Chapter I - "A Vision of Power”
Author's Note
Thank you for reading Star Wars - Knight of Ren! I’m not a huge fan of the sequels (especially episode 8) but I’ve tried to remain as close to the characters as possible to how they appear on screen. Keep in mind this was only supposed to be a two chapter story, but I’ve since made plans to extend it into a whole book. Chapters should be updated no-weekly, if not weekly.
Chapter I - "A Vision of Power”
Heavy boots thudded against the floor in an ominous rhythm, their vigorous pace indicating action. As they hurried along the darkened corridor towards the reinforced blast doors at the far end of the hallway, their pace lessened and gave heed to caution. Dal Garrett, the man to whom the boots belonged, attempted to calm his nerves as he approached the blast doors breathlessly—dreading what lay beyond.
"Kylo Ren," he whispered to himself, a bead of sweat forming on his brow. "No..." he corrected himself. "Supreme Leader Ren...”
The man held his breath as the blast doors slid open, revealing a dark chamber beyond them. The dark abode was only illuminated by a single streak of light that shown down upon a motionless figure sitting contemplatively in front of a shrine. Dal couldn't make out who or what the shrine was dedicated to due to the poor visibility inside—but if the dark forces pressing against his very soul were any indication of its nature, then it was most likely a force he did not wish to trifle with. Dal quickly swallowed a lump in his throat and started forward, careful to keep a steady pace so as not to interrupt too rudely.
"S-Supreme Leader!" called the officer meekly, bowing as though the Knight of Ren's back was not turned. "Our forces have just slipped out of hyperspace in the Unknown regions. General Hux has requested your presence on the bridge. He says it's urgent, sir."
The man in front of the shrine made no effort to reply. Instead, a long silence follow the report until the dark knight finally bothered to answer.
"Is that all?" asked the Supreme Leader in a neutral tone.
Dal took an uneasy breath and answered in a shaky voice; "O-our scanners picked up a slight hindrance in the trajectory of our fleet. The general thought it best that you assess the situation for yourself on the bridge."
To the utter dismay of the terrified officer, The Supreme Leader’s reaction was the same as before—silence. When at last he did reply, he replied with nothing more than a firm, "Go."
Dal quickly bowed once again and hurried to do as he was told. When the blast doors closed behind him a few moments later, he breathed a deep sigh of relief and wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.
"I need a holiday," he muttered to himself. Then he fixed his uniform and hurried down the corridor to attend to other duties on the ship, thankful that he was still alive to do so.
Kylo Ren heard the chamber doors close behind him. He was alone in the dark room once more. Kylo Ren adverted his gaze from the mask in front of him, unable to look it in the eyes. The once terrifying mask of Darth Vader glared at him from its shrine aboard his personal Star Destroyer The Finalizer—it's charred, deformed appearance seared into his mind as clearly as his own heartbeat.
"I've failed you, grandfather," Kylo Ren whispered, almost too quietly to hear. "I've failed the dark side. I gave it everything that I had, and it's given me nothing in return." he lifted his eyes; their weight in their sockets almost too much to bear. "What more do you want from me? Han Solo is dead. Skywalker's dead. Snoke is dead..."
Kylo Ren bit his cheek and looked away.
"And so are you. Where were you when I needed strength? Hmm?" he asked, his eyes nearly welling with tears. "When I needed guidance? I was promised a path to tread upon, but now that path is even more unclear. You showed me the power of the dark side, but now you’ve forsaken me.”
Kylo Ren locked his eyes onto the charred lenses of the mask and stared for a long time.
“Say something,” he whispered eagerly, an intensity rising in his voice.
When the mask made no effort to reply, Kylo Ren cried out and stood up.
"SAY SOMETHING!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.
But there were no words in the mask to be said. The disembodied voice of Darth Vader that had once offered him twisted words of wisdom was there to comfort him no more. It shouldn't have been a surprise—the voice had gone mute ever since the death of Kylo Ren's former master, Supreme Leader Snoke. In his heart of hearts, Kylo Ren knew why. The mask was a lie—just like everything Snoke had told him. The dark side had manipulated his mind... tricking him into hearing the voice of a dead man that wasn't really there.
Darth Vader wasn’t in there.
Nobody was.
“AHHHH!” screamed Kylo Ren in a fit of rage. He snatched his grandfathers mask off its shrine and smashed it against the surface with the force of a sledgehammer. The charred remnants of Darth Vader's mask splintered off into pieces and covered the floor in a thin layer of dust and charcoal. Kylo Ren continued to smash the remains of the fearsome mask into the shine until there was nothing left except his bruised and bloodied hand. When at last the mask had been completely destroyed, the young man slowly recomposed himself and stared at the broken pieces on the floor, contemplating the deed he had done.
It... was over. It was truly over. The soulless lenses of Darth Vader's mask would haunt him no more. Whatever secrets it had offered him, whatever power it had once possessed, was now nothing more than a thin layer of ash resting beneath his boots. Kylo Ren stared at the remnants for a long time. The feelings swelling up inside of him conflicted with each other so strongly that he didn't know how to process them. He had once thought his future was certain—that his destiny was fated—but now he did not know what to become.
Kylo Ren closed his eyes and attempted to gather the whirlwind that was his thoughts. As his emotions bubbled to the surface—a turbulent mixture of anger, depression, and guilt—the answer began to manifest in the form of a dark premonition. Kylo Ren had to bite his lip. He knew the feeling all too well. In the past, his premonitions had served to guide him in the ways of the dark side—but would they do the same now in light of his mentors passing?
Kylo Ren opened his eyes. The dark side was ready to reveal its answer. At first he wondered if perhaps the answer was that he was nothing, but then he saw his reflection on the floor and he knew his answer. There, beside a broken piece of Darth Vader's mask, his reflection stared back at him—a haunting reminder of a truth he had long forgotten. Darth Vader wasn't in that mask. He never had been. The spirit of the dark lord lived inside of him—inside of Kylo Ren. The mask had never been his guidance. The only guidance he had ever received was from within, and now that force had awakened inside him once more.
Kylo Ren lifted his chin solemnly and turned to exit the chamber. As he walked through the doors and started down the corridor towards the bridge, he made a detour to the his personal armory and stepped inside. There, his followers—the Knights of Ren—emerged from the shadows and gathered around the place where the shattered pieces of his old mask were kept. After exchanging looks with the other knights, Kylo Ren waved his hand and ordered one of them to step forward: The ape-like creature known simply as The Forger.
