Author's Section Of Words: Thank you guys, for your continued support and kind words. You guys just keep reminding me why I write this story, why I strive to make it awesome. I do it for you guys and I hope you guys continue to enjoy.
I also just want to say; even if you've never left a review before or scared to do so because you don't believe you have anything productive to say. I'm telling you, just hearing from you guys, even if it's a "I really like the story" or whatever it is, believe me when I say, it doesn't go unnoticed. It's appreciated, whether your review is detailed and paragraphs or just a sentence or two. It means the absolute world when I get to see 'New Review' in my inbox and I get to see the joy and excitement from you guys. It brings me just as much joy and excitement if not more. Whether it's a wall of text or one sentence. It's the best feeling in the world so thank you guys for that. Really.
Positive vibes here on out; even though I literally just spilled soup all over my desk... But hey, how can we have anything but positive reviews with a spoilery title like this one?
alsoIliterallycan'thandlethefactthatthisstoryhasover400reviewsholycowguys
There was a lot to digest in the dedicated debriefing room on Crait, considering both Leia and Rey had news that drastically changed the course of things. The first bit of news involved the Ascension and their sudden interference with the Resistance and the First Order. Who were they and where did they come from? Still, no one had an answer for that. Rey had a feeling, however, that somehow Kylo Ren would have an answer. Granted, that inkling also came from her overall malice towards the man. Now, she was torn telling anyone her thought considering the option of it being helpful or just plain bias. Either way, that was the least of her worries after the news broke out about the state of Kylo Ren.
The room erupted into mass chaos as Resistance officials argued over the legitimacy of Kylo Ren's sudden turn and whether or not he actually had an allegiance to anything to begin with. This also turned into a witch hunt over Ash and that she had been an accomplice all along; then speedily went to Leia and Poe knowing, only to immediately be squashed by the ever-so-graceful scolding of General Organa.
Only after the room calmed down to a quiet murmur did Luke Skywalker finally chime in with the news of the prophecy and the plan to take down Snoke. There was also a bare minimum of effort on his part to clear his nephew's name. Really bare minimum effort… however, people listened regardless.
While still exhibiting complete and total hesitation regarding working with Kylo Ren, at least the room no longer demanded for Ash's blood and began to (debatably) understand that things were much more complicated than initially thought. That was a very small step in a positive direction according to Rey.
Then somehow Luke let the smallest of notions that Ash and Kylo Ren were sort-of a "thing" slip and the room all but exploded. In his defense, he thought that would help show that Kylo Ren could be controlled enough to benefit them. It didn't. And thus here they were. Complete and utter chaos that seemed to have the entire base in a frenzy and ultimately lead to General Organa, Luke Skywalker, Poe Dameron (reluctantly after learning the news), Finn and Rey meeting in a more private setting to discuss their game plan and find a better way to present these ideas without causing such an uproar. At least, having a more solid plan would appease the masses. Or so they thought.
"I don't think we should trust the Ascension." Poe added, a little burnt up from the news about Ash and Kylo Ren. Even though he tried not to let it show, it basically was impossible to hide and everyone in the immediate room knew. He wasn't angry that Ash was seeing someone, in fact, he was more than okay with that considering the other part of the issue. She was seeing Kylo Ren. Or rather, that was the rumor. The same man that tortured him, nearly killed him… that Kylo Ren. It didn't make him feel good. "I mean, what if this whole thing really just a ploy from the First Order and Kylo Ren?"
"Poe has a point." Finn said. "We don't know anything about the Ascension and if they really did want to help us, why won't they reach out to us again?"
Rey spoke up in Ash's defense. "We don't, but Ash was the one who told me that the First Order was after Kylo Ren and I trust her. Regarding this other group, I'm not sure who they are. But, when it comes to Kylo Ren-" She made a face. "As much as it pains me to say this, I believe there is truth in him no longer being part of the First Order."
Leia exchanged a quick glance with Luke before intervening. "Then we should wait until Ash reaches out to us again. Once they return to Crait with the information on these stones, perhaps they can shed some light on this other group. Regardless, we need to find out sooner rather than later the Ascensions motive."
