It was well known that the First Order were recruiting for members among their ranks on Onderon. After a family goodbye dinner, Mara, Luke, and Anakin loaded up a starship and they were off.
Inside the bridge, Mara said to her husband, "I don't know about this, Luke."
"He wants to be independent," he explained, "and he wants to see the galaxy. It's everything I wanted when I was his age. I only stayed on Tatooine as long as I did because my aunt and uncle wanted me to stay. It wasn't what I wanted."
"I was practically brainwashed at his age," Mara said anxiously, "and we've both been sensing the dark side in recent years on and off. Has your father spoken about any of it? Does it feel similar to the clone wars to him at all?"
Luke replied, "He would have said something by now if it did."
"Really?"
He added, "We can't hold onto Ben forever. He's his own man now."
"I know," she said sadly, "I'm going to miss him."
Luke said, "We need to learn everything we can about the First Order and that stormtroper we got doesn't know a thing. This is the only way."
Mara asked, "Do you like the name I picked out for him, Kylo Ren?"
"It works," he teased. She jabbed him with a punch. "Ah! Alright! It's perfect, there, is that what you wanted to hear?"
"Of course."
Later, on Naboo, as the cleanup efforts continued, many of the families who had moved to the planet to get their children trained as jedi changed their minds. They took their children and left. The jedi who remained were Finn, age 20, Rey, Annika, Anakin, Jaina, Jace, identical Togruta twin girls, age 14, a Twi'lek girl, age 8, a Wookie boy, age 9, and a native Nabooian boy, age 10. Everyone else had left.
Annika said, "I miss Ben already."
"It's barely been a day, Annika!" Jace said.
"Without him here I'm stuck with you three brats alone," she whined.
They all began talking over each other and arguing in front of everyone, causing others to step in and tell them to calm down and chill out before real fights began.
Even when the dark long shadow of Anakin Skywalker showed up in the doorway and stared at them, they didn't stop. No one noticed until, "Sir!" Finn shouted, making everyone finally quiet down, "We're ready for training, sir!"
"Grandpa?" Jaina gasped, stepping in line alongside everyone else, "But what about Uncle Luke?"
"Your Uncle Luke is busy helping rebuild the city," he explained, "I will continue your training from here on out."
Jace asked, "Grandpa, shouldn't you be helping too?"
He explained, "You still need to be trained, and even here on Naboo most people still hold hatred toward me."
"I don't hate you, Grandpa!" Anakin proclaimed proudly.
"I don't either," Jaina said.
The Twi'lek girl added, "I also don't hate you, Grandmaster Skywalker."
As they carried on with their proclamations, Anakin struggled to stop himself from rolling his eyes-that was the only downside to having visible lenses over his eyes instead of his old red ones-and said, "Thank you, everyone, that's enough of your declarations. Now, from this day forward, you'll begin fight training." He used the force to open a closet off to the side and revealed training sticks.
"We're still not getting lightsabers?" Jace whined.
"Grandpa, are you going to cut our arms and legs off so we can be like you?" Anakin asked excitedly, as if he wanted it to happen.
"No!" He answered hastily, "Grab a weapon."
As soon as Rey picked up a stick she nearly dropped it because of how bulky it was in her petite hands. She feared he was going to make them fight each other with the long stick that was nearly the same height she was.
Everyone stood back in line in front of Anakin. He explained, "I'll assess each of your skills individually. I expect them to be minimal, but some of you may have more talent than you yet realize."
Jace jabbed Jaina with his stick and asked, "Are we going to fight each other?"
"No," he answered calmly, "you'll be fighting me."
They all gaped at him in horror. Finn said, "But sir, you'll win."
"This isn't about winning," Anakin explained, "I am testing each of your skills. Finn, step up first."
One by one, Anakin knocked each of them down easily. None of the jedi in training had proper training, so Anakin knew this was to be expected.
Rey was the last one to step forward. She was practically shaking by the time it was her turn. She moved to stand directly in front of Anakin and his red and black suit. His eyes said he was ready for a fight.
He moved the top of his stick down and lunged forward. Rey saw the opening and took it, landing her stick at his calf. She squeaked and stopped herself. "I'm sorry!" She stood upright.
