AHHH READ ME: Okay, so before y'all freak out that the author is on a crazy updating spree and needs to be stopped... I'm currently snowed in and have nothing to do but update. I'm also going to assume/pretend that y'all are snowed in too and need something to keep you busy. So here is a REALLY LONG CHAPTER.

Sorry. I'm just in a weird mood today. I'm really grump and angry with work so I'm actually super happy to be home and posting another chapter. Your reviews, love and support honestly just make everything better and will more than likely keep me a little less bored today. So, thank y'all.

Also, the next chapter has one of my favorite moments in it. Just an... FYI.

Leia Organa and Han Solo hadn't been in the same room in over a decade. Leia stared at the smuggler while he awkwardly tried to avoid her gaze at all cost. His eyes focusing on a loose string on his jacket. Stars, he reminded her of Ben. They had a similar facial structure and also a very similar way of dealing with things. To avoid them completely. "It's been a while." Leia started the conversation with her estranged husband.

"Nah-" Han tried to play it coolly. "Not too long. It's good to see you."

"Maybe not long enough?" Leia was teasing, yet still made Han laugh nervously.

"So, that girl-" Han began. "She knows Ben…"

Leia's lips formed a thin line. "You could say that." Han gave her a look. "He sent her here to keep her safe." Well, Han wasn't expecting that. "She's bringing the light back to him."

Han really wasn't expecting that. "Leia… what if there isn't light in him to bring back?" Han was not a good person by any standard. He was a liar, a cheater and a thief; a no good rotten scoundrel and not exactly husband or dad of the year. What made Han Solo different from most bad men, is that he still tried to do the right thing. Even when he failed at a domestic life and failed as a father, the man still loved his wife and son.

It could be argued that he disappeared often in fear of how Han Solo, the father, would screw everything up for the young Ben Solo and that quite possibly that only made it worse. However, he tried. He loved his family; but old habits die hard and Han Solo was a man of habit. He cared more than he could ever admit out loud for his wife and child. Now, there was hope that his son could be brought back to the light. While that wasn't a redeeming factor for all the things Han had done, it wasn't about being father of the year now. It was about helping his son come back home.

"There is." Leia smiled hopefully now. "There's good in him, I've felt it. With Ashlyn here, I can feel our son coming back to us."

Han felt something wash over him that he hadn't felt in so long; relief. He chuckled slightly. "Are we actually having a conversation about our son's girlfriend? I never thought that we would have something so…"

"Normal?"

"Right." He agreed. "How do we help her?"

"Finn and Ash are currently helping my team with the logistics of StarKiller, we should speak with them in the central hub and figure out what our next move should be." Leia informed him. "Bring our son home, Han."

Han nodded. That was something he could do; something they both wanted and had all the faith in the galaxy that it was possible. It was possible because of Ash. That devilish smirk came to his lips again as he said. "I wasn't lying though. It is good to see you."

Leia rolled her eyes, grinning. "Scoundrel."

He was still smirking. "Princess."

"Another one of you running around?" Hux groaned when he heard about the latest prisoner on StarKiller.

Kylo rolled his eyes. "Unlike Ashlyn, this one is actually a threat to us and will be exterminated once I get the information I need."

"Pretty sure Ashlyn was been a threat this entire time too." Hux stated flatly.

"Just to his sanity." Phasma mentioned in passing. Kylo glared at her from across the room.

Hux demanded then. "End this sooner rather than later. We have orders to fire the weapon once more."

Ren raised a brow. "We do?"

"We found the Resistance base on D'Qar. We are to fire when ready." Hux watched as Kylo's face drained of all color; he wasn't the only one to notice as Phasma visibly stiffened. The horrifying realization washing over the duo. "Ash is on D'Qar, isn't she?" Kylo Ren said nothing, only confirming their suspicions. Against his better judgment, Hux offered to do the only thing he could do. Buy Ashlyn some time. "I'll send out an encryption, one the Resistance should be able to intercept. It'll give them enough time and hopefully get Ash out of there."

Phasma frowned. "That could come back to bite us."

"Would you rather we blow up Ashlyn?" Hux asked sarcastically.

"Of course not." The two non-force users exchanging knowing looks. It was already bad enough that Ash and Kylo Ren were not in on the same planet, stars knows how much worse it could be if she died.

