Author's Babble and Deepest Apologies: Oh. My. STARS. The amount of HATE I got for that last chapter! Hahahaha. Okay, not exactly hate, but the deep concern and extreme dislike for me was clear in some of the reviews and private messages I got. And I appreciate the crap out of them! It makes me happy knowing you guys care about these characters that much and I can only say one thing that might make y'all feel better? Maybe? It's not over yet. Just remember. It's not over. We still have like 4-5 chapters left. So… there's no need to panic… yet. Even though the chapter title is a little scary… I promise. No need to panic.
That being said, fun facts about the last chapter and this one. These were the first two chapters I had ever written for this story. While the ending has changed drastically, I wrote basically all this before anything else.
Also, to add to that… it's my favorite Ash thing ever. The entire end of this chapter are just my favorite Ash moments.
And finally. This story is slowly coming to its close soon. And I can't even handle it. Holy cow, you guys. It's because of YOU that we have 547 reviews on this story. It's because of YOU that there are 456 followers and 349 favorites. IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU WE HAVE OVER 122,498 VIEWS ON THIS GOSH DARN STORY. And I cannot thank y'all enough. I really can't. Your love and support from the beginning until now… it's surreal. You gave this story a chance and you helped shape it into something wonderful. We're almost done, let's give it a good send off.
"Run!" This time, they moved. The girls quickly turned and ran straight for the elevator as Kylo Ren got up on his feet again. "Go! Go! Go!" Ash yelled as they entered the elevator, Rey's fist slamming into the button. They stared in horror as Kylo Ren began to stumble forward towards to them. The doors started to close, only to stop midway as Ren raised his hand to stop them. He tried with all his might to keep the elevator from moving.
Rey and Ash held onto whatever they could as the elevator shook; the metal whining and groaning from the unnatural movement. They held on for their lives as Kylo Ren took long strides forward, gaining ground as he did. Rey, thinking quickly, saw their window of opportunity. A Praetorian Guard's weapon. She outstretched her arm, focusing on the weapon. The staff shook for a moment before flying upward and towards Kylo Ren, whacking him in the head. His focus faltering just enough to send the elevator careening down the shaft with no stopping in sight.
Ash and Rey yelped at the sudden drop. The elevator was out of control as it descended down the Supremacy. "Ash!" Rey yelled in a panic.
She had to think quickly; she had it. She knew what she had to do. The question was, would it work? Her hands outstretched towards the center of the elevator car, the two locking eyes as she focused as much as possible on the elevator as the grey orb surrounded the car, forcing the elevator to stop a harsh jolt. The girls stumbled as they tried to find their footing.
Ash examined her surroundings, or rather, as much as she could see through the opaque, grey bubble. "We need to keep moving…" Ash said, looking to their only exit. They were between two floors and knew their only option was to climb out.
As the grey bubble disappeared, Rey jumped down first, helping Ash after her, the moment Ash exited the elevator, the car screeched an awful sound as it continued to drop. The two stared at each other in disbelief that they had made it out of that. "What do we do?" Rey asked.
"We have to get off the ship." Ash instructed. "A broken elevator won't stop him from getting down here. He knows his way around and can find me without much effort."
They began down the hallway in an attempt to find escape pods. "He's out of control."
"I'm well aware of that. It's the stone; it's trying to take over all his senses." Ash muttered, her mind immediately wandering to the other issue in her life besides Kylo Ren; the child. She had to stop Kylo Ren and in doing so she knew what she was risking. He was out of control, yes, but something was making him like this. It had to be the stone; this wasn't him.
It was risky and she knew if she took the stone away from Kylo Ren that could lead to bigger problems. Rey, would also not allow her to try on her own. But, she had to. Rey was doomed if she fought Kylo Ren now. Ash had to keep them both alive; she swore to herself she would and was not leaving this ship otherwise.
A loud and aggressive yell echoed throughout the hallway, he was getting close. Ash looked at Rey, the two staring at each other horrified. "We need to get to the escape pods now." Ash said quickly. She wasn't going to lose either one of them, not today.
At the end of the hallway, Kylo Ren slid into view, his eyes completely black as the girls stared at him. "Move!" Rey shouted, the two running. His heavy boots hitting the floor echoing behind them as they ran.
They had no idea where they were going as Kylo Ren closed the gap between them, slashing down at Rey. Rey stopping him with her lightsaber as Ash pushed him back again.
