CHAPTER TWO
MEMORIES

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It was late in the evening, just about night, when Aliss and Ivan finally sat down on their couch again after finishing with dinner and the dishes. Ivan was excited, as excited as he'd been the entire day or, really, as excited as he'd been since she agreed to watch his favourite movies with him. Part of the reason why she'd agreed was to get him off her back about the supposed incredulity of her never seeing a Star Wars movie before but most of the reason she'd agreed was because of how much it meant to Ivan.

"Okay, so what one are we watching now?"

"Episode One, The Phantom Menace," Ivan explained, kneeling down in front of the DVD player.

"Wait, why are we watching the first one after we've already watched three?" she asked.

"Because Yoda was in charge of the order," Ivan said.

"What?"

"Sorry, little Star Wars joke. Uh, it's because these are the prequels, they were made much later."

"That is the nature of prequels so okay. Who are these ones about, then?"

"Well, they're kind of about the Jedi Order? Mostly though, Anakin and Obi-Wan."

"Anakin was Darth Vader, though, right?"

"Yeah, this is kind of... how he became Vader? His life before Luke and Leia were born and while there still was a Jedi Order and all that. Just- let's just watch, I'm explaining it badly."

Aliss smiled and leaned over to kiss him. She could see the excitement in his face and it made her happy to see him so happy.

Opening her eyes, Aliss saw unfamiliar surroundings once more. The last moments of the memory replaying in her mind slowly faded and she realized that none of it was a dream or a trick or some kind of prank.

She really and truly had gone to some other universe.

It wasn't logical or even possible. But she couldn't deny everything in front of her any longer. The sensations were real, she could really feel the vaguely medical bed that she was lying on, she could hear distant voices, smell the faint chemical smell that one associated with hospitals. It was all way too real to be a dream.

And, worst of all possible sensations, the longing she felt in her heart for Ivan. She missed him more with each second. It should have been him that came here. He was the one that loved this universe and everything in it. She didn't know hardly anything about it, she didn't deserve to get to experience it. He did.

She couldn't help the fear rising up in her that she'd never see Ivan again. That she'd never get home to him. Back to their home. The one they shared, that they planned on building their life together in, their family. 

Now she was in what she could only call a fictional universe. One that was incredibly dangerous. It was called Star Wars, after all. Not exactly someplace that one could expect to have an easy time in.

If she had any hope of making it through, of surviving to possibly get home to Ivan, she would have to adapt. She would have to do whatever she could to get through this. Even if it was a fraction of a chance, she would hold onto it if it meant she might get to see Ivan again.

Voices started filtering through to her and she looked towards them to see the bearded man from before. Now that she wasn't consumed with panic, she recognized him. He was Obi-Wan Kenobi. The one from the prequels. At least now she had a better idea of when she was as well as where.

Obi-Wan was talking to a woman in lighter-coloured robes. Neither of them seemed to notice that she was awake or even listening to them.

"She kept mentioning someone named Ivan, and talking strangely."

"Strange how?" the woman said.

"She seemed confused by everything... Wondered why I said healers and temple. Accused me of pranking her. She didn't know how she'd gotten here. She called the datapad an iPad. The only thing she seemed to remember was the meteor but I couldn't help feeling that she wasn't remembering it right."

"Well, she did suffer great trauma in the accident, it is possible that there are lasting effects."

"Is it possible that instead of losing her memory entirely she just lost it back to a certain point? Like if she knew someone named Ivan before she was brought to the Jedi?" Obi-Wan asked.

So I'm a Jedi, then, Aliss realized.

"All her scans come back the same, Master Kenobi. Same as they have been since she arrived and was healed. The only way to know the state of her mind would be for a skilled Jedi to actually go into her mind."

Aliss sat up. "No one's going digging through my head."

"Aliss!"

"I'm sorry for my outburst," she said. "And I am really sorry if I scared you, Obi-Wan."

Just as she'd thought, she saw immediately what a great relief it was to him when she seemed to know his name.