Ash was silent from the moment she hugged Laynor goodbye, nodded to the rest of the crew and even after takeoff. While she felt no attachment to Lothal any longer, there was that somber bittersweet feeling of goodbye that Ash wasn't used to. Something she felt she should be all things considered. She kept at a distance from people for a reason; everyone seemed to leave her. Whether it was their own doing or not. Yet, the people she did manage to hold on to, she held on with an iron grip. Laynor was not someone she held on to, someone she felt she should have, but ultimately couldn't. And maybe it was better this way for everyone involved. To leave that attachment; that life behind her and start a new.
It didn't take long for her to explore the Star Yacht, in fact, she was practically running through the entire ship just to see it all. While not the biggest Star Yacht, it still was a heck-of-a-lot more open than the Silencer. She had space to spread out and she did so eagerly, only to find herself bored at the lack of things to interact with. She came from one of the best maintenance shops in all the galaxy, of course nothing on the ship needed to be fixed. Although, she could simply break something and make herself useful. To her dismay, Kylo Ren wouldn't allow that and eventually forced her to sit still in the cockpit with him.
Now, the two sat in silence, staring out the cockpit as stars blurred passed them thanks to hyperdrive. A sight that she could see over and over again and still not get used to. Ash sat with her legs crossed in the copilot seat, her elbows resting on her knees and her hands holding up her chin as she stared at the blurry stars in front of them. "I'd make the bet that you're going to stare in awe over Naboo; but I feel bad for winning such an easy bet." Kylo Ren grinned from the pilot seat, almost mockingly.
Ash frowned. "I don't always stare in awe at planets."
"Yes you do."
She side-eyed him then. "What, is it another grassy planet?" He said nothing. "Water planet?"
"You'll see when we get there, impatient one." He knew he was peaking her interest then. Ash had a thing for planets and seeing new worlds. If they lived through all of this, maybe they'd travel to more. She had promised to join him on all his misadventures going forward. Then again, if he were to become the next Supreme Leader, he may not have time to travel. A necessary sacrifice, one he would be willing to give up to be in control of it all. Yet, looking at the red haired girl next to him, he wasn't all that sure anymore.
The ship exited hyperspace and Kylo Ren wish he had made that bet. Ash sat up, her eyes wide as she stared in awe, as he said she would. The planet was beautiful, even from all the way up here and only proved to be even more so as they flew closer to the surface. Kylo Ren was grinning as he watched Ash out of the corner of his eye as she took in the large structures of Theed. The palace, the beautiful surrounding city, the architecture. Ash had never seen anything like it before.
She wasn't the only one to stare, Ash turned her attention to the left to look at Kylo Ren, only to see another person standing there. Well, a ghost. Anakin appeared between the two seats in the cockpit, staring out at Naboo as the ship flew closer to Theed. Something in his expression Ash couldn't place. He wasn't staring in astonishment like she had been, but more of reluctance as he thought of something from long ago. The memory of what had once been; something he kept locked away. Even as a Force Ghost, memories like that continued to haunt him. It showed on his face as he continued to stare.
Ash wanted to ask him, however, there were two problems here. One, Kylo Ren didn't know she was seeing ghosts and the last thing she needed was to freak him out. Two, even if she wanted to bring it up, there was no way she could prove his existence.
In her moment of conflict, Kylo Ren stared at her as he tried to figure out what the heck was going on in her pretty little head. "Ready?"
She immediately snapped out of it, forcing a reassured smile as she nodded. "Yeah. Let's do this."
Ash wasn't prepared for the sheer size of Theed; the buildings were even bigger up close and Ash found herself completely and utterly lost among them. Luckily for her, she had Kylo Ren to guide her through. However, he wasn't exactly in the touristy mood and kept them on the move. If the First Order sent out a message across the galaxy for his capture, he needed to be smart about it. Which, was all the more difficult with the bubbly red haired girl that kept wanting to see as much as possible.
