Author Notes and blah blah blah: So, it looks like we have a mix of some people getting the email and some not getting the email. So, here's what I plan to do; if you prefer tumblr or twitter, let me know in your review, I'm going to post when the story updates on there and those who follow will know exactly when stuff happens. That way no one misses a chapter!
Also. Hi everyone!
Also, also. I'm going in for a small procedure today, shouldn't mess up my posting schedule this week. if anything, the time home will give me more time to post! Hooray! I'm just nervous about it all, but I'll be okay!
And the final also: I'm really enjoying what I'm doing to Kylo Ren in this story... more on that in another chapter... I'm sure.
Damar stood in the entrance of the maintenance hangar, staring up at the quiet sky as Troopers moved all around him, collecting items and preparing for any potential arrival of the Force Users. It had been quiet for a few days now, no one dared try to fight back on the planet Lothal; the maintenance section had become an occupied First Order sector.
Perhaps Damar underestimated Ashlyn and her sentiment. Maybe she wasn't as weak as he had thought her to be. A scout walked up to Damar, saluting him. "Sir, we have sighting of an unknown ship flying into this sector."
Damar's lips curled upward into a cruel smirk, knowing he had assumed correctly as he looked at the Trooper. "Get ready for their arrival. I'll prepare our guest of honor." He turned quickly on his heels and walked back into the hangar. Damar was going to end this now.
Kylo Ren sat in the co-pilot seat of the Falcon, alongside Chewie (who refused to give up piloting rights to Kylo Ren). Behind them, Ash stood, clutching onto their chairs a little too tightly as she tried to ignore the pain in her ribs. The planet Lothal was inching closer and closer. Although, Kylo Ren had a bad feeling about what they were going to find on Lothal, he was just as impulsive as the woman standing behind him. He wouldn't deny her the opportunity to save those she cared for, or rather, got revenge on those who took them away. However, Kylo Ren knew he needed to be careful, provoking too much of a dark side within Ashlyn could shake things out of balance. It was a double-edged sword; to deny Ash the option of fighting could also sway her. At least, if she felt as though she did enough, perhaps that could keep her steady. Kylo Ren could only hope this were the case.
"We need to be ready for evasive action once we get closer." Ren informed them, looking at the radar on the console. "We have TIE Fighters, they're aligning on the outer sector of the planet, reading to swoop in when we do." He knew this tactic, he was a First Order Commander, after all. "Once we do, they're going to form a 'V' targeting formation and position themselves to swarm behind us. They're going to try and lock-on, but TIE Fighters can't lock on if we're in a spinning motion."
The Wookie roared in understanding; while he was getting too old for this crap, he couldn't deny the adrenaline from one of these air raids. He'd been in a few too many at this point.
Kylo Ren kept his focus at the airspace in front of them, his eyes scanning for any intruding TIE Fighters. "Is Rey set?"
Ash nodded, turning towards the ladder that lead down to the blasters. "Rey! We're heading in, get ready!"
"Ready!" Rey called back up.
"Starshine, get to the ramp and hold on. I'll be with you shortly." Ren instructed her. Ash did what she was told and made her way to the exit ramp. She held onto the nearby rail by the ramp release, clinging onto her lightsaber in the other hand as the ship began its final descent onto Lothal.
Like Kylo Ren predicted, the moment they broke into the atmosphere and dove down to the where the maintenance shop was, TIE Fighters burst into the sky and began to follow them. Chewbacca twisted and turned the ship in the sky, dodging and breaking from any target locks from TIE missiles. Rey fired from below, hitting any Fighters in range with ease.
Kylo Ren took his cue from the Wookie as he began to circle back towards the ground and made his way to where the red-haired girl was at the exit ramp. Ash opened the hatch, the ramp dropping slowly as the ground became closer and closer within reach. Kylo Ren joined her, standing next to her as they stared out of the Falcon. 'You sure about this?'
'Positive.' She mentally said and the two lightsabers went off as their window of opportunity came. The Dark and Grey User jumping out of the Falcon and landing on the ground with a thud. Ash yelped loudly, falling to her knees from the pain she couldn't be bothered with and forced herself to her feet. Adrenaline kicking in as the two marched forward to greet the incoming Troopers on foot.
"Take us back around, Chewie!" Rey shouted from the gunner seat. The Wookie bellowed from up top and flipped the ship round to bring the TIE Fighters away from the ground fight and giving Rey access to the ground Troopers as she fired down on them. Rey carefully aimed and fired, forcing the Troopers to separate and disband to get out of the way of the fight. That gave Ash and Kylo Ren their opportunity to race forward, the two running side by side as they greeted the Troopers on the battlefront.
