AN: I've re-vamped the 2-part prologue of this story, now that I finally had the time to do so. Hope you like it.

Crown Princess Adrastea sat in a windowseat, trying to focus on a holo-book, but her chocolate eyes kept drifting to the horizonline. She was waiting for a glimpse of a certain ship, one that said the person she treasured most had returned from battle safely. Her extravagant gown was made of iridescent fabric, in light shades of pink and purple. It amplified the rosiness of her skin, and it made her fiery locks seem more like candy than actual hair. She'd seen a lot in her twenty years of life. Her destiny had been mapped out, from the moment she took her first breath: future queen of the Hapes Cluster. Though her home world presented itself to the general public as being neutral, her parents and the council of elders were secretly siphoning funds off to support the Resistance. They didn't want to return to the dark days under the Empire. From what she'd heard, it was a time when even one's thoughts weren't safe. The slightest twitch of a facial muscle could have you accused of treason. Thank the Force, which she firmly believed in, she'd been born into a period of relative calm.

Part of what made her youth so happy was a bond she made at the age of ten. She'd never forget that day, as long as she lived. Her parents said that a high-ranking senator, along with her husband and son, were coming for a visit. She remembered how hard she tried to be a a good girl, to appear just as patient and wise as they were as she sat on her smaller throne. Her heart leapt into her throat as the throne room's huge double-doors opened, and her parents rose to welcome the guests.

"Leia, darling, it's been forever!"

"It's good to see you, too, Adara."

The affection in their tones was unmistakable, as they embraced and exchanged pecks on the cheek. The girl's gaze quickly shifted to her father and the senator's husband. They sported polite, warm smiles as they shook hands.

"Acelin."

"We're glad to have you back, Han."

"It's no problem."

From behind him, Leia added, "We always come to our friends, when they call."

Back? Adrastea must've been to young to remember this other visit. Her musings were interrupted by the sound of her mother's voice, beckoning her forward.

"Yes, Mommy."

She kept her back perfectly straight, mustering as much dignity as a ten-year-old could. Feeling her mother's hand, gently pressing against her upper back, helped give her extra courage. First impressions were always the most important, and the one these people gave was very pleasing to the young princess. She immediately felt like she'd just gained a second set of parents. The husband, who her father had addressed as "Han" winked at her, and the corner of his mouth quirked up in a playful half-smile. She briefly broke the royal facade, hiding a giggle behind her hand.

Then, Leia spoke up again: "I'm not surprised you don't remember us. You were just a baby, the last time we were here."

Instantly, the formal manners came back: "My father said you were to bring your son along."

"Yes, we did."

With that, she stepped aside. Behind her was a lanky, tall-for-his-twelve-years boy with fair skin and wavy jet-black hair. She felt drawn into his deep-set hazel eyes. She gave a polite, serene smile when he took her hand and kissed it. But since this was supposed to be a friendly meeting, why was he calling her by her title?

Her spunk kicking in, she was quick to remind him, "My name is Adrastea."

He smiled and answered, "Well, my name is Ben."

Her heart skipped even then at the sound of his name, just as it was doing now. Ben Solo was many things: a gifted jedi-in-training, the nephew of his academy's master, and the son of a well-known politician and pilot. He was her best friend. She was thirteen when that began to change. Her stomach would flip whenever he'd smile at her. If she knew he was visiting, she always took care to look extra-nice. She found a way to express these feelings the following year, when he found her working on an art project. She drew him as a great leader, a hero like the ones she'd heard about in her childhood bedtime stories. She wouldn't learn this until later, but Ben stole that picture and saved it. Another two years passed, before she learned that her feelings were reciprocated. Her cheeks grew warm and flushed, the fingertips of her right hand lingering on her bottom lip as she recalled that first kiss, and all the kisses that followed. They were so in love, that it was almost painful at times. Miraculously, they managed to keep it secret. To the untrained eye, they seemed no more than surrogate siblings: a high-five here, a ghost-like peck on the cheek there, a clap on the shoulder whenever one of them told a joke. If their parents or his uncle suspected differently, they never said a word.

Recently, their relationship had taken yet another big step. She set the pad that projected her holo-book aside, her hands drifting up to her shoulders as she hugged herself. It was a poor substitute for Ben's arms after their intimate encounters, but it was better than nothing. She wouldn't have given her virginity before marriage to anyone else. She missed him so much. The note he'd left behind after his last visit indicated that he was building a new lightsaber, probably needing a better one for an upcoming battle. The only person who knew she kept his old one in a box under her bed was her other best friend: her lead handmaid, Kolora. This same person was sitting in a nearby window, also reading a holo-book. Then, a soft whirring noise met their ears. There were many ships docking around the palace, but this one had a unique higher pitch. Adrastea recognized this immediately, plastering her face to the glass.

Kolora asked in a tense, confused whisper, "What is it, Addie?"

The princess's smile could've blinded the sun.

She replied, "It's the Falcon."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, I'm sure. I can feel it. I knew he'd be okay."

