Author's Saturday Morning Half Asleep Talk: Oh. Hey y'all. Good morning. It's actually 12:41 in the afternoon, but I just woke up to post this next chapter for you considering I'll be disappearing for the rest of the weekend!
Quick answer to a question I saw in a few reviews: Why did Kylo Ren sign the marriage certificate as Ben Solo? For starters... pretty sure the officiant would have freaked the heck out seeing "Kylo Ren" written down on a piece of paper. Second. His name is Ben Solo and that kind-of gets explained later on... hence the title.
Also. Next chapter. There's going to be a lot of "Ben" calling going on so... pretty excited about that one considering who it involves.
And finally.
You guys. As always. Thank you for every single review, comment, favorite, follow; all of it. Thank you. I can't say it enough and even when I do I feel like I can never truly express just how awesome this has been.
But we have a lot more to go... Basically. We're almost done with being half way there. OH GOSH. THIS STORY HAS AN END EVENTUALLY.
The two returned to the library, their hands connected as their fingers laced together. Neither one saying anything as they embraced the moment; unable to wipe the small smiles from their faces as they entered the back room. The mess they had made still ever present; unfortunately, they still had a job to do and would celebrate their secret union at a later time. Most likely the moment they returned to the ship.
Ash's attention turned to the bookshelf, reluctantly she let go of Kylo Ren's hand and wandered over to it. The green book Anakin had pointed out was sticking out like a sore thumb now. "This is the book Anakin mentioned." She explained in passing, not really wanting to bring up the whole Anakin-Is-Actually-Your-Grandfather, thing again, as she grabbed the book. She handed it to Kylo Ren, who brought it with him to the table, sitting down and began to flip through it in an attempt to find an answer.
Ash took the seat across from him, staring at him as the natural light from the setting sun outside illuminated the room as much as possible. She couldn't stop staring at him as he read, the way his hair fell in front of his face as he leaned over the green, worn book. The way his lips pursed ever so slightly as he concentrated. How perfect he looked right then and there; his scarred face and dark eyes; his head gently rested on his hand as he flipped through pages with the other.
Stars, they were married now. It didn't feel real. None of what had just happened felt real. They did it, that wasn't the question. But, now they had one more thing to hide. One more secret to keep; no proof of what they had done. Just a silent proof whenever they looked at each other. A silent moment whenever they exchanged glances, knowing what they had done. That was her husband sitting across from her; her husband doing the most mundane of tasks and yet she had never loved him more than she did now. Right here in this moment.
His lips curled upward slightly; feeling her internal monologue with herself. "You're staring, Starshine." He murmured as he flipped another page. "What are you thinking about?"
She couldn't help but smile as she brushed her red locks behind her ear. "Everything."
"I know." He replied teasingly, flipping more pages.
"We got married." Ash said absentmindedly, and yet overwhelmingly in disbelief.
Kylo Ren snorted. "We did." He looked up at her from the book then. "Regret catching up with you now?"
Ash laughed. "No, not in the slightest. It's just-" She thought for a moment. "Everyone is going to freak out."
"We won't tell them."
She gave him a pointed look at that. "We have two Force Users and a Sensitive waiting for us back on Crait. You really think they won't know?"
He grinned wickedly. "I'll take the blame like I always do."
"We're married now, your trouble is just as much mine now." Ash reminded him playfully.
His wicked grin faded to a more sincere one at that notion. Yes, they were married now. Something they'd have to get used to and yet, had no time to do so. There would be no honeymoon stage, there would be no celebration. He wished he could give her more, he really did. But, they both understood what they were getting into.
Ash's gaze averted down to the book then, to the new page Kylo Ren had flipped to. Staring back at her was a familiar orb; at least, it felt familiar. She had only ever really seen it once and at a quick glance in the book from Ahch-To. There, under the image glaring up at her, were the words 'Eye of the Sun'. She was suddenly grinning. "Found our stone."
Kylo Ren looked back down at the book, skimming through the words on the page as a few notes stuck out. "Cularin. The Eye of the Sun is on Cularin."
Ash sat back in her seat excitedly. "Great, that's one stone down. What about the other two?" Kylo Ren closed the book without much warning. She sensed his entire being immediately tense as his face contorted to a frown before abruptly removing himself from his seat. He stalked over to the window, looking outside for something that Ash couldn't see. "What is it?" She asked.
