So this was Starkiller Base, Kylo Ren thought when he exited his black command shuttle. There was nothing but snow, ice, woods and rocks. Total desolation. He rather would have stayed on Dall'Un with his Knights of Ren, at least there it was warm and beautiful and he was amongst friends. Starkiller was nothing the like.

Nevertheless, Snoke had sent him here to oversee the progress of the First Orders superweapon, to find out more about Luke Skywalker's whereabouts and also the Resistance, since there was nothing to be found of them in the Outer Rim. They probably hid somewhere in the Unknown Regions. Skywalker, however, could be anywhere.

The reception committee welcoming him consisted of a squad of Troopers, one Major Sagg Pius, second in command, Captain Phasma and of course General Armitage Hux, who wasn't pleased upon his arrival, this much was clear. Kylo had noticed the malicious glare in his cold turquoise eyes, sensed in him the resentment and annoyance towards him. Hux was still the man in charge, but now Kylo Ren, the Supreme Leaders right-hand-man, was the one who had the last word in everything. Any decision had to be approved by him. The General sure didn't like to be limited like this, in his authority; he downright hated it. After the brief welcome Commander Pius had shown Ren around the base and at the end of the tour attended him to his private rooms at the officers' quarters, where the Commander then left him to settle in.

After a droid had brought his personal things to his rooms Kylo looked out the window, viewed the snowy hills and mountains of this unfriendly planet. He didn't like military facilities, everything there was stiff and ran strictly according to protocol and orders. Kylo was no soldier, he was a warrior and a wielder of the Force and would take orders from no one. Yet, he didn't have no other choice now because he had to obey his master, Supreme Leader Snoke. With a sigh he went into the bedroom, took off his boots and his cloak and lay down on the bed, which was surprisingly comfortable.

A few hours later Kylo went to the Casino. He'd slept for a while, then meditated, freshened up, and now he was hungry and bored. It wouldn't hurt to go down, have something to eat, silence the rumors and kill everybody's curiosity by showing them that he was actually here. He knew how those things went.

When he entered the Casino he stood for a moment and eyed the place. People started noticing him, turning around gazing at him in awe as he stood there in his black Uniform and helmet. Usually he didn't like that much attention but this time it was necessary, so he took his helmet off and held his chin up high. After a moment he started moving, slowly walking into the large room looking for a free table to sit down.

"Kylo Ren!" he heard the sophisticated twang of General Hux across the room, then saw him waving. "Join me, will you? There's plenty of room at this table."

Hux sat there in full gear, gazing at him bemused. He raised a hand, with which he was holding a glass filled with pink liquid. "Come, take a seat. Nobody else will. That's the destiny of being the highest in rank, everybody avoids you."

Kylo went to him and sat down, placing his helmet on the table. People started talking again, everybody went back to normal, at least so it seemed. Hux waved to the bartender, motioning him for another glass. A minute later a droid came and brought one for Ren, asking in an electronic voice what he would like to drink. "He'll have the same as I," Hux simply blurted out with a dragging voice. Obviously he was already more than tipsy. "Oh hell, bring another bottle."

"How kind of you," Kylo scoffed. "You didn't even ask if I wanted … this … whatever it is."

"This, Kylo Ren," Hux started, pointing at his half empty glass. "This is the finest arkanisian whisky." He bent over the table and said in a lower voice: "My home planet has not much to offer, except this. It's a speciality you need to try." With these words he leaned back again and looked proud at that fact.

"I need to eat something before I drink," Kylo replied curtly.

"Who needs food when one can have this?" Hux responded in a singsong voice, thereafter gulping down the rest of his whisky.

Kylo sighed resignedly. In this moment the droid returned to their table with another bottle of pink liquor, filling both their glasses. Hux seized his glass and toasted to him. "To a good collaboration," he called out and finished all of it at once.

Kylo raised his eyebrows in surprise. "How much of that liquor can you take, General?"

"As much as is necessary," was his simple reply.