"My lord," said the alien with a bow. "The pieces have been gathered. The forge has been set. You have all but to say the word, and what was once broken will be remade. Tell us; does our master live?"
Kylo Ren nodded and answered solemnly, "He does."
With that; the creature chuckled, took another bow, and got to work.
The Finalizer cruised silently further into the vast nothingness that was the unknown regions. In its wake followed two identical star destroyers fully equipped and prepped for combat. General Hux stood on the bridge of the lead ship, staring at the ion-field that gradually filled his viewport with every passing second. It was truely an amazing sight, but the furthest reaches of the known galaxy were not to be taken lightly. General Hux knew this well, as did all sentient lifeforms with half a brain. Out here there was nothing but the unknown—a frightening prospect to some, and a glorious concept to others. To the ambitious young General, it was glorious indeed. The concept of extending ones reach beyond what is known and shedding light upon that which is not? It was an intoxicating feeling. One that filled him with a sense of pride and vigor. And yet, as he stood there staring at the ion-field in his path, he couldn't help but feel his thoughts drifting elsewhere.
‘Ren, you fool,’ Hux thought to himself as he gazed at the far-off stars beyond the ion-field. ‘You've taken us here—to the furthest reaches of the galaxy—to do what? Meditate? And all the while those of the Resistance that remain flee and gather their allies to oppose us. What is this if not madness? The right of the First Order should have fallen upon my shoulders! But... I am a patient man. While we wait out in this remote place, soon others in the ranks will take notice of your madness. Soon others will see the error of your ways. And then I will take my rightful place... my only regret being that I will not have taken it sooner.'
"Sir," came the voice of a bridge officer behind General Hux, tearing him from his thoughts. "We've reached the maxiumum safe distance from the ion field in our trajectory. Do you mind my asking what we're doing here, sir?"
General Hux chuckled and turned around to face the officer.
"It isn't what we're doing, Lieutenant." the general replied with a smirk. "It's what he is—our Supreme Leader. Ever since his failure at the abandoned outpost on Crait, he's behaved as nothing more than a mewling child searching for a place to find purpose. I assume he hopes to find that out here—though I do not know where. There's nothing out here but space and dust."
The officer gave Hux a look of surprise. Clearly he had not been expecting General Hux to be so open about his disdain for their newly crowned Supreme Leader.
"Forgive my saying so, sir," the officer replied. "But that sounded treasonous."
General Hux's answer was a laugh.
"And what has our Supreme Leader done for this first Order if not treason? The New Republic is in complete shambles, and yet we've only managed to rally a few hundred star systems to our cause. Supreme Leader Snoke had the galaxy bending to his will! This man? The one who leads us? He's nothing more than a child with an ancient sword from a bygone age. Mark my words, the time draws near for—"
"For what?" came the demonic voice of Kylo Ren amplified through a voice modulator.
General Hux wheeled around and found himself staring into the lifeless lenses of Kylo Ren's fearsome mask. The reforged apparatus bared a remarkable resemblance to the one he had destroyed only a few months earlier; though now it had a much more hellish appearance.
General Hux gulped and forced a smile.
"S-Supreme Leader. I see the Knight's have completed your new mask."
Kylo Ren replied with a quick, "Hmph" and strode past the General to the nearest view port.
"We near the place of my visions, General," he said calmly. "And yet... I sense a disturbance in the force. Why have we stopped?"
"An ion-field, Supreme Leader," the officer that had questioned General Hux earlier answered promptly. "Our scanners have detected the presence of a large ion-field in our trajectory. General Hux thought it best to consult you about our next course of action before proceeding."
Kylo Ren turned to the now-shaking General Hux and glared at him, menacingly.
"Is that so?"
"Yes, Supreme Leader," the officer who had just spoken continued. “It would seem this particular ion-field is abnormally charged in virtually every area of the cloud. Our initial analysis of the field has determined it to be of an extremely volatile nature, though its kind is not uncommon to the unknown regions. Pushing through the ion-field without the proper protection could inflict serious damage on our ships that would be impossible to repair. Commander Tariff has advised us to hold at a safe distance until—"
"No!" Kylo Ren snapped, turning to the view port angrily. "It's out there—the power I came for—waiting for me to claim it. The force guided me to this place—but I am not the only one it has called. If we do not act now, that power will fall into the wrong hands. I'm not interested anymore in excuses. I need results."
General Hux and several of the officers on the bridge exchanged glances.
"S-Supreme Leader," came the voice of one of the annalists going over data on the holoprojector in the middle of the bridge. "I-I may have found a solution."
Kylo Ren turned around and strode over to the annalist.
"Show me."
The annalist bowed and pressed a button on the panel in front of him. A blue hologram of the ion-field immediately popped up on the holoprojector along with a trio of red triangular symbols that represented the First Order fleet cruising silently towards it.
"I've been studying the data we collected on the initial scans of the ion-field and I believe I may have found a small opening right... here." The annalist pointed to a small spot on the hologram. It began to blink as soon as he touched it. "The opening is still somewhat abnormally ionized, but it doesn't appear to be as volatile as the rest of the cloud. A small ship, perhaps a fighter, could theoretically squeeze through the opening without sustaining fatal damage and reach the other side relatively unharmed. It's a risky maneuver, sir, but it could work out."
Kylo Ren studied the hologram quickly and regarded the officer with a neutral expression.
"Very good. You've done well. General Hux," the Knight of Ren turned to the General. "Prepare my ship. I will take the Silencer through the ion-field and investigate what lies beyond. Ensure that the fleet stays here until my return."
The general swallowed a lump in his throat.
"S-Supreme Leader, with all due respect, are you sure this course of action is wise? The ion-field is extremely volatile. We don't even know if our ships are truly safe at this distance. Perhaps, given a little more time, we could find another way to—"
Without warning, General Hux felt his windpipes clench shut as if an iron hand had gripped his throat. He immediately dropped to the floor on his knees and began to claw at his throat as an invisible force slowly strangled him to death.
"My ship," Kylo Ren growled, glaring down at the General with the fury of a thousand swords. "Now!"