"I don't know what came over me before. I don't even know someone named Ivan that I can recall. I feel much better now, much... calmer."

"You're sure that you're feeling better?" Obi-Wan asked, walking closer to her.

"Yes. I think I must have had a strange dream or something," she explained. "When I woke up... everything just felt wrong. But that feeling has passed, I promise."

"What do you remember?"

"I don't remember the accident you were talking about or returning to the temple or... any of that. I do recognize you, now, Obi-Wan. I know that we're Jedi, that we're in the Jedi Temple and specifically the... med bay?"

"Halls of Healing," Obi-Wan corrected.

"Yes, those are the words I was looking for. I know that's where we are."

"Alright," he said, smiling. "How do you feel about going to get some food and finding a quiet place to eat it?"

"I feel like I'm starving so that's a wonderful idea."

After getting checked over once more, Obi-Wan was allowed to lead Aliss away from the Halls of Healing. They left and started walking down the halls of the Jedi Temple. Obi-Wan pointed out things to her as they passed so that she would know where they are.

Everyone they passed turned and stared at Aliss as if they knew who she was and what had happened to her. Word must have gotten around. It probably wasn't every day that a Jedi was in an accident that wiped their memories completely so she supposed she understood why everyone seemed to know. It did make it harder for her to fly under the radar, though.

When they had collected their food, Obi-Wan directed her towards this quiet place that he'd had in mind. Aliss was thankful that they wouldn't have to eat among all the other Jedi as she was beginning to get uncomfortable under all of the stares.

"So... how do we know each other?" Aliss asked as they sat on a balcony, eating their food.

"Oh, it's all in the datapad," Obi-Wan said, pulling it out.

"I don't want to read it," she said quickly. "I'd rather hear it from you."

Obi-Wan smiled. "We've known each other since you came to the Order. I had already been here for some time, even when considering that you came later than most. But it wasn't until Anakin came to the Temple that we actually really started getting to know each other."

"Anakin, isn't that Dar–" She stopped herself suddenly, realizing that what she was about to say couldn't have happened yet. "Uh... sorry the name sounds familiar but I— I don't remember what I was going to say..."

"That's okay, it's good actually. You remember the name. That's more than almost anything else that you have remembered so far," Obi-Wan assured her.

"Who is he?" she asked.

"My Padawan. You're about the same age, so you were in a lot of the same classes. You were very good friends."

Though she turned back to her food, Aliss chastised herself for her near-slip up. She had to be careful of what she said. She couldn't just go around giving away the future. It could have horrible consequences and if she was going to make it through... She had to at least have some idea of what was going to happen.

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A few hours later, Obi-Wan was showing Aliss around the temple again so that she'd be able to find her way around on her own. If she needed to. Obi-Wan agreed with Aliss' thoughts before she even had a chance to voice them on the doubt that she would have to navigate the temple on her own before she knew her way around. Given her injury and her lack of memory, she was sure to have someone with her almost at all times.

"Obi-Wan! Aliss!"

They both turned towards the sound of their names just in time for someone to nearly tackle her in a hug. 

Aliss instinctually wrapped her arms around the stranger, feeling the strangest sense of comfort in the hug, even though she didn't know who it was. She relaxed into the hug for a minute before the person pulled back and she saw their face.

It was Anakin. A chill shot through her. She may not have known much about Star Wars but she knew who he became. One of the most feared and powerful men in the galaxy. A murderer.

But he looked so young. She supposed that was because he was young right now. She recognized the closely cropped hair and singular long braid from Episode Two, giving her another indication of when she was. She could hardly believe, looking at the face of this young man that was so relieved and happy to see her, that he would one day be the terror of the galaxy.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. "What do you remember?"

"Anakin, slow down. She probably doesn't even remember you right now," Obi-Wan reminded him.

"Oh, right. I'm sorry, Master."

"No, it's... it's fine. Anakin, right? Anakin Skywalker?"

"Yes," he answered, his face lighting up. "Do you remember me?"

