Many hours later, the shuttle lurches and shudders as it drops out of hyperspace. The movement wakes Nestor.

He opens his eyes to find Pedro standing over him. He and the other guys are all gathered in the small lounge area where Nestor was dozing. "We're here. Time to get moving."

"Got it." Nestor wipes the sleep from his eyes and climbs to his feet to stretch. That's when he glances out the nearest window. It shows the unmistakable outline of the mega dreadnought, the Supremacy.

"That's Snoke's ship," he breathes warily. As he moves in for a closer look, he doesn't recognize the planet below that it orbits. "This isn't the bunker. What system is this?"

"Mustafar," Kylo answers as he walks in.

"Must-a-what?"

"Mustafar."

Omar shakes his head. "Never heard of it."

"It was a Separatist mining world," the boss informs them. "It's abandoned now. Uninhabited because it's volcanic."

Everyone looks curiously out the windows as the shuttle descends fast into the planet's atmosphere and begins to skim the surface. The landscape looks very forbidding. There are bits and pieces of cooled lava rock outcroppings here and there, but mostly there are fast flowing red-yellow lava fields as far as the eye can see. The air appears thick with greenish gases that are no doubt poisonous to human lungs.

"I can see why it was abandoned," Carlos speaks aloud what they all are thinking. "Why are we here?"

"To bring the relics to the castle."

As Kylo speaks, the shuttle mounts a high rise. In its wake is revealed a looming black dual spired fortress. It is a dramatic sight perched atop a dammed river of molten rock.

"Oooh. THAT castle," Jonar is impressed. "Vader's castle, right?"

Everyone looks to Kylo who nods.

Static sizes it up with approval. "Lava waterfall. That's cool."

Jonar agrees. "It's got style. Trust it to Lord Vader to have a badass crib. This makes Snoke's bunker look like dump."

Nestor isn't so sure. Because why would anyone want to live here? "This place looks like some version of old-fashioned Hell." All fire and brimstone and suffering in eternal damnation. Glancing at the giant tuning-fork shaped black building they fast approach, Nestor can't help but think that if Hell has a headquarters, this must be it.

Kylo shoots him a sideways look. He sounds very Snoke-like when he responds priggishly, "There is no heaven and there is no Hell. There is only the Force."

"Got it," Nestor dutifully nods. 'Don't diss the Force' is one unspoken rule of being a Knight. Even the unintentional, uninformed diss can get you in trouble with the touchy boss.

The shuttle is landing now as the men continue to crowd the windows for a peek. Impatient Kylo heads to deploy the ramp, ordering, "Come on. Bring the bag."

And that's when Nestor learns that seeing Mustafar is nothing like feeling Mustafar. Walking down onto the landing pad into the volcanic heat takes your breath away. It's like marching into a blast furnace. The heat assaults you physically. It's not just the extreme temperature. There are faint burning embers adrift in the air that prick at your skin and land to smolder on your clothes. The air is pungent with a sulfurous stench that wrinkles your nose and makes your eyes water. All around the landing pad, molten rock hisses as it releases trapped gases. It's as if the deadly planet is exhaling like some massive living creature heaving in its death throws.

"Wow," Nestor remarks under his breath, and not in a good way.

He's right beside Kylo who reacts differently. "Wow is right . . . I love it," he announces quietly as he looks around. And for the life of him, Nestor can't see what there is to like about Mustafar, let alone love. He gives his boss a questioning look, but it doesn't register. Kylo has momentarily stopped short and stands with his head thrown back and eyes closed. Pleasure is written all over his face.

Weird, Nestor thinks to himself. Just weird. "That guy Milo is here."

"Snoke is here too," Kylo replies without opening his eyes, making Nestor wonder whether someone told him that or whether the Force told him that. He still doesn't understand how the Force works.