With that, Kylo Ren strode past the rest of the officers and disappeared through the exit to the bridge. When he was gone, General Hux felt the grip around his throat release and allow him to gulp in large quantities of air.
"Sir, are you alright?!" One of the other officers asked promptly, rushing to his side.
General Hux growled and pushed him away.
"Of course not, you fool!"
The officers on the bridge exchanged glances as Hux rubbed his throat.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" General Hux muttered, glaring back at the eyes that stared down at him as he struggled to get to his feet. "You heard the Supreme Leader—prepare his ship!"
"Yes, sir!"
As the officers scrambled to do as they were told, General Hux muttered to himself and clenched his fist.
"That's the last time I let you humiliate me, Ren," he whispered to himself as he glared at the exit to the bridge. "My time for revenge has come at last. You will not survive your quest to discover this so called 'place of power.' I will see to it personally."
With that, General Hux made his way off the bridge and headed for his private chambers. He didn't stop for anything—he had an important call to make.
Kylo Ren entered the hanger bay with an escort of stormtroopers following in his wake. The technicians working on his fighter regarded him promptly and immediately stepped back from his space craft to offer him a proper salute.
"Supreme leader," the senior technician—an old man from the time of the Empire—said with a bow. "Your fighter has just passed the final inspection. She should be ready to fly whenever you're ready."
"I'm ready," the Knight of Ren replied quickly. "I trust your technicians have already outfitted my ship with the necessary equipment I will require to make my journey through the ion-field?"
"Yes, Supreme Leader." The old man replied. "We've placed additional rations into the compartments aboard your ship as well, just in case of a prolonged ionized power failure."
"Excellent. You may go."
Bowing, the technicians quickly vacated the area along with Kylo Ren's escort of stormtroopers. When Kylo Ren found himself alone, he climbed into the cockpit of his TIE-Silencer and ran his fingers over the controls. Immediately a slew of memories flashed through his head. He quickly shook them out and grasped the controls with his hands.
"Captain Teda, I'm ready." he said into the ship's intercom.
"Very good, sir." crackled the familiar voice of the deck officer over his ship's intercom. "Hanger bay doors are opening now. Good luck on your mission. Captain Teda, out."
Kylo Ren pulled back on his control-yokes and felt his ship lift off the ground. After swiveling it around into position towards the hanger doors, he pushed the throttle forward and launched the ship into space towards the ion-field looming ahead of his fleet. After setting a straight course for the interstellar phenomenon, Kylo Ren adjusted his positioning slightly and began to head for the small opening he learned about from the bridge officer aboard the Finalizer.
"Kylo Ren to General Hux," Kylo Ren said as he approached the ionized opening. "I am entering the ion-field now. Run diagnostics on my ship until the field disrupts my signal. I want to make sure my ship can handle the strain."
"As you wish, Supreme Leader." General Hux answered promptly.
Kylo Ren guided his fighter into the opening of the storm, navigating it through the maelstrom of ionized energy as it leaped around his ship. Every now and then a bolt of energy struck his ship's hull like a lightning bolt, but thankfully the bridge officer's prediction regarding the volatile nature of the energy was correct.
"General Hux, what's the status of my ship?" Kylo Ren asked after a few minutes inside the ion-field.
"All readings appear normal, Supreme Leader. Your shield's are recycling at an exceptional rate."
"Good. I'm nearly halfway through the maelstrom. I'll try to contact you on the other side."
Kylo Ren opened up his throttle and pushed his ship forward. In almost no time at all, he had navigated through the majority of the iron-field without a scratch. Suddenly, a current of ionized energy surged through his ship, visually electrifying the control panel in front of him. Kylo Ren took his hands off the control and tried his com.
"General Hux?"
"A minor energy surge, nothing more." the general replied. "You should still be at full power when the system comes back online."
Kylo Ren waited for a total of two minutes until the panel came back online. When it did, he took the controls once again and continued to navigate his fighter through the ion-field. Eventually he found his ship nearing the end of the maelstrom where a bright white light illuminated the opening like an otherworldly portal to another dimension.
"I'm nearing the end of the storm," Kylo Ren said over his intercom. "There's something here... something... odd."
Ren's TIE-Silencer approached the end of the ion-field rapidly. Eventually, Kylo Ren's fighter disappeared into the light and emerged on the other side into a vast open region of space. Kylo Ren shook his head and blinked twice. There, from his viewport, he could see a planet coming up on his visual scanners. In virtually no time at all it went from being the size of a pinprick to filling up have his viewpoint as if he were traveling at lightspeed.
Kylo Ren stared in astonishment. What he saw was almost too fantastic to believe.
"Impossible." he whispered, breathlessly.
And it so was. Utterly, unequivocally, and completely impossible. Kylo Ren resisted the urged to gape in wonder. There before him was a small blue planet, accompanied by two large celestial bodies with more mass than a hundred of the system's put together. Kylo Ren quickly turned to his scanners and began to read the data coming up on them. Apparently, the local star was the one orbiting the planet while the moon operated on its own accord. Kylo Ren had to do a double take after reading that. How was that even possible? Stars needed a critical mass before the nuclear chemicals within began firing. Everything about this planet was wrong—it violated scientific laws like bee's violated their own body mass or resistance bombers violated the laws of gravity in space.
And yet.... there it was. A planet where it shouldn't exist, in a system that defied reasoning, in a part of the galaxy previously unexplored. Kylo Ren pushed the ship forward and grinned beneath his mask. Yes, this was the place he had been searching for. In all his dreams, in all his visions... this was the place they had been leading him to. The force had called him out here for a reason. Now at least he was closer to learning why. Surely this system held secrets that no other being in the galaxy had ever uncovered. Kylo Ren couldn't wait to learn them all.
Kylo Ren pushed his ship forward and darted towards the planet. He was nearly there when suddenly, out of nowhere, an explosion of rocked his ship.
"What?!" Kylo Ren cried out in surprise. The surface in front of him as well as the rest of the cockpit became electrified with a blast of ionized energy even though he was already miles away from the ion-field. Kylo Ren could only watch as his ship began to spin out of control. He tried to frantically regain control off the fighter, but it was no use. All systems were completely offline and his ship was set on a permanent course for the planet at full speed. As the fighter continued to toss and turn, Kylo caught glimpses of the world his ship was screaming towards through the viewport. The planet landmasses appeared to be lush and fertile—though that mattered little to Ren because he was about to crash into it at top-speed.
