Hux ran from the holochamber as soon as he had gotten Ren's location from the Supreme Leader. He cursed to himself as he ran through the halls. The foundation had begun to shake, and where cracks had formed on the ceiling, huge chunks of plaster began to fall and shatter on the ground. "Shit!" Hux yelped as he dodged a piece of falling debris. He jammed a hand on the door mechanism leading to the Prime Docking Bay. It was almost deserted, save Kylo Ren's command ship and a few tie fighters on the far side. Hux realized with a growing dread that some of the fighters had begun to disappear as a chasm opened up, swallowing what was left of their fleet. "Shit!" he exclaimed again as he realized Ren's command vessel was the only ship left, and the collapse of the bay crawled ever nearer as he ran toward it. If he couldn't make it to the ship, he would die here. No way he would let that happen. No traitorous soldier and his bitch would take the General down.
He dashed up the ramp and practically flew into the pilot's seat, jamming his palm onto the control panel. The ship embarked immediately, as what was left of the Docking Bay crumbled around it. Hux punched the speed control and steered directly in the direction Leader Snoke had instructed. God, how he would love to point this vessel straight into the stars and leave Ren to die. Better men had already perished. But he knew the consequences of failing Supreme Leader Snoke.
"Goddamn it!" He barked as he landed the ship in the forest, a bit too hastily, crushing the trees beneath him and jostling the landing gear. He punched the ramp release and darted from the ship. He spotted a dark mass in the snow, and ran with all his strength. Starkiller gave another great shudder, as if to remind him of the clock ticking beneath his feet. He ran faster.
"Ren!" he screamed as he approached the lifeless form. "Ren, we have to go now!" he screamed, and Kylo Ren lifted his head weakly, revealing a terrible gash across his face. Hux didn't have the time or compassion to show any pity. He slid in the snow as he reached him, and grabbed Ren beneath the arm, pulling him to his feet. He cried out in pain, and only then did Hux see the large pool of blood that had soaked into the snow. Ren collapsed against him, panting harshly. "Come on, dammit!" Hux cursed, as Ren collapsed to his knees. Hux tried to pull him back up, but couldn't. "I will not die saving you, you hear me?!" Hux shouted, his voice cracking in desperation. "I swear I will leave you here to burn!" he had barely finished spitting the last word when a force struck him at the back of his knees, forcing him to fall forward, his throat latching tightly in Ren's hand.
"Good. It will be a far quicker fate than yours when Snoke finds out you've returned empty handed!" Ren snarled, just before moaning in pain and releasing Hux's throat. Ren choked and gagged, before spitting up blood. Hux hesitated for a moment, glancing back at the command shuttle. It tilted and leaned precariously as the ground beneath it heaved a heavy groan. It would be so easy. Just leave him!
"Fuck," he uttered under his breath, before pulling Ren's arm over his shoulder and using his own strength to pull him once again to his feet. Ren growled, but stayed upright. Hux stumbled forward, carrying most of Ren's weight. Ren tried to carry himself, but his body seemed to be failing him. Hux's legs began to burn from the strain, but he grunted through the burn of his muscles, and finally dragged Ren and himself aboard the shuttle. At the top of the ramp, he released his grip on Ren's arm, letting him collapse to the floor. He had more pressing matters to worry about than Ren's health.
He plopped once again into the pilot's seat, and primed the engine. He was about to hit the throttle when the entire ship lurched to the side. Hux grabbed a hold of the panel, steadying himself, and began punching buttons with a panicked fervor. "Shit! Shit shit shit," he hissed as the alarms began blaring in the cockpit. "Landing gear failure," an eerily calm female voice echoed from the nav computer. "Launch unsuccessful. Insufficient thrust. Balance landing gear before embarking," the voice mused, and Hux could not help the panicked curses that he spewed at the computer.
Hux jumped as a bloody hand appeared on the back of the copilot's seat. Ren was panting heavily, his entire body trembling from the effort of keeping himself standing. He took a deep breath, and held out his hand, palm up. His hand began to shake violently as his fingers curled around an unseen force. Hux's hands flew to the arm rests as the ship lurched, and the metal walls groaned. Ren growled and gritted his teeth as blood began to drip from his nose. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes as a scream tore itself from the pit of his throat. Hux realized with a shudder that the ship had begun to lift slowly from the tumultuous ground. Ren fell to his knees and clenched his eyes shut, but his hand remained outstretched, palm up. Hux watched in fascination as he realized what Ren was doing. He was lifting the entire ship.