Snoke's manservant awaits them by the entrance. Dignified Milo stands next to an even older man in flowing black robes who looks like he could be Darth Sidious' creepier brother. He is wizened and stooped with strong, almost leonine features and bright, sharp eyes. The guy definitely looks like he belongs here, Nestor thinks to himself.

"This is he?" the unknown man looks to Milo as Kylo strides up with Nestor and the other Knights following.

Milo performs the introductions. "Vanee, this is the Apprentice Kylo Ren. Vanee is the castle caretaker," he informs Kylo. "He serves the Master. Before that, he served Lord Vader."

Vanee bows low over his walking cane. "Welcome to Mustafar Castle, my Lord."

"The Master has not given the Apprentice his title yet," Milo corrects him.

The old man smiles his easy deference. "Ah, yes. No doubt it will be forthcoming soon. Forgive the lapse. And who are these men?" Vanee looks past Kylo to where Nestor stands with the others.

"They are the Knights of Ren. They serve the Sith."

"Ah, yes. Very good. Welcome, Gentlemen." Vanee gestures to the entrance behind him in the manner of a host. "The Master awaits inside. Let us join him."

Everyone dutifully troops into Castle Vader. Their slow pace to accommodate Vanee gives Nestor plenty of time to look around as the group processes through a series of hallways and rooms. Everywhere there are floor-to-ceiling windows that make the castle's dramatic exterior the focal point. By contrast, the interior furnishings are unremarkable and soothing in color, shape, and texture. The living areas Nestor sees are all intimate. Nothing is grand in scale or in decor. Everywhere is the monochromatic look of quiet, lived-in luxury. And, thankfully, it is blissfully cool inside.

Curious Jonar starts asking questions as they go. "So what is this place exactly?"

Vanee answers with pride. "It was Lord Vader's refuge, a place to retreat from his many obligations to focus on himself. The castle was a gift from Lord Sidious in the early days of the Empire."

"This sure is a strange place to build a home," Jonar replies.

"Maybe to some," Vanee concedes. "But Mustafar had special significance to Lord Vader. He chose it quite intentionally."

As he takes it all in, Nestor thinks he is beginning to understand. The elegant castle interior feels safe and detached from the violent natural danger that surrounds it. This is an oddly peaceful place, he perceives as they plod along. Nestor is starting to appreciate why the creepy old guy describes it as a refuge. Because for a castle in the middle of a volcanic wasteland, it's strangely homey. Like you could see a Sith Lord relaxing here in the middle of nowhere where no one would dare bother him. Did Lord Vader hang out here on weekends, drinking beer, eating snacks, and watching sports as he pretended to work on his datapad? Nestor wonders.

Finally, they reach their destination. It's an expansive sunken living room with another enormous panoramic window overlooking lethal lava sprays. Supreme Leader Snoke stands at the window facing away, a tall black cloaked silhouette against the glowing red landscape.

That's what Lord Vader must have looked like when he lived here, Nestor realizes.

Before they can approach to kneel, Snoke speaks without turning. "Apprentice, do you sense it?"

Kylo answers solemnly, "The Force is very strong with this place," as he takes a knee. The Knights all take the cue to join him on the floor to pay homage to their Master.

Snoke turns. The movement reveals that he is wearing scarlet red robes underneath his black cloak. As usual, the Supreme Leader of the First Order cuts a distinctive figure. He silently bids them to rise with a regal wave before he resumes talking.

"What you sense is a convergence of the Force. A very rare anomaly. Forget any morbid ideas that Lord Vader built his castle here to brood on his defeat by his old Jedi Master. He built this castle here for the convergence. For the Force." A slow, sly smile creeps across Snoke's ruined face as he confides, "Like every Sith Lord, Lord Vader craved power."

Kylo nods. "I could sense it when we came out of hyperspace. It's like a tear in the Force."

Snoke looks pleased at this observation. "Yes, yes," he agrees. "Here the universe came apart at its seams. Here there is a fissure where things from deep within bubble up."

