"You're back. Whatcha got for me, kid?"
Rey, who was about 10, pulled her rucksack off her person and dumped out a pile of parts on the table in front of her. She looked up into the face of Chanson Wishraw, the leader of a small scavenging gang. He was human with unkempt, short silver hair that was peppered with sand, along with uncut stubble that never seemed to grow any longer or get any shorter. She had been working under him for sometime now, simply unable to make it on her own just yet. And so far, other than treating her like an errand monkey, the arrangement had been fine. Food and protection for old junk.
Picking up a few parts and inspecting them, Chanson huffed, "A coolant pump? A hardened circuit? Patch circuits?" he scoffed, throwing the part back on the pile, "This is junk. I told you to get things that were actually worth something."
Rey looked up at him nervously, "I thought-" she grabbed one of the parts, "I thought this one would be useful. It looks so different."
"A pressor?!" he snatched it from her hands, causing her to whimper and recoil, "You can get one of these anywhere," he stated firmly, shaking it in front of her face before violently throwing it off to the side. This caused her to flinch, "You're gonna go back out there, and you're gonna find something useful."
"B-But-" Rey sniffed, looking up to the sky for a moment as she tried to hold tears back, "It's getting dark. I can't go out now."
"Does that look like my problem?" he asked, walking around the table now and standing in front of her, causing her to step back out of fear, "We have a deal, little girl. I get scrap that's useful, you get food and a place to stay. No good scrap, no deal."
One of his henchmen, who was standing off to the side, took notice of this interaction. He stepped forward now, and Rey glanced at him with tears trickling down her cheeks.
"Chan, c'mon. She's just a kid. Lay off her." The henchman tried, outstretching his hand a bit.
Before anyone else had a chance to react, Chanson whipped his blaster from his holster and shot the henchman in the face. Rey jumped at the sound and stared horrified as the body dropped to the ground, a searing blaster whole right in the forehead. Fear ran through her small body as she clutched her arms tight to her chest, tears starting to stream down her cheeks as she stared horrified at the corpse, unable to look away.
Chanson returned the blaster to its holster before looking down at the girl. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed her chin to force her attention on him, "Better hurry. Sun's going down." He smirked before aggressively pushing her face away.
Rey, who was utterly terrified, stepped backwards, sniffing and sobbing gently before she turned on her heels and sprinted off into the desert. As she ran, her vision was clouded by tears that wouldn't stop streaming and a mind that couldn't be rid of a horrifying image…
Shooting up in bed, Rey took heavy breaths. Blinking a few times, she looked quickly around the room to see everything was the same as it had been before she had fallen asleep. The soft bed still cradled her, space still glimmered out the window; everything was okay. It took her a while to calm down from her nightmare, trying desperately to shoo the memory of the first dead body she had ever seen out of her brain. It had haunted her for so long, and she thought she'd finally forgotten it. But here it was again and she wanted nothing to do with it.
Rubbing her temples, Rey decided it would be best to get up and try to forget about it. This was the second nightmare she'd had, and she just wanted to ignore it. Feeling parched, she pulled herself out of bed to get some water. Making sure to grab the commlink off the opposite pillow where she had left it, she stretched towards the ceiling as soon as she stood. For once, she woke up feeling refreshed, despite the nightmare. The bed definitely did wonders for her.
Walking through to the living room, everything was the same as the day before, and she continued on into the next room, into the kitchen. Turning to look at the appliances, her brows furrowed. She was extremely out of her element here, and there were so many appliances she'd never seen before. Moving forward, she began opening some of the cabinets. This was pretty simple. There was one with glassware, one with plates, one with eating utensils, another with some pots and pans. For now, she stuck to getting out a cup.
Moving to the sink, she stared at it for a moment before reaching for a nob and turning it. This was straight forward, though she'd never experienced one as fancy as this. Filling her glass, she took a sip almost as if taste testing it. Realizing it was just water, she downed the rest of the glass with a sigh before refilling it.
Walking over to the table, she pulled out one of the chairs and took a seat, sliding the data pad over to her. Turning it on, she began to scroll through pages of information, skimming through them at best. She was trying to get a general idea of the kinds of things laid out for her. The main things she needed to learn was where everything was, and the etiquette of the ship. From what she gathered, this base was like a whole city with its sheer size, let alone how many people lived on it.