There was a celebration going on, it seemed. People were flocking to the main streets, there was music and dancing. The two avoided most of of the celebration and headed towards a brilliant pearl colored building.
"So, what are we looking for?" Ashlyn asked curiously as the two walked through the a rather large arch way and now face to face with the beautiful courtyard of the Naboo library. The overall architecture was breathtaking, Ash had never seen anything like it.
"Any information about the stones." Kylo Ren explained briefly, keeping his typically nonchalant behavior as he continued. "The Naboo library has an extensive collection of older archival information, if anyone where to have knowledge of the stones, it's them. However, the Naboo government doesn't allow for people to check out these particular books, they must remain in the library. We need to take it from them."
Ash's eyes went wide as she realized what they were doing. "We're stealing from the Naboo government?"
"The queen actually." He answered smugly.
"You didn't tell me that!" She exclaimed.
"You didn't ask." He informed her. "Besides, I technically have a right to it. My grandmother was queen of Naboo."
Ash threw her arms up in protest. "That's not how any of this works!"
Ren snaked his arm around Ashlyn's back, pulling her to his chest and kissing her lips reassuringly. "Don't worry." He told her. "I have a plan."
"That doesn't make me feel any better." Her voice airy after being thrown off by his kiss.
"It probably shouldn't. But, luckily for us, we arrived on a rather special day. Everyone is celebrating the festival."
Ash made a face as the two began to ascend the stairs into the library. "Festival?"
He gave her a pointed look. "You didn't notice the celebration back there?"
She grimaced. "I did-"
"It's the festival of the Goddess. Basically, the entire planet shuts down to celebrate. And it's perfect for getting in and out of the library while avoiding suspicion. No one will notice what we're up to." He explained as they entered the completely quiet library.
Kylo Ren was right, everyone on Naboo was too busy celebrating the festival to be bothered with the archives. The place was empty; leaving the two Force Users to stare at massive bookshelves that extended for what felt like miles and miles. "This place is-" She gushed. "Incredible!"
He smirked knowingly as the two continued walking. Well, Ash was practically skipping as she continued forward. Her eyes darting from row after row, taking in everything around her as Kylo Ren got down to business.
The section they were looking for was hidden in a back area, a separate section behind two double oak doors with intricate details carved in them. Inside was a room that looked like it hadn't been touched in ages. Dust settled on the tables, the shelves, everything. Kylo Ren knew something had to have been there.
"Start reading." Kylo Ren said; although he didn't have to tell her twice as Ash quickly made her way to a bookshelf, eager to learn what she could. An eagerness that would diminish immediately as the two began to realize they were in way over their heads.
Phasma had finished her part of the plan brilliantly. She not only assembled the twenty-thousand troopers she had in her arsenal, but each and every starship they needed was accounted for and fully operational. Even their new destroyer. Similar in size to the Finalizer, it was given to them by war profiteers thanks to the hefty and deep pockets of General Hux and the wealth he was given from his Father.
Speaking of Hux, he was more than pleased with what Phasma had accomplished. His unhideable smirk only proved that point as he stared at the hologram map of the outer and mid rim territories. "Where are you hiding, Ren?" He muttered to mostly himself as he stared at the planets before him.
The door to the command bay opened swiftly and in walked Phasma. For once, she wasn't in her chrome armor and instead donned a white tank top and cargo pants. Hux couldn't remember the last time he saw her in anything but her armor. "Any sign of him?" She asked, standing next to the ginger as they both surveyed the hologram.
Hux clicked his tongue to the roof of his mouth. "Not yet. Our surveillance team has stationed multiple units among different planets. No one has seen or heard anything as of yet. Interestingly enough, the Silencer was spotted on Lothal, of all places. However, there was no further evidence to support that. The ship was gone."
"He could very well still be alive then."
Hux scoffed. "He would simply refuse to die in spite of us."
Phasma grinned as she agreed. "Yes he would."
"You came here for something else." Hux said knowingly.
Her face gave away absolutely nothing as she replied. "I did." He waited patiently; almost expectantly of what she was going to say. "Next time I tell you to get onto the escape pod, you do it. Pull a stunt like that again and you will regret it. Are we clear?"
