CN: Death

The next couple of weeks were exhausting but successful. Daily trainings, sessions with Hux and with Kylo strengthened her. Even wielding the Force had become easier for her, even if she didn't show the results Kylo Ren expected. Her fighting skills improved however, as she had a natural talent for it. Kylo revealed to be much more of a patient teacher than she'd expected. But Athena was as cooperative and eager as she could. Somehow, they had both gotten used to each other, caught in the game of flirtation and threats, cold determination and hot anger as Athena felt the darkness inside her growing stronger and stronger, a vortex of fear, wrath and desire pulling her closer one day at the time. No one else knew her so intimately as Ren, no one else had seen those sides of her he uncovered. Far away from everyone she knew, hidden away in the dark corridors of the Finalizer, Athena felt like she lost track of time. Nothing else mattered than her training, no one else mattered than Kylo Ren. All the guilt and doubts seemed to vanish. The peace treaty was close to completion.

"I have a gift for you. Today will be your first mission, apprentice," Kylo Ren announced, grabbing his mask and his light saber. "A rebel base in Felucia. An informant gave us the hint."

Athena lifted her head from her book. A mission? She was excited and scared at the same time. Kylo didn't need to read her mind. "Do not be scared," he scolded. "You will do well. And after that you may proceed to signing the treaty with the ORA. You'll finally get what you want. Now take your seat as my co-pilot."

For a split of a second, Athena stared at him in shock. Kylo stared back at her, noticing bright red spots appearing on her neck. Was it… embarrassment? The Knight of Ren lacked words.

"What is it?" he barked, watching his apprentice regain her composure. She lifted her chin in her typical manner, her eyes flashing in bright violet.

"I don't know how to pilot a ship," she explained matter-of-factly.

Kylo scoffed. "You don't know… how to pilot a ship?"

"Why would I? I have staff for that," she answered, sounding incredibly snobbish, raising her eyebrows at him, and throwing her braid on her back.

"Are you that spoiled?" Kylo Ren mocked, not being able to believe his apprentice to be so incapable. Athena usually displayed confidence, not giving the impression there was anything she couldn't do.

Her cheeks turned crimson red like the spots on her neck. She crossed her arms above her chest.

"Are you lecturing me? Aren't you the son of two war heroes and the nephew of another? I am sorry that my lineage does not consist of talented pilots, master."
She was comparing herself to him, calling him entitled? He was taken aback by her words.

"Yeah. I thought so. You don't even know what normal people look like. Skywalker legacy makes one almost as spoiled as being a countess, isn't it?"

The girl knew what made him angry, relentlessly pushing his buttons.

Those violet eyes were almost haunting him, as he found himself thinking about her even if she wasn't around. They were spending every day together, and still, he could not stop thinking about her snarky comments, her irritatingly confident walk and those pretty curved lips. Kylo Ren had concluded that she was most likely manipulating him. He had never been one to spend much time with women, most interactions more transactional than anything else.

He realized he hadn't answered for a while. Now he felt hot anger creeping up his neck, clenching his jaw together. A grin flashed on her face, mischievous and triumphant.

"You don't know anything about being a Skywalker." he spat, defending himself.

"Really? The crushing expectations of your family? The need to be strong? Parents that have much bigger problems on their plate than your needs. The loneliness. Scary powers. Daddy issues," Athena didn't hold back. Kylo held back the urge to unleash the Force on her, strangle her, punish her for her constant insolence. A lump formed in his throat instead.

"Your uncle didn't try to kill you. Your family wasn't afraid of you," he muttered, his voice breaking. Again, he could not fathom how quickly she got under his skin.

Athena bit her lip, sadness creeping into her eyes. She felt the shift in his mood.

"There is another way, you know. They were afraid of you because they only knew light or dark. The fate of the Galaxy shouldn't rest on your shoulders."

"But it does, Serenno. My grandfather guided me since I was little. I have to potential to live up to his legend. I have to."

Athena sighed, leaning forwards in the co-pilot's seat. Something about his words struck with her as she tried to make sense of them. Did Kylo Ren have the same visions as her? As he put it, it sounded like he heard voices. But did they really belong to Darth Vader? She pushed her thoughts aside. She had no idea about how those things worked anyway. But she felt empathy towards the man in front of her, who looked younger than he ever had to her. Being neglected was not an excuse for the horrors he had committed. Yet if something had been influencing him since the beginning, maybe there was another solution to stopping him on his path.