"Uh, no... But I've been reading some of the stuff on the datapad and Obi-Wan's been filling me in a little. And, to answer your other questions, I'm feeling fine and I don't remember much, just a few things like names and some of the stuff from the datapad."

"At least that means you've forgotten all your blackmail on me," Anakin said with a small laugh.

"Blackmail?" she questioned.

"Well, blackmail may be a bit of an exaggerated way of putting it..."

Aliss opened her mouth to reply, but something on Obi-Wan beeped and they turned towards him as he pulled something small and metal out of his pocket that seemed to be the source of the beeping. There was a small light on it and a few buttons as well as what must have been a spot for a speaker.

"Master Kenobi, requesting your presence in the Council Chamber."

"They must want a report," Obi-Wan said, then pressed a button on his little device. "I'll be there presently."

"I'll stay with Aliss, Master, don't worry," Anakin told Obi-Wan.

"Are you sure?"

"She was my friend before she lost her memories, you know," Anakin said.

"No, that's not what I—"

"It's fine, Obi-Wan, really," Aliss assured him. "It'll be good to talk to another friend."

Looking between the two of them for a moment, Obi-Wan finally sighed and told them to behave before he hurried away down the hallway. Aliss and Anakin were left alone in the hallway.

"Do you want to go to your favourite spot in the temple?" Anakin asked her.

"Sure," she agreed, smiling at him.

Anakin pointed towards where they should go and she followed after him. Though it seemed like a maze to get to where they were going with all the turns and stairs they had to go through, Anakin seemed to know where they were going.

Eventually, they went into a smaller room that had a ladder in it and Anakin went ahead, climbing the ladder and opening the hatch in the ceiling. Sunlight poured through the opening and Aliss had to squint at first as she followed up the ladder.

They ended up on some kind of small section of the roof. All around them was a beautiful view of the planet they were on — Coruscant, Obi-Wan had informed her — as the sun set. The golden light poking through the skyscrapers created shadows and silhouettes that made it seem like almost an entirely different place.

Aliss could only gape as she stood there and Anakin closed the hatch behind her. She spun around a few times, taking in the full view of everything around her. No wonder this was her favourite spot in the entire temple. She couldn't imagine there ever being a time of day where there was a bad view from here.

"You told me once that you liked this spot because it was the best place to see the sunset and you felt like you could feel the entire planet and everyone on it connected through the Force from here," Anakin said.

"It's strange but... I can feel that," she said.

She didn't know how else to describe it except strange, but she really did feel like she could feel however many millions or billions of people lived on the planet. Even though she was alone with Anakin, she could feel the comforting presence of more lives than she could count and all those hearts beating together.

"What's so strange about that? Even without your memories, you're still a Jedi," Anakin pointed out.

"I— I know, but... I still don't remember that. I don't know how to do this Jedi stuff... anymore. But I can feel exactly what you described without even trying."

Aliss finally sat down next to Anakin, hardly able to tear her gaze away from the view in front of her.

She couldn't explain it properly, words failed her in trying to describe how comforting and how easy it was to just sit there with Anakin. She really did feel like she knew him, like they knew each other. Even though she had no memories of him beyond what little she remembered from the movies and knowing who he would someday become, she felt... a bond with him.

Maybe it was just that he seemed to know her, that he was so confident about knowing her and how well he knew her. Maybe it was the stunning view and the strange feeling that came with it. Maybe it was just that she was still confused about how she'd ended up here or how she seemed to have an entire identity created for her here.

Maybe it didn't matter.

He didn't feel like a stranger in the same way that Obi-Wan didn't feel like a stranger anymore. It was comforting to know that she wouldn't feel entirely out of place for however long she was going to be there. That she would have these two people that she could be around and feel safe with, feel at ease with.

"You know," Aliss said as the sun continued to disappear. "The person you knew, the Aliss that you grew up with... she may never come back. I might not be the same person without my memories and they may never come back."

"I don't care if you're memories don't come back. You're still my friend and as long as we can be friends, that's enough for me."

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an. and on that adorable note, I close off this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it!