Kylo examined Hux closely. His ginger hair was a bit tangled, a few strands falling onto his forehead, his eyes were red and bloodshot which emphasized his turquoise eye color. His black uniform though, was still spotless, the boots shiny and clean. He was wondering what kind of problem the general had that made him drink too much, because he clearly felt desperation and uneasiness inside of him. "Is everything alright, General Hux?", he asked with concern. "We don't really know each other yet, but I sense in you … deep distress."

"It's none of your darned concern, I'm perfectly fine." Hux hissed and suddenly looked like before, when Kylo arrived at the base and saw him standing outside his shuttle with that malicious look upon his face.

"If you say so." Kylo shrugged, raised his glass to his lips and took a sip of the pink liquid. He knew it to be otherwise. The Force told him all, let him see into his mind, especially in this drunken state he was in. What Ren learned there was … terrifying, and pitiful. He didn't press on the subject anymore as not to upset the general any further, at least here in public. So Ren simply changed the subject. "Wow! This whisky really tastes like no other I ever had."

A smug grin showed on Hux's lips. "I told you, didn't I?"

Ren drank some more, he was still hungry but with a drunken general there was no joking. Especially not with this general. So he braced himself for the alcohol in his system, calling on the Force for help. "It's unique and … very pink. I like it."

Hux nodded and put some more into his glass. "So, you are Snokes apprentice, huh? His sidekick, minion … assassin?"

"Nice words you find for me," Kylo stated unimpressed. "Maybe I'm all of the said, maybe none of it."

Hux frowned, puzzled. "You do the dirty work for him."

"Not only."

"Come on," he urged Ren now. "Talk to me. We have to work together after all, why not get to know each other a little better."

"I think you do not attach much importance to that."

Again the general frowned. "You might be right." Suddenly he had hiccups. "But you - like Snoke - can use the … this … Force?"

Kylo drank down his glass and filled it again, before he simply answered "Yes."

"Prove it." Another hiccup.

Sceptically Ren cocked an eyebrow. "I can't just play around with the Force in a room full of people."

"Just one little trick. Please." And another hiccup.

"I don't do tricks."

Annoyed Hux snorted. "Come on, Ren. Give me something."

"Alright. I can make you not want your drink. You've had enough anyway."

"I didn't have nearly enough yet. I want to get boozed up, drink myself to oblivion. Do something else, levitate something or make something explode, but leave me my whisky tonight." With these words Hux took his glass and wanted to drink.

Kylo made a slight movement with his hand. "You don't want this drink."

Hux looked at his glass, grimaced and put it back down on the table. "I think, I don't want this whisky."

"You want to give it to me."

He slid the drink over to Kylo. "Here, take it."

Kylo started chuckling. It had been all too easy which was no wonder in the state of mind the general was in. He was just too drunk.

"What's so funny?"

"I just made you not wanting your drink."

"No you didn't," Hux replied with total conviction.

"Oh yes, I did," Kylo retorted, still laughing. "You even gave me your glass. See?" He held it up so Hux could have a look at it.

Confused he glanced before him on the table, on the empty space his glass had recently been. "How's that possible?" he asked astonished. "I don't even remember … I gave it to you because I wanted to."

"The Force, Hux. That's how it works." Kylo gazed at him, smiling, and gave him back his glass of pink whisky.

General Hux looked at Ren a long time, studying his face. "Amazing," he whispered, never stopping to stare into his eyes. "Who would've thought that you're so … handsome, and young." He wanted to drink another sip, but couldn't raise his glass. "I'm tired, Kylo Ren," he said under his breath. The glass just slipped out of his hand and shattered on the floor, spilling pink liquid and a thousand shards. "I'll go to sleep now." Hux stood up and wanted to walk towards the exit, but all he could manage was stumbling and staggering.

Kylo grabbed his mask, put it over his face and followed General Hux out of the Casino. He sensed the glances which followed them, felt them burning on his back. However, he did not care. He was Kylo Ren, Supreme Leaders henchman and nobody dared say anything, because they knew what he was capable of, and that Supreme Leader Snoke punished those who displeased him.

For now, Kylo only made sure that General Hux made it to his rooms safely. Why ever he cared about that, he couldn't say.