Hux was going to need a very long vacation after everything was said and done. "Ren, take care of the other Force User on base. I will do what I can to give Ash time." With that, Kylo Ren swiftly exited the room, placing his helmet over his head. He had work to do; and now what's worse, he had another headache to deal with.

Ash and Finn worked together in bringing the coordinates of StarKiller to the main hub, everyone gathered around to see the hologram of the rather large planet. "I almost forgot how big it is." Ash mused, looking at the familiar planet.

"How long were you on StarKiller for?" Finn asked.

"Seven months; started out as freelance and ended up with a permanent job." She explained. "Not exactly my best choice."

Finn practically agreed with her. "But you were also his apprentice." He didn't want to say the man's name, knowing the effect it had on people. "That had to have had some perks."

"Another choice I regret." She felt a little bad then. Yeah, she was really, really angry with Kylo Ren right now. However, she didn't actually regret anything between them even though she really wanted to right now. "So, what's next?" She asked, quickly changing the subject back to the task at hand.

"Tell us what you know about StarKiller." Leia's voice was warm and undemanding.

Everyone sat around with mixed emotions, no one really knew how to handle the threat before them. No one except Finn and Ash. "StarKiller uses the natural resource of the planet called Kyber Crystals to power the base. It's unstable at times, but when working, it can be a powerful source. The oscillator is where the main reactor is; the same reactor that can harness the energy from nearby suns and project that power to cause a devastating blow."

A snarky pilot chimed in. "And you know this how?"

"Because I built it." Ash replied calmly, holding on to her guilt in some inner capacity and not on the surface. "And now I'm going to destroy it." Ash nodded to Poe, he controlled the hologram and zoomed in on the oscillator. "Right in the main chamber, there is a weakness. My team and I programmed it that way. Without the shields surrounding the outer building, blowing up the core will shut down the entire system. That includes the base." Ash felt something different then; a mix of pride to be on the Resistance and helping them as well as a feeling of betrayal to the First Order. No, not to the Order, but to the maintenance crew. To Phasma and to Hux. To Kylo Ren… damn him.

"How do we shutdown the shields?" Poe asked.

"Leave that to me." Finn said, he was hiding an ulterior motive, one that no one but Ash could sense. However, when Ash did sense it, she didn't call him out on it.

"General Organa!" The Mon Calamari quickly chimed in, panic in his voice. "We've intercepted a transmission from the First Order. They've found our location and are charging the weapon. Their target is D'Qar."

The room became dead silent; a grim and hope crushing silence. Suddenly, this felt real. The weight of their lives now weighing down on Ashlyn as she looked to Poe. Poe, as Black Leader, lead the rebellion once more. "Then we better get moving." Ash nodded at him. "We'll cover you, once the shield is down we can penetrate through the oscillator and destroy the weapon once and for all."

"How will we get in there?" Finn asked.

"I've got you." Han Solo chimed in. He had more at stake than his face gave away. Sure, their lives were in danger, but so was Leia's. Her life meant more to him than anyone's. There was also the promise he made to her about their son. He was going to help bring Ben back and he'd do so with the help from the red haired mechanic.

Rey woke only to find herself restrained. She had come face to face with the monster known as Kylo Ren and now here she was, on some unknown planet and alone. Well, she thought she was until she saw the masked villain across from her. "Where am I?" She asked.

"You're my guest." The distorted voice said.

Rey glared, her fear giving her away. "I'm not a guest to a creature in a mask."

He rolled his eyes, why is it no one thought he was human? Perhaps it was due to the glaring fact that he didn't act like one at times. Swiftly, he removed his mask, revealing the truth. He was human, and he immediately did not care for this scavenger across from him. In fact, it was clear to say the two absolutely abhorred the other.

"You've seen the map." He said without much emotion. "You're going to give it to me."

"I'm not telling you anything." Rey gritted her teeth.

He smirked, by the stars were people so helpless. "Sure you will." He raised his arm; reaching for information. "There's an island; surrounded by water." He pulled from her mind as she tried to resist him. "Han Solo-" He said with annoyance. "He's like a father you never had. He would have disappointed you, trust me."

"Get out of my head!" Rey struggled.