After a while of looking, she felt a low grumble in her stomach. Shifting slightly, Rey looked back at the kitchen. She supposed she should have a look around to see if there was any food. Getting up, she first headed towards the refrigerator and opened it. Inside, she found a plethora of different types of raw ingredients from eggs, to herbs, to vegetables and fruits. So many different types of things she'd never seen before, and she stared at the open fridge absolutely stunned.
After a moment, she shut it, and began rummaging around the rest of the cabinets again. She was searching for something more familiar, the small part of her brain hoping to find a ration packet, though she knew she wouldn't. After a few minutes of searching, she let out a heavy sigh. There was nothing that she'd recognized enough to be confident in. Slowly Rey moved herself back to the refrigerator and opened it again. Staring at its contents, her eyes locked on the eggs. She'd seen people on Jakku with eggs before, though she never saw them get cooked. She knew they needed a stove-type heat, but the rest of it was beyond her.
Taking the eggs out, she sat them on the countertop next to the stove and went rummaging again until she found a flat pan. Placing it on the stove, she stared at it for a long moment before pressing one of the buttons. Nothing seemed to happen, but as soon as she put her hand above the pan itself she felt heat rising from it.
"Maybe this won't be so hard after all." Rey said with a small smile, quite pleased with herself for getting the correct button on her first try.
After waiting a little longer, she supposed that it had to be hot enough to cook. Picking up one of the eggs, she placed it on top of the heated pan, shell and all.
"Cooking can't be that hard." She muttered as she stared at the egg. As time progressed, the part of the shell became blacker and blacker with every second. Furrowing her brows, she waited for a sign it was done while simultaneously growing more nervous by the second that she wasn't, in fact, doing it correctly.
Suddenly the egg burst into a little fire, and she jumped, "Shit!" Rey cursed, glancing side to side for a solution before opting to grab the handle of the pan. As soon as her skin touched the metal, she let out a yelp of pain as the hot surface burned her hand. Tears pricked at the sides of her eyes as she shook her hand violently, trying to cool it off before scrambling to turn the stove off. Once it was off, the fire continued and Rey quickly fished another glass out of the cabinet, filled it with water, and doused the fire.
Now that it was out, she rushed back to the sink to stick her burning hand under cold water. She winced before letting out a sigh as the water offered her relief. Glaring at the pan, Rey realized she was out of her depth on this one. Cooking ration slabs were one thing, but real organic ingredients were like a whole new planet for her.
After a while of running her aching hand under the water, she felt the grumble in her stomach once more. The realization that she needed help was dawning on her, and she hated it. She usually held pride in the fact that she was independent, that she didn't need people's help for the simplest to the hardest tasks. But here? She was hopelessly out of her element.
Sighing heavily, she turned off the water and walked back over to the dining table. Checking the data pad to see what time it was, since there was no sun, it read 6:27 am. It seemed as though the ship ran on its own time schedule. Gently picking up the commlink, she turned it to channel 61.
There was a moment of hesitation, fear that she'd wake him up or fear that he'd think she was stupid, fear that she'd bother him despite him insisting if she needed anything to call. Drawing in a deep breath, drawing in her courage, she pressed the talk button.
"Um… G-General Hux?" She asked hesitantly, her voice small and full of questioning as to why she was even bothering him. Taking her finger off the talk button, she waited in silence. With every second that passed she felt her stomach twist into a tiny knot, anxious about her decision to reach out and embarrassed that there was silence.
After what seemed like forever, his voice responded back, "Yes, Rey? Is everything alright?" Hux's voice didn't sound tired, but it sounded as if this was the first time he was speaking today.
"Yes-" she responded instantly, almost like his response caught her with her guard down. After a wince at herself, wondering why she said things were fine, she cleared her throat and spoke again, "I mean. Overall, yes. But..." she pursed her lips for a moment, looking away in embarrassment as she paused, thinking of what exactly to say.
"Is there something I can help you with?" His question came in the silence, though despite the words, the tone of it was warm and gentle.
Letting out a sigh of resignation, Rey answered him, "I-I'm hungry, and I don't know how to cook… I accidentally set a small fire- it's out now-" she added quickly, "But… I just don't know what I'm doing." Her tone was sheepish and little, and she was sure he could feel her embarrassment radiating through the commlink.
"Oh…" Hux answered, and Rey heard him draw in a breath. She expected the worst until he spoke again, "You had me worried there. I am happy to come over and assist, if that's what you'd like."
