Chapter 10.

(Edited 06/05/2021)

"Yes, at the base. The signal was quite a mess, but the plan has been set in motion." A muffled voice said behind the trooper's white mask. He was speaking with General Hux in the corner of the meeting room when Kylo Ren caught their conversation.

"Good. We will need it se- Supreme Leader! I was just looking for you." Hux lied. Kylo looked at him with a blank expression, knowing very well that the general was in no way looking for him.

Since the death of their leader months before, Kylo had taken over his place, rightfully so. As tradition, and rule, once a Supreme Leader has fallen, the next of kin or chosen by the leader before, is to take place. The one next in line is set to rule, given one year to be challenged by any other who opposes it.

Grimly, Kylo thought of the twelve that challenged him thus far, all having fallen to Kylo's hand. It was no secret to him that General Hux wished to be a challenger, but even the fool knew he was no match to Kylo.

So instead, Hux bent his knee to the new ruler, a boy he despised, a boy whom was only ruler by sheer luck that he had the power of the force. Envy and the desire for power drove him mad, and Kylo could feel it all around him as it heightened his awareness within the force.

"Well, here I am. What is it that you want?" Kylo asked. He stepped towards Hux, and the Stormtrooper that the general was speaking with made a fast get away. It was no worry to Kylo. There were little to no places where someone could hide on this ship, and even the trooper knew he would not be able to hide anything once captured.

Kylo's cold and unamused gaze never left Hux as he towered over the man now.

Hux gulped and stuttered his response. "I, I just wanted...I just wanted to know what the next step is?" Hux cleared his throat, blinking a few times too many. His voice cracked and his tone lowered to an urgent and almost annoyed whisper. "We had the Resistance base in our hand. There must be repruc-"

"So, you wanted to question me?" Kylo asked, daring an answer from Hux.

Kylo knew Hux was up to something, attempting a plan to dethrone him, but he was not sure of the details. Hux was a master at blocking his mind off from the probes of the force, Kylo would give him that. Having dealt with Snoke so much, it was hard not to be. He wanted badly to end the man's life here and now, and was positive he would be able to do so very easily without any fight back.

However, if Kylo raised a finger to Hux without solid proof of disloyalty, the entire crew would disband themselves from his rule.

Kylo snarled at his own thought, making him wan-

Interrupting his thought, a solid weight hit him square in the chest. For a moment, it felt as though he lost his breath. Kylo stopped himself before he could wince, his nostrils flaring at the sudden assault.

Hux looked at him curiously, though he was still too frightened to question what happened.

"Get out of my sight!" Kylo yelled through clenched teeth.

General Hux's own jaw tensed, his hands working up a sweat within his gloves.

In a low, but warning tone, he said "It is not going unnoticed, your constant misguidance when it comes to handling the Resistance... Or lack thereof."

Kylo turned to meet Hux's gaze, slow and deliberate, letting his glare show exactly where his temper lay when it came to the General.

He let his tone match Hux's, though there was no hiding the extra venom that dropped with each word.

"And who are you to judge my handling of anything?"

Kylo took a single, slow step towards Hux, his eyes still on the man as he ignored the pain that still spread within his chest. Hux did his best not to falter his stance, though the force around him told Kylo all he needed to know.

Hux began to stammer though a response. "I have been General of the First Order for nearly-"

"Yes, you've been the General for some time now. And in an instant, you can become nothing."

There was no need to raise a voice. No need to question if Hux understood. The threat was loud and clear, and it was all that needed to be said before General Hux bit his tongue and finally broke his glare from Kylo's.

That didn't stop Kylo though. His gaze still bore into the man, his force still clung around the air that the General breathed.

Unblinkingly, Kylo hissed. "Now, get out of my sight." He repeated his earlier command.

Without another word, or any other hesitation, Hux did as ordered.

Relieved, Kylo clutch a hand to his chest as he focused hard on regaining his breath, inhaling deeply as he explored the force for answers.

Cursing to himself as he turned and strode to his chambers, he wondered if the girl had anything to do with this, if maybe she'd somehow found herself in trouble...

He wondered though, if he felt her pain so vividly, so abruptly, was she alright?

Biting down on the inside of his own cheek, he let a slew of curses fill his mind, directing it all towards himself.

He shouldn't care if she was alright, he told himself. In fact, if he was so hell bent on ruling this galaxy, and ending the Resistance, he should go and order the attack...

Kylo gave himself a moment to think of the words Hux left him with.

They knew. They knew his was willingly withholding the attack, and he couldn't trust Hux not to act on that information soon.

In his chambers now, Kylo threw himself into the chair at his desk, shutting his eyes tight and letting the force guide him into a chaotic world of meditation within his rage and confusion, trying to focus on the scavenger. In order to get there, he let his anger fall for a moment, his breathing evening out. Slowly, his mind cleared, and he focused on her face, on her light.

He could feel her there, sense her right on the other side of the wall she built to block him out, just as he had done to her. This time though, hers was stronger.

His brow furrowed, and inhaling, he tried again.

Static.

She was blocking him, without even trying.

Kylo felt a surge of power fulfill him, a sense of accomplishment. Whatever she was doing, he felt that she had won. The corner of his mouth quivered slightly, the start of a smirk.

For a moment, he felt proud, unsure why. He could feel how happy she was with herself, and it was quickly replaced with a feeling of worry and apprehension on her side of the wall.

The pain he had experienced earlier was gone, now forming into a slight ache of soreness within his bones.

His eyes slowly opened and he glanced around his empty, dark room before he stood, moving to the large window that exposed a small part of the galaxy to him.

In the silence that swallowed him, in the confines of his lonely room, he thought of her, of where they might be had she stayed with him after they defeated Snoke in the throne room.