Then, there was something else. Something interesting. While Rey hadn't actually seen Ash, she was still somehow in the girl's mind. "And then there's Ash." Rey faltered just enough, allowing Kylo Ren more access to her mind. "You feel connected with her; someone else who understands what you're going through." He scoffed. "Light? You think she has light in her? If anything, she has more darkness than you could ever imagine-"

Rey pushed back this time, forcing back the pain in her head. The grasp he had on her; no, she wasn't going to let him win. The two struggled for a moment, fighting for the upper hand when Rey saw it. "You're in love with her…" She said almost robotically, throwing Kylo Ren off. "And yet you're so very afraid you're losing her." Rey added. "No, you're afraid you already have."

Kylo Ren let go, causing Rey to jerk backwards. Enraged, he stalked out of the interrogation room. The Supreme Leader had been right, the light that had risen to fight the darkness was becoming just as strong as he was. Darkness would rise and Light would always be there to meet it. Now, he realized, he needed to pull the grey user over to his side sooner rather than later.

Ash sat by herself on the Millenium Falcon, knowing what was being asked of her. She was going to blow up StarKiller and save the Resistance. In doing so, she was going to more-than-likely kill the people she had come to known on StarKiller. She was torn, even though she felt like she shouldn't be. It was then Ash realized, sure, she was now a Rebel, but she also wasn't truly one. There was always that uncertainty, that grey area that Ashlyn lived in. It made things easier and oh-so-very-complicated all at once. "Hey, kid." Ash looked up, seeing Han Solo with an awkward grin on his face as he nodded to the seat next to her. "Mind if I join you?"

Ash frowned. "Who's flying the ship?"

"Chewie." Han replied. "Believe me, if anyone can fly this thing, it's him."

"I believe it." Ash moved slightly, making room for the smuggler.

"Listen-" He began as he sat down next to Ash. "I know what you must think of me, and I'm sure knowing what you do about Ben…"

Ash sighed. "That's the thing, I don't know anything about Ben. He is Kylo Ren to me."

Han nodded. "In some ways… well, probably most of it, it's my fault he's turned to the dark side." Han explained. "I wasn't there for him when I should have been."

"Leia said that Snoke got a hold of him early on."

"He did." Han confirmed. "And I wasn't there to stop it." Ash felt a twinge of guilt for Han. She didn't have to see into his thoughts to know of the guilt he felt. He wore that on his face. While she didn't particularly like Han Solo, thanks to the crap he pulled with Laynor, she also didn't hate him. He was a man who wanted to make things right, a man who wanted redemption. "I want to bring him back; have him come home."

Ash knew where this was going, she reassured him as much by placing her hand on top of his and giving a gentle squeeze. "We are going to bring him back." She said. "Something inside tells me as much."

Han actually smiled; that glimmer of hope returning in his eyes. Perhaps this could work and maybe Ben Solo could come back. "And listen, I'm sorry about the whole Laynor thing."

Ash smirked. "No you're not."

"To be fair, he's kind-of a jerk." Ash just laughed, the two sharing the light-hearted moment before things could take a turn for the worst. Which, somehow came when Finn walked back to find them.

Ash offered him a small smile. "How close are we?"

"We're almost there." Finn confirmed. "But we need to talk about the plan."

Han frowned. "Didn't we consult on the plan before we left?"

"He's talking about the part where he doesn't actually know how to shut down the shields."

"What?!" Han asked incredulously, unsure if he had heard her correctly.

Finn put his hands in the pockets of his new jacket courtesy of Poe Dameron. "I wanted to make sure I was on this mission." Finn explained. "My friend was captured by the First Order."

Ash nodded. "Say no more. Luckily for you, I do know how to shut the shields down."

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Han said getting up and heading for the cockpit. His sarcastic nature couldn't handle bad news right now.

"You knew I was lying?" Finn asked once Han was out of earshot.

"I've gotten really good at reading people, it's something I've learned with the Force." Ash explained. "I can tell when people are lying or hiding something; I can hear their thoughts if I focus hard enough." Finn looked horrified. "Don't worry, I don't pry into minds often unless I need to."

"But why didn't you say anything then if you knew?"

"You thought of Rey." Ash replied.

Finn was shocked. "You know Rey?"

Ash laughed slightly. "Not really, no. I've just heard her in my thoughts. We're connected within the Force."

Finn frowned. "But Rey isn't like you." Ash gave him a look. "I mean, she can't do what you do."

