Author Babble: Oh hello there! I just have to say, you guys are awesome. You really make writing this story so much more fun with your wonderful reviews and favorites. Anytime I see an email come in about this story, I get so freaking happy. I can't thank you guys enough for taking the time to read this story and review. I hope you keep enjoying it, especially since it's going to get out of control soon... bwahahah!

Also, just a heads up... I know The Last Jedi is coming out in like 5 weeks... I'm not going to let it interfere with my story. I will be taking things from TFA and maybe some things from TLJ when it comes out, but... ultimately, this story will have a separate turn out. So... don't freak out!

Anyway... Best part of my day:

Reviews:

WarnAudrey: I'm so sorry... but if you've read any other of my fanfics... you'll know I can't let people be happy right away! They gotta work for it! But we will get through this together, I promise!

NothingNooneZero: He can be a sweetheart when he wants! Thank you for reading!

TishaLiz: Oh don't you worry, there is still time for these two to get tangled up in bed sheets somewhere! Everyone seems to hate Taka just as much as Kylo Ren does... let's see what happens to him! Thanks for reviewing!

LoveFiction2017: Thank you so much!

ImagineDayDreams: Hehehe, I'm glad you enjoyed their kiss! And most if not all little hints/references to things are more than likely intentional! I like putting little things in my stories to see if y'all are paying attention! ;] Thanks for reading!

Kuppcake: she played his game and it paid off! Hopefully that doesn't turn our Ashlyn towards the darkside!

Remember to review! I love hearing from you!

And now...the story!

There was an obvious shift in mood on StarKiller come the following weeks, yet most were oblivious to what exactly that shift was or meant. Except for those 'in the know'. Kylo Ren was actually happy, and while he hid that little notion well from the other inhabitants of StarKiller, it was not exactly something he could hide from those that knew him best. He sat in the conference room with the two other leaders of the base, Hux glaring at him yet smirking. "This is absolutely disgusting." He commented, looking from Ren to Phasma. "Isn't this disgusting?"

"I think it's cute." Phasma said somewhat teasingly.

"You two are taking this way too out of context." Kylo said dryly, as he rolled his eyes. "And we have work to do." He pointed to the hologram in the center of the table.

"I never thought I'd see the day when Kylo Ren wanted to get back to the meeting." Hux scoffed. "We should have hired Ashlyn sooner."

"At least he's not denying that nothing is going on between them anymore." Phasma chimed in.

Kylo just sighed. "There's no point in doing so, you two will believe whatever you want."

"That is true." Phasma mumbled, sitting back in her chair.

"Do not be distracted from the truth, Phasma. Kylo Ren is smitten." Hux continued, causing Phasma to chuckle and Kylo Ren to groan.

"Anyway, StarKiller is almost done and I have leads to follow up with on The Finalizer." Kylo Ren desperately tried to return to the whole point of the meeting. He was steering a ship that was unfortunately heading for imminent destruction as he tried to get everyone to focus on anything and everything that wasn't about him and Ashlyn. It failed. Miserably. He sighed in defeat. "Neither of you are listening to me."

"You'll have to forgive us, Ren." Hux said. "We've never seen you care about anything, especially another person."

Kylo snorted. "I can be a caring person." Hux and Phasma shared a knowing look before looking back at Kylo. "I'm not completely heartless."

"Debateable." Phasma commented.

"Can we please get back to the meeting." Ren said, his voice actually pleading to talk about anything but her. She already occupied most of his thoughts during the day, can't he have one moment of peace?

"Fine." Hux said dismissively as he waved his hand. "You have to plan your upcoming missions anyway. When do you plan to leave for the Finalizer?"

"In a few days."

Hux nodded, looking back over to Phasma who had been quiet. "Are you going to the Finalizer too?"

"Someone has to keep an eye on the Commander."

"Isn't that what Ashlyn is for?" Hux quipped as Kylo Ren just groaned once more. It was going to be one of those days.

The maintenance crew were on their much needed break after having worked hard that morning. Ashlyn was with them in their crusade to finish the StarKiller project by the end of this month and having won her little bet with Kylo Ren, she had more time to do so. Granted, she couldn't help but feel like she really lost in the long run as all she wanted to do was see him more and more.

The twins were lying on the floor of the large room with the solar panels, staring up into the ceiling and resting as Grim sat near them and talking about how lazy their worth ethic was. The twins ignored him completely as they continued to lie there.

That left Ashlyn and Taka. While Ashlyn would have rather been by herself, she was still somewhat happy to have the company. Their relationship had been tested, especially after Kylo Ren nearly killed him. However, she wanted to rebuild what they had. Thankfully, Taka didn't hold it against her. Or rather, he didn't say as much.

