15: FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS
Mimban
Kylo had been the first one to spot the arriving starfighter, but it had been Vicrul who had alerted the others. As the Knights of Ren gathered outside the Temple of Pomojema, they watched as the sleek ship landed in the clearing in front of them. The cockpit opened up as a young man with blond hair stood up and climbed out of the fighter.
So far, the time they had spent on Mimban had yet to yield any shards of the Kaiburr Crystal. Their journey had led them here to the crystal’s former resting place, a temple erected in worship of the deity that natives called Pomojema. While there were still no signs of any crystals, Kylo could not help but feel a great power radiating from the temple. He had said as much to Ren, who gruffly dismissed him and told him to focus on the search.
Now their search had been put on pause until dealt with this trespasser. Cardo raised his arm cannon, ready to shoot the young man dead then and there, but Ren put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
“Let’s not be too hasty,” Ren said quietly. “We might have a new recruit on our hands.”
“We don’t need any more recruits,” Trudgen grunted. “We have enough members as it is.”
Ren inclined his head towards his right-hand man. “Who calls the shots here?”
Trudgen sighed heavily, the sound amplified by his mask. “You do….”
“Right. Now shut up.”
As the young man approached the Knights of Ren, he regarded them with a heavy air of skepticism. Kylo noticed that a lightsaber hilt hanged from his belt and he glanced over to see if Ren had noticed it as well. The Master of the Knights made no indication that he had as he extended an arm to the stranger.
“Hello there,” Ren said, his cordial tone contrasting with his and the other Knights’ fearsome appearances. “What brings you here to Mimban?”
The man eyed him evenly before answering. “My name is Karre,” he said. “As far as I know, I am the last member of the Children of Vader.”
Kylo did not recognize the name but Ren shifted slightly as if he did. “Is that right? Things didn’t go so well, eh?”
“The Gemini has been destroyed… my sister along with it.” Karre took in a breath and let it out. “Ingo Wavlud and the others are dead. I found their bodies on Vjun.”
“How sad,” Ren said, hardly sounding sympathetic. “So is that it, then? Is the whole show over?”
Karre looked to the ground, his shoulders sagging. “I suppose it is.”
“Well, as some people say, when one book closes, it’s time to crack open a new one.” Ren then gestured to the lightsaber hilt hanging from Karre’s belt. “That one real?”
Karre glanced at the hilt and frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“It works? Like a normal lightsaber?”
“Um, yeah. Why?”
“Would you like a place with us?”
Karre looked up at Ren, an eyebrow raised. “Is… that a genuine offer?”
“Course it is. Just one condition.” Ren then pushed Kylo forward. “You have to kill him.”
Kylo spun around to look at Ren incredulously. “What?!”
“Only room on the Buzzard for eight,” Ren said curtly. “It’s either you or him.”
Karre was already shaking his head. “No. Enough blood has been shed today. I’m not killing anyone.”
“Then he’ll kill you.” Ren shrugged. “I really don’t care. Just get this over with so we can leave already.”
Karre started to back away towards his ship, raising his hands. “Look, I don’t… I don’t want any part in this. Let’s just go our separate ways and—”
Kylo snarled as he reached out with his hand, freezing the young man in place. As Karre’s blue-gray eyes widened in fear, Kylo used the Force to summon the lightsaber hilt straight into his other hand. He regarded it for a moment before pressing its activation switch, igniting its blue blade. He then angled the blade and pulled Karre forward, sending the blade right through his chest.
Karre let out a barely audible gasp as the life left his eyes. Kylo then turned off the blade and allowed his body to fall lifelessly to the ground.
“Nice work, kid,” Ren said. He then extended a hand. “Now, the lightsaber.”
Kylo did not move, staring at where Karre’s body laid. “Were you really going to let him kill me?”
“Sure. If you’re not strong enough, then you’re not fit for the Knights of Ren.”
“But I’m your apprentice….”
“Not that I really had a say in the matter. If someone better comes along, don’t think I’ll hesitate to consider replacing you.” Ren’s tone was becoming increasingly more impatient. “Hand over the lightsaber already.”
Kylo reignited the blue blade and swung it at Ren. His master saw the move coming and blocked the attack with his own red blade. As the sabers interlocked, the other Knights of Ren watched on, looking unsure whether to intervene or let them fight.
Leaning in towards Kylo, Ren growled low under his breath. “You don’t wanna do this, kid. Stand down now and we can put this behind us.”
Kylo responded by putting his entire weight into the saber lock, forcing Ren to break off as he stumbled back. Kylo did not wait for him to recover as he charged in for the kill, giving fully into his rage as he unleashed it with every strike of his blade. Ren was able to deflect the first few, but as he backed up the steps into the Temple of Pomojema, Kylo could tell that his defenses were beginning to falter, which only further fueled his attacks.