The two turned to face each other now, Hux was smirking smugly. "You know I couldn't let you take the fall."
"I asked you to."
"And I refused." He replied simply. "You are far more valuable to the troops and they trust you to lead them. If I should go down, you need to be the one to finish this."
Her lips formed a thin line as she stared intently at the man next to her. The man who always stood next to her, through all of this. They were always and undoubtedly together. "I almost didn't get to you in time." The verbage changing from the collective to the individual was enough to remind Hux exactly how much they meant to one another.
"But you did." He reminded her softly. "Phasma-" The hologram blipped and beeped as a new message appeared on the screen. With a sharp exhale, Hux frowned. "Somehow, Ren always seems to interrupt us at the most inopportune time." He commented as he turned and looked at the message.
Phasma did the same, looking at the message from one of the scouts. "They found him?"
"Looks like Ren is on Naboo; they've reported seeing Ashlyn with him." Hux confirmed. "Send out a dispatch team. I think it's time we reunite with our old friends, don't you?" Phasma only smirked in reply.
Ash groaned loudly as her head rested on one of the old book she was examining. "We've been here for hours!"
Ren rolled his eyes as he muttered. "Patience, Starshine."
The duo was losing steam, having flipped through dozens and dozens of books and coming up empty handed. The entire mission seemed like a failure. Of course it was, Luke sent them on this mission and to Kylo Ren, Luke was the biggest failure of them all.
Kylo Ren stood, taking the book he had skimmed through and wandered back over to the shelf. He traded his current book for a different one, a book that hopefully had something to offer.
"It's a green book." Ash lifted her head at the new voice in the room, noticing Anakin standing next to Kylo Ren as he stared at the shelf. Kylo Ren completely oblivious to the ghost standing next to him as he flipped through another book. "I remember a green book." He hummed before pointing. "There."
"Oh, now you're being useful." Ash grumbled, receiving a weird look from Kylo Ren as he peered over the book in his hands. Crap, she realized she said that out loud. Perhaps it was time to clue in the other Force User to her latest trick. "Okay, don't freak out." His brow quirked upward as Anakin turned to look at her now, realizing what was about to happen and not exactly approving of it. "But I've been seeing ghosts for a few months. Okay, just one ghost."
Ren looked somewhat stunned. "You've been seeing Force Ghosts?"
"He said it had to do with me straying too far from my path and needing to be set straight. He's been really helpful with my training while we were separated." Ash said, now looking at Anakin.
"Might not be a good idea-" Anakin began.
"Little green guy, funny ears?" Kylo asked. Ash gave him a strange look as Kylo sighed. "Is his name also Ben?"
Ash shook her head. "How many Force Ghosts are there?"
"More than there should be." Kylo replied dryly. "Who is it?"
"All I really know about him is that his name is Anakin." Kylo Ren dropped the book from his hands, it landed with an overly exaggerated thud on the ground as his jaw fell slack. Ash suddenly realized she said something wrong. Granted, she didn't know what was so wrong about it except that maybe Anakin was probably to blame for all of it. "Is that bad?" She looked at Anakin now. "Are you bad?"
"I said it wasn't a good idea-" Anakin tried again.
Kylo Ren's shock was quickly replaced with raw and unmistakable anger. "I have asked for his guidance for-" He stumbled over his words, Ash had never seen him so clumsy before. "He was supposed to be the one to-" His hand ran through his dark locks as he visibly grew more aggravated. "That's not fair! You don't even deserve to-" He stopped himself from saying anything too mean as the hurt expression spread across Ash's face. He stomped out of the room, yelling loud obscenities as he went.
Ash looked at Anakin, who simply grimaced. "I guess I should explain."
"You think?" Ashlyn said in frustration.
"Do you know the story of Darth Vader?" Anakin began.
Ash sighed; the frustration getting worse and worse. "He was in that book I borrowed from Leia. The one who killed all the Jedi. I don't have patience for a detailed history lesson, Anakin. What's the abridged version?"