"I know what you mean, but she is. She just doesn't realize it yet." Ash explained. "From what I've been told, Darkness and Light are always battling together; they try and find dominance with the Force, to control it. It's in their nature. I'm something of an anomaly, I'm not meant to exist unless it's to bring balance to those forces. Apparently, the Force thinks they really need to be rebalanced."

"And I thought my life was complicated." Finn joked, causing Ashlyn to laugh.

"You have no idea." Ash shook her head. "So, let's go over how to blow up StarKiller." Finn was eager to learn as Ashlyn explained what to do.

"What did I say about not letting this turn into a problem?!" Hux yelled, throwing his hands in the air in frustration. "The girl escaped and she's running around this base!"

"Once again, it was the Trooper's fault." Kylo glared in Phasma's direction. "Perhaps we need better training."

Phasma returned the look. "Blame me again and I'll shoot you."

Hux groaned. "It doesn't matter. Find her." Ren didn't take to authoritative figures very well, it showed in his tense demeanor. "You'll be happy to know that the Resistance received the transmission."

"Hopefully Ash takes the warning." Phasma mumbled from her corner of the room.

"We've begun absorbing a nearby star, she's running out of time if she hasn't yet." Hux said.

Kylo Ren stiffened, he felt it in the back of his mind and slowly creep forward. The Millennium Falcon had come to StarKiller with Han Solo, Chewbacca and the red haired girl. He stood from his seat. "Looks like she's fine." Hux frowned in confusion. "She's here." Kylo Ren explained flatly.

Hux glared at him warningly. "Don't do anything stupid, Ren. We still have that other Force User running around."

Ren grabbed his helmet. "I want Ashlyn captured and everyone else dead."

"And if she won't come willingly?" Phasma asked skeptically.

"Then fucking stun her." Kylo Ren snapped as he marched out of the conference room. He was in a royally pissed off mood today and he didn't have time to deal with Ashlyn and her new 'Be-The-Hero' attitude. That was obvious.

Hux sighed. "This is only going to end poorly."

"Maybe not." Phasma tried to remain positive as the datapad in front of Hux buzzed. The two exchanging glances before Hux read the message.

"And now we have X-Wings."

"Looks like the Resistance didn't take too kindly to our warning." Hux just glared; now he had to stop the attack on StarKiller, the same attack he brought upon himself.

Ash had brought her First Order jumpsuit with her. She stared at it for a long while, longer than she would have liked to admit, before putting it on. She almost didn't recognize herself in it, it didn't feel right. However, it didn't feel wrong either.

The group had separated, Ash left to run through the freezing cold of StarKiller and entered the base through a side entrance. She knew she could sneak in and not be noticed right away. That was all she needed for her opportunity. However, she also had to worry about Kylo Ren. She knew he was aware of her arrival on sight, so now she had to avoid him at all cost.

Ash recognized where she entered the base from, it wasn't too far from the oscillator, however, it was a long enough walk to get caught. Especially since she was passing the maintenance bay. Her heart thudded in her chest as she wandered the halls of StarKiller. They were aware of the incoming X-wing assault, which was obvious the further she went to the oscillator. It was almost deserted… and that scared her.

'How about you make this easy and just surrender?'

'You'd like that, wouldn't you?'

'You have no idea, beautiful.'

'Aw, you think I'm pretty?' Ash entered the very large oscillator room. 'You know I can't make this easy for you.'

'That'll only make it even worse for you, Starshine.'

'Are you threatening me?' Ash asked as she gawked at the finished room. They guys had actually done it. She couldn't believe it. Ash quickly walked over to the main paneling system. She knew she couldn't shut it off, but she could make the internal explosion all the more devastating. She stared at the paneling, the way it was wired and programmed. This wasn't something she worked on specifically, this came after her. Now she had to get into the system.

'Fine, I'll come get you.'

She could hear the TIE fighters and X-wings outside the oscillator room, the battle was beginning. 'I think you might be too busy for that.' She knew she was pissing him off; now she was really hoping she wouldn't run into him. However, it was only a matter of time before he found her. She needed to move quickly.

"Ash?" A confused voice called from behind her.

Ash quickly turned, seeing a face she wasn't expecting, Grim. He had a blaster, aimed for Ashlyn. "Grim…"

"I have instructions to stun you and bring you in." Grim said. "They said you've been brainwashed by the Resistance; that you need to be stopped."

