AN: Addie finally learns the truth of what happened to her beloved Ben.

The entire Hapes cluster was in mourning. Their beloved king, Acelin, had died from a sudden illness. Representatives from multiple systems were coming for the funeral. For Adrastea, the sad occasion was a turning point for other reasons, besides the obvious. She'd be crowned queen within the next couple of weeks, and it also meant that she'd finally meet several higher-ups from the First Order face-to-face. Most nerve-wracking were stories she'd heard about the mysterious Kylo Ren. He was one of two seconds-in-command to Supreme Leader Snoke, and many called him the next Darth Vader. That was saying something, considering the reputation the late sith lord had. She was making some final adjustments, smoothing the skirt of her black-and-silver dress, when she heard a knock at her bedroom door. Said door opened seconds later, and Adara stepped inside with a weak, wobbly smile on her face.

She said, "It's time, sweetheart."

"I know. I'm ready."

The holy man who performed the ceremony was an old family friend. He exchanged polite kisses on the cheek with both mother and daughter, gently squeezing their hands and giving them a polite, sad smile. The next hour was filled with the shaking of multiple hands, and the mumblings of "Thank you" whenever a condolence was given. Then, Adrastea's heart leapt into her throat, when the throne room doors opened and the crowd began to part. This had to be the First Order representatives. Swallowing hard, she steeled herself into the perfect royal facade. Both of the men who stepped forward were dressed in black. The slightly-taller of the two was a complete contrast to his outfit: fair skin, grey-blue eyes, and copper-red hair. He wore his seriousness like a banner, as he gazed down his nose at her. She'd seen him in pictures and holo-images before, and he'd been mentioned several times by the council of elders. But at that exact moment, her mind was too clouded to remember his name.

Adara's greeting gave her the answer: "General Hux. We appreciate you coming."

"No thanks necessary, Your Majesty", and he kissed her hand before continuing, "We couldn't miss the chance to pay our respects. Acelin was a great leader. He served us well."

Served them. Ha! If only they knew. Adrastea kept this idea in-mind as her hand got a kiss of its own. Her nerves spiked when she turned to greet his companion, who had to be at least 5'10 and slimly-built. If the First Order was so proud of its accomplishments, why was he hiding his face? Focusing a little bit harder, she could just barely see his eyes through the glass in the upper part of his mask. Her jaw fell slightly open. She knew those eyes. No. It was impossible. She quickly covered her emotions by forcing a cough. She put her formal mask back on and re-extended her hand.

"You must be Master Ren."

He touched her knuckles to the chin part of his mask and replied, "Indeed, though I wish I could be here for a better occasion, Princess."

Her breath hitched. The flow of his mechanical voice over that word was so familiar. Instantly, she felt like she was ten years old again, and she fought the urge to tell him to use her name. It couldn't be. She didn't want to believe it, but her observance of how he backed away forced her to. He moved as though his left leg was a quarter-inch longer than his right one. This was a trait she only knew of one person having, a person who was supposed to be dead. Her heart raced, sweat beading at her temples. Her entire focus was suddenly centered on this man. It was something she hadn't felt in so long. Three years had passed, but she just knew it was him. She waited for him to be well out of sight, before letting out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?"

Clearing her throat again, she replied, "Yes, Mom. I'm fine. Just a little overwhelmed. Would it be alright, if I went out for some fresh air?"

"Sure."

She left the throne room as graceful as she could under the circumstances, blowing a kiss to her father's coffin on the way out. Irony of all ironies, she wound up back at the same fountain she'd cried next to, after learning of her lover's supposed death. She hugged herself, bent slightly over and gasping for air. She felt like she was having a panic-attack. She thought the approaching footsteps a minute later were those of a guest, until she turned to her right to see the person's face.

"I apologize for startling you, Your Highness."

"It's alright, Captain Ashwin. I should've been paying more attention to my surroundings."

Gahiji Ashwin had been the head of her security detail since she was fifteen. She counted him as an uncle figure. If they'd been in a less-formal setting, she'd have called him by his nickname: Ash. A soft smile flickered in the corners of his mouth.

He asked, "Is something troubling you? Besides the obvious, I mean."

She answered his question with one of her own: "May I borrow your holo-pad for a moment?"

"Of course."

She usually checked in with Leia every couple of weeks, to see how events in the main hub of the Resistance were going. The words exchanged were always friendly, though a little tense. Today, however, things were different. Gahiji turned his back to her, carefully shielding her from any prying First Order eyes. The image of a known aide popped up, giving Adrastea a respectful bow.

"Is there something I can do for you, Your Highness?"

"I need to speak with General Organa immediately."

"Yes, Princess."

Seconds later, the image of the woman in question took the aide's place.

She said, "Hello, Addie. I apologize for not attending your father's funeral."

"It's alright. I understand why. But…"

"But what?"

Easily-detecable anger flashed in her eyes, and her voice took on a sharper edge: "You lied to me."

Leia sighed, sensing the jig was up.

"I'm sorry. Han and I wanted to tell you the truth so badly."

"Then why didn't you? I know how incredibly strong-willed you are, Leia. Regardless of what Han said, you always did what you felt was right."

