Kylo's familiar voice gave the command.

The three knights started to move, circling her slowly.

Athena closed her eyes, finding her breath. She let the Force run through her body. Her heart felt like a wild animal trying to escape her chest, beating so loudly she heard nothing else around her.

Your struggle to find the right path is your strength. Athena let out a silent prayer. Maybe she could reach Dooku somehow. She let everything she felt flow through her, all the anxiety, guilt and fear, her greed and ambition, her compassion, and her love she felt for her people and for Kylo. Intuitively, she made no difference between the light and dark, letting just everything equally fuel her connection to the Force.

Opening her eyes, she watched her opponents come closer. They were stronger and better trained, but she wasn't going to give up easily. Athena raised her weapon to a traditional greeting. If she was going to die, she would go out with dignity, she decided.

Ushar made the first move, raising his weapon at her head. Athena evaded him by bending her back and making a small step to the side. Vicrul aimed his scythe at her upper body, but Athena danced around him. Both of their moves showed their immense strength. Athena knew she wasn't going to beat them with equal strength. But she was agile and hopefully smarter than them.

Economizing her own strength, Athena concentrated on evading them, only using small and quick movements to counter their attacks. As soon as Ap'lek joined in, she was trapped in a deadly dance. They were not holding back. Trudgden joined in, starting to bring Athena in distress.

Kylo watched Athena fight with growing anxiety. It was the right move to save her energy, observing their fighting styles first. But Athena wouldn't be able to hold her tactic up for long. Athena used the curved hilt to place her attacks from unexpected angles, attempting to wound Vicrul on his upper thigh.

Athena swirled around; her lightsaber guided by her instincts as she managed to cut Ushar on his upper arm. Out of breath, she stepped back, now facing all of them in front of her.

Aiming for Ushar, the one with the most physical strength, Athena raised her lightsaber at him, only to be blocked bis his staff. He pushed her back, sparks flying around as their weapons crossed. Athena panted as she struggled to hold the lightsaber up, enforcing it with the Force. His gloved hand grabbed her underarm, holding it was while his weapon was pressed against hers, coming dangerously close to her face. She couldn't see his eyes, only the reflecting metal of his helmet.

Kylo dug his fingers so deep in his palms his hands hurt. This was a mistake. Ushar was the strongest of them. In her place, he would have eliminated the weakest first. The thought of losing her… he needed to stop it. But how? He was able to kill the Knights, maybe Snoke too. But then? How would he get them out? Would the rest of the Order fall to his command?

Unexpectedly, Athena let her body collapse under him, grabbing the small dagger she had attached to her thigh pushing it right under the the plate of his armor. With a load groan, Ushar broke down. Before Athena had the chance to duck, he used his cudgel to place a blow right on her shoulder. Athena cried out loudly. Because of his wound, Ushar hadn't put his whole strength into it, but it was enough to make her bones crack and her body tremble in pain.

With another cry, Athena used the Force to blow all knights away from her, gaining enough time to take choppy breaths, sending the Force to her right shoulder to heal the worst of the injury. Much to her satisfaction, Ushar didn't get back up on his feet. Athena had placed her dagger so strategically, Ushar was about to bleed out quickly. At least, Kylo's lessons paid out.

Vicrul and Ap'lek attacked her vigorously, not giving her any time to rest. Athena fought them back, now obligated to use her left hand with the lightsaber. Kylo had trained her to fight with her left as well, adjusting her feet work and moves to attacking with the other side. Yet she was slower than before due to her injury.

Trudgen sliced her lower leg, making her scream in agony. Falling on her knees, she fought back the three remaining knights.

Forced to withdraw, Athena almost crawled away from them. She heard the Supreme Leader's cruel laughs under the loud ringing in her ear. Her vision blurred. She needed to get up immediately.

Mustering all the energy she could, she used a blow of the Force to disarm Ap'lek, making him growl in anger. Ap'lek grabbed her by her throat and let his bare fist rain down on her face. Athena felt the crack of her nose as blood ran down her mouth. Athena kicked him with her knee, bringing it right down between his legs. With a grunt of pain, he let her fall to the ground. Finally, she landed a blow with her lightsaber, cutting him deeply on the side of his torso.

Swirling around, she dodged Vicrul's next swing of his axe, but only barely. Cutting through her armor, he still managed to slit open the skin over her collarbone.

Athena limped backwards, looking up to Kylo for a moment. Did he believe she could win? Did he even want her to win? It didn't matter. She wanted to win.

Ap'lek and Ushar were unable to fight, but there were two of them left. Athena observed Vicrul and Trudgen. Vicrul swirled around his scythe triumphantly. Athena turned around, using the element of surprise to get into offence, using wider and forceful moves like Kylo had taught her, using the strength in Vicrul's move to her advantage as she disarmed him with a flick of her wrist.

Using the Force to lift her up just slightly, she used the higher ground she held to place her next blow on his wrist, slicing through his arm. Vicrul didn't even let out a scream. The sound of his arm falling on the ground was atrocious.

The countess tried to catch her breath, but she was exhausted. There was no way she was able to hold up the fight much longer.

Letting herself fall, she panted and cried, looking at the two knights in pure despair. "Please, have mercy. Please," she cried out. She knew her grandfather would never use dishonorable tactics. But he had been one of the best duelists of the galaxy, trained by skilled Jedis and Sidious for decades. Athena on the other hand had received training, too, but never really needed nor wanted to fight. She wasn't cut from the same cloth as Kylo and her grandfather.

Menacingly, Vicrul, Ap'lek and Trudgen walked up to her, their weapons raised, even though all of them were limping. Vicrul was forced to use his left hand, not bothering to look down on the stomp of his right hand. Athena hid her face behind her hands, crouching down, letting them come closer. All that mattered was survival.

"No, please," she cried out. She hoped Kylo wouldn't make a move. He couldn't intervene or Snoke would likely execute them both.

Athena mustered all the strength she had left, focused on all the lessons Kylo had thought her. All the feelings that had fueled the Force inside were her at peace for a second, like the eye of the storm before releasing its destructive power. She didn't need to be stronger than Kylo or anyone else, she only needed to use the power at the right moment, using the knights' weaknesses. They all underestimated her.

Still collapsed on the floor, she waited patiently for the knights to tower above her.

Then, she released everything she held inside her. Lightning filled the area round her with electricity, escaping her palms as she turned them towards the knights. The air smelled like smoke and burnt leather. Not stopping, Athena released the Force lightning for a couple few more breaths before stopping.

The three knights collapsed on the floor. Athena doubted they were dead, but at least they were severely electrocuted and burnt. They weren't standing up at least.

Athena on the other hand placed the weight on her feet again, standing up slowly. Again, she felt her vision blur. It smelled like metal, the cold sting in her nostrils making her nauseous. Blood, she realized. The wound across her collarbone ran deep. Drops of crimson blood ran down from her nose, which was very much broken, staining the shiny floor.

Kylo ran to her, much to her dismay. He placed his arms under her knees and under her shoulders, carrying her in his arms, shielding her from Snoke's field of vision. A warm sensation tingled through her body, as she felt the pain fading.

She was too tired to realize the deadly mistake Kylo Ren had just made.

Snoke's laugh resonated in the dark throne room.

"Interesting, very very interesting," his voice echoed.

I had so much fun writing this. I really did my research about the fighting techniques, haha! Maybe you'll recognize the references to Athena's teacher Kylo and her grandfather Dooku in the details. I'm so honored that you follow and comment this story!