Kylo struggles to put it into words. "It feels like . . . like . . ."

"Yes?" Snoke looks truly curious.

But Kylo can't quite find the right words. After a moment, he settles on, "This place is familiar."

Again, Snoke appears pleased. "Here is the union of powerful Light with powerful Darkness. Here the Force has no sides. There is unity and balance. Here the Force is the Force, neither Dark nor Light."

Kylo is still trying to place what he senses. He squints as he tentatively ventures, "This is Luke."

Snoke grunts. "He wishes."

Kylo persists, "This is Luke. Dark and Light."

"No." Snoke is adamant. "Skywalker is in conflict. Like you are in conflict. Here at the convergence, there is harmony, not discord. This, Apprentice, is your goal as a Chosen One. To rule it all." Snoke purrs out their joint ambition with undisguised lust. "Ultimate . . . unlimited . . . power."

"Luke is a Chosen One," Kylo argues back. "If he could be turned—"

"He will not be turned!" Snoke's tone is sharp and final. He looks irritated by the very suggestion. "Skywalker is a waste of talent. He had the chance to surpass his father and he passed it up. And for that, he will pay dearly."

Snoke looks expectantly to his Apprentice. Kylo faces the floor as he dutifully offers up, "Yes, Master." And once again, Nestor wonders whether Kylo Ren truly wants to kill his uncle.

Snoke must surely see it too because he grunts out his skepticism. Nevertheless, he moves on. "Apprentice, one day I will give you the keys to my kingdom, but for now you receive the keys to this castle. It is your birthright as the next son of Darkness, as the heir apparent to Lord Vader. Mustafar Castle is yours now, Kylo Ren."

Kylo sucks in a breath. He's surprised. "Thank you, Master. I will endeavor to live up to its original master."

"In time, my worthy Apprentice, in time." Then Snoke actually smiles. It is a bizarre but oddly genuine look of affection.

Observing the fleeting expression, Nestor wonders what Snoke looked like before Darth Sidious rearranged his face. Who was he really? Nestor strongly suspects that old Snoke's past might be even more of a tangled tale than Kylo Ren's own history. Both men are complex personalities that Nestor has yet to figure out. But if he's going to succeed in this Knight gig, he has to learn how these Sith guys think. Since there is no way out of this job, he's going to have to make it work.

"Now then," the Supreme Leader switches gears, "what have you brought me? Lay them out."

Pedro steps forward with the bag of Jedi loot. He removes the artifacts and places them on a low table amid the room.

Looking them over critically one by one, Snoke quizzes his Apprentice. "Have you opened any?

"No, Master."

Snoke goads, "Afraid?"

"Yes, Master."

"Never fear. Here at the convergence, merely summoning the Force will trigger them. Here, the Force is the Force. But," Snoke turns to admonish his pupil firmly, "Apprentice, if I ever catch you dabbling in the Light again, I will make you regret it."

"Yes, Master."

"You will lose a hand like your uncle and your grandfather did. Then you too can ruminate on the power that physical pain brings."

"Understood, Master."

"Good," Snoke grunts. "Darkness is your current goal. You must learn the Dark Side completely, otherwise you will never reach your full potential."

"In time, I will become immune to the Light," Kylo says hopefully.

Snoke disagrees. "Not a chance, Apprentice. You are who you are. If there is one lesson to take from your time with Skywalker, it is to accept who you are. To embrace your whole self. But you must learn discipline. Now is the time for Darkness. There will be a time for the Light. Now then, let us see what we have here."

Snoke waves a hand over the first Jedi item. It does nothing. He immediately moves on. The second item is a little cylinder. It levitates and separates. Then, a hologram recording plays. It's some alien Jedi woman reciting prayers in a singsong voice to a group of pint size Jedi kids. The next three relics do not open. The sixth item, that looks something like a wristwatch, projects a hologram as well. This recording is a long lecture from a stern looking human Jedi Master about the dangers of foresight in the Force. After that, only one of the remaining five relics opens. It is a laudatory retirement speech on the occasion of the retirement of a Jedi Grand Master. Snoke listens impatiently for a few minutes before he rolls his eyes and shuts it down.

