Chapter 2: Mind

There are several ways in which a person's life can be changed.

Some people swear they can feel it in their bones, there are those who see it coming. Of course, there are also people who get taken completely by surprise.

Sometimes it's pleasant; maybe somebody had a child, made new friendships, found the love of their lives, found their purpose, fulfilled a lifelong dream.

Sometimes it's terrible: The death of a loved one, an unexpected accident. Entire planets have been known to be terminated. Sometimes a completely healthy person is killed, sometimes people disappear or meet the wrong person.

Nia had had both pleasant and terrible life-changing experiences in her 8 years as a sentient being. She would classify adopting her kitty as a pleasant experience, though it probably wasn't life changing. Getting adopted probably was, but she couldn´t remeber that moment. Sometimes, especially at night she thought she could see it. Dad holding her for the first time, mom dangling a small plushie doll over her, some sort of creature, was it a bird? She couldn't tell, but both her parents were smiling.

Nia thought a bad experience had probably been getting punished by mom and dad when she snuck out to see the meteor shower, but as amazing and terrifying as that had been, it hadn't changed her life. As for a truly life-changing terrifying experience, she didn´t have to think twice. This was a moment she could see clear as day. The day her home was destroyed. Sometimes, Nia could still hear mommy´s screaming, and the heavy thump of her daddy hitting the floor. She could smell smoke and fire. These memories were not pleasant, and they scared her at the weirdest times, but they also fed her. Remembering made her stay focused. reminded her of who the enemy was too. However there were times when the memories consumed her and she felt like crying, and the cloaked figure did not like it when she cried.

Getting out of the crystal chair helped her though. This way, the experiences of others drowned her own. Some beautiful, some horrible, all of them loud. She loved watching, she loved experiencing without ever truly feeling. There were pangs of pain and joy from time to time, but they were engulfed by the unending waves of change. This was Nia´s special talent, according to the cloaked figure.

They said she could see the points of divergence in people's life. The exact moments where lives were heavily influenced or completely changed directions. When she walked really far away from the chair, Nia could even see various endings to a person's life, which meant various lives. This was too tiring, especially over long periods of time, that´s why the cloaked figure had give her the chair, so she could focus on what she wanted to see only.

Eight years was a long time to witness so many life changing moments, to watch over so many lives, but the cloaked figure said this was only a tiny fraction of her expected life, even if it felt eternal to her. Those eight years were everything; smiles and tears.

On a normal day Nia thought about mommy and daddy and how they were gone once or twice. On a bad day she looked for them all over the galaxy, holding back tears when she couldn´t find them, or her kitty. The kitty´s name had been Leia, like mommy´s favorite hero; it had been white and soft, but even if it was alive there was no way to find it, because Nia could not see animals they way she could see people. On these bad days she felt more anger than ever, but it was okay, she used this anger, just like the cloaked figure had told her, to find the people who hurt her.

She was convinced that the pain would go away once the people who caused it were gone.

This was a good day, because their plan was about to fall in place. This was the day her enemies would begin to feel pain, just like her.

First she had to kill Snoke, who had been the one behind everything. The plan to bring him down was already in place, so she didn't worry so much about him.

Then she had to kill his pawn, the one who had brandished the weapon. Ben Solo, or as he called himself Kylo Ren. Hopefully he would scream like mommy had.

She also had to make sure some girl named Rey died. Nia had nothing personal against her, but the cloaked figure said she had to die in order for the galaxy to achieve peace. And Nia longed for peace. No children are orphaned when there is peace, no men or women killed.

Those three were her primary targets, but their respective groups, The First Order and the rebels had to go too. Only then could Nia and the cloaked figure bring true peace and safety to the galaxy.

For this purpose, she had observed all the right people at all the right times. It was a matter of precision and concentration. It was something that drained her, but it would be over soon if she cooperated and did as the cloaked figure asked.

In her new home, somewhere on the Outland Regions, she decided to send out a message that was sure to set everything in motion. Now she only needed to wait a bit longer.

Sitting on her crystal chair, Nia Meriet watched.

….

