A/N: Haven't posted anything in a while, but this is me trying to get my creative juices flowing again. First ever Star Wars fic, so please comment and tell me what you think! Thank you.
"Sir, we can't stay here much longer!" yelled the pilot.
"Can you see him?" Hux had to shout at the pilot over the roaring of the shuttle in the chaotic atmosphere. Plumes of fire and smoke spat angrily from the planet's surface. Just then, a pillar of smoke blew upwards under the carrier, jerking the craft upwards. The general grasped the seat of the pilot's chair, and the Stormtrooper at the helm gripped the controls tightly.
"Negative, sir!" he yelled. "The smoke is too thick! I could try thermal mapping – maybe pick up a heat signature from him–"
"The whole bloody planet is on fire!" Hux interrupted, his tone savagely frustrated. Another gust of burning air blew into the shuttle, making it jerk to the side. There was a heavy crack from the hull as a tree snapped against the ship. The small group of troopers that accompanied him on the craft grasped their blasters nervously.
"Sir, we need to leave, and we need to leave now!" the pilot shouted.
Hux tried to keep his voice level as he answered, "No. Supreme Leader Snoke was clear – we do not leave without Kylo Ren."
"Well, we either need to leave or land, because if we remain at this altitude, then this shuttle will crash." No sooner did the words leave the trooper's mouth than the craft gave a violent shudder as a column of fire jutted out of the planet's surface, catching it from underneath. The lights flickered, and for a moment, all Hux could see was the burning ruin of Starkiller from out the window. Trees were burning like giant torches. Snow sublimated into water vapor straight from the planet's surface, and the ground was cracked and rumbling as the energy of the entire sun fought to break free of its earthen casing. Landing was out of the question; if they did, the craft would never make it off the ground again.
A second later, the lights came back on. "Sir!" the trooper cried urgently. The general heard fear in his voice. Pure, undiluted, desperate fear.
His mind raced. Oh, hell, he thought as he strode to the arms rack decisively, tearing his overcoat from his shoulders and letting it fall to the floor. "Lower me to the planet's surface and then take the ship to a safe altitude," he ordered, picking a laser rifle from the rack. "Once I call for you, come down, take me and Ren aboard the ship, and join the rest of the fleet."
"Sir, you aren't going down there, are you?" the pilot asked in bewilderment. "There's no way you're going to find him in time!"
Hux didn't reply, but walked onto the boarding pad, rifle gripped tightly. "Do not leave without us," he snapped before nodding at the trooper closest to the control panel. After a brief hesitation, he punched in the correct code, and immediately, Hux heard a groan as the platform detached from the rest of the ship.
As soon as it began its descent, lowered by sturdy cables connected to the ship, Hux felt a tinge of regret about his decision. Wind whipped his face – scorching hot one second and freezing cold the next. Within seconds, the general's lungs burned from smoke inhalation, and his eyes began to sting and water. He knew going down to look for Ren himself was a hare-brained idea, but the rational part of his mind was overpowered the part that feared whatever punishment would await him, should he disobey Snoke's direct orders.
The platform descended to the planet's surface quickly, and Hux had to crouch close to the floor to keep from falling off. Soon enough, the platform slammed onto the snowy ground with enough force to make the general's teeth rattle. He wasted no time standing up and jumping off of the large, metal board. His boots landed in the snow softly, and he held his rifle at the ready. The moment he hit the ground, the platform retreated back to the ship, the cables whirring at an urgent pitch. Hux heard the metallic clank of the platform reattaching to the vessel, followed by the drone of the ship flying away.
The general cursed to himself, gripping his weapon tightly. He'd never actually fired a rifle physically, but it was always his preferred weapon whenever he was in the combat simulations. Experimentally, he pulled back on the bolt and switched the safety off. Just as in the simulators, Hux felt the rifle hum to life, a bright red light along the forestock glowing to life, signaling that the weapon was ready to fire. He exhaled, looked ahead, and started into the wood, jogging hurriedly.
"Ren!" he called out. He knew it was futile – he couldn't hear anything above the roar of the flames engulfing the dying planet. On the off chance that Kylo Ren was able to hear his calls, it was unlikely that Hux would be able to hear his reply. Still, the general cried out Ren's name, his voice ragged and gravelly from the smoke clouding his throat.
"Ren! Ren, where are you?" he yelled. The whine of the broken trees was the only answer he got. Damn it, Hux thought, looking around. It again occurred to Hux how illogical this idea was. But he couldn't trust a handful of Stormtroopers to retrieve Ren. This was his responsibility, and if anything wrong were to happen, then Hux would be the one to suffer.
The general called Ren's name again. He couldn't have gotten too far from the main base…he had to be close by…
Hux finally got his sign when he noticed a spatter of red on the snowy ground. Blood – fresh. It decorated the frost in droplets scattered a few inches apart. The red spray was accompanied by deep and wild prints in the snow – evidence of a fight, no doubt. As Hux looked around, he noticed other clues. Some of the trees around him had fallen, but not due to being burned as a whole. These trees had been sliced clean through with something very hot and very sharp. Lightsabers.
