Author's Note: I'm breaking chapters up a bit, I realized this chapter was almost 10,000 words and that's a heck of a lot to read! Also, I want to space it out just a bit.
ALSO. 469 REVIEWS. GUYS. YOU GUYS. YOU GUYS. WHAT IS HAPPENING. I CAN'T I CAN'T I CAN'T. THAT IS LIKE A MILLION MORE REVIEWS THAN I COULD EVER DESERVE AND YOU GUYS ARE JUST WONDERFUL PEOPLE. ALSOTHISSTORYHITOVER100KVIEWERSANDIMDYINGWHATISLIFE?!
That rambling excitement being said...
Reviews:
Bookl0ver1998: The foreshadow is strong with this story… and so are cliffhangers!
LoveFiction2018: :O Indeed!
xxSpades231xx: Exactly! Screw Damar and his need to ruin everything… which is a very, very strong need!
Jibby07: And I'm always excited to give you guys a new chapter! Thanks for reviewing!
LexxLuxor: Damar is back and as evil as ever! Which, we'll soon come to find out… I'm sure. As far as Instagram, I do! You can find me at Kimmyhazard and this goes for everyone, y'all can follow me if you'd like!
BelovedFinch11: Oh no! make sure you get some sleep and don't read until 1am! And you are correct, I love long reviews, it gives me something to read when I'm at work haha. The stones are a mix of both horcrux's and infinity stones. But also, they're real things from the old lore that apparently isn't canon anymore, but I'm bringing it back anyone because why the heck not!
Ariel Wild: I think we can all agree we want Damar to get blasted out of a ship and sent careening so far into the deepest and darkest parts of space where no one will ever find him again.
StarKiller: Surprise Damar attack! Well… no attack… yet… maybe… idk. Spoilers. Oh gosh. And Phasma and Hux are complicated bad guys to say the least. They're not good… but they're not bad either!
AkatsukiShizu3: Everyone really hates Damar haha I really like that that happened! I have some crazy ideas about the Ascension and their allegiance. They're chaotic good, I've determined. But, we'll have to see what that means for them, this story and the future of the Galaxy!
It was happening again, in almost every similar detail except something seemed so unfamiliar about it. She was standing in the Throne Room of the Supremacy once more; another out of body experience as she watched the scene play out. Snoke was dead; his body lying on the floor like a rag doll. This time however was different; she saw herself walking forward to the Throne, and sitting on it was Kylo Ren.
"How could you do this?!" Ash's double yelled, he didn't move. "This isn't how it's supposed to go!" That was when Ash saw Rey's limp body on the ground. They had fought, it was clear with the lightsaber burn through her chest.
"This was always how it was supposed to go, Starshine." Ren replied. "It's you and me now; to change the galaxy how we see fit. Think of the good we can accomplish."
The other Ash shook her head. "I can only think of the bad…"
"Starshine-" He said, Ash felt her stomach clench. She had never expected to ever feel so disgusted hearing that term of endearment.
Ash's lightsaber quickly ignited, she held it tightly in her hands. "I can't let you do this."
Kylo Ren sat up as close to the edge of the throne as possible; his eyes darkening and completely covered black as he glared. "If you're not with me… then you're against me." It was one final warning and Ash knew that. Yet, the other Ash before her stood her ground; clutching the lightsaber as Kylo Ren stood from the throne, his saber unleashing with fury and power as it cackled and hissed. The echo bouncing off the high walls of the throne room as they stared each other down for a moment longer before the fight began.
Back and forth, the lightsabers clashed and groaned as they connected. The amber and red blades intertwining as the Force Users fought against each other; meaning to kill one another. The two Force Users whom had been so very in love not moments before, the same Force Users who would do anything for one another… but not this. Not where this horrific nightmare took Ash as she watched their blades dance in the cold Throne Room where only death lied. The bodies of Rey, Snoke and guards dressed in red scattered around them; soon to add another one to the pile of carnage in his wake.
