Author's Apology: Hey all, sorry for the late update/sad update. Had a rough week, and not killing characters is hard when you're having a bad time. Promise, no one is dead... yet!

Anyway, this chapter is called Power Struggle for a reason. We see our characters fight for some control in different senses.

Also. Wow. 108 reviews, 121 followers and 84 favorites. Guys, that's amazing. Thank you all so much. Keep the reviews, follows and favorites coming. It really made this week all worth while.

Fun fact. I wrote the end of this story and I seriously can't wait for you guys to get there on this incredible journey with me!

Reviews

warnaudrey: oh my indeed!

LoveFiction2017: oh boy did they ever do it!

Andrea: Thank you so much! I love hearing that! OC's are always tricky, you never know how people will receive them so it means a lot to hear!

TishaLiz: They totally had a fun time on the bone train, sorry it wasn't more descriptive! Don't want to get banned on here! If there is a NSFW chapter, I'll gladly direct you guys to where it is! Also, love the idea... who's to say where this story is going and who we'll run into ;)

ravenclauses: I love the idea of them in a domestic setting. It makes them feel more real. It would be so nice for things to go well for them! I'll try not to be so evil... although y'all may hate me with this chapter.

JelloJedi: Thank you so much!

Ellipse27: Oh don't worry, next chapter is going to get crazy once we get off the planet and to the scary finalizer! Ashlyn is slowly learning to accept it, however, she'll keep having that struggle

KDaniels: totally intentional lol! Thanks for reviewing!

Remember to review guys!

Anyway. Here we go.

The further she ran, the more things began to appear. She was definitely in a run down temple, however, that didn't seem to be from the chaos that was happening. It was already damaged.

The smell of smoke and fire burning; she was becoming engulfed in the devastation around her. The vision turned, she was now in another hallway… this time, she saw them. The bodies. Their ages and faces ranging from young to old, around ten bodies lying in the hallway. Some had blaster marks, others had lightsaber burns.

With force, Ash was pulled out of the burning building. Now she was staring from a distance, the temple now reduced to rubble as the smoke billowed high up into the sky. The flames still crackling and snapping as the temple burned. Closer to the building, and in a distance from her, she saw a hooded figure crouching near what looked like a droid. As she went to move closer to the man, the vision pulled her back and into the surrounding wooded area. The dim glow of the chaos sat in the distance; she wasn't alone. She would be though, however, when the sudden pull came that ripped her from the dream came.

She lifted her head, jolting out of sleep. At first, she was disoriented as she looked around the dark room. She was alone, the man she had been sleeping next to had disappeared. It had to have been recently, the spot where he lied was still warm.

With a groan, Ash sat up and rubbed her eyes tiredly. There was no sound coming from inside the hut; he wasn't in the hut, he couldn't be. Then, the crack happened. Ash swung her legs over the bed and rushed out of the bedroom. Like she predicted, the hut was empty say for her. She noticed the door was open to the hut and her heart began to race as she grabbed her lightsaber. Were they under attack?

Ash clutched her saber tightly as she went out into the night. From what she could see in the distance, towards where the lake was, a tree was now leaning off to the side. Perhaps the root was dying; sending the tree over. No, there were burn marks at the trunk. Lightsaber burn marks.

It was Kylo Ren; this only being confirmed as she saw the red saber swing wildly between the trees, making contact with different trunks. He was shouting angrily; Ash didn't have to be Force Sensitive to know he was unhappy about something. Cautiously, with saber in hand, Ash stepped forward and made her way to the wreckage before her.

After a few more slashes, he had stopped. He knew she was there. His shoulders rising and falling rapidly with his breath, his lightsaber humming in the night as he stood there. His back was to her as she stood just before the entanglement of trees and branches that were now destroyed. "Go back inside." He warned.

"What's going on?" Ash called out to him, her voice quivering slightly from uncertainty. He said nothing; she tried again. "Was it my dream?" Nothing. "You said they wouldn't all come true, so whatever it is-" He growled, lifting his saber and bringing it down again on the nearby tree. Ashlyn flinched, her hand tightening around her own saber as she watched him hack and slash at the tree.

