A/N: Thank you to my Beta Readers HMWeasley, CaptainNinapants, Deejaymil, and Cyres.

It was pointed out that not everyone knows what the dates in Star Wars mean. BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) ABY (After the Battle of Yavin/A New Hope Ep IV). Enjoy!

I use elements from canon and EU because it's a lot more fun that way.

Chapter 1

35 ABY

Moving through the city-covered planet of Coruscant was unusually easy, even for two high profile individuals. On the levels above, the large buildings of the elite were at a stand still. Speeders and ships that usually zipped briskly through the never-ending skyline were scarce. The people who were always in a hurry and moving were locked in their homes, waiting. Ever since the destruction of the Hosnian system the liveliness of the ever bustling planet had been replaced by frozen fear. The sudden appearance of a member of the First Order should have incited a chaotic war, but no one seemed to be around to notice.

On the lower levels life continued on in its quiet shadow because it had to. The people needed to eat. So, shopkeepers continued to trade, thieves stole, and assassins killed. Below the surface, no one cared what you did or who you were, as long as they got paid. Above the people hid. Below they survived.

A large, hooded figure wearing a black and chrome mask walked quickly through the alleyways that smelled of sour sewage. His companion was a red-haired man in a cloak who made no attempt to cover his face. After a few turns down narrow passages they arrived at their destination, a common door front.

The red-haired man mumbled a code word to the datapad on the wall and the door slid open. When the figures entered, all that could be seen was an attractive woman standing behind a counter. The dimly lit room was without decoration, cold, and barren. The only thing visible was a sealed door behind the woman.

"How may I help you?" she asked in a light-hearted tone.

"I want to see Nox," the red-haired gentleman said, as more of a command than a request.

"Do you have an appointment?" she asked calmly, in her draping gown of almost see-through ice blue fabric. "No one sees Nox without an appointment."

At this comment, the civil exchange between them shifted. The red-headed man reached over the desk, grabbing the woman by the arm pulling her forward. " I don't care about formalities, woman. I'm General Hux of The First Order. Open the damn door!"

"I'm sorry General," she said, her eyes nervously settling on the silent hooded figure that had entered with him. "If you wish to have dealings with The Grey Syndicate, you have to work by our rules."

"I'm not playing games!" Quickly the General pulled out his blaster and pointed it at her temple. "I will give you to the count of three."

"Once again," she began with a frustrated smile. "you need to understand how we work."

General Hux pressed the blaster against her skin. "One!"

Keeping her eyes trained on the hooded figure, wary of any subtle movement, she replied, "When you walked in those doors the power pack in your blaster was discharged. As I said, you must follow our rules if you wish to conduct business."

In a moment of rage, he pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. She glanced at Hux with a triumphant smirk, to which he responded by throwing his blaster to the ground. Foul expletives escaped his lips as he looked ready to grab her again, but she showed no interest in The General anymore. Her face began to turn away as a whisper warned her to pay more attention to the other man in the room. Her gaze settled on the masked man who had slightly moved to show the silver colored saber he was bearing. A weapon she knew he could wield very well and a weapon that was unaffected by her security measures.

"You will be paid," the hooded man spoke, his voice low, with a synthetic reverb through his mask. "No games. Both parties bound by a guild's contract and Syndicate-Hutt agreement."

Her breath quickened as she saw his hand settle on the handle of the saber on his hip. This scenario, tense, and uncomfortable, wasn't exactly how she had imagined seeing him again would feel like. She had hoped her trick would be the spark that frustrated him enough to leave.

"I am not leaving."

She twitched, knowing he was slipping into her thoughts. Her mind needed to be made up quick. In hand to hand combat against him, she would lose. If she played nice, just this one, maybe, he would finally let her be.

"Fine," she spat, pushing General Hux aside heading towards the door. "But, you better be offering a lot!"

The hooded man let her lead. After a few buttons were pushed the door began to slide open for them.

"He stays," she snapped, pointing at the General. "Next time don't point a blaster at me."

The woman and her hooded guest entered as the large door slammed shut, leaving Hux in stunned silence.

Inside was a rather ornate office. Ornate for this area of the underworld, that was. It had several decorative swords and blasters on the wall from different eras. Paintings and sculptures covered mantels and side tables. It resembled a diplomat's drawing room on Naboo, rather than the office of a crime boss in Coruscant. It wasn't her taste at all.

"What do you want?" she asked gruffly, her delicate appearance was not matching her attitude as she leaned on her desk. Her hand slid behind her as she searched blindly for her blaster hidden in the desk. Her fingers grazed over the trigger.

"Drop the illusion, Nox." he ordered.

Triumphant at finding her weapon, she replied back, mimicking his tone. "Take off the mask, Kylo."