"Alas, nothing of any consequence. Vanee, put them with the rest of Lord Vader's collection," Snoke orders with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Yes, Master," the old guy croaks and Nestor can't help but feel a bit disappointed. Their mission to Hosnia has proven to be a bust. All that death and destruction yielded no leads.

Snoke turns back to Kylo. "Bring me more, Apprentice. We shall keep searching for clues while you amass all that remains of the Light."

"Yes, Master."

Snoke wags a gnarled clawlike finger at his young protégé. "A thousand generations live in you now, Kylo Ren. You will be the last Jedi before we are done."

Kylo looks annoyed at these words. "I am Sith," he hisses indignantly. It's the first show of independence Nestor has seen from Kylo towards his Master.

Snoke takes it in stride. "Yes, yes," he agrees breezily, "but you will be more, far more than any of us Darths gone before. Provided, of course, that you complete your training." He shoots his student a stern look. "Do not disappoint me."

"Yes, Master," Kylo resumes groveling.

"Vanee will show you the castle. It is yours henceforth."

"Yes, Master. Thank you, Master."

"When you are done here, return to the Finalizer and await my orders."

"Yes, Master."

Snoke now slants amused eyes past his Apprentice in the direction of the Knights. "Try to conduct yourself with more dignity in the future. Boys will be boys, but Admiral Blanchard has shown remarkable restraint given your antics."

"Yes, Master." Kylo's face flushes and Nestor mentally girds himself for Force lightning. But none is forthcoming. As far as Snoke's discipline goes, this reprimand is mild.

Towering Snoke sweeps from the room and slight Milo hastens to his side. Nestor is about to exhale with relief—interviews with scary Snoke are very nerve racking—when the Leader stops and half turns with a last thought. "Oh, and Apprentice?"

"Yes, Master?"

"Second Lieutenant Trulock was reassigned on my order to Colonel Hux."

Nestor's eyes widen. He recognizes the name. That's the navigation girl.

"She is not the one for you," Snoke decrees with icy finality. "Really, Apprentice, you can do better."

Kylo's face flames. Nestor feels sorry for the guy. All he did was flirt a little with a nerdy, mousy girl a few times by the swimming pool. Poor Kylo looks humiliated now before his Knights.

Snoke resumes his majestic exit and soon the Knights are alone with the castle caretaker Vanee. Never one to withhold comment, Static turns to Kylo and outright asks, "Is he always this controlling?"

"Yes," Kylo sighs. He too looks relieved at his Master's exit, Nestor notes. He sees now that Snoke might give his student a cool ship, a weird castle, and a posse of Knights to command to rampage across the galaxy. He makes hundreds of troops herald Kylo's comings and goings at the Finalizer like he's some young-Emperor-in-training. He even lets the Apprentice kill people on a whim. But in ways that matter, Snoke keeps Kylo on a very short leash.

"Well, that's no fun," Static complains. "What's wrong with navigation girl?"

Kylo growls back, "Her name is Tara."

"Yeah, right. Forgot. But is it Tara he objects to? Or is it girls in general? I'm mean, you guys are the Sith, not celibate Jedi, right?" Static won't let the topic go. "Because there are plenty more fish in the sea."

"Or more fish at the Finalizer pool, to be more specific," Jonar quips, laughing at his own joke.

"And does the 'no sex' rule apply to all of us or just to you?" Static keeps harping. "Because I was thinking that we should do some more raids and then take a little shore leave. You know—a detour to Canto Bight or maybe Coruscant. Vader's Sith man cave here is cool and all, but there's no girls here." Static gestures toward the window. "And that's a lot of lava. A LOT of lava."

