Authors Note:

This book is an idea I had after watching the premier of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I found the character of Kylo Ren and his so called 'Knights' of Ren to be an area for prime creative development. These chapters will follow the young Ben Solo and his equally young companions on their journey from their time of leaving the path of the Jedi and walking a new blurred path between light and dark.

'Ben, it's your turn.'

Master Skywalker stood by the entrance to the crystal caves, his brown cloak draped over a tan tunic of sorts. With hesitation Ben stood up and walked toward the stone doorway, the fear of what he would face in those frozen halls wrenched at his gut. Master Skywalker placed a hand on the young man's shoulder.

'I sense much fear in you my young nephew, let it go. Fear only clouds your judgement.'

'Yes my Master,' he replied with a slight bow of his head.

'Proceed when you are ready.'

With heavy steps the fifteen year old apprentice stepped over the threshold and into the chilling halls of pure crystal. He ventured slowly into the cave weary of what was around him. Something in the distance cracked and his eyes shut, the fear still lingering at the rear of his mind. As he opened them he didn't see crystal halls, but a dim lit room skirted by metal columns and a caped figure at the rooms end. The sound of heavy breathing weighed his heart, as the figure turned its fear inspiring helm glared at him. The black eyes of the helmet held such pain, such anger, such power. The figure that stood before him was Darth Vader, father to Luke Skywalker and his grandfather.

'Is it really you grandfather?'

'It is I, your grandfather.'

'How is this possible?'

'The force is capable of many things, least the power to bring us together.'

'I've been practicing, I want to be as powerful as…'

'As me? You will never be as powerful as me.'

Suddenly a pain stabbed at his heart, the words that came from his grandfather were like damning swords. Their blades ripped his soul to shreds like rabid dogs bringing him to his knees, years of focus and training to be scorned by the one he idolized.

'But … my … my training…'

'Is insignificant, much like your understanding of the force.'

There it was again, that stabbing pain in his heart. Something was brewing in the bowels of his soul, something he had suppressed for a long time.

'No … I will be strong…stronger than you.'

'How could a weakling like you be stronger than me, the great Lord Vader?'

The pain his heart was engulfed with red, his soul spewed over in a crimson shroud. He stood up with a scowl on his face and a humming saber raised at his side. Somehow behind the helmet he felt his grandfather smile, as if in pleasure.

'Yes, channel your anger! Strike me down and become the man you were destined to become!'

Ben gritted his teeth and tightened his grip before arcing his arm around to land a blow. The blade cut through the hulking Vader with horrifying ease. The room, his grandfather and the lightsaber all suddenly disappeared and the freezing air of Illum filled his lungs. As the eyelids of his eyes fluttered it became apparent he had moved, and in front of him within a small crevice of the wall sat a glimmering crystal. He held it in his hand, glaring at the finite edges and curves to make into an almost perfect diamond shape. He knew not dawdle as the door would soon freeze over, on his way out he heard the call of one of his friends.

'Is anyone there?'

'Kilg, is that you?'

Ben followed the voice to find his friend stuck beneath a pile of fallen rubble. He still found it amazing a Mon Calamari was here at the academy.

'Are you alright?'

'I think so, just stuck.'

Ben held out a hand and with closed eyes focused the force under the rubble, as he rose his hand the rubble came to. Kilg scrambled from under the floating rubble and Ben let it fall back down.

'That was amazing!'

'Thanks, do you have your crystal?'

'Yes.'

'Then we should leave before the door closes.'

Outside the cave Master Skywalker and the other six younglings waited for the return of young Klig and Ben. A young Nikto from the desert planet Jakku shivered uncontrollably under his cloak, clutching at the fabric of his uniform for warmth.

'Only a little longer Ishagg, they are not far.'

As the words rolled off his tongue Ben and Kilg burst through door and slid under the descending sheet of ice. A smile came across the master Jedi's face and sense of relief settled on the entire group. Both Ben and Kilg held out their crystals to be examined. With a short examination of each Master Skywalker nodded in content at his student's efforts.

'Well done my young students, you have all faced and conquered your fears today. We must go and meditate on the day's events.'