Suddenly not caring about royal dignity and protocol, she hiked up her skirt the tiniest bit as her power-walk turned into a run. She could barely focus on anything but the path in front of her, only giving slight nods to the courtiers that bowed and curtsied to her as she went by. She threw open the doors to the throne room, nearly breathless with joy. But when she crossed the threshold, a chilly sense of foreboding washed over her. Her parents, Leia, and Han stood in a darkened corner of the room. They were accompanied by a mysterious figure she'd only seen a handful of times: Luke Skywalker, Leia's twin brother. He was the first to spot her, a gentle, sad smile crossing his face. He tapped her mother's shoulder, gesturing behind her to indicate her presence. What was going on? Adara turned around and smiled at her daughter, but she didn't get the chance to speak.

Instead, it was Luke who stepped forward and addressed the twenty-year-old: "Hey, there, kiddo."

"Hello, Master Skywalker", she replied with a slight curtsey of respect.

"Just Luke. We've talked about this before."

She giggled and said, "It's been a while."

"Yes, it has, and I wish this meeting was for a better reason."

"What do you-"

It was then that she noticed something important. There should've been six other people in that room with her, not five. Her eyes quickly scanned the area, but she saw no sign of her beloved Ben. Each person seemed as if they were trying to dredge up the strength to say something painful. Her eyes met Leia's, confused but seeming to bore straight through the older woman.

She asked, "Where's Ben? Has he been hurt and taken somewhere?"

Their silence gave her the answer, and the sorrow and denial over it was plain to see on her face.

She shook her head and began walking backwards, breathless as she said, "No. No. He can't be…"

She turned on her heel and ran down another nearby hallway, each breath coming out as a squeal as she tried not to cry. This wasn't possible! He promised that he'd be back! She eventually made her way to the garden, collapsing onto a bench near a stone-and-crystal fountain. She'd never sobbed so hard in her life. She was positive people on the other side of the planet ould hear her. She didn't know how long she was out there, when she started hearing the sound of two sets of approaching footsteps. Looking up, she realized it was her father and Han. The normally-sure-of-himself pilot and former Rebel general now looked so broken.

Softly, he said, "Hey, sweetheart."

She sniffled and nodded in his direction, but didn't say anything. Then, she looked at her father.

"Daddy…"

Acelin immediately went to his daughter's side, taking a spot on the bench and pulling her in for a hug. Her cries were muffled against his chest.

He said, "I'm so sorry, baby girl."

"I can't believe he's gone."

"I know. Ben was a great young man. He knew how much we all cared about him."

If only her father knew how deeply that caring truly went. She was about to say something further to Han, but the arrival of her mother, Luke, and Leia stopped that.

Adara said, "There are no words for this tragedy. But maybe, there's a way to prevent it from happening in the future."

"What do you mean, Mom?"

"Luke has a suggestion."

The man in question stepped forward and said, "Ben was killed in an attack on my training academy. Some of my pupils rebelled. They left a lot of carnage behind."

"What can we do about it?"

"You can protect yourselves. The Resistance will need all the allies it can get."

"How?"

Luke sighed, turning his back to the fountain and leaning against it.

He continued, "Whatever the First Order's planning, it's big. I'm not sure how at the moment, but just I know the attack on the academy is a part of it. Once they learn I survived, they're likely to come after me. I'll be going into exile after this visit. But before I go, I can do some good by passing on a bit of what I tried to teach."

"Jedi training? How's that possible? We can't use the Force."

"That's not true, Addie. The Force permeates everything arounds us. People and creatures extra-sensitive to it can become jedi, but anybody can use it for the most basic things. There are stories of a droid general from the clone wars, who was well-versed in such techniques."

Acelin asked, "What do you have in mind?"

"At the very least, some lightsaber work. You'll be able to defend yourselves, on the off-chance any of you get separated from your bodyguards. Plus...I felt the elegance of it was well-suited to the Hapan culture."

He flashed a brief smile at this, a slight huff escaping him. Adrastea did the same, before turning to face the grieving parents. She stood up and walked over to them, putting her left hand on Leia's shoulder and her right one on Han's. She wanted to tell them the full truth of her relationship with their son, but a flash of his smiling face in her mind stopped her. She remembered the touch of his fingertips on her mouth as she drifted off to sleep, never knowing it would be their last good-bye. She swallowed hard, the heartbreak welling up in her again. The couple gathered her in, sharing a collective hug of understanding. Whatever happened next in this brewing war, she hoped her actions would make Ben proud.

AN: I got the names for Addie's parents & handmaid from a special website, which I'm not able to list here. The meanings go like this: Adara="fire", Acelin="noble", & Kolora="a freshwater lagoon". I guess the Hapan royals favor alliteration. (giggle) For the king & queen, I visualize Kevin McKidd & Rebecca Mader. Also, I want to remind everyone that all of Addie & Ben's teen-years encounters were SECRET. He'd sneak off to see her, whenever Luke sent him off on an errand for the academy. The times with his parents, which I mentioned in the teaser, were rare because of their happiness. The bitterness will come back into play later in the story.