Poor Kylo looks so miserable that Nestor decides to intervene. "Shut up, Static," he snaps. Anxious for something—anything—to change the topic, Nestor looks to the castle keeper. "Can we get a tour?" he requests.

Vanee is happy to oblige. The old geezer begins to show them around the fortress. It is surprisingly small. Moreover, a clear minority of the square footage is devoted to living space. Lord Vader did not invite guests, they are told. He brought home the occasional Jedi captive to experiment on in the Force, but that's it. In fact, there are as many prison cells here as there are bedrooms, Vanee reveals. He sounds sort of proud. And trust it to Lord Vader to have a detention center in his own home, Nestor thinks.

"Where's his throne? Every Sith castle needs a throne room," Jonar muses.

"Darth Sidious was head Sith," Vanee answers. "He got the throne."

"Bummer."

His audience might be a bit irreverent, but Vanee seems delighted to have company. As he eagerly describes the castle in its Imperial heyday, Nestor gets the distinct impression that the old guy is very excited that the castle will have a new owner. But the other Knights are not so enthralled with his recitation of fussy minutiae from the past. Bored with the methodical pace of both Vanee and his tour, they take off to explore on their own. That just leaves Nestor tagging along with Kylo and Vanee.

After Vanee conducts them through the ground floor, they head for the upstairs living quarters. Everything is as it was left, Vanee explains. He is not exaggerating. Because while everything is meticulously maintained, the castle feels a bit like walking through a technological time warp. Everything is at least thirty years old, much of it approaching fifty years in age.

The full meaning of Vanee's words come home to Nestor when their host walks them through the master's chambers. Vader's closet still holds everything from extra boots and armor to spare capes. All black, naturally. The belongings are kept like the man himself might come home at any minute even though he's been dead over twenty years. It adds to the creepy ambiance of the castle. Nestor feels a bit like they are trespassing. As if any minute the heavy breathing masked Sith Lord will appear and he won't be pleased that his private abode has been so thoroughly intruded. But, to be a good guest, Nestor dutifully takes a look.

"Maybe you should wear one of these," he says offhand to Kylo, peering at a row of satin hemmed capes.

But Kylo isn't listening. He's looking at the other side of the closet. That rack holds dresses. And, wait—dresses? Kylo looks to him, and then they both look to Vanee. "Vader had a woman?" Kylo asks.

The old man nods. "He had a wife."

"What happened to her?"

The old guy blinks at the question. "She's dead. You didn't know?"

"How?"

"The Jedi killed her."

"Skywalker?" Kylo guesses.

Vanee shakes his head no. "Probably Kenobi. My old Master was never sure of the facts."

"Wait—what wife are we talking about?" Kylo's eyes narrow. "His first wife or the second?"

Vanee answers, "Those items belonged to Lord Vader's only wife, Padme Amidala Naberrie. Your grandmother, I believe." The old guy's eyes dart nervously to Nestor. Vanee is clearly worried that he has spoken out of turn.

Kylo brushes off the concern. "It's alright. Nestor knows. He's the only Knight who knows the truth of my family." Kylo turns back to the rack of women's clothes. The dresses are in the ornate style of a bygone era. And they are tiny. Mrs. Darth Vader must have been very petite, Nestor thinks.

"So . . . these are my grandmother's things?" Kylo surmises.

"Yes. All her things from their apartment on Coruscant are here."

"Why?" Kylo wonders aloud. "She had been dead years by the time this place was built."

Vanee meets his eyes. "Lady Vader is why the castle is located here."

"For the convergence of the Force?"

"Yes. My old Master spent years attempting to revive his wife with the Force. Alas, he never succeeded," the old guy sighs. "It was a great, great disappointment to him."

"Of course, he didn't succeed," Kylo retorts, "because to cheat death is a power only one has achieved . . ." He turns back to the row of dresses and whispers aloud the name, "Snoke . . ."

