Chapter 1
General Hux, a greasy haired blonde man with a weasel like face, walked into the cavernous black obsidian throne room. He wore all black, with leathery gloves and a neatly trimmed cloak which swished near his ankles.
The floor was a glossy obsidian illuminated by white lights mounted on the craggy walls. The ceiling was 100 feet high with jagged rocks chiseled out of the mountain.
Each step General Hux took across the left no mark on the glossy obsidian stone. He stepped closer and closer towards the hideous looking being which sat in the marble throne. Supreme Leader Snoke. His glimmering yellow robe wrapped around him snuggly, concealing a hideously decrepit and decaying body. His face was bald and wrinkled like an old man. A large gash protruded deep into his left cheek. What sort of creature he was Hux did not know, but from what he had seen him do, he wanted no part in his fury.
“Supreme Leader...” General Hux began stopping near the foot of the stairs. “Our inside source from the Resistance has confirmed Skywalker is on Ach-To,” Hux reported, pausing to measure his words. “They sent the scavenger girl.”
“Good,” Snoke replied with an evil smile. He sat back in his marble throne comfortably. “Soon we will witness the end to Skywalker and the Resistance. Prepare the rest of our fleet. See to it that the Resistance base is destroyed.” Snoke said, his eyes glimmering maliciously.
From behind him, the soft hiss of a door opening echoed through the throne room.
“Yes Supreme Leader” said Hux, nodding confidently, the edges of his mouth curling into a proud smirk. Hux turned to leave and caught the eye of a darkly garbed figure striding briskly towards the throne. The figure, Kylo Ren, was a younger, handsome man with wavy black hair which almost reached his shoulders.
Kylo averted his eyes quickly, his face pained in distress and anxiety. A deep gash was freshly burned across his right cheek. Hux let his gaze linger, sneering triumphantly.
Hux had always been jealous of the admiration Ren had received from Snoke, but now with Ren’s failure on Starkiller Base there would be no doubt whom Snoke could rely on more. The thought brought a smirk to his face.
******
Kylo’s footsteps echoed across the cavernous throne room. Dread filled his body. He knew that his master was fully aware that the scavenger girl had escaped and that the First Order’s so called “undestroyable” base had been destroyed. Kylo looked straight ahead at the stairs in the distance, wanting to avoid any eye contact, but each step built his apprehension higher and higher. Finally he reached the foot of the stairs and bent to one knee bowing his head.
“Rise…” Snoke commanded, a deep disgust filling his voice. A heavy dread filled the pit of Kylo’s stomach. He rose to his feet averting his eyes downward at the black marble steps. “My young apprentice…” Snoke started, “How is it that the scavenger girl still lives?” he snarled viciously.
Kylo’s body tremored as he still avoided looking at Snoke. “I—I thought I could turn the girl master,” Kylo replied, desperation leaking into his voice. “I sensed her anger, her hatred!”
“But you did not have the sense to see she would not turn!” Snoke spat. “You should have crippled her body and brought her to me!” Snoke said slamming his clenched fist on the throne’s arm. “But you showed weakness, you showed mercy!”
Kylo gritted his teeth finally looking up to stare back at Snoke. “I did what—”
“You fool!” Snoke yelled jumping up from his seat. “Have you learned nothing from my training?”
Kylo shut his mouth, the corner of his upper lip twitching. Rage filled his body ready to strike.
“You must be merciless and strong, aggressive but calculating,” Snoke snarled clenching his fist.
“I killed Han Solo! I killed my father!” Kylo spat furiously.
“You regret killing him!” Snoke responded his voice drowning out Kylo’s. “I see the conflict still within you. You have not let go of your past.”
“My power lies fully with the dark side.” Kylo said darkly, his upper lip continuing to twitch.
“You have power, but you are no Vader,” Snoke replied eyeing him coldly.
Kylo’s anger bubbled hotly under his skin. Enough of this! I’ll show him the dark side! He let out a primal scream drawing his lightsaber to his hand. The crackling hum echoed through the chamber as Kylo snarled, sprinting towards Snoke drawing his saber back for a deadly blow.
Snoke gave a grotesquely mischievous smile and lifted the fingers on his hand lazily. Kylo slammed back through the air as he whiffed his vicious slash. Kylo was violently thrown to the floor with a thud. His lightsaber flew out of his hand sending red sparks across the glossy cavernous floor.