Anakin frowned. "Well, as you know. Kylo Ren comes from a very strong line of Force Users; his mother, his uncle, and of course his grandfather." Anakin explained. "His grandfather is-"
It clicked as Ash groaned. "Stars, his grandfather is Darth Vader, isn't he?"
"Yes, someone Kylo Ren has idolized, wanting to become like him, strong like him." Anakin confirmed, only to have more to add. "Before Darth Vader came to be, he was a Jedi. Long story short-" Anakin said. "Darth Vader was known as Anakin Skywalker."
Like two points coming together, suddenly things made sense. Utterly horrifying sense. "I've had it with this stupid Skywalker lineage!" She yelled, Anakin take back by her sudden outburst. "You and your family have been the biggest headache to deal with, even when I had no idea I was dealing with them to begin with. The secrets, the lying, the drama; the more I learn the sicker I get hearing about you all." Ash ranted. "First I met Kylo Ren, he' was a total jerk dead set on causing chaos. Then I met Luke who saved the galaxy once and now is an even bigger jerk that screwed over Kylo Ren by trying to kill him. And then there's you-"
"Hey, I helped you-"
"And I appreciate that, I really do." Ash interrupted him. "But if he looked up to you, if he needed your help, why didn't you help him? Couldn't you have stopped all this; stopped him from turning fully to the Dark Side?"
"There was nothing to stop, Ash." Anakin explained, as though the truth was the worst part about all of this. A big reveal that Ash hadn't planned on. A reveal that made everything all the more awful, a reveal that reminded her just how cruel the Force could be. A reminder why she hated all of this to begin with; a reminder at how powerless they all were in trying to fight against it all. That kind of reveal. "My grandson was going to turn to the Dark Side. Do you have any idea how much it pained me to let it happen? To just simply accept what the Force was doing to him. He was going down the same path I had. He needed to be part of the darkness; to help you and Rey. Me? I was simply here for chaos; to set the timeline in place so others like you could rise against it all. I hurt the only woman I loved, killed the man who was like a brother to me. I never wanted that for Ben; for my family. I didn't have a choice and if I came to him I wouldn't have been able to stop myself from trying to prevent him from becoming who he was supposed to be."
Ash felt her heart begin to race against her chest; everything Anakin was saying… was it true? "But-" She stammered. "All that talk of bringing him back to the Light; keeping the Light within him. If he can't come back, if he's not supposed to... Why?"
"You wouldn't have stayed around if I had told you that there was no hope for him." Anakin admitted. "Would you honestly have stayed with him for as long as you have knowing that all your efforts were wasted? That he was going to live within the Darkness. A Darkness you couldn't follow. You needed to be blinded, unlike my wife..." He paused, having remembered Padme, remembering something inside him. "If she knew what my destiny was, she wouldn't have stayed either."
Ash felt her heart tear in two. All this time, she was fighting to bring Kylo Ren to the Light, to restore what good was left in him. Now, she was being told that was impossible. Everything she had come to believe was a lie; Kylo Ren would never and could never be anything but Darkness. "That can't be true…" She all but whispered. "I'm his light, I-"
"You are. That never changed. You are the Grey that keeps him balanced. But, he needed to stay in the Darkness; he needed you and Rey. The Grey and Light to balance him. The three of you need each other. If you had no hope in him, then you wouldn't have tried as hard as you have. I never expected you to love him and to keep loving him after all of this. Had you known what he was capable of; what is in his true nature…"
Ash shook her head. "You're wrong about him. He may be Darkness… but there's good in him. There will always be good in him. Just because he's on the Dark Side of things, doesn't mean he can't be good."
Anakin's lips turned upward to a small, yet sad smile. "Someone believed the same thing about me once. Except I wasn't strong enough to prove them right. Maybe he is."
Saying nothing more, Ash turned on her heels and followed out after Kylo Ren. Her heart not allowing her to doubt any good that Kylo Ren was capable of. She firmly believed he was good even with the darkest of hearts. She wouldn't let anything change that, not the Force, not Anakin. Nothing. In her own blind selfishness, she was going to prove it even if doing so killed her.