It came quickly and Ash could feel it resonate through her entire being as she watched Kylo Ren cut down the other Ashlyn. She fell to her knees as Kylo Ren pulled back with his saber; a matching hole in her chest, like Rey's. It was over… he had won. No, not Kylo Ren. In some awful capacity, even though he was gone… Snoke had won.
Ash lifted her head; gasping for air as her lungs begged for some stability that wasn't there as she heaved. She looked around at her surroundings, noticing she had dozed off in the cabin of the Millenium Falcon. Another nightmare, another outcome where only death lied in their wake. Snoke was right; there were so many paths in which this could go wrong and, in each path, they died. The triangle; two always died, leaving one-point left. The Dark, the Light and the Grey; unable to exist cohesively in her nightmares. They were unbalanced. This only showed Ash that everything was a failure on her part. If she couldn't bring them balance; they were destined to die.
Anakin had promised her there was one outcome that he had been hopeful for. Yet, Ash couldn't find a way to it. In a vast ocean of possibilities, only one could give them the sanity and safety they needed. Yet, it seemed impossible.
So, Ash did the only thing she could think of to distract herself… find something to fix. Her obsession took her to the main pulse cannon below the ship, a place where she could hide and be alone for a while. A place to keep her thoughts in check as she messed with the calibration of the laser weapon.
Rey was reluctant to leave Finn behind on Crait, she wanted him with her during all this, yet she knew this was something she had to do alone. Well, something she had to do with Ashlyn and Kylo Ren. Even though she would have loved the comfort of having him around, she couldn't put Finn in that sort of danger. A danger she only had confirmed to her when she felt the agony coming from within the ship. Ash had been dreaming; a nightmare that Rey could feel from every part of her. For the first time since Ash and Kylo Ren stumbled onto Ahch-To, Rey began to doubt the success of this mission.
She sat in the main common area of the Falcon, cleaning the blaster than Han Solo had given her; an action that felt like it had happened so very long ago. It might as well had been, so much had gone on between that moment and now. So much had changed, and a lot was weighing down on not just her, but the other Force Users as well.
As if on cue, Kylo Ren stomped into the common area, not noticing Rey at first. He was tense; although Rey wasn't certain if he could be anything but tense. He never seemed relaxed, just always alert.
It took a moment for Ren to realize he wasn't alone, his shoulders dropping as he ran his hand through his dark locks. His hair falling perfectly in place again as he turned on his heels to face the scavenger where she sat in the corner. "You felt it too?" Rey made a face, unsure what he had meant at first. "Her dream." He clarified irritably. Rey admitted to nothing, though she didn't have to. Her eyes gave her away. Kylo Ren stalked over to her, standing at the chair across from where she sat and looked at it. Rey nodded only once, giving him permission to sit; he took the opportunity and did so.
Kylo Ren was an opportunist. He took whatever shot he could at getting the upper hand, even if it meant dealing with someone he particularly did not care for. Rey was someone he absolutely despised with the utmost contempt. However, he needed her to cooperate. "How long has she been seeing…" Rey paused, unable to find the proper word for it. "That?"
"Long enough." He mumbled. "It's not set in stone, what she sees is only a glimpse into the 'what if'. Can't say it doesn't bring morale down, though." He joked dryly. Rey didn't laugh.
"So, she constantly sees us failing?"
Ren's lips pursed as he stared at Rey, trying to see through her as best he could without giving himself away too much. "So far, yes."
Rey nodded, looking down at her blaster on the table. The reminder of what she had lost radiated from it, yet, there was also the feeling of what she had gained, too. "In her dream-" She began, her eyes still scanning over the small blaster. Not knowing what she would do with it if the circumstance ever came up where she'd need to use it. Especially on him. The divisive thought in her mind over what could happen if she did end this now; ridding the galaxy of Kylo Ren. Would things be easier or far worse? There was also the prophecy to think about and, of course, Ashlyn. "You tried to take the Throne." She looked back up at Kylo Ren, an intensity in her stare as she spoke accusingly. "Is that your plan?"
