Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

No one spoke aboard Supreme Leader Kylo Ren’s shuttle as it settled into the hangar bay.  He loomed over the pilot like an menacing shadow, his foul mood flooding the cockpit with fear, unnerving all aboard.  

Well, not all. 

General Armitage Hux surveyed the scene with an ever critical eye as he tried to make sense of all that had happened in the past…had it only been five cycles? Stars, it felt like a standard year.    

There were bruises on his neck.  Hux was thankful for his high collar, which he had fastened with care to cover the delicate skin.  The back of Hux’s head throbbed with pain—a parting gift from the console he’d been so ruthlessly thrown against.  He likely had a concussion.  A bacta soak was in order, but Hux knew he would never have the time.  He also could not allow himself to display such weakness. Perhaps a med droid could do something for him in the privacy of his quarters on the sleep rotation… 

A bitter laugh almost, almost, escaped bloodied and bruised lips.  Sleep.  What a ridiculous notion. 

Hux hadn’t slept since the disaster at Starkiller Base.  Nothing more than a few moments here and there in the privacy of his office to rest his eyes, and only when he was no longer able to fight exhaustion.  Hux had scarcely the time for the many cups of caff that fueled his tired body between reading reports and scrambling any available First Order ships to finally obliterate the last of the Resistance on D’Qar.

Now, here they were. The main fleet damaged beyond comprehension. The resistance was crippled but not gone.  The victory felt hollow for the embarrassments that he—The First Order—had suffered at the hands of a few measly rebels. It was supposed to be a glorious revenge strike.  They were on the brink of snuffing out all traces of defiance in the Galaxy. They were not supposed to take such heavy losses. 

Hux was not supposed to fail so spectacularly. And that is how he saw it.  Failure.  He had appeared weak in front of the bridge crew of the Finalizer. He was too weak to guide Kylo Ren in battle. 

Supreme Leader Kylo Ren.

Hux felt bile rise in his throat. What a disgrace. That petulant child had no clue how to run an vast empire; much less about military tactics. Or at least, he rarely displayed any level of competence in Hux’s view.  In his first attempt at leadership Ren had let that, that phantom of Luke Skywalker distract him, despite Hux’s warning.  Hux had gotten nothing but bruised ribs for that good advice.

It was not the first time Hux has been ignored by his superiors, and he knew deep in his bones that had he been in charge, none of this would have ever happened. 

Starkiller Base was lost through no fault of his.  

He’d gone over every available detail.  

He could pinpoint the failure to three key events:

The first was Snoke’s failure to listen to Hux. He knew that the Illeenium system was far more valuable to the First Order as a resource than a target.  To destroy an entire system to rid the Galaxy of a handful of Resistance fighters?  It was a stupendous waste.  

Hux had tried to reason with Snoke. He knew that a small reconnaissance team could weed out the Resistance base within a few hours, and that a fleet could destroy it soon after.  But Snoke had been so damned insistent, worrying about that blasted map to Skywalker potentially being relayed to other dissidents.  

In Hux’s mind, the need for expediency was overstated.  If the resistance had already sent the map on it’s way, no amount of planetary destruction would change that.  All that Snoke’s order had accomplished was to make the resistance more desperate that it already was. Recharging the weapon only served to expedite the Resistance’s counterstrike.

But orders were orders, no matter how much you disagreed—no matter how right you may be.  He’d learned that the hard way. 

The second failure was that of Kylo Ren. 

Hux mentally scoffed. So much could be blamed on Ren.  Had he simply destroyed the map when he had the chance, Snoke would not have been so hasty.

Instead, Ren brought back some girl, a decision that had backfired spectacularly both at Starkiller and on the Supremacy.  Had Hux not been so certain of the man’s motivations he might have entertained a base joke about Ren’s objectivity. 

Force users; they were so full of themselves, so tied up in the minutia of their petty drama that they could never see the greater picture. 

Now, the girl had supposedly bested Snoke and now Kylo Ren was in charge.  The situation was so ludicrous that it was almost enough to make Hux pray “May the Force be with the First Order”. 

The final failure at Starkiller Base had been the lack of shields. That was the result of treasonous actions against the First Order.  Captain Phasma had been good enough to provide the name of the saboteur: Lieutenant Sol Rivas, already conveniently dispatched.  

Two traitors within a week.  It was unthinkable. Rivas had been an exemplary officer.  Not a single reprimand in his file.  Hux would never had suspected him.  Then again, had he and Phasma not had high hopes for FN-2187 as well? At least she was—

Phasma was still missing.  She’d not reported in after the Supremacy was ripped in two.   

Perhaps she’d simply been unable to contact him.  

He didn’t waste hope on it. 

Curse the Resistance.  Curse General Organa.  Curse her son. 

Phasma would say that her death was to his advantage. “Never leave loose ends,” she would say.  Phasma herself was a loose end.  Had she wanted to, she could have gotten rid of him as easily as she had helped Hux get rid of his father.  

Hux's biggest failure was his inability to take care of his biggest “loose end”.  

He glared at the object of his discontent.

He had been too slow, too shocked, at the scene in the throne room to think clearly.   

Snoke was dead, cut in half at the waist, and his halves were still slumped upon his throne like some grotesque doll.  All eight the Praetorian guards were similarly in pieces.  That scavenger girl was gone.  And there was Ren, unmoving and defenseless.  Hux had been poised to strike, his hand moving for his blaster long before his mind had even begun to catch up, but still not fast enough. 

Ren woke before Hux could pull the trigger. Ten more seconds and Hux would have been rid of Kyo Ren forever. He could blame Ren’s death on the girl, easily.  Hux could have taken his place on the throne to mold a new regime based on order and reason—not a foolish reliance on an unruly mystical Force. 

Hux could not allow himself to dwell on regret.  Instead he focused on the here and now.  

What was the positive here?  

If he had killed Kylo Ren, there were still the other Knights of Ren to contend with.  Certainly, none of them were considered next in the line of succession, but surely they all shared the ability to invade minds.  Kylo Ren may have been the most advanced, but certainly the rest would be able to perceive some measure of dishonesty?  They were loyal to Ren, not to Hux.  It was a risk that in retrospect he was glad to avoid. 

Power struggles were bad enough between two people, let alone a group, and Hux knew he had little defense against them.  The Force was a powerful enemy to have, and it’s disciples were enough of a headache on their own.  If Hux was going to pull ahead in this race, he would have to do so with the utmost caution and clarity.  He needed cunning and manipulation. He needed a plan. 

But what?

He broke from his thoughts as the ramp descended. Ren stalked down it, his cape billowing behind him as he walked at top speed.  Hux struggled to keep up.  Pain shot through his knee, and he added it to his list of injuries. 

More than anyone else, Hux had the most to fear from the new Supreme Leader.  His whole body felt like he’d been mauled by a Rancor, and he knew with certainty that it was only the beginning of his pains.

That was fine.  Hux could handle pain.  He’d handled it before. 

Fact: Ren viewed Hux as disposable. 

Fact: Hux was no match for Ren. 

Fact: Hux was not afraid. 

To everyone else, it seemed that Hux had a death wish.  Every time Ren knocked him down, Hux got back up again, a sarcastic quip ready upon his lips.  Every bit of defiance was met with more and more brutal displays.  And yet, Hux remained defiant. 

That was alright.  They didn’t need to understand.  

Hux continued to study Ren, as he had been studying him from the moment they’d left the crippled Supremacy to hunt down the remaining Resistance on Crait.  

The First Order had won. The Resistance was all but wiped out, and the news of their defeat would soon spread to the rest of the galaxy, quashing the hopes of any would-be rebels. 

But Ren was clearly in turmoil.  His youthful face was frozen in a dark and brooding scowl and his shoulders were perpetually tense.  

This was not the face of confidence that the First Order needed right now.  Even as the victors, their losses had been massive.  The destruction of Starkiller Base and the decimation of their main fleet had taken the lives of millions of loyal soldiers and officers.  The survivors were demoralized, and needed a strong and stable leader to guide them. 

Fact: Kylo Ren was not that leader.  

Hux would be that leader.  

A young officer trotted up to greet them.  Hux did not recognize the man—boy, really.  Like so many others, he undoubtedly received a field promotion only hours before.  There were many, many new roles to fill.  