He peered out the cockpit window and scoffed in disbelief as the ground grew farther and farther away. The cockpit alarms silenced themselves, and a tiny green light appeared next to one that had previously been flashing red. "Holy shit," Hux whispered, and wasted no time throwing the throttle forward. The ship launched up into the atmosphere, just as the planet began to fold in on itself. Hux kept the throttle pushed fully forward, and winced as he heard a sickening BOOM! behind them. A wave of energy hit the back of the ship, and Hux cried out in fear as he braced himself for the aftershock of the blast to swallow their ship and disintegrate them in an instant. But it never came. He saw the blinding light that glowed from behind the ship, and felt the interior temperature of the ship rise steadily until it was almost unbearable. But slowly, the light began to fade and the heat in the controls lessened, though the sweat in his palm didn't. He didn't know how long he kept his hand clenched around the controls, but he stared forward, his own heartbeat pounding at his temples. Had they really just pulled that off?
He finally turned to see Ren, still kneeling, slouched against the copilot's chair, his shoulders heaving awkwardly. He seemed to be wheezing, unable to breathe in deeply enough. Hux threw the computer on auto and turned, his foot slipping and squeaking loudly. He looked down and realized in horror that he had slipped in Ren's blood. The amount of blood almost seemed unreal, and the color… the bright red color…
He swallowed hard against the gut-wrenching sight, and grabbed Ren under the arm once more, this time met only with dead weight. Ren made no attempt to even move. Hux glanced around the shuttle, finding the medic droid at the back of the ship. Ren may have been more badly wounded than he had previously assumed.
"Come on, Ren. Medic droid," he said, pulling Ren's arm over his shoulder once more and heaving him to his feet. Warm blood soaked through both their uniforms, and Hux tried to ignore the sensation of the warm blood as it trickled down his side. He lead Ren to the medic table at the rear of the ship, where he crawled weakly onto the cold slab of metal. His body trembled fiercely and his breaths were coming in short, shaky gasps. Hux booted the droid and set it to scan. The droid waited only a moment, then began speaking in a metallic feminine voice. "Scan complete. Four injuries are superficial. One injury is critical. I am equipped only for battlefield operations, major surgery required. Internal bleeding detected. Seek further medical attention immediately," the droid said, and began flipping syringes and needles from a compartment in its wrist. "Seriously? You can't do anything?" Hux barked, and the droid looked up. Somehow it seemed smug. Hux already hated the thing.
"I am equipped only for battlefield operations," it repeated, and began inserting a thin needle into Ren's thigh, just above the seared flesh of an obvious light saber wound. Ren growled, but seemed to ignore the droid. It moved its mechanical hands with precision, inserting a needle and pressing an unknown clear liquid into the flesh around Ren's injuries. Ren seemed to grow increasingly irritated at every prick of the needle.
Hux turned, confused, as a whine emitted from the nav computer. Another ship was hailing them. He glanced back at the droid, and his eyes were pulled down to the blood that had begun to drip from the edge of the table to the floor. He walked briskly to the computer, and answered the call.
"Hux," he barked, his eyes peering around in the darkness, searching for the ship that had hailed them. To his right he could barely make out an approaching tie fighter. "General," came one of the sweetest voices his ears could have possibly beheld.
"Captain," he sighed, disbelieving. He shook his head and grinned. He knew she could not have died on that planet. Too resourceful, his Captain Phasma. His attention was pulled from her for a moment, as he heard the droid pleading with Ren- "I am applying local anesthetic to lessen your pain. Please lie still for the duration of the procedure."
"No time for pleasantries, Captain, we have a exceedingly pressing need to get to Leader Snoke," Hux reported into the microphone, and as if to add emphasis to his statement, he heard Kylo Ren cry out in pain, quickly followed by a screeching noise. Hux turned to see the medic droid, crumpled into a smoking ball of junk on the floor. He sighed, and repeated "exceedingly," knowing Phasma had heard the commotion.
"Understood, General. I am at your service," her voice was calm as ever as her fighter approached and flanked the command vessel.
