cheeks. "Love, I'm not going anywhere." She comforted wrapping her arms around his shaking frame. "I know, I will protect you. I promise." Ben stated coldly into the quiet night.
The girl and Ben, now 19 and 18, walked across the vast fields of the planet. "Ben where are we going?" The girl groaned, not being able to see behind Ben's large hands, that covered her eyes and most of her face. We're almost there, patience my wife." He laughed at her impatience. She sighed annoyed but allowed him to continue to lead her to the unknown destination. "Okay stop, but no peeking!" Ben instructed after another 10 minutes. The girl felt his hands leave her eyes but she kept her eyes closed as told. She could smell the sweet smell of multiple flowers and the faint sound of lapping water. "Keep your eyes closed." He reminded her sounding farther away. The girl heard the sound of a swoosh, like a door opening, before warm calloused hands grabbed hers, guiding her forward. After a moment Ben stopped, "Open." He was close enough that the girl could hear his racing heartbeat pounding inside his chest. Slowly opening her eyes, a wide open living space greeted her. There was a kitchen on the side, a hallway behind them and another long hallway in front of her. "Ben where are we? Who's house is this?" Ben let out an uneasy laugh, "Um, it's ours." The girl whipped around with wide eyes, looking to the smiling boy. "What?" She questioned, a smile erupting across his face. "It's our house, the original owners have long abandoned it. Master Luke said after we are done training we can live here. Think of it, we will be Jedi Masters, training padawans, going on missions around the galaxy." The girl grinned, letting out a small squeak of excitement, before rushing around the house to examine it. It needed some work but nothing too bad, surprisingly, but she had a suspicion that Ben had been fixing the place up. The girl stopped by a large window beside the kitchen, observing the quiet terrain surrounding the house. "No neighbors? You can't even see the temple from here." She felt Ben quietly step up behind her, moving her hair to the side. He planted soft open mouth kisses down her neck, "No one to hear us." His voice came out huskily and the girl turned to face him with a smirk on her lips. "Ben Solo you are positively evil." Ben laughed, "That's why you love me." She scrunched her nose up, "An argument could be made." Ben went to argue but she quieted his words by placing a feverish kiss to his waiting plump lips. He kissed her back immediately, their kisses soon becoming sloppy and needy. "I love you Athena, more than anything."
The next images were familiar, the setting of a nightmare. Ben had not come over to the girl's hut that night, instead falling asleep in his own hut. She was worried about him, more nightmares and dark thoughts were plaguing Ben. He had even begun to express his doubt over what his place was in all of this. The girl just hoped that her love would be okay... The girl jolted awake to the sound of screams and the smell of smoke. Grabbing her lightsaber, the girl rushed out of her hut, seeing the main Jedi Temple on fire in the background. Her eyes were automatically drawn to the bodies lying in the field, slaughtered in cold blood. She stood frozen, what was happening? She could hear screams within the Temple and immediately began to run to help, but she was yanked back by a shadowy figure causing her to drop her lightsaber. "Ben! We need to help them!" She twisted around his arms to see blood smeared on his one cheek and how disheveled looking he was. There were tears wind whipped and dried on his cheeks, leaving behind a streaky mess. "Benny?" The girl questioned fearful of the dark glimmer in his eyes. "Athena we don't belong here." The girl went to cut him off but he shouted at her, "Let me finish!" She was frightened, this was not her Ben. "Luke tried to kill me, he sensed my power, my strength, our strength! We were a threat to him!" Ben exclaimed, looking back to his destroyed hut. Were? "Are you hearing yourself? This is your Uncle, Ben." The girl tried to reason with him, but he would not hear it. "They've been lying to me about everything. You know my grandfather, the great Anakin Skywalker who was murdered by Darth Vader? He wasn't!" The girl's eyebrows furrowed, what did he mean? "Anakin Skywalker was Darth Vader! One of the most powerful Sith Lords to live, and I have that blood in me." The girl shook her head in disbelief, was Ben really related to Darth Vader? How had he even come to find out about this? Why had everyone lied to them?"Join me, my love." Ben pleaded still having a firm grip on her upper arms. "You know I can't follow, I can't, we can't!" The girl pulled against his grip but it only tightened making her grit her teeth. "I have and you can too. I can protect you." The girl shook her head violently, tears pouring down her crimson cheeks. "I can't follow you, you know that." Ben huffed out frustrated, releasing his hurtful grip on her arms to push his hair out of his face. She backed away slowly until she heard the loud pleas coming from the temple once again. She turned to run but a hand grasped her once again. "No Athena, I can't lose you too!" Ben pleaded sorrow plaguing his eyes. "I'm sorry Ben, but you already have." The girl trembled as the words fumbled out of her mouth. Her hand reaching up to yank off the second black necklace she wore. "N-NO!" Ben choked out, but it was too late. The girl handed him the necklace holding her wedding ring, before she pulled herself free of his grip. She was angry, upset, and regretted her actions but she could not focus on that as she ran inside the burning building. Inside the burning temple, smoke filled her lungs and vision. She was not inside long before an awful loud rupture blared over the sound of crackling fire. She looked up to the ceiling, panic filled her bones, knowing what was to come. "Athena!" A pain filled voice cried outside, just in time as the roof collapsed, caving in on top of her.