"I said go back inside!" He shouted again, the anger and hate radiating off him as he continued to slash.

This time, Ashlyn obeyed. There were battles she would win and battles she would lose, this one was a definite loss. She returned to the hut and sat at the table; facing the doorway as she waited to Kylo Ren to calm down and come back.

About twenty minutes, that felt like forever, Kylo Ren trudged into the hut. He had a look of defeat on his face; his jaw clenched tightly as he avoided her gaze before plopping down at the table across from her.

Ashlyn didn't move, her eyes locked on the man before her as he stared back. His dark eyes not giving away anything as her lightsaber sat on the table between them. Shel icked her lips, her stomach tying in knots as she planned her next words carefully. In her dream, she saw fire, she saw destruction. Something in her dream upset him, but nothing seemed to really involve him in any way. Out of all her dreams, Kylo was always the one to comfort her and take her mind off it. This time, she'd have to do the opposite. "I'm not sure what I saw." She began. "But whatever it is, it might not happen. You've said so yourself. We can prevent it and keep it from happening."

His body visibly stiffened, causing Ashlyn to sink into herself a little. "It already happened." He mumbled.

"What?"

"It already happened." He repeated as though she didn't hear him the first time.

She was dumbfounded. "I thought Force Visions only showed what was going to happen?"

"Not necessarily." He said dryly. "This wasn't a Force Vision."

Ash pressed on, knowing she was going to overstep some boundary with him. "Then what was it?"

"A nightmare." He stated quickly, now looking away from her.

Ash frowned. "I've never seen that place before, how could I have a nightmare about it?"

Kylo rolled his eyes. "I didn't say it was your nightmare."

It finally clicked as Ashlyn realized he was right, it wasn't her nightmare… it was his. She was seeing into his mind while he slept, and unknowingly too. "Kylo… I-"

He shook his head. "Perhaps we've been training our minds too hard." He suggested. That had to be it. He knew Ashlyn wasn't strong enough on her own to get through to his thoughts. At least, he hoped that were the case for his own benefit. However, the issue still remained. She got into his head, of all people. Ashlyn Novafall was at least strong enough to do so, regardless if he was drained or not. Sure, being bonded helped as well. Yet, she still needed some skill to do so, especially unintentionally. That was a sign that she was getting stronger and perhaps could go up against the Supreme Leader. A feeling of dread came over him; that encounter was going to happen whether he liked it or not. "We should keep focus on making your mind stronger."

Ash silently agreed as she reached out to her saber and grabbed it carefully. She began to nervously play with it in her hands, careful to not set it off as she did. "Maybe it was just a fluke." She suggested quietly.

He gave her a pointed look. "You're getting stronger, Ash. Whether we want to admit it or not. My ego, sure that's bruised, but your connection to the Force is growing."

Ash nodded, he was right. She was getting stronger each day she trained with him. It was strange to her, only a few months ago she was so adamant about staying away from the Force and that she wasn't even sensitive to it. Now, she was more than willing to learn and become one with the Force. However, times like this she still had trouble accepting. While Ashlyn was a firm believer of giving those around her their mental privacy, she knew it was only a matter of time before she could do it intentionally. If she could get into his head, there really was to limit in her eyes and that scared her. Yet, some part of her, deep down… it excited her.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He quickly removed himself from the table. "No." Kylo's answer was sharp as he walked to the bedroom to get dressed for the day. Even though it was really early in the morning, he didn't care. He was awake and there was no point in going back to bed. He'd use this time to meditate and ultimately avoid her questions. "I'll be outside." He said quickly before exiting the hut all-together.

Ash sighed, knowing that there were just somethings about Kylo Ren she may never get to know. Ultimately, this was more frustrating than anything. For now, she'd follow in his steps and be ignorant to it all.