"Can't believe we're almost done with this thing." Taka said, looking out at the weapon. "I feel like we've been working on this base forever."

"I've only been here six months and it feels like forever too." Ash joked causing Taka to chuckle.

Taka teased her. "Six months and you're still here. What happened to going home?"

Ash shrugged. "Things change, I guess."

"Well I'm glad you stayed. We all are." Taka said. "Sid would have been happy too."

She nodded. "I miss him."

"We all do." Taka agreed. "He was a leader in every sense. He took care of us and kept us safe."

"If I could only be half the leader he was." Ash said hopefully.

Taka smiled. "You are. You're doing your best. You keep the monster on a leash."

He was, of course, talking about Kylo Ren. "It's a very, very loose leash." She reminded him, watching him grimace.

"Regardless, he hasn't bothered us in a while." Taka said dismissively. "We're all happy to have you still here with us, Ash."

She smiled. "I'm happy to still be here too." Granted, it was for a whole different reason. Taka also, thought it was for a different reason. A reason he would be completely wrong about.

"You also haven't really been training this week. Did you give up on all that Force stuff?" Taka asked curiously and hopeful that she had.

Ash gave him a pointed look. "No, I'm still training. We've just been busy this week." Of course she wouldn't tell him the real reason. "I still have to oversee my crew."

"You're right." Taka said. "You must be powerful now. You did get a light sword after all."

"Lightsaber." She corrected. With that, she used the Force to levitate her canteen closer. She grabbed it from mid air and took a swig of water. Now she was showing off just to show off.

"Show off." He saw right through her as she grinned.

"I'm still not that powerful." Ash said, this time placing the canteen down without using the Force this time. "There's still things that the Commander can do that I can't. Or rather, haven't tried to do."

"Like what?" Taka asked.

"He's more intuitive than I am." She explained. "He senses things better than I can. It feels like a wall of energy being thrown at me constantly. He can filter it to his liking. I haven't really figure that out yet. The Commander believes I'm progressing, but some days it's just tiring constantly feeling everything."

"Like how you can feel people's emotions?" Taka asked.

She nodded. "Exactly. It can be draining."

"I can only imagine." Taka said. "Grim had mentioned you were beginning to hear thoughts?"

Ash bit her lip nervously. "I was hoping that wouldn't get around."

"Ash, come on. We're your team. We're family. We talk to each other and we keep each other safe. Your secret is safe with us." Taka said. "Not that it's really a secret, it's normal for a Force user right?"

She shook her head. "Not really, it's more of a dark side thing. I also don't want to be able to hear people's thoughts. It's an invasion of their privacy."

Taka laughed. "Well, I really appreciate that. A lot of us do. It's really unnerving to know someone here can listen in on your private thoughts."

"Which is why I don't want to. Besides, it hasn't happened since then. So maybe it was a fluke."

"Let's try it. What am I thinking?" Taka asked.

Ash narrowed her eyes. "I really don't want to."

"It's just to see if it's a fluke or not." Taka explained. "What am I thinking?"

Ash sighed, focusing on Taka now. At first, she heard nothing. Perhaps it really was an accident that she heard Grim that day. But then, it came through. With defeat, Ash told him. "No one here likes the food in the cafeteria."

Taka's eyes went wide. "I guess that means you still can?"

"Not as easily as the Commander can." Ash deduced. "But if I focus, I can. Besides, if you concentrate solely on what you want me to hear then yeah, that probably helps."

"We'll just have to keep our minds quiet so you can concentrate." Taka offered, gently placing his hand on the top of her thigh. Ash looked down at his hand, realizing she felt absolutely nothing with it. If Kylo Ren had done it, her whole body would react to it and she'd be unable to function. This was empty. Taka saw the hesitation and almost disgust on her face and immediately removed his hand. "I'm sorry, that was a little too forward."

Ash shook her head, trying to make up for her reaction. "No, it's fine." She said. "I've just been weird lately. It's not you."

Taka said nothing as the two continued the rest of their break in silence. Luckily for them, it wasn't much longer and soon the crew went back to work. Ashlyn was almost a little too thankful when dinner came and the work day was over.

Since she was not training, Ashlyn's schedule was pretty simple. She worked on the base from morning until dinner time with a few breaks in between. Sometimes she would have meetings with the higher ups, but most of the time she was working. It was a great distraction and made the day go by faster.

She would clean up and head to dinner with maintenance. Once that ritual ended, she would turn in early and wait for the base to quiet down. Once it did, all bets were off as she'd venture to the other Force User of StarKiller. She didn't even wait and knock any more, if the opportunity was there, she'd simply walk right in. He was always expecting her.

