I don't really know what to tell you. I normally figure out a story for months before even putting it into writing. I went to vacation with the Game of Thrones book and watched The Force Awakens, and this is the weird baby that resulted from that. I hope it's good? I certainly do hope you enjoy it!

Kylo Ren was not a happy man.

A suitable state of mind, he supposed, for one seeking to lose himself in the shadowed pathways of the Dark Side of the Force, one who sought to follow in a Sith's footsteps.

Still, conflict raged within the confines of his mind. He had thought the bothersome spark of Light within him vanquished when he had proven himself strong enough in the Darkness as to destroy such an important piece of the past as was the man who had sired him, but it remained - worse still, it shone even brighter, a luminous beacon of hope amongst the roiling currents of rage and hatred that fuelled his power, his ascent to the glorious level that only a Dark Lord like his grandfather could have achieved.

Distasteful. The only hope he wished to care for was that his Master would see him as fit to continue his training.

He strode heavily, fully suited, towards the Supreme Leader now - or at least, to the holographic projection Snoke chose to deal with every member of the First Order worth his attention. Not even Kylo Ren could claim to have met him in person since the first phase of his training had ended, more than seven years past.

His gait was slower than usual. He still bore the scars given to him by the scavenger, the girl who had dared to test his abilities and won. She'd certainly caught his interest, with such raw potential; he'd even admitted as much to her, willing to show her the path to the Dark Side. Her power had caught him unaware, and the fresh scars he bore, complete with a prosthetic knee and stiff waist were both a mark of shame, and an interesting prospect for the next time they would surely meet.

He arrived at the darkened room, only to find Hux's smug visage staring back at him in contempt.

"Late again, Lord Ren?" -he sneered.

"Recovering from crushing defeat. I'm sure you can relate." -Kylo answered dryly.

Hux stiffened visibly. "A minor setback, nothing more. The Republic is ruined once more, and the First Order still has fleets, men and…"

Kylo Ren resisted the urge to snort. "My Master's words sound empty coming from you. We failed, and the artificial star we currently orbit is more than enough proof."

The larger than life image of the Supreme Leader of the First Order filled the room.

"Well spoken, my apprentice. Insignificant though it may be, your failure has been noted, General. Perhaps your next assignment under Kylo Ren will prove your worth." -Snoke said.

The already pale General blanched, but nodded feverishly. "I serve at your leisure, Supreme Leader."

The Leader chuckled derisively. "At Lord Ren's leisure, now. Leave us, and await further instructions."

Hux's lips thinned to a line, but he bowed and walked away swiftly. Ren's eyes narrowed haughtily behind his mask, but then he kneeled before his Master. "I am ready, my Lord. I have cast off the last of my shackles, and I am eager to follow the Dark path. Teach me."

"HAH! The last of your shackles, indeed. The smuggler's death pleased me, but make no mistake: it is but one drop of blood out of the necessary bleed-out. The Light taints you Kylo Ren. Distance is no object for a being such as myself, and I can assure you: I can feel that Ben Solo yet lives, and he shall survive so long as the Resistance General and the old Jedi survive." -Snoke sneered leaning forward.

Kylo grit his teeth, ashamed. "Then I shall slay them, as well."

Snoke leaned back on his throne. "Is that so? Like you slayed the scavenger, and the traitor?"

"Meaningless pawns in the game. The true enemy is Skywalker, not that scum from Jakku." -he assured, loathingly.

"If you truly believe that, then you are as hopeless as I feared. The girl holds the past in her hands, and she will bring it back if left unchecked."

Ren frowned. "Lord Vader's lightsaber?"

"And all it represents. A great weapon capable of great evil or good. No sword in history has ever held such significance as your grandfather's blade. What you ruined for that fool, Skywalker, she could restore. But enough of that...at the very least, you have planted the seeds of the Dark Side in the girl, and for that, you shall be rewarded. Rise, Kylo Ren."

The darksider did as his Master bid. "I will finish my training?"

Snoke nodded gravely. "The Darkness festers within you. Before I can teach you the remainder of my knowledge, it must be exposed. The late Lord Vader's first real step in embracing the Dark Side was the murder of the inhabitants of the Jedi Temple. Men, women and children alike fell to his blade, and the fire of his soldiers."

Kylo nodded. "I slaughtered Ben Solo's brothers and sisters in arms because of it."

"A fair fight, given your fellow Knights aided you. Yet power is not fair. It is wielded by the strongest, and destroys the weak. In a distant corner of the galaxy lies a primitive world, one that has not yet discovered electricity, yet wields great power, which they believe to be magical in nature." -Snoke mused.

Ren scoffed. He thought it pathetic, that worlds still existed that did not match the standards of the galaxy in terms of civilization and technology.

Snoke grinned crookedly. "You think them lesser, and rightly so. Yet you would do well in respecting power, no matter who wields it."

The Leader closed his eyes, and relayed his sacred orders. "You will conquer their lands and enthrall their people, all in the name of the First Order. You shall have no more than a legion at your disposal, and the Destroyer you command will turn into your fort. There will be no way to contact anyone off world, and, should you fail, no one to save you. You will succeed within a year, or not succeed at all."

Kylo Ren closed his eyes, embracing his new mission. "What of the Jedi?"

"Oh, I imagine they'll be here...if you return. Go now, Kylo Ren. Do not hesitate, have no mercy." -Snoke ordered, and disappeared.

One year. Little time in the grand scheme of things, yet a harder task than he might've originally thought. But he would succeed, just as Darth Vader had before, and before long, the First Order would rule as the Empire had.

And the first to suffer his wrath would be the scavenger of Jakku.