"We're reaching the Ilum system in 23 minutes, General," said Lieutenant Mitaka.

Hux nodded. "Thank you, Lieutenant." He clasped his hands behind his back and slowly made his way towards the gigantic viewport of the bridge. From time to time he glanced at the technicians on the right and left side of the walkway. There was something satisfying in seeing them work, the Order really was a well-oiled machine.

He reached the end and he watched the stars fly by. Finally he would see Starkiller in person. He had revised the blueprints of course and checked on the progress but to think that his plans would actually become reality… it was something else.

He would wield power like the galaxy had never seen before. Everybody who dared to oppose him would suffer the consequences. 'Thin like a slip of paper and just as useless.' He lifted his chin. Oh, he had shown him... just as he would show the rest of them.

-o-

Snow crunched under his black boots as he made his way to the provisional headquarters on top of a small hill. A cold wind made the tails of his greatcoat flutter, small clouds of breath coming from his mouth.

Snowflakes fell silently from the grey sky, covering his shoulders and his cap. He brushed them off when he arrived at the structure. The chief engineer waited for him at the entrance and gave him a snappy salute.

"General, good to finally meet you in person."

Hux returned the salute. "Likewise, Captain."

She offered him a cup of caf and brought him up to speed. After ten minutes she said: "As you can see we're slightly behind the time table as the deliveries of durasteel need to be rerouted through Hutt space."

"I see, how is the progress on the kyber power cells?"

She hesitated. "We are still working on it."

"They are supposed to be finished by now," said Hux sharply.

"I'm aware, but we're having problems with the software to calculate the equilibrium required-" she broke off. "Sir, I think you know how delicate this work is. We have reached a success rate of 96% in the last trials."

Hux exhaled. "You strike me as a sensible woman, Captain. So I think you know that I have to answer to Allegiant General Pryde. He's not an engineer, neither is Supreme Leader Snoke. If I tell them that the success rate is 96% they will want to move forwards."

"But that's-"

"I know, considering the scale of the project we need at least 98%." He looked the chief engineer in the eye. "Are you certain that you reached 96%?"

She blinked and cleared her thorat. "You're right, sir. I must have misread the results. We only reached 90% after all."

"I see. A pity," he retorted dryly.

The door slid open and a gust of wind blew a few snowflakes in. In the threshold stood none other than Ren, his black cape dramatically billowing behind him. He looked like a vision from a nightmare with his cowl and his mask.

The engineer took a step back and grabbed her pad so hard that her knuckles turned white.

"Captain, may I introduce you to my co-commander Lord Ren?" asked Hux in a nonchalant voice. Then he turned to face him. "I didn't know that you're interested in progress reports, Ren."

"I am not. I was looking for you."

"Very well, I think we're finished here, Captain," said Hux and put his cap back on.

"Sir."

Hux turned on his heel and headed outside and stepped to the edge of the hill. He let his gaze wander over the snow-covered fir trees and took a deep breath of the cold air. The planet had a paltry beauty. He hadn't expected that.

"You can't see it due to the bad weather but behind this trees they're building the foundation pillars of Starkiller base," he said with pride in his voice.

Ren stepped next to him, breathing heavily through his mask. "I can sense the kyber crystals in the core of the planet, they resonate in the Force. They are drilling shafts down there, aren't they?"

"Yes, we'll use the crystals to amplify the power beams. They will cut through planetary shields like a hot vibroblade through bantha butter." He couldn't help but smile at the thought. All that power at his fingertips…

"Snoke was displeased with how I handled the holocron," Ren suddenly said.

Hux glanced at him, Ren was staring off into the distance. Was this what Ren wanted to talk about? That ought to be interesting. "How so?"

"He said that it wasn't mine to destroy."

"He is the Supreme Leader, it's his prerogative. I take it that you disagree?" This was perfect, Ren all but showed him how to plant discord between Snoke and his apprentice. Hux couldn't help but frown - why would Ren give him so much leverage? Didn't he know that he should be more careful?

"It's just…" Ren trailed off. "He always seems to punish me, no matter what I do. I don't understand what to do. Lu- my old master did the same. They both give me tasks with pitfalls so that I fail. And it makes me angry, so damn angry!"

"That's one of the leadership styles employed in the Old Empire. We learned about it at the academy - if you break the people's spirits they're easier to mould into soldiers," said Hux with a shrug. He could feel the icy wind prickle on his skin. His father had also used the same tactic of course.

"Are you saying that there is no way to make it right?"

"That's not the point. The point is to teach people that they have to bow to a greater power. It suffocated creativity of course, that's why it isn't used in the higher levels of the military academy. It's only for foot soldiers." He should be satisfied to drive a wedge between Ren and Snoke but he couldn't enjoy it. Besides... it was the truth, wasn't it?

Ren remained silent for a few moments. Perhaps he was contemplating what that meant for him? Using this method seemed antiquated, and it certainly clashed with Ren's perception that he was 'special'. Snoke was shrewd, there had to be a reason why he treated Ren like this - perhaps it was Sith philosophy?

Come to think of it, Snoke had also punished him at the day when Ren had arrived - as if Hux was some raw recruit who needed to learn who was in charge. Perhaps that was the only way Snoke was capable of leading people? He scoffed at this antiquated stick and carrot approach.

"Are you coming to the gym tonight?" asked Ren, derailing Hux's thoughts.

"No, the governor of the Ilum sector expects me planetside."

"Ah."

Hux glanced once again at Ren. His cowl and his robes were covered in snow, he looked dejected but Hux wasn't sure why he thought that - after all he still wore that silly mask.