"I… " her words trailed off before she nodded, "Yes, please. If that's not too much trouble."
"No. No it's not. Give me a few minutes, and I'll be over."
"Alright… Thank you." Was all she could manage in response before letting out a heavy exhale. Setting the commlink down, Rey looked around the room as if wondering what she needed to prepare before the throbbing in her hand caught her attention. Looking at it, she saw it was quite red and she cursed herself for being so careless.
Turning, she exited the kitchen, heading back into the main room. Her line of thought was that maybe the bathroom or the bedroom might have a few random medical supplies lying around that she could treat the burn. Just as she was halfway through the main room, she heard a couple raps on the metal of the door. She scrunched her nose, wanting to take care of her hand before Hux could have a chance to judge her, but it didn't seem like that was an option.
Walking up to the door, she unlocked it and let it slide open to reveal General Hux standing on the other side. He looked just as polished as the day before, the only noticeable difference was the fact he didn't have the long grey overcoat that went over his officers uniform, nor the hat. Now, she could see the full force of color that was his ginger hair, though it was slightly damp right now. Upon seeing her, he gave her a gentle, almost forced smile, as they stared at one another.
"Good morning." He said simply, and she blinked a few times before nodding.
"Right, yes. Good morning." Rey responded, stepping back down and away from the door, motioning him to follow. He did, posture stiff and rigid like the day before, though his hands were clasped loosely behind his back as if this was his way of relaxing.
Gesturing to the kitchen with her hand, she said, "The kitchens' just that way. I'll be with you in a second."
But before Rey could walk away, Hux seemed to clock on to the fact that her hand was burnt red. Furrowing his brows, though subtly like everything else he did, he gestured to it. "Is your hand alright?"
Feeling her face heat up slightly in embarrassment, she held the injured hand close to her chest. "Yeah. It's okay. I just… burnt it, that's all. I was going to the refresher to see if there was any medical supplies there."
"I see. Well, I'm sure your suite is like mine. There's a small emergency kit in the kitchen." He said simply before walking off and through the doorway into the kitchen itself. Frowning a bit, Rey followed.
After a moment of rummaging through the cabinets, obviously trying not to look at the charred remains of the egg on the stove, Hux found the medkit. Moving over to Rey who had stood by the island, he set it on the counter.
"I assume you know how to use one of these." He said simply, opening the kit up. To this, she nodded.
"Sure. For the most part. They're all the same really. I've never had one as complete as this, but… Put the bacta on, then the bandage." Rey shrugged, and Hux nodded at this.
"Good. Will you need help?"
"Umm..." she hummed, pursing her lips for a second, "No no I should be fine."
"Alright. Let me clean this up while you do that." And Hux turned away to take care of the mess.
Reaching into the med kit with her left hand, she pulled out one of the packets of bacta. When she squeezed it onto her hand it was instantly relieving and she was incredibly grateful for it. Once she was done with that, she carelessly wiped the excess that was on her fingers onto her pants before grabbing out the bandage roll. This part was difficult, and she found herself attempting to put it on with one hand, pausing, thinking, and trying again. She tried using the table, her teeth, her body, anything to get the bandage to hold still while she wrapped it, but nothing worked. In her struggle, she hadn't noticed that Armitage had finished what he was doing and was watching her with a raised eyebrow. After a while of trying, she glanced up to see him staring at her and she frowned.
"Are you sure you don't need any help?" He asked with a cynical hint to his voice.
"Yes." She stated firmly before scrunching her nose, "No. I mean. Ugh." Rey huffed and held out her hand, "Fine."
Nodding, almost in a 'that's what I thought' type manner, Hux approached and took the bandage. After a moment of gently yet tightly wrapping the bandage around her hand, he made sure to secure it properly, "There. It should only be an hour or so before it's healed." He stated simply, refocusing his attention back to her with a small nod.
Looking at her hand for a moment, she clenched it. "Thank you."
"Of course. Now, as for the food," he began as he turned back to face the appliances in the kitchen, "I'm no expert chef, and we have expert chefs aboard. There's a section on your data pad that lets you request whatever food you'd like and it'll come pre-made to you, which is what I do most often," he informed, and she felt kind of stupid for not noticing that feature earlier, "You can also go to the officer's lounge if you'd like and eat there. With your status, it doesn't matter where, when, or what you eat, so you really have free roam over everything. Once you're up at our ranking, there are much less rules to conform to," he explained this simply, though pride peaked through his tone at the mere mention of his high status, "That being said, I can show you a few things I know…" Rey picked up on a twinge of discomfort when he said that before it disappeared and he continued, "I can also have someone look into getting you a recipe book if you'd prefer that."