Kylo Ren leaned up against a pillar outside the library. His arms crossed his chest as he stared out at the large gardens. A group of people had gathered under a small arch, celebrating the 'love' aspect of the Festival of the Goddess. He watched as couples met under the arch, confessing their love and total commitment for one another as an offering to the Goddess herself.
Ash found him outside, trudging over to him and awkwardly shuffling on her feet as she stood next to him. "Your family is kind-of stupid."
"Tell me about it." He snorted. "Out of everyone to come to you, why did it have to be him?" He said. "I've needed him for so long; for guidance for understanding. Nothing. I never received any of that from him. And he simply just comes to you-"
Ash licked her lips. "Maybe you didn't need him. Maybe you had everything you needed all along. You knew where you were going and the path you were headed down. Me? Apparently I was that screwed up and in need of guidance, even I didn't know it." That made him smirk slightly. "There's a lot I don't understand; the Force, your lineage, this prophecy. How it all comes together is still a mystery to me and that's okay. I don't think I want to know anymore, it's been nothing but one giant headache. What I care about-" She paused, her cheeks burning red now. "I just care what happens to us. As selfish as that sounds. No matter what happens, no matter where we end up. I'm just happy to be here in this moment with you."
He moved off the pillar then, his arm reaching behind Ash as he pulled her to his chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist as he continued to hold her there. "I'm okay with forever if it means I get to spend it with the most infuriating person who has messed with my plans since the moment she invaded my dreams. Unknowingly, I might add."
Ash laughed lightly. "That's one way to say you love me, I guess."
He made a face. "But I do. After all that's happened, you still doubt that?"
Ash pulled back just enough to look up at him. "I don't doubt it. I don't because I can feel it." She explained. "The Force Bond has always made everything we felt transparent, even when we tried so hard to keep it hidden. It only made it harder for us."
"I'm done hiding it." He said, looking back at the courtyard now. "I'm done letting the Force speak for us."
She looked out to where he was staring. "What's going on?" She asked, making a face.
Ren pulled away from her, taking his hand into hers and began leading her to the line of people in the courtyard. "It's the last part of the celebrations." He explained. "The ceremony of love. The Goddess was quite the fan of love and prosperity. The people of Naboo honor her by marrying under the arch way to their soulmate."
Ash stared in disbelief as she realized where they were going and what he was planning to do. "Yeah? We're doing this now?"
"What better time than now?" He asked. "When are we ever going to find the time to do this?"
The concern that was on her face vanished and was replaced with a happier and content expression as she laughed. "We probably won't live through this whole prophecy thing anyway."
He grinned. "You're just giving us more reason to go through with it, Starshine." The two were now standing on line, with only three other couples in front of them.
Ash looked down at herself, noticing just how messy she looked in her typical everyday clothes. At least, Kylo Ren always looked handsome and well put together. Ash? She was always a chaotic mess it seemed. "I wish I had a dress for the occasion." She joked.
"I think you're beautiful just the way you are now." If he could have said anything else to reassure her that this was the right thing to do, it was that.
Who knew when the opportunity would arise again, if they even made it through this? The lingering notion of not making it once they confronted Snoke was stuck in the back of their minds. Their entire relationship had been based on impulse and going with their gut, why should this be any different?
And so, their secret union began. When their turn came, the two Force Users stood under the arch in front of strangers and nobodies. They signed a piece of paper that would go into the Naboo public record; no one immediately recognizing the names 'Ben Solo' or 'Ashlyn Novafall'. At least, no one would be able to connect the dots before they were long gone.
Nothing else mattered. Like Ash said, nothing mattered but them in that moment. And it was in that blind ignorance, the two missed the scout staring on from the distance, reporting his findings to a certain First Order.
Final Thought: Our Force Users are all kinds of impulsive, ain't they? Surely nothing bad can happen from First Order spies and secretly getting married, right? What do I know, I'm just the author! Remember to review and see y'all in the next chapter!