Wow! I wasn't expecting such an overwhelming response to this story! I'll try not to delay too long between updates, but alas I can't promise anything.

To all those who are following, favorited and reviewed; thank you! Please let me know your thoughts about this next chapter!

Chapter I

It had been a year since Kylo Ren had suffered his humiliating defeat at the hands of the scavenger and the traitor. Though the scar on his face had healed, he remained disfigured. He didn't mind. It was his punishment for his lack of foresight and intelligence.

I should have sedated her back when I had her restrained to that chair. Or better yet, killed her right then and there! The young man had ran over and over in his mind the many different options he could have used that day. Now, a long, unsightly gash would forever remind him of his failure.

"Sir, we'll be arriving at the coordinates Supreme Leader Snoke gave us in a few moments." the pilot of Kylo's command shuttle informed the young knight.

"Very well." Kylo's voice was muffled by his mask. Looking out the viewport, the young man watched the vast, endless tunnel of hyperspace spinning about them brilliantly.

"Um...sir?" The pilot asked nervously. Kylo could sense the fear coming off the man like an odor. "We were given...peculiar orders regarding this mission."

"I am aware what they are." Kylo Ren interrupted abruptly. "I suggest you follow them without question."

"Even if that means executing you if you fail your objective?" The captain said to clarify the position he was in.

The co-pilot looked at his comrade in surprise, obviously hearing those orders for the first time. The pilot resisted the urge to cringe as Ren's mask looked down at him slowly.

"Are you going to make me repeat myself, captain?" Kylo said softly.

"No sir! Understood, sir!" The man turned and refocused his attention on flying the vessel.

Leaving the cockpit, the metal door sliding closed behind him, Kylo Ren headed toward the back of his ship where an outfit of ten stormtroopers named Specter Unit waited for him. Each of them were elite members taken from elite groups, best of the best. Unlike the white armor of most First Order troopers, Specter Unit bore red to distinguish themselves, which looked black under the interior red light of Kylo's command shuttle. The color was to symbolize them being drenched in the blood of their enemies.

The lead trooper, dubbed Ghostmaster, wore a cape similar to the disgraced Captain Phasma, though his was white and bore a black symbol of the Order. He saluted along with his unit as Kylo entered.

"Specter Unit fit and ready, sir." The man informed his superior, a high powered sniper blaster in his gloved hands.

Ren looked about the ten man and women assigned to him. "So, this is the legendary team that single-handedly destroyed the Resistance base on Saladin V five years ago? And not a single one of you were injured during the assault, I understand."

"That's right, sir." Ghostmaster nodded, his darkly lit helmet turning toward his men. "52 missions, no casualties, all successful."

"Then understand this, TX-1138." Kylo Ren used the trooper's number, ignoring his given title. "This is a mission the Supreme Leader doubts even I can accomplish. You and your men will be in more danger than you ever thought possible, and some of you will die."

A few of the red stormtroopers looked at one another, their buckets hiding whatever expression they had on their faces. But is wasn't fear Kylo Ren could sense they were feeling. It seemed more like...mockery.

"Sir, if I may speak freely." Ghostmaster inquired dryly.

"Please." Kylo replied.

"If an untrained scavenger and a rookie traitor can get the best of you, you might not want to underestimate our abilities either." The electronic filter did little to hide the impudence in the commander's voice. Some of the troopers in the back failed to keep from laughing under their breaths.

The urge to activate his lightsaber and mercilessly cut all the soldiers down flashed into Kylo's mind so fast his hand dropped to the newly constructed hilt at his hip. Specter Unit tensed visibly, some tightening their grip on their blasters, but none raised them. Ghostmaster stood stock still, looking Kylo in the eye. Kylo took a steady step forward, his mask inches away from the troopers helmet.

"I hope you are right, commander." The young knight said evenly. "It would be a shame to get real blood on those uniforms."

Suddenly the entire ship shook, announcing that they had just entered the atmosphere of a planet. Kylo turned his back to the stormtroopers and let out an angry breath he had been holding. It wasn't the first time he had received ridicule from those who would not have dared cross him a year earlier. His reputation had been lost, and only action would restore it. Killing those who angered him wouldn't suffice. Kylo had to win them over by doing what would be considered impossible by some. After all, that was why Snoke had given such a dangerous assignment to Kylo; to prove himself.

A few moments passed as the command shuttle flew toward the exact coordinates the Supreme Leader had given Kylo mere days before his departure. As everyone stood in silence, the knight recalled Snoke's final words.

"There is an ancient Sith temple on the broken moon of Fandor. There you will find deep inside three relics of a forgotten age you will need to overcome the approaching war with Skywalker and those that follow him in the Light. Bring those relics to me." The Supreme Leader had commanded. "I have finished your training, Kylo Ren. This test will prove whether you are worthy of walking in the steps of Lord Vader. You will prevail, or you will die."

As the ship began its final landing approach, Kylo felt a sudden flash of heat spread across his strong body. He was nervous, far more so than he had been expecting. He always knew the day would come where he would have to prove once and for all he was qualified to use the Dark Side.

To prevail or die.

There was no other way.

"I will succeed, grandfather." Kylo whispered as he felt the ship touch solid ground, the ramp beginning to open. "I will make you proud."

Once it was fully down, Kylo Ren and the troopers of Specter Unit descended off the ship...

...and into the dark, windy, barren nightmare that was the broken moon of Fandor.

A short chapter, but I didn't feel it had to be any longer. Usually I'm a lot more descriptive, but I want this to feel like it's going somewhere instead of world building too much. I'll save that for my other works like PERL or my long dormant Cloud Strife and Lightning Farron story.