"And what is my destiny?" she asked. "I am obviously not nearly as strong as you or my grandfather."

"No. You're weak. Your destiny is to serve me."

He didn't mean it as an insult. And that made it much worse. Athena smirked sarcastically, holding back the sudden urge to cry.

"You really do like me, do you?" she teased, blinking.

The truth behind her words were evident. She was still alive, still being taught by him, even though her results were barely mediocre.

"Those kinds of emotions are beneath me," Kylo leaned forwards, their knees almost touching. The ship was not to be launched until everything was packed and in order. Sounds of metal clanging and troopers walking down the halls were muffled by the heavy doors to the pilot's cabin, leaving Kylo and Athena alone together.

"I thought passion was a path to the dark side."

Athena's sugary voice made Kylo's pulse quicken. Her violet eyes shimmered red with the control lights of the pilot's deck, her lashes throwing shadows on her cheeks. How could she be so unafraid of him, so openly provocative? She knew how dangerous he was, she knew her life was on burrowed time. Yet somehow, he had just spilled his feelings to her, as she managed to read him like an open book. She made him feel like an insecure boy.

"You're not there yet. Perhaps it is the light in you hindering your potential. I can see through your confidence, through your ridiculous attempts to get under my skin. That doesn't impress me, apprentice."

"Light?" she asked sceptically, raising her eyebrows at him.

"I will take care of it. And then we'll see what kind of passion you still feel, apprentice."

A shiver ran over her spine. Their conversation had made one thing clear: If she wanted to survive, she had to prove her usefulness to him. Whatever was drawing them to each other was growing stronger. Athena was slowly but surely collapsing into the darkness, like a star falling into another, drawn to its own destruction. She wondered if she would ever be able to escape.

The next two hours, the preparations were made. Multiple TIE-fighters and a large command ship were packed to launch. Athena helped and gave orders to pack weapons and munition. Before launch, she attached her light saber to her belt. The light blue saber wasn't hers and it didn't feel like it. But it was better than having no weapon at all. As the ship launched, Athena took her place in the command central next to her master. Officers explained the location of the camp and the expected weapons.

Athena realized it was the first time she would partake in a battle. Even with all the training and experience, this was a completely new ship landed in the middle of a thick green jungle. The TIE-fighters were already launched, firing at the base in the middle of nowhere. The rebels would be bled out before Kylo and the troops even arrived. Athena walked a few steps behind Kylo Ren, taking her position behind him. The Resistance did not stand a chance.

Walking into the small camp residing next to a river filled with brown, thick water, Athena ignited her lightsaber. As rebels attacked her with blasters, she struck them down with ease. It was as if she had never done anything else. Athena swirled through their ranks, dropping bodies almost as fast as Kylo. She reveled in it. She loved it. How could that happen? She wasn't one to be cruel… but the power she felt was intoxicating. Kylo Ren stopped, watching her as she joined him. The force helped her anticipate every blast, every hit. The two of them together were unstoppable.

Athena gifted him with a large smile. Her fears had been unnecessary. A rebel crawled away from her as her boots walked over the rubbles of their destroyed ships and arms. The young man stared at her in horror, begging for his life. Athena felt something tug inside of her stomach. This wasn't right, she thought. She shouldn't be happy doing this. After all the time with Ren on the Finalizer, it had been easier to ignore the reality of what it meant to be his apprentice.

The young woman stopped in her tracks, looking sheepishly at Kylo.

"I can't do this," she whispered. He could hear her through the sounds of explosions and blasters. His voice sounded through her head.

"The Resistance is doing this. You are merely bringing order to the Galaxy," he reassured her. "They want to protect the Jedi, the ones who have brought only misery. They are blind and misguided."

"No," she muttered, "I can't." She stared at the rebel, still crying and begging. Her hands began to feel sweaty, her heart beating painfully in her chest.

"You have brought death before. Now you can't do the work?" Kylo scolded. Within seconds, he was right at her side. With one swift movement of his crackling saber, he beheaded the man right in front of her. Athena watched in horror, unable to move.
"You have promised to serve me," Kylo reminded her. She couldn't even see his eyes. She could only stare at the unnerving black helmet. As if he wasn't even human.

"Athena?" a high-pitched voice cut through the sounds of war around them.

The movies barely cover why Ben Solo turns to the dark side, so I wanted to explore that in this chapter. How did you like this chapter? I'm happy for any feedback or comment!