The girl stirred against the hard platform, her eyelids and lungs feeling heavy. "I don't know R2, she just shut herself out of the Force, I can't sense her anymore. That's why she must forget, it's the only way to keep her safe from him. Set course for the Hosnian system, she will be safe amongst the Republic." The girl coughed, eyes fluttering open for a moment blinded by the bright light, "Master Luke?" She heard shuffling and then a shadow appeared in her eyes, blocking out some of the light. "Master Luke, where's Ben? Is he okay?" The shadow let out a deep pained sigh, "Shush dear everything's okay, close your eyes and rest. Everything will be okay."
The last two memories were not hers, Athena knew that, yet despite that they entered her mind. Ben was covered in smoke and tears in the bedroom of the house, the house he had gotten for him and the girl. "She's gone, She's gone, She's gone!" He repeated over and over again, losing control at the end. He had tried to run after her, but the roof caved in before he could enter. Now she was gone, he could not feel her in the Force anymore. Her pure light energy was gone, replaced by a hollow feeling inside. The tears poured down his face as he let out a shriek filled with anger and devastation. Ben retrieved his lightsaber from his side, igniting it. The blue light illuminated his sorrow filled face as he let the rage take a hold of him. He began slashing the corner of the wall in the bedroom, before eventually collapsing to the floor in exhaustion. His trembling hands reached out to collect her grey and black lightsaber from the floor and the black necklace with her small silver band tied to the end of it. Ben held the items in his hands as his sobs continued to shake him to his core his mind racing around one single thought, his love was gone.
The next one, Ben was clad in all black robes on his knees in tears, staring out at the blackness of space. The setting around him began to fade and shift into what he was weeping over. Two coffins being carted through the dark streets of Hanna. Hundreds surrounded the coffins and horses, carrying flickering candles, mourning the loss of the two Chandrila children. In one coffin a hologram of Ben Solo laid lifeless dressed in dark blue robes and covered in white flowers. In the next coffin was the girl in a dark purple dress. Her hair was adorned in lilacs, lavender, and white gardenias, just like Ben's nightmare. She looked beautiful just as he remembered her, but the color to her skin was gone. She was just as lifeless as he felt. Ben hiccuped feeling a shaky hand being placed on his shoulder. He looked up and through his veil of tears he saw his mother standing beside him. She was crying watching the coffins moving slowly through the quiet streets, silently comforting her son, despite all that had happened. Leia knew her son was not dead, she knew he had turned and caused the destruction of the new Jedi. Her hand swiftly was removed and the image began to fade, Ben back on the Star Destroyer. He quivered, clenching his gloved fists as he felt the darkness inside rise. His love was gone and he blamed Luke Skywalker. Ben swore he would find him and destroy him, as another realization dawned upon him. Just as Hanna was being led to believe, Ben Solo was dead.
Athena looked ahead, her face soaken and her body trembling. "Athena?" The man asked once again crouching down to her level. Her blue eyes fell onto him, inhaling sharply. "B-Ben?" His warm eyes filled with tears and hope, "Yes, it's me! It's Ben, your Ben... your Ben." He trailed off pushing her hair back behind her ears and settling them on her cheeks. Athena's heart was pounding in her chest as her mind tried to process everything, it was all too much to handle, to bear. The girl was her, Kylo was Ben, her Ben. The fire flashed in her mind, then the massacred students, his dark rage burning inside. "N-No, no, you're not!" She sobbed out pushing his hands off of her face. "You're not him! Ben Solo is dead!" Athena screamed standing up abruptly. He stood with her trying to grab ahold of her, trying to calm her down. Athena's eyes fluttered shut remembering the shared kisses, shared embraces, their unclothed bodies moving together in such synchronization. It was all too much she could not keep it in. She was a volcano about to erupt. "D-Don't touch me!" Athena's hands stretched out to push him off, but instead a power, a force, inside of her sent him flying backwards. Kylo was ten feet away on the ground, looking up at her bewildered, a part of her now unlocked like her past. Without so much as a second thought, Athena took off running back into the house and into her room. Her name was Athena Jinn, she remembered who she was, she remembered the love, happiness, and pain. She wished she could forget again.