Prolov's mind was like a bleak landscape amid a horrific battle. Acceptance struggled against denial as both adversaries fought to the death. He wanted to dismiss this as a dream and roll out of bed as he prepared to face another routine day serving his beloved Empire. But his conscience countered him in a duel of wits as he reached out for that comforting closure. He had to know for sure. It was his duty as Admiral to know. He narrowed his eyes and turned to Lieutenant Commander Lorrs.

"How am I to know you are telling the truth, Commander?" he asked in a booming tone that echoed in the hangar bay. "Can you convince me this isn't a trick of some kind?" He gestured towards the Ravage-class shuttle and the First Order Stormtroopers. "There is something you're not telling me. For starters, you only have five stormtroopers with you. The highest ranking among them is a lieutenant. As a career military man, I know that a lieutenant leads a larger contingent than five men. What is your explanation for this?"

Lorrs's eyes widened as he stared at Prolov. "It's a specialized mission, sir. We were ordered- "

"I know. I know." Prolov said, cutting Lorrs off midsentence. "You were ordered by Commander Jerek to investigate our sudden appearance. And that's another inconsistency. The name Jerek is synonymous with criminal activity. Do you expect me to believe the so-called First Order would allow someone from a family with such a tainted reputation to command a star destroyer?"

Lorrs sighed, keeping his hands above his head. Prolov's stormtroopers had deprived him and his men of their weapons as soon as they landed. His eyes focused on an Imperial officer in a black uniform grasping the handle of an E-11 blaster. The officer glared at Lorrs, keeping his finger on the trigger. Lorrs took the warning to heart.

"Sir, the First Order High Command saw him fit for such service.", Lorrs finally replied. He paused when he noticed his words hardened Prolov's features. Wisely, he decided to change the course of the conversation. "I can arrange a HoloNet meeting with Commander Jerek if you wish."

Prolov huffed at Lorrs's response. "Don't insult my intelligence, Commander. I demand to speak with someone of equal stature as me."

"Perhaps a meeting with General Hux would suffice?", Lorrs said, relaxing his posture.

Prolov's expression softened when he heard the name. "Hux? You mean Brendol Hux?"

"No, sir," Lorrs answered. "General Armitage Hux, Bendol's son."

Prolov's expression lightened further. "Commander, if you can arrange this meeting for me, I may be inclined to reward you and your men with freedom.", Prolov said in a calm tone. He stepped up to Lorrs and pointed his index finger at Lorr's face. "But if you are lying to me, I'll prove to you why history has labeled me as the 'Butcher of the Outer Rim.' Understood?"

Lorrs shuddered at Prolov's words. He quickly snapped back into composure and looked him in the eye. "Understood clearly, sir."

Prolov motioned towards the blast doors. "Commander, I invite you to join me in the holochamber." He turned towards an officer to his left. "Lieutenant, keep these men in the landing bay until we return."

Durnell and the five First Order Stormtroopers watched Prolov escort Lorrs out of the hangar bay. The six stormtroopers that had entered the bay with the Admiral turned and marched behind the duo in a two-abreast formation. Durnell sighed when they stepped out of sight, silently hoping his superior officer would cooperate with Prolov for their sake.

Once in the corridor, Prolov turned to Lorrs. "Tell me, why couldn't Commander Jerek intercept us himself?" Lorrs silent provoked a glare from Prolov. "Let me guess; it's classified. Am I correct?"

Lorrs sighed as he looked away for a moment. "No, sir. He is on a mission to Maruun III."

Prolov's eyebrows raised as he crossed his arms. "Maruun III?"

"Does that mean something to you, sir?" Lorrs asked.

Prolov offered a tight-lipped smile as he responded. "It's classified."

In a forgotten corner of the Outer Rim, a large black shape moved against the stars glaring down upon the Maruun system. The form moved until its shadow encompassed the planetoid of Maruun III, passing over it like a great eclipse stretching across a vast landscape. The shape, First Order Resurgence-class Star Destroyer Facilitator, slowed to allow a squad of TIEs descend from its hangar bay with four troop carriers trailing behind.