Giving a gentle nod, she looked a bit perplexed at the amount of options that were laid in front of her. After a few blinks of understanding, Rey drew in a deep breath, "Alright…" she began, "Perhaps, for now, you can just show me how to request food on the data pad? I fear I'm much too hungry to be a good cook, even with your guidance." She said almost sheepishly. To this, he nodded.
"Whichever you'd prefer." Hux said simply as if it made no difference, before walking over to the dining table and picking up the data pad. Following after him, she stood next to him and watched him use the pad. He filled through a few of the data pads menus before he brought up organized folders. Each of the little folders were labeled for a different occasion; breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, and inside each folder was a subset of categories for entrees, drinks, appetizers, sides. Hux had clicked on the breakfast folder before looking to Rey, "You can order from any of these, really. As I've said, your status holds no limits. You can order any of this at any time of the day, or night for that matter."
Nodding, she glanced up at him, "That's very luxurious. I've never had access to this many options before," Rey looked back at the datapad, "I'm not really even sure what the difference is between all these, besides the time of day..." she muttered before shaking her head slightly, "What would you suggest?"
His eyebrow twitched upwards slightly at her mumbled words before his attention was refocused by her question, "Oh. Well, I would suggest breakfast, obviously. And..." he pursed his lips a bit before tapping through folders and pages of different food items. After a few moments, he brought up a finalize screen where you review what you've inputted, "This is very good, very simple, but delicious nevertheless. It's just scrambled pikobi eggs, puffer pig bacon, sliced meiloorun, and five-blossom bread toasted with bantha butter." Finishing his sentence, he looked to Rey to see if she was satisfied with his choice.
She stared at the data pad with wide eyes, her brain trying to comprehend all the different names and the different types of food he had just described. She was trying to wrap her mind around what all that could even taste like.
After nothing came from Rey, Hux raised his brow softly as he spoke again, "Is that alright with you?"
"Yes-" she said quickly as she blinked and looked up at him, "Yes. That-That's more than alright. Thank you."
Nodding, Hux looked back to the data pad, "Good. Once you have everything you want, you simply press this button here-" he pressed a red button on the bottom of the pad's screen, "And the request had been sent down to the kitchens." He said simply, looking back to her.
Nodding, she glanced between him and the data pad, "That's simple enough. But, will that be enough food for the two of us?" She asked, focusing her attention solely on him.
Hux looked down at her questioningly, as if he didn't understand what she was getting at. After a moment, it clicked. "You… Want me to eat with you?"
"Well, yeah. I figured- I don't know…" she shrugged, letting her words trail as she felt a bit embarrassed. Rey thought they were on the same page about that, "Only if you want to, of course."
"I…" Hux felt a bit awkward as he paused, thinking on her proposition for a moment, "I suppose I could." He had never been invited over to someone's suite like that before, and the invitation of staying for breakfast felt extremely foreign, but in an almost warming way.
Rey, on the other hand, hadn't eaten with someone that wasn't trying to use her, and certainly hadn't shared a meal with anyone in quite some time. Plus, he was the only friendly and welcoming face right now to her, and honestly, after everything and especially the nightmare she'd had, she wouldn't mind the company. Smiling gently at him, she gestured back to the pad, "Well. Go on and order something, then."
Drawing in a hesitant breath, Hux looked back to the data pad to do what she had suggested. After a moment of tapping, he spoke, "Alright. I ordered the same thing." looking to her once more, he continued, "it usually takes about 20 minutes for the food to arrive. And when it does," he gestured with two fingers over to a small metal door on the wall next to the sink. "it will be in there."
Looking to where he pointed, she gave a confused nod. "Okay… Sure..."
"For now, I think I will return to my suite. I have a few things I need to finish up. Plus it will give you time to get ready for the day." Hux said, giving her a quick glance, obviously referring to the fact she was still in some sort of pajamas.
"Oh-" Rey looked down at herself for a moment. "Good idea."
"Yes… Once we are done with breakfast, we can head to our duties. I know the Supreme Leader will want to see you. I'll be happy to be your guide back to him before starting my own duties for the day."
