The crowd laughed at little Boba Fett's evil laugh. Captain Phasma, still trying to enjoy the holo as much as possible, as so far, she was not that impressed with the content, and questioned why Supreme Leader would insist they watch this particular historical document. The lack of stormtroopers, except for that previous scene in the cloning facility, was a disappointment as well. She was quite unimpressed with the Imperial troopers of the previous holo, and this particular era, she wanted to see for herself the clone troopers in action. And this man, the one in the ship with the boy, apparently was the DNA 'father' if you will, of all of the clones. 'Hmmm' she thought to herself, an asteroid field may have some action at least.
"Seismic Charges..fascinating how this pilot is using them. They seem to have an effect on the asteroids as well. Make note of this." Hux calls out to his note takers.
"He's going into an asteroid! Watch out exogoths!" a FN-2199 says and high fives his compatriots as they laugh.
"I'm really surprised this Jedi man is even alive. He isn't much of a pilot at all." A tie fighter pilot noted.
"Little Boba is having too much fun." Lieutenant Mitaka said with a bit of a smile.
Kylo Ren elbowed him.
"Sir, why do you keep doing that? General Hux? Why am I always seated next to Kylo Ren, Sir?" Lieutenant Mitaka states.
"Are you questioning me, Lieutenant? Sit. Watch. Ren, behave." General Hux said with authority.
Kylo Ren elbows Lieutenant Mitaka. "Stop whining, Mitaka, you know what I am capable of."
Mitaka tries to crumple in the other side of the seat as much as possible.
"At least he seems to be able to use his wits, this Jedi fellow. We know he lives, at least long enough to become and old man ghost, that is. Kind of a spoiler though if you ask me." General Hux remarks.
"Are you on the Jedi side now, Hux?" Remarks Ren.
Hux looks at him and growls.
"This child seems evil, Sir." Captain Phasma remarks.
"Quite" Hux remarked.
"Back on that desert planet. That Naboo ship. My own armor was from scrap metal from a ship that was built on Naboo. I understand they were known for the shine. My own, however, came from the Emperor's personal yacht." Phasma remarked.
The officers behind her chorused an "oooooooo"
"What a dismal place. No wonder he hated sand." Remarked Kylo Ren.
"Indeed." Noted Hux. "Oh, there's a protocol droid working there, Ren. Did anyone get Ren a protocol droid, yet?"
"I don't need a protocol droid, Hux." Ren replied.
"But you seemed so taken with that one in the last holo. We honestly thought you might like one." Hux said mockingly.
Kylo Ren growled under his mask.
'Oh Force! It's Threepio!' Kylo Ren thought to himself. 'AND HE KNOWS GRANDFATHER! Why does he look different' Kylo Ren then let out a "YES!" for everyone to hear.
"See, everyone, we should get Ren a protocol droid." Hux states.
"I don't need a protocol droid!" Ren growls and thinks to himself, 'The famous Lars homestead. Luke Skywalker's humble beginnings.'
"Is he going to cry?" an officer says in back.
Kylo Ren looks back, intimidating with his helmet on, and the officer shuts up. Nothing is said, it doesn't have to be said. Just the turning, and the officer is trembling. "Thank you." Ren says coldly.
"Wow the Senator is kind of cute." Mitaka says.
Kylo Ren elbows him.
"Ow." Mitaka decides to keep his mouth shut the rest of the movie. Why do they always make him sit with Kylo Ren?
"Ah! See now I know what this is. It was a factory for the battle droids. This may be informative after all." Noted General Hux.
"Oh, these are the men who were after the Senator. I do believe though that Jedi Kenobi may be trying to catch insects or flying mammals in his mouth while he listens. This place doesn't seem to be the type of place where keeping your mouth wide open would be a good idea. One reason wearing full armor can be an asset as well, even when not on the battlefield." Captain Phasma says.
"Yes, you are wearing your full armor right now, Phasma, and you have been able to avoid having butter dripping in your hair, unlike myself, thanks to Ren." Hux then turns his head towards Kylo Ren.
Kylo Ren picks up some popcorn on the floor of the theater using the Force, then drops it on Hux's head. "I believe you asked for that, Hux."
"Very amusing, Ren." Hux growls. "Oh, this is Count Dooku."
"Wait, was he on Palpatine's side, or against him, Sir?" Phasma asks. "He appears to be against him."
"They were working together against the Jedi. It was only made to seem to be the Republic against the Separatists. Didn't you pay any attention to history?" Kylo Ren states.
Everyone just looks at him, befuddled.
"Ren, I really don't want to get into history with you again." Hux states. "I believe though you may be correct."
"Isn't this whole exercise about learning history, Hux? Really, now?" Ren replies.
Hux just rolls his eyes. He never likes it when Ren thinks he is right even if he may be.