Kylo Ren frowned. "Not with such extremity." His stated flatly as he sat back in the chair. Now, Rey wished he had still been tense. Something in the way he sat; the relaxation in his figure, it worried her. And it should have. However, unlike Ash who knew Kylo Ren just enough to catch these things, Rey did not see what was coming for her. "I'm going to let you in on a secret, scavenger." She frowned at his name for her. "While I do plan to take Snoke's place, it's not meant to be anywhere close to the same manner as what he's done to the Galaxy. Unlike him, I plan to work with an ordered government to help shift the galaxy to its next stage in politics. A better means to create a just and orderly system. General Organa will help me do so in order to prevent any sort of power going to my head."
The last part was meant to ease Rey's very blatant concern. It didn't. He knew that too. "You're going to take over the galaxy?"
He rolled his eyes. "No, are you even listening?" He retorted. "I'm going to lead it to a new age in government rulings. There won't be one person in play to decide the fate, but many. However, I want control in resetting what has been placed before us. Considering, all previous efforts have been all but failures."
"And where did this passion for politics come to play?"
"When I consistently watched the failures of the governing powers. Now, i know you lived on the outskirts of the governing body jurisdiction, however, you know better than anyone else the state of planets that suffered from that neglect. The war profiteering; syphoning parts from ships to sell to the highest bidder for more weaponry." He leaned forward again, his arms were resting on the table. "Personally, I'm tired of corruption. Aren't you?"
He had a point. Rey did see the terrible side of the galaxy and what it had done. The lack of governing powers; the consistent neglect on planets like Jakku. It was left in chaos, and it was done so to benefit those who could profit from it. However, this revelation only left one other question. A question she needed answered, she needed to know where this plan lead to and who she could trust within it. "Does Ash know?" The need for a certainty that what he was telling her was in good faith and not for ill. However, his expression told her otherwise, at least when it concerned Ash. "She doesn't even know?" She asked incredulously.
"Here's the part where I need you to not think of Ash as your friend, but as the prophecy as a whole." Ren began, drawing an invisible triangle on the table with his finger. "You are strong with the Light; stronger than I could ever wish to be. You have the Force within you that made you this way. You know it; you feel it. It's ever-flowing within you. You are Light incarnate." His finger trailed to the other point he had made on the triangle. "I'm powerful within the Dark." He explained. "Stronger than you'll ever know and I'm Darkness incarnate." He repeated as he went to the last point. "We will never be as strong as each other. You will always be stronger with the attributes of the Light and I will be in the Darkness. It's how things work." He smirked slightly, his finger tracing lazily and yet, somewhat fondly over the last point. "And then, there's our precious Grey User." He looked at Rey now. "Ash is something a hell-of-a-lot more powerful than we could ever fathom. And luckily for us, she doesn't realize it."
Rey stared at the invisible point, her frown returning as she looked at Ren now. "How do you mean?"
"She has the ability to completely destroy this mission or have us succeed. She's the balance between Light and Dark. We cannot possibly work together in any capacity without her. It's not possible. This is how things have been and will continue to be even after we're gone. There will always be Light, Dark and the Grey to keep us all together. While, the Grey is usually never needed until things get bad; it's the glue that holds the Force together."
Rey licked her licks; nervous at what Kylo Ren could be getting at. "This doesn't explain why you haven't told her."
"I'm getting there, scavenger." He spat. "Ash also has the biggest weakness of the three of us. With great power comes a great consequence. She, unlike the two of us, can be so easily swayed out of the Grey balance. If she is swayed, even in the tiniest of ways, to one side, we will fail. We cannot do this without her, she cannot use the stone made for the Grey user, and all of this will be for nothing."
Rey suddenly caught on. "You're afraid if you tell her-"
Kylo Ren interrupted her. "She'll be swayed from the Grey. If she knows the full plan, this could all backfire. Which is why I have not told her anything more than what she needs to know and will continue to keep it a secret until after our fight with Snoke."
