WARNING: This story contains spoilers from Star Wars Episode VII

This story is rated M (16+) for language, graphic images and sexual content.

Enjoy.

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3 MONTHS AGO….

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"Presenting Her Royal Majesty, Tazaar Sangramoria, Queen of Noctem."

The herald's tone made her name sound like a sacred song. A slow and mighty wave from the loud chant had spread within the great hall, sweeping over every being in the form of silent genuflections. The ladies and gentlemen of the royal court, who dared not sully this moment with any less than perfection, postured themselves on their knees with the purest grace. As they kowtowed, the males poised themselves to look as strong and shapely as marble statues. Likewise did the females present themselves lovely enough that any artist looking upon them would be tantalized with the urge to paint them. Indeed, even when showing humbleness in times like these did the vampires of the planet Noctem live up to their reputation as a people of show.

Following along with the others and kneeling as presentably as possible, Kylo Ren was stung with insecurity by the spectacle around him. He wanted to demonstrate his respect while maintaining an impressively dark, formidable image, but he feared inelegance would skew this impression if anyone from the court noticed. It was grossly off-putting in the first place that his face was completely visible, rather than being hidden by his helmet as usual. Unfortunately, he did not have the option to wear it; the vampires insisted that the hood and helmet stay off if he was to be in their monarch's presence—a common rule enforced prior to entry into the throne room. Thus, all hats, hoods and helmets were off, including the dark knight's fearsome relic, now held tightly to his side, still bearing its black, inhuman gaze. No other gesture could have made the man feel any more belittled and somewhat vulnerable. Far from the first impression he aimed to give, even to a queen.

A doorway in the right corner of the throne room became the focal point of every eye. Realizing he was now seconds away from being face to face with this crowd's most glorified lady, Ren forced his lack of confidence out of his thoughts so that he could maintain his strict, serious composure. After all, he was representing the First Order aside from himself. To embody the empire as any less than mighty was probably the last thing Supreme leader Snoke would want, especially from his apprentice.

But watching what emerged from that doorway instantly swept Ren's troubling thoughts away under his consciousness. Now, he was fully drawn into the moment by what was manifesting before his eyes. What was additionally astonishing were the vampires' reactions to it as opposed to the reaction of a foreigner like himself. Like a powerful wind, the moment was all so moving that it blew outward the true air of the people of Noctem for Kylo Ren to breathe in.

First in the royal procession were four palace guards. These guards flowed into the room looking like ghosts carved out of the night sky. Their tall, strong bodies were shrouded in robes, hoods and masks as black as midnight, and their slender weapons shimmered in the light like stars. Their graceful uniform march produced a single beat of boots clicking against marble; they maintained this tune even as they stationed themselves around a large throne riddled with dark blue and silver. Two stood to each side of this chair while the others stood further out diagonally from them, planted at the bottom of steps to the throne's wide platform.

The next in this parade was a rather interesting looking individual, at least in Kylo Ren's eyes. This being, although striking, had a visage that radiated with menacing strength and fierceness. Ren carefully examined every feature, for he was confused as to who or what this being was. Towering over the guards at about seven feet tall with a large, muscle-padded body frame, he certainly did not look to be a vampire. With tan skin, dark eyes and long black hair tied up in a ponytail, the male looked closer to being human, even though this was questionable based on his size, so Ren assumed he was either an abnormally large human or another race of the like. Even more puzzling was the male's real purpose for being here, for he did not seem to carry any weapon, nor did his attire characterize him as a member of the royal family. Perhaps he was another guard. Regardless, here he was, now standing in front of a guard beside the throne.

Then came in a far more alluring sight. After the strange male, six young handmaidens proceeded into the throne room. Without a doubt, Ren had seen many handmaidens of a wide range of looks in the past, especially those back in the empire. Even so, it was obvious that the queen had an impeccable taste when it came to choosing handmaidens. With skin as pure and smooth as porcelain, these girls did not look anywhere beyond their adolescent years. The makeup on their oval-shaped faces had exaggerated every significant feature of their beauty, most notably their bright eyes and their ample lips. Their virgin bodies were adorned with lustrous silk robes of elaborate colors and patterns, and their glossy hair was done up in various ways with all sorts of glittering jewels and hairpins. With three standing on each side of the throne, these fair girls looked no different from dolls on a display shelf. The most beautiful dolls. Her dolls. All for the people to see.

And then she came in.

Her face was kissed with the soft gazes of her court.

Kylo Ren inhaled deeply through his nose. His breath halted when almond-shaped, vermillion eyes from afar had captured him within their view.

