Chapter One

I'm building this house on the moon like a lost astronaut...

"Bring her to me."

The Supreme Leader was clear in his order. Kylo Ren lowered his eyes from the giant hologram before looking to General Hux, standing next to him with a tight jaw and his eyes straight ahead.

Only a handful of Resistance X-Wings, his father, the Wookie, the traitor, and her. That's all it took to destroy the greatest weapon the galaxy could even think to perceive. And Snoke was blaming Armitage Hux.

Kylo had received his own earful, with the only blame of losing Rey falling on Kylo's shoulders. Even that was lessened at the admiration the Supreme Leader had for Kylo, who had mercilessly cut down Han Solo. The wound on his face was angry and stung, but nowhere near as bad as having killed Han. He might as well have stabbed himself through with his own lightsaber.

Hux looked to Kylo and he could see the man's jaw muscles flex. He didn't have to try to see the man was angry at him. Kylo took a deep breath in before turning and making his way out of the room, his boots clicking against the ground with his long strides.

"This is your final task," Snoke stopped him halfway to the door. Kylo didn't turn around, instead he stood stiff, mere feet from the exit. "Do not fail." Without an answer Kylo began walking again, finally out of the room and leaving Hux to what awaited.

Outside the room he remained as rigid and intimidating as possible. He didn't like walking around the Finalizer without his helmet, but it was lost with the Star Killer Base. So he walked with his shoulders slightly back, and his spine straight, and always with a look on his face like he might kill the next person to look at him.

He made his way down to the control center first, looking for Captain Phasma. His very presence was enough to put the crew on edge, everyone looked uncomfortable or frightened, except for Phasma. Kylo contributed it partly to her helmet and partly to her height.

"Sir," she greeted him, stoic.

"I need you and your best men ready to leave within a day." Kylo tried to avoid his own reflection in her chrome armor and immaculate black lenses as he spoke to her.

"Do we have a mission?" She asked him, still as she spoke and Kylo thought of her like a statue.

"A manhunt," he answered her shortly.

"We will be ready," she complied after a moment of silence. Kylo didn't respond to her, instead he turned and left as quickly as he had come. He hated that everyone could see the face he had to share with his former self. From there he made is way to communicate with the rest of the Knights of Ren.

Kylo sat in near darkness, Darth Vader's burned back before him. There was utter silence in the room, Kylo sitting with his eyes closed and facing the mask, meditating in a way. His thoughts were of what Snoke had told him before Rey had escaped, about his weakness being compassion for the girl. How could he not feel that way?

A low growl left his lips as he opened his eyes and was met with Vader's mask. "I will not be seduced," he said with determination. "But I need your guidance." Please. The plea never left his lips, even though he was alone in the room. He wasn't in a position to beg from the dead. He, instead, reached out with the Force, trying to sense any change in energy from the helmet. Instead what he felt was a darkness moving along the halls towards his chamber. The Knights of Ren had arrived.

Kylo Ren stood from the foot of his bed. He was already ready to leave, he had been ready to get off the Finalizer the moment the Star Killer Base had been reborn as a new sun.

The door slid open for him and he stepped into the hallway, to see the seven Knights of Ren making their way towards him. They stopped before him and bowed their heads for a moment.

"We brought you gifts," the woman in front stated, Zora Ren. Two more knights moved forward, one holding a helmet to him and he took it, a slight feeling of relief flooding through him. The face of the helmet wasn't too entirely different than what he had before, the helmet itself was the same as the other knights. It still had the chrome detailing on it, however it was new. New and virgin to battle. He moved to put the helmet on, deciding he would have to do something about it being so new when he saw the second gift. It was a cape, heavy black fabric folded in the Knight's arms with a chain clasp. Kylo recognized it immediately.

Before Kylo could reach out to even touch it, the knight who had handed him the helmet moved behind him to help him out of his cloak, the one that had been singed and burned while battling Rey. The second draped the heavy cape around his shoulders and the weight of it almost made him smile.

Looking back to Zora, he saw she had taken her helmet off to fully appreciate Darth Vader's cape around Kylo's shoulders. Her light brunette hair was done up in braids to keep the curls close to her head with the helmet on. She was happy, her bright green-blue eyes showed Kylo that although her mouth was relaxed. "Where did you find this?" He asked her, still resisting the urge to smile.

"It's my understanding we have a long journey ahead of us, perhaps I'll tell you," she told him and the pair began to walk forward, both of them replacing their helmets and the six other knights following suit.

"It depends on how fast we find our girl," Kylo answered her, the distortion over his voice from the mask made him feel almost as good as Vader's cape.

"Who are we looking for?" Zora asked him, keeping pace with her shorter legs, although she did turn to glance at him.

Kylo didn't respond to her at first, pondering his answer. "A scavenger from Jakku."

"The Supreme Leader has us chasing a girl from Jakku?" Zora was shocked for a moment before she could probe Kylo further.

"You saw what she did to me," Kylo's jaw was tight, most of his excitement leaving him. Zora was silent to him, as the knights crowded a lift and made their way down to the ship bay.

His shuttle was already prepped, along with two others, forming a short staggering row. Before them, Kylo made out General Hux and Captain Phasma, along with twelve Stormtroopers.

"I hope you have an explanation for taking Captain Phasma along with you on this escapade," Hux had his arms behind his back in a formal manner, however Kylo knew he was furious.

"She's a formidable ally," Kylo offered his answer, knowing it would do nothing to please Hux.

"And do you have any idea how long you'll be gone?"

"Do you have plans for her?" Kylo asked him in return and the general clenched his jaw. "You can help us return faster if you finally locate Luke Skywalker."

"We've been tasked with finding the scavenger, not Luke." Armitage Hux had the courage to argue with Kylo in front of his knights and in front of Captain Phasma and the handful of Stormtroopers. Right in the middle of the ship bay.

"Rey will be with Luke," Kylo explained with a short temper and Hux rose one of his eyebrows at the use of Rey's name. Don't you dare, don't you say anything, Kylo silently warned him. Fortunately Hux knew his boundaries and stepped aside for Kylo.

"Travel safe," he told Kylo and the Knights of Ren mockingly as Phasma ordered the Stormtroopers to split between the two other shuttles, only two following the knights, a pilot and copilot.