“Ahch-To?” Amber asked as they reentered hyperspace. “Why Ahch-To?”
“Trust me.” Seraphina said.
“Amber?” Nathan’s voice came through the headset Amber was wearing. “Why have you changed course?”
Amber rolled her eyes. “Relax, Nathan. Seraphina had me change our destination. We’re taking an unplanned detour.”
Nathan sighed. “Fine. I trust you. I’ll keep an eye on the general.”
“Good idea. If anything happens, just know that we’re heading to Ahch-To.”
“Thanks.”
Seraphina shifted and tried to focus on the journey and not Amber’s questions. But her thoughts kept turning to Amaro. She was sure that Josh was still in him. Amaro holding her had been proof of that. He still had the desire to protect her, comfort her, and be there for her. She laughed silently to herself. He had been that way since they had met for the first time on Coruscant. Her thoughts turned to the memory she and Amaro had seen; another one of her blocked memories. Not meaning to, Seraphina slipped into the memory.
Seraphina, now thirteen, lay in bed, tired from the training she had received earlier that day, but for some unknown reason, she wasn’t able to fall asleep. Why? While her body begged to be allowed to rest, her mind was active.
Josh…she thought. It had been two years since her friend had disappeared. But…why did he leave? Every time she tried to remember, she couldn’t. It was like her connection to him had broken.
Her master had said to assume that he was part of the Force now. She knew what that meant. Her master meant to imply that he was dead. Seraphina knew better, though. Josh wasn’t dead. Seraphina would be able to feel if he was gone.
Her thoughts turned to him again. She was beginning to forget more and more about her old friend. Every memory of him was slowly vanishing. Each night, more memories would vanish and she couldn’t remember them no matter how hard she tried.
She sat up and took a deep breath. Focus. She told herself. Remember. Think about Josh. She searched through her memories of Josh, desperately trying to hold on to as many as possible. And then she felt the familiar hum of their connection. She followed it, keeping a hold of the bond.
Her mind was filled with images. She saw an older man with black hair and jade green eyes swinging a red lightsaber. He was breathing heavily and sweat was dripping from his brow.
Josh…Seraphina thought. Though he was older, maybe around fifteen or sixteen, she didn’t have trouble recognizing him.
He stopped his saber mid-swing and turned around in a circle. “Seraphina?” he whispered. He had not thought about her since his master had told him that she no longer remembered him. “Seraphina, is that you?”
“Yes,” Seraphina wanted to shout with joy about finding her friend. “I knew you weren’t dead!”
Josh furrowed his brow. “Of course I’m not dead.” He closed his eyes and focused on the bond that joined him to Seraphina. Are you alright?”
Yes, Seraphina returned the thought. She felt their bond strengthen and continue to hum. She couldn’t help but smile. It felt good to have this connection reestablished with her long-lost friend.
The Force swirled around her and wrapped around her, almost like a hug. She sensed Josh’s familiar presence in the Force as it enfolded her. Yet there was something different about it. Are you okay?
He was silent for a few minutes before answering, I’m fine. I’ve just been through a big change, is all.
Is that why your Force signature is different? She asked.
Josh seemed surprised. You could tell?
Seraphina rolled her eyes and she was sure that Josh could feel it across the bond. Of course I could tell. I’m not stupid.
That’s not what I meant! Josh quickly said.
I know your Force signature well enough to know that it’s changed quite a bit.
Josh sighed. I thought you had forgotten about me.
I…well… Seraphina couldn’t figure out what to say.
Did you forget about me?
Sort of. I can’t remember some of my memories of you and- a searing pain exploded in Seraphina’s head. She screamed out in pain across their bond.
Seraphina! Josh yelled, concern obvious in his voice.
The bond went limp and Seraphina grasped her head in her hands. This pain had come every night for two years but it had never been this intense.
You are grating on my nerves. The voice said. Seraphina hated that voice. You are persistent. I will give you that. But your attempts to find my Padawan are going to end…now!