Rey shook her head; she was angry now. She was angry for a multitude of reason, but one thing in particular stood out. How dare he give her this responsibility of knowing this plan? She now had something to hide from Ashlyn, something she never wanted to do. "Now you expect me to keep this quiet; to keep your little charade up and hide it from her?"
"Only until this is over." Ren reminded her. "Once it's over, you can all be mad at me." He said sarcastically. "You know I'm right; I know you feel it. If we lose Ash to either side, we lose everything. What's worse? A secret that will eventually come to light, or losing everything to Snoke and the darkest depths of the galaxy?" He had her. He knew he did. The Light Users were always so predictable in their ways; always wanting to do things for the greater good and never taking the risk of anything but that. She didn't have to agree with him, but he knew she wouldn't say anything.
"If this turns out to be false." Rey began; her tone low. "If you end up being just like him… I won't hesitate to kill you."
Ren smirked, removing himself from the table as he looked down at the scavenger. "You and everyone else." Without another word, Kylo Ren left Rey to sit and let it all sink in. The weight of the responsibility in keeping a secret from Ash. It was a lot. A burden she now had to endure along with Kylo Ren and anyone else that knew.
Kylo Ren had been right about one thing, his Mother was a helluva negotiator. It was actually rather stimulating for Armitage Hux, finally, he was speaking to someone who was more of an equal on every level. Instead of the typical drabble that he normally dealt with. However, he was now exhausted from the whole ordeal. Leia Organa left no stone unturned; she was prepared for any and every question and asked a million of her own. She was dedicated in the safety of her people as well as the integrity of the Galaxy. It was admirable, to say the least.
Hux wandered to his quarters on the destroyer, half-expecting the blond-haired woman lounging on his couch as he walked in. "Phasma, dear. If we're going to be keeping up appearances, you'll eventually have to return to your own quarters." He was smirking; so was she.
"I've been in and out of there all day, Armitage." Only Phasma got away with calling him by his first name. "However, I'm here out of curiosity." She explained as Hux wandered to the couch and plopped down next to her. "How did the meeting go?"
Hux let out an airy chuckle at his companion's eagerness for information. "We have come to the agreement of working together. Our terms have been set and we will need to move closer to Crait. However, we are not to get too close, but in range should there be an attack."
"And will they assist in the overall uprising?" Phasma asked, receiving silence at first from Hux as he pursed his lips. "Are they not with us for changing governments?"
"As far as I know, Ren has only begun to discuss this with General Organa." Hux explained casually. "A much more lengthier discussion is in the future. However, from my understanding, that's something neither one of them wish to get into full detail over until the task has been completed. "
"And what of Ren and Ashlyn?" Phasma asked.
"They're on their way to Cularin with the scavenger girl. The first stone should hopefully be theirs soon. Once they complete that task they will need to find the remaining two stones." He changed the matter to a completely different one then. "I was informed our friends are on the move?"
Phasma frowned. "Scouts have come back with information that Damar is up to something. What that is, I'm unsure of just yet. However, they are preparing for something."
"Keep an eye on them. I want full surveillance on their every move." Hux commanded. "Do you think they know about Cularin?"
Phasma shook her head. "Our sources pinned them moving somewhere else. From what I believe, they have no knowledge of where our Force Users are going."
Hux nodded. "Have someone follow Ren, as well." He decided. "It's better to keep tabs on him."
Phasma smirked, silently agreeing with that sentiment. Without someone monitoring the ever-impulsive Leader, a whole mess of things could happen. At least, they were both aware of that little fact.
There was nothing better than sitting in a glass dome, surrounded by space. At least, not in that moment, according to Ashlyn. She sat in the main cannon hull, staring outward at the millions of stars surrounding the Falcon. She'd have to remember this spot for the next time things were awful. Assumingly, they'd continue to do so all things considered.
"Starshine?" He called to her from the top of the ladder. Ash looked upward, seeing his amused expression as he stared back. "What are you doing?"