After the sun finally began to rise in the sky, Ashlyn had left the hut to greet the morning. It was quiet; say for the natural wildlife of Maridun. A welcomed silence as she looked around. In the center of the field where they seemed to keep training it, was Kylo Ren. He was sitting, meditating and connecting to the Force around him. Also, he was trying to stay calm, which was ultimately impossible with the girl coming out of the hut. He sensed her frustrations as she ignored him and walked passed him. He opened one eye to watch her as she headed for the woods and towards where the lake was. Her lightsaber attached to her hip as she walked. He sighed before closing his eye again and trying to reconnect.

Ash kept walking into the woods, the daylight really changed the entire vibe of the surrounding area as she ducked through trees and stepped over fallen logs from earlier. He really made a mess of the immediate area.

That didn't stop her as she made it to the lake, the view still breathtaking as she walked closer to the water. Ash removed her saber from her belt and held it tightly in both hands. With ease, the amber blade rushed out of the hilt. The buzzing from the energy filling her ears as she inhaled deeply through her nostrils.

With fluid motion, she swung the saber, practicing wielding it as well as a few moves Phasma had taught her. Ash's lightsaber was becoming an extension of her now; a piece of her that helped connect and balance with the Force. The more she practiced with it, the more she began to feel at peace with the events of earlier. Her movement swift and connecting, like waves lapping against an ocean. She was a tidal wave of energy; energy she wasn't sure she could keep in check and under control. For now, she could. Yet, that lingering feeling now sinking in that someday she'd lose that control.

What if the power overtook her? What if she became what everyone on StarKiller feared. Would she succumb to the Force and grow power hungry? No. She wouldn't let that happen. Kylo Ren told her she was strong and she would use that strength to fight off the temptation of power. She was a grey Force User for a reason, and she would learn to balance it. She had to, for her own sanity.

Ash could feel Kylo Ren had entered the same space she was occupying. That didn't stop her from practicing. Her moves growing more heated and aggressive as she continued. The lightsaber whizzing and hissing as it swung with ease and control. With one last swing, knowing he was coming closer, she turned. The saber now pointing in Kylo Ren's direction as he stopped moving. The lightsaber blade a few mere inches from his face as he stood there, unflinching. His brow lifted in a curious manner as his lips twitched slightly upward. "Are you going to kill me now?"

Ash hesitated for a moment before pulling back, the blade retracting quickly. "No, you'd be expecting it." His smirk grew as Ashlyn sighed, the frustration returning. "Promise me that someday you'll be open with me."

His eyes narrowed. "I am open with you."

"Not unless I ask the right questions." Ash informed him. "You know so much about me; my family, my past. I know only that you were brought up around politics and the Force. That's it."

Kylo rolled his eyes. "What would you like to know then?"

"Anything!" She exclaimed. "I'd even accept knowing your favorite color at this point!"

Kylo came closer, towering over her as he looked down. "You'd run away if you knew half the things I've done."

Ash stood her ground. "Try me."

He exhaled sharply. "What would you like to know then?"

She wouldn't celebrate her victory yet. Sure, he sounded willing, but that didn't mean he'd actually tell her. "What was happening in your dream?"

He pursed his lips, his body growing tense before he gave her something to go on. "There was a new Jedi Academy after the fall of the Empire. A Force User decided to begin a new age of Jedi, to help them regrow and help Force Sensitives and Users find a place to work together and be safe." He paused. "That didn't happen. It burned down, as you saw. Everyone died."

Ash began to feel a pit form in her stomach, as if she knew only bad things to come out of his mouth as she asked. "How?"

He scoffed. "Don't be daft, Ashlyn. You know the First Order does not take to kindly to Force Users." Sure, he wasn't telling her the full story. At least, he told her something.

Ash's confidence faltered slightly, her voice mouse like. "But there were children."

"What would you like me to tell you, starshine?" Kylo's question was rhetorical. "We're not the good guys."

"Were you there?" She asked, though she knew the answer. His silence only told her so as she repeated the question. "Kylo, were you there?"