From the look on the kid’s face, he’d drawn a short straw.  He was sweating, and his eyes were wide as saucers as he approached Ren.  Then he spoke, stammering badly:

“S-supreme Leader Ren, General Hux, I…I have urgent news.”

Ren turned on his heels abruptly at the interruption and rounded on the officer, who visibly paled.

“Spit it out, Commander.”

He did. 

Oh. He’d drawn a very, very short straw.

Ren looked at him incredulously. “What do you mean, you’ve lost Snoke?”

Chapter Text

It was as the officer said: Snoke’s body was gone. 

Red and Hux stared at the base of the throne.  There was no trace of the halved body that once lay there.  Only a few scraps of cloth, some smears, and the faint smell of seared flesh remained. 

Well, Snoke didn’t just walk away.  Someone must have taken him; but who and why?

“Supreme Leader, I will assign a team to investigate—starting with a review of any surviving security footage.”

Ren turned on him suddenly, his eyes flashing dangerously. 

“No. I will review the security footage. Your men have already proven too incompetent to keep track of a dead man.”

Hux bristled.  “And you failed to prevent his death.”

“I would watch your tone if I were you, General,” Ren warned.  “There is much work to be done. You are to oversee rescue efforts and repairs.  I will investigate this matter myself.”

So you can erase the evidence!  Hux wanted to shout, but already he felt the tiniest pressure on his neck.  It was a warning.

Hux was pithy, not stupid.  He managed to hold back the accusation.  

He knew Ren could sense his distrust and contempt, but then he’d never trusted Ren.  In the five years they’d been forced to work side by side, it seemed like barely a cycle passed where Ren hadn’t taken deliberate steps to get in his way.  Hux hadn’t backed down.  

He supposed on some level that was something that had appealed to Snoke.  Keeping one’s enemies divided is a useful strategy to hold onto power.  Hux believed in such tactics himself and even incorporated similar ideas within the First Order’s hierarchy. 

Hux suspected Ren had lied about the events leading to Snoke’s assassination, but there was nothing he could prove.  Now, Ren would simply delete any incriminating holofootage from the databanks, and Hux would be powerless to prevent it. 

“Understood, Supreme Leader.  The Supremacy is in no shape to provide adequate protection for you as it is now.  I know that the thirteenth fleet is already en route.  Their flagship, the Umbrage would make a suitable temporary—”

“No.  I will remain here.” 

“I must advise—ugh!”

Hux found himself on his backside against the wall. 

“I’m remaining on the Supremacy,” Ren said.  “Snoke had many secrets he left behind that none but me will understand.  I will discover those secrets as well as his body, and you are not to interfere.”

Hux did not argue.  He tried to look dignified as he got back on his feet.  “Yes, Supreme Leader,” he said. 

“You’re dismissed.”  Ren smiled, clearly taking great pleasure in shutting Hux down.  He spun on his heel and left. 

Hux sighed.

Orders were orders. 

Hux picked up some painkillers and bacta packets form the first med team he happened across, then went straight to his temporary office. He needed to address his pounding headache if he wanted to get anything done. 

That had been close. 

Kylo Ren relaxed a bit as the incriminating holofootage was wiped clean from the computer’s memory. 

Hux was annoyingly perceptive sometimes.  

Ren didn’t need the Force to tell that Hux was only biding time before attempting a coup.  Hux could be deadly clever on occasion, but Hux was weak and no match for Snoke’s power or Ren’s.  He would have taken great pleasure in ridding the galaxy of the General, if Snoke had not made it clear that Hux was not to be harmed. 

A fool’s weakness, properly manipulated, can be as sharp tool.

Ren wondered what kind of sharp tool Snoke had seen in a weakling like Hux.

Most of the throne room recordings were too damaged to be of any real value, but he purged anything incriminating that might be rebuilt by a team of slicers. Unfortunately, this also meant that there was no evidence of whoever cleaned up the carnage and stole the body. 

No matter.  There were plenty of other security cameras on the ship, and many were in better shape. 

Ren checked the recordings from the few corridors surrounding the Throne Room, methodically working his way further and further through the ship.  The hallway footage was better quality, but often grainy, and Ren felt his eyes begin to burn as he watched closely.  

He’d been watching for an hour when he spotted it.  Two figures carrying lumps of what appeared to be Snoke’s remains rounded a corner and into a blind spot.  Whatever they were, they didn’t look human.  Indeed, the movement was a bit strange and stiff—were they droids?  He couldn’t tell exactly given the poor picture quality.  

He checked the location of the footage and made haste to solve this mystery. 

When he rounded the corner of their last known location, Ren was perplexed to find a dead end.  There was no more hallway after that corner. 

He checked the location again and made certain he was in the right place.  

No obvious exits…but they must have gone somewhere. 

Ren reached out with the Force.  Oh.  Something was definitely beyond the wall.  

He traced his hands along the wall’s light panels, trusting the force to guide him. 

There. 

There was a hidden locking mechanism under the panel.  Ren prodded it, trying to open this hidden door.  When he was unsuccessful, he reached out again with his mind.  He began to sense it’s internal structure. It felt familiar.  He was reminded of when he built his first lightsaber.

Oh. 

This lock was only meant to be broken by a force user. Lucky for him. 

Seconds later he heard a latch pop and hiss as it unlocked, and the wall split down the middle as it’s sides retracted, unveiling a new space beyond. 

Ren entered and gasped softly.

There was no sign of the thieves or Snoke, but the sight was impressive.

He’d never seen this room before now, but the items within it were familiar.  Many were of Sith origin that he himself had collected on Snoke’s orders.  He didn’t know what each item was, but Snoke had always been a collector.  He said that it was their duty as heirs to the Dark Side to protect and maintain their power. 

All these artifacts had been gathered here and displayed like some strange museum.  No, not a museum; it was a shrine. 

An ornate altar graced the back wall.  Above it was a mask with kyber crystals set into the eyes, ancient lightsabers, and shelves of books—very old books from the looks of it.

Had this been Snoke’s private meditation space?  More than once during his training, Snoke would be uncontactable for hours or days at a time.  No one questioned him on where he went or what he did.  Ren had suspected that Snoke had a private hideaway—several, probably—to explore the mysteries of the Force, but now he had confirmation. 

And all this knowledge was his for the taking. Glory to the Dark Side. 

There was a console in the corner, and Ren tried to access it.   Immediately he could see files related to hundreds of topics—the Force, history, art, and even some project files—all under code names that he did not recognize.  He tried to open one, and cursed when it prompted him for a passcode. 

He tried using his own credentials without success.  He considered that might just be a simple problem of updating his credentials in the system, but Snoke would not be so careless.  Each file probably had it’s own passcode.  Ren would need a very skilled slicer to access everything he wanted. 

Ren swore again.  This was a job for Hux. 

Hux yawned, then shook his head to stay awake.

Ren was right about one thing: Hux needed to oversee rescue and repair operations.  He doubted Ren had the organizational skills or knowledge to deal with such a massive undertaking. 

The Thirteenth Fleet was not nearly so impressive as the one they’d lost, but it was still formidable.  They would be bringing in emergency supplies, multiple medical frigates, and tow ships to begin sorting through whatever debris could be salvaged. 

The Supremacy was dead in space, but still managed to keep life support in the most important sections—the bridge, offices, and most sections of the living quarters.  It had been a relief to to know that most of the junior academy had been spared.  They’d lost so many officers, to lose their entire next generation would have been even more devastating.

The internal shipyards were mangled, but at least one seemed repairable.   Towing their mobile capitol to a stationary shipyard would take far more time and effort than was practical.  

Hux decided that the best course of action was to first evacuate all non-essential personnel to the Thirteenth Fleet, then send in a team of engineers and workmen to see if they could repair the one remaining hyperdrive.  

The Umbrage had a shipyard of it’s own, and a great many smaller ships had fabrication facilities.  The armada could form a protective barrier around the Supremacy.  There was enough firepower to deter pirates and other enemies of the First Order from interfering with their repairs, until they could patch up what was left.  Once the Supremacy regained mobility it was simply a question of which shipyard was best suited to rebuild their fallen city. 

Plan in place and orders issued, Hux leaned back and rubbed his eyes.  He was so tired.  Perhaps a short rest was—

His data pad chimed and he groaned loudly.  Now what?

There were several old and unread messages that he’d not gotten a chance to read, but the most recent one was from Ren, demanding Hux come to him.