The ships moved towards Maruun III like an angry swarm of insects buzzing towards the surface lit with the fires of a raging battle. Blaster fire emanated in the darkness of night as waves of First Order stormtroopers moved upon the only remaining outpost on Maruun III. The mass of white stormtrooper armor overwhelmed the outpost like a raging avalanche roaring down a mountain slope. The men in the outpost continued to blast at the advancing army, taking down several with their shots, but the First Order troops were undeterred while their comrades fell in battle. A squad of stormtroopers moved in closer and opened fire in unison on one of many towers that stood along the outpost perimeter.

A blaster bolt found its mark, striking one of the men dressed in plain civilian clothing on the left side of his face. He tumbled, screaming down into the main courtyard of the castle-like structure. His corpse crashed to the ground near the feet of a wide-eyed soldier with a head full of greying hair seated above a slender face covered with weathered olive skin. He reached up and wiped the sweat from his grime-covered forehead. He dried his hand on his tattered tan military fatigues and locked his gaze on the dead man in front of him. He exhaled and turned to a man to his right.

"This proves Senator Organa's assessment of the First Order was accurate!" Captain Daryn Jerek shouted over the roaring battle. "We can't last much longer against this assault, Lieutenant Morrin!"

Morrin, a tall, stocky human of twenty-two standard years of age, shook his head of blonde razor stubble and he looked over to Jerek. "I concur, Captain! What are your orders, sir?"

"We have to hold out until our runner can get off of the surface! The message must get to Senator Organa so she can take it to the Senate!", Captain Jerek replied. He pointed to a section of the wall's defenses that had taken the worst of the attacks. There, a hand full of men and aliens stood fighting bravely, though hopelessly outnumbered, against rapidly advancing stormtroopers. "Take a platoon and reinforce that section of the wall, Lieutenant!"

Without uttering a word in response, Morrin rose and darted towards that part of the wall. In mid-stride, he paused and looked over to the main gate. Flashes of blaster fire glowed on the other side. A loud pounding noise echoed in the courtyard when a direct hit struck the durasteel doors.

With Captain Jerek watching, Morrin changed course and ran to the controls locking the gate. An explosion on the Eastern Wall erupted in a firestorm of debris and body parts of the soldiers stationed in that section. Jerek grimaced and shook his fist.

"I'll have you up for court-martial, if you do not follow my orders!", Jerek hissed as he rose to his feet.

Before he rushed towards the insubordinate lieutenant, a trumpet suddenly blared out in the night. Along the walls and guard towers, men lowered their weapons and turned to face the gates.

Captain Jerek looked over to Morrin and watched in horror as he pressed a control. A snap echoed through the air. The internal locking mechanism released its grip on the gates. With a high-pitched metallic whine, the gates slid upward, allowing several squads of First Order Stormtroopers to enter the courtyard.

Captain Jerek raised his blaster threateningly toward Morrin. "I'll kill you for this betrayal!"

A blaster bolt pierced his abdomen, sending him to his knees. The traitorous Morrin stepped up to his fallen commanding officer and kicked his blaster away from him. He then turned his eyes up towards a shadowed figure making its way past the ranks of stormtroopers. The figure's polished black armor reflected the glow of the fires in the courtyard. As he walked, a black armor weave cape draping over his shoulders fluttered in the breeze like an ominous flag. He paused as he approached Captain Jerek and faced Morrin.

"Well done," the black armor-clad stormtrooper said. "The First Order thanks you for your faithful service, Agent Morrin."

With that said, he raised his blaster and blew a hole in Morrin's chest. As his body fell, the trooper continued forward until he stood above the gravely wounded Captain Jerek. The trooper reached up and removed its helmet to reveal a fair-skinned face contorted with fury. His dark hair moved with the breeze as he gazed down at Captain Jerek with brilliant green eyes aglow as if kyber crystals powered them. The visibly shocked Captain Jerek's expression revealed that he recognized the man before him.

"Sven!" Captain Jerek gasped in horror.

Sven's face twisted into a sinister smile. "I'm touched to see you haven't forgotten me, father. I told you I would return someday to claim what is rightfully mine."