Seraphina bit back a scream as another wave of pain washed over her. Her head pounded and her heartbeat was erratic. As the master of the voice began to push his way into her head, she pushed back.
You are strong with the Force. My student didn’t lie about that. As Seraphina and the person behind the voice wrestled for control of who would enter her mind, the voice continued to talk, each word making Seraphina want to hide. Perhaps I should have tried to turn you, Skywalker. When my Padawan said he had forged a bond with a Skywalker, I had my doubts. But now I see that your bond with him is strong, indeed.
The man pushed his way into Seraphina’s mind and her defenses crumbled. The pain intensified now that he was in her head.
You are too much of a distraction for my Padawan. You will only turn him away from the Dark Side.
Seraphina screamed as the rest of her memories of Josh disappeared. The pain was excruciating.
Get out! Seraphina screamed in her mind.
That is not a possibility. If I allow you to retain your memories of my Padawan, then he will be too distracted by your attempts to contact him.
Seraphina felt the bond that connected her to Josh disappear. The searing pain returned and Seraphina felt as though her head was going to explode. The pain was too much. She couldn’t keep fighting this man out of her head.
Each memory of her best friend vanished. Her bond with him had been destroyed, leaving an aching void inside of her. She gave up the fight and let the man do what he wished.
Good. The voice whispered. Nausea boiled in Seraphina’s stomach. Stop fighting. Give up.
The pain lessened and Seraphina suddenly felt exhausted. She laid down and closed her eyes as her head throbbed. A tear slid down her cheek as the last memory of Josh faded.
“I’m sorry Josh.” She whispered out loud… and then she forgot about him.
“Seraphina!” Amber yelled.
Seraphina opened her eyes, unaware that she had fallen asleep. “W-what?”
“We’ve arrived on Ahch-To.” Amber said. “Why did you want to come here?”
Seraphina quickly exited the X-wing and landed on the rocky terrain of the island they had landed on, glad to get out of the cramped ship. Her muscles aching from the flight, she stretched. “I don’t have an exact reason to be here, but there is a reason.”
Amber rolled her eyes and jumped out of the X-wing. “So we came here based on a hunch?”
Seraphina ignored her and began walking up the stone steps of the island, unsure of where they led to. Amber reluctantly followed her cousin. They passed by stone huts, some looking as though they had been recently used. That was good news if it meant people friendly to Jedi and smugglers lived here.
Seraphina kept on walking, not sure where she was going. She stopped on a grassy cliff, water splashing against the rocks below. Six people sat on the grass, gazing out at the sea; oblivious to the pair that had just arrived. A young woman with brown hair pulled into three buns jerked her head up and looked at the two girls that stood at the top of the stone stairs.
The woman stood and slowly walked towards them. She stopped in front of Seraphina and two eyed each other. The woman had hazel eyes and her skin was tan. She looked over Seraphina with a sense of surprise, disbelief, and relief. “Seraphina?” she whispered.
Seraphina’s eyes widened as she heard the woman speak her name with such familiarity. “Do I know you?”
The woman couldn’t stop herself from pulling Seraphina into a hug and crying. “Oh…Seraphina. I thought I would never see my baby girl again.”
Seraphina’s body stiffened in surprise. “Mom?” She returned the warm embrace. The other five joined the woman.
“Rey?” the old man asked. “Who is this?”
The woman the man had called Rey pulled away and turned to the man, a smile on her face despite the tears still making their way down her cheeks. “Dad, this is my daughter, Seraphina.”
The man’s mouth dropped open as he stared at Seraphina. “This…this young lady is your…daughter?”
Rey nodded. “Yes, Dad.”
Seraphina looked at the people who had gathered near her and Rey. A man with black hair and dark eyes wasn’t focused on Seraphina but on Amber. Seraphina turned to see Amber staring at the man.