His response? He could only stare right back at them. No need to break the meeting of their eyes to humble himself. As regal as they were, such eyes did not beam with pride. Rather, they were inviting.

So gradually did the corners of her lips turn upward, emphasizing the messages of her red orbs.

"And presenting her Royal Highness, Giazem Sangramoria."

Following a few feet from behind approached the other royal, dressed as elegantly as her elder sister was. Possessing similar crimson eyes, she scanned over the faces of the court before her eyes briefly fixated on the human in the center of the hall. The princess's face was blank, yet as Ren looked at her more closely, her gaze was tainted with a look not as inviting as the queen's. Rather, they emitted a slight, silent scorn. Ren was not the only one to receive it though. She displayed it to nearly everyone in the court, maintaining it while she stood near the throne on the opposite side from the unusual man.

In her splendor and grace, Queen Tazaar stood in front of her throne. Appearing calm and content, the young lady observed everyone in the hall. Then, without a word, she outstretched her slender arms, palms upward, motioning for the kneeling crowd to rise.

In accordance, everyone including the human guest stood back up.

"Kylo Ren," said Tazaar. Her voice was assertive yet softened with charm. At the same time, the eyes of the court turned from her to the man she had addressed.

Ren exhaled slowly and quietly. His pale face was expressionless but serious.

"A pleasure for you to visit us. Your presence is soothing."

"The pleasure is mine, Your Majesty," replied the human.

"The Supreme Leader's apprentice, aren't you?" Surprisingly, her voice was now almost as if in a normal conversation with him.

"I am,… Your Majesty." One of the guards had almost shot a glare at Ren, prepared to judge him for forgetting the phrase "Your Majesty." Thankfully, the Sith was able to save himself in the nick of time.

Tazaar's silk robe brushed against the floor as she started to walk forward. The beads intertwined into her dark brown hair rattled a little as she walked down the steps, passing in between the cloaked guards and slowly approaching Ren. Not sure what the vampire was about to do, the Sith vigilantly watched her stop only two feet in front of him. She was about a head shorter than he was, but her confidence and nobility prevented her from appearing fragile. Keeping her soft smile and eyeing him up and down, she drew in his curiosity even more and started to walk around him. With much intrigue did she envelop him in her sight, her glances seeming to caress every detail of her human visitor.

As this went on, Kylo Ren felt amazed, but he felt a little uneasy. It had been a while since someone physically came this close to him without once feeling afraid or trembling. Did Tazaar have any idea what this man was capable of doing? She very likely did. Yes, she was a monarch and was newly acquainted with the First Order. She was probably aware that he could not do anything to her at this moment, let alone threaten her or touch her. Even so, he was at least expecting her to keep her distance. But she did not.

When she was finished, the queen stood in front of him yet again. Looking satisfied, she let out a soft hum. "A human in his blossoming years," she finally said. "So young. So strong. So lively…. Snoke has chosen well."

"…. Thank you, Your Majesty," responded Ren. He nodded his head slightly. It seemed somewhat random for her to give such a compliment. Nonetheless, it was flattering.

"Hmmm, and speaking of…." Her smile suddenly grew wider, and she started to charmingly motion with her finger as she spoke. "He sent you here to do some fun little business with me, hmm?"

Ren was starting to feel a little more thrown off by Tazaar's slight change of deportment. Never had he heard a ruler speak to him the way she did, especially in such a formal situation. To keep their superior image, nobles would typically detach themselves and avoid expressing any emotion or personality whatsoever. Bu this one…. She was not only doing the exact opposite. Instead of standing off, she drew in. She started to sound less like a queen and more like a saleswoman. Plus, he was getting the feeling that, to a degree, she was flirting with him.

Still, he was fine with this. Better an unorthodox queen than some snobby little bitch.

"He told me you have something for me, Your Majesty."

"Of course, my gift to the First Order," she said. "My little donation to your cause…. Well, okay, 'donation' isn't the right word…. I'm returning a favor, if you will."

Ren kept silent.

The vampire continued, "For your information, Kylo Ren,… most civilizations have foolishly misjudged Noctem in the past. As a result, they never wanted anything to do with us. Not even during our hardest times would anyone come to our aid, nor would anyone accept our help, despite all the wondrous assets of my people…. Our soldiers, our medicine, our riches, you name it! Everything under the Noctem moon….

"And what do the majority of them want?..." Tazaar frowned and sighed. Her voice turned into a whisper. "Nothing….. Zip!...