"I'll never give anything over to a son who sold himself out to those First Order demons!" Captain Jerek shouted in defiance.

Sven's posture remained rigid while casting a glare at his wounded father. "It's curious that you mention demons, father. Perhaps there are other monsters in the galaxy than the First Order."

Captain Jerek squinted. "You have betrayed the First Order too, son?"

"Betrayed them?" Sven asked with a sneer. "On the contrary, father, I have empowered them!"

Captain Jerek huffed and shook his head. "How can that be?"

"See for yourself," Sven replied with a grin. He turned to the stormtroopers standing behind him. "All of you remove your helmets."

Captain Jerek watched the troops pull their helmets off of their heads as ordered. He gasped as he peered upon the emotionless faces of young men and women staring back at him with solid black eyes.

"You took these men and women through those damned gates of yours?" Captain Jerek screamed in a voice saturated with disgust. "How could you do such a thing to these people?"

Sven's stare remained cold. "The spirit realm has empowered them. It is the new face of the galaxy, father! And I invite you to become empowered like them! Join us in our cause! We could use a man of your talents within our ranks! I invite you to serve on my council of elders!"

"I'll die before I do such a thing, Sven!" Captain Jerek blasted back with a rage-filled voice.

"As you wish, father," Sven replied blankly, motioning to a flame trooper to his left.

The trooper stepped forward and brought the flamethrower to bear upon Captain Jerek's helpless form. He squeezed the trigger. Flames shot forth to consume the terrified Captain whose screams echoed through the night.

Commander Sven Jerek smiled as he watched his father wriggle in agony on the ground. He knew that the darkness would soon make its move to conquer the galaxy, and, as it had promised him, he would rule over it all.

Kylo Ren could feel the emotions emanating from his opponent as if they were a strong breeze blowing in his face. Anger. Fear. They were like beacons calling out to a lost pilot. He glanced around the room to regain his bearings. A sudden flash came from his right. He spun around and brought up his shimmering red lightsaber to deflect the attack of a twirling weapon with metallic blades on opposite ends.

He stepped back, eyeing the red plastoid armor-clad Praetorian Guard standing before him. The armor plates on the guard's arms protruded upward like thick scales on a reptilian predator's skin. The guard tightly gripped the doubled-bladed weapon resembling a large scalpel. Purplish plasma energy surrounding the blades hissed when the guard rapidly rotated the weapon. The guard suddenly lurched forward with furious slashes as he twirled the weapon with almost perfect dexterity.

Ren held his stance, deflecting each blow with Force-guided precision. He shifted his feet and went on the offensive, slashing at the guard. His opponent skillfully deflected each strike before turning the tables on Ren a second time. Their weapons suddenly locked together in a sizzling struggle of kyber crystal-powered lightsaber against the plasma-shielded blades.

Ren peered into the red plastoid mask obscuring the human features glaring back at him. Beneath the guard's mask, sweat tickled his skin as it ran along the lower half of his face. He drew in breath during his struggle to keep his mind on the mock duel.

In Ren's peripheral vision, a red shape moved against the red hue of the wall, almost as indistinguishable as a man with mirror skin moving in a room covered with mirrors. Ren reached out with the Force and sensed the presence of other guards methodically approaching him. Keeping those sensations in his mind, he remained locked in a stalemate with his opponent. Another movement just over the guard's right shoulder drew his attention. A dark shadowy form floated into view before quickly morphing into the face of an older gentleman staring at him with a saddened expression as if he were watching a loved one making a detrimental decision in his life.

Ren stared into the face of his estranged father, Han Solo. He reached out with the Force and sensed that the other guards drew closer. He pressed his lightsaber against the guard's weapon and maintained their tight lock. He glared at his father's image, knowing that it was just a personification of emotions trapped in his memories.

The Supreme Leader is using this to test me, Ren thought to himself. I must not give in to emotional weakness.

Ren closed his eyes for a moment and reached out with the Force again, hoping to vanquish this image from his mind. He gasped when he opened his eyes. The room with the guards quickly faded into a dark and deep chasm spanned by a bridge. He stood face to face with his father.