Vanee nods. "Snoke waited too long to approach him. And when he did, his pitch was all wrong. Darth Plagueis offered Lord Vader power and Luke Skywalker. He should have offered my old Master his wife back. Lord Vader would have accepted that offer in a heartbeat." Vanee shakes his head again. "About the time that Luke Skywalker surfaced was when my old Master finally gave up. He returned your grandmother's body back to the family tomb on Naboo that he stole it from."

"I've been to that tomb," Kylo says softly. "My mother brought me there once."

"He still kept her things. I think he couldn't bear to part with them. They were all he had left of happier times."

Kylo keeps starting at his dead grandmother's dresses. "My mother told me that she was the secret wife of a Jedi. That she was killed by Vader when he hunted down Anakin Skywalker for Order 66."

"That's the Jedi version," Vanee sniffs. "Lord Vader told a different tale. He and your grandmother argued here on Mustafar and she left with Kenobi. Alive and well. Days later, she was dead and her newborn children taken. Hidden from their father for decades." Vanee looks especially grim as he tells Kylo, "I do not know what you have learned of my old Master. But Lord Vader was much more than the newsfeeds and the Jedi judged him to be."

"I wish I knew him," Kylo says softly. "Snoke rarely speaks of him."

Vanee harrumphs. "That's because he feels guilty. And so he should."

That's an intriguing sentiment, Nestor thinks, but the old guy doesn't elaborate. Instead, he resumes his storytelling. "When Lord Vader let the dream of reviving his wife die, he took up another obsession: Luke Skywalker. If he could not live with his wife, he wanted to live with the son he had feared lost forever. I think it gave him hope. He needed something to keep him going." The old man looks thoughtful as he recalls, "My poor Master had so much taken from him over the years . . ."

Kylo whirls. He's suddenly agitated. "Wait—he knew? He knew about his children?"

"Oh yes," Vanee confirms. "He had foreseen that his wife would perish. Once he had her body exhumed, the doctors confirmed that she had given birth before she died. But Lord Vader did not know the fate of the children. He only knew that the Jedi had taken them."

"He knew . . ." Kylo breathes out. His hard eyes find Vanee and stare. "Luke never told me that Vader wanted to find him and my mother before he knew they were Rebels."

"I don't think Skywalker knew. If Lord Vader told him, he likely would not have believed it anyway. I understand that Skywalker was quite the righteous Jedi back then."

"Nothing has changed," Kylo laments bitterly.

Old Vanee's face softens at the naked hurt in the Apprentice's face. The caretaker sounds very grandfatherly now. "My boy, I know how you came to join the Sith. I am sorry for what happened. Skywalker is a zealot."

Kylo looks away and says nothing as Nestor watches closely.

"You are brave to choose this path. Far braver than the Republic's legendary hero Jedi. I hope, in time, history will vindicate you and our Master," Vanee commends.

Kylo still remains silent. He just nods and looks miserable.

The castle steward takes that as his cue to resume his family history. "The Jedi Purge took many years. Most died in Order 66, but plenty survived. Everyone knows that Lord Vader and his Inquisitors hunted down Jedi to finish them off. But few know that he was also searching for information for the fate of his children. The Jedi he brought back here were the ones he thought might know their whereabouts or the whereabouts of Kenobi."

Kylo is still processing what he has learned. "So all along my grandfather knew that my mother and my uncle were out there?"

Vanee nods. "Lord Vader crossed paths with your mother and didn't recognize her. But when he crossed paths with his son in the Death Star trench, he immediately understood who he was because of the Kenobi connection to the Rebellion. Lord Sidious was furious about the loss of the Death Star but Lord Vader was secretly delighted. At last, the Force had revealed the identity of at least one of his missing children. Finding Luke Skywalker became his instant obsession. He had spies everywhere in the galaxy."

"Lord Sidious wanted revenge for the Death Star, naturally. But," Vanee slants sly eyes towards Kylo, "Lord Vader had a different goal in mind. With his son, came the promise of reclaiming what remained of my Master's old life . . . and the promise of overthrowing Lord Sidious."