Sleep would have to put off, yet again.  Hux administered a stim from his small cache of medical supplies and headed up.

Chapter Text

“What is this place?” 

Hux couldn’t hide the wonder from his face as he took in the strange room.  He’d no idea what most of this stuff was for, but he supposed he could chalk most of it up to Force nonsense. 

“I assume this was Snoke’s sanctuary.  A place where he could meditate and study the Force.”  Ren motioned to the console.  “I don’t expect you to understand any of it.  What I need is to get into these data files.  You are a capable slicer, are you not?” 

 “I know a few tricks, but surely someone more ex—”

 His throat closed up and the words died on his lips. 

 “I didn’t ask about someone else. I asked you.” 

 The pressure on his voice box abated and he gasped to regain his breath.  “Yes, I’m capable.  Let me see those data files.”

Hux walked to the console, all but shoving Ren out of his way.   Hopefully this would be quick, and he could take a short rest afterward.  

“Is there anythings specific I should start with?” 

“Concentrate on just unlocking the files.”

Hux sighed.  That should be easy enough.  He got to work.  

This was harder than he remembered. 

No, not that… 

No…maybe…

Hux jolted.  He’d nearly fallen asleep right there.  

This wouldn’t do.  He needed to rest. He doubted Ren would allow his personal punching bag a nap.

“Well?” 

“This process can take some time,” he said, giving extra effort to sound more awake. 

Ren sneered, “Perhaps I should have summoned someone else.”

“That would be foolish, now that I’m looking through some of these file names,” Hux said. 

“What do you mean?”

Hux may know nothing about the Force, but these files weren’t just a mere index of artifacts.  Hux recognized several codenames for various projects—some he’d overseen himself.

“These are internal records for First Order projects.  Imperial ones too.  See here? ‘Stardust’.  That was the codename for the Death Star many years ago.”

Ren now looked genuinely interested.  “So these are weapons and tech records.  Why would he have them here? My credentials can easily grant me access to such files from the bridge. Why the extra security measure?”

“Maybe it also holds his diary.”

Hux could have sworn he saw a smirk on Ren’s face, but it was quickly covered by a scowl. “I want to find out why.”

Hux rolled his eyes.  “It’s obvious, isn’t it? You don’t have access to these files because they are not the same files you’d normally have access to.  My credentials don’t work either,” he said.  “Which tells me that something is here that Snoke didn’t care to share with either of us.”

As Hux spoke, he began to formulate a plan. 

“There is…a lot of things to work around. Perhaps I should transfer some of these files to my data pad and take them to my quarters.” If Ren allowed it, he could rest and take his time. “Transferring the files is the easiest thing for me to override, and then I could leave you to your search for Snoke.”

Ren seemed to consider it.  Maybe he’d get lucky.

Please let me sleep, Hux thought.

Ren looked at Hux strangely.  

Oh no, Hux thought, he heard me.

“I did,” Ren said.  “I never took you for one who sleeps on the job.”

Hux sighed in defeat.  “I’m not.  My apologies, Supreme Leader.  I’ve not slept since the attack on Starkiller Base.”

“Then perhaps you should take better care of yourself, General.”

Hux glared at him.  “I don’t have the luxury of time.  You may have noticed things have been a bit busy around here."

Snap!

Hux yelped as his back hit the wall about three meters high.  He didn’t hit the ground.  Instead, Ren kept him dangling in mid-air.  

Ren snarled.  “What did I tell you about tone?” 

He tossed Hux again, and he landed across the floor with a thud.

He struggled to get to his hands and feet, his back to Ren.

Circling to face Hux, Ren grabbed his chin in his hand, examining his face.

Ren expected—wanted—to see defeat, but instead he was met with defiance.  

Hux was far too smug for one so pathetic.

Ren hated him.  

He hated his condescending manner and sarcasm.

He hated his arrogance. 

He hated his perfect procedures. 

He hated the things he said—and the things he didn’t. 

Always paying attention to his flaws, ignoring his strengths. 

Kylo Ren hated being ignored. 

“Always scheming, starving for power, and desperate for attention,” Ren said as he stared Hux down closely. “Why did Snoke think you were worth keeping, hmmm?”

Hux stupidly spoke up, too exhausted and hurt to stop himself. 

“Perhaps he kept me as your babysitter.”

Ren released Hux’s chin only to backhand him in the same motion. 

It was the last thing Hux remembered.

Ren watched as Hux collapsed and momentarily wondered if he would ever rise again.  

He nudged Hux’s should with the toe of his boot.  

“Get up.” 

Hux did not stir.  

Ren cursed and summoned a pair of medical droids to take him away.   

Normally, Ren wouldn’t care whether Hux died or not, but there was work to do and he would have been foolish to deny that he needed his help.  Oh, he could find another slicer, but Hux had something irreplaceable: knowledge. 

There was no doubt in his mind that Hux knew more about the history of the First Order than any other officer alive.  Ren would need that expertise to make sense of the data in those files.  There were thousands of them, and Hux would be useful in highlighting the most important bits.  

As he waited for the droids, he continued his search for clues.  Snoke must have been brought to this place.  But where did those strange figures come from? 

Something caught his eye.  The wall was bent in a bit where Hux had crashed into it.  A panel corner and split from the wall and stuck out… 

A thought occurred to him.  He reached under the panel and found yet another locking mechanism.  Another force lock.  He made quick work of it and pulled the newly uncovered door open. 

He barely dodged the two large clay statues that fell out, nearly knocking him down. He ignited his lightsaber and neatly cleaved one of them in half. 

Wait. 

The figures weren’t moving.  Were they dead?  Were they ever alive to begin with?

Ren took a closer look at the damaged statue.  The outside was like sculpted clay—or maybe it was carved stone? Inside, he saw it contained several purple crystals. 

The figures matched the blurry images he’d seen, but they didn’t seem to have any mobility on their own.  He’d have to study it more later.  

If they were behind the door, then Snoke would be there too.  

He did not see a body—but there was a small container of ash.  

Ren inspected it.  He’d need to have someone do a deep scan, but he was certain that they would only confirm that it was Snoke’s remains. He’d had been cremated, and somehow these stone creatures had done it. 

Why? 

He would need Hux to solve this.  He would let the General have his rest.  In the meantime, Ren would start on the stack of books his old master had left behind. 

Chapter Text

Hux woke two standard days later.  

The Chief Medical Officer had ordered a full bacta soak.  Hux was less than happy to learn that he’d been unconscious for so long.   He could only imagine what chaos Kylo Ren had unleashed in his absence. 

 It was humiliating to think that his weakness was on display to anyone with access to the medical ward.  Luckily, there were very few people still aboard.  Hux’s plan had gone into effect fairly smoothly, and the Supremacy was now manned with a skeleton crew as repairs were underway.  

Despite his embarrassment, Hux felt infinitely better than before.  His mind was sharper and the pains in his body had ebbed to a soft ache.  Before this, He hadn’t slept more than 5 hours a night in years. The long rest left him feeling energetic in a way he hadn’t felt since he was much younger. 

Hux had just exited the medbay refresher, relishing in the clean feeling after having showered off all that syrupy bacta fluid when someone knocked.

“One moment,” Hux called as he buttoned up his trousers.  

Ren entered without waiting for him to answer the door. 

“Ren! Do you mind?” Hux barked, “I’m not even dressed!” 

Hux frantically tugged on his undershirt.  Ren just stood there for a moment with a curious expression on his face as Hux finished tucking in.  

“Well, what do you need of me, Supreme Leader?” 

Ren’s expression changed immediately to something colder.  “You got my message.” 

Hux nodded.  “I did.  Congratulations on finding Snoke.  Any information on those body snatchers?”

Ren shook his head.  “No. 

“I must admit I’m rather curious about them,” Hux said.  “I’d like permission to examine them.”

“Granted,” Ren acquiesced.  “But you are to make that a low priority investigation.  I’m more interested in unlocking all this information first.” 

He pulled out a data pad. 

“Here,” Ren said. “I managed to trick the system into letting me transfer the files to this pad.  You will do whatever you must to to access all this information, and create a unique encryption code for security.  Keep the data separate from the Central Computers. No uploads.” 

“Understood.” 

“Report back to me once you’ve finished.  I’ll will devoting my time to deciphering Snoke’s library of books.”