"I will destroy you," Ren hissed as he glared at Han Solo. "For the sake of the darkness and to please my master!"

Han drew closer to him "You only think you are doing it for him, Ben. You know he will destroy you if you fail him. He cares nothing for you or the First Order. He only wants to conquer the galaxy. Why can't you see that, son?"

Ren trembled as tears formed in his eyes. "Stop calling me that. Your son is dead. I killed him, and I will prove it to you."

"You'll only be proving that you are confused, Ben.", Han said as he reached out to his son. "Go back to your mother. She will forgive you for leaving us and for what you did to your Uncle's Jedi Temple."

"Go back and be torn from my destiny?" Ren asked as tears flowed down his face. "Go back to being controlled and conformed to the image of a slave? To be robbed of greatness?"

"That is Snoke talking, Ben.", Han replied in a soothing tone.

Ren's lips twisted in agony. He ignited his lightsaber and drove it into his father's chest. Something suddenly struck Ren's left side like an invisible fist. Screaming in pain, he fell to his knees and watched as the bridge spanning the chasm suddenly morphed into his quarters aboard the Finalizer.

He looked up to see the melted mask of his grandfather, Darth Vader, lying on a bed of ashes. He reached out to it as he gasped for breath. The mask quickly sank into the ashes and erupted like a volcano, filling the room with a grayish cloud of ash. Rhythmic breathing began to pulse from the ash cloud. A dark figure within the ash moved towards him.

"She will be correct when she tells you that you will never be like me!" the deep voice of Darth Vader said as his form stepped out of the cloud. He raised his red lightsaber before slashing downward toward his stunned grandson.

"You're wrong, grandfather!" Ren shouted before blocking his grandfather's attack.

Another hard blow to his left side sent him slamming into the ground, writhing in pain. A sudden presence in the Force pulled his attention away from his injury. He grabbed his lightsaber with a Force pull and rolled out of the way as a trio of weapons wielded by the Praetorian Guards harmlessly struck the ground.

Anger rose within Ren like the flood of a bursting dam. He shoved the three guards away with a Force push. A sudden movement to his right compelled him to bring his lightsaber up. The double-bladed weapon of the guard he had dueled previously collided with his lightsaber. Ren reached out with the Force and choked the guard as he lifted him off the ground. He tightened his Force grip on the guard's throat. Raged raced within Ren like a furious wildfire and began to burn the last remaining shreds of his humanity.

"Release him," a low voice boomed in the chamber. "And approach my throne."

Ren quickly obeyed, dropping the nearly strangled guard to the floor. The man caressed his throat and gasped for breath. Ren retracted his blade and knelt before the throne of the dark-robed form of Snoke sitting comfortably in front of his apprentice.

"Rise, Ren," Snoke ordered calmly. Ren grimaced when a spasm of pain shot through his form. Snoke's scarred features remained neutral. He stared down at his young apprentice. "Tell me, have you felt him? Have you detected his presence?"

Ren trembled at the question. He hesitated for a few seconds before replying. "I saw my…my father, Master. He distracted me in the duel…"

Snoke's features twisted in disgust as he stared at Ren. "Your fears have become a crutch, Kylo Ren. If you are to continue as Master of the Knights of Ren, then you must forge those fears into a weapon. You must let them turn to anger, and you must learn to control them."

"When I see his face, Master, I lose control of myself," Ren replied while looking away. "But I will do what you ask of me to rid myself of this pain."

Snoke's expression suddenly twisted into a mask of anger. "Your father, and your grandfather, are the least of your concern. They cloud your judgment and prevent you from answering my question. So, I ask again. Have you felt him? Have you sensed the disturbance he has brought to the Force?"

"I don't understand, Master," Ren stated as he turned his eyes back to Snoke. "To whom are you referring?"

Snoke offered the closest thing his disfigured visage could lend to a grin. "Your grandfather and his Master, Darth Sidious, knew him. We have a new ally in our quest for galactic domination. And he is known as Imperial Admiral Garren Prolov…"