Hux turned his gaze back to the ground. He was no tracker, but the footprints and blood splatters lead a clear path deeper into the forest. Holding his rifle close, he continued forward. He was only on the trail for a minute when he heard a scuffling sound to his right. Hux whipped around, resting the butt of the rifle onto his shoulder in one fluid, instinctive motion. He stayed completely still, vision perfectly lined with the barrel of the gun, waiting for some unknown adversary to spring out of the woods and attack him.
A few long seconds passed before Hux called out, "Ren?"
In response, the general heard a loud, pained groan.
Hux was rushing towards the source of the noise in a heartbeat. Soon, he broke through the snow-coated thicket to find himself in a small clearing. On the far side of the clearing was a large black shape, struggling to get itself off the ground. "Ren!"
The lump made a sound like an unintelligible groan, and tried again to rise to its feet, only to slump back into the bloody snow. As Hux neared the lump, he was able to discern Ren's figure from the endless cascades of burnt black fabric.
Kylo Ren was lying on his side, facing away from the general. He groaned once more and wrestled to get up on all fours. It was then that Hux caught side of his face, and the jagged, angry slash mark that split it in two. Oh, hell…
"Ren," he said, rushing to the Force-user's side. He knelt down, lowering his rifle. "Ren, what happened?" The knight didn't answer, but with a moan of pain, he managed to rise to a kneeling position. It was then that Hux noticed the bleeding wound in his side and the mess of scorched fabric and flesh on both his shoulders. He placed a hand on Ren's back. It was meant to be reassuring, but the knight stiffened at his touch. "Don't try to get up," Hux instructed. "Just wait for–"
Hux didn't get the opportunity to finish his sentence. Ren shoved the general to the side. "The girl… I need to find the girl…" he growled, climbing to his feet. His limbs quivered, and a few drops of blood fell into the snow from his wounded side.
Hux quickly recovered from his surprise and stood up, grabbing hold of Ren's arm. "Are you insane?" he hissed. "The girl is probably long gone by now. The planet is dying. We need to get out of here, now."
"With my lightsaber… my lightsaber…" the knight muttered deliriously. Ren wrenched his arm from Hux's grasp, took a shaking step forward, and fell to his knees immediately. Hux was suddenly glad that he hadn't brought any troopers with him. Being seen with Kylo Ren like this would have been embarrassing for them both.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts. How could he get Ren aboard the ship in this state. "Ren, listen to me," he started. "I need you to cooperate. I'm going to call the ship to come get us. We need to leave." He realized that Ren wasn't listening to him. The knight had again gotten to his feet, and was taking shaking step towards the edge of the clearing.
With an exasperated gasp, Hux walked over and position himself in front of Ren. Before he could get a word out, the knight responded by shoving him out of the way with surprising force. Hux stumbled back a few steps and frowned. There was no way he would be able to get Ren on the ship in that state. It would have been easier if he was just comatose.
Hux's eyes brightened. Wait… he thought. The general looked around quickly, then turned his gaze back towards the injured Force-user.
"Ren!" he called out. For whatever reason, the knight chose then to respond to Hux. He turned his head just in time to see the butt of Hux's rifle come flying towards his face before it cracked him across the skull.
He fell down immediately, and this time, didn't try to get back up. Hux sighed in relief before bringing out his comm. "This is Hux to the shuttle. Zero in on my signal. I found Kylo Ren; we are ready for pick-up."
The response came after a brief cloud of static emitted from the device. "Roger that, General. We're on our way."
It didn't take long for the shuttle to find them. As the craft hovered noisily above the pair's heads and the platform at the base of the ship was lowered from its cables, Hux cast another glance at the unconscious lump splayed out in the snow. He thought of Leader Snoke, and the tasks that lay ahead.
Amidst the chaos of the dying planet, as Stormtroopers marched off of the platform carrying a stretcher, General Hux felt the cold fingers of dread claw their way into his chest.
When Kylo Ren awoke, his first sensation was that of warmth. Then, he noticed that he was lying in a bed, with a blanket pulled over his body. He next became aware of a burning sensation across his torso. His shoulders and side itched furiously, and every breath caused an arc of pain to shoot through him. He let out an involuntary groan.
"Oh, Ren. You're awake," a voice spoke up.
Ren's breath halted. He could recognize Hux's sneering, condescending tone anywhere. With nothing short of extreme reluctance, he turned his head to the right and saw the general sitting in a chair a few meters away.
They were in a very small medbay. The room barely had enough room for the two of them. The knight struggled to remember the events that unfolded before he lost consciousness, but his mind was clouded and unfocused. With difficulty, he managed to bring himself to a sitting position. The blanket fell away from his chest, revealing a long roll of bandages swathed around his wounds. His robes had been removed, and Ren wore only his pants under the rest of the blankets.
Ren frowned and addressed the general. "Hux." He had meant to sound curt and assertive, but Ren feared that in his injured state, his voice sounded more weak and raspy than anything else. "Where am I?" he asked.
Hux took a deep breath and glanced to the side. "A small carrier ship, on our way to the Finalizer. You'll have to forgive the engineers – couldn't fit a bacta tank onboard. It'll be a while before you can receive the proper treatment for your wounds," he replied.
Ren closed his eyes, trying to collect his thoughts. "What happened?"
At this, Hux stood up and crossed his arms, taking long, dramatic steps towards the injured knight. "I was rather hoping you could tell me, Ren. Last I saw you, you were searching the base for our escaped prisoner – you know, the helpless little scavenger girl?" He paused to look at Ren pointedly. Ren met his gaze with resolution. After a brief second, the general continued, "You were juvenile and brooding as ever, but very much alive. However, not ten minutes later, I find you half-dead and delirious in the snow. So, perhaps you can tell me exactly what happened."
When Hux finished speaking, his lips were tight with anger, his eyes blazing. It was rare that he let his temper slip in front of others, and it took Ren completely off guard. He tried to keep his face expressionless, and he said nothing in reply – not only because speaking right then would have caused him a great deal of discomfort, but also because he began to feel embarrassment burning at his ears.
Fortunately for him, Hux didn't seem to notice. He only rolled his eyes and sighed at Ren's silence. "No? Okay then," he said. "Let us see if we can piece this together."
Hux stepped closer to the knight until he was looming over him. Ren didn't like the feeling of Hux standing above him, but he felt that if he tried to stand up, he might lose consciousness again. Hux scanned him with his green eyes before speaking again. "The burns on your shoulders – lightsaber wounds, I presume?"
Ren hesitated, but nodded. "The girl was accompanied by our renegade Stormtrooper. He had a lightsaber with him when I found them."
Hux raised an eyebrow. "Was this before or after you sustained the blaster wound to your side?" he inquired.
"Not blaster," Ren corrected him. "Bowcaster. The Wookie shot me." He remembered vividly Chewbacca's cry as Han Solo fell off the narrow bridge. After that, the beam of red plasma shot toward Kylo Ren too quickly for him to deflect. He grimaced as his side throbbed. "And that was before I fought the girl."
"Solo's Wookie? Now that is interesting," Hux remarked. He turned away from the knight and began taking slow steps around the room. "The medic found some unusual bruising around the wound. Were you in a fistfight after you got shot?" he asked.
Ren vaguely remembered beating his own side during his duel with the turncoat. After slaying his father, he had felt more conflicted than ever. He needed to get the pain flowing, get himself angry, focused. "Something like that," he grunted.
"Hmph." The general glanced over in Ren's direction. He was still sitting up, though it clearly pained him. Sweat had begun to bead on his brow. After a moment, Hux spoke, "Well, suffice to say you utterly failed in your mission. Supreme Leader Snoke is most displeased with the both of us." He raised an eyebrow. "He has requested your presence immediately. He wishes for you to complete your training so that, next time you face this girl, perhaps you will do so without getting beaten to a bloody pulp."
That stung. Ren scowled at the comment. Before he could retort, Hux continued, "Once we reach the Finalizer, we'll throw you in a tank and head to Snoke straightaway. The girl will find Luke Skywalker before long. We've not a moment to lose."
With that said, Hux started towards the door to the medbay. He paused right outside of the motion sensor's range and gave one last look at the injured knight. "Is there anything else I should know before returning to the bridge?" he asked.
Ren was silent for a moment, staring at the general with black, solemn eyes. Hux sighed and made a move to leave. Before he could, Ren spoke. "I killed him," he said.
The general made an impatient noise. "You've killed a great many people, Ren. You'll have to be a bit more specific."
"Han Solo. I killed him. That's why the Wookie shot me."
Hux froze, his gaze hardening. "And what?" he hissed. Ren didn't respond. "You feel guilty?" Again, he was answered with silence. The general turned around and marched over so that he was again standing over Ren's cot. His green eyes were burning with an expression that Ren could not identify. Whatever it was, it unnerved him.
The general spoke. "If you're having any second thoughts," he began, "any lingering doubts that you are on the right side of this conflict, you'd best keep them to yourself. You know what Snoke does to infidels. You know what he's capable of."
When Ren replied, his voice was surprisingly soft. "Since when have you ever been concerned for me?" he asked.
At this, Hux scoffed. "I'm concerned for the both of us," he said. "If you haven't noticed, we're in this mess together. It's bad enough that I have to patch you up after this disaster; I'd rather not have to hose you off the walls."
When the knight did not respond, Hux snorted and turned to face the door again. "You'll be put in stasis soon, to help you heal faster," he said. "Perhaps, in your suspended state, you could take the time to reevaluate where your loyalties lie." Then, the general exited the room, leaving Ren alone.
The knight slumped back down on his cot. Everything hurt – his chest, his head, his side, his shoulders… There wasn't an inch of his body that didn't ache from his ordeal. Before drifting into a fitful sleep, Ren couldn't help but think of how much worse things were going to get.