Eventually Kylo Ren felt his fighter break through the atmosphere of the world and allow gravity to take affect. The fortunate side-affect of this happening was the fact that he didn't have to worry about slamming into the ground at top speed. The entry into the atmosphere had slowed him down significantly, although he had already begun to speed up again because of gravity's affect. Kylo Ren had to think of something fast, or else he was dead.
"Enough!" he growled, extending his hand towards the viewport. Suddenly, his ship stopped spinning out of control and stabilized itself in the air. Then, very slowly, it began to slow down as it neared the ground. Kylo Ren did his best to cushion his fighter through the force, but the effort wasn't enough. He was was still going to crash—and hard.
The tree tops of a large forest loomed below the ship. It's ever-growing canopy grew larger and larger with every second. With a final moment of horror to settle in, the Silencer touched down, and Kylo's world went black.
Chapter II - "An Uneasy Alliance”
Ben Solo found himself at the edge of a waterfall balancing himself against the natural force of gravity as he did a one-handed handstand and held his breath.
“Focus, Ben.” came the gentle voice of his master, Luke Skywalker, from behind. “You cannot feel the force flowing through you if you do not concentrate—or forget to breath.”
Ben Solo quickly exhaled and nodded his head.
“Yes, Master Skywalker.”
Young Ben Solo was only ten years old. Although he had only just begun wielding a real lightsaber, he was already leagues ahead of his fellow peers—especially when it came to knowledge of the force. Master Skywalker (as he must always be called—can’t have the other younglings knowing that their grandmaster is the uncle of his favorite student) had taken notice of his natural talent and decided to instruct him privately whenever he got the chance. Today was no exception.
“Remember,” Master Skywalker said as he continued to watch his nephews spiritual exercise. “The force is like a river—it flows through all living things. Sometimes it can be quiet and clam; other times it can be loud and violent. You must focus past the extremes if you are going to center yourself and find peace.”
Ben Solo nodded and attempted to do as he was told. As he stood there in silence, ignoring the aching of his arm as it supported his weight, he began to control his breathing and listen to the world moving around him. The water from the waterfall nearby; crashing into the rocks below the cliff... the wind caressing his face, carrying his hair in its breeze like a gentle hand from his mother... Kylo Ren smiled as the sounds began to manifest into a beautiful picture in his mind—a perfect portrait of life blooming in the process.
“Good, now... breath.”
Ben nodded again. Slowly, all the pain in his body melted away. A profound sense of peace took shape a few moments later when his mind cleared itself of distractions. Soon, that perfect picture of life filling his head started to become even more vibrant and more beautiful than ever before.
“Breathe... breathe...”
Ben Solo did—but something else was happening. For whatever reason, his thoughts were beginning to drift away—as if they were being carried off by the wind. There was... a wood. A twisted wood somewhere else on the planet, beckoning to him, calling him by name.
“Good. Now... what do you see?”
Ben Solo’s face consorted to a confused expression.
“I see... a picture... in my head...”
“Good, good, now... go on.”
Ben Solo shook his head.
“I... I see a forest...”
Luke Skywalker paused.
“Go on...”
“It’s... its calling to me!”
Luke Skywalker felt a shiver run down his spine. He knew the feeling all too well.
“Ben! Don’t listen to it! What you are seeing is the Darkside. Resist it!”
“It’s... trying to tell me something!”
“Ben! BEN!”
Ben Solo’s eyes snapped open as his concentration shattered like glass. Immediately afterward he lost all balance and toppled onto his back, moaning at the pain. As he lay there on the ground, the air around him suddenly became very cold. Ben Solo slowly opened his eyes and found himself staring into a crimson sky as a heavy mechanical voice breathed over him, menacingly.
"You failed." said a familiar voice. It was deep, foreboding, and disembodied—like a demon from the very pits of hell.
Ben Solo slowly turned around and blinked into the lifeless lenses of the towering cyborg that he knew immediately to be his grandfather. Darth Vader, the menacing Sith Lord he had seen in so many visions before, stood before him once again with his arms crossed.
"It's you," Ben Solo whispered, breathlessly. It was only then that he realized he was no longer the boy from his dreams training with Luke Skywalker on Pillo all those years ago, but rather the Knight of Ren who had already fallen to the Dark side.
"It is," replied the ghost. "Though I am sorely displeased with your lack of progress."
Kylo Ren bowed his head in shame.
"I gave it everything... I surrendered to the dark side."
"It was not enough," answered the menacing cyborg. "You failed to give it your soul."
Kylo Ren shook his head.
"No... I killed Han Solo..." he lifted his eyes in a silent, wordless rage. “I killed Snoke!"
The cyborg did not answer for a couple of seconds.
"Your training is not complete," he replied at last, though his tone conveyed little emotion. "The dark side is strong in you—but you have yet to become one with it in spirit. If you wish to wield the dark side to its fullest potential like your former master—Supreme Leader Snoke—you will need to become more than just a Knight of Ren..."
Kylo Ren furrowed his brow and clenched his teeth.
"What must I become?"
"A Sith," the cyborg replied.
Kylo Ren watched as another cyborg appeared behind Darth Vader and stepped out from his shadow. The other cyborg was a terrifying alternate version himself—draped in tattered clothing and fitted with a robotic hand.
"You will suffer many trials," his shadow explained, its voice amplified by the modulator in its helmet. "This planet will test you. It will try to break you in ways you cannot imagine. Resist the pull to the light. Then, you will become Sith."
Kylo Ren shook his head.
"And if I fail?"
The two terrifying cyborgs glared down at him with the fury of a thousand demons.
"Then," they both answered in unison. "You will die!"
Suddenly, the ground beneath Kylo Ren broke away and caused him to fall. He gave a blood-curling scream as he tumbled off the edge of the waterfall and disappeared beneath the surface of the black waters below.
Kylo Ren let out a pain-filled groan, too sore to stir from his nightmare with excessive movement. As he opened his eyes to acquaint himself with his surroundings, the first thing he noticed was the top of a cage. He couldn’t make out what was happening in his peripheral due to the fact that his mask was still fitted firmly to his face, but he could feel the presence of moving bodies nearby, marching in a rhythmic, stoic pace.