Finn exclaimed, "No way, you landed a hit!"
"Does that means she won?" Annika asked.
"It means she can read body language," Anakin answered, he turned back to Rey, "very well."
"Oh," she said awkwardly, "thanks."
He moved in faster, and she managed to hold her stick to stop him from hitting her skin once, and then twice, and then she launched the weapon across the room by accident. "Whoa! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to throw it!"
"Pick it up," he commanded.
"Of course-" she started to walk over to get it.
He stopped her, "With the force."
"But I don't-"
Anakin tripped her up and forced her to lean backwards to the point where she could see the stick lying on the floor upside down. He commanded, "Pick it up, Rey."
She extended her arm and it wiggled on the floor once, then twice, but it wasn't coming to her hand. Suddenly, it flew to her hand but she flinched and screamed and it flew directly at Anakin's head. He dodged it as it flipped in the air and bounched across the floor.
"I'm sorry," she said, standing upright.
"Annika!" He scolded.
"What," said Annika, "I felt bad for her."
Rey asked, "I didn't do that?" She pointed to the stick still across the room.
Anakin explained, "You made it move on the floor but when it flew into my head it was her." He used the force to pick it up himself and hand it to her. "As for your skills, Rey, your time on Jakku with creatures who don't speak make you a great body analyzer. I suspected as much."
"You thought I would be good at this?" she asked, surprised.
"Of course," he replied, "now lets begin for real."
Ben Skywalker, now under the name Kylo Ren, stood in formation alongside new recruits from Onderon. What surprised him the most about the job ad, was they were only looking for those between the ages of 18 and 25. No one older, and no younglings. He marked this down in his notes to tell his family later.
It only took a few days before he was welcomed among the First Order in their lowest ranks. There were no words on the attack on Naboo and what that was supposed to signify. It was as if it had never even happened.
Kylo was quickly assigned to a position on a planet he had never heard of before, Zygerria.
"Aren't you lucky," a recruit said, "Snoke watches that system the closest. Maybe you'll get to meet him or see him in person!"
"Who?" Kylo asked, looking over his orders.
"The Supreme Leader Snoke," he said, as if Kylo were stupid, "the man in charge of the entire First Order. You've never heard of him?" He looked him over nervously.
"I thought Commander Hux was in charge."
"Of the military," he said, "the one in charge of the actual order itself is the supreme leader. How did you not know that?"
"I just got wires crossed," he replied, "I've heard of him."
Kylo knew he needed to figure out exactly who this Snoke was and what his plans were for the First Order.
When Kylo arrived on Zygerria, he couldn't believe who he saw. Commander Hux was also on the planet and even visiting the base at the time. After his work was finished for the day, Kylo snuck around to try to find him in person. It wouldn't be odd for him to ask the man a few questions, would it?
After he finally spotted him, Hux finished speaking with a group of men. "I'll get this to Snoke myself."
Kylo walked behind him and made himself look busy to anyone passing by. He kept walking through hallways and doorways and around corners. Kylo started to get worried he'd never be able to find his way back. Eventually he passed a bacta tank with someone in it. Why would they have a random guy floating in a tank away from everyone?
He couldn't stop to look at him more closely. He continued chasing Hux down instead. It was only a few more corners, and few more hallways, and then, massive double doors that lead to the biggest room he had ever seen for one person.
The ceiling went on forever, and had walkways far above leading to other places. The entire room was dark, the walls were black. It was hard to make out the figure in the distance in a black robe cloaked over his face. Kylo made sure to go into position and stay hidden from sight, but he had a suspision this wouldn't work for long. Whoever this Snoke was, he was force sensitive.
"Supreme Leader Snoke," Hux said, walking up to him confidently, "everything is going according to plan. Naboo has no wish to retaliate against us to begin another war, but Senator Leia has given us legitimacy in the People's Republic."
"Good," Snoke replied in a deep voice, "very well, Commander. And our other project?"
"On schedule," he answered, "we're 1/3 of the way there. It doesn't appear the republic is aware of it, sir."
"Excellent," he replied, "and the blood samples?"