"We've got company." He noted, seeing Troopers begin to file into the surrounding courtyards of the Naboo library. He looked back at his new bride, his face like stone as he spoke. "Time to go." Ash looked down at the book as Kylo Ren made his way to the door. "Leave it." He instructed. "We have what we need."
She obliged, leaving the book on the table as she quickly followed him out of the back room and into the main area of the library. "What's the game plan?" She asked, trying to keep up with the man next to her.
"We have to get back to the ship. If the First Order follows us-" He looked at Ash, somewhat apologetically but not really. "We won't be able to meet up with the scavenger."
Ash frowned. "I promised we would meet them on Crait."
"Ash-" With that, the main double doors to the library burst open as a barrage of Troopers came forward. Their blasters firing at the two Force Users. Kylo Ren grabbed Ash and ran for the nearest cover behind a large bookshelf.
Debris from books and shelves began to fly all around them. She grabbed her lightsaber, the amber blade igniting. "Just once, I'd like to be able to have a moment of peace with you without getting interrupted or shot at."
Ren grinned knowingly as his own saber shot out of the hilt; crackling and hissing. "I know, Starshine." He looked to the other side of the aisle, seeing the window, their only means for escape. "Follow me." Ash looked, seeing the window as well, except she wasn't as excited as he was.
She knew what he expected of her, yet there was no time for argument. The two had to make a break for that window. Kylo waited a moment's pause before nodding. He turned around the corner of the bookshelf the two had hid behind, deflecting blaster shots as Ash ran out beside him. Her hand went up immediately, sending a Force Push towards the Troopers. A few flew backwards, giving them the distraction they needed as the two ran for cover behind the other side of shelves and to the window.
Kylo, being somewhat of a gentleman (though Ash would argue that), went out the window first, helping Ash climb out after him. He looked around the courtyard in an attempt to find the clearest path for the two to run. He booked it for the left most side, rushing for an arch way. Granted, this would take them a little further from the ship, it was the clearest route. Ash followed suit, the Storm Troopers began to notice.
Running deeper and deeper into the alley ways of Naboo, turning corner after corner, the two kept moving. Every so often, they'd have to dodge another Stormtrooper, Kylo Ren wasted no time in taking down anyone in his path with a swift wave of his saber. Much to Ash's dismay, now wasn't the time to reprimand the man over the matter of kills he was currently racking up.
They were running out of places to go, indubitably lost as they turned another corner only to run straight into a handful of Troopers. The two stopping short as the Troopers raised their blasters, ready to fire. Ready to fight, the two Force Users raised their lightsabers. However, something else happened then.
A barrage of blaster fire came from another alley, taking down the unsuspecting Troopers as a group of ten or so men walked out from the shadows. The Force Users stood hesitantly, as the apparent leader looked at them. "Sir, we're from the Ascension. You need to come with us; both of you."
Without any argument, Kylo Ren walked forward. Ash looked at him in disbelief. "Can we trust them?"
She hated that grin of his; that stupid, coy and confident grin that he so often displayed on his face. That grin that he had the upperhand in the situation, that he knew something she didn't. Stars, she hated that. "Come on, Starshine." He nodded to the group.
Of course, he had backup. Of course he did. He had a plan; a plan he didn't include her in. He had knowledge of something, a secret he chose to keep hidden. Even after he had promised her not too long ago to loop her in; they literally got married an hour ago and still he was pulling this kind of act. Ash was once again left in the dark as she begrudgingly joined him and this 'Ascension' group.
"Is everything in place?" Kylo Ren asked the leader.
"They're waiting for you at the desired location. We need to take our ships, yours has been compromised. We've been watching you both for some time now." The leader said.
Ash wasn't having any of this. "Okay, what the hell is going on? Some random group of soldiers falls out of the sky and we are just going to go with them?!"
Kylo looked at her. "Trust-"
"Yeah, yeah." Ash spat as she interrupted him. "Blindly trust you. Like I always do." Ren and the leader exchanged glances as Ash waved them off. "Come on, take us to wherever the hell it is we're going. Don't mind me." She stomped after them, still talking to herself as the group lead them out of the city and towards awaiting ships.
Rey sat by herself outside the Resistance base on Crait; a commlink in her hand as she waited for any sort of contact from Ash. Days had gone by and she hadn't heard a peep from the two Force Users across the stars. Rey was beginning to doubt a lot of things lately; the legitimacy of Kylo Ren, where Ash stood in all this… whoever the hell the Ascension were. She knew she had to keep her faith in Ash; right now, that was easier said than done.