His face was devoid of all emotion. "I was." She remembered the lightsaber burns on some of the bodies; the nightmare replaying in her mind as she tried to make sense of it all. "You wanted the truth." He reminded her, his tone cruel. "Do you feel better hearing it out loud about the monster I am?"

Ash closed her eyes, channeling the Force to guide her then as she took a much needed breath. "Monsters don't regret their actions."

"I don't regret it." He said.

"You must, otherwise you wouldn't have nightmares about it." Ash said, feeling the shift in power now. Kylo Ren used fear and aggression to get his way, now, Ashlyn was using sense and reasoning to counter him. A power struggle by two different means. "Maybe there is still some light in you."

Ashlyn couldn't remember the last time Kylo Ren glared at her with such ferocity. She was almost certain anyone else he would have killed for saying such things to him. She noticed, his hand hovering over his lightsaber. Now, she was uncertain if it was habit or perhaps he really would slice her open. "You know nothing." He hissed. "I will destroy any traces of the light within me. Do not forget that." The worst part about Ashlyn growing more and more intuitive, she was sensing the light and the pull that Kylo Ren was feeling. He knew this kind of power struggle was bound to happen, any other apprentice he would have cut down by now. Ashlyn, of course, was different for many reasons.

Ashlyn gave in first, reaching her hand out and touching Kylo Ren's arm gently. The same arm that was reaching for his saber. He flinched slightly before calming down, his hand no longer hovering. "Maybe you're right." She said. "There's still things I don't understand about you; things you've done and things you'll continue to do." Defeat was in her voice as she spoke. "Just promise you'll do right by me. In whatever way that means to you."

Now he was the one to reach out as he pulled Ashlyn to his chest, holding her close. As fearsome as Kylo Ren was, the comfort she unknowingly gave to him grounded him. "There's things I keep from you for a reason." He said. "Understand that if it wasn't for your own benefit-"

"I know." Ash said, she could feel it. "I'm trusting you blindly, I just want something back in return to know it's warranted."

She wasn't wrong. Ashlyn was blindly following him into the unknown and he gave her nothing to go on. He knew where they were going, she had nothing to go on. The least he could do is keep her trust; he did nothing to warrant so and she still did without question. "It's black, by the way."

Ash couldn't help but laugh. "I should have known."

He unwillingly smiled as he rested his chin on the top of her head. "You will know as much as you need to know." He explained. "I'll give you as much as I can… just trust that I will."

"I do trust you." She said. "As crazy as that seems. I do."

Kylo Ren held Ashlyn close to him, the two calming down after the excitement from earlier and even from a few moments ago. His mind wandering to his threat, any light that threatened to pull him back to that side, he'd squash immediately. Ashlyn was his light. He knew that. He knew she was the pull that kept him from fully diving into the Dark Side. If the time came… would he have to end her to prevent that? Could he? He realized then Ashlyn wasn't just in danger from Snoke… he was just as bad, if not worse for her.

Their week went by seemingly quick, it was their last day on Maridun and the last day before they'd need to venture to StarKiller. Kylo Ren seemed on edge the last twenty-four hours, not wanting to expose Ashlyn to the Finalizer. He didn't know if he could keep an eye on her as much as he would like. Keeping Ashlyn out of trouble couldn't be his number one priority, especially when it came to keeping their secret and his reputation intact. He simply had to trust that Ashlyn could stay out of trouble on her own, or that perhaps Phasma could keep a watchful eye. Granted, there was an argument that could be made that Kylo Ren was actually the cause of all her troubles. He'd dismiss that immediately.

He had been relentless in their later training sessions. He had to be, especially after their fight from the other day. If Ashlyn had more danger to worry about besides Snoke and the overhaul of power, she also had to worry about Kylo Ren himself. He needed to know she could defend herself from all danger, including him.