“Easy,” came a quiet voice beside him. It was distinctly male in characteristics, but broken and emasculated. “You were in an accident. You've been out for some time. You should rest while you can.”
Kylo Ren forced himself to sit up and frowned in the direction of the voice. Immediately his vision was filled with an unusual scene which set off a number of alarms. The first was thing he realized was something he had already suspected—he was currently imprisoned in a large cage. The next thing he noticed was a small equine-like creature seated across from him in an another cage. It was reasonable to assume the voice he had heard moments before belonged to it, though he wasn't sure how. The third thing was a bit more surprising than the first two. A large caravan of hulking blue creatures, armed with blunt weapons and crossbows, were leading a long line of equines similar to the one imprisoned next to him with ropes through a strange alien forest. Kylo Ren didn't know what to make of the caravan, but he did know that his cage was fastened onto a carriage being pulled by one of them and headed in the same direction.
“...Where am I?” Kylo Ren asked, looking around slowly. His voice was still amplified by the voice modulators in his helmet, so the question came across in a slightly more sinister tone than he intended.
“Sweet Celestia!” The equine across from him swore in perfect basic. “You almost gave me a heart attack!”
Kylo Ren looked over at the strange talking equine before him and gave a frown. One look at the equine with cyan-blue mane and bright yellow fur was enough for Kylo Ren to decide he didn't like him already.
“Where am I?” The Knight of Ren repeated with a growl, deliberately lowering his voice to sound more intimidating this time.
The equine quickly scooted to the back of his cage and replied in a shaky voice; “Y-you’re a prisoner... We're all prisoners...”
Kylo Ren turned to the other technicolored equines being led through the forest with rope by the hulking creatures and gave a mocking hmph.
“So it would seem. Tell me, equine—what are those?”
The pony followed the Knight of Ren's gaze.
“Storm creatures,” he answered, swallowing hard. “Soldiers of the Storm Kings fractured Empire.”
Kylo Ren looked towards the front of the caravan and narrowed his eyes. In the lead of the caravan marched a great red storm creature with tattered clothing on his back fluttering in the wind. He wore a leather belt around his waist, fitted with an assortment of tools—none of which were familiar to Kylo except for his lightsaber.
“Where are we going?” asked Kylo Ren, turning to the pony.
“I... I don't know," the pony admitted. "But if I had to guess, I'd guess they're taking us to Fort Storm Cloud—a fortress deep within these woods. I heard the Storm King has been using it as a secret hideout for his army. If my suspicions are correct, then from there we'll all be made into slaves—as will you.”
Kylo Ren couldn’t help but chuckle at that.
“An amusing assumption.”
The Knight of Ren looked away from the prisoner and continued to study his surroundings. The caravan of storm creatures and equines cut through a large forest of tall, overarching trees. The floor of the woodland was almost completely covered in red leaves, giving it a vibrant appearance in the day, and no doubt a menacing one at night.
“How did I get here?” Kylo Ren asked without bothering to turn around.
The equine shifted uncomfortably in his cage.
“The storm creatures pulled you from some kind of crash site,” the equine replied. “They said you fell from the sky. Is that true?”
Kylo Ren said nothing, instead choosing to ignore the question and use the force to learn more about the storm creature leading the procession ahead of them.
“I sense that creature is different than the others..." the Knight of Ren observed after a few moments of silence. "General Kahldeen, I assume?”
The equine nodded.
“They call him Firebrand. He’s been leading the Storm Kings armies ever since the war broke out."
Kylo Ren quickly absorbed this knowledge and turned to the padlock on his prison. He had to stifle at laugh at the locks extremely primitive design. It wouldn't take much more than a few seconds to open with the force if Kylo Ren willed it. But Kylo Ren decided on a slightly different approach than his usual sword-blazing tactics. Seeing as he was on an alien planet (which was apparently inhabited by strange sentient equines and large blue gorillas) he opted to learn as much as he could about them before he proceeded with his mission. Such information could prove to be vital to understanding the power of this planet, after all.
Kylo Ren closed his eyes and reached out into the force to see what else he could learn about his surroundings through it.
“The force... it’s strong on this planet..." Kylo Ren mused as he felt his spirit tingle with power. "Stronger than anything I’ve ever felt before. Intriguing...”
The equine across from Ren lifted a brow.
“...The Force?”
“A concept I doubt you would understand, Equine.” Kylo Ren growled, glaring at the pony over his shoulder. However, upon observing the equine cower away from him in fear, a thought crossed his mind. This sentient equine could prove useful. There was obviously something unique about him—he wouldn’t have been locked away in a cage beside Kylo otherwise. “And yet...” he added in a much more contemplative tone. “There is more to you than meets the eye. What is your name?”
The pony visibly gulped and replied; “Sunny Beaches, sir.”
Kylo Ren titled his head.
“Sunny... Beaches?”
“Yes, sir.”
Kylo Ren blinked behind his mask.
“How... peculiar.”
The equine nodded, nervously.
“I-I had a feeling it would be, sir.”
“Then your instincts serve you better than your tongue,” Kylo Ren answered, looking away. “I do not expect you to speak to me from now on unless you are spoken to. Failure to adhere to this command well end unpleasantly. Do I make myself clear?”
“Y-yes, sir.”
"Good."
To his credit, Sunny Beaches was better at following orders than yapping his gums. Kylo Ren didn’t hear a word from Sunny Beaches for the rest of the trip. As the hours rolled by, Kylo Ren continued to observe his captors and learn what he could along the way. In the five or six hours that they marched through the woods before they reached their camp, he learned a few basic things about them. First, the Storm Creatures were sentient beings—much like the equines. They were capable of speech, but not in the basic tongues so commonly used amongst the stars and here amongst the equines. In addition, they were naturally massive, trained for war, and apparently extremely attached to the masks they wore to cover their faces. Kylo Ren assumed they wore them for tribal purposes.
Kylo Ren was still observing his captors when the caravan made it at last to the enormous wooden fort that was Fort Storm Cloud. Kylo Ren watched as the leader of their pack barked an order to his men and shuffled the uncaged prisoners to a large stable filled with similar equine prisoners that were apparently awaiting to learn their fate. At this time, Kylo Ren turned to Sunny Beaches and said; “Tell me quickly, Equine; these creatures—I assume they elect their leaders through trials of combat?”
The equine swallowed a lump in his throat.
"I... uh... I don't know..."
At that moment one of the storm creatures approached the carriage and unlocked Kylo Ren’s cage. Kylo Ren slipped out onto the dirt floor in accordance with the creatures gestures and allowed it to escort him to the center of the fort where General Kahldeen was ordering his troops. When the storm creature had escorted him there, Kylo Ren was kicked to his knees at the feet of the General and forced to bow his head. When the General turned around and waved his hand, the storm creature escorting Ren gave a firm salute and walked away. As Kylo Ren glared at him over his shoulder, his attention was quickly arrested by the presence of another Storm creature which appeared with Sunny Beaches and forced him to bow as well.
General Kahldeen quickly muttered something in his foreign language which caused Sunny Beaches to nod his head vigorously.
“Y-yes, sir!”
The General 'humphed' and turned to Kylo Ren. After a brief glare, he said something in his foreign language and gave a pause.
“H-he wants me to welcome you to Fort Storm Cloud,” Sunny Beaches translated. "He hopes you will cooperate and answer his questions truthfully.”
Kylo Ren nodded.
“Of course.”
General Kahldeen folded his arms and said something to Sandy Beaches.
"He wants to know your name,” The pony translated, nervously.
“Kylo Ren,” the Knight answered truthfully, seeing no reason to lie. “I understand you’re the one in charge here, am I correct?”
The storm creature chuckled and gave his reply to Sandy Beaches.
“H-he he said yes... " the pony translated, swallowing a lump in his throat. "He wants to know where you're from."
Kylo Ren gave a chuckle of his own and stood up.
“You need not concern yourself with such questions at the moment, General Kaldeen." The Knight of Ren replied, addressing the creature directly. "All that you should know is this: Like you, I too am a warrior. I humbly ask that you give me a chance to prove myself as your better in combat. If I win, you will let me go—I should be of no interest to you anyway as I am not involved in whatever conflict plagues your planet. But if you win, I will answer all your questions and submit myself to you.”
Sunny Beaches turned to Kylo Ren with eyes the size of dinner plates.
“What?! Are you crazy?!”
Kylo Ren ignored the pony and said nothing.
Sunny Beaches gulped as the General laughed out loud and regarded the Knight of Ren with a nod.
“Oh, boy.” Sunny Beaches groaned. "This isn't good."
A firm hand grasped Kylo Ren by the shoulder and forced him to his feet. With the General following in his wake, Kylo Ren was escorted to a corralling area just outside a large tent at the back of the fort where a plethora of the general’s troops took notice of him and strode over to the sidelines to watch the fight. As Kylo Ren stood in the center of corral taking in the sight, a storm creature tossed him a spear and shield to protect himself as the General stepped into the “arena.” Kylo Ren turned to the General and watched as he retrieved an enormous ax from the sidelines and approached his opponent in the center. Kylo Ren threw down his weapons and stared the general directly in the eyes.
“I don’t need these weapons to kill you,” he said.
General Kahldeen laughed, joined by the creatures watching from the sidelines. As the laughter died down, General Kahldeen said something in reply and waited for Sunny Beaches to translate it.
"H-he said he hopes you die well!” the pony called from the sidelines. "I don't think it's too late to apologize and act like this never happened!"
Kylo Ren smirked beneath his helmet and a gave a quick bow.
“His excellency is too generous.”
The two combatants quickly separated from each other and occupied opposite sides of the corral. As they stood in silence, a series of drums began to play as the two squared off against each other and planted themselves in the soil. The crowd held their breath in anticipation. Sandy Beaches bit his lip as the drums continued to build suspense. At last, the drums stopped.
The fight had begun.
General Kahldeen took up his ax and charged at Kylo Ren with brutish strength. Kylo Ren smirked beneath his mask and watched as the General bulldozed towards him. When the General had closed half the distance between them and lifted his ax above his head, Kylo Ren stretched out his hand and called his lightsaber over to him with the force. Immediately the blade flew through the air and ignited in his hand, deflecting General Kahldeen’s blow with milliseconds to spare. The crowd gasped in wonder as the weapon in Kahldeens hand dropped to the floor in two pieces. Before the General had a chance to react, Kylo Ren quickly followed up his parry with a forceful push. As a result, General Kahldeen was sent flying through air and into the side of the corral where the wooden fence shattered to pieces beneath his weight. A hush fell over the crowd as they waited for the General to get up. He did not. A long silence followed, with nothing to break the calm but the gentle hum of Kylo’s lightsaber.
“Well, that was anticlimactic.” Kylo Ren chuckled, deactivating his lightsaber. “Anyone else?”
A quiet applause came from the entrance of the tent in front of the corral. Kylo Ren turned in its direction only to find a strange creature emerging from tent with gleaming silver eyes.
“Bravo, outsider, bravo.” said the creature in a calm, yet eerily creepy voice. “You’ve just defeated my greatest warrior in a total of three seconds. You ought to be commended on your strength.”
Kylo Ren observed as the storm creatures who had been watching the fight quickly bowed in the direction of the mysterious being and did not get up until the creature had motioned them to do so with a subtle hand gesture.
“I take it you’re the storm king.” Kylo Ren muttered, his tone doing little to conceal his disappointment. “I’m not impressed.”
“No, my friend, I am no Storm King.” The creature replied. “My name is Strife, and I am merely a humble servant of my masters will with a duty to carry on his legacy. I would very much like it if you would join me on this endeavor.”
Kylo Ren scoffed.
“You have nothing to offer me... but I have demands.”
Strife lifted a brow and folded his hands.
“Go on.”
“Your troops pulled me from my ship—a great sky-faring vessel capable of traversing the stars. I will need it if I am going to return home.”
The creature gave a sigh and gestured for the Knight of Ren to join him in his tent.
“I’m afraid accommodating this request will prove difficult, my friend... Perhaps we could discuss the details in private?"
Kylo Ren looked around the camp at the angry, frightened, and dumb-struck faces of those who had witnessed his duel. He turned back to Strife and gave a single nod.
“So be it.”
“Very good. This way, please...”
Kylo Ren vigilantly took up his weapon and followed the creature into his tent. Upon entering the creature's abode, Kylo Ren took note of his surroundings and observed that the interior of the tent was decorated with various pieces of armor. A large table sat in the middle of the tent with a colorful map on top of it. The map appeared to be of the landmass he had crashed upon.
“This is the heart of the Storm Empire,” the creature explained to Kylo Ren as he approached the table. “It is a land of industry, beauty, and progress. For decades, the great Storm King sought to unite the kingdoms of the world beneath his rule; but an apprentice—a unicorn named Tempest—betrayed him. Now, a civil war threatens to destroy everything the Storm King fought for. As the rightful successor to his throne, it is my duty to reunite his kingdom and restore the empire to its former glory. ”
Kylo Ren looked over the map and gave a quick chuckle.
“An amusing deception.”
The creature regarded Ren with a look of surprise.
“I beg your pardon?”
Kylo Ren turned to the creature and replied simply; “You’re lying.”
The creature stroked his chin and returned the look the stranger was giving him with a bemused nod.
“You are full of surprises, outsider. I must commend you on your deductive skills. You are right; I am lying. In truth, I am just as much of a traitor to the crown as the Unicorn called Tempest. I plotted to take the life of my King so that I might inherit his throne, but I was discovered before the plan could be properly executed. In retaliation, my king sought to kill me, but I survived. For months, I lived in exile—cut off from my own people and countrymen—but then I learned a surprising truth; the storm king had been slain by one of his generals in my absence, meaning news of my betrayal had not reached many ears. Of course, I took this as an opportunity to seize what power I could for myself, but now, alas, I am paying the price for my zeal. The wretched Equestrians—led by that accursed Tempest—have launched a full campaign against my forces to stop the expansion of my kingdom. Now I have nothing left of the Storm King’s great empire except for this—“ he gestured to a large blue area on the map that illustrated a large mountain surrounded by a massive forest. “A measly crumb from the table of absolute power. For two years, Tempest and the Equestrians have launched wave, after wave, after wave, against my troops. Now, my forces are on the brink of collapse. I have little confidence that we will survive the winter, unless... I can find a leader with a power great enough to turn the tide in my favor. ”
Kylo Ren scoffed and turned his back to the creature.
“You're referring to me. ”
“Why not?” answered Strife. “Clearly you are a being of great power. This does not tempt you in the slightest?”
Kylo Ren imagined himself leading an army of warriors against the likes of Sandy Beaches and his kind. He couldn't help but laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of the thought.
“If you knew the armies I commanded, the systems that bowed to my will, you would not dare ask a question so naïve. I have no interest in your intercontinental conquests. I came to your land in search of something that revealed itself to me in a vision—a great wellspring of power. All I need to begin the search is my ship. You will return it to me, or suffer the consequences.”
"Come now, outsider," Strife replied, diplomatically. "Surely there's no reason we can't be civilized about this? Perhaps we can come to an agreement that will benefit us both. There are many places of power on this planet where one could increase their strength. One only needs to find the right guide to show them the way. If you would consider—"
“Not. Interested.” Kylo Ren growled. “Insult me again, and I will separate your arms from your head.”
Strife gave a long, disappointed sigh.
"You are certain then that there is there is nothing I can do to change your mind?"
Kylo Ren let his intense glare give the creature its answer.
"I see..." whispered Strife, sadly. He paused for a few moments, but eventually recomposed himself and folded his hands, saying, "Unfortunately, Outsider, I do not know the location of this ship that you continually refer to. However, if I had to wager, I would wager it has fallen into enemy hoofs. The Equestrians have captured every one of my fortresses north of here. It is not unreasonable to assume your ship is now among their claim."
Kylo Ren scoffed. The thought of miniature equines guarding his ship did little to intimidate him.
"They are no match for the dark side." the knight said matter-of-factly.
"That, my friend, I have no doubt," nodded Strife, sagely. "However, I warn you not to underestimate their power. The Equestrians are relentless. They are not to be taken lightly."
"Neither am I."
With that, Kylo Ren wheeled around and started for the exit to the tent. He was nearly there when Strife's voice called from behind; "Are you sure there is nothing I can do to change your mind?"
Kylo Ren stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around to glare at Strife over his shoulder.
"I sincerely doubt it." he muttered.
"Then that truly is a shame," said the creature with another sigh. "For how else am I to learn what... this is..."
Kylo Ren watched in amazement as Strife produced a pyramid-shaped device that glowed in the dimly-lit room. He immediately recognized it for what it was and stopped in his tracks.
"Impossible," whispered Kylo Ren, breathlessly.
Strife gave what appeared to be a sly smile.
"So you do recognize it. Good. I had a feeling you would. Someone with your knowledge of the darkness ought to know such things—including how to open the device. You do know how to open it, don't you?"
Rather than answer the question, Kylo Ren narrowed his eyes beneath his mask and stretched out with his feelings into the Force. There was obviously something special about this character that he hadn't realized before. No mere mortal could come by a Sith holocron without some help from the Force. And yet... as he felt deeper into the force... there was nothing. Strife was nothing. It was almost as if he did not exist at all.
"You surprise me, Strife..." Kylo Ren admitted, his tone failing to conceal his newfound fascination with the creature. "So feeble, and yet... there is more to you than meets the eye. How did you come by the holocron?"
Strife chuckled.
"You mentioned you came to this world because of a vision. Well, I had a vision too, once. A great warrior would come from the sky and lead me to a wellspring of unfathomable power. Visions do not lie, outsider. You are the prophet—my guide to powers unknown. Now do you see why you must join me? It is the only way for us to achieve what we both desire."
Kylo Ren studied the creature before him holding the holocron and contemplated a response. He didn't know what to think about the creatures so called "vision," but he did know that finding a being in possession of a sith artifact was not to be taken lightly. Perhaps entertaining the creatures illusions for a short time could be beneficial in the long run, after all. Besides, what did he have to lose? There was so much about this planet that he had yet to discover. Perhaps playing along for now would prove be the wisest decision at the moment.
Kylo Ren watched as the creature slowly extended his hand to him and gave what looked like a smile.
“I believe we have an accord?" said the creature, calmly.
Kylo Ren took the creatures hand and gave a single nod.
"We do."
Meanwhile, in farthest outskirts of unexplored space...
The Finalizer continued to loom silently in front of the massive ion storm just beyond its scopes as its sister star destroyers followed suit. Unfortunately, however serene the enormous battle ships looked from the outside, the scene within was far from anything so tranquil. First order officers dashed from one side of the bridge to the other in a frantic mission to reestablish contact with their Supreme Leader, Kylo Ren, who at the moment had dropped off their scopes for more than twenty-four hours. The loss of The Knight of Ren's signal had marked a near non-stop frenzy that continued well throughout the night and well beyond any reasonable measure. This was not surprising. Many feared the retribution that often followed such catastrophic failure. After all, heads had rolled in the past for far less.
General Hux watched from the corner of the bridge as the officers under his command stumbled over each other to repeat their tasks in exhaustion. There wasn't really any more they could do—they had tried everything. General Hux chuckled to himself in amusement as the officers slaved away in futility. Their efforts ultimately amounted to nothing, of course—General Hux had seen to that. The ion-charge he had secretly planted inside Kylo Ren's ship had no doubt stranded the Supreme Leader deep within the ion-storm by now where no technology the First Order possessed could find him. Unless the astrological phenomenon had somehow regurgitated him out of the other side of its maw (an extremely unlikely circumstance by his own calculations), then the Supreme Leaders fate was more than certain at this point.
General Hux let out a long-anticipated sigh of relief. At last, Kylo Ren would trouble him no more. The First Order could finally recover from its humiliating defeat at the hands of the loathsome resistance and take its rightful place in the galaxy. Hux would have smiled if it wouldn't have given him away. A significant number of officers already knew his feelings towards the Supreme Leader were hard, so it was best to avoid adding suspicion to their already suspicious ranks. Besides, there were more exciting things to smile about on the horizon. Specifically, the man who would be soon crowned as the new Supreme Leader of the First Order.
General Hux imagined himself standing before a great multitude of storm troopers, accepting the mantel of Supreme Leader for himself. Of course, he wasn't the first in line to be granted such an honor—realistically, the Supreme Counsel would elect a member of its own cabinet to be the future Supreme Leader—but as long as that leader wasn't Kylo Ren, it suited the ginger general just fine. General Huxs mind was just beginning to run wild with all sorts of glorious fantasies about the new and improved First Order, when all of a sudden something happened that he did not expect. A young officer, distinctly that of an intelligence variety, quickly approached the him with a look that carried "good news."
"Sir," said the lieutenant, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. General Hux furrowed his brow as the officer continued; "We've just received a partial transmission from one of the probe droids we sent into the storm. According to the fragments we've managed to piece together, it appears the Supreme Leader made it out alive and crash landed on an unknown planet just beyond ion cloud. We have no word as of yet if the Supreme Leaders condition is stable or not, but our analysts project a very good chance that he only sustained minimal injuries. We've already contacted Maelstrom and Reclaimer with the news. Should we send in an attachment to retrieve him, sir?"
General Hux's face turned pale. He couldn't believe the words he was hearing. Kylo Ren, alive?! How was that possible?! The measures he had taken to ensure the Supreme Leaders demise had been so precise! There must be some kind of mistake! Perhaps the analysts were mistaken? General Hux shook his head. No, that didn't make sense. They wouldn't have come to him with the information that they did unless they were sure it was true. The First Order rarely operated on bad intel. Perhaps it was just a dream? Yes, that's it—just a dream! Soon General Hux would awaken and all would be well.
General Hux stared blankly at the officer, waiting for the nightmare to end. The officer returned his neutrality with a look of confusion as he wondered why his superior made no effort to reply.
"Sir?" asked the officer, observing Hux's odd behavior. "Are you alright?"
General Hux didn't know what to say. He waited a few moments for something to happen, but eventually reality began to sink in and he realized he had to do something. Hux shook himself out of his daze and gave the officer a weak smile. He was just about to will some semblance of coherent dialogue into existence when all of a sudden a familiar voice spoke up behind him and answered the the lieutenants question for him.
"Quite alright, I assure you, Lieutenant Prynn," said the voice in a strange tone. "The General is just too overcome with emotion at the moment to speak. Isn't that right, General Hux?"
General Hux turned around towards the the source of the voice and inwardly gasped as his gaze fell upon the man who had spoken for him. The man was Supreme Councilman Pryde, a First Order General Kylo Ren had only recently appointed as part of his inner circle mere cycles before their current mission. The councilman was already generally regarded as the natural pick for the new Supreme Leader should Kylo Ren be killed—meaning Kylo Ren trusted him absolutely. At least, that was the assumption. One could never be too sure of such things.
General Hux gathered the thoughts racing through his head and nodded respectfully, mustering enough strength to appear somewhat composed.
"General Pryde," said the cowardly man in a voice that did little to conceal his surprise. "W-what an honor! I-I was not expecting to hear from you until the next council session...”
“There are more pressing matters at the moment, wouldn’t you say, General Hux?” said the General With a frown. "And now that the Supreme Leader has been found, I would say that fact is even more glaring, wouldn't you agree?
General Hux swallowed another a lump in his throat and gave a nod.
“Y-yes, of course...”
General Pryde 'humped' at Huxs reply and strode past him so that every officer on the bridge could see him in the center.
“Lieutenant Prin,” called Pryde to the officer who had just given his report to Hux moment earlier. “Relay that report to us once more.”
The officer replied, ”In summary, General, one of our probe droids found the Supreme Leaders ship crash-landed on an alien planet. At the moment, we believe he may be alive; though in very real danger.”
The General nodded and turned away to address the rest of the officers on the bridge.
“As some or all of you may already know, my name is Pryde, and I am a member of the Supreme Council. Although I’m sure General Hux believes his authority over this ship and its crew is absolute, it is not. By the authority of the Supreme Council, for the duration of this operation, I will be overseeing the reacquisition of Kylo Ren, our Supreme Leader. General Hux will offer his assistance, but let us be clear—you answer to me. Am I understood?”
The officers exchanged glances and said nothing. General Pryde gave a satisfied nod.
“Good. Lieutenant,” said Pryde, turning back to the officer he had spoken to earlier. “Deploy the extraction team straight away. I want a full platoon of stormtroopers accompanying them to the planets surface. Should there be any native resistance, eliminate them at once. The situation is far too delicate to handle diplomatically.”
The lieutenant gave a salute to General Pryde and hurried off to do what he was told. With that, General Pryde glared once more in General Hux's direction and strode out of the bridge. The General could only watch his retreating figure as the doors closed behind him and left the humiliated man in a state of bewilderment.