He hesitated briefly before doing as she asked and revealed his face. She tried not to look too interested, wondering if he looked any different.

Their faces met and she was relieved that a familiar face was before her and not a beast of some kind. He had the same long features, same stupid mouth, but now with a long slash across his face, recently healed from what she could see.

"What happened to your face?" she scoffed.

"Drop it," he said, ignoring her question.

Automatically, she put the blaster back down on her desk and closed her eyes. The body before him of the strikingly beautiful creature melted into a fog, leaving a much shorter woman in its place. Her appearance was child-like beneath the assortment of thug-like piercings and hair dyed with extreme colors. All purposely added to ward off anyone from thinking that because she was small, she was weak.

"You have five minutes," she said, settling back to wait.

"I need the Knights of Ren."

"Thrilling, go get them," she sighed, crossing her tanned arms that had the spiny swirl of the tattoo-like markings of the Nightsisters. In fact, her whole body was covered, from her half shaved head to her muscular, but squat legs.

Kylo walked over to her. He moved gracefully, but with purpose. "I need the Grey to find them. I hear you are the best. You can find anyone." His mouth curled in a slightly crooked smile.

"Don't flatter me," she replied, her nose scrunched up. "It doesn't suit you." He stared at her silently. Her voice turned sing-song and mocking. "Four minutes."

"We will pay you 100,000 credits to find them," he replied, finding a seat in front of her.

"Per Knight?" she asked sweetly.

"That's ridiculous."

She hopped off the desk and headed for the door abruptly. "Sorry, I won't help you then."

Kylo stared at his helmet for a moment. "You cannot expect the First Order-"

"To what?" she said, her anger creeping through. "Properly pay us? What makes you think the Knights want to be found, or even want to come back to you and that worm? We will have to delve into some very dangerous places to find them. It's a suicide mission, so yes, The Grey demands proper payment. Six knights, 600,000 credits."

Kylo didn't jump out of his seat, although she expected him to. He didn't grab and yell at her like a situation such as this would usually cause. He sat void of feeling.

"500,000. You can't include yourself in the final sum," he said calmly.

Nox replied automatically almost in a trance, " 500,000. I can't include myself in the final sum."

She blinked for a moment, then looked up at him. The Grey Syndicate could take the sum and run. Simply vanish and he would never know. Simple. Why was it simple? Her mind tried to organize her thoughts. What was he hiding? If she had more time she could attune to his mind and gather some information. Past experience, however, had proven that digging through the inner workings of Kylo Ren's psyche was never easy or safe. Maybe it was best to avoid it altogether.

Their eyes were locked. There was no sense of danger or fun behind his. Just… nothing. Was 500,000 credits worth it? She observed the heavily decorated office of her Syndicate. The crew she employed would never forgive her if she didn't accept that payment. Right? She was certain she was right. Never turn down a deal your crew will kill you for. Wasn't that what Prime Ren used to say?

"We do not get penalized for any that may be already dead," she said, remembering Prime. " If we hunt them down and they turn up buried from a blaster bolt in their head, you are still paying us for our time."

"Of course."

She breathed out loudly, then showed a tight smile.

"Then," she muttered. "the Grey Syndicate is ready to do business with The First Order."

She felt nauseated and tired. How long had they been talking? It felt exhausting just being near him.

They did the formal signing on a datapad to solidify the deal in silence. The first half of the credits were immediately deposited into the Grey account. Formal and by the book.

Kylo stood up, looking down at her. A brief moment passed between them. She could have sworn she saw his brows furrow and a slight look of sadness overcome him.

"You could have become anything," he said with disappointment.

With that, she was done and wanted him far from her."Be like you, you mean? I don't need to be anyone's puppet."

"What do you call this?" he sighed lazily. "One of many nameless assassins people hire to do their bidding."

"No, little boy." She laughed darkly, pressing the door panel open. "I am the only one that has a name. I'm sure you can let yourself out."

Kylo put his mask back on and left swiftly, grabbing Hux as he hurried out through the door.

She watched them leave through her cameras. Once she was sure he was far enough away, she jumped behind her desk, opening a hatch below the seat. She crawled quickly down a steep ladder. It connected to a series of underground walkways, which she navigated with ease. When she arrived at a large blast door, she punched in the security code and entered.

Inside was a large room with a handful of the Syndicate's ruffians, drinking and killing time until they were called on.

As she entered, they all stopped and faced her attentively.

"Guess who wants us back?" she grunted as she entered the room.

A/N: Been a decade since I wrote fanfiction. Wooo! Would really love some feedback. Thank you!

Picture of Nox shifting from the receptionist into her normal form. :)

Galya4 dot deviantart dot com/art/Nox-600375199