Ash raised her hands defensively, she didn't want to hurt him, they both knew she could. "Are you going to try and stop me?"

His lips quirked in a smirk as he lowered his gun. "You kidding? I'm relieved it's you!" Ash laughed as Grim walked over to her, the two embracing. "I knew you weren't compromised."

"Well, I am with the Resistance." Ash said honestly.

"I know." The two pulled away from one another. "I assume this is why you're here?" He asked, gesturing to the room they stood in.

"Grim, I saw what StarKiller can do. We need to shut it down. You know we do." Ash carefully explained.

"That's why we made a failsafe." Grim grinned mischievously. "We need to overload it?"

Ash nodded. "I have a team bringing down the shields. Once we overload it, the explosion will take out the entire weapon."

Grim walked to the panel and began adjusting the console. "They said you could be dangerous, so we made a safety precaution on the console, just in case someone tried to sabotage it. We just made it look like we did. The system still acts the same, but the algorithm to pull the energy in is different. It'll take a few minutes, so give me some time." He explained. "Max it out?"

Ash grinned. "Max it out."

"What happens if Kylo Ren comes down here?" Grim asked in somewhat of a panic. "If he gets to this before it overloads, he could reverse it and ruin everything."

Ash inhaled deeply. "Leave him to me. I can keep him busy."

He knew where she was headed; he knew the danger she was to this base and the operation as a whole. Kylo Ren stalked down hallway after hallway, heading towards the oscillator. Once he captured Ashlyn, he'd feel just a little bit better. He knew she wouldn't come willingly, just as Phasma had inclined earlier. He was ready to knock her out if he had to.

There was also the matter of that disgusting scavenger on base. If they found each other before he found either of them, which could prove to be a bigger problem than he was prepared for. Luckily for him, one of them he could track down easier than the other.

However, much to his surprise, upon turning the corner the red head had also turned that corner. They stood completely still on opposite ends, staring. "Hi, Starshine." He said first through his mask.

"Commander." She replied nervously.

"I said I was coming to get you."

"I changed my mind and came to you." She revealed. Kylo Ren began to slowly walk forward, Ash matching his steps almost exactly until they were standing only a few feet away. "I didn't know how else to come back here."

He scoffed. "You weren't coming back here for me."

"Wasn't I?" She challenged.

Kylo Ren gave her just as much of a fight as he held out his hand. "Then surrender and come with me."

Ash didn't reach forward. "Only if you let my friends go; call of the attack on D'Qar."

He frowned under his mask. "Are you really in a position to make demands?"

"I'm not." She agreed. "I'm between a rock and a hard place. I know you have the upperhand here. I just want the reassurance that going with you isn't going to backfire."

Kylo Ren took another, rather large, step forward. He was now standing impossibly close to her, looking down at her as he towered above the short girl. "You know I can just take what I want. I can make you want to come with me."

She was honest, even if she knew she shouldn't have been. However, she also knew that Grim was almost done. "You wouldn't be forcing me. I wanted to come home, didn't I?" He was about to reach out to touch her, Ash pulled back slightly. "But not right now."

"Fine." The man in the mask growled. "Have it your way." With the same hand he reached out to her with, he waved it. If she wasn't going to come willingly, he was going to make her by knocking her out. However, she didn't even flinch. Nothing happened. Frowning, he waved again. Nothing. Then, it clicked. It all horribly clicked as Ashlyn began to fade before him. "You clever bitch." He mumbled. She distracted him long enough for Grim to do what he needed. Kylo Ren stormed forward, walking through the fading projection. He was going to grab a barrage of Storm Troopers and kill every last one of them. By the stars, everyone was going to pay. Ashlyn was going to come with him whether she wanted to or not. This was their last stand.

Ash pulled her conscious back to the oscillator room. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the room. She knew Kylo Ren was pissed, she could feel it. She also knew he could tell that her words were true. Her will was faltering; it was only a matter of time before she gave in and went back home to him. A thought she couldn't get lost in, not right now. Not as Grim finished settling the oscillator to overdrive.

Grim turned the propulsion knob all the way to the right. "Done." He mused with accomplishment before looking back at Ash fondly. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again. After everything that happened here-"

Ash smiled sadly. "Everything happens for a reason. I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye." The two hugged again, knowing this could very well be the last time they saw each other. "Take the guys, get out of here."

