Note from BlackLaceLamb: The first moment I saw him I fell head over heels in love with Kylo Ren. I do seem to have a particular type: tall, dark and brooding.

I know I have a lot of other stories you'd probably prefer to see me finish, but I wanted to share this one with you while my muse was being cooperative. It may update slowly, but I hope to complete this story. Do let me know what you think of it and whether you'd like to see more!

All characters as well as setting is (C) George Lucas and Disney

All original characters (including Larulai Hynn, Darvic and Lord Hynn) and story is (C) BlackLaceLamb

Chapter I: Intangible Contact

The dawn breeze drifted through a set of balcony doors, rustling the dark drapes of a large bed. A pair of elegant, pale hands clenched the sheets, a long, white neck flexed violently as the figure twisted in the bed.

It was back again. The same dream, the same fragmented memory she fought to repress. The shadow, the knife… the snow. The figure with bloody teeth and tearful eyes moving towards her. She was lying on her back in a forest of dark trees, flakes falling on her naked skin, but… she'd never seen snow before. They were neither warm nor cold, and perhaps they weren't snowflakes at all, but ash instead. Steel glinted in the two moon's light, and a gurgled curse was uttered under the intruder's breath. The bed sheets rustled suddenly as a cool gust of wind swept through into the bedroom and up her arm. The dreamer's eyes snapped open, her hand stretched out to stop the descending blade.

But there was nothing there.

The drapes around her billowed at her exertion and the chandelier shook violently. Her fingertips were trembling. A bead of sweat crept down her temple, her muscles taut, her eyes frantic and wide. Carefully she withdrew her hand and rested it to her chest, her heartbeat deafening. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, but could feel a headache rise with every pulse. Rolling onto her side, she focused on the glass pitcher of water beside her, and slowly exhaled through her nose.

The pitcher rose, poured a glass, spilled a little on the stone floor, before settling back on her bedside table.

'At least I got most of it in the glass this time…' She thought glumly. The drowsy woman sat up and reached for a bottle of white pills beside the glass, dropping three into the water. They bubbled and dissolved, turning the liquid milky. She quickly gulped it down, wincing at the aftertaste, but the headache began to fade.

Golden light gleamed over the mountains and treetops, and began to flood her room. She smiled and threw back the blankets, pushed through the balcony doors and took firm hold of the banister. Her nightdress flowing behind her lithe frame, the skin of her chest and neck prickling from the warmth of the rising sun. She breathed in the morning air, a million sensations dancing through her at once. The Force may have brought terror to her nights and pain in her waking hours, but these perfect moments almost made it all worthwhile.

Larulai Hynn loved the morning. Her father had told her tales of Naboo's beauty from when he lived there many years ago, and she wondered if Lothal could compare to those pastoral stories. From her tower in her family's estate she could see for miles around, the mountains, the fields, the kyber crystal mines her family owned and the miner's villages and camps around them. These lands had been her playground since she was born, and until she was due to leave, she wanted to savour every opportunity to experience the Force when it flowed freely, painlessly across the rugged plains of Lothal. Larulai closed her blue eyes and focused on the waves of the Force around her, relishing the way wind swept through animal fur, wildflowers, over lakes and trees, before rushing through her long, dark brown waves and carried with it all those sensations.

A timid maid came to prepare Larulai for the day, dressing her in a long crimson gown and gold jewellery, painting her eyes with gold and black. Pleased with her appearance, she dismissed the servant with a wave of her hand and the girl scurried away. Larulai pulled the hood of her gown over her head, slipped the prayer book from her bedside table into her pocket, and headed to the dining hall.

The doors were opened for her and she was welcomed with the scent of fresh fruits, eggs and meat, warm bread and tea. Larulai smiled softly at the two men who rose to meet her as she took her place at the long, lavish dining table. Her father, his blonde hair and beard streaked with grey, smiled kindly at her as a servant pulled her chair out.

"Good morning darling." He said as he took his seat again and went back to looking at the reports on the table. Her older brother, Darvic, had the same dark hair as his sister, but had been gifted with their mother's bright green eyes. Like her, he was neatly dressed in darker shades of red, a hint of gold along his eyelashes.

"Sleep well?" Darvic asked as he cut a piece of fruit into segments against his thumb. Larulai shook her head and poured herself a cup of tea.

"That's too bad, darling." Her father said, wiping his lips with a napkin. "I was hoping that you'd start feeling better soon."

"You've been hoping that for over ten years." Darvic muttered under his breath. Their father gave him a dark look, but Larulai smirked and took a piece of fruit from the bowl on the table.

'Well… he's not wrong…' She thought.

"Maybe you should postpone your trip until you start feeling better. I still don't like the idea of you travelling so far, in such a weak condition." Her father said. Larulai frowned, but saw the deep concern in his eyes. Her brother reached across the table and passed her the fruit knife, but held onto it when she curled her fingers around the handle.

"After breakfast, would you take a walk with me through the fields? The fresh air will do you some good." He asked. Larulai hesitated, her brow furrowed; and their father watched them over the edge of his reports. "You will have plenty of time to meditate and study once you've left," he chuckled "but I just want to spend some time with you before you disappear forever. Alright?" Larulai nodded and he let her take the knife.

"And while it would be good to have you present during our meeting this evening to show our family strength, it depends on how you feel. It would also be good if you spoke to him, at least a greeting." Their father said. It was pointless to ask, Larulai hadn't spoken at length since she was a little girl. But she did appreciate the gesture.

