It wasn't possible. How? One second ago, she was walking up and down the shore, and then, she felt something. After hours, she had finally managed to ignite the weapon after letting her own power flow through it. It had left her with a feeling of happiness that still warmed her even after the sun was set.

But then she saw him, right in the flesh, right in front of her. It couldn't be. Was it an illusion?

"You," she growled. Athena stared at the man in front of her. He had changed. A thick scar ran over his eye to his neck, disappearing under his clothes. His dark tousled hair framed his pale face. Kylo's eyes were blank, not showing any emotion. But Athena knew it was just as mask, just like his one made of metal and chrome.

The sight of him triggered a passion in her. And above anything else, she felt rage.

With a flick of her wrist, she ignited the lightsaber with the elegantly curved hilt.

Kylo's eyes lit up in surprise at the new color.

Kylo gasped in surprise as Athena ran towards him, attacking him brutally. He bended to the side, evading her.

"Athena!" he exclaimed. Athena's strokes were relentless, filled with rage and hurt.

Before she managed to cut him in half, Kylo ignited his own lightsaber, countering her.

He couldn't see any of her surroundings, it felt like as if she was right in the room with him – but she wasn't. Athena didn't leave him a second to think about how that was possible.

"I WILL KILL YOU!" she yelled. With her black clothes and tight leather pants, the black cape, and furiously glowing eyes, she looked like a Sith more than ever. Athena blocked his next move with the Force, pushing his lightsaber back.

For a couple of breaths, Athena held it in place, looking into his eyes.

The lightsabers hissed at the contact like ice meeting fire.

Hers was purple, just the same shade as her eyes, a perfect blend of cyan and crimson.

Kylo felt sweat forming on his forehead, his breath accelerated. Athena had grown much more powerful. Her usually more lighter and dance-like style was impacted by her emotions, making her strikes more aggressive. Somehow it seemed her ground was less solid, making it harder for her to keep her balance.

Her training wasn't completed yet, and he was still much stronger. Using his physical strength, he swiftly disarmed her by pushing her arm down. The lightsaber fell on the floor.

"I won't hurt you," Kylo started, putting his lightsaber away and raising his hands, approaching her slowly.

Athena scoffed, shaking her head. "Did you know?" she spat. "Was any of it even real?"

Kylo's stomach formed a tight knot as he felt her desperate anger. Yet, her question confused him.

"Know what?" he inquired; his voice low and soft as if talking to a wounded animal.

Athena didn't answer. But her hands travelled down to her belly, as the expression in her eyes turned more defensive, more vulnerable.

"Know what?" he repeated, even though he already began to understand.

But Athena faded and suddenly, she was gone.

OoOoO

Athena looked at inscriptions, edged into the ground. Ancient symbols, unknown but somehow familiar to her. The Jedi temple was still impressive, even after it burned down years ago. But it didn't hold any answers for what happened at the beach. Questions were piling up, but none of them made sense. How could Kylo strong enough to connect them through the Force?
He had been real. There was no doubt about it. When her hands covered her now slightly curved belly, she had only seen shock in his eyes.

"You shouldn't be here," Luke's coarse voice interrupted her thoughts.

The former Jedi master watched her with his eyes full of distrust. "You've been here before. As a child."

Athena turned around, surprised by his words. She didn't remember being here. Crossing her arms above her chest, she waited for Luke to continue.

"Your mother brought you here. She wanted me to train you. But I declined," he explained, walking slowly up and down, still watching her reaction.

"That's not possible. My mother hated the Jedi." Athena shot back.

"She did. She followed the ways of her father Dooku and used the Force only to prolong her own life. But above all, she wanted to protect you. Sidanna wanted to provide you the best live she could."

Luke explained without warmth in his voice.

Athena was taken aback. Her mother never told her about this. But somehow the pieces of the puzzle fell together. "How could she find you?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at Luke.

"I don't know. Even though I didn't take you into training, Sidanna never revealed location of this planet to anyone."

This didn't sound like her mother at all. Or maybe it did. After all, it was Snoke who set her up to be imprisoned by the Republic. Perhaps Sidanna had tried play both sides and lost.