"And do you want to know why, Kylo Ren?"

Again, the Sith was quiet. The answer was an obvious no.

"Because it's simple… We're vampires," she replied, followed by a scoff. "Racists…. Go figure…"

The queen had to be hinting at the negative reputation of her kind. From members of the First Order, Ren had only heard bits of rumors about the race's narcissism, greediness and "lack of morals." But frankly, the Sith knew very little about the vampires, other than from old tales. Not very often would anyone speak of them these days. This was because so few had ever encountered a vampire in decades. In fact, many believed that these mysterious immortals were extinct.

Tazaar's smile returned to her glossy lips. "Now, your Supreme Leader, on the other hand… Oh, gods bless his soul. If only I met more leaders like him… He has the wisdom to see us without prejudice. And it was beyond generous of him to show some interest in befriending our beautiful planet… For the past few years, we've been dealing with some very tough times, thanks to economic setbacks and famine. But now…. Now, Snoke has given me and my people hope for the future. Without a doubt, your empire has a fair chance against the Resistance with that fabulous new toy of yours… Oh, what do you call it?... Starkiller, right?...

"Mmmmmmmm, how about that plus some extra man-power of my people? With that combination, the Resistance will crumble like a cookie… And, like two happy little children, the First Order and Noctem can nibble on the crumbs and flourish...

"Such a happy ending it would be, wouldn't it, Kylo Ren?" With dreamy eyes, the queen was now grinning sweetly and wide enough that Ren was able to see her fangs.

"It will certainly benefit us," understated the Sith.

"Now, anyways, back to my contribution," said Tazaar. Looking over to the side, she stretched her arm out, making a gesture with her slender fingers. "Gentlemen, please come forth."

Following the queen's orders, Ren could see some extra movement in the crowd from the corner of his eye. From this part of the crowd emerged a line of three full-grown males in black robes, walking out into the center of the great hall. As neatly displayed as everyone else did these men line themselves up and spread out right behind Tazaar, standing straight with feet together and hands at their sides. Ren's dark eyes observed each one of them carefully. These individuals, looking young, fit and healthy, were indubitably vampires like almost everyone else in the court. What made these males stand out—at least to Ren—was the unusual, pulsating rift of energy beaming from them.

Then, paying closer attention to this energy, Ren realized something. His heart started to thump harder in his chest. Every nerve cell in his body began to scream from the stimulation. These were force-sensitives.

"I was aware that you and Snoke were seeking more to join the Knights of Ren," said Tazaar, "and I figured that Snoke would want more gentlemen of your type. Lo and behold, such men exist right here on my planet. My species is fruitful with them, but here I have for you today are the crème of the crop. Look at them….. Beautiful beings, aren't they?...

"Well, don't be shy. Come close. Take a good look at them. Feel their power."

Ren slowly walked up to the three candidates. Tazaar watched the human pass her and only looked with excitement. One by one, each of the males was heavily examined by the Sith. None of them flinched or stirred, even as Ren stared intensely into every set of their steel-blue irises, reading them ever so diligently, searching their power, watching out for any flaws or frailties. Indeed, he was amazed by what he discovered within these beings.

"Well? What do you think?"

Ren turned to her. "I'll bring them to my master, Your Majesty. He will be pleased."

A joyful breath sounded from the queen's lips. "Perfect," she whispered. "He won't be disappointed."

The human Sith nodded.

Tazaar faced her candidates. "Gentlemen, you are dismissed now," she said to them. "And have your bags ready, my lovely heroes. You're going to the empire. Should their Supreme Leader see you fit to become knights of Ren, then may you thrive and grow under his guidance. Serve him well, do us proud, and show the First Order the true power of the people of Noctem.

"Ah… And before I forget,…" Tazaar turned back to the raven-haired man. "Kylo Ren, you and your men are invited to enjoy a beautiful Noctemian evening in my palace. We will have all kinds of entertainment for you. I will show you an enchanting night that so few mortals have ever experienced."

"You're too kind, Your Majesty…"

"And… Kylo Ren…"

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

Tazaar came close to him. The Sith was surprised with the most unexpected sensation. What occurred next, as soothing as it was, had injected an eerie chill into his body. His nerves were greeted by a caress that nearly felt like a butterfly landing on his shoulder. He looked down to where the feeling was coming from. There he saw the vampire's small, soft hand, resting on the black fabric of his surcoat.

Her next words, as soft and tender as her touch, made his respiration stall.

"Please…. From now on, call me Tazaar… Will you?"

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((TO BE CONTINUED….))