He stabilized himself, taking another swipe at Rey as Ash countered the attack. Rey was about to swipe him with a devastating blow, only to have Ash throw up a large shield between them. Rey looked at Ash in disbelief. He was out of control; how could she still be protecting him? "Just keep moving!" Ash exclaimed. The girls running again as they heard Kylo Ren whacking at the shield from behind, trying to break through.
They didn't know where to go and knew they didn't have the time to figure that out. However, that was when Ash saw him. Anakin was standing in the middle of the hallway, pointing to the upcoming hall to their right. "This way!" He yelled.
Ash grabbed Rey's arm, pulling her down that hallway. "Where are we going?!" She asked.
"Trust me!" Ash exclaimed as they ran, Kylo Ren was coming.
Anakin met them at the end of that hallway, pointing down the next left turn. "Keep moving!" He exclaimed, his face full of worry. He knew he was breaking all the rules, but that didn't matter. The girls needed him and he was not about to let them down. He met them at every turn, telling them where to go until they finally had lost Kylo Ren and made their way to the escape pods.
Ash closed the doors behind them, keeping their whereabouts hidden as best as possible as Rey walked over to the pod, getting it ready with the coordinates for Crait. "If we can get ahold of Hux, we can tell them what's happened to Ren and when they take down the ship they can try and stop him." She explained as she stopped, noticing Ash hadn't moved. "Ash?" She said. Ash looked at Rey, her eyes pooling with tears as Rey stared back, confused at first. "What is it?"
Ash shook her head. "You know I can't come with you."
Rey's jaw nearly dropped as she stammered. "No-" She tried again. "Ash, no, you can't. He'll kill you."
"I have to stop him. I'm the only one who can."
"Ash…" Now Rey was tearing up. "No." She begged her; pleaded with her. "We can escape, we can go while there's still a chance." She pointed to the open escape pod that beckoned for them to leave in. "Ash, don't do this."
She forced a smile; albeit a very small smile. With one strong push, Rey was sent backwards and into the escape pod. Taking zero time to pause, knowing if she did she could lose this battle, and ran to the release hatch. The door slamming shut. Rey's fists were connecting with the window of the pod, Ash could hear her muffled screaming from the inside as she backed away and looked at her friend for perhaps the last time.
The airtight release doors shut; the escape pod shot out of the Supremacy and was speeding down to Crait, leaving behind the last remaining Force Users to their own demise.
Hux and Phasma were standing outside the bridge door, their brigade breaking into the room where Damar was held up. They had the place surrounded, the First Order was at their end. A giddy energy came from Hux, knowing full well that he was going to finally get his chance to end Damar, the time had finally come.
As the doors were forced open, the remaining Troopers inside were taken care of immediately as Hux stomped through the doors with Phasma next to him. There was nowhere for Damar to hide. He tried to get away, but Phasma was faster as her fist connected with his gut, forcing him to collapse to his knees. She kicked upward, her boot hitting his jaw as he fell onto his back, groaning in pain. "He's all yours, love." Phasma said.
"I have waited so long for this moment." Hux's tone was dark as his fist clenched.
Damar chuckled as he sat up, spitting blood onto the floor. "You won't win this."
"We already have." Hux smirked. "Our Force Users have killed Snoke. Kylo Ren will take the throne and as for you?" His smirk grew to a more wicked smirk. "Well, you won't even be remembered in any of the stories or wild tales about this war. When people speak of this war, your own name won't be mentioned once I'm through with you." Damar's expression dropped, the cold chill of realization hitting him as Hux kicked him with sheer force. He wasn't much for the brutalization of others, but, he was into making Damar beg for mercy. He knew he wouldn't, but at least there was satisfaction in his screaming as he tortured the man.
The arrival of the escape pod on Crait was not exactly expected, especially when Rey crawled out of it alone and ran for the base entrance, yelling for help. Poe felt his heart drop into his stomach, if only Rey came back, what did that mean about Ash? He and Finn wasted no time to meet Rey on the field where the halted AT-M6's stood, Finn wrapping his arms around her tightly. "What happened?"
"We need to get a message up to Hux. Something's wrong with Kylo Ren and Ash is in danger."
Poe's eyes went wide. "They don't know Ren and Ash are there?"
Rey shook her head. "No, and Kylo Ren has completely lost it."