"Why didn't you take me in, then?" Athena asked, afraid of the answer. Probably because she wasn't strong enough, she wondered.

Luke's gaze darkened as he stopped his constant walking, folding his hands together as if to steady himself. Athena tried to find similarities to Kylo in his behavior, his looks, but she didn't find any.

"I feared you might be a bad influence on my nephew Ben," he said heavy-hearted. Athena scoffed, shaking her head. This answer was truly unexpected. Her corrupting Ben? Kylo?

"Are you serious?" she exclaimed, letting out a sarcastic laugh.

"Yes," Luke answered solemnly. "You were a selfish, privileged child, raised by a woman who followed the path of Darkness. And I was right. Rey sees good in you, but she's wrong," he said, his eyes interlocking with hers.

Athena couldn't believe what she heard. She knew Luke wasn't fond of her, but his words were hurting more than she cared to admit.

"You don't know me," she walked towards him, showing that she wouldn't be intimidated. "I care for Rey. I've been handed a lot of things, that's true. My parents helped a lot of people after the Rebellion and the Empire left the galaxy in shards. I've picked up where they left. I am doing my best. What are you doing?" she spat at him, taking herself into rage.

"Loving a monster does not make you special and it doesn't make a monster any less of a monster," Luke yelled back. His face was torn into a hateful grimace.

"You have seen good in Vader! Why can't you see it in Kylo?" she asked him, anger balling up in her stomach painfully.

"Loving you does not make him good."

"What makes you good then? What makes the Jedi good? I thought it was supposed to be compassion. But apparently, you have lost that along the way," Athena couldn't hold back any longer. She almost yelled at him, throwing all her anger, and hurt of the last couple of weeks at him.

"You exiled yourself when the galaxy needed you most. You turned your back on Kylo when he needed you the most. You almost killed a kid because it didn't fit your expectations. And now you're abandoning Rey. And you're doing it because you're afraid. The great Luke Skywalker, a coward. It's so easy to judge others from a deserted planet in the middle of nowhere."

"I'm not afraid of you," Luke mocked, his blue eyes sparkling with resentment. But his eyes darted down for one single fraction of a moment, making Athena realize he was indeed not afraid of her.
"You're afraid of what the child will become. That's why you're saying these things," she said slowly. "Now that this child will be loved. It will never be abandoned. And it will certainly not be judged before it's even been born."

Luke's features softened, as he let out a loud sigh. Athena knew she had pushed his buttons, but she wasn't sorry either. Luke Skywalker had lost his way completely as far as she was concerned.

"You are right. I am afraid. I don't want to repeat the same mistakes. I can't stand losing someone to the Darkness again," he muttered. "There are legends about grey Jedis who walked the line between Light and Dark without losing themselves to the Dark Side. I didn't think it possible… but it might be. It scares me what that might mean for the galaxy."

"I don't know." Athena dropped her shoulders, feeling defeated. She didn't know. She didn't know how her child would stay safe, how her friendship with Rey could withstand them being on different sides or how she could ever see Kylo again without wanting to rip his head off. And she knew even less about being a grey Jedi or what it could all possibly mean. Involuntarily, she understood Luke's bitterness. Being entangled with the Force meant to bear a heavy load of responsibility. Suddenly, the weight of everything she had been through hit her, after she had done her best to push everything aside.

Leaving Luke aside, she stormed out, gasping for air.

Tears flooded her eyes. She couldn't handle it. She didn't want to. She missed her mum, her dad, Kai, Wheelo and Jasmina, and she missed her old life.

Thinking about his betrayal almost broke her apart. At the same time, she was the one who had decided to help Rey. She had broken her promise just like he did. Perhaps Athena and Kylo were never meant to be together. Maybe it had never been real in the first place, maybe it had just been a desperate struggle for power and nothing else.

It was hard to imagine an outcome where both could exist together, not with the Resistance and the First Order at war. Now, she had engaged the ORA into this war, which made her the leader of another military unit in this conflict.

But still, if she was honest with herself, she realized that she still loved him. And she understood why Luke Skywalker preferred to live in exile.

I don't really like Luke Skywalker in the Sequels. How did you like his portrayal?
We finally have a new lightsaber color. Did you guess it?