Tonight however was different, he wasn't in his apartment. It had happened once before, she knew she was allowed there unsupervised. Those nights were also fine as Ashlyn would sit by the fireplace and read. Kylo Ren had the best books. This time, she wanted to read about planets and grabbed the large book that Kylo Ren had read to her once before. She flipped open the cover, her eyes hovering to that strange name again Ben Solo. She was curious about it. Was it someone Kylo Ren had killed to get the book? It had to have been the original owner. She wondered if Kylo even knew the person before he obtained the book. She'd ask about it when she saw him, for now, she wanted to see the galaxy.

Kylo Ren had a few things to take care of in preparation for his trip later in the week to the Finalizer. He was slightly aggravated, especially since all he really wanted was to retire to his apartment to see the red haired girl that was probably already there without him. He was correct in his assumption as he stormed into his apartment to see her smaller frame sitting on the floor. She looked up from the book, smiling at his existence in the room and suddenly he forgot why he was annoyed in the first place. "It's about time."

He removed his helmet, dropping it on the coffee table as he walked over to the red head on the floor. Without too much thought, he sat down next to her, noting the book she was reading before responding. "I had to take care of some things. Have you been waiting long?" He knew she hadn't been, he was making small talk as she read.

"Not too long." She said, her voice like a song as she flipped the page she was on. "I've been keeping busy."

"So I see."

"I did have a question for you." She began as she flipped to the front of the book where the inscription lied. "Who is Ben Solo?"

Ash immediately felt Kylo Ren tense next to her; the sinking feeling overtaking her that she had overstepped some boundary by asking. Her curiosity getting a hold of her, she probably brought up some awful memory for him without thinking. "He's gone." Kylo said sharply. "He's never coming back."

She made an 'O' shape with her mouth, understanding that this Ben Solo was probably dead. "Did you find his book then?"

"Something like that."

She closed the book all together then. "I won't bug you about it again."

"That would be wise." He said, still angry. Granted, it wasn't her fault. She didn't know. He still had trouble hearing the name. A sense of remorse taking over him, he was feeling somewhat bad for snapping at her. "What planet did you learn about today?" He asked, trying to keep the peace.

Ash smiled slightly. "Maridun. It's a grassy planet in the Outer Rim."

"It used to house an outpost for the Empire." Kylo informed her. "They stationed Troopers in huts out there to send signals of movement from the Rebels."

Ash sighed thoughtfully. "I'd like to travel to some of these places someday."

"Then let's go." Kylo Ren suggested without a care. "I have to travel out to the Outer Rim and spend time on the Finalizer. As head of maintenance, you should travel and meet a few of the personnel within the First Order. We can make a few stops on our trip home."

"Won't Hux be mad?"

He raised his brown in amusement. "You assume Hux has a say in any of this?"

Ash shrugged. "He's the General. Not that authority ever mattered to you."

"You're learning." He said smugly.

"I think I'm finally understanding the politics of StarKiller." Ash agreed. "Everyone respects and fears your authority while you and Hux battle each other for power. Titles mean nothing to you." He just smirked in reply, not denying any of her accusations. "But fine, if you think we can explore without getting into trouble, then I'd love to."

"You are my apprentice. It's only natural you spend time with me." He reminded her.

"Sleeping in your bed might not be the quality time people expect."

He gave her a look that held only mischief. "Who said anything about sleeping?"

Ash gasped, hitting his arm playfully which only caused him to laugh. "You really are such a pervert!"

Kylo Ren only chuckled as he leaned over to kiss the side of her head. It didn't take long for her to completely change his mood around to a more positive one, and she didn't have to do much to do it. He never expected something like this to ever happen in his life. Not after seeing what they had gone through. He was more than fine with being alone, in fact, he relished the thought. However, something about the way Ashlyn made him feel. She was bringing a part of him to the surface that he hadn't felt in a long time. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her. But not everything worked out the way he wanted. He knew that and he was ready to face the consequences of being happy. It was inevitable, now he was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"So where to first, Commander?" Ash asked, grabbing the book and opening it again.

He let a small smile slip as he looked at Ash, her focus on the book as she began skimming through its pages. "Wherever you'd like. Just make sure it's on the Outer Rim."

She was beaming as she opened up to the page that held Maridun. "Can we start here?"

"I said 'wherever you'd like', didn't I?"

"This is a democracy." She informed him. "We can take a vote."

He snorted. "Democracy doesn't work and I'm quite sure this is a Dictatorship anyway."

"Well, you can be a dick." She teased.

