"What are we going to do, Sid? The New Republic doesn't even acknowledge the First Order as a threat. Why put you on trial now?" a man with violet eyes asked anxiously, walking up and down. A woman sat in front of him, her hands folded in her lap, her back straightened. Long mahogany colored hair fell down her back, black eyes betrayed no emotion. A sharp jawline and high cheekbones gave her an air of nobility. One would think she was mid-aged, but something about her seemed timeless. The man's hair was blonde, mingled with shades of grey and white, his eyes framed by fine lines.
"It's Snoke. He leaked the information about my ties with the Empire. They even have proof that I work with the First Order," the woman said tonelessly.
Then man raised his eyebrows, stopping in his constant pacing.
"I don't," the woman growled. "Snoke wants to get me away from Serenno. He wants her."
"But why now? After all those years?" the man asked, brushing nervously through his dense blonde hair.
"There is a boy from the Skywalker bloodline with much more potential for darkness. Our daughter barely uses the Force, I taught her how to shield her thoughts, how to defend herself... but taught properly, she could grow much stronger. I've done my best to protect us, Velaro."
"Why her if he already has someone? He let you live your life as you wanted…" the man's voice trembled.
The woman looked up with a stern expression. "The First Order isn't strong enough to risk a conflict with the combined systems of the Outer Rim. If the Skywalker boy joins them one day, this all may change… Athena has potential for Light and for Dark. But her future is not decided yet. Snoke would want to eliminate every potential threat. Or perhaps keep her as a backup in case the boy doesn't turn."
The dark-haired woman looked down at the desk right next to her, filled with documents and multiple electronic devices. They were in an office, diffused lights illuminating the couple.
"That's why you need to take her to Eriadu and complete the founding of the ORA. We must continue building our fleet and forces in secret. She must become untouchable. Our strength lies in our numbers. The First Order won't attack if the Outer Rim is united, speaking with one strong voice. We are giving her all the skills she needs to survive."
"What if he whispers to her? Turns her to the Darkness?" fear lit up in Velaro's violet eyes.
"Every single creature in the galaxy struggles with both sides their entire lives. She will struggle like we all do. You'll be there for her, Vel. You will survive without me," Sidanna explained softly.
The man closed the space between them, kneeling in front of her and grabbing her hands. "No, Sid. I can't survive without you," he whispered, softly placing a kiss on the top of her hands.
First, she noted the climate. Hot and sticky. Then, she felt the pain. Her whole body felt sore, her core was completely on fire.
Yet she had been dreaming again. A glimpse into the past. Why now? Why this?
"Shh, don't move," a soft woman's voice sounded right next to her. Through her eyelashes, Athena's eyes adapted to the dim light. Cold lights blinked above her, blinding her.
"Take it slow," the voice commanded.
"Where am I?" Athena's voice was unrecognizable. She could barely speak.
A small face appeared right before her, tapping a cloth on her forehead. "You're with the Resistance. You need to rest. General Organa says your wounds are healing quicker than normal, so I'd say you'll be back on your feet soon."
The words resonated within the fog in Athena's mind. Resistance?
With a swift movement, she brushed the woman aside and sat up, regretting it instantly. Her left side hurt even more, sending bolts of sharp pain through her body. "Aaaahhh" Athena moaned.
"I told you so," the woman chided.
The countess wore practical black underwear. A white bandage covered her waist completely. The young woman in front of her with mousy brown hair and blue eyes looked at her with mistrust. A nurse, Athena took from her simple light blue uniform. With another painful movement, Athena grabbed the IV and ripped it out, much to the horror of the young nurse.
"What are you doing?" she squeaked. The fear in the woman's eyes invoked a sour taste in Athena's mouth. People were afraid of her now.
Athena stood up, ignoring her revolting body, and walked out of the room unsteadily, only to find herself in the halls of a grounded transport ship. Within a few steps, Athena had found the exit and walked out the dock. Bright daylight blinded her. She held her waist as the pain grew unbearable.
A dozen of rebels start at her, their mouths wide open.
"You should rest, Countess of Serenno," a mid-aged woman with a braided crown around her head and a general's uniform informed her. Unlike the others, she wasn't puzzled at all by the young woman standing outside in her underwear.
"You," Athena hissed. She could not explain her anger, yet Leia Organa was the last person she wanted to see.
"Me," Leia smiled patiently.