"Send a transmission to any First Order vessels that may be waiting in the aftermath. Tell them to regroup at the base in the Grandar System. As for you, I am transmitting coordinates to your computer. You will escort this vessel directly to Supreme Leader Snoke," he said, and transferred the coordinates, his hand hesitating for a moment. Only two people knew the location if the Supreme Leader, and they were both aboard this command vessel. But desperate times called for desperate measures. "Consider it a wartime promotion, Captain," he said, and he felt reassured by her ever unwaveringly calm voice. "I am honored, General,"
"Hux out," he said, meaning to end the transmission but his finger lingered, keeping communications open. The Captain waited in silence.
"And Captain… it's good to have you with us," he said, and the Captain responded almost immediately. "Likewise, General," she mused, and Hux hit the switch to light speed. The ship jumped lithely to hyperspace.
Hux turned and stomped over to where Ren had crawled from the table and leaned unsteadily against it, clutching his side. "Congratulations, Ren. You destroyed the only thing that could have helped you," he said smugly, motioning to the smoking remains of the droid. Ren ignored him, and hissed in a painful breath. "What's our ETA?" he asked, his voice strange. Hux had never heard him like this.
"I can't make it go any faster, Ren, we're already at hyperspace," he said. Ren held out his hand, and Hux felt the beginnings of a force push, but he was barely knocked back a step when Ren lowered his hand and coughed up blood.
"HOW LONG?!" Ren snarled, and Hux blinked, confused. Ren's control over the Force had never faultered, at least not before the girl. Now he seemed to be losing his grip entirely. Hux would have been anxious to answer the question otherwise.
"Two hours," he said, and Ren's shoulders sank. "I won't make it," he said, his voice cracking. He whipped his cloak from his shoulders and pulled his tunic over his head, wincing at the sudden movement. Hux looked away from the gruesome sight. Ren's side was a mangled mess of blood, flesh, and gore, just below his ribcage. With every breath he took, a trickle of blood oozed from between the flesh and muscle. Ren unclipped his light saber from its holster and shoved it into Hux's hand, who stood bewildered. Ren tore a piece of his shirt and twisted it between his hands.
"I need you to cauterize the wound," he said, and suddenly Hux understood. He had been a cold, detached General until just this moment, when he held the weight of a real light saber in his hands for the first time.
"Oh. Uh, Ren, I can't. I don't think I can…" he said, looking down at the wound and gagging at the sight. "Why can't you?..." Hux asked, and Ren's eyes fell to the smoldering droid. "I don't think you want that saber in my hand when this happens," he said, and Hux couldn't deny the logic, though he made no move to follow through on Ren's request. Ren reached out and pressed the small black button on the hilt of his saber, activating the menacing hum. After a moment, the two exhaust ports on the sides lit as well. "I am going to bleed out. I may very well pass out any second," he said, lying back on the table to avoid collapsing and causing further injury. Hux looked down at the saber and his breaths began to quicken as he panicked. He had never been cut out for this sort of thing. Battlefields, mortal injury. Being a General had been much more his pace.
"Dammit, Hux. Do it!" Ren growled as best his weakening voice would allow, and put the twisted strap of his shirt in his mouth to bite down on. "Shit," Hux whispered, and lifted the saber until one of the smaller exhaust ports hovered over the wound. Ren shut his eyes tight and balled his hands into fists, as Hux lowered the saber to his flesh. Hux could not have prepared himself for the sound. The flesh seared, but there was also a sizzling as the blood around the wound boiled. The sound was soon drowned by Kylo Ren's ear-piercing scream, muffled only slightly by the fabric in his mouth. Hux wanted to drop the saber and be done with it. He already felt light-headed. But he could tell the wound was not fully cauterized. He moved the blade upward, toward Ren's ribcage, and Ren's entire body seemed to seize up, stopping the scream in his throat. Hux deactivated the saber and let the hilt drop to the floor. He stood in shock, watching Kylo Ren choke on a sob. He didn't know if he had succeeded, or if what he had done would even help. His heart was hammering in his chest as he watched Kylo Ren begin to tremble uncontrollably. The smell of burning flesh assaulted his senses, and he turned toward the control panel, his head swimming and his balance wavering. He collapsed in the pilot's seat and buried his face in his hands. He only had time to recognize the ringing in his ears before he vomited on the floor. He panted and wiped his mouth with a quivering hand. Was this to be the war from now on? He, reduced to bloodying his hands? He could easily justify crushing a bug beneath a boot, so long as he was the boot. A dawning realization hit him as he looked out among the blurred stars, as he sped away from the rubble that remained of the only thing that had made him confident in the First Order's ability to crush the resistance. What happens when we are no longer the boot?