"So the offer to Luke on Bespin to rule the galaxy together was sincere?" Kylo asks hopefully.

"Absolutely."

Kylo probes for more information. It's clear he is eating up what he is learning. "I know why Snoke hated Sidious. Why did Vader hate Sidious?"

Now Vanee prevaricates a bit. "There was more than hate there. Lord Sidious could be very good to Lord Vader at times. But, as I think you know, the relationship between Master and Apprentice is always somewhat . . . complicated," he finishes diplomatically. "I suspect from the beginning, Vader intended to overthrow him, but he lost the ability after he was so gravely injured."

Kylo agrees, "That's Snoke view as well." The current Apprentice now abruptly turns to face Nestor. He sneers, "Do you still think this war is about politics? Do you think any of the past civil wars have been about politics?"

Nestor doesn't know how to answer because this is a lot of information to take in. But he is saved when Vanee inserts himself. "My old Master searched years for Luke Skywalker-"

"And now I'm searching for Luke Skywalker," Kylo finishes.

"He is an elusive foe," the old servant warns. "Watch yourself, Kylo Ren. When Luke Skywalker walks in a room, Sith have a tendency to die." The old guy's beady eyes narrow as he confides, "I myself cannot wait for Skywalker to be brought to justice. The Jedi must die for his lack of vision. Lord Vader sacrificed himself for his son. But Skywalker has squandered the opportunity he was given. Foolishly seeking to recreate the past rather than move us forward."

And this is a sentiment that all three men can agree upon, Nestor thinks. Skywalker must die. Nestor also wants to know if Darth Plagueis is Snoke, can you really resurrect people with the Force, and what it means to be a Chosen One. But he won't ask. Already, Nestor feels as though he knows too much truth of the Skywalkers. And . . . he's worried that this truth is dangerous knowledge he might one day regret learning.

Still, this secret family lore is all so compellingly sad, Nestor observes silently as they leave Vader's bedroom. The guy mourned his dead wife decades and clearly never moved on. He didn't want to move on, judging by all her stuff he kept around. How lonely had Lord Vader been inside that suit? Lonely enough to try to talk his Rebel son into joining him. But in the end, reaching out to that prodigal son got him killed.

And now the conflict continues yet another generation. Once more, Nestor feels sorry for Kylo. The family legacy his moody boss inherits is far more than the Force, Nestor is realizing. And whatever happened between Skywalker and Kylo clearly was not good. Nestor isn't sure he wants to hear that story. Because if the rest of the family drama is any indication, it will be awful as well.

"Would you like to see the upper floor?" Vanee invites. He explains, "It is mostly medical in nature."

Kylo nods yes and together they follow slow Vanee back to the elevator. "What happened to the castle after the Empire fell?" Nestor asks. It's mostly to make conversation as their trio plods along.

"We are quite remote. Even during the Empire years, few knew we were here," Vanee answers. "But eventually, the Rebellion showed up. They must have learned of the castle from captured intelligence. I refused them entrance, of course."

"And they just went away?" Nestor asks.

"Oh, no," Vanee chuckles wryly. "They shot me first." He picks up the hem of his flowing black robe to reveal a mechanical leg. "I am a bit like my old Master as a result."

No wonder the guy walks so slowly, Nestor thinks. And geez, he must have been an old man even back then. Couldn't the Rebels just stun him?

But old Vanee seems unperturbed. "I don't know what they were expecting to find here, but they were clearly disappointed. They certainly made a mess. But in the end, they didn't take anything of real value. Lord Vader's collection of Jedi artifacts remained intact."