Ash shrugged. "Oh, you know. Fixing stuff." She was only half-lying. She really did work on the weapon in front of her. Even if for only a little while.
He knew better; of course, he did. That was his wife, he knew her better than she realized. She was hiding away after her nightmare. She was also hiding away from confronting him over what she saw. Sometimes, it was better to avoid it and keep the peace that way. Her admired her for her constant struggle in trying to protect ever. Though, he knew it was a foolish effort. Valiant, but foolish. "Well, you're done fixing stuff." He teased. "Come up here, we're almost at Cularin." With a sigh, Ash pulled herself from the chair and began to ascend the ladder up to the main area of the Falcon. Once she reached the top, he was standing there waiting for her.
Ash looked up at him, the two locking eyes for a moment before she knowingly grinned. "I think you really want me up here so you can make fun of the stupid face I make when I see a new planet for the first time."
He smirked, leaning down to kiss her forehead lovingly. "Actually, we have a few things to go over with the scavenger about our mission." He explained as he pulled back from her; shrugging slightly. "And maybe I like seeing your 'stupid face' when you see a new planet."
She playfully swatted at his arm, he backed away just enough where she missed him. Grinning wickedly, he backed away again as she tried to hit him again. He turned on his heels and made quick strides back down the hallway as Ash ran after him. She caught up to him, walking next to him as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her tightly to his side as they walked to the common area. "You're the absolute worst." She didn't mean it.
"I know." Ren's tone light as they walked. "But you married me." He reminded her dutifully.
She blushed ever-so-slightly. An idea the two were still not used to and secretly still giddy about on the inside. "I did." Her grin turning a little more mischievous as she retorted. "Still not sure if it was my best idea." Ren wrapped his arm around her head, pulling it to his chest as he kissed the top of her head multiple times. Her laughs muffled as her head rested in his chest. She pulled away; still laughing. "I'm kidding!"
He only smiled in reply as they kept walk. Something in his smile, however, was intoxicating to Ashlyn. It was a smile of content, a smile of a happiness that she didn't see so much with him. Except maybe a few times, like when they got married. It was a smile that reminded her of the person that was hiding deep down inside the typically angry man she married. A part of him that was dormant and yet, so very present when the two were together. A happiness she only wished she could give him for the rest of his days.
The two entered the common area where Rey had been; Ren was almost shocked that she hadn't moved after their little discussion. She offered a half-smile towards Ashlyn as the red-haired girl walked over to where Rey had been sitting and scooted down next to her. She placed her head on her shoulder in an attempt to make her smile just a little bit more. She reluctantly did as she rested her head against Ash's.
That twinge of jealousy returned to Kylo Ren as he watched their display of friendly affection. A bond created in friendship, understanding and companionship. Even though he had something much more with Ashlyn, he couldn't help but hate whenever someone else got close to his girl. It was safe to say that Kylo Ren was quite the possessive son-of-a-bitch. "We have to go over the plan once we arrive." Ren said, sitting down across from them as the two girls sat up straight again, patiently (sort-of) awaiting the details on their mission. "While it's unclear where the stone is located; The legend states it was hidden beneath a tree."
"And if it's not?" Rey asked.
"Yeah, what if it's in plain sight, like in a village or on display in the local museum?" Ash added, noticing Rey began to grin at her sarcastic suggestion.
Kylo Ren rolled his eyes. "It's not. It's under the Ch'hala tree. A sacred tree to the Tarasin's"
Rey made a face. "A sacred tree?"
Ash's eyes went wide when she caught on. "We are destroying a sacred tree?!"
"Will you two relax?" He hissed. "We are going to try and dig around it if we can."
"We're still disturbing a sacred tree." Rey concluded. "That's not going to bode well for us."
Ren was clearly not having their righteous and good-natured attitudes today. "We're not here to make friends with them. We need the stone that just so happens to be buried under their sacred tree. Would you rather us not save the galaxy? Surely, Snoke will understand if we can't beat him because of a tree."