"Shit!" Poe hissed, the trio running into the base to the communication hub. "They have plans to blow up the Supremacy and if they don't know Ash is on board, they could blow her up too."
"What happened up there?" Finn asked as Poe quickly began trying to reach Hux.
"The stone-" Rey exhaled sharply. "I think the stone took over him. He wasn't himself and Ash is trying to save him."
Groaning in aggravation at the lack of results, Poe tried Brass, whom answered. "What's up, Commander?"
"Brass! You need to get ahold of Hux!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down. What's going on?" Brass asked. "Didn't we win?"
Rey interjected the conversation. "Kylo Ren has lost control and Ash is trying to stop him. Hux doesn't know they're still on the Supremacy or what's happening."
"Well, fuck me." Brass snapped. "Alright, let me see what I can do. Stand by!" The communication cut out.
Finn looked at the group, grimly. "What do we do?"
"I'm going to fly up there and get her." Poe quickly said.
"You will do no such thing." Luke Skywalker said as he entered the room. "If you do, you could make matters worse."
"We can't just leave her to die up there!" Poe shouted.
"If you interfere, you could very well be the nail in her coffin." Luke explained. "We need to trust the Force now, we need to trust that Ash can bring him back."
Poe glared. "With all due respect, Master Skywalker, but fuck the Force. That's my friend up there and I'm not going to leave her to die."
Rey exhaled sharply. "No, Poe. We can't." She hated this, she hated the prophecy, she hated their destiny. But, she knew it was the only way. "We have to trust Master Luke." Poe was about to object, but Rey stopped him. "Please… just trust that this is the way things need to go." He was not happy about it, not one bit, but now he needed to trust that Brass could get in touch with Hux before it was too late.
Ash sat against the wall in the escape pod room, trying to level her breathing and regain some clarity as she did. She needed to think, she needed to get her play underway, but at the same time she wasn't sure how to do so. Was he waiting for her in the hallway? Would he kill her if he saw her? So many unanswered questions and yet they all pointed to one thing, one of them was probably not getting of this ship alive. At least, it felt as much. "Well, I guess this isn't the outcome you wanted to see?" She joked dryly, looking at Anakin. He had silently been standing in the room with her, patiently waiting for her to continue on this journey. It was almost over.
"I never said that." He replied softly. "The child was part of it."
"Yeah, not cool. A little warning next time." Ash replied sarcastically as she shook her head. "He's lost, he's been consumed by the darkness and I don't know what I need to do to save him from it."
Anakin smiled slightly. "Ash, you haven't been listening to a damn word I've said, have you?" Ash frowned. "All this time, you believed you had to bring Ben back to the light and that stopping him meant killing him. You can still save him from himself."
Ash sighed. "But how?"
"He's being corrupted by a dark force that we cannot possibly understand. A piece that is unnatural to him that is using its strength to corrupt." Anakin explained. "But if we take that away."
Suddenly, it clicked. "If we destroy the stone, we can save him." Ash's jaw fell slack as her head began to fill with memories, and voices from those of the past and present. Everything building up within her; the good, the bad. The memories with him, their past, their future. All of it raging and building within her. She protected Rey, but now it was time to protect him. She had to save Kylo Ren from himself, she had to stop what the stone was doing to him. "I know what I must do." She said, forcing herself to her feet and looking at Anakin. "Thank you."
He was still smiling. "Go kick some ass, Grey User."
Ash smirked, looking at the door. She needed to get back to the throne room for one last showdown, one last chance to save Kylo Ren… or die trying.
The eerie quiet of the ship was nauseating as Ash stood in the Throne Room once more. The carnage left in their wake of Snoke's body and the Praetorian Guards. She had seen this seen a thousand times, yet each one altering just enough to end a different way. An ending that always left with two dead and one Force User living with the consequence. Ash couldn't let that happen. If Ash failed, there was no way she or Ren would come out of this alive.
Slowly, she walked over to the throne and stared at the reflective paneling. Her eyes skimming over the smooth, black seat. The seat that demanded power; a power she knew she didn't have, but a part of her craved. He had that power, but now she needed to stop him from taking it and using it for the wrong reasons. He wasn't thinking clearly, she knew that. She had to stop him before it was too late.