“Surely, there are more pressing matters at hand,” Hux said.  “There are still dozens of tasks that need to be done—you need to sign off on work orders, see to the distribution of resources, that sort of—”

“You will assume those responsibilities as needed until otherwise ordered, and I will approve or reject your recommendations accordingly.”

Hux considered this.  On the surface, it might have looked like Ren was trying to dump the hard work on Hux’s shoulders; but that didn’t seem right.  It  gave Hux a great deal of power to influence every decree, propose any law, and bend the First Order to his will, all under Kyl Ren’s nose.  Even Hux didn’t think Ren was stupid enough to miss that.

Brat, Hux thought. He’s doing this just so he can veto any suggestion I make.  He’ll sense any attempts of deception. He just wants to lord his power over me until I go mad. It’s a reckless move. Childish. Obnoxious.

If Ren wanted a battle of wits, then so be it.  Hux would win this game.

“Remember to sleep.  I can’t have my top General passing out like that again.”

 “It would help if you didn’t assault me every hour.” 

Ren furrowed his brow in a way defied interpretation.  Hux wasn’t sure if he saw anger, confusion, annoyance, or concern in Ren’s face—but he could guess the at least one of those labels was very incorrect.  Ren had never shown concern for him in any context. 

It seemed like Ren was mulling something over in his head.

“I think you’ve learned your lesson,” he said after a long pause.

Hux didn’t reply.  He really couldn’t tell if Ren expected a response.  On a normal day, Hux would have been certain the words have been chosen to bait him; but these were not normal days.  Ren’s voice was soft and reserved as he spoke.  The tone was completely unsuited to issuing a challenge. 

“Don’t keep me waiting,” Ren said, and left without another word.

Hux couldn’t shake the feeling that something seemed off.  

Ren didn’t know why the sight had bothered him.  

Hux’s torso, while already substantially healed from the bacta treatment, was still covered in dozens of pale yellow splotches.  Ren hadn’t realized just how many bruises Hux had sustained.  He wondered how many internal injuries were hidden beneath the off-colored marks.

Ren conceded that perhaps Hux was tougher than he gave him credit for. 

No matter.  The man was still breakable.  

Oddly, Ren had no intentions of breaking him. 

Hux had proven his usefulness to him.  The recovery plans he had drafted had been executed quickly and efficiently.  Ren wasn’t too proud to admit that Hux had done an exceptional job of the operation, despite being unable to oversee it personally. 

It had been so well constructed, in fact, that Ren had been largely free to continue his investigations into Snoke’s sanctuary without any major interruption.  Hux could deny the importance of understanding the Force all he wanted.  Ironically, it was Hux’s own diligence that had allowed Ren more time to study.

Ren wasn’t so deluded to think he could have handled it nearly so well as Hux had.  Hux was fluent in every facet of First Order business, and Ren wasn’t.   Ren couldn’t afford to lose Hux as a resource.   He would treat his General a bit more gently, for now. 

Guilt definitely had nothing to do with it.

Hux returned to his quarters and gingerly sat in his desk chair.  The bacta had done wonders, but he still felt incredibly stiff.  He was grateful to be alone in a quiet space away from Ren. 

He was surprised that Ren had gone through the trouble of getting him the files himself.  It was almost kind of him.  Actually, the whole exchange had been unusually pleasant.  Perhaps the awkwardness of the situation had thrown Ren off.  

He pushed his musings aside.  There was work to do.   

Ren had ordered him to prioritize the data files, but Hux decided to catch up on his long neglected inbox first.  He opened his data pad to sort through his old messages.

He went through them one by one, quickly accessing which messages were important and which were now irrelevant.  He narrowed in on the time frame between the Dreadnaught’s destruction and Crait. 

One message caught his attention: 

Flagged: URGENT - Voice activation required

To: General Armitage Hux

Sender: CONFIDENTIAL (SL-000-BLACK)

Subject: Harvester Contingency - attachment included

The subject line sent a chill of anxiety through Hux, and he wasn’t sure why.  The words Harvester Contingency held a foreboding familiarity that he couldn’t quite place. 

Hux knew the code SL-000-BLACK referred to only the most sensitive of communications.  He selected the message and confirmed his identity.  It contained a holo recording.  Hux played it from the small desk projector.  

A wilted, ancient humanoid figure appeared before his eyes and began to speak. 

“Protocol One has been initiated, execute the final phase of the Harvester Contingency.  The Empire needs children.”

Ren groaned and slammed the book closed.  The ancient tome was incredibly longwinded.  The dialect was old and confusing, but this particular book was written in a language that had much in common with modern Meese Caulf, and was therefore the easiest one for Ren to decipher—however slowly.

His eyes wandered around the space to the various artifacts displayed.  It was tempting to want to inspect them each, but he knew it would be unwise to touch anything.  Sith artifacts could hold tremendous knowledge, but they could also hold danger.  He wasn’t foolish enough to touch anything until he had a better understanding of what everything was.

Ren was getting impatient. 

He took a slow, deep breath and leaned back in his seat.  He closed his eyes, trying to clear his head for a moment.  He exhaled in a measured count of five. 

He just needed a quick break to meditate, Ren decided.  He opened himself up to the Force, taking a moment to simply exist within it.   

He let the Force flow through him.  Ren felt like an arachnid in the center of a web, one that stretched out across the galaxy, every string humming with the vibrations of the Force itself.  Ren could feel each string.  

There came a sudden tugging on the web—a disturbance.  He opens his eyes, concern rising as he realized the disturbance was heading directly towards him.  

He jumped into a ready position when the door slid open without warning.  Ren gripped his lightsaber tightly, poised to ignite it if danger presented.

Hux stepped inside. 

“Oh,” Ren said, “It’s you.  Did you finish already?” 

Hux didn’t reply; he simply walked passed Ren, not even sparing him a glance.  He stationed himself at the computer console.   

“Hux?” 

It was like Ren was invisible.  “Hux! Can you hear me?”  

Hux’s hands flew across the screen, inputting a long string of information that Ren couldn’t follow. 

Something felt incredibly wrong. 

“Hux, what are you doing?” 

Ren heard a series a beeps.  He pushed Hux aside to view the screen himself. 

“Everything is unlocked.  Where did you find the codes?” He began scrolling through the file names.

“Hux?”

He was walking away from him.

“Hux what are you…NO!”

Hux had retrieved an item from the altar.  Ren realized with horror that it was a holocron. 

“Put that down.  That’s an order.”

Hux stared at the pyramid-shaped item in his hand as though in a trance.

Ren reached out and tried to rip it away from Hux, but the moment he touched it he was blown back by a blinding energy pulse.  The impact disoriented him for a moment, but he quickly recovered and tried again, this time using the Force to try and rip the holocron from Hux. 

It didn’t budge.  

Ren refocused.  If he couldn’t take the holocron, he’d take out Hux instead.  He reached into Hux’s mind, intent on putting him to sleep. 

Ren wasn’t prepared for what happened next.   

He was assaulted by images not his own; flashes of people he did not know; places he’d never seen.  The visions were only fragments.  Hundreds. Thousands.  None ever appearing long enough to know what was happening. There was an overwhelming wave of emotions, fear and anger chief among them.  

Ren fought stay focused and pushed harder.  Another wave of energy pushed him back.  The room swirled with untamed power. 

Ren wasn’t giving up. 

Think, think, think! 

Ren noticed the stack of books he’d been studying. He launched them at Hux as hard as he could.

He heard a soft yelp, and then Hux was on the ground.  One of the books had hit him square in the head.  

The energy stilled, then dissipated completely. 

Ren gasped to catch his breath.  The ordeal had taken far more out of him than he was comfortable admitting.

Hux wasn’t moving. Ren went to examine him. 

So much for trying not to break his General--but this time it has been a necessity. He was splayed out awkwardly on his side and his hair was a mess, but otherwise Hux looked normal.  

The holocron was on the ground.  Ren kicked it far it away.

“Hux, wake up.  Hux, can you hear me?” 

Ren was relieved to hear him groan in response.  

Hux opened his eyes blearily. “Ren?”  He blinked and looked around in confusion.  “Why am I on the floor? And why does my head hurt, again?”

“You don’t remember?”

“I…no…” Hux seemed to be gathering his thoughts as he sat up.  “I don’t even remember leaving my rooms,” he said softly.