Rey was glaring back at him. "You don't need to be a jerk about it. We have to respect the natives of the planet."
"It's a stupid tree!" Ren spat.
"Okay!" Ash interjected with a flail; she was practically yelling over the other two Force Users to get their undivided attention. "We don't really have a choice here, we're going to have to overstep some boundaries." Ash said to Rey, as Kylo Ren smirked thinking he had won. She looked back at him; he realized then she wasn't exactly agreeing with him either. "But we also have to do this as respectfully as possible. If we don't have to rip up the tree, we don't rip up the tree. Got it?" She'd be damned if she let this mission fall apart even before they got there.
Ren inhaled sharply, taking the moment to regain some composure even though he really wished he could just kill the stupid scavenger and be done with it. Damn his red-haired wife and her ridiculous need to be a neutral party. If she wasn't trying to balance the entirety of the Light and Dark sides, he would sway her to his side and not need to convince her too much over killing Rey. That was, unfortunately, not the case. "I will do my best to not destroy the tree."
"Thank you." Ash smiled triumphantly as she looked back at Rey, hoping she was satisfied with that compromise. She wasn't, but she somewhat was appreciative of the effort made by Ashlyn.
A loud, Wookie roar distracted the trio as they felt the ship exit hyperspace. Kylo Ren quickly stood. He knew he'd have to talk to Chewbacca and work with him now on where to land. Regardless how he felt about the beast. "We should be here." He looked at Ash, not saying anything verbally, but she got a sense at what he meant.
With a smile, she stood up too. "Where are you two going?" Rey asked, wondering if she should follow as Kylo Ren left the common area.
"Apparently I make stupid faces when I see planets and Kylo Ren really likes making fun of me for it." In so many words, this was accurate. Rey was still just as confused as before as Ash laughed, grabbing at her wrist gently and pulling her towards the cockpit. "C'mon, I'm sure as a native to Jakku, you probably don't see many planets either."
"Just a lot of sand." Rey quipped as the two girls walked towards the cockpit.
"Trust me, snow is no better." Ash said with some distaste. Although StarKiller had its wonderful moments all things considered. It lead her to Kylo Ren. Yet, she still had quite the hatred for the snow aspect of it.
"I've never seen snow." Rey admitted sheepishly.
"You're not missing out." Ash beamed as the girls entered the cockpit.
Kylo Ren forgot that the scavenger was also limited in her knowledge of planets. It was strange to him, having been to so many places that Ash and Rey could be missing so much. How different their lives were, Kylo Ren was practically royalty and here they were… two orphans with nothing to go on and yet they stood there appreciating everything they had. However, now he had two people to mock as they stared with their jaws slack at the beautiful, green planet in front of them.
"Places like this exist…" Rey commented in passing as disbelief washed over her.
Ash smiled, still staring in awe. "Yeah, they do." Her smile turned somewhat sad then, as she thought about the book on planets. "We had a book on planets." She informed Rey. "I wish we didn't lose it, but, it had everything you needed to know about basically every planet. From it's fauna, to its landscapes. It was so cool."
Kylo Ren sat in the co-pilot seat with a smug smile on his face. He was the cause for Ashlyn's happiness in that moment, even if it was over a book. Something so simple yet had so much meaning to her.
Chewbacca flew the Falcon closer to the planet of Cularin and (although begrudgingly) followed Kylo Ren's instructions on where to land. The Falcon landed in the middle of the jungle, covered by the trees to prevent detection from any wandering ships that could fly by. This was it, the first stop on their mission to defeat Snoke. While the trio didn't say anything about it as they stared at the mysterious and foggy jungle before them… they could feel what everyone was thinking in that moment. How the hell were they going to pull this off?
Final Thought: I know... we all want Kylo Ren to do the right thing... but he's got a nasty habit of doing that whole "I need the upper hand in every situation" thing. Also... These dreams that Ash is having... Wonder how that's gonna affect the entire plot... HMMMM. Remember to review and see y'all next time!