Chapter 1

General Hux paced around his private chambers and massaged his temples to stave off his upcoming headache. He was glad the transmission was audio only; the last thing he needed was for that quick-tempered idiot to take offense.

He took a deep breath and tried again, choosing his words very carefully, "Supreme Leader Ren." Oh how those words cost him to utter out loud. "This treaty is of the utmost urgency."

"I don't have time for your petty concerns. Nothing can distract me from my mission," Kylo snapped, irritation seeping into every word.

Your self-imposed mission of tracking down your mommy and your Rebel scum girlfriend, Hux thought, doing his best to keep the disgust out of his voice when he spoke with Kylo, confident that he couldn't detect how he really felt. "I understand, however, . . ."

"You understand nothing. We have to track them down," Kylo replied.

Hux ground his teeth, forcing himself to breath in slowly to prevent himself from reacting. Kylo kept abandoning the main fleet, taking a contingent of his Knights of Ren to hunt down the rebels. Every few months, he'd return for a day or so, excoriate Hux for every single imagined failure in his absence and then run off again on some half-baked theory as to where the rebels could be hiding. Kylo had found them at least twice, fighting battles that cost him the majority of his soldiers and ships and losing every single time in a spectacular fashion. He was unconcerned about anything dealing with the First Order and more and more of the responsibilities for the Empire rested on Hux's shoulders.

Truth be told, Hux preferred Kylo running all over the galaxy in his foolish attempt to reconnect of Snoke's murderer. He was half certain that Kylo participated in the massacre as well. One person, no matter how strong in the "Force", could hardly overpower Snoke, his guards, and Kylo. Hux, though, wisely kept his thoughts to himself. Kylo brooked no disloyalty and their past friction had blossomed into seething, mutual hatred. If Hux thought he could get away with it, he'd eliminate Kylo in a heartbeat. However, he knew he'd only every get one shot at it and if he miscalculated, Kylo would take his life without reservation. So, they existed in an uneasy truce, full of barbs and ill will.

Hux decided to try once again. "Of course, Supreme Leader. However, this alliance will fall apart if the treaty is not swiftly signed. Each transmission we receive from the delegation is more insistent. We need the raw materials available on those planets. We don't have the resources to take them by force. This treaty . . . ."

"Are the negotiations complete?" Kylo asked in a bored tone.

"Yes; all that awaits is your signature."

"Transmit it to me and I'll sign it."

Hux clenched his jaw, tired of repeating himself to a man who knew nothing of the daily workings of the First Order. "As I have said, many, many times before, they will not sign the treaty without the adjoining ceremonies. It is part of their culture. You need to be physically present to sign or they will renege and we will lose . . ."

"Fine," Kylo snapped, cutting him off. "You do it."

"Me?"

"Yes. I confer the authority to sign the treaty over to you. I'm sure that should suffice."

Hux blinked, at a loss for words. Signing treaties was usually only reserved for the Supreme Leader. By allowing Hux to sign for him, Kylo was effectively bolstering Hux's position by quite a bit, a de facto type of promotion. After a moment's pause, he found his voice. "Yes . . . yes. It should. It will."

"Don't mess this up, General Hux. As you've said, many, many times before, this is a vital treaty," Kylo said dryly. "Imagine my disappointment if you didn't complete your task or if something went wrong. You don't want to incur my wrath yet again."

Hux's fingers went to his badly bruised neck, just beginning to heal from the last time Kylo had been upset with him over a perceived slight. He remembered gasping for breath, certain that it was going to be the one time that Kylo truly lost complete control and ended him. As much as he wanted the additional responsibility and scope of power, he knew the price of failure. "Of course, Supreme Leader. I won't let you down."

Kylo snorted. "That would be a first." There was a short pause. "Is there anything else?"

Hux had at least ten other pressing matters he knew he should confer with Kylo about, but he knew not to press his luck. "No, Supreme Leader."

"Don't contact me again unless it's an actual emergency," Kylo snarled and then all Hux could here was the soft hiss of static.

Hux let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when the transmission finally ended.

He grinned a bit, thinking of the upcoming ceremony. All he had to do was go down to the main planet in the system, sign a document, and reap the added award of his increased status. It would put him one step closer to his ultimate dream of becoming Supreme Leader himself.

His mind raced as he began to plot as to how he could use this to his advantage. Perhaps he could encourage other systems to sign treaties directly with him, owing to how very "busy" the Supreme Leader was. It could set a precedent that could lead to him finally wresting control away from Kylo. He began to calculate exactly which planets he could approach to discreetly in order to line up private treaties with them. As much as he'd like to take the First Order away from Kylo by direct opposition, he had no problem undermining his authority by other means. I just need to get this blasted thing signed swiftly, he thought, a soft smile gracing his lips. How hard could it be?

That thought was to be his downfall.

Author's Note- I hope you like the beginning. I'm hoping to make this a multi-chapter fic if there's enough interest.