Slashing and stabbing, the two fought side by side, destroying anything in their wake. A surge of power pulsating through Kylo Ren as he channeled his newly acquired energy stone. Ash was running on pure adrenaline as she kicked back a Trooper and ran her blade through his chest.
She had never used her lightsaber like this; not to this extent of a battle. She was rusty, she knew that. Unlike Kylo Ren who could expertly deliver devastating blows, hers were more of a guerrilla style. Hit as hard and as fast as possible and move to the next enemy all the while keeping tabs on the Force User next to her. Whenever he needed coverage, she gave it to him and protected him as much as possible. A move that didn't go unnoticed by the man in black as they continued to fight their way into the hangar.
Breaking into the skyline, a fleet of ships that Chewbacca and Rey didn't recognize at first and almost shot at until they were joined by X-Wings. Rey smiled with hope as she cheered at the arrival of their help, the sky was now littered with backup. A transport unit landing on the ground once the sky was clear enough; Ascension Troops racing out and being led by the woman in the chrome armor.
Ash jabbed her lightsaber into the helmet of an attacking Trooper that got too close as Kylo Ren swung behind her, taking out a Trooper that planned to flank her. As he did, he saw the action beginning to unfold behind them as Troopers began to focus on the new faces on the battleground. "The calvary is here." He informed Ash, whom paused for only a moment to see the fray behind them.
"Phasma." Ash said with a relieved smile.
"Looks like they got Rey's message." Ren contributed, nodding to the hangar. "Come on."
The hangar was silent; nothing moved or made a noise except for the two Force Users as they walked further into the hangar. A place that was once full of life was littered with decaying bodies. A chill ran up Ashlyn's spine as she looked around for any sign of life, any survivors at all. Nothing. There was nothing. Everyone had been slaughtered.
"Oh good, you made it." Damar walked out from around the corner along with a dozen Troopers and Laynor. Laynor was held at blaster point.
"No-" Laynor gasped when he saw her. "I told you not to come back!"
"Let him go!" Ash yelled as angry, hot tears pooled in her eyes.
"I was informed by the Supreme Leader that there's something special about you, Ashlyn." Damar began to explain, his blaster in his hand. "You create balance with your new Force wielding friends. While I won't pretend to understand what any of that means, I do understand what your weakness is. Your attachment to those you love-" He glared at Kylo Ren. "Including the First Order lap dog." Kylo Ren's grip on his lightsaber tightened. "And in that attachment is what makes you who you are. Disrupt that? You create absolute chaos. And me?" He grinned. "I am an agent of chaos." With that, he raised his blaster and shot Laynor in the back of the head; point blank. "The Supreme Leader looks forward to your turn to the dark side, Ashlyn. As do I." With a smug grin, Damar made his exit; the remaining Troopers readied their blasters.
Ashlyn was numbed by what transpired before her. She could feel nothing; the pain was building as another loved one was killed right before her. Another person The Force inside trying to battle against the threatening darkness as it pushed it way forward.
As Ashlyn took a step forward, ready to destroy anything and everything in her path. Kylo Ren pulled her back, stepping in front of her. "You're not the darkness they should worry about." Something in his tone different as he began to walk towards the Troopers.
Naturally, the Troopers fired to stop Kylo Ren. Ashlyn saw a different man in that moment, a man that was no her husband as the blaster shots froze midair. Kylo Ren continued walking forward, each blaster shot going off in a different direction than intended as he mentally moved them.
Ash found herself dodging rogue blaster shots as she moved out of the way and ducked behind a nearby transport. As she did, she could hear the screams coming from the Troopers as the corrupted blade whizzed and hissed; crackling and whirling through Trooper armor. Ash closed her eyes tightly, hearing the chaos and carnage that Kylo Ren was leaving in his wake. Her heart had leapt to her throat; her pulse thudding extremely hard as she covered her ears to try and rid the sound of what was happening around her.
The worst noise came soon after; silence. Silence filled the hangar as Ash opened her eyes. Her breathing labored, she came out of hiding and saw the ripped apart Troopers. Kylo Ren standing triumphantly among them; his shoulders rising and falling rapidly as he continued to clutch his lightsaber as tightly as possible.
Ashlyn's lips quivered as she stared in disbelief at the destruction he left. The heaviness of the situation coming down on her, the loss; the pain, the agony. All of it washing over her at once as she called out to him. "Ben…?"