"Then years later, Master Plagueis showed up. There were rumors that he was still alive so I knew it was a possibility, of course. We all knew Milo was his man, but we didn't know Milo was Plagueis' eyes and ears for years after he supposed died." Vanee shrugs. "I told Lord Plagueis the same thing I told the Rebels," he recounts proudly, "that I would surrender this castle to the heirs Luke Skywalker or Princess Organa and no one else. This is not an Imperial installation, it is a private home, mind you."

"How did Snoke take that refusal?" Kylo is intrigued.

"Well. He approves of loyalty. But once I understood that he was Lord Vader's father, I could hardly refuse him entry. Plagueis is one of the family." Vanee now muses. "There were lots of rumors about this place during the Empire years. Fantastical lurid stuff. Sith ghosts, bloody native uprisings . . . things like that. None of it ever happened. Mustafar Castle has had a quiet existence save those two occurrences."

The old guy looks over approvingly on Kylo. "It will be good to have another Skywalker around here. I am proud to serve Lord Vader's father and grandson."

"I wish I'd known him," Kylo says again under his breath.

As promised, the remaining floor is a large suite of medical facilities. Darth Vader not only had his own detention center, he had his own operating room too. Seeing all the equipment makes Nestor a bit queasy about the day-to-day reality of living as Lord Vader. Clearly, the guy was horribly damaged and required specialized care. It is a wonder he lived, let alone functioned as Darth Sidious' enforcer. Nestor thinks back to all the war stories he heard growing up that featured Lord Vader in combat. The guy must have had the constitution of a rancor to persevere through his painful disabilities. Nestor is even more impressed now that he understands the whole context. Vader had lost his health and lost his family, and yet the guy kept on doggedly going to work to rule the galaxy. But maybe, it occurs to Nestor, Vader's job was what kept him going.

As Vanee keeps narrating the past, Nestor wonders if Vader's experience is that atypical. Nestor is beginning to recognize in this castle some of the same grim Sith hallmarks he sees in Kylo Ren. The lonely isolation, the secret past, the separation from family, the grandiose melodrama, the ever-present danger, and the dark luxury. Judging by this castle, Dark Side princes live large, but they don't live well. This whole place just screams 'I have issues!' in Nestor's estimation. Big issues.

His eyes find Kylo's long, melancholy face. Yes, it is very fitting that this castle comes to him. Nestor is about to ask Vanee about the Jedi collection he and Snoke have both mentioned, but Omar and Carlos reappear. They have clearly been hunting for them. "Here they are," Carlos calls to his buddy, joking, "Targets located."

Omar walks up briskly full of excited discovery. "Hey Kylo, there's a souped up Imperial TIE in the garage and the thing is mint! Boss, you gotta see this! It's an old school hot rod."

Vanee smiles and explains, "My old Master was very good with mechanics. He tinkered in his spare time. Although, over the years his focus became biomechanics mostly. He was constantly looking for ways to ease his suffering." By way of example, Vanee gestures to a nearby wall of hanging prosthetics. It's arms and legs hanging in neat pairs of lefts and rights.

Carlos looks over at the prosthetics and makes a repulsed face. "That guy must have been more machine than man . . ."

Vanee takes immediate umbrage at this comment. "Lord Vader was no machine," he reproves. "There was a living, breathing man behind that mask. A man who suffered for his greatness."

The comment puts Carlos in his place. "Sorry," he mutters, clearly intending no offense. But where the tragic Skywalkers are concerned, Nestor is learning, you must tread very carefully. Tempers run hot when it comes to this family.

"Lord Vader is much emulated, but never rivaled," loyal Vanee says with a sniff. "Remember that when you next don your helmet, Knight."

"Look here, old man," Carlos bristles.

But Vanee cuts him off with withering disdain. "Never forget that the Empire you seek to recreate was assembled and largely administered by a quadruple amputee and severe burn victim. So, what's your excuse, Knight?"

The comment is meant to put Carlos in his place. But glancing over at his boss, Nestor sees that Kylo is the one who takes it to heart. He watches as the wan faced kid visibly swallows. He's in way over his head and he knows it.