Chapter Two

Once aboard the Vanquish, Kylo Ren issued the order that the ship was to head to Mustafar. It was on his Grandfather's chosen world that he would begin his new campaign. He also issued the order that all First Order High Command were to join him on the planet. All except General Hux. Let the man languish cleaning up the wreckage of the Supremacy. Hux no longer mattered when it came the direction of the First Order.

After issuing his command, Kylo returned to his quarters. Food was already waiting for him, but he ignored it and headed straight to the fresher. Dropping his clothing to the ground, he turned the water as hot as it would go before climbing in. Even the minor pain inflicted by the scalding water as it ran over every cut and abrasion he had sustained over the past 12 hours helped clear his mind and sharpen his focus.

Pain had always been a tool of the dark side. Pain and passion. It had taken both to show him his path. To remove the conflict that had once tormented his soul. He was no longer in torment. Instead he would show the scavenger what it meant to be tortured.

Rage curled in his belly as he thought about her reaching for his Grandfather's saber. She was going to use it to strike against him. Again.

He had offered her everything. A place at his side and the ability to shape her own destiny. Never again would she be the victim of another's will. With him, she would shape the galaxy to whatever her heart desired. Now the only thing she would have is submission. Submission to him in every way that he desired.

Turning off the water, Kylo left the fresher and cleared his mind of the little scavenger. She would be his soon enough.

Right now, he needed to focus on the path forward. One of the biggest mistakes that the former Emperor and Snoke had in common was their need to be recognized as the ultimate authority in the universe. While Kylo shared the same goal, he understood that both former rulers failed to recognize. The importance of seeming to give people a choice. Few people had the fortitude to think for themselves, but all people liked to believe that they did.

By giving the Galactic Senate back to the people, he will accomplish what both the Emperor and Snoke failed to do. He will unify the galaxy under his leadership and remove the reason for the rebellion to exist in the first place.

There was historical precedence for this kind of ruling structure. The strongest and longest lasting of the ancient civilizations embraced this concept. An Emperor to rule the Empire, with a senate to give voice to the will of the people. While others wasted away in the swamp of democracy, he would be able to rule the empire unopposed.

He had not lied when he told Hux that the rebellion was below their notice. There were too few of their unruly number to really poise a threat. The most damning evidence that the rebel cause was all but extinguished was that they had already been left for dead by their so-called comrades.

What the First Order needed to focus on was not letting the spark of hope that the rebels had eked out Crait grow larger. To do that the First Order needed to further isolate the Rebel hardliners from their more reluctant comrades.

This was easy enough to do now that the Order had decrypted the reception points from their last desperate plea. Small, tactical units trained for stealth and known for their brutal efficacy were already en route. The tactical units were under orders to observe the Rebel Leaders from the Outer Rim. Threat assessments were to be quantified of the remaining leadership. Those who were deemed too aggressive or likely to reverse cause and support the survivors of Crait would be eliminated in a manner that could not be traced back to the Order.

Those in the Leadership that were tired of the endless fighting and ready to abide by a general cease fire would be allowed to live and shepherd the rest of their flock to a permanent resolution.

…..

Mustafar was a balm to him. The planet had always been deeply connected to the dark side. It was the place that his grandfather had made his seat of power. Where Vader had trained and where he had communed with the dark side. He felt whole here, Kylo's mind clearer and more centered.

Snoke had not lied when he told the girl that he had been the one stoking the conflict in Kylo's soul. For so long Kylo had felt that it had been his failing, the constant pull back to the light. Now he saw that much of that conflict stemmed from his former master. The constant chaos in his mind had not originated with him, but with Snoke. Just another layer of control and manipulation by the skilled dark side user. With his former master dead, his thoughts were now his own.

Walking briskly into the reception gallery, Kylo steeled himself for the potential battle to come. He had commanded that all the Knights of Ren gather in the main audience chamber. Surveying the room, Kylo saw that they had all arrived.

Each knight stood silent, a healthy distance away from their fellow comrades. Their masks on, guarding their expressions. They were not a close group. Friendships and bonds could exist among dark side users, but the Knights of Ren operated more as a band of highly skilled mercenaries.

They had a code and a certain sense of honor, but their main guiding principal was strength above all. If you were not strong enough to hold your place, someone else would take it from you. That kind of ethos didn't foster close relationships, but it did engender a feeling of mutual respect. Each knight had earned their place through blood and combat and held it by their strength alone.

"I killed Snoke," Kylo stated without preamble. "If anyone desires to take my place as leader, now is the time to challenge me."

The news of Snoke's death caused a slight ripple to go through the group. If Kylo was not so attuned to everyone's body language it would have been easy to miss. The subtle shifting in one's stance, the change in breathing. Kylo looked boldly at each Knight in turn. Silently daring anyone to step forward and meet his challenge.

The air was thick with tension. It seemed to build and build until a battle seemed inevitable. Then, one by one, each Knight took a knee and bowed their head before him. "Supreme Leader," each intoned.

Kylo was almost disappointed that no one had stepped forward to challenge him. After the events of the past few days, he was hungry for a good fight. He would have welcomed an excuse to unleash all his pent-up fury. To feel the surge of blood lust as it saturated every cell in his body.

"Rise. We have much work to do. I have called all of the First Order leadership here and there is much to do to prepare."

With that he issued his orders to each Knight. Confident that each would follow his orders to their exact specifications. This would be the first steps towards unifying the galaxy. He would finish what his grandfather started.