Sharply, Kylo Ren turned. Ash saw it. Although it came quickly, she saw the black eyes that took over his normal golden orbs. The sheer, pitch black that covered them, and were gone in a mere second as he regained his composure. He was in-tune again with Ashlyn; feeling the conflicting and agonizing pain within her. With heavy and quick strides, he rushed over to her, pulling her to his chest as she broke down into a sob. Ashlyn Solo lost it.
"Found them!" A man called out as he peered into the hangar. Kylo Ren looked up to see Lieutenant Brass as he entered the hangar, followed by Captain Phasma.
Phasma saw the scene playing out in front of her, the sobbing Ashlyn, the angry and yet concerned Kylo Ren. She looked back at Brass. "You can inform the General we have him. We'll enter the transport unit momentarily. No one else enters except for them."
"Yes, ma'am." Brass saluted, leaving the hangar quickly.
"Ren." Phasma said softly, he only nodded as Phasma left the hangar.
With a mighty swoop, Kylo Ren picked up his sobbing wife and cradled her in his arms. He knew she was going to be ridiculously sore once the adrenaline wore off. That didn't matter. He needed to get her away from all of this, and so he carried her to the Falcon to stay with Rey while he went to the Ascension transport unit.
The troops belonging to both the Ascension and Resistance made camp on the field of Lothal, just outside the industrial sector. This was the first time either side was meeting face to face. Commander Poe Dameron had his reservations, but made a point to meet with Lieutenant Brass as well as other officials. He also really did not care for the suggestion of having General Leia enter the Ascension ship and forced his way onto the transport unit.
Poe walked into the main area of the larger transport unit where he was now faced to face with General Hux and Captain Phasma. However, none of that bothered him, not as much as the defeated Kylo Ren's as he sat at the table. His head in his hands as he sat there silently. The only people allowed in this room were Hux, Phasma, Leia and of course Poe and Kylo Ren.
"What happened?" Leia asked, her voice firm but also worried about the condition her son was is.
"We left them alone for five minutes and they started a war." Hux quipped.
"There was already a war, General." Phasma chastised. "They just won a necessary battle."
Poe looked at the defeated man at the table again, for the first time, he felt bad for Kylo Ren. "Did they though?"
Kylo Ren was tired of letting people speak for him then as he sat up, looking at the group around him. "They went after Ashlyn; they're trying to provoke her and push her to the dark side. If she succumbs to it, this whole operation fails." He explained. "Snoke knows what we're trying to do and he's attempting everything in his power to stop it."
"How do we keep that from happening?" Poe asked, concerned for the well-being of his friend as Kylo Ren glared at Poe. It was a habit at this point. "How do we keep Ash from going to the dark side?"
"Leave that to me." Ren replied darkly.
Leia sensed her son wanted to drop that conversation quickly; it was bringing something out of him that even she couldn't grasp. It was a conversation they'd need to have, but not a conversation they should have right now. "The First Order now knows we're working together." Leia shifted the topic to a more tactical one. "What is our next move?"
"We still need two more stones." Ren informed them.
"You found the one on Cularin?" Leia asked, only for confirmation purposes. She knew the answer to that.
"I have." Kylo Ren carefully established. Even now he still found a need to keep his cards close to his chest. "Did Skywalker reveal the second location?"
Leia pursed her lips, giving away that she had information that she too was not ready to give just yet. "We will discuss that matter later."
Hux had had enough of the tortured look on Kylo Ren's face; he was feeling weighed down. Something had happened between the time he left for Crait to now. Something that Hux was almost certain he could never understand. "Go to her." He instructed. "We will take the war tactics from here. General Organa will meet you later to discuss the stones." He looked at Leia for confirmation. She merely nodded.
Kylo Ren didn't need to be told twice. He didn't want to be there in that meeting. He wanted to be with Ashlyn. He also wanted to hide from Ashlyn all the same. She saw him; she saw what the stone did to him. The power that sparked within him. The untamable, raw power. Stars knew he wanted to run and avoid that conversation. Yet, there was still that part of him, the part that loved the girl so deeply, that wanted nothing more than to comfort her in her time of need. The stone may have been snuffing out the last remaining parts of his sanity, but he'd be damned if it ever took away the one thing he loved and desperately clung to.
Chewbacca and Rey sat in the cabin hull of the Falcon, where roughly four twin beds attached to the wall, resided for crew members. The room was dimly lit, the lull of the ship's engine rumbling beneath them as the two sat by the twin bed where Ash had curled up on. Her side was in pain from the Rancor attack, but that didn't matter to her then. The weight of everything else began to crash down on her. The ghosts of her past bringing her down with them. Laynor, Sid, her parents… her brother. The loss of her maintenance team both from Lothal and StarKiller. It was as though grief was all Ashlyn knew anymore. The feeling of loss from a loved one. She was sick and tired of it. Mentally she was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to give up.
