Hux knew immediately that he had intruded on a private moment. His instructions had been to find Kylo Ren and pass on the message that he was required to attend a meeting with Supreme Leader Snoke the following evening but as soon as he entered the mans private quarters he knew his timing had been poor.
Ren sat at the small work table which lay in the centre of his sleeping quarters in full uniform, minus helmet. The table was empty aside from a bottle of colourless liquid which sat next to a clearly unused tumbler. His unmasked face was still healing from the blow which the scavenger girl had managed to land on him and the scar which cut across his cheek and upper nose was still slightly raw. But Hux suspected that was not what had placed the younger man in his current state. It was common knowledge among the upper ranks that Ren had murdered the alleged war hero and notorious smuggler Han Solo, his own father, in cold blood.
If Hux was honest with himself, he would never have thought Ren capable of such an act. Patricide was one of the darkest acts a person could commit and Hux was aware of the struggles which Ren faced with his occasional draw to the light. Snoke had informed him as such and asked him to keep a closer eye on the obviously conflicted man, a task which Hux was slow to accept since he generally found him utterly unbearable at times. Their working relationship had become slightly less strained since Hux had saved him from the frozen tundra where he had been injured by the scavenger girl and traitor stormtrooper but it was still a work in progress.
Standing in front of the table, he waited for Ren to acknowledge his presence. After a few moments which seemed to stretch out in the silence, his dark eyes lifted from the table and irritation was clear on his face. "Yes?" He inquired.
"Supreme Leader Snoke requests your presence tomorrow evening for a meeting. He required me to give you these instructions in person."
Ren nodded slowly. "Understood. Did he mention the subject matter?"
"No he did not." Hux answered and, unable to resist having a dig, continued. "Perhaps he wishes to congratulate you on your success is killing such a prominent member of the resistance?" Although his tone was even and he had not moved an inch, his words caused Ren to flinch as if he had been struck. His dark eyes shot up again to glare at Hux but the general could see past the initial flash of anger and was a little taken aback by the depth of the pain which he saw reflected in Rens eyes.
Suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable with his verbal taunt and eager to leave before Rens' mood took a swing from depressive to aggressive, he nodded to ensure that his original message had been received before strutting back towards the door to leave.
"I regret it."
Stopping in his tracks, Hux hesitated for a second to ensure that he had actually heard the soft, almost silent, words before turning back to the still-seated man. Rens' face showed mild surprise at his own accidental utterance. Returning to his previous space, Hux stood beside the table. "Regret? What is there to regret?" His curiosity had been piqued since Ren was not a man known to offer information freely and his interest was ignited by these words which he knew he was not supposed to have heard.
"Murdering Han Solo did not bring me the peace I believed it would." Ren confessed sadly, seemingly having decided to lay his burdens on the unsuspecting general. Huxs' level of discomfort was heightened again as he saw a small tear collect in the corner of Rens' eye and slide down into the still-healing flesh of his facial wound. What little empathy he had for Ren was not enough to deal with a tearful display but he could see the other man fighting to keep control and decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Pulling up a small chair which lay at the side of the table so that he could sit, Hux chose to ride this small emotional rollercoaster out. "You sit here and shed a tear for a father whom you claim to hate so viciously." Hux mused as he paused to pour some of the colourless liquid in the unused glass before taking a large gulp. The liquid burned hot in his mouth and he vaguely wondered where Ren had been able to find it since alcohol was generally banned on the base. He felt compelled to offer a little information of his own, as a sign of goodwill. "I technically loved my father and yet when he passed I felt nothing. No sadness, no joy. Nothing." He took another sip before swirling what was left in a practiced manner. "I am not sure which of us I feel more sorry for."
"I do not need pity." Ren growled as he snatched the bottle from Huxs' grasp and took a small swig, a few droplets missing his mouth entirely and running down the side of his chin before splashing on to the table below.
Hux finished his own drink, "And I am not in the habit of giving it out. What you have done has strengthened the power of the First Order and even if you have elected to not celebrate then I will in your place." Standing again, Hux smoothed out the front of his uniform as he prepared to leave but before he walked out he made a point of placing his hand on Rens' shoulder, causing the younger man to look up in a mixture of surprise and mistrust. "You have proven yourself to the Order in a way I had believed you could not. I would be lying if I said I was not impressed." He was unsure why he was bothering to make the effort, however small, to comfort the upset man but he did not dwell on it for long as he removed his hand and swept out of the room as quickly as he had entered.
Walking through to base to return to his usual post, he found himself bothered by what he had just witnessed. Ren was generally an emotional man, that much was obvious to anyone who had spent an excess of time in his company, but he usually presented his emotions in explosive, unrestrained bursts. These outbursts, as distasteful as Hux found them, were at least predictable enough and at times helpful as his rage fueled his abilities. This new silent depression did not sit well with the general and he made a small mental note to keep a closer eye on Ren for the foreseeable future until this phase had passed. It would be unfortunate to lose the younger man now that he had started to show some real potential.