"Right," she gave a short nod, "Thank you."
"Of-Of course. Just give me a call on the commlink once the food has arrived and I'll be back." Hux said before turning and exiting the kitchen.
"I will." Rey answered as she followed him out of the kitchen and watched him walk to the door.
Pausing at the door for a moment, he looked between her and it awkwardly for a moment before he bowed his head a bit at her and said, "Yes. Well. I'll see you in a little, then." And with a nod from Rey in response, he exited the suite, door sliding closed behind him.
She let out a heavy breath once he was gone, looking down at her bandaged hand for a moment as she flexed it. There was something oddly comforting about his presence. The way his bright red hair stuck out amongst the drab interior of the flagship reflected pleasantly on Rey's interpretation of the facility. To her, he seemed friendly enough to actually be made into a friend. She supposed that it was time to start making connections like that, especially in this place that was to be her new home.
The fears of being used danced in the back of her mind as she walked into the bedroom, and then into the bathroom. There were only a few people in her past that respected her for her, and not from what they could get from her. In that moment, Hux felt like he could join that very short list. He was already a high ranking official, he didn't need her to get anywhere. He already seemed to be in high favor with Snoke, or else why would he have had Hux be at the front of her greeting party? Besides, to everyone aboard this ship, she was just the Supreme leader's new apprentice, nothing more. Perhaps her grandfather truly was right in his decision to keep her identity a secret. Not only did it protect her physically, but it gave her a chance to prove herself as herself; make connections that started at who she was, not the birth rite she held.
She went through the classic morning routine, brushing what needed to be brushed, washing what needed to be washed. Her mind wandered from place to place as her body moved on autopilot. Doubts of Hux's intentions, thoughts of what her training with Snoke might entail, fears of how she might not be able to live up to the expectations that were set on her, all of this swirled in her head. Rey realized the path ahead of her was virtually unknown. All she did know was that her grandfather orchestrated this path, and that he must have the best intentions for her wellbeing in mind.
After her self grooming was done, and the top half of her hair was pulled back into a bun, she went to the closet and pushed the sliding door open, staring at the plethora of black and grey clothing that hung neatly inside. Pushing at the hangers, the excitement she felt on getting out of her desert rags dwindled a bit. Each outfit she viewed was relatively similar to the last, and all of them somehow resembled the clothes she had worn on Jakku. Though these clothes were freshly pressed and clean, not a tear or speck of sand to be found, they all consisted of pleats and layers that caused déjà vu.
Puffing out her cheeks in a sort of defeat, she settled on the one that was least like the rags she used to wear. The tunic was dark grey and pleated horizontally down the chest, with long sleeves very similar to Kylo Ren's (which she sneered at in recognition) and two bracers attached like cuffs. On top of that was a black cloth tabard that draped very similarly to her usual attire from Jakku, though the cloth belt that fit around the waist was much nicer than anything she'd used. The pants were a lighter grey and seemed simple, though they were longer than her older pairs. In the bottom of the closet there were a plethora of similar looking knee-high black boots, to which she grabbed a random pair and shut the door.
Moving down to the bed, she tossed the clothes onto it, surveying them with a heavy heart. Perhaps she could have some conversation with Snoke about the lack of options later. After a few minutes of figuring out what piece of fabric went where, she was finally dressed. Pants tucked into boots, braces tightened to where they needed to be, she was surprised to find that the clothing fit her quite well. Nothing was too tight, and it all felt like it was made to fit her, besides the pants that were just a bit too long. Rey, moving her body to see how the fabric would stretch, realised she'd never had clothes this nice before, that fit her so well. Despite the similarities to her old fashion, this still felt fresh, new, almost empowering.
A ding sound came from the kitchen which interrupted her admiration of herself. Exiting the bedroom and heading to the panel Hux had pointed out to her earlier, sure enough, there were two dishes full of different types of steaming food. The smell that radiated off of them made her mouth water, causing her to swallow with anticipation. She'd never seen anything that looked as delicious as that food. And Hux said it was simple. It was the most luxurious simple meal she'd ever seen.
Picking up the plates and taking them to the table, Rey picked up the communicator. "Uh- Hi- Food is here." She said, feeling a bit awkward at her word choice.
"Very good. I'll come now." Was Hux's reply that came back almost instantly.
She stood there looking at the communicator, trying to decide whether or not to answer him back before she heard a knock at the door. Putting the device down, