Hands clasped perfunctorily behind his back, General Hux oversaw the archaeological find of a century. A true… first-hand glimpse into Imperial history. The seemingly insignificant and tattered shuttle before him—-that his men haphazardly snagged in their tractor beam and, through only curiosity, hauled aboard—had unknowingly been laden with imperial artifacts. Now spread across the hanger bay were its contents: the largest cache of imperial historical artifacts the universe had ever seen. All in mint condition. And still, his crew members continued to garnish more items from the shuttle's bowels. What general in a millennium could have imagined that one small ship held thousands of items belonging to the imperial family? An unbridled thrill rifled through Hux's veins. The unimaginable luck. It had been widely believed that after the emperor's demise, all of the family's personal possessions were destroyed by rebels. Not many heirlooms were rumored to have survived. Only the crumbling remains of battle cruisers littered planets as the last signs of the glory days past. And now? A triumph laid before him.

Despite his poignant glee, the general forced a stoic expression on his rather youthful face. He faithfully upheld a cursory masquerade. Another waft of decaying flesh affronted him. He twitched his nostrils. One couldn't avoid the gangrenous odor billowing out of the shuttle's bowels. The vessels pilot and co-pilot along with the security personnel had long since decayed into death, mummified by space. And the stench of their demise painted it's interior with the misfortune of a tomb, trapped in an airless bubble for decades.

Commander Rokens paced next to the younger general, elated. Nose covered with a scented cloth against the rank aroma, he puffed his rudy cheeks.

"What a record-breaking find!" He blathered behind his fabric barrier, "This is truly a momentous occasion for the First Order."

"Of course." Hux didn't need to reply to the subordinate. It was more out of distraction then conversation.

The general watched his troopers span the area to scan the artifacts with weapons detectors. A meticulous process. Service personnel followed after them, categorizing the checked crates. Some of them gagged from the profound stench of death effervescing out of the shuttle's hull. It was glorious.

Two engineers unfolded looms of woven silken fabric, then began dry heaving at the putrid smell wafting off it.

Hux scowled at the gagging engineers, his own nostrils still twitching. Weaklings. Determined, the young general strongly willed his olfactory system to obey. The smell of decay had already dwindled under the hanger bay's air filters. He understood men, gasping when they first pried open the shuttle's aft door. But after the ship's air purifiers kicked in, the two skinny engineers dry heaving in a corner like sissy girls was just too pathetic.

"Get back to work!" Captain Phasma barked at them from across the room. Her audio-filtered voice unforgiving and shrill, "You should've thought about your stomaches before you ate this morning."

And there the men went, vomiting at her feet. Apparently, their weak-stomachs weren't apt at taking orders. Chunks flew. And Captain Phasma just walked away, disdainful. "Clean that mess up!"

Commander Rokens made a disgusted face, covering his mouth with his handkerchief. "Blast, what are we feeding these boys?"

One stormtrooper, taking pity on the ill men, reached over to roughly pat them on the back. The men finally stopped emptying their stomachs and wiped their mouths with the backs of their gloved hands.

"Thanks," the thicker-necked engineer whimpered.

"Don't mention it." The trooper shrugged, clacking the white armor on his broad shoulders. Spotting something entangled on one of the men's boots, he tilted his helmet.

"What's this?" His audio-filtered voice blipped through his mike. The trooper plucked the clothing piece off the engineer's foot, to hold it up baffled. The delicate bra dangled from his gloved index finger, pink bows waving under the artificial air currents.

"Umm… sir?" The trooper's audio-filtered voice stammered. "I think I found something strange."

A few storm troopers huddled around it. "What is it?"

"Some sort of torture device?"

"With ribbons on it?" One of the trooper's snarked. "It's obviously a set of ear muffs." The shorter stormtrooper snatched from his comrade and put on his head, stretching the cups' fabric to where his ears were beneath his helmet. "See."

Rokens coughed into his fist, against a laugh. "Should we tell them?"

"Why should we?" Kylo Ren's gravelly audio-filtered voice erupted next to them, startling the old commander. "I think it's…" a hint of a cruel smirk lingered in his shadowy tone, "…humorous."

The man nearly jumped out of his skin, side-stepping out of the Dark Knight's way.

General Hux shifted his eyes to Kylo. The Knight of Ren had a habit of silently sneaking up on people. Black shadowed mask. Hateful demeanor. The man lived in stealth mode… like a viperous raptor, always poised to strike. People rarely heard him coming and if they did, they were either dead or about to be dead. That fact alone unnerved most. And judging on the Rokens's blatant skittishness, the commander was no exception to the rule.

"Do you always have to terrorize my staff?" Hux asked, not really caring for the answer.

Instead, the dark knight just ignored him, watching the huddle of white armor. "Look at the weak fools…it's almost laughable."

The stormtroopers stretched the bra, now determined it was a sling shot. One slipped a meal ration off his belt, inserting it into one of the bra's cups. They let it fly. In a dazzling arch of mash, the ration struck a small technician in the back of the head. Splat.

"Hey!" The supervising Lieutenant marched over to them. "That is an imperial bra." He snatched it from them. "Show some respect!"

They stared at him dumbfounded. "What's a bra?"

"This!" The squinty-eyed lieutenant held it up in an irritated fist. "Is a bra! So keep your hands off it!"

Kylo Ren snickered. "Diverting."

Hux's lips twitched at the soldiers blatant ignorance. "Appropriately integrated troopers have never even seen a woman outside of Captain Phasma, little lone one's…" he commented matter-of-factly, "…underwear."

"Who said Phasma is a woman?" Kylo quipped quickly.

The general bobbed his head, considering. "True." His auburn eyebrows lifted, "and thus my point is further made."

"Still laughable."

"Didn't know you had a sense of humor?"

"Layers," the dark knight said simply, "I'm all about layers." A second later, he burst into a corrupt laugh. "No, I really just enjoy mocking the vices and follies of the weak. Look at them, they are so stupid."

Hux just stared at him. "Hmm, I didn't know we had anything in common."

"Don't get used to it," Kylo returned to his usual cryptic edgy demeanor.

"General!" A voice echoed over the standard commlink. "I think we've found something!"

Hux's attention snapped to the shuttle. A stormtrooper poked his upper torso out of it, animatedly waving.

"We've found a body trapped in carbonite!" The trooper chattered on barely able to contain himself. "And it could be alive!"

Captain Phasma shoved aside a couple of crew members, throwing the men out of her way. She stomped up the ramp, clanking her large booted feet roughly against the metal. in clomping steps. "Move!" She barked at the troopers lining the ramp's edges.

"See…" Kylo observed, "Not a woman," he continued, "more like a brutish bantha."

"More like a soldier," Hux corrected.

He simmered down his irritation a couple notches. "There could possibly be a living member of the imperial household on that wreck and all you can comment on is Captain Phasma's lack of feminine propriety?"

"Feminine propriety?" Kylo retorted. "The beast most likely has more hair on her chest than a wookie."

He groaned. "I am not interested in discussing Captain Phasma's chest hair."

"Good." Kylo snipped, "as I am not interested in wasting time on old pottery and imperial placards."

Hux stiffened.

"Tell me, general," the knight sneered, "how many hours have you dedicated to this," his voice dripped contempt, "treasure hunt? When we are supposed to be hunting down a BB-8 unit and that Jakku girl."

"If this was Vader's shuttle," Hux countered, "you would think differently."

"It isn't," he straightened his gloves with a contemptuous snap of leather. "Need I remind you: The Supreme Leader wants Luke Skywalker, not artifacts. Thus, this whole historical detour is a waste of our time," he turned slowly to face the general warningly, "and the leader's."

Hux's upper lip twitched. History was never a 'waste of time.' It formed the basis for superior military strategy and political usurpation.

One of the stormtroopers strode out of the shuttle making an enthusiastic bee-line for the general. "Sir," He held out a small piece of embroidered satin cloth. "The imperial symbol!"

Eyes bulging, Hux snatched the handkerchief from the soldier. "No," he ran his fingers along the black and red threads admiringly, "the symbol for the princess. The only princess of the Palpatine and Skywalker families. Princess Apelainia Celestine Palpatine Skywalker."

Now Kylo's interested peaked. "A Skywalker?"

"Now, do you suppose this is a waste of time?" Hux closed his eyes, breathing in the fabric. Hints of perfume lingered under the putrid smell of the shuttle. "Here is a personal belonging of the genetically-engineered pure-blooded heir to the throne." He relished the sensation, "I used to savor pictures of her." He smoothed the putrid-smelling fabric against his mouth. "Her royal lips touched this napkin."

The other men gawked at him. Realizing the break in his emotional reserve, Hux swiftly pulled the handkerchief away. "She was the Emperor's only legitimate granddaughter."

"I never knew she existed." Commander Rokens gasped.

"Not very many did," Huh admitted, "Her birth was a secret. Lord Vader kept her hidden," he caressed the handkerchief with his thumb, "very few pictures of her existed. Very few evidences of her life were even archived." He stared longingly at the satin embroidery then glanced up at them finally. "I believe it was to protect her existence from the rebels."

"A Skywalker?" Kylo repeated, impatiently. "How was she a Skywalker? By marriage?"

"By birth." Hux slid the ornate cloth into his breast pocket, careful not to shiver at it's closeness to his heart. "She was his biological daughter."

"My aunt?" Kylo staggered slightly under the news. "I had an aunt?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Hux returned to his perfunctory manner, "She wasn't naturally born by any means though. Rather, a genetical experiment. The Emperor ordered the midichlorians…" he contorted his features, "…some sort of mythological force microbes he claimed permeated in Darth Vader's blood, were combined with the blood of his only legitimate daughter, the first imperial princess, Celestine Palpatine. It was an attempt to create a very powerful son… more powerful in the force than even Vader. Instead, the experiment somehow went wrong and Princess Celestine bore a girl instead."

"Was she strong in the force?" Kylo inquired urgently.

"No one knows…" Hux shook his head. "…She was hardly ever seen in public. Darth Vader kept her close under his shadow. Rumors say she was insane, others say that she was the apple of the Sith Lord's eye. Some say she was deformed. Others, a genetical mistake. I've seen the few pictures of her in existence… and believe me, the princess is far from deformed, she's glorious." He grinned, eyes flashing the madness he felt, "A perfect specimen of womanhood. A triumph of a superior race." He sucked in air dreamily, "A beautiful delicate creature with long hair and blue eyes that stare right through you. Her eyes were magnificent." He bit his knuckle. "The way they looked at you, they could see into your soul…" He in took his breath, smiling and lost in his infatuation.

Noticing their funny looks, he cleared his throat gruffly under their stares."Any artifact I have ever discovered regarding her, I have kept close… very close..." He steadied himself, "They are priceless heirlooms."

Rokens burst relieved. "So that's why you were playing with those bottles of girl's nailpolish. I have to admit sir, I was getting worried."

Hux sharply glared at him. "I told you never to talk about that."

"So, you're obsessed," Kylo said simply, "stalking her artifacts. And this is one giant princess playhouse."

Hux snapped, "At least I don't talk to her deathmask and complain that I don't own her lightsaber."

"But you do have pictures of her all over your office, sir," Rokens smiled.

The general was two seconds away from choking the tubby man. "Hold your tongue Commander or I will have it cut out."

The older man clamped his trap shut instantly then ventured, "Don't worry, sir, I won't tell anyone else about your shrine."

Vein pulsating in his temple, Hux closed his eyes.

Kylo regarded the general for a moment before simply saying, "Just kill him, if you feel that way."

Rokens tensed. Fear etched his swarthy features.

"No," Hux frowned, "then who'd run my flagship. I'm not wasting a seasoned commander on something this petty." Then his lips formed a dark smirk, "But I'm not past torture."

The elderly commander's eyes bugged. "Ummm, sir, I think I hear the helm calling me…" And with that the tubby man scurried out of there.

"General," Captain Phasma's gruff female voice nipped in his communicator. "You won't believe this. There is a woman frozen in carbonite her, and if these settings are correct, she's still alive."

Hux took a swift intake of breath. "Bring her out."

"Will do, sir." The connection ended sharply.

"Impossible," Kylo gasped, "I can feel a faint familial presence."

Four stormtroopers guided a large slab of carbonite down the old shuttle's ramp, headed by Captain Phasma. Hux's eyes darted through the troopers to linger on the carbonite. A perfect space tomb.

Locking their handle grips, the troopers escorted the hovering slab carefully. The features of a face could barely be made out on the block's surface. Like a slate sculpture relief. The rig's hover bindings hummed softly, taking into account the change in the artificial gravitation as the troopers transited off the ramp.

"To do that to a member of the imperial household?" Rokens was back. Apparently, the lure of the momentous occasion outweighed the commander's fear of his own death.

General Hux regarded him simply. "The Emperor had several illegitimate offspring and grandchildren. He killed them off periodically. Carbon-freezing one the only legitimate one was presumably nothing."

"Vader tested the process on my father. It's rather fruitless," Kylo shrugged. A slight apathetic movement of his shoulders that those that didn't have intimate knowledge of his character would have missed. Akin to saying, "meh." He continued, "hurts like the inferno. But the subject lives… unfortunately."

The knight of Ren was too emotionally aggressive to bother expressing common apathy about someone else's familicide. Nor did he have much compassion for his own father's disturbing experience.

Kylo shifted his weight to scratch his arm. "My grandfather had planned on freezing Luke, but ended up just turning my old man into a wall hanging in Jabba the Hut's palace." He snickered. "What a disappointment."

Hux glanced back at the slab. As the troopers brought the block closer he could make out the delicate features of an obviously beautiful woman frozen in a timeless peaceful expression. "Perhaps, Vader wanted to save this one."

He strained his neck to get a better look over the top of the slab, without bothering to move from his advantageous position. "It would be an interesting historical triumph if this was the princess."

Rokens stretched on the tips of his toes to glance over the taller Stormtroopers. The frozen cargo that appeared more like sculpture than the eternal-package of a human woman. "How could anyone survive that? Han Solo must have been a miracle."

"The carbonite process is quite simple really," Hux explained arrogantly, "It was originally used for freezing stored tibanna gas in carbonite to preserve it while being transported over long distances."

He watched intently as the soldiers brought the princess closer, "the gas was pumped into a freezing chamber where it was mixed with molten carbonite into a solid block. Then it would be released later at its destination or at the processing center."

Kylo didn't bother to give him the satisfaction of a yawn, even though it would have been hidden behind his mask. "And hopefully, from it we can release a princess as well."

Hux's lips tugged against a death's head smile. "Yes. Hopefully."

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