Ren frowned.  The disturbance he’d sensed when Hux barged in had vanished, but Ren still felt uneasy, like something dangerous had been unleashed and was only biding it’s time.  

When he tried to stand Hux found his legs to be quite wobbly.  He nearly fell again, but Ren reached out to hold him upright.  He could sense Hux’s confusion.

“Ren, what is going on?”

He wished he knew. 

Chapter Text

Something was different. 

She could sense it.  

It wasn’t the cries of billions of innocents reaching through the Force as they were wiped from the galaxy.  It wasn’t a planetary genocide like Alderaan or the Hosnian System.

This a different sort rumble in the Force: a pull, a call to action—a warning.

Danger was coming like a tsunami on a horizon—an unstoppable ripple that threatened to wash over and destroy what they’d fought so hard to keep.  Unease wrapped around her like a blanket, and she searched for the only other person who might understand. 

“Did you feel it, too?” 

 “Yes.”

It was the only confirmation she needed.

“Ok, now, start from the beginning.  What exactly do you remember?” 

They were in Hux’s quarters.  Following the incident in the Sanctuary (as Ren had come to call it) they had decided to retrace Hux’s steps.  

“I was in my office chair, going through some unopened messages,” he said. “There was…there was something there.” 

Hux picked up his data pad.  They had found it safely lying on Hux’s desk when they arrived.  He opened his inbox and scrolled through.  

“…there’s nothing here.  Nothing noteworthy,” he said.  He could have sworn…

“Perhaps you deleted it?” Ren suggested.

“I don’t remember.” Hux said.  “But depending on it’s contents, it’s possible.”

Hux had a bewildered air about him that Ren could sense was genuine.  It had been emanating from him from the moment he’d regained consciousness, rolling off him in waves.  Ren didn’t doubt he was telling the truth.

Hux really couldn’t remember anything. 

“Supreme Leader, perhaps you could enlighten me on what happened down there?” he asked.  “If you could explain—”

“You’d never understand it,” Ren said dismissively.  

 “Try me,” Hux dared him.   “I’m not stupid, despite what you may think.   I can’t help solve this with only partial information.   I’d also like to know what exactly I did to earn yet another head injury.” 

Hux made no attempt to hide his ire, and Ren had to concede that he did have a point.  Denying him information wouldn’t help them solve this mystery.

“You barged into the room and just unlocked all that computer data like it was nothing,” Ren said.  “No matter how much I yelled, you ignored me.  Like you couldn’t hear or see me.“

“Sleepwalking?”

Ren shrugged.  “I don’t know.  I’ve never encountered a sleepwalker before.  But you seemed incredibly focused.   No matter what I did, you didn’t listen.”

“I don’t have a history of sleepwalking,” Hux said.  “But then again, I was just in a bacta tank for two days.  Perhaps my head was worse than we thought.” 

Ren could sense a spike in his anxiety.  Hux was an obnoxiously proud individual.  The thought that his brain might somehow be irreparably damaged was alarming.

“We could do a deep scan, double check things with the doctors,” Ren said.  “But I’m more concerned about the holocron.” 

Indeed, the holocron was the important thing here.  Why would he ever care about Hux’s anxieties? 

“You mean that thing,” Hux said, gesturing to the item in Ren’s hand.  He ignored Ren’s blatant disregard for his well-being. “What is it for?”

“This is a kind of storage device.  Jedi and Sith alike once used them to store important information.” 

“Information about the Force you mean?”

“Yes, but not only.  Anything from historical documents to holorecordings to star charts—and sometimes something more intangible."

“Meaning?”

“Many holocrons, like this one, require the Force to unlock and to understand.  The message isn’t always straightforward.”

“You mean the messages are what, telepathic in nature?”

“Well, sort of, but not really.”

“You’re right. I’ll never understand this, not with such profound and concrete answers.”  Hux’s sarcasm burned like acid.  “Well, you have the Force.  You should be able to understand it.  Can’t you just open it up and see what it says?”

Ren shook his head.  “No. This seems like it was damaged in the blast.” 

The holocron had gone dormant after Hux had been subdued and was apparently useless. 

Hux frowned.  “Blast?”

“I tried to take it from you.  You resisted.  Whatever was stored in this Holocron had a massive amount of energy.  Opening it was like detonating a bomb.  That’s why I had to knock you out,” Ren explained.  “It seemed like the best option at the time.” 

“Of course it did.” Hux replied dryly.  He was still smarting from his newest headache.   

Ren growled.  “Hux, you grabbed a holocron and attacked me when I tried to stop you!  Be grateful I didn’t kill you outright.” 

Ren wasn’t sure why he felt the need to be so defensive.  He was the Supreme Leader, after all; he didn’t owe anyone an explanation for his actions.  Hux didn’t have the right to be so uppity. 

“Kill me outright?  Please, you’d never show me the mercy of a quick death.” 

“Don’t make me reconsider!”

Why did Hux have to be so difficult?

“Anyway, like I said, it opened.  All the energy, all the information spilled out.”

“So you have seen it?" Hux said. “Care to elaborate?”

Ren wasn’t sure how to explain the things he’d seen.  He’d barely understood it himself. 

“I saw images. Memories, I think.”

“Whose memories?”

“I don’t know. Not mine.”

“Ok, did you recognize anything?”

Ren thought back as hard as he could, rummaging through the images that had stayed with him the most.  He tried to think of anything that strike him as significant.

“Battlefields. Soldiers. I’m not sure Hux, there was so much.  It was like…like an entire lifetime of memories flew at me at once.” 

“Soldiers wear uniforms—what did they look like?”

“Imperial. No. Republic. No, both.  More.” Ren tried to sort the memories. “First Order as well.”

“So, if these are indeed memories, they might belong to more than one person.”

“Or else a very, very old one.”

There was a moment of quiet contemplation between them.  Ren could feel Hux’s mind working to put the pieces together.

“Are you suggesting that they were Snoke’s memories?” Hux asked. 

“Yes.”

“Is there any way to be certain?” Hux's voice sounded slightly higher than usual. 

“No.  Not until we find out more.”

Hux coughed. “Besides soldiers and battlefields, what else did you see?” 

“I don’t know! A lot of places—most of them I’ve seen myself in my youth.”

“But not all.  Which ones have you not seen before?

Come to think of it…..

“I saw a tower.”  

Ren closed his eyes, breathing deeply. He had seen a structure—significant only in that it had been from far way, whereas most of the other people and places were up close or indoors. “A tower on a coast.  There was a storm—like Kamino on a bad day.  It was night, but lightning flashed and lit everything up.”

Hux didn’t respond to that.  He seemed to be on the edge of asking another question about it, but instead he changed the subject.

“What were you doing right before I showed up this afternoon?”

“I was trying to translate some texts,” Ren said.  “I was taking a moment to meditate and I sensed you coming before the door opened.”

“And did anything seem unusual?”

“Well, something was off—you, obviously—but it’s gone now. It disappeared once everything was over.”

He could sense Hux was growing frustrated.  Actually, Ren noted to himself, Hux had been unusually easy to read this whole time.  Ren supposed the redhead’s mind was swirling with unknowns and the lack of information must be driving him mad. 

“I’m going to run a sweep through my data pad, to see if I can’t restore some old messages for a clue,” Hux said. “But since everything appears to be back to normal, I propose we simply continue focusing on our research into those data files.”

There was something about the way Hux spoke that struck Ren as strange.  He’d been working with Hux for five years.  He never let anything slip past the cracks.  If there was a problem or a mystery, no matter how trivial, Hux would always press until he learned everything there was to know.  Instead, Hux sounded almost casually dismissive.

His emotions spoke otherwise. 

Ren supposed he was still just shaken up.  Hux could keep the facade up all he wanted, but underneath it all he was highly unnerved.  

It didn’t matter, there was work to do.  

“Go to the med bay, if only to get your head checked out.  That was a pretty large book.  Have a scan just in case.  Then join me in the Sanctuary.  We can go over things there, once you're ready.”

Something was different.

Rey could sense it. 

It wasn’t the loss of Luke Skywalker, or her recently severed connection to Kylo Ren.  It wasn’t the collective mourning of the remaining Resistance fighters aboard the Millennium Falcon.  

Whatever she was feeling, it was far away.  

Rey was surrounded by allies.   Finn was with her—when he wasn’t doting on Rose, at least.  So was BB-8, and his master, Poe Dameron, who seemed like a decent guy.  