"And that's exactly what I did. It tore me apart to tell you Ben was dead, but I wanted to protect you. Though I knew it would hurt, I also knew it would be far less of a burden than the truth...that my boy had fallen to the dark side."

Adrastea asked, "Yeah. How exactly did that happen, by the way?"

Leia replied, "I think it started not long after we sent him to Luke. The emergance of his force powers was causing moodswings. We thought that starting his jedi training would help channel that energy, but I think it made things worse. He resented us for sending him away. His sense of abandonment kept growing over the years. He must've let his mental shields down, and that's how I believe Snoke was able to get to him."

"Seems that way. I…", her voice cracked, "I-I don't know what to do."

"There's nothing you can do right now."

"He was standing right in front of me and Mom. That's why I'm speaking in such a low tone."

"I understand. I don't want you to put yourself in danger, either."

"I don't think I have a choice in the matter."

"What do you mean?"

She paused, before replying, "If we want to save what's left of the Republic, I can't remain on the sidelines anymore. I have to take a more active role in the Resistance. Once I'm crowned, I'll ask my mother to put out word that I'm taking a vacation."

"Milady-"

Adrastea looked up, meeting Gahiji's eyes as he looked at her over his shoulder.

He continued, "With all due respect, that plan is too obvious. If you suddenly disappear after a visit from First Order officers, they'll immediately think you've gone to assist their enemy. How will you help him then?"

"This isn't about Ben."

"Not only", whispered the inner voice she ignored.

Sighing, she turned back to Leia's image. A patient half-smile remainedon the older woman's face. For a second time, she asked what she could do.

Gahiji spoke up again: "There are several hospitals here, housing those injured in battle. I suggest saying that you're taking a philanthropic path, going in disguise amongst the physicians. It looks good to your people, and it fits in with our cloak of neutrality."

"He's right, Addie", Leia said, "I know you hate lying, and again, I'm sorry for that. But it's the only thing that'll keep you and your mother alive right now. I trust my team here. You're more than welcome to join us any time you'd like. It seems we're all making painful choices."

"Painful doesn't even begin to cover it. We'll talk more within the next couple of days, so we can iron out the plan."

"Alright."

After blowing a kiss, the image disappeared. Adrastea stood up and walked over to the bodyguard's side, handing him back his holo-pad.

She told him, "Thank you for the help, Captain. I'm going to my room now. I need to lie down for a while."

"What should I tell the dowager queen?"

"Tell her...Tell her I developed a severe headache. I'm sure it will be true, by the time I get there."

Exchanging awkward smiles, she patted his shoulder before walking away. What seemed an eternity later, Adara once more entered her daughter's room. The normally-strong twenty-three-year-old looked nearly catatonic, lying on her bed and staring at her window. Walking around to the foot of the bed, she saw that Adrastea had a rose-gold cylindrical object tucked under her arm. This was a lightsaber, used in countless training sessions before Luke Skywalker went into exile. It hadn't always been hers, though. A button was pressed, and a peridot-green blade illuminated the darkened area. Another press, and the blade vanished. Giving a slight sigh, she gently tapped Adrastea's ankle.

Once she had her attention, she said, "I know you wish Ben were here. So do I."

"He was here, Mom."

The resoluteness in her tone felt a bit odd.

"You mean in spirit."

"No. I mean it literally."

"I'm not following, dear."

She sat on the bed, putting an arm around her daughter as she also sat up straight. Their eyes met.

"Remember that man, who came in here with General Hux?"

"What does Kylo Ren have to do with this?"

"Don't you get it? That was Ben!"

Adara's jaw dropped. It couldn't be true. There was no way the sweet boy she'd known could completely flip like that.

"I know you don't want to believe it, Mom. Neither did I. But I didn't have him in my life for ten years, without learning his body language and walk. When he came up to greet me, he was close enough for me to see his eyes through the mask. When I went outside, I borrowed Ash's holo-pad to contact Leia. She told me how Snoke got into his head and taught him the ways of the dark side. There was one thing she wasn't clear about, though."

"Which thing?"

"I really, really hope he didn't lead the attack on the jedi students. I can't...h-he's not-"

"Shhh. Come here", Adara said as she pulled Adrastea's head to her shoulder.

It took a solid ten minutes, before the young woman fully calmed down.

When she did, she said, "I guess Leia and I both have something precious to protect now."

A sigh was followed with, "Yes, I suppose you do", and she paused before continuing, "When I was in a training session with Luke, he told me something about lightsabers that went beyond combat. According to him, each one is an extension of the heart of whoever built it."

The actual words went unspoken, but their meaning was still clear. Adrastea clutched the rose-gold hilt tighter to her chest. Ben had given her his heart. He'd also broken hers.

AN: I visualize Captain Ashwin, whose first & last names mean "hunter" & "star", as being played by Djimon Hounsou. I chose that name, because it's a reference to a boy I went to junior-high with. His name was Hunter Starr, & he was a very good friend. The first official chapter will take place in the middle of "The Force Awakens". Reading the junior novelization has given me tons of ideas.