Ashlyn knew exactly what she was bringing Ben Solo back from. Himself. He would always be confined in the Dark Side, but never meant for the darkest depths of the galaxy. She had to bring him back from that. All this time, she foolishly misunderstood. Now, she was ready to do what she had to do. Even if it meant that this was the end.
"It's tempting, isn't it?" Ash turned; Kylo Ren stood by the broken elevator. He was smirking, his eyes still like coal as he began to walk forward. "There's no point in trying to run anymore, Starshine."
Ash looked back at the throne. "I know." She agreed. "I'm done running."
"Have you decided to join me then?"
Ash licked her lips as she tucked her red locks behind her ears. "Not exactly." His steps resonated loudly in her ears. He was impossibly close now, she could feel it without turning around to look at him. And soon, he was standing next to her.
"I can protect you; our child." He offered. "You will both want for nothing."
"So you've said." Ash replied, trying to keep her emotions in check. It wasn't working so well. The two mindlessly turning to face each other now. Ash noticed he was holding his saber in his hand.
"I won't ask again..." He reached out with his free hand. "Please…"
Ash stared at his hand for what felt like a long while, her lips tugging slightly into a smile as she looked up at him, his darkened eyes shrouded in pitch black darkness. "I love you so much." She began. "But, I can't join you this way."
His soft expression dropped to an intense glare. They both knew what he was going to do if she denied him. "Don't make me do this, Starshine."
That look in her eyes; she dared him; provoking the darkness within him. "Do it. You know I'll never stop fighting if you don't."
His lightsaber ignited; Ash didn't even flinch as he raised his saber and brought it down on the red-haired girl. The darkness took over. If she wouldn't join him, she needed to be destroyed. However, the impact never came as the saber skimmed right through her, leaving no mark behind.
Confused at first, he looked down at the blade, then up at the now disappearing Ashlyn. Suddenly, it made disgusting sense. She tricked him, like she had done numerous times now. His head snapped to the other side of the room as Ashlyn crawled out of her hiding spot, his lightsaber shaking in his hand before flying out of it and towards her; the blade retracting as it did. He realized what she was doing as her arm extended towards the weapon.
His arm snapped outward; the lightsaber pausing midair as the two battled for it. He may have been stronger than her, but Ash was determined. And in that desperation and determination, a miracle happened. The Force from both users, sent them flying backwards and landing on the cold ground with a thud.
Ash groaned from the impact. She was definitely going to be feeling that in the morning, assuming she lived through it. A grim thought she immediately needed to shake as she forced herself to her side to see the abandoned lightsaber on the ground. Kylo Ren had not moved yet. This was her chance. Her body screaming in agony from the pain as she forced herself to her feet and stumbled over to the lightsaber. She grabbed her own blade; the amber glow igniting in the room as she slashed down at the corrupted hilt.
Her blade didn't get there as it stopped mid-motion. Ash looked up to see Kylo Ren had come to. He was on his knees, his arm outstretched as he visibly shook, keeping her from moving. Her body was frozen, but that didn't stop her from trying. She had to keep trying. This couldn't be it, this isn't where she'd give up.
Everything had lead up to this moment; every fight, every power struggle, everything. Every moment of love, fear, hate, acceptance. All of it came down to this moment right here as the two battled for dominance. They had fought so hard to get here and for so long. Like she had promised, she was by his side through all of it. Now, he needed her. He needed her even though he didn't realize it then. He needed her more than ever. Ash knew that. And she was ready to give it all to save him. As her body shook, her nose began to bleed from the sheer Force combating her. She was not going to give up and neither was he.
Without being able to control it, Ash began yelling, fighting against the pressure from the Dark Side, fighting against everything that tried it's damndest to keep her from doing what she had to do. With one last cry, one last attempt. She broke out of the hold and her amber blade came crashing down on the other lightsaber. The impact sending sparks flying as the hilt exploded into tiny pieces, the tiny black stone shattering with it as Ashlyn flew backwards once again, but this time from a much stronger force.
Ash's chest rose and fell rapidly, blood still pooling from her nose as she stared up at the black ceiling. Her vision beginning to tunnel and darken. Her pulse thudding in her ears as she could barely make out the person calling her name. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered then. Ashlyn Solo did what she was had to do… and everything else went black.
Final Thought: Can we get a "HECK YEAH!" for our badass Grey user? Remember to review, let's get some love for our redhead and see y'all next chapter!