Hunger of the Pine ➢ Kylux

The Summoning

"Ren"

He could tell by her icy tone that she was not pleased. However, Kylo disregarded the woman's greeting and went straight to his point. "I'm going to need you to return to the Felucia base, your services are needed, Alema." Kylo paused. "There is another that possesses force capabilities,a girl and she is currently allied with the resistance." He placed his long, black clad arms behind his back and continued, his voice itching with disdain, "we also believe she has found Skywalker."

Alema scoffed, taking a turn away from the cloaked man. "And you weren't able to stop her?" she asked, incredulous at the thought. Kylo stared at her in response and she groaned. "Even so, do you honestly think that just because you have some horribly overblown superiority complex that gives you the right to tell me what to do? I am no storm trooper, Kylo." Alema's naturally blue eyes began to gleam with golden fury. She continued, anger still bubbling wildly inside her,"And even if I decided to listen to you, how do you expect me to get there without entirely breaking open my cover?"

"I thought I would let you figure that out." Kylo exclaimed, his deep voice sending tremors down Alema's spine, though she would never dare to admit it.

"I'll see what I can do." she finally responded after a long pause, signalling the end of their conversation. Her slender, robed figure disappeared as the hologram retreated into Kylo's projector. Without a second thought, Kylo ducked out of the corridor and began walking back to his quarters with a deep hope of not being spotted. Much to his dismay, the monotonous voice of Captain Phasma rang out down the hall.

Kylo swung his body around, thankful his mask was able to hide his look of complete annoyance. "Sir, I believe He is ready to see you now." she told him.

Kylo swallowed, "I will be with him shortly." Phasma nodded and turned to continue her rounds around the base. On her way out, Kylo could see the visible scuff marks all along her chrome armor, which he could undoubtedly guess was from the battle at Starkiller. Though he usually carried no interest for his fellow comrades, his mind wandered to the image of what the resistance fighters and his father had done to her.

His father.

At the notion, Kylo balled his fists in anger, forcibly trying to maintain his composure. Thoughts and images raced through his mind as if it was a highway, giving him the urge to simply collapse onto the metal ground below and never stand again. Instead, he pushed it in, back into the farthest reaches of his bitter, black mind, yearning for the ideas to never resurface again, even though he knew well enough that that would never happen. Each and every one of his twisted ambitions and memories were etched into his head, finding a forever home, much to his own torment. His family was ever present, as well as the pull at his heartstrings towards the very concept he dared never to comply with, making every waking second unbearably agonizing.

In a last ditch effort to end his misery, Kylo let out a bellowing howl to release whatever seemed to be climbing its way across his brain like the virus it was. Now collected, Kylo took a deep breath and shook his head. He had somewhere to be. As he made his way to the Supreme Leader's chambers, Kylo's footfalls thundered down the corridor, alerting every passerby that he was clearly not to be disturbed. Though there was one who dared to interrupt. The flame haired man with an equally fiery demeanor slithered his way beside the knight without notice. "You know, you truly are a drama queen." The General huffed.

"Better than a kiss-ass." Kylo responded without breaking stride or even granting Hux a turn of the head. Hux flared his nostrils, but said nothing more, much to Kylo's pleasure. When they reached the great entryway to Snoke's chambers, Hux fell behind. "What? Scared, General?" Kylo taunted.

"Don't be so childish, Ren." Hux groaned with a dramatic roll of his eyes. "The matters I wish to speak with Snoke about are frivolous in comparison to your own. As I also presume, he wishes to speak with you in private."

Kylo took in a heavy breath, then entered the tenebrous corridor. As soon as he stepped foot inside the room, Kylo was taken aback at the great expanse hiding behind closed doors. The pure shock that this was merely a temporary base amazed him. Where his quarters had been compact and minimalistic, Snoke's were grand and ornate, filled with treasures from long lost civilizations and pieces holding darker secrets than Kylo could ever imagine. Though as he made his way down the long winding path, Ren remained outwardly emotionless, even though it continued to prove unnecessary with his mask shrouding his features.

"The General informed me of your noble deed, Ren." Snoke's eerie voice boomed, echoing across the vast, high arched ceilings. At the end of the path, he sat with his pitch black eyes glinting in the darkness. Snoke's ghostly pale face was contorted into a permanent scowl and his hands were tightly wound in an arching position atop his lap, adding to his comfirmably threatening image "I must say, I'm surprised. I didn't think you had the power in you." he added with narrowed eyes. Kylo straightened his posture so that his gaze was level with the leader, though he said nothing. "I see I was wrong." Snoke said thoughtfully and sat back in his chair. "However, I still must teach you one last thing." Kylo clenched his jaw in anticipation.

"Before you complete your training to become a true Sith Lord, you must of course, kill your previous master."

Kylo swallowed as he felt electric jolts speed up his spine. He knew well that this was all but a short time away, yet he still felt unprepared. It wasn't guilt or sadness he felt, no, it was doubt. It was almost as if the idea triggered all of his insecurities to come racing back into his mind. I'm not powerful enough. He's Luke Skywalker. If Darth Vader couldn't defeat him, how could I? But rather than voicing his fears, Kylo simply nodded and replied with utter confidence, "Under your guidance sir,Luke Skywalker will fall at my hands."

"Good, good." Snoke smirked. "Now, I have already been alerted that you have made contact with Rar." At the mention, Kylo could feel a frigid drop of sweat travel down his temple and sense his temperature begin to increase rapidly with each passing second. "Have no fear, for I would also like you to inform the others. At this time, we will need them, all of them."