"Hey." An unexpected voice said, pulling her out of her thought as she looked up to see the friendly smile of Poe Dameron as he came closer. "Hear anything yet?" He asked, nodding to the commlink.
Rey looked down at the device in her hand, frowning at it. "Not yet."
Poe nodded, looking back up at the barren and empty planet before him that was covered in salt. The red, velvet mines peeking through random patches. "Mind if I sit?" Rey, at first unsure, hesitated. Then simply nodded as Poe sat down next to the girl. "When Ash first disappeared, everyone thought she went back to the First Order. The timing was almost perfect; she leaves we get attacked. I defended her through that, she was my friend after all. Then, hearing about her and Kylo Ren-"
Rey sighed. "She's not part of the First Order."
"I know that." Poe agreed. "Some part of me deep down knows she's not. She's Ash, she's stuck in the middle of all of this. But-" Poe let out an airy and nervous chuckle. "Can't say I'm not a little miffed with her over this."
Rey smiled in agreeance over that fact. No one really expected that news, well, everyone except Leia. She seemed unphased by it when the room was in an uproar. Either she was being too diplomatic, or she knew. Granted, it was her son involved after all. "Did you and Ash-" Rey tried to phrase it. "Were you two…?"
Poe smirked. "No, she was a friend. A good friend. Someone I was uncertain about in the beginning, but she's grown on me." He explained. "What bothers me is knowing my friend is seeing-" He stumbled. "Or whatever it is she's doing, with the man that tortured and nearly killed me. The things he's done, the things he'll continue to do."
Rey understood, she had the same reservations about Kylo Ren as everyone else. However, Rey had an advantage over everyone else. She was one of the few who saw the way Kylo Ren and Ashlyn Novafall interacted. The way he looked at her; he was almost powerless against her. A dangerous thing for Rey to know. Unlike Kylo Ren, this wasn't something Rey would hold over them. Kylo Ren would run with the chance of having any information he could hold over someone. Rey was not like Kylo Ren, and ultimately, neither was Ash. "We're going to have to work with him." She explained. "Mostly myself and Ash. We have a prophecy to fulfill; it's the only way to take down Snoke. After that-" She thought for a moment. What came after that? "I'm not sure what happens after that."
"Well, apparently the Republic was just as corrupt as the First Order." Poe informed her. "Leia had uncovered that they were buying the same weapons from the same people the First Order were. It's been one corrupt circle, as we've come to find out. So-" He shrugged. "Who knows what happens. There's no government in place. Who takes over after all this?"
"Should anyone?"
Poe shrugged. "Now that's a question for the ages." He then stood, brushing off his flight suit to rid himself of the salt that had managed to taint it. "Alright, she's on Naboo?"
Rey made a face. "What are you doing?"
"If we don't hear from her soon, I'm going to scout it out." Poe gave her a dazzling smile. "Find out if they made it or not."
Poe meant well, and Rey knew that. She smiled back at him as he nodded to her before returning to the base. She looked back down at the commlink in her hand. "Ash…please be okay..." She pleaded quietly to the silent device.
Ash missed the Star Yacht. She missed Rey. She missed the Resistance. She missed… okay she was really annoyed and it made her miss everything that didn't have to do with Kylo Ren even more so. Especially after recent events. She was really getting tired of this; all of this. Once again, she found herself wrapped around his little finger as she blatantly accepted the ignorance and his sweet words. By the stars, she married him. She let the ignorance get so bad that she married him. She defended him to Anakin, defended that there was good in him. And here she was. Standing in the cramped engine room of the ship she was on; with no way of knowing where she was going or where she was headed. But once again, she was in this situation thanks to her new husband, Kylo Ren.
"Starshine, if you don't unlock the door, I will force my way in there." He said from the other side of the door, his tone filled with utter annoyance as Ash stood inside the safety of the engine room, her arms folded across her chest.
"Go to hell, Ren." She called back to him.
He let out an exasperated sigh. "Alright, your call."
Ash panicked as she tried to figure out the best way to keep him out. Then again, no mechanical device was good enough to keep out someone with the Force. Especially him. "If you come in here I'm going to slice your face off with my saber."
The door flew open, revealing a pissed off Kylo Ren. "Then slice my face off." He dared her as he stepped into the small quarters, forcing the door behind him to shut.
Ash glared. "You promised me-"
"I didn't think this was going to come up just ye-"
"No. You promised me." Ash painfully reminded him. "You said there would be no more secrets. You promised me on Maridun; you'd tell me everything. No more leaving me in the dark."
Kylo Ren huffed. "Fine, what do you want to know?"
"All of it!" She yelled. "Everything you casually keep forgetting to tell me! How much of this has been part of the plan and for how long?"
His eyes narrowed. "Since the beginning."
Ash scoffed, her arms flying up in the air in frustration. "So, you've had a secret-" She stumbled over words, unsure what to call it. "Army ready to go?"
"If you let me explain-"
She interrupted him again, something Kylo Ren was getting really annoyed with. "I'm tired of this." She said. "I'm tired of having things explained to me after they happen. I can't defend you to the Resistance when you pull crap like this."
"I don't need nor want you to defend me to them."
"But I have to." Ash explained. "Don't you get it? It's the only way any of this is going to work. You think you can just keep getting away with all of this; having the upper hand and having all these secrets. But you are going to need help. You can't take Snoke out on your own, you know that. I can't help you if you don't include me. Rey certainly won't help us if we keep pulling all this shady crap." She quieted slightly. "I'm your wife now. Whether or not that spontaneity actually means anything to you or not. We just get married and as your wife I deserve to know what the hell my husband is doing."
Ren let out a frustrated sigh as he rubbed his temples. "I'm trying." He snapped. "I'm trying my best, but it's not something I'm used to. I've had to keep a lot of moving parts in a continuous loop without any of those pieces knowing too much. I'm used to doing it that way, and I'm trying not to do that with you. It's not like I've been continuously lying to you."
Ash made a face. "Oh, haven't you?" He frowned. "Like your name being Ben, your Mother being the General of the Resistance-" Kylo Ren rolled his eyes. "You having a secret army in the works, that there's this crazy prophecy going on and I'm directly involved. Nope, you haven't lied once."
"I wasn't lying, I just avoided telling you." Kylo Ren would one day learn how to argue properly with his new wife. Today, was not that day.
"You are single handedly the-"
"Yes, I know. The most impossible person in the galaxy. You've told me numerous times now." He said flatly, only making the red haired girl angrier. "Don't forget that everything I have done, everything I continue to do, is for your benefit."
Ash scoffed. "MY benefit?! Please, tell me how all of this is going to benefit me because right now, it's been nothing but a headache. We're hours into being married and this is how we've spent it."
"You agreed to marry me, Starshine." He reminded her dutifully. Truly, he was really bad at this whole being-a-good-husband thing.
Ash inhaled sharply, her shoulders rising and falling with her breath as she tried to calm down. Suddenly, what Anakin said came back into play. Would she have stayed knowing this was how he was. The Darkness, the lying the deceit. He had a backwards way of thinking when it came to wanting to do the best for Ash. But, that never question remained. Knowing what she did now, would she have done it all over again? Yes. A thousand times yes. In a heartbeat she would. "I did. I agreed to marry you and you agreed to marry me. For better or worse, we're married. And I don't want to spend the rest of our married lives, no matter how short or long that is, at each other's throats. But, you can't keep doing this. You need to keep me in the loop, you need to try harder at including me."
Kylo Ren growled, he was aggravated, he was frustrated; hell, he was feeling just a little bit of everything then as he closed the (not that big) gap between them. His hands planted firmly on either side of her head as he leaned down and kissed her. The kiss was dizzying; Ashlyn couldn't deny him as she felt her knees begin to shake. Stars, they loved each other so deeply and so passionately. It showed, even when they argued. But, Ash was right. He couldn't keep doing this to her. He needed Ash, probably more than she really needed him. In that, he had to keep her happy. He knew he did. When he pulled away, his lips still hovered so closely to hers. His breath tickling her lips as he apologized. "I'll keep trying for you."
Ash couldn't help control the corners of her lips as they tugged upward into a small smile. "You drive me absolutely crazy." She admitted.
He smirked as he reminded her. "I know, but again you chose this life."
"I did." She said. "And I'm going to fight to make this work; will you?"
Ren leaned closer again, placing a lingering kiss on her forehead before mumbling. "I'll never stop fighting for you."
That was the most satisfaction she'd get in that moment. Even though things were oh-so-very-fucked-up. That was just normalcy in their relationship. She was almost certain if things went smoothly, something would be off. "I never got to ask you; although I didn't really have time to. We were getting shot at not much after we got married." She explained. "What does this make me? Ren or Solo?"
He chuckled at her left-field question as he pulled back just enough to look at her again. "Ren."
"But that's not your real name." She frowned.
"I changed it."
"Not legally." Ash teased. "Fine, I'll just keep all the names. Mrs. Ashlyn Novafall-Ren-Solo."
Kylo Ren snorted. "It would be Mrs. Ashlyn Novafall-Solo-Ren. Ren came after."
She sighed thoughtfully. "That's going to get annoying to say after a while."
He knew that while Ash didn't fully forgive him right then and there, she was going to be okay. Especially if she was making jokes. She was right, he needed to include her more and although he was trying, he had a funny way of showing it. Ash just wasn't exactly used to the way he went about things. To him, he was trying. To her, it was absolute chaos. He kissed her again, letting his lips linger on hers for a few more moments before reluctantly pulling away. "Solo." He finally said. "You're technically Ashlyn Solo."
She smiled just a little more then. "Does this mean I get to call you Ben?"
He gave her a pointed look. "Don't push it."
"Yes, husband." Ashlyn replied teasingly. While absolutely frustrated with the man in front of her, she could eventually get used to married life. Especially if their best moments always outweighed the bad. And they would… for now.
After being coaxed out of the small engine room, Ash finally ventured to the bridge of the ship where the leader from their escape had been. He smiled at her warmly, holding his hand out. "We weren't properly introduced. I'm Lieutenant Brass of the recon team for the Ascension."
Ash's smile was sincere but small, she still had her reservations about the whole thing, considering she still knew almost nothing about them until an hour ago. "Ash." She said quickly as she shook the man's hand.
"We've been looking for you and the Commander for a few days now." He explained, looking over at the man in black as he stared at a datapad. Indubitably, the pad held valuable information that Ash was almost certain she'd be left out of.
"Where are we headed?" Ash asked, unable to tell where the heck in hyperspace they were going.
Brass's smile was reassuring, to say the least. "We've stationed ourselves deep outside the Outer Rim territories, it's easy to mask our location from out there. The central hub, along with other reinforcements have gathered there."
Ash didn't look all too please with that answer. "And what, you guys are on which side?"
He gave her knowing look. "Is it always about sides? We're here to help in the removal of current powers and set a new order in place."
She frowned skeptically. "That wouldn't be just replacing the First Order with the same rules and establishment, but with a new name, now would it?"
Brass chuckled. "No, ma'am. But if you'd feel better with a title for our allegiance, we're against the bad guys, so I suppose that makes us the good guys."
"It's not so black and white like that, Lieutenant." Ash retorted. "Everyone has their own agenda and a mixed allegiance."
Brass, at first, was taken back. Then, immediately gave a hearty laugh as he looked over to where Kylo Ren was. "You were right, sir. This one is very spirited."
Ren smirked as he looked up from the datapad. "Told you." He mumbled as he wandered over to Ash and Brass. "How long before we reach the fleet?"
"Not much longer, sir." Brass confirmed, as he smiled once more at Ash. "If you'll both excuse me, I have to prepare for our arrival."
As Brass removed himself from the conversation, Kylo Ren tucked the datapad under his arm as he watched the unimpressed expression appear on Ash's face. "What is it, Starshine?"
"You still haven't told me anything."
"I'm sure Lieutenant Brass filled you in on a few things."
Ash frowned. "Not really."
He leaned over, kissing the top of her head quickly. "Once we arrive, everything will be explained. I promise."
"There you go promising me things again." She said lightly.
His hand found her chin, gently forcing her to look up at him. "I said I was going to try harder, I'm going to."
She smiled. "Okay." There she went again, simply accepting that he was going to make due on his promise. Then again, what other choice had she? She was going to be by his side, for better or worse. She promised that. "I still have to contact Rey."
He rolled his eyes. "After we debrief with the Ascension."
"Promise?"
His smirk was wicked. "I thought you didn't want me to promise you things anymore." Ash was ready to playfully argue with him, but the ship had exited hyperdrive and now she was distracted by the barrage of ships that awaited them outside the window of the bridge.
She stared at it in disbelief at first, nodding slowly. "Right." She said, taking it all in. "Your army." The ship looked so small in comparison as Ash stared at the destroyer along with the rest of the fleet that awaited their arrival.
Final Thoughts: Kylo Ren is kind of a jerk and we're going to find out why... in the next chapter! Dude just got married and he's already screwing things up. Jeez. At some point, Ash is probably not gonna take that crap anymore! Anyway! Remember to review and see y'all next time!