"Tusken raiders? Strange creatures. Did the miners wipe them out?" Phasma asks.
No one seems to know.
"His mother?" Hux gulps, touches his eyes, tries to hold his composure.
"Are you all right, Sir?" Phasma asks.
"Yes, I am fine. It's just, well." Hux says.
Mitaka is crying loudly. Kylo Ren steps up, walks towards the door, steps out, and comes back in.
"Ren, what was the meaning of that?" Hux asks
"Nothing." Ren states firmly. His robes have a bit of moisture on the sleeve. His mask was getting misty and he needed to clean it a bit.
"What? He finds her and she just dies! What?" Someone shouts in the back.
Hux stands up, a little redness in his eyes, and says with authority. "You will SHUT UP!" and sits back down.
"Oh now, this reminds me of someone, but who, who?" Hux says looking over to Kylo Ren.
"Yeah, I can see this guy becoming Darth Vader now." Someone says in the back.
"What is wrong with green troll?" Hux asks.
"He feels a change in the Force." Kylo Ren says in a demeaning manner.
"It does that to him? Why?" Hux asks
"You are just ignorant to the Force, Hux." Kylo Ren says, gripping his fist.
"It's all in his head, I am sure. Little green troll is probably crazy." Hux says.
"Hux." Kylo Ren grows angry starts to grab Hux with the Force, and Hux unable to move, still stares.
"Oh let him down, Ren. You two act like children sometimes." Phasma says.
Kylo Ren lets Hux down.
Hux says to Phasma "Do not undermine me in front of my troops, Phasma. Ren, that will be all!"
Hux sits down.
Hux can't see how smug Kylo Ren's face is under his mask.
"You can be such kriffing bantha poodoo, Ren." Hux said under his breath.
"What was that, Hux." Kylo Ren asked.
"Nothing." Hux replied.
"Hey, that sounds like that cool Darth Vader music from the last holo there for a bit." Mitaka states.
"It does!" Phasma says with glee.
"I still find it hard to believe that they could feel that on another planet." Hux says under his breath.
"Looks like someone's in trouble." an officer says in the back.
"That Kenobi sure is peeved." her seatmate remarks.
"Awww how sweet, she brought him some snacks. I need someone to bring me some more snacks, anyone?" General Hux orders. An officer gets up and goes out to get more popcorn.
"Anakin sure is moody, Sir." Phasma states.
"He killed all of them, why is he crying? They had it coming. He should be pleased." Hux states.
"Ooooo cool Darth Vader music again." Mitaka says.
"You really like that theme, don't you Mitaka?" Hux says.
"I do, I really do, it's well, very cool, Sir." Mitaka says.
"Indeed it is." Kylo Ren says as Mitaka crunches over the other side of the seat, in case that also means another elbow aimed towards his direction. Relieved, he realizes it doesn't so Mitaka relaxes again.
"Looks like it's about to go down. I hope. So far, this has been underwhelming, Sir." Phasma says.
"Oh, that must be how they got Threepio!" Kylo Ren says, not realizing he is saying it out loud.
"What did he say, Mitaka?" Hux says.
"He's talking about the protocol droid, Sir." Mitaka says.
"What is it with you and that droid, Ren?" Hux says.
Kylo Ren says nothing.
"Who is that Senator? What kind of alien is that? Does anyone know?" Hux asks
Silence.
"I believe the alien is a Gran, Sir. I assume you mean the one with three eyes?" Phasma states
"Thank you, Phasma." Hux answers.
"It's the green troll again. The Senator? Anyone?" Hux states.
Kylo Ren is quiet, even though he knows who he is.
"Why can't that 'Gungan' fellow speak for Senator Amidala? I thought that was his job?" Hux says. "No wonder the republic fell."
Kylo Ren thinks to himself that Kenobi should have listened to Count Dooku, he may have had the right idea. Stupid Kenobi.
"Do you all see that this Count Dooku was telling Kenobi the whole story and he didn't believe it? What was wrong with him? He was supposed to be a wise Jedi and Dooku just told him what was going on with the Senate being corrupted by a Sith Lord." Kylo Ren said.
"I suppose it's easy to observe that after the fact. Now that we know what we do about the Emperor, still he did bring order from the chaos. What happened to this Count Dooku, I want to know. Must look in the records and find the rest of his story. Make note of that." Hux says as a few lower officers dab a few things into datapads, or at least pretend to look like they are.
"Oh, here is Senator Amidala's Gungan lackey finally getting with the program." Phasma says.
A chorus of shhhhhh are behind her.
"Do you want to do snow removal after the holomovie?" She says.
Grumbles in the audience.
"See, he's humble, he really didn't want it." Hux says.