None of them were the person she needed right now.

General Organa was—from what Rey could determine in the week they’d known each other—wise, kind, and practical.  There was a sense of solidity to her that felt safe.  She understood why people would rally behind her strength. 

She was the only one who would understand. 

Organa was in the galley, quietly cutting up some protein meal to share amongst the survivors.  She spoke before Rey could utter a hello.

“Did you feel it, too?”

Chapter Text

The computer chimed, alerting Kylo Ren to an incoming transmission.  He smiled when he recognized the sender ID and accepted the call.

“Caedus!” Ren greeted as the silvery blue holoimage of his Second in Command flickered before him.

The voice that replied was rough but warm in it’s greeting, a direct contrast to the cold skeletal design of the figure’s mask and hooded robe.

“Kylo! It’s been too long, my friend.”

Ren smiled even wider. “It has. So much has happened, and I can’t discuss it on this channel.”

“Then it’s a good thing I’ll be aboard the Supremacy in a couple hours.”

“That soon?” Ren had summoned his Knights only the night before.

“I had a feeling I’d be hearing from you.”

“Of course you did,” Ren said, beaming.  

Caedus Ren was as strong with the Force as ever, and Ren could feel it like the warm rays of a blazing star.  He possessed an unparalleled precognitive ability, one that had served the Knights of Ren well.

If he was to have any chance at ruling the First Order, he would need Caedus’ wisdom and loyalty.  There was no one else he trusted more.

“And as the Force provides, I happened to have Stethas and Detona with me on patrol in the outer regions before receiving your summons,” he said.  “Angris and Cantor weren’t far off.”

“That’s good news,” Ren said.  It truly would be nice to see some friendly faces for a change.

“Listen Caedus,” he continued, the good mood shifting to something more urgent. “Snoke’s death…it seems to have triggered something.  I’m not sure what or why, but General Hux is affected somehow.”

“How so?”

“I…” he paused.  He wasn’t really sure how to answer that. “I was hoping you could help me figure it out. I will explain more to you all on your arrival.”

***

Halfway through his woefully prolonged medical appointment, Hux received a message from Kylo Ren.

“I have summoned my knights.  They are arriving within the hour.  Meet us in Hangar one.”

Hux was livid.

He re-read the message on his data pad for the fifth time.   There were no more details included. He wasn’t surprised. The Supreme Leader was not the most detailed with his explanations, and he had no obligation to give Hux all the facts.  The timing was more irritating than anything else. He could do nothing but sit there on the examination table and wait while his mind raced.

Five Knights were going to be on the Supremacy.  Six Force users in total.

If Hux wasn’t very careful, things could become very bad for him.

Where the hell was that Doctor?

Despite only having a skeleton crew, the medical team still apparently had its hands full. That, or the Chief Medical Officer was severely overpaid. He would make a point to review their salary details later. Right now, Hux had bigger problems.

Hux was fidgety.  Beyond the mere boredom that came with the waiting times, he had never liked going to sickbay.  It was always too cold, the med droids too menacing, and the various medical contraptions they used looked far more like the torture devices used by the First Order’s most advanced interrogator droids than life-saving technology.

It also seemed like all the doctors he’d ever met were all too eager to prove their own brilliance, and every one of them could technically declare Hux medically unfit for duty if he refused their advice.  It was a privilege that he sorely wished he could revoke, despite the rational voice inside reminding him that it was a necessary precaution.

He supposed it was only a symptom of life in the First Order.  As a child he learned very quickly that sickness equalled weakness and therefore visits to the doctor were to be largely avoided beyond standard physicals and vaccinations. If Ren had not instructed him so directly, he’d have taken another stim and continued throughout the day rather than risk missing any more work.  He’d rather die than spend another day back in a bacta tank.

When the doctor finally returned with the results, Hux impatiently let him know he was in no mood for a lengthy explanation.  “Just tell me I’m cleared to go, I can’t deal with another delay.” 

“You are cleared to go,” the doctor replied, looking confused.  

“Good.” Hux replied, “Send me a copy of the scan, I’ll review it later,” Hux told him, instantly slipping out the door.  No need to dawdle listening to the specifics.

He left the office in a considerably better mood. If he was in good health, then it meant whatever affliction he had was external, and the encrypted files would be his only clue to what was going on.  

But now, he had to go face the Knights of Ren.

Hux rushed to the hangar, not quite at a run, but certainly with far less grace than was typical.  He could afford a momentary lapse in dignity—there were so few people around, after all.

Hux forced himself to slow down a few meters from the hangar, he took a second to catch his breath and compose himself.  He was in a hurry, but he didn’t need to look like it.

Chin up, shoulders back. Stand up straight don’t be slack.

He stepped into the hangar with poise.

Ren was already there, and his knights were descending the ramp of their small cruiser.  

Hux strode towards Ren, stopping to stand beside and slightly behind Ren’s left shoulder at full attention, like the dutiful soldier he’d always tried to be.

“General Hux,” said Kylo Ren. “I believe you’ve met my knights before.”

“Yes, Supreme Leader,” Hux replied.  “However, only in passing.”

He had never really shared words with any of them, but he knew their files well enough.

All of them were former students of the Jedi Luke Skywalker.  All of them had turned on their Master and their friends, choosing instead to remain loyal to Ben Solo as he fled to Snoke’s side and to the relative safety of the First Order.  And all had chosen names in honor of their master as they swore their allegiance to Snoke and the Dark Side.

Each Knight had their own specialization, but each one was deadly with a lightsaber.  

Hux knew that Stethas Ren and Angris Ren were brother and sister respectively.   Stethas favored a sniper rifle for his alternate weapon, and Angris was a particularly agile assassin, specializing in undercover work.

Their weapons specialist was called Detona Ren, and they looked ready to storm a battlefield with an arsenal of grenades and blasters brazenly strewn across their chest.  

Cantor Ren was their slicer.  His throat had been severely injured years ago and Hux’s tech team had been the ones to invent the synthetic voice box with adapted vocoder that Cantor used to speak.

Caedus Ren, Hux understood, was Ren’s second in command. His hooded cloak and skeletal mask made him appear like death incarnate.  

Hux could feel them all staring at him, their scrutiny made him feel strangely exposed.  He kept his mind focused.

“Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to see to your lodgings—”

“No need, it’s been taken care of.”

“I see.”  Hx muttered. Well, there went any plans for Hux to slip monitoring devices in their rooms. He’d never get away with it, not with them already aboard.

“We have more pressing business.  I’ve brought in my Knights to help solve the mystery of Snoke’s Sanctuary.”

“Awwwww, no dinner first?” Stethas Ren whined.  It was a good natured gripe, and a few of the Knights chuckled, but the vocoders made it sound garbled and cold.  

“You just ate!”  Angris Ren said.

“Just a small inflight snack!”

“Which you stole from me.”

“Stop your bickering, there is work to be done,” Kylo Ren commanded, silencing them all.

“I have summoned you all here as my counsel in a trying time.  I will need your help in the coming months to rebuild what has been lost; but more immediately, I have a mystery that needs solving,” he said.  “I sent you the information regarding Snoke’s disappearance and secret chamber. What I haven’t told you is that a few hours ago we had an incident.”

Hux took that as a sign to speak. “Yes.  I apparently uh…” He decided to refrain from using a term so undignified as ‘sleepwalking’. “I entered the Sanctuary and tried to take a holocron.  It’s a blur to me though.”

“I want to know the cause,” the Supreme Leader said.  “And I need to make sure there were no repercussions—Hux.”

“Yes?”

“How did your medical exam go?” Ren asked.

“I’m perfectly fit, according to the doctor.  Which implies the cause is external. I have a vague memory of opening my personal inbox before the incident. I have already begun a deep scan to recover any deleted messages for clues. It should be finished by now.”

“Display it on your data pad.”

“Wait,” Caedus Ren commanded.  Hux was surprised at his forceful tone.

“We should do this in the proper setting,” he said.  “Here is not the place.”

Kylo Ren nodded, an expression of understanding on his face.  “I see. You are wise, Caedus.”

Hux didn’t ask what he meant by that, confusing as the comment was.  He had a feeling that there would be a great deal more he wouldn’t understand in the coming days.

They began their meeting in a nearby conference room, where Hux then brought up his inbox.  

“Well, anything there?” Ren questioned.

“Yes.” Hux indicated the newly revealed message.  “A holorecording, Last opened shortly before I wound up in the Sanctuary.”

“Alright, let’s see it.”

A familiar prickle of anxiety swept through Hux as he hit play.

The blue image of an old man appeared, illuminating the Knights in an eerie blue glow.

“Protocol One has been initiated, execute the final phase of the Harvester Contingency.  The Empire needs children.”

Hux immediately doubled over in pain, clutching his head as he cried out and slumped over the conference table.

“General?”

Hux kept his head down, dizzy with pain so intense he felt about to black out.

“Hux, what’s wrong?”

I don’t know!

He wanted to shout it, but the mere thought of speaking felt painful. It was a sharp and throbbing pain.

Visions danced behind his clenched eyelids.  Everything was spinning, spinning, spinning…

Stop, please!

“Hux, stop!”

Ren’s voice…

Stop…?

Sto…

Darkness descended.

No, no, no please, not again.

Hux blacked out.

***

The General slumped forward, suddenly silent, breathing ragged but slowing.

All the Knights of Ren stood at the ready, uncertain of what to do next.

“Hux?” Ren reached to touch his shoulder. “Hux, answer me.”

He shook him, trying to wake him. When he didn’t stir, Ren took a different approach and attempted to reach into Hux’s unconsciousness, intending to compel the man to wake.

It was a trick he’d performed many times before, and he was therefore unprepared for what happened next.

Hux pushed Ren out of his mind.

Violently.

Ren found himself slammed into transparisteel viewport with such speed he would later wonder how it hadn’t shattered.  

Shocked from the pain and surprise at Hux’s easy resistance to his probe, he tumbled to the floor like a rag doll.

“Kylo!” Caedus called out.

He and the others formed a barrier in front of their leader, shielding him. They stood, ready to strike.

Ren rose to join them, eyeing Hux the whole time.  He watched in amazement as Hux suddenly lifted his head from the table and stared back at them.  

His eyes were different.  There was a glint to them that made Ren shiver with anticipation.

Quicker than a blaster bolt, Hux leapt from his seat, his arm arcing out in an overhead motion. A wave of energy erupted from nowhere.  

The Knights struggled to stay on their feet as Hux approached them, arm raised.  It felt as though the gravity generator was malfunctioning, and they were being crushed by their own weight.

“Everyone, together!”

They needed no further instruction.  

It was a struggle for all of them, but strong as Hux seemed, he couldn’t defend against six Force users invading his mind.

Ren broke through first.

He found himself sorting through the same confusing montage he experienced before, images fluttering too fast to understand. He tried to find a quieter place in Hux’s consciousness, one he could control.

A lightning strike.

A tower.

The same image from before.  Ren focused on it.

A beach.

The shriek of a TIE flying past.

Rain—so much rain.

Ren found himself pushed out of Hux’s mind again, and he stumbled back, gob smacked at the power the redhead was emitting.

Cantor managed a step toward Hux, then signed something with his hands, and pressed the hollow of his throat.  

Ren covered his ears and the others braced themselves for what happened next.

The noise was nearly deafening as a sonic pulse erupted, slamming into Hux full on.

There was a final flash of energy as Hux wailed in anguish and collapsed.

Detona and Angris immediately jumped on his prone body, pinning his arms behind his back to restrain him in case he woke again.  Stethas quickly procured binders.

They kept their eyes focused on the unconscious General.

“Put him in a cell,” Ren told them. “I want redundant forcefields to keep him locked up.  Don’t harm him if you can help it.”

Caedus looked at his Master.

“It seems we have bigger problems than we thought.”

It was the understatement of the millennium.

Armitage Hux, it seemed, was Force sensitive.

Chapter Text

Hux was most displeased to wake up in a holding cell. As if the indignity of being locked up wasn’t enough, he this time he was also shackled to the cot like a common criminal.  

After an initial moment of panic, Hux had hollered angrily to whomever might hear, demanding he be released at once.  A few minutes into his shouting, he heard a rough clanking of metal as cell unlocked and the door opened. 

The Supreme Leader entered along with Caedus, both on alert.  A mouse droid rolled in behind them.

“You’re awake,” said Ren.

“How observant,” Hux sneered. “What happened? I remember we were viewing that holorecording...then a blur.” 

“Let’s just say, you had a strong reaction.”

“Please elaborate,” Hux groaned. “I’m not like you.  I can’t read minds.” 

“Are you sure?” Caedus asked.

Hux stared at the two of them, plainly confused. 

“What are you implying?” 

“That you have Force ability,” Caedus said.

“You must be joking,” Hux said. “That’s impossible.”

“Believe me, I’m as surprised as you are,” 

“It’s not surprise. I’m telling you it’s impossible.  I’d have known. I…” Hux’s face scrunched up in frustration. “I’d have known.” he said again.  

Caedus spoke up. “You seem certain of that.” 

“I am,” Hux insisted.  His stomach sank as old memories stirred. “I’ve been tested.”

That seemed to  pique Ren’s interest. “The First Order doesn’t screen for Force Sensitivity.” 

“Not anymore, but it did once.  It was a bigger practice when I was a child,” Hux said. “Believe me, the tests were thorough.” 

“Not thorough enough, apparently,” Ren commented with a snide air. 

“If I was Force sensitive, do you really think I’d let you keep me chained like Resistance scum? Do you think I’d permit you to throw me around and break my ribs for entertainment?” His voice heightened in pitch as he spoke. “Or is this just a new sort of sick mind game you are playing?”

“This is no game General,” Ren said. “The message was some sort of trigger.  You attacked all of us upon seeing it.” 

“I don’t remember anything,” Hux said. 

“Maybe this will jog your memory then,” Caedus said, activating the little mouse droid.  A new holovideo began to play. “Security footage. I muted the sound. Hopefully, it won’t trigger a reaction viewed like this.”

It didn’t. 

Ren watched Hux as he stared at the recording.  The General began to look sickly pale as he watched himself throw all the Knights aside with ease. 

“That’s...impossible,” Hux said again when it ended.  The denial was weaker now, as his mind began to cope with what he’d seen.

“Obviously, it’s not,” Ren said, crossing his arms in irritation. 

Caedus then pressed another switch on the mouse droid.  This time it was a still holoimage of the old man in the message.

“Do you know who this man is?” Ren asked Hux.

The General stared hard at the wrinkle features. “I'm not sure.  His face is familiar but I can’t place it.” 

“Then I’ll tell you. We ran his face through the archives. His name is Yupe Tashu.  Does that ring a bell at all?”

Hux rubbed his temples as he tried to remember. “Yes...my father mentioned him once or twice. Some aide to the Emperor, if I recall correctly.”

“Correct,” Caedus said. “But not very much is known about what he actually did.”

“I--ugh!”

Pain pierced Hux’s head again, but this time it dissipated almost immediately. 

Ren and Caedus flew into action, ready to fight whatever new tricks Hux might pull on them next. 

The expected attack didn’t come.  Instead, Hux shriveled to the floor, the chains clattered as he sank down. 

“Hux?” 

“I remember...I met him once.  It was a very long time ago. I was very young and it was brief.” 

A small part of him remembered that a five year old Armitage had thought the man to be very creepy and oddly smelly.  

“Did he say anything?”

“I don’t know,” Hux groaned in frustration.  “I was only five years old. How would I remember something said so long ago?”

“Supreme Leader,” Caedus interrupted. “Perhaps the General simply needs help to remember.”

Hux backed up as much as his chains allowed the moment he realized what Caedus meant. 

“No.”

“Hux-”

“I said ‘NO’.” 

Ren glared at him. “Don’t be unreasonable.”

“I am not letting you rummage through my head. I’ve seen what you’re capable of,” Hux argued. “And if everything you’ve shown me is true, I doubt another mind invasion would end well for you, either.”

“Then that means you’re on an even footing,” Caedus said. “You both need to trust each other for this to work.” 

Hux nearly laughed aloud. “Not happening.” 

“Hux, we need to know what’s going on,” Caedus explained. “I sense your unease at the thought of letting anyone in, but you’ve already proven capable of defending your mind against him. Both of you are at risk here, unless you decide to work together.”

“Hux, I won’t pry deeper than necessary,” said Ren.  “You’ll be able to protect your privacy. I know my word means nothing to you, so I’m asking you to think rationally.  We have to solve this if we ever want to keep order.”

Hux considered this.  He still didn’t like the idea of letting anyone inside his mind, but it might be worth it, if only so he could have a chance to regain control of his own body. If what Caedus had said was accurate, perhaps he’d be able to contend with Ren and his knights far better than he’d anticipated.  

The benefits outweighed the risk.

“Alright. I’ll do it,” he said, slowly standing up again. “On the condition that you stop making sense. It’s unnerving.” 

A choked and garbled sound emitted from Caedus’ vocoder.  It took a moment for Hux to realize he was laughing.

“Something to add, Caedus?” said Ren.

“Ah, nothing Supreme Leader,” he replied.  “Just relieved.”

Ren looked at him skeptically, but carried on.  “Let’s begin.” 

“Wait. Unchain me first.”

“Hux that would be--”

“Dangerous? Yes, for you, it seems.  I’ll consent to this insanity, but only on my terms.  I want even odds if you turn on me.”

“Oh for--Fine!” 

Ren waved his hand and the binders on Hux’s wrists and shackles fell away. 

“Thank you, Supreme Leader,” Hux said in a mockingly polite tone. “Now, shall we begin?”  

Caedus stepped between them. “I will watch over you both as you do this. General, you should take a moment to breathe first. Become mindful of the moment in time that you met the man in this image, Yupe Tashu.”

Hux took a long-winded inhale, followed by a similar breath outward. 

“I know you may not think you remember much, but relax.  Visualize where you were the moment you saw him. What did you hear and see around you?”

A shallow memory formed...he was on a platform, waiting for his father.

“I’m about to board my father’s corvette.”

When Hux opened his eyes again, he saw a child—himself—staring in awe at the shining Nubian corvette..followed but a sudden rush of sadness as the polished gleaming surface reminded him of Phasma’s armor.

He remembered it being a bit bigger; but that was no surprise.  Hux couldn’t deny that his younger self was quite a bit smaller.

Weak.

“Focus.”

Hux whirled around to see Kylo Ren standing beside him. “Don’t get caught up in your emotions. Clear your head. Focus on what memories you want to recover and nothing else. If you get side tracked, then this whole exercise is pointless.”

Hux said nothing but he agreed, internally. He had no wish to do a second attempt, and so he kept thinking about Tashu’s face.

“Hux!” A voice called from behind them.

Kylo and Hux turned to see Tashu striding towards them as fast as his old legs could carry him.  There was no opportunity to step aside, and Hux braced for an impact that never came. 

Instead of plowing directly into the two of them, Tashu simply passed through like a wisp of smoke, before coalescing back into a more solid looking form. 

To Hux, it was creepy. Kylo looked unaffected. 

“You get used to it,” he said, plainly sensing Hux’s unease.

“Right.” Hux replied, but Kylo was already following the old man as he circled around the corvette to greet a man in a long coat. 

It didn’t take more than a second for Kylo to recognize that the man was Hux’s father, Brendol. Except for the slightly broader stance and greying hair, he looked very much like his son. 

“What is it?” Hux senior asked.  His voice had the same proper Core accent that Armitage had, only his voice was far rougher and deeper. 

“I’m going to the observatory with Rax. Are the children secure?”

Hux nearly jumped when a crowd of children were instantly conjured up from nowhere directly behind Brendol. All of them stood at attention.

“We’re just about to board.”

“Good.  I’d hate to see them harmed.”  Tashu approached the children, stopping in front of Armitage, he face angled sharply downward to get a good look at the boy.

“This one is yours,” he said, not looking at Brendol.  

Little Armitage stared up at the old man, clearly uncomfortable.  No, not just uncomfortable; terrified. He was barely containing a tremble, clearly doing his best to puff out his small chest to look braver and stronger. He trembled more as Tashu placed his hand upon young Hux’s head, his withered hand winding into his hair.

“You told Rax that your project was a failure.”

“The Empire considered it a failure.  It was only a setback. They took my funding away after the attack on our labs and the destruction of the first Death Star. It was a minor miracle that I even finished the first experiment. It will be perfect next time. I’ve given Rax all the data we’ve collected,” Brendol quickly glanced at his son with a look of disdain.  “Although, I’ve no idea why he wants to tinker with a flawed prototype instead of starting production on a new one.”

“Rax follows Palpatine’s will.  As do I. And so should you,” Tashu said. He released Armitage. “It is not your place to question his wisdom.  The Dark Side will guide us to--”

“I don’t care about your Force ramblings. Is there a real reason you are here?” Brendol was clearly irritated.  It appeared that this was a conversation they’d had before. 

“I simply came to do inventory. I would hate to arrive at our destination, only to find something missing.”

Brendol glared at him. “I’m loyal to the Empire.  I won’t go against my orders.” 

“Good.” Tashu said, now looking Brendol squarely in the eye. “We must all remain loyal to our Emperor, even in death.  I shall leave you now.”

“Lunatic,” Brendol mutter once he’d left. “I have no idea why Rax keeps him around.”

The scene froze there. 

“Is that all there is?” 

Hux didn’t reply.

“Hux?”

Hux nodded.

“Your father?” Ren asked. “What was he talking about? What experiments?  Does he mean the Stormtrooper program?”

“I would expect so.  I know he was developing his theories well before the war.  Before I was born,” Hux inspected Brendol more closely. “He always reminded me that the day I was born was the worst day of his life.”

Hux narrowed his eyes with disgust at the parent he’d hated his entire life.  Ren could feel the anger radiating from inside of him. Hux reared back, then threw a fist into Brendol’s face, only to have it pass through just the way Tashu has walked through them only moments before. 

“It’s a memory, Hux,” Ren said.  “He’s not really there.”

“I know,” Hux said glumly. “I guess I just hoped I’d get lucky…”

Lucky…

Something stirred in him again.  Another memory, one that came with a flash of pain. The scene flickered around them. 

Hux heard Ren yell at him. “You’re getting distracted again. Focus!” 

Focus…

But he couldn’t focus.  His heart was racing. He felt dizzy.  Adrenaline was pumping through his veins.  

It was a panic attack.

“Hux!”

He squeezed his eyes shut, as though trying to block out everything around him. 

When he opened them again, he was no longer in the hanger.  He was alone in a room too dark to see clearly. 

“Ren?” He called out.  There was no reply.

He found himself unable to move. He was strapped into a chair. “Ren!” He yelled again.

A door opened and light flooding the room--a cell from the look of it. He blinked rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the brightness. 

A dark figure stood in the doorway, extremely tall, and looming. Red light burst from a lightsaber. 

At first Hux thought it was Ren and for the first time in the five years he’d known the man, Hux felt relieved to see him.

But then the lightsaber split into two, rotating into a double sided saber. 

This wasn’t Ren.   

The unknown person before him wore a mask.  As they approach, they seemed to get taller.  With horror, he realized they weren’t getting bigger.  

He was smaller.  

Hux was a child again, cornered and trapped. Dread, cold and heavy flowed through his tiny body.  He shivered violently.

“Let’s see how you do today, shall we?”

No!

But before his captor could continue, he found himself waking, violently pushing Ren away from him.  Caedus restrained him from behind. 

“Hux, snap out of it!”

Hux stilled.  He was relieved to find himself no longer small and trapped. 

Ren sighed in frustration.  “You got distracted.”

Hux glared at him.  “Well, you got your answer didn’t you?” 

Caedus released him. “We had to break the connection.  You were too unstable.”

“Hux where did you go?”

“I...I was in a cell. I was trapped.  There was someone in a mask...a force user, I think. Or at least they had a lightsaber...one with two blades, like a staff,” Hux recalled.  “I was young again. I couldn’t get away.”

“An inquisitor,” Caedus said.

“Inquisitor,” Ren echoed.  “You mean like the stories you used to tell me?”

“What stories?” Hux asked. 

“I’ve heard many stories about Imperial Agents who went out searching for Force sensitive children during the days of the Empire. They were devotees of the Dark Side, and they had a preference for such lightsabers. Given what we know, it stands to reason that they may have targeted you as a child.”

“I spent the first five years of my life on Arkanis,” Hux said. “Any of my father’s research would have been done at the Arkanis Academy campus.  If there are any clues to be found, that is where we should start.”

Ren nodded.  “I agree. Caedus, ready a ship. We leave within the hour.”