The two didn't bring up their power struggle again. Ashlyn learned to accept that she needed to trust him blindly for now and Kylo Ren learned that he had to give her something every so often, he had to keep the trust he earned. Not just for the sake of the overhaul, but for the sake of their relationship. Yet, that dark thought in the back of his mind that Ashlyn was the light that kept pulling him back… he knew he needed to learn to live with it and not let it pull at him too much. If it did, Ashlyn would be a bigger problem than he initially realized.

Ash didn't mind their rigorous training, she knew she needed to be pushed to her limits if she was going to get any stronger. Except right now, her brain felt like mush as her head rested on her arms. Her body practically sprawled out on the picnic table in the kitchenette as she lied there in her tank top and shorts. She was definitely a sight to be held.

"Starshine, you're going to have to move eventually." He said from the couch, his datapad in his hands as he checked on a message from Hux. Something he'd keep to himself for the time being, all things considered. Poor Ashlyn's brain couldn't handle hostile takeovers right now.

She groaned in reply, receiving an airy chuckle from the man in black as she reluctantly raised her head to look at him. "Can't brain. Everything hurts." She grumbled before putting her head back down.

He got off the couch and sauntered over to the table before plopping down on the bench. He rested his arms on the table by her head, his chin resting on them as he watched her. She looked at him, forcing as much of a smile as she could before laughing. "I feel so pathetic."

"You should." Kylo Ren teased. "It's just mind exercises. You make it seem like they're difficult."

"They are!" She exclaimed, he grinned. "I can't believe we leave tomorrow. It feels like it went by so quickly."

Kylo shrugged slightly. "Time flies when you're busy training and fucking."

Ash yelped. "Damn it, Ren!" Her cheeks burning from embarrassment as he laughed at her discomfort. She forced herself to sit now, her brain still feeling like porridge as she put a leg on either side of Kylo Ren. He sat upright now, his elbows resting on her knees as he looked up at her. "We'll have to be completely different when we go to the Finalizer, right?" She asked. "I don't know how I can come back down from this high I'm feeling."

"Only in the public eye." He said, kissing her thigh. "There's always private training sessions I will gladly make time for."

Ash grinned as he kept placing kisses on her thigh. "You'll be too busy to make time for me." She baited.

"Too busy for you?" He asked between kisses. "Never." Ash yelped before bursting into a fit of giggles as Kylo nipped at her thigh. He was grinning wickedly as he did.

"I'm serious." She said as her laughter died slightly.

"As am I." His eyes narrowed but he never lost the smug smile.

She became lost in thought, although surprising herself that her brain was still working to an extent as she did. "Do you think there will ever be a time where we won't have to hide this?" She wondered. "Not that I mind keeping secrets, it's been quite the thrill." Their relationship was the really the only secret she enjoyed at this point.

Kylo Ren let his lips linger on her thigh for a moment, debating how to answer this question. The truth was; no. Not now, at least. "I'm not sure." He said softly. "Perhaps someday when everything changes for the better."

Ash pursed her lips as intuition took over. She knew in order to get any answers from Kylo Ren her best bet was to always ask the right questions. "You seem so confident in this change happening."

He looked up at her. "With the right people, it will."

She pushed further. "And who are the right people?"

Kylo smirked, kissing her thigh again. "How about you trust me until the time is right?"

Ash scoffed. "We've been over this. I do trust you." She admitted. "Still not my best decision, but the only choice I have."

He sat up straight now, his hands running up Ashlyn's thighs and stopping at her hips. "Then trust me when I say, you'll know when the time is right."

"Fine." She said with a more finite tone than she wanted to. Ash leaned forward, pecking his lips quickly. "I trust you to do the right thing."

"The right thing is such a vague statement."

Ash rolled her eyes. "Fine, then promise to keep doing right by me." An earlier conversation repeating itself.

He grinned, leaning up once more and kissing her. "That I can do."

Final Thought: Kylo Ren slowly realizing Ash is bad for his reputation. Ash realizing Kylo Ren has done some bad things. Maybe opening pandora's box and learning more about him isn't such a good idea, girl! Next chapter, the Finalizer! Let's hope their new found trust can help them out of that. Remember to review, see you next time!