"What am I doing here?" Athena groaned.
"A pod arrived here, with you on it. We nursed you back to consciousness. A miracle, one might say," the general of the Resistance added.
"Am I your prisoner?" Athena's words were cold as metal.
"You're our guest."
Athena raised her eyebrows at her.
"You have no idea who I am, obviously."
"I do, Countess Athena Toussaint of Serenno."
If Leia felt attacked by Athena's rudeness, she didn't show it.
"We should talk in private, my dear. Come to my private quarters. I'll answer all your questions. I may have some clothes for you as well. Nina? Would you mind fetching some?" Leia politely asked the young nurse who had followed Athena outside, her chest rising heavily in outrage as her patient had simply walked outside barefoot and half-naked.
A few minutes later, Athena wore plain linen clothing and sat on a comfortable leather seat in one of the Resistance empty meeting rooms. Nina had given her a blanked and a hot beverage containing pain medication, served with annoyed glances from the nurse.
"Apologies, Nina. Thank you," Athena muttered under her breath. It wasn't the nurses fault Athena had ended up here. The nurse shrugged, seemingly appeased, and hushed away.
Leia seemed to read right through her as she scanned her with her observing eyes.
"What do you want from me?" Athena inquired.
"I don't want anything from you. I saved you. Tell me, how did you end up here?" Leia raised her eyebrow.
Athena sighed. She wasn't ready to face that part of the story yet.
"Kylo Ren – your son – made me his apprentice. I betrayed him. He tried to kill me. End of story," Athena resumed with an aggressive undertone. She didn't care much for Leia Organa and her condescending tone.
"We know about the Dark Countess who has joined the First Order to save the Outer Rim and who has slaughtered many rebels in her service to Kylo Ren. We heard different versions of the same story. You have quite the reputation, my dear."
"Have I? So have you. For bringing death and havoc to every planet the Resistance sets foot on," Athena attacked her. She had no patience for this. She was hurting. In every possible way. With satisfaction she saw Leia flinching.
"You are right, my dear. I don't blame you. You did what you could to save yourself and your people. You sacrificed a lot for that. Don't blame me for doing the same for the people who want to live in freedom and peace."
"How about your son? Is he just one of the sacrifices?" Athena provoked her. She saw the hurt in Leia's eyes.
"I lost him… the Dark Side of the Force has been seducing him since a young age. I failed to keep him in the light. But you… you must mean something to him," the general's eyes sparkled in the dim light.
Athena felt a cold weight in her stomach, biting at her intestines. Now it was Leia who had struck a weak point.
"How can you say that? He shoved a lightsaber through me," she whispered. She bit her lip, trying to hold back the flood of feelings threatening to overwhelm her.
Leia saw her distress and walked towards her, kneeling in front of the leather seat, and looked up to her.
"You walked behind enemy lines as a democratic elected representative with enough influence to harm the First Order. You negotiated a truce even though the First Order does not negotiate at all. He has hurt you, and there is no apology for that. But he hasn't killed you. Your injury… Nina says your wound as already partly healed. Every vital organ was missed."
"Maybe my body healed itself," Athena snapped.
"No. Not in this state. The wound should have been fatal, but it wasn't. On purpose. Ben… Kylo… he made the spy Trixi Korr bring you here with a message for me. He asked for just one thing. Save her."
The pain in Leia's eyes was heartbreaking. "He killed his own father."
Athena ignored the familiar sting of guilt. Why should Kylo possibly spare her and not his father? It didn't make any sense. It was twisted and unfair. For a second, she wished she had switched places with Han Solo. Not many people would mourn her passing.
"Because I am a pawn. I am nothing more than a chess piece to move around as long as I'm useful," Athena spat, the hurt of his actions driving her body to spasm, tears falling down her cheek uncontrollably.
"Athena of Serenno, you're not a pawn. You've made many mistakes, but there a few women who hold such a power as you. He wanted to get rid of his past so badly, to be free of all the ties to his family… But you are not his past, you are his future. And in saving you, he has become more like his grandfather than he realizes. The way he did it was wrong, but he must have been desperate."
"It doesn't matter. I couldn't stop him, but I couldn't be at his side either. And after all I did, I do not deserve to live," Athena sobbed.
Leia softly grabbed her hand, her warm brown eyes seemingly staring right through her.
"There's something else. Something Ben and you both might have missed… you're pregnant, Athena."