Forgotten, But Not Lost

Chapter 48

Hearts were aching among the galaxy, the loss of Ben Solo had affected more than just Rey and Amar. Throughout the force, life was felt, for Ahsoka it is a mere feeling of sadness with the galaxy being slightly empty by the life taken. For those who had an emotional connection or bloodline, the body and mind was filled with vast emptiness and severe pain that had been permeated by the absent life it once filled.

Ahsoka had felt the call through the force to help. Rey had called for the forces' help and Ahsoka was instantly connected to her. She could feel generations of Jedi through the force that was there for the young Jedi Rey. She extended her guidance to help her defeat the Emperor. There was all this light that had filled Rey, then through the force there were two bright lights. As soon as Ahsoka felt the two bright lights, they formed as one and there was a deep loss felt.

Ahsoka knew the second it happened, it was like a light flickering and then it had disappeared in her soul. Ahsoka rushed into the Bridger household to find Tana and Iris standing in the middle of the room, standing side by side with zero movement. Maru also had felt and arrived to find the twins in the living quarters of the house. Ahsoka and Maru's eyes met and internally decided to approach the girls slowly. Tana and Iris stayed as still as a statue, their eyes looked as if they were watching something play out in front of them, yet there was nothing. Ahsoka approached Iris first and placed a steady hand on her shoulder, her mind was instantly taken to a vision of what the girls were watching.

There was a gloomy haze over the surrounding atmosphere of the planet Ahsoka only guessed as Exegol. In front of her sat a grieving woman, one she had recognized as the Jedi Rey. The girl was grasping onto a black woven top and holding it close and dear to her heart. Tears were streaming down her face as she rocked back and forth in her sitting position. Ahsoka quickly snapped her hand back to leave the vision the twins were in, Ahsoka couldn't help but feel a sudden wetness coming from her eyes. She quickly wiped them away to hide her emotion from the girls, but that didn't matter, when the girls finally came to, their eyes were saturated with their coming emotions. Both Tana and Iris fell to the floor on their knees and as they did their eyes rolled back into their head and quickly their small bodies collapsed to the floor. The pain they had endured from the loss of their father was taking a toll on their souls. Ahsoka caught Iris as Maru caught Tana in time for their heads to land on a softer surface.

Ahsoka and Maru quickly placed them on the couch that resided in the living quarters. Maru rushed to get a dampened towel for both of their heads. As she brought the towels back, she finally spoke out.

"What did you see in the girls' mind?" Maru asked Ahsoka as she placed a towel on each of their foreheads.

Ahsoka sat down criss crossed in the middle of the floor and closed her eyes to remember what she had seen in the Iris' mind.

"Deep sadness, the renounced Kylo Ren, now Ben Solo, gave his life force to save Rey from certain death. By giving his life, he has appeared to be taken by the force." Ahsoka explained to Maru.

Maru eyes filled with tears as if she could feel all of the emotion instantly. Maru knew that had meant her daughter had not found him and his memory had not returned like she had hoped. Before she could feel more sadness, Ahsoka spoke again.

"Odd though, I cannot feel Ben Solo's spirit within the force. It is almost like he did not fully go over to the other side. When I search for his aura, of course I can feel him within his daughters, but there is something else that I cannot pin point." Ahsoka rubbed her chin as her mind kept wandering.

Maru's eyes lit up with the last remaining amount of hope.

"Does that mean, he isn't really gone? I don't know how that would be possible, but if there is a chance..." Maru got up and started pacing around as her mind went over the possibility.

Maru grabbed her holopad to try and reach her husband. If the Emperor had been defeated that meant the war was lost and the Resistance must have been victorious. Maru needed to know that at least her husband was safe and Amar needed to know that there was still a chance that Ben wasn't forever lost. The thing was no one knew where Amar was, the only person that could have told them, would have been Ben or the Emperor and both were gone.

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Her vision was weak and the water that resided in her eyes were making it harder and harder to see the black mass she held in front of her. All she could do was hold it close to her body and feel the warmth it once held by a living breathing Ben Solo.

Rey was grieving for the sacrifice that Ben had given. When his body disappeared in front of her eyes, their connection was lost. That feeling of the two being one was gone in an instant. She knew his force still, but it was almost like it was sucked out of her and placed elsewhere. Rey couldn't understand it, she knew that the bond connection was still among the force, just not within her. It was almost as if when Ben moved on, he had taken both of their connections with him.

Rey became frustrated, she didn't want to forget him. Ben had saved her with his own life force. Rey screamed out, it was the only thing she felt she could control at that very moment. Rey steadied herself and wiped her tears from her face. She laid Ben's shirt down on the ground and placed her hands gently on top. Rey closed her eyes and felt out through the force to see if she could feel the connection again. She could not find the dyad connection through her body, but she could feel a few flickers of Ben's somewhere in the force.

There was something out there that was linking his existence to something or someone. Rey fully intended on finding out what it could be. If there was anything out there that could help her bring him back, then maybe they would gain their force connection again. Rey did not feel like herself any longer, something was missing. She knew she needed to get off this forsaken planet and help her friends up there in the sky. Rey grabbed Ben's shirt and the lightsabers of Luke and Leia and made her way to Luke's X-wing.

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The rain had picked up on the planet of Kef Bir, on the wreckage of the Death Star laid a motionless body of Amar. To the side of her was Kylo's lightsaber she had pulled from the water. Amar had felt the pain of Ben giving his life force to Rey, but not only was he giving Rey the force, Ben was also giving Amar his life force. Amar could feel a little piece of his existence there in her mind, when she felt his soul and body dissipate. The event that unfolded had made Amar blackout on the wreckage just like her daughters had back on Coruscant.

Amar woke suddenly to a pull coming from the lightsaber, she could feel the force connection radiating off of the saber. The connection felt exactly like it did before it was stolen from the both of them all those years ago. Amar felt undeniable sadness, but there was hope there. Something about the connection she still had with Ben made her believe she could find him again. She had to, there was no way their story ended with Ben being lost in the force.