"You fool, he is controlling all of them, this is what he wanted! He doesn't want them to know! Don't be blind! Didn't you read your history?" Kylo Ren says pounding his fist.
"Ren, you will control yourself. We don't know what the Emperor, or Chancellor thought." Hux said.
Phasma whispers, "He's probably right, Sir."
"Just who's side are you on, Phasma?" Hux says.
"The First Order and only the First Order, Sir." Phasma says.
Hux just sits quietly, privately fuming, for what reason, he really knows not.
"OK, look at this. Anakin just flew around that asteroid field, Kenobi was flying into it, why didn't he go around it? It doesn't make any sense?" An officer said in the second row to Hux.
"Well, he was following that bounty hunter, that was probably his reasoning, though yes, why didn't he just wait for him to come out of it. Very curious indeed." Hux said. "Not very impressive."
"What is that place? The factory?" a voice in the back says.
"Now that man knows how to use a lightsaber." Hux says obviously as a dig at Ren.
"Little cutie is going to get squished." A stormtrooper in the back says.
Kylo Ren stands up, looks back and says "Who said that?"
They point to FN-2187.
"Oh Ren, let it go. We will have a talk with him later." Hux says.
Kylo Ren stares at the stormtrooper, of course he can't see his face, but he knows that Ren is giving him a look. FN-2187 sinks into his seat.
Kylo Ren sits back down, just in time to see C-3PO being pushed by R2-D2 into the factory. "Threepio! NO!"
Everyone looks at him.
"What is it with you and that droid?" Hux says.
"Would you stop saying that, he's obviously in trouble. He seems to be a good droid is all." Kylo Ren says with a menacing voice.
Hux rolls his eyes as he sees the droid's panic and dilemma on screen.
"Artoo flies?" Kylo Ren exclaims.
"I have heard some astromechs do, Sir." Phasma answers.
"It's amazing that you remember their pet names in this film, Ren. I never knew you had a fascination with droids." Hux says.
"They have said them many times, Hux. I pay attention. I don't have a fascination with droids, Hux, it's just, it surprised me. Watch the movie." Kylo Ren said in an annoyed tone.
"I wonder if the Senator will turn into a statue." says Mitaka.
"Well, I want a flying astromech droid now, wonder where we can find one, or if we can have one built." Hux asks.
"Maybe this is why Vader ends up in a suit. Looks like that man is going to get cut up." Captain Phasma remarks.
"Lightsabers fritz out? Why am I not surprised." Hux states. Kylo Ren turns his masked face towards him.
"Wait, is this a stormtrooper?" one in the back asks
"It's that bounty hunter in Mandalorian armor." another says. "Remember that last holo? With the kid grown up? It looks like that."
"She's not afraid to die? She's been dying since he came back into her life? Is he going to kill her? Oh no. It's getting sappy. I hate sappy." Phasma says.
"No sense of romance, I take it Phasma. I must admit though, it's making me a bit queasy." Hux responds.
Kylo Ren directs his line of vision towards Hux and not the holo. Hux is starting to retch a bit. Kylo Ren looks at the screen. "At least they don't say 'I know'." Kylo Ren says.
"What is that supposed to mean, Sir?" Phasma asks.
"Nothing, Phasma, watch the movie." Kylo Ren says.
Hux queasiness begins to recede, as possible imminent death begins to be a possibility.
"Rescue!" an officer snarfs. Hux gives a rare smile.
"Don't they speak basic?" Hux says.
"Ooooo carnage!" a pilot says in the back. A crowd give him a dirty look.
"Well look at her, she's amazing. Not a Jedi or anything and still is amazing. I'm quite impressed with this young Senator. I imagine she would have made a great soldier." Captain Phasma states.
"She seems to use her wits. Very cunning." Hux responds. "How did she get her manacles off?"
"Didn't you notice? She put something in her mouth when they chained her to the post." Kylo Ren said.
"Interesting." Hux said. "I thought you were going to say 'The Force'"
"Is that an insult aimed towards me?" Kylo Ren asks
"Why I would never insult you, Ren, now would I?" Hux responds.
"Shhhhhhhhhhhh, this is getting good." some of the officers in the second row tell them.
"You know I can have you all shot." Hux says, then sits down, thinking 'maybe this will be good, kriffing Ren.'
"More kissing. Unbelievable." Phasma states. "They are fighting for their lives and they have time to kiss. Maybe she wouldn't be a good warrior after all."
"No, this party has just begun." Kylo Ren says adjusts himself and pays close attention. It isn't often one can witness such a massive battle of lightsabers. It just never existed in his lifetime.
"I didn't know lightsabers were so common in the Old Republic." Phasma says.
"The agility on this, Windu is it?, quite impressive." Hux states.
"Threepio, what did they do to you?" Kylo Ren says quietly.
"What did you say, Ren?" Hux says "What did he say Mitaka?"
"Something about the droid, Sir." Mitaka said.
Hux shakes his head.
"A senator who is good with a blaster. Amazing." Phasma says.
"We need more jet packs in the First Order." Hux says. "What am I saying, you all would just play with them."
"Someone help Threepio." Kylo Ren says.
"The droid?" Hux says. "I think he will be ok, Ren." Hux trying to show some compassion for once and remembering that maybe this droid is a weakness for Ren? Maybe getting him a protocol droid may be a means of calming him down? Control him? Is this same droid still around somewhere? Is there a way to find out? Why I am worrying about Ren and this droid? "Oh look, it's that astromech to the rescue. No worries, Ren."
"Oh Threepio, always good with the one liners." Kylo Ren says.
"Count Dooku is so polite." notes General Hux,
"Here come the stormtroopers!" Captain Phasma says with as much excitement as she can muster, which isn't really very much, but noticeable enough to show a slight glee.
"Well, it looks like this isn't a battle where a lot of Jedi die." Hux states.
"Threepio, you are ok." Kylo Ren says quietly.
"That Fett kid. I bet he carries that pain forever." An officer in the back notes.
"Some have colors. Can we get colors?" a stormtrooper asks.
"No." Captain Phasma says. "Shhh"
"Death Star. The plans were in motion going way back." Kylo Ren says.
"Yes, fascinating. Perhaps this is why we were asked to watch this holofilm." Hux asks.
"We must not question Supreme Leader, Hux. You know that." Kylo Ren said.
Hux gives him a look.
"These troopers seem a lot more effective than the ones in the Empire." Phasma says.
"Ut oh, girlfriend dropped and he can't get a grip." an officer says in the back.
"What is that coming out of his fingers?" Hux asks
"Force lightning. Don't you know anything?" Kylo Ren says smugly.
"Maybe she is a good warrior after all." Phasma said. "I should have never underestimated her."
"A bit cocky isn't he?" Hux says "And he loses an arm."
Kylo Ren gets a painful feeling in his own watching the scene.
"Here comes the troll again." Hux says. "Just throw stuff around. Who needs weapons. Fascinating."
"It's the Force, Hux. The Force." Kylo Ren says.
"But see, Dooku there says skills are important, not just your precious Force. Look at that troll fly." Hux says. "Fool, fell for a trick and let him get away to save his friend. He should have let it fall on him and killed the old man. Typical."
"That Sidious, is he the Chancellor?" Phasma asks
"Yes, didn't you pay attention. Sidious, the Emperor, the Chancellor all the same person. A Sith Lord." Kylo Ren said.
"Begun the Clone War has. Does that troll talk strangely or what?" Hux says. "What a glorious army though."
"So you might be open to a clone army then, Hux?" Kylo Ren asks.
"Don't do this now, Ren."
"Awww look, they got married, he got a new hand, just like that other guy in the other holo, and there's your droid, too, Sir." Mitaka says. Kylo Ren elbows him.
"Owwww" Says Mitaka.
Hux ducks out quickly, a few noises are heard, then he comes back in.
"So much sentiment. Well anyway, I hope you all got something from that holofilm. Make sure you clean up after yourselves. Phasma, you stay and supervise. Ren, come wth me please." Hux demanded.
Kylo Ren followed Hux out of the auditorium, almost walking in some spittle. Probably left by that awful Hux in his nauseated state.
"Supreme Leader wishes to talk with both of us. I got a message not long ago, and he wanted us to finish the holo first." Hux said.
They both walked quietly and quickly to the chamber where Snoke's holo was visible.
"I see you both have arrived. I wanted your thoughts on the holo, Hux."Snoke said.
"I really didn't see the point at all of watching it. Clone Army perhaps? The way the Emperor, I mean Chancellor created the war? The Death Star's birth?"
"Perhaps." He paused. "I want you to think on it, Hux. Leave us." Snoke said.
He waited for Hux to leave. And then Snoke said. "Be careful. As you may have figured out, that was the beginnings of Darth Vader's own downfall. Remember what brought him down in the end? I don't want you to forget."
"Sentiment, in your wisdom you have showed me that time and time again." Kylo Ren said.
"Yes, and be careful of your own. That droid. I know it means something to you. Forget it." Snoke answered.
"Yes, Supreme Leader." Kylo Ren said.
"You may go."
Kylo Ren returned to his chamber. He stared at Darth Vader's helmet, preparing to meditate, but all he could think of was "Sand, you hate sand?" and he chuckled to himself.
Thanks for reading. In my head cannon, it amuses me to think that Threepio was a very important part of Kylo Ren's childhood. I love the rivalry between Hux and Ren as well. I will probably so more of these. Thanks for the feedback.