Snoke’s cackles echoed loudly through the room filling Kylo’s ears. Kylo’s head throbbed painfully causing his eyes to water. He lifted his head to see Snoke gracefully walking down the steps towards him.
“Master of darkness indeed,” he chuckled darkly. “Your anger gives you strength, but you let it blind you to foolishness.”
Kylo hoisted his upper body up and gazed at the ever more imposing figure. He slid himself backwards slightly, fear pulsing through his body. He couldn’t defeat his master. He was weak.
“Now you have allowed a new force to awaken,” Snoke said, gracefully reseating himself on his throne.
“Skywalker will have her become a jedi and now…” Snoke paused staring at Kylo intensely, “now we must kill them both.”
Kylo quickly pulled himself up from the ground and knelt before Snoke, bowing his head.
“I will redeem myself master.” Kylo said still staring intently at the ground.
“Yes…” Snoke said eyeing him carefully as a malicious grin spread across his face, “…we shall see.”
Kylo looked up at his master praying that he would be able to leave the hall. Snoke suddenly reached out both of his hands. Kylo furrowed his brows slightly in confusion. He opened his mouth to speak, but it was too late.
Brilliant, sparkling blue bolts of lightning erupted from his fingers throwing Kylo violently to the floor.
“ARGHHH!” Kylo writhed in agony yelling.
“You will learn to use your pain!” yelled Snoke barely audible over the crackling lightning and Kylo’s yells. Snoke bared his teeth, forcefully gesticulating his hands at Kylo. Kylo’s yells intensified. He writhed on the floor in agony, pain shooting through his spine.
Snoke finally lowered his hands stopping the lightning. Kylo lay spread-eagled on his back, smoke emanating from his body. Excruciating waves of pain flooded his body making him gasp for air.
Snoke breathed in deeply inhaling the lust of his power. “The pain increases your power. Focus it into your anger.”
Kylo groaned as his eyes began watering. He blinked his eyes mashing his eyelids down attempting to hold back tears. But a single tear escaped, glistening as it fell across his cheek. He opened his eyes glaring furiously at Snoke.
“Feel the anger coursing through your veins,” Snoke mused emphatically, closing his eyes to sense the force.
Kylo’s breathing was labored and ragged. He took several seconds to settle his breathing to a more even rhythm. Kylo closed his eyes and focused on his feelings, becoming fully aware of his aching joints still reeling from the intense shock. His face twitched angrily as he thought of killing his master. He pushed aside those thoughts. Not yet.
Snoke closed his eyes sensing his apprentice. “You wish to kill me…” he smiled wickedly.
Kylo felt his limbs go cold. How did he know?
“Your anger fuels your power. Channel that anger towards Skywalker. Kill your former master and the girl...then you will be unstoppable,” Snoke said grimacing with ferocity.
He slowly paced around Kylo’s body examining him, coldly calculating his thoughts.
“Now…go,” Snoke said turning his back to Kylo, gracefully beginning to walk back up the steps to his throne. “Meditate on your failures. Learn from them.”
Kylo saw his chance. A thought flashed through his mind. Kill him now! Kylo reached for his lightsaber and it flung towards him swiftly from across the room. Suddenly the weapon ignited prematurely and shifted it’s path tumbling towards him.
Kylo’s eyes widened in horror as the crackling crimson sliced cleanly through his wrist. Kylo’s gloved hand fell to the floor and the smell of burned flesh overwhelmed his senses. Kylo stared in shock at the cauterized stump on his right arm. His sheathed lightsaber skidded across the floor clattering into the foot of the glossy obsidian steps.
“I told you not to let your anger cloud your judgement,” Snoke growled over his shoulder at the crumpled heap of black fabric.
Kylo gasped for breath and gaping in shock at his decapitated appendage. Intense agony and fear filled his mind. Kylo staggered to his feet weakly clutching his wounded arm. Unable to think, he whisked himself away from the throne, stumbling to hurry away.
“Perhaps this will teach you that lesson,” Snoke stated with a tone of finality as he sat down on his throne. Snoke eyed Kylo carefully as he staggered away hastily, groaning in pain.
Kylo’s lightsaber and appendage lay on the glimmering dark floor conspicuously. No thought was given to their recovery, only one thought dominated his mind - get away from here.
Kylo breathed heavily as panic flooded now his senses. This creature, his master, was a monster. And he knew that his abilities were no match.