Through the Force, Seraphina could sense her cousin’s emotions. Anger, hurt, regret, guilt, relief, and happiness radiated off of her friend in waves. All of them were directed at the man.
Suddenly, Amber ran forward and into the man’s arms. He hugged her tightly and Amber cried. “I’m so sorry I left.”
The man made a shushing sound as he stroked Amber’s hair. “You’re safe; that’s what matters.”
The anger that was churning inside of Amber only seconds ago melted away. “Daddy, can you forgive me?”
“Of course I can, Amber.” The man said.
Seraphina felt a tear slide down her cheek at seeing Amber and her father, Ben Solo, reunited. Rey pulled Seraphina close. Seraphina hung onto the woman, her newly found mother. The old man, who was now her grandfather, pulled an older woman into a hug. She whispered something to the man and he nodded.
Seraphina’s heart slowly started to mend.
Sitting around a fire, the Skywalkers and Solos couldn’t wipe away their smiles. Two people who were not related to the Skywalkers, Poe Dameron and Finn, formerly known as FN-2187, a Stormtrooper, sat nearby. Seraphina sat close to her mother and grandfather while Amber was practically inseparable from Ben.
“What have you been doing these past fourteen years?” Rey asked her daughter.
Seraphina shrugged. “I spent three years on Tatooine before going to Coruscant to be trained as a Jedi.”
“I told you we should have checked Tatooine!” Finn shouted at the middle-aged Resistance pilot.
Poe glared at his friend. “Luke swore to not go back to Tatooine and Rey hates desert planets. Ben was working in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.” Turning to Ben, Poe added, “I’m surprised you didn’t recognize your own niece.”
Rey shook her head. “It’s fine. So Seraphina, tell me about Coruscant.”
“Well, I was assigned to my master when I was eight and met his friend’s Padawan. My master, Master Aven, wanted me to meet Master Kyron’s Padawan, Josh. We became really good friends until…” Seraphina’s voice died. Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of her friend.
“Until?” Luke prompted.
“Until…he left the Order.” Seraphina finished quietly.
Ben stared at Seraphina. “You mean he became a-“
“Sith.” Seraphina confirmed. “Before arriving on Ahch-To, I was his prisoner for a while. We both knew about how he used to be my friend.”
“What did he do to you while you were there?” Rey asked.
“Nothing. He was almost…friendly…to me while I was aboard his ship. He was gentle and didn’t want me getting hurt.”
Amber rolled her eyes. “I’m still convinced that he wanted to turn Seraphina to the Dark Side.”
“Agreed.” Luke crossed his arms.
Ben just looked into the fire separating him from Rey and Seraphina. Amber looked at her father. “Daddy? Are you okay?”
Ben looked at his daughter before turning his attention to Seraphina. “Seraphina, do you know why he left the Jedi Order?”
Seraphina bit her bottom lip. “He-he said that it was because of the code. He said it didn’t make any sense and that he could no longer follow it.”
Luke looked up at the stars before returning his gaze to his granddaughter. “This new Sith is your enemy, Seraphina. And unfortunately, we are not allowed to get involved in the fight between you and him. We can train you, however and prepare you as best we can.”
Seraphina smiled. “I’d like that, thank you.” While the conversation carried on to less depressing matters, Seraphina thought about her talk with Amaro. She continued to feel the pull of the Dark Side. It was begging her to use her emotions to destroy her enemies. She was doing her best to ignore it but she was failing. She knew what she had to do. She just hoped that she could do it.
Author’s Note
Okay so Amber doesn’t hate her father as much as we thought. In fact, she really missed him. Seraphina was reunited with her mother and Amber and her father were also brought together. I think this is where I will bring this story to an end.
Don’t worry though. I am making a sequel and it shall be called…(drum roll please)… The Gray Jedi. Please review and read the next story. Thank you for reading The Fight Continues and I hope you guys will enjoy the next story for Star Wars.
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