Kylo Ren rolled his eyes playfully, not wasting the opportunity to tackle her. The book flew out of Ashlyn's hands and landed with a small thud on the ground as she lied there with Kylo Ren now on top of her, kissing her cheek and down to her jaw. She laughed, knowing he wasn't pissed at her for her comment. After he had his fun attacking her, he rolled of her and laid side by side with her, the two now staring up at the black ceiling as silence overtook the room say for the hum of the generators. "There's something I want to ask you, but I don't know how to do it without having you be angry with me."

She frowned. "That's always a great way to start a conversation."

"Do you believe in what the First Order is trying to accomplish?" He asked, the topic itself coming out of left field for Ashlyn. He had a point; his other plan for Ashlyn that had taken the backseat for a while.

Ash shrugged. "I try to be neutral." She said. "I mean, I have to be right? I was freelance coming here. I'm building a weapon for them, but that doesn't mean I'm completely in love with the idea."

"Do you wish they did things different, as a whole?" Ren asked, now Ashlyn was growing more and more skeptical of these questions.

"Didn't you harass me enough about this during one of our first encounters?" She asked, reminding the two of their time in the conference room. It felt so long ago. "But sure." She answered. "I suppose I want everything to be a little different. I'd rather this war not be going on, but it's not up to me. It's up to those responsible."

Kylo kept his face expressionless. "And who is responsible?"

"Aren't we all?" Ash said. "But there are those who take charge and take that responsibility in the actions of what happens during war."

He hummed in reply. "And what about the Supreme Leader and his actions?"

"I've never dealt with him directly." Ash laughed nervously. "Honestly, if I didn't know any better I'd say he wasn't even real to begin with. Your orders have to come from somewhere though." She turned her head enough to look at Kylo Ren, his eyes were locked on the ceiling. "What do you think about the Supreme Leader?"

Kylo smirked, her intuition was growing sharper the more she practiced with the Force. It was definitely noticeable to him now. Ashlyn was asking the right questions, and right now that was something he needed her to do. "I believe all regimes must come to an end."

Ash thought back to her discussion with Hux not too long ago. Even Hux believed that Kylo Ren was much stronger than Snoke. While Ashlyn had no stake in such beliefs, it was a curious one for sure. There had to have been a reason for Hux to believe so in the first place, and now there was definitely a reason Kylo Ren had brought it up. "Could you do a better job?"

He thought for a moment. "Anyone who believes they are the right person for being in charge is usually insane." He paused. "However, I do believe if there is a time to take a stand and overthrow, one doing the overthrowing must be ready to take over until a new order takes hold."

"And are you planning to overthrow anyone soon?"

His smirk grew to a full out grin now. "We'll see."

Ash frowned, placing her hands behind her head now as she rested her head on top of them. "What would you do if you lead the First Order?"

"I'd still take down the New Republic." He said honestly and with no remorse in his tone. "The governing factors of the Galaxy are still in chaos. I want order."

"And could you bring the Galaxy order?"

He shrugged. "Maybe."

"I doubt it's a one man job." Ash said.

"To overthrow or conquer?" Kylo quipped.

"Both." She said. "This Galaxy is in chaos, but I don't think a dictatorship could or should be the governing body."

Kylo turned on his side now to face her, his elbow propped up his body as his head rested on his fist. "Then how would you run all this?"

She gave him a dazzling smile. "I told you, I'm a fan of democracy."

He frowned, smirking. "It would never work. History has shown us that."

"Yes, but history is there for a reason." She said, turning on her side to mimic his position. "You learn from it, change the future from it."

He stared at her, taking in everything about the girl in front of him. "You remind me of someone. Someone else who believes in such wild ideas." She did. She really did remind him so much of her, sometimes it was quite sickening. Yet, he knew he could never be with a girl that wasn't even close to as strong as Leia Organa. That was the only thing he knew a woman could be. He wasn't one for a submissive type girl, his mother made sure of that by setting such a high standard of breed.

"Well, they must be very smart." She retorted, rolling onto her back once more. "Do you think this war will ever end?"

"With the right people maybe." Although his answer was vague, Ashlyn understood it to a deeper extent than Kylo Ren probably intended. She had no stake in what the galaxy was going through, she was a very neutral party. Even though she was now working for the First Order, she still felt no allegiance to their side or their struggle. She wondered if she would ever feel so passionate about fighting for a particular side, but like she had been told before… this war was not so black and white. There was a lot to consider, such as Kylo Ren's feelings towards the Supreme Leader.

He didn't continue their political discussion after that, instead, he opted for pulling Ashlyn to him and holding her while she studied the book on planets again. She was mapping out their future visit, still oblivious to an extent of what Kylo Ren's plans truly were. She was certain, however, that she'd find out sooner rather than later.

Final Thoughts: He still has a plan to follow.. but will he? Also... Taka is getting pretty touchy feely over there... Remember to review! See you next time!