Kylo Ren woke up to sirens blaring. Somewhere in the distance he could smell smoke, but there was no fire aboard The Supremacy, somehow he could see, while gearing up, that Rey was waking up to fire.

Walking out of his room was hard. The images he was seeing mingled with scenes of burning cottages and porgs taking flight in panic. Once he tried to avoid a group of the small birds just to end up crashing against a wall. He could feel the heat radiating to his body.

He pulled at his clothes in an effort to find relief, but it was useless. She was feeling this he realized, maybe the adrenaline rushing through him belonged to both of them.

It took him some time to realize something was off inside the ship too. At first he thought maybe it was also on fire, but it was hard to tell when the flames flickered in and out of sight, then he realized that despite the fact that the halls were not on fire, they were empty.

He walked up to a door, but it was sealed. Soon he realized all doors were sealed. Finally he worked up the courage to go to the throne room.

He did not fear Supreme Leader Snoke, but he wasn't looking forward to inconvenience him either. It was not fright, just respect. Kylo Ren knew his place.

Eventually when he reached the enormous doors that lead to the throne room, he told himself that his hands were shaking because of exhaustion and pressed his palm against the carved wood before taking a deep breath and opening the door.

He felt both relief and panic when he found Snoke wasn't there. What he found instead was a droid with a message for him, a hologram.

Apparently an infectious disease was spreading through the lines of the First Order. Spies confirmed it had been implanted by the rebels. Now it was up to him to capture a man known as Finn in order to acquire the antidote.

"You might know this man as FN-2187" The man in the hologram continued. The traitorous stormtrooper. "Supreme leader Snoke has entrusted you with all the resource of The First Order."

He was in charge. Kylo Ren felt proud of himself, somehow closer to the path Darth Vader had created, the one he was meant to follow.

The next logical step would of course be going after the Rebellion, but how could he make a plan without Rey realizing it?

Surely she would rush to aid the rebels. He knew he could defeat her, but he wasn´t willing to take any chances.

He was aware of Rey using the force in a distant island, lifting water in an effort drown out the flames as a group of creatures in white robes, caretakers, (how did he know that?) ran around with buckets trying to salvage their village.

Rey too, was aware of his presence, both on the throne room and in her mind. He was like a phantom, melting and hiding between the darkest parts of herself. She realized, a little bit terrified, that they were similar in a way. Their sadness, their obscured desires. It was hard for her to know where she ended and he began.

Staying concentrated enough to lift water was hard with her thoughts and his mingling. But she was thankful, because she heard every word. She knew Finn was in danger, and she knew, just as surely, that there was no way she´d allow anyone to hurt him. She also knew that Kylo Ren was as dead set on capturing him as she was on saving him.

They both realized that the other would know all their moves, all their plans. They were both traped. Neither could move forward with the other standing in their way.

Therefore they each had only one option.

Kill Rey

Kill Kilo Ren

Rey was distantly aware of Luke Skywalker joining the effort to save the island. She felt relief, but Kylo Ren´s anger at his presence was overpowering. Suddenly she felt betrayal and hatred. This feelings are not my own, she remained herself.

Kylo Ren appeared to be materializing in front of her. Dark Robe, dark hair. He put his mask on before she could see his face.

Nevertheless she knew their eyes met.

Rey allowed the water to slip her grasp, Kylo Ren tightened his shaking hands into a fist.

They stared at each other for a while.

Far away, at the very edge of the galaxy, a little girl´s lips curved up into a smile. This was how Nia Meriet changed their lives. Amid fire and blaring alarms.

This was the point of divergence.

And it all happened with a message.

Both Rey and Kylo Ren heard a voice guiding them towards their next steps. It was soft and barely more than a whisper. They didn't hear all of it, but the important part came across.

"...is in the Outland Regions."

One thing was clear.

Kylo and Rey had a long way to go.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-Notes (and rambling)-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Hello internet!

Here´s chapter 2, longer than the first one but hopefully entertaining.

Feedback is always appreciated so feel free to let me know how I could improve this story or my writing.

Also if anyone feels like rambling about star wars or just wants to talk hmu

See you next chapter,

Kyber.