"Don't be a hero, Ash. Get out of here as soon as you can." Grim was serious. Ash simply nodded to confirm she heard him, but would she listen?

Ash was joined not much later by Chewie and Han; she was slightly concerned considering they were missing part of the party. "Relax." Han reassured her. "Big deal and the girl are safe, they're meeting us here."

"You got the shields down?" Ash asked.

"They're down, but the X-wings are still having trouble breaking into here." Han explained, Chewie roared. "I'm getting to that part!"

Ash looked at the two, her eyes wide in shock but her smirk unable to hide. "What about a bag of explosives?"

Han tossed her a bad with four explosives. "Go plant them, we're going to blow stuff up."

"We better hurry, we're running out of time." Ash said, noticing how dark it was getting outside. The weapon would be charged soon enough.

Han began running to the left side of the oscillator. "You two get over there, we'll meet back here and book it!"

Chewie and Ash ran to the right, Chewie taking the back area while Ash ran towards the middle. She planted bombs around the area she thought would give the biggest bang. The group littered the room with bombs as best they could.

Ash stopped, the stalking angry man in black had arrived and he was close. "Crap…" She muttered as she ran back over to Chewbacca before getting caught. "We have to grab Han and go!" She hissed, Chewie roared quietly before the two stopped moving all together.

"BEN!" A voice echoed. There, at the center of the oscillator was a long bridge. The bridge made it easy for people to pass back and forth from one side to the other. However, two people stood on it now, facing each other.

"What is he doing?" Ash whispered, Chewbacca roared, shrugging.

Ash and Chewie stared out at the bridge; Chewie noticed the Storm Troopers that positioned themselves along the sides of the room, ready to fire if need be. A door opened above them, Ash could feel the pull of Light entering the room, countering the darkness from Kylo Ren. It had to have been Rey; they were safe.

"Do you still want to save him?" Ash heard to her right, she turned her head to see Anakin standing next to her now, staring out at the bridge as well.

Her heart racing in her chest, she looked back out at the bridge. Chewie had snuck away from her to get into a better position to fire, if he had to. It seemed like everything was slowing down in that moment. The weapon was just about charged, the machine making a slight rattling noise as it did. Ash felt almost numb as her eyes continued to be locked on the two men on the bridge. "Can I?" She asked almost breathlessly. "Can he still come back?"

"If you fight for it." Anakin said. "Remember, he is darkness, but you are the light. You are his light. Only you can bring him back."

"Yes." She answered his initial question. "I want to save him."

"Then don't look." Anakin warned.

As if on cue, Ashlyn closed her eyes. The only sound she could hear was the lightsaber activating in the distance. Rey's screams were muffled in the distance; Chewie's roar meant nothing. She felt the life fade from Han Solo and the darkness flood into the room. She opened her eyes then only to see two men on the bridge. A green laser fired from Chewie's blaster and hit Kylo Ren in the side as the mines detonated. This place was about to blow. "Chewie!" Ash screamed, finding her strength again as she ran for the Wookie. She grabbed his arm tightly, trying to pull him away. "We have to go! We have to go now!"

Reluctantly, the Wookie agreed. Having seen his best friend murdered by his own son… it took a toll on the Wookie. But the red haired girl next to him was right. They had to go. The two booked it for the exit, Chewie covering them from blaster fire from the Storm Troopers as they ran into the dark and cold night of StarKiller.

Ash and Chewie boarded the Millennium Falcon, Chewie taking the pilot seat and immediately starting the engine. "We have to find Finn and Rey!" Ash exclaimed as the earth below them began to shake and crumble.

A rather large explosion in the distance caused the sudden collapse of StarKiller. The world around them was falling apart and their window of escape from closing faster and faster. Chewie roared as the ship began to rise from the ground.

"I can find them, give me a minute!" Ash said, sitting in the co-pilot seat and trying to focus. Her heart was still thudding in her chest as she closed her eyes. She could feel them; the light and dark battling in the woods. They were close. "Head that way." Ash pointed forward. The Wookie obliged as the ship lifted higher off the ground and began to fly forward. The two were scanning the darkened woods, attempting to find any sort of sign of people being alive. Their search proving fruitless as they came up empty.

Then, Ash felt it. The overwhelming light overcoming the dark, suddenly mixed with pain. Kylo Ren, he was in pain and it was so strong. She could feel it radiating through her as she pointed to the right. "That way." The Wookie obeyed and turned the ship.

The Millenium Falcon came over a broken piece of StarKiller, pulling over a small hill. The headlights beaming forward and illuminated two bodies in the woods, one lying on the ground and the other kneeling next to him. "Chewie!" Ash's voice almost catching in her throat as the Wookie landed the ship carefully.

Ash removed herself from the co-pilot seat and ran for the loading ramp, the Wookie following closely behind. She slammed her fist on the button, Chewie wasting no time to run down the ramp and help Rey and Finn. He grabbed the unconscious ex-trooper and ran back inside followed by Rey. The Wookie placed Finn on a nearby table before running back to the cockpit. Their time was almost out and they needed to escape.

As the ship took off, Rey and Ash stood in the room where Finn lied unconscious. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, unsure if the other was real at first. Then, slowly, they came together and hugged. They had been through something awful, while two different experiences, they understood each other. And although they were meeting for the first time, it felt like they had known each other their whole lives.

The two women sat in the Millenium Falcon, both damaged in a whole different way from their adventure. Yet, there was comfort here. The two had someone who understood. While Ash had Kylo Ren to help her, he at least had an understanding of what he was going through. Ash and Rey were thrown into this life without much of a fight. "How did you learn about… all of this?" Rey asked, chuckling awkwardly as she tried to ask about something she didn't know much about to begin with.

"Ever since I was younger, I've been having weird dreams. Sometimes they'd come true." Ash explained, feeling like she could tell Rey about her past. Something she was relieved to be able to do now. "I saw my family die before it happened. I thought I was just sick, that something was wrong with me. I was told to keep it hidden and never let anyone know about it. That only lasted so long when I began to work for the First Order."

"You worked for the First Order?" Rey asked, somewhat horrified.

"Freelance, I was never really one of them." Ash quickly explained. "It was practically mandatory that I learned all about the Force. I know it's going to sound bad, but… I learned from Kylo Ren." Rey flinched. "See! I said it sounded bad!"

"He's a monster." Rey revealed. "He forced his way into my head, stole my thoughts-"

"He has a habit of doing that." Ash sympathized. "I promise, I'm nothing like him. You're nothing like him either. I've seen it."

Rey nodded slowly. "I know you're not either. Something… whatever it is that's inside me. It was bringing me here all along, wasn't it?"

"The Force has a way of bringing us to where we need to be. Sometimes in the worst possible way imaginable."

"I saw you in Kylo Ren's mind." Rey informed her, albeit somewhat reluctantly. "He has feelings for you."

Ash grimaced slightly. "Yeah… he does." She was unsure if she should even mention her position with Kylo Ren… or rather, whatever that meant right now. He killed his own father, tortured Poe Dameron, and yet here she was, as angry as she could be with him and still wanting to bring him back.

Rey immediately saw through her, but kept it to herself. That was a truth she didn't think she was ready to hear just yet. "What happens now?" She asked. "Where do we go from here."

"We have to keep the fight going. We need to take down Snoke and stop the First Order." Ash said.

"How?"

Ash thought for a moment. That was a loaded question in itself. How the hell did they stop Snoke? Kylo Ren sure had ideas for that, however, she was almost certain he wasn't ready to share them. The Republic was gone now thanks to her and the weapon known as StarKiller. How did the Resistance stop Snoke now? "Luke Skywalker." She answered almost robotically. "We get Luke to help us."

"BB-8 has the missing part of the map." Rey explained. "Can Luke really help fix all this?"

Ash shrugged. "Everyone seems to think so. General Organa believes he can also train us in the Force."

Rey smiled. "I'd like that. I'd like to know where my place in all this is."

"You and me both." The girls shared a quick laugh. The first of many. Ashlyn realized then that Rey was very important and not just to her. She was the Light that she was destined to help balance with the Dark. Whatever the hell that meant. Yet, with Rey, she felt the pull to the light, the ever present feeling of hope in a time of such darkness. Maybe, just maybe, things would be okay.

Final Thought: Hey, this chapter kind-of ended on a good note! Also, how about Ashlyn being a trickster and fooling Kylo Ren? Hot damn, he is not going to be happy next chapter.. I mean... spoilers. Anyway! Enjoy your snow day chapter, remember to review and see y'all next time!