"All negative," Hux said, "it's possible the girl was killed in our attack. We knew that was a possibility."
"She wasn't," Snoke assured him, "I can sense it. And no one found Darth Vader?"
Hux said, "Sorry sir, there were no reports of him, only of Luke Skywalker. I triple checked to be sure. No one saw him."
"Very well," he replied, "I suppose we can't win them all. Carry on."
Hux bowed and left so quickly Kylo didn't have a chance to follow him out the door. He knew he would get spotted.
"You there," Snoke said, "young Skywalker, on your feet."
Kylo nearly choked. How did he know who he was? Did he sense him there the entire time? He took a second to stand up and brace himself for a repremand. What did this mean about his position? What was he going to tell his parents if he got kicked out?
"Sir," he said, stepping forward onto the walkway, "how do you know who I am?"
"I sensed you as you sensed me," he answered.
Kylo looked him over carefully. He was younger than he thought he would be, in his 30's maybe. He had pale skin, dark brown hair, brown eyes, besides being shorter than average there was nothing that decerned him from the common man.
Snoke continued, "I know of your famous family, my friend. Your father, your mother, your aunt, your grandfather, I've heard of them all."
"Everyone has," he said, "no big deal."
"Each one of them crafted the galaxy we know today," he explained, "they've all done so much there isn't anything left for you to call your own. I could make something out of you, Kylo Ren."
In shock, he asked, "What?"
Snoke said, "Isn't that what was want? Something to call your own away from the meddling of your family?"
"Maybe," he confessed, "but that'll come in time."
"When all your family members were 19 they had already done more than you," he said, "they didn't need decades of experience to prove themselves. I can give you the opportunity to grow beyond them and get glory for yourself."
Kylo stopped to think about it. "I don't know," he said, "I'll need some answers first, like why you attacked Naboo and why you're collecting blood from teenage girls."
"All of that will come with time," he replied coyly, "you only need paitence, my friend."
"Alright," he said, "then I'll stay."
"What are you going to tell your parents?" Snoke asked.
"I-"
"Come now," he said, "a young Skywalker in training wouldn't come to me without an agenda."
Kylo confessed, "I'm going to tell them the First Order is run by the Supreme Leader Snoke and there's not much I know about him." He wondered to himself that if Snoke knew about his parents, perhaps his parents knew anything about Snoke.
"Go ahead, Kylo Ren," Snoke replied, "it's what you're here for. But I'll keep in touch." He shooed him away and opened the door with the force. Kylo made his way out of there fast.
On Naboo, Annika and Rey went head-to-head for the first time. Rey wanted to back down and give up the fight. She never wanted to be a jedi anyway, she couldn't do this! Annika looked more determined than ever.
Just when they were about to begin the fight, Luke walked in and said to his father, "We just got a call from Ben."
"Really?!" Annika yelled, stopping the fight, "What did he say?!"
"They're only recruiting young people for some reason and the true leader behind this is a young man named 'Snoke,'" Luke said, "I've never heard that name before, have you?"
"Never," Anakin answered.
"I have," Rey said.
Surprised, Luke asked, "When?"
Rey said, "The man who talks to me in my dreams sometimes calls himself Snoke." She looked around to see everyone stare at her in shock. "What?" she asked, "Is that not normal?"
Annika shook her head.
"What do you know about him?" Luke asked.
"I've never thought about it," she said, "I've never had to sum him up before. He has a low voice and when I'd get really scared back on Jakku when I was little, he'd soothe me to sleep. He'd always want to know where I was in the galaxy, but I don't know anything about coordinates so I could never tell him." She hugged herself nervously. "I haven't heard from him since I got here though."
Anakin explained, "The planet we found you on was in a tiny system smaller than most and doesn't have anything anyone values."
Rey asked, "How did you find me?"
"The force led us to you," Luke answered, "but I don't like the sound of this Snoke guy."
"Does Ben know what he's planning?" Anakin asked.
"He has no idea," Luke answered, "and he's quite low in rank. It's going to take a while to get any true intel."
Anakin turned around and muttered to himself, "Patience, right, I had patience once."