In time, they were within the main antechamber of the temple, the colors of their blades flashing in the darkness. Ren attacked like a brute, swinging his blade almost like a club, but Kylo was more nimble and was able to dodge his attacks before rejoining with his own strikes. Everything was becoming a red haze to him as he channeled all of his anger into his attacks. Anger at Ren for trying to get him killed. Anger at Ren for keeping secrets. Anger at Ren for not treating him as an equal or a student but as some unwanted hanger-on.
He had had enough of it. If the other Knights weren’t going to respect him, then he would make them. And he knew of only way to do so.
Kylo unleashed a flurry of attacks that were enough to make Ren falter and drop to one knee. This gave Kylo the opening he needed and he sliced the blue blade right through Ren’s wrist, severing his hand and causing his lightsaber to fall to the floor. He then summoned the red blade to his other hand and crossed the sabers at Ren’s neck.
The Master of the Knights of Ren let out an uneasy chuckle. “Okay, kid. I think I get your point. Let’s settle this like gentlemen, eh?”
Kylo glared at him through the slit of his mask. “Here is your good death.”
He then uncrossed the blades. Ren’s mask clattered to the floor as his headless body crumpled into a lifeless heap.
For a long time, Kylo simply stood there in the center of the chamber. He then tossed Ren’s lightsaber aside before opening up the other one, removing its blue kyber crystal. He then held up towards the ceiling and closed his eyes as he focused himself, channeling all of his power, all of his emotions, into the crystal.
Red lightning erupted around him and he cried out in agony as it coursed through his body. Images flashed through his mind; horrific images of painful memories as well as manifestations of his anger and rage. He felt a sharp pain in his head and it felt as if his skull was about to crack open. The crystal pulsed in his hand, feeling as if it was trying to resist him and burn its way out of his hand to get away from all of the dark energies he was pouring into it. But he pressed on, tightening his grip so hard he could have sworn the crystal was beginning to crack.
As instantly as it had begun, the pain receded and the crackling energies ceased, and Kylo collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion. Breathing heavily, he opened his palm to look at the kyber crystal. It burned red in his hand, the palm of his glove having been burned away to reveal the charred skin of his hand. Cracks coursed through the crystal’s surface, threatening to release all of its energies in a burst of energy.
Tossing aside the now-useless hilt of Karre’s lightsaber, Kylo brought out the one they had gotten from Naos—the one that had once belonged to Darth Atrius. Placing the crystal in the hilt, he braced himself as he pressed the ignition switch. From all three emitters, red blades sprung out to form a crossguard shape. The beams of energy were incredibly unstable compared to the blades of a normal lightsaber, including Ren’s. But after a few swings of the weapon, even using it to slice at Ren’s discarded lightsaber, destroying it for good.
Satisfied with his achievement, Kylo stood up and exited the chamber, coming out to stand at the top of the steps with his new lightsaber in hand. The other Knights waited for him below, but his surprise they had been joined by someone else.
Dressed in a extravagant gold and black robe, Snoke stood tall amongst the Knights, who seemed just as startled and surprised by his appearance as Kylo was. He had no idea where his former caretaker had come from, nor did he see any sign of a ship that he could have arrived in.
He was distracted from his thoughts as Snoke raised his arms in greeting, beaming warmly at his former protege.
“It has been so long, Ben,” Snoke said. “Or is it Kylo now?”
“No,” Kylo said quietly. He raised his lightsaber high over his head. “It is Kylo Ren.”
Snoke smiled as he clasped his hands. “And so it shall be. All hail Kylo, Master of the Knights of Ren!”
At once, the other Knights bowed before their new leader, although Vicrul was the last to drop to his knee. They bowed their heads as Kylo Ren descended the steps, coming to stand before Snoke. He stared up at the taller man for a moment before deactivating his lightsaber and kneeling before his former caretaker.
“I pledge myself to your teachings once more… my master,” Kylo Ren said.
Snoke chuckled before motioning him to stand back up. “Rise, my apprentice. There is much work to be done.”
“What happens now?” Kylo Ren asked as he stood.
“A new age is about to begin,” Snoke replied, his tone low. “An age that shall eventually bring the New Republic to its knees and usher in a new order of peace and security. Right now, our first order of business is to pick up the pieces left behind by the Children of Vader so that we may clear the stage for our rise to supremacy.
“Remember this day, my young apprentice, for it is the day that you have decided your true destiny… and decided the fate of the galaxy as a result.”
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