But Ashlyn Solo was a protector, meant to help those around her and keep them safe. Right now, she was doing a really shitty job at it. At least, that's how it felt.
The Wookie bellowed quietly; Rey gently touched his arm. "She'll be okay." Would she? It didn't feel like it. Heavy steps entered the cabin area; the room shifting to a darker tone as Kylo Ren looked at the scene before him. Rey looked up at the towering Wookie. "Let's give them a moment." She offered, the two beginning to leave.
"Rey-" Ren called after her, stopping her before she could leave. She stared at him for a long while, understanding exactly what he was trying to say but couldn't. Instead, she didn't make him and gave him a weak smile; nodding to tell him she understood before leaving the room with Chewbacca.
Kylo Ren looked back at his silent and unmoving wife for the briefest of moments before climbing into the small space next to her and wrapping his arm around her. He felt everything she was feeling; it weighed him down just as much as it did to her. Their bond did that; they felt everything. From happiness to sorrow; anger and joy. They shared it all. At times, it was exhausting. Yet, neither one would change it for the world. They knew that.
"I can't save them all." She finally said; her voice cracking from having cried so hard. "You told me that once."
He exhaled sharply through his nostrils. "And you stubbornly replied that you'd try anyway." He reminded her, unable to hide the small grin on his face as he remembered that moment. It was the same night they shared their first kiss. A night that sent them on this journey, a night that bonded them for eternity. "You're going to lose people, Starshine. But that can't stop you from fighting."
"Maybe the Force made a mistake. Maybe I'm not supposed to be a Grey User or destined to protect everyone." She was losing faith.
Kylo Ren propped himself up on his arm as he gently pulled Ashlyn, forcing her to look at him. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying; she looked defeated. "The Force doesn't make mistakes and you are far from one. You're still finding your place in all this. Being Grey isn't easy; being Light and Dark? That's nothing compared to what you have to offer. You're complicated in all the right ways and you are destined for greatness. I know it."
"And if I can't? If Snoke wins and I can't do what I need to do?"
"You will." He said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "You're stronger than Snoke. If you weren't, he wouldn't be scrambling so hard to try and stop you."
There was more to her troubles than just those she lost today. He knew it too; whenever Ash bit the side of her lip nervously, it always meant she had something else to say. "What happened in the hangar?"
He frowned slightly. "I told you the darkness would be out of control for a while."
He did tell her that. "I know, but are you okay?"
Kylo Ren snorted in disbelief. "You're the one who fought a battle today with a bruised rib cage, lost a loved one and your being target specifically by the First Order… and you're asking me if I'm okay?" When he put it that way, it did sound utterly ridiculous as Ash let out a reluctant laugh. "I think you'll be more than fine at protecting those you love, Starshine. It's not just about saving them in battle. You protect them in other ways too."
Ash winced slightly as she shifted to get closer to Kylo Ren and wrapped her arms around his neck. He leaned down to make it easier for her, allowing her to move a little less as their lips softly brushed together. That electrifying feeling when they connected still ever so persistent as it radiated through both their bodies.
Their kiss began to grow heated as his hands began to wander lower and lower. Accidentally, he gripped a little too lightly, causing her to wince at the contact and hiss. He pulled back, sighed apologetically. "We can't do this, you need to rest."
"I can rest when I'm dead." She mumbled, pulling him back down to her and kissing him. "Please." She pleaded; her voice small. She wanted comfort, she needed comfort. She needed to just forget about it all for a while, this was the only solution she could think of. "Everything else is falling apart and you're my only constant through all this. I just need you…"
Reluctantly, he pulled back once more. "And if they come looking for us?"
"Then you better make it quick." She smirked mischievously. Kylo Ren chuckled, shifting his body enough to see the door as he outstretched his arm. After a few beats, the sound of the door locking could be heard.
He returned his full attention back to Ashlyn, his grin matching hers as he leaned down. "Well, if my wife needs me…"
She did. She really, really did.
Rey sat in the common area trying her best to ignore the blatantly obvious shift in the tone of the ship. Sure, she was ever grateful for Kylo Ren being able to comfort Ashlyn. She just wished it didn't have to be that kind of comfort considering their current objectives. The Ascension and Resistance were here, meeting under one umbrella to discuss their next course of action. They also had the stones to be concerned about still. There were still two more out there in the galaxy somewhere.
Matters only grew worse when the charming Poe Dameron came on board to see Rey and ultimately check on Ash. Rey smiled brightly at the pilot as she stood from her seat to greet him; the two embracing. "Glad to see you're okay." Poe said. "Finn will be happy to know you are."
The two pulled away from each other as Rey blushed ever so slightly. "He didn't come?"
"He stayed behind to keep an eye on things, as well as keep an eye on Luke Skywalker." Poe explained. "Who, by the way, is an interesting guy."
Rey laughed. "How do you mean?"
"Apparently he went into the mines and was talking to himself." Rey looked at him with an odd confusion, yet still smiling at the bizarre concept. "It was weird, I know. But a few people reported seeing it happen."
"Master Skywalker does have some odd quirks about him." Rey agreed.
Poe nodded, scratching the back of his head before asking. "How is she?"
Rey hesitated as she grimaced. "She's doing better now." She replied hesitantly.
Poe was confused. "That's a good thing, right?" With that, the door to the common area opened revealing Kylo Ren and Ashlyn. The smug grin on Ren's face was enough to give away exactly what Rey meant. "Oh, I see…" He muttered quietly.
Ash noticed the pilot, relieved to see him as she walked over to him. "I didn't know you guys were here too."
"We couldn't let the Ascension have all the fun helping you." Poe replied, grinning as he went to hug the girl only to stop as he looked behind her at Kylo Ren, who merely rolled his eyes and waved him off that he was good. Poe took the opportunity and hugged her, Ash wincing slightly from the contact. "Hey, you okay?" He asked with concern as he pulled back to look at her.
"Yeah-" Ash gripped her side a little. "I'm fine. Picked a fight with a Rancor; not my best plan."
Poe chuckled. "Yeah, no kidding."
Ren walked over to his wife then to make sure she was okay, but also to remind the pilot where he stood in all of this; which was clearly not this close to his wife. "And you're here because…?"
"Checking on my friends." He reminded the taller man exactly where his place was.
The two glaring at each other in their internal struggle. Sure, Kylo Ren was able to get along with Rey, even for a slight moment. But the pilot? That was never going to happen. "Oh good, I arrived just in time to watch you both bicker over girls." Their attention turned to the graceful, older woman standing in the doorway of the common area. Leia looked around at the room, a fondness taking over her as she did. "I haven't been here in a long while…" She looked at her son knowingly; Kylo Ren avoided her gaze as best as possible.
"Hux and Phasma?" Poe asked her.
"The Ascension have left, they're returning to Crait as we should be doing." Leia informed them. "I've come to collect my Commander and to check on my daughter-in-law."
Ash smiled. "I'm doing better, thank you."
Poe looked at the group. "Well, keep in touch. And try not to start any more battles just yet. Or at least give us more warning next time you plan on doing so."
"We're going to try not to." Rey smiled warmly at the pilot.
"You said you have something for me." Kylo Ren finally looked at his mother.
Leia nodded. "I did." Behind her, rolled in a white and blue astromech droid. "R2?"
The droid beeped and blipped before displaying a hologram in front of the group. It was Luke Skywalker. "After a lengthy debate at uncovering the riddles of my former Master, I've found the location of the Heart of the Universe. After the end of the Galactic War, the stone was hidden in the asteroid field; there's a tower belonging to Master Croym, the last owner of the stone. I've placed coordinates within R2 for where you might find the stone. May the Force be with you all."
The message ended as R2 beeped happily before rolling out of the room and towards the cockpit to implant the coordinates given by Skywalker. Leia looked back to Poe. "Shall we, Commander Dameron?"
He nodded to the group and exited the Falcon. Leia took one last look around before acknowledging the group once more. "Keep in touch." She said once R2-D2 rolled back to the common area, blipping his well wishes before following General Organa out of the Falcon.
"Looks like we have our next location." Rey said, glancing to Ash. "Are you ready?"
Hope was a strange and fragile thing. At moment's notice it could be taken away or it can be restored. Her friends and Kylo Ren restored that faith in the galaxy. That spark of hope that would ignite the brightest of fires within Ashlyn. She was a protector; she had to be strong. Her moment of weakness and insecurities had passed. While the pain and guilt remained, she had to keep going. For them. For all of those she had lost. Their deaths couldn't be in vain. With that new spark of hope, and a determined nod, Ashlyn Solo was going to take down the First Order with the help of Rey and Kylo Ren.
Final Thought: We're going after the second stone and more importantly, shit is going down! Remember to review and let me know if you want to know updates via tumblr or twitter. Thanks for reading and see y'all in the next chapter!