Hopefully for the final time they ventured back into the constant snow storm outside, the cold biting at their necks. As they left the cliff face reformed, covering the entrance to the temple. Ben looked back at the now closed temple and remember what his grandfather said, 'Yes, channel your anger! Strike me down and become the man you were destined to become!' What did he mean? What was the message?

'Ben quickly we must get back to the ship before we freeze to death!'

'Coming Uncle!'

Four days later
Temple of Eedit, Devaron

'The academy has fragmented, there are those dedicated to Master Skywalker's jedi ways and the others interested in the ancient methods of the sith.'

'Which side are you on?'

The shrouded figure in front of him spoke with a rasping voice, and towered whole buildings above him. Ben clutched his kyber crystal, searching his mind for answers to the question. However as usual he found nothing but conflict, a sense of confusion about right and wrong.

'I … don't know.'

'You feel restrained, like you're not living up to your full potential?'

'Yes, but at the same time thinking perhaps my Uncle is just being careful!'

'Careful or cautious?'

'What?'

'He thinks you're dangerous, you know he thinks it. You can feel it, the force speaks to you in a different manner. You seek to understand raw power itself, I can show you that … I can show you the ways of the Sith.'

Suddenly his mind lit up with a resolute answer of what he wanted, he finally understood his vision during the gathering. He was destined to surpass his grandfather in power, he was to become the greatest sith to ever exist.

'The force is strong with you, I can sense your fear … your anger.'

'What is this feeling, what is this … power?'

'Go my young apprentice, strike down the Jedi who withhold you and become that which you seek.'

He opened his eyes to gaze down at the uniquely crafted lightsaber before him, a long hilt with cross guards at its top. The sabre laid in pieces but he had a clear vision of what it would look like, a black body with gold plating along its spine. He closed his eyes again, this time focusing on the image of his lightsaber. His mind guided the sections together placing the crystal he had meditated on for days into the sabres central chamber. He held his hands out as the force channeled through him and fitted the metal plates into one another. As a feeling of completion washed over him, his eyes opened to see the lightsaber floating in mid-air.

He gripped it in his hand, its cold metal hilt coursed with power. He could feel the force thriving through his body and into the lightsaber. The temptation to light the blade was almost overwhelming but he would wait until the time was right.

In the temples main hall he met with members of the academy inclined to the ancient teachings of the dark side: Ishagg, Mach, Dax and Grigor.

'Ben we came as you requested, what is it?' asked Ishagg,

'I have been reached by a sith lord, I have embraced my fear … my anger.'

The group looked at each other almost confused, however they all believed the same as Ben that they were being held back by Master Skywalker and his new Jedi order. Ben stood before them in a rustic black tunic and a matching black cloak. Ishagg turned to him and almost in a subservient way said: 'What would you have us do?'

'In order to become better and to learn the ancient ways of the sith we must first eradicate the source of our weakness.'

'You mean … kill the Jedi?'

'My uncle is away discussing the food situation with the natives, only our fellow trainees remain.'

'Isn't killing them a little extreme?' asked Dax with raised eyebrows.

'Ignorance is the root of all evil, something the jedi have in abundance.'

They all nodded in approval and in a show of faith Ishagg pulled his hood over his horned head and the others followed suit. With a sense of content Ben pulled his hood over and led his followers out of the hall and onto the temples landing pad. The ship sat at the platforms end but before it stood another group led by Kilg.

'Don't do this Ben,' she warned.

Ishagg and Ben noticed Kilg and her group of Jedi had their lightsabers drawn, evidently they were expecting a fight.

'Expecting a fight?'

'There have been murmurings within the academy you've been buying information on Darth Vader from off world merchants.'

'Murmurings, are you sure you weren't simply eavesdropping?'

'You truly are lost,' kilg frowned.

'Not lost, enlightened.'

Kilg ignited her lightsaber, its blue blade hissed to life. The followers she had gathered ignited theirs in a symphony of hisses and array of blue and green blades. Ben's group drew their blades, Ishagg ignited his double bladed lightsaber and readied to fight. Ben held his in his hand for a moment, soaking in the power emanating through it. He thrust the hilt out to the side and a serrating blade appeared with a thud then the cross guards exploded with a hiss.

'May the force be with us!'