The three of them finished eating and their father went to oversee preparations for the meeting, giving Larulai a soft kiss on the brow before taking his reports out of the room. Darvic offered his arm to her and they headed to the green fields that surrounded their estate. She lifted her heavy skirt so it wouldn't get dirty from the dewy grass.

"I wish you weren't leaving us, but in a way, I'm glad you are." Darvic said, a kind smile on his face. Larulai smiled and rested her head against his shoulder. "You're taking steps towards healing yourself, and I think getting away from this place will help you." She nodded and slipped her hand into her pocket, running her fingers along the prayer book. "I just hoped you could have stayed with us a little longer."

'As do I Darvic, but we both know this is for the better. After I leave, you won't have to be afraid of me any longer…'

A First Order transporter pulled into orbit above Lothal, carrying with it a small army of stormtroopers, General Hux and Kylo Ren. Hux was due to meet with Lord Hynn, an old friend of the Empire, but now a bitter old man with high ambitions and an interesting proposal. Kylo Ren had no business with Lothal, but his transporter had met up with Hux's after conducing business on another planet, and they would all return to Starkiller base after the General was done.

Ren was in his chambers, meditating in solitude. His lightsaber levitating before him, slowly rotating as he was lost in silent contemplation. The slow rasping of his mask echoed through the room, keeping his focus.

He relished in the silence.

Peace, if only for a few moments.

A trickle of water on naked skin… blood on green fields…

Sunlight on fair flesh… the hem of a crimson gown wet with dew…

Kylo Ren opened his eyes, his lightsaber snapping back to his belt and he rose from his seat. A stirring in the Force, like a pebble thrown into a lake at a great distance. He had felt these ripples before, it came to all who were Force sensitive, a violent battle on a distant planet, an especially joyous occasion, a lone cry in the darkness. Petty moments, and easily overlooked. But it had many years since a true presence of another was felt, and now he could see with clarity.

The beautiful pair stopped in the middle of a clearing, underneath a tall, slanting tree. Its branches reached out across the plain, and almost completely blocked out the sunlight. Their names were carved into the arch above a small hollow.

"Now, in terms of tonight's meeting." Darvic's voice became firmer and his green eyes darkened in the shade of the tree.

'Here we go…'

"I know father has tried to fill your head with those… awful stories about the heroism of the Empire," Larulai sighed irritably, but her brother's voice rose "AND how their battle to bring safety and stability was for the better of our galaxy. But he's a misguided old fool clinging for more power and wealth, you know that as well as I." There were some agreeable truths to what the Empire fought to achieve, but she knew well of her father's cruelty to the servants, and the bitterness of the Empire's fall had settled deeply in his heart. But tonight was to be the first meeting directly with one of the key minds in the First Order, and he had spent months negotiating this. "I will hold my tongue tonight, he keeps us comfortable, and safe from the dangers of the outside worlds. But you know I don't agree with a single word that comes out of his mouth, and I hope you don't either."

'I know most of Father's actions are selfish grasps for power and position, that's nothing new. But… some of the things he said about the First Order…the end they wish to bring to the painful chaos of our galaxy. I do desire… even just a few moments of that peace…' Larulai locked eyes with him, her lips moving, vocal chords starting to flex. Darvic's eyes widened and he moved closer to hear her

"Yes? What is it?" But she nodded instead. He smiled sympathetically and gave her a rough kiss on the side of her head, making her laugh. "I'm glad you agree Laru."

Kylo Ren walked towards one of the windows in a quiet hallway of the ship, looking down on the planet below. The sunlit fields, the distant capitals, the swirling clouds and blue seas. He closed his eyes behind the mask and reached out, feeling the distant ties from his mind to the ones below, tugging, searching for that tiny pebble cast into the waters of his meditations.

Larulai's smile faded. Like a dark cloud passing over the sun.

"Laru, everything alright?" She slipped from her brother's embrace and walked out of the shade of the tree and into the light. Her blue eyes turned high to the sun, but she didn't shield the burning rays. Her hood fell from her head, a surge of wind threw her hair and gown back. "Larulai?"

'What… what is this?' Her lips formed the words, but no sound came out. Slowly her hand lifted-

Ren's fingertips rested on the glass, the Force flowed from him to the green field below. He could sense it. Another who could feel the Force as he did. He found that single thread in a sea of billions. And he pulled on it with all his strength.

Her whole body began to tremble. Larulai's mouth opened and a terrible scream of pain ripped from inside her.

"LARULAI!" Darvic shouted as he ran towards her. Larulai clutched her skull as she collapsed into tears in the grass, coiling like an infant. "What's wrong? Please, please tell me what's wrong!" Darvic begged as he fell to his knees beside her. "It-It's going to be alright, just stay with me Laru. I'm taking you back to the house." He scooped her into his arms, cradling her carefully but sprinting with all his might back to the mansion.

'MAKEITSTOPITHURTSSOMUCHMAKEITSTOPPLEASEMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPPLEASEMAKE…' The mantra continued as her mind desperately reached out across the distance to her attacker. A shockwave of power pulsed within her, and with a final cry she felt her world go black.

A tiny crack appeared in the glass at Kylo Ren's fingertips and his hand quickly recoiled, severing the tie. His eyes opened and fixed on the land below, the hint of a smirk caught the corner of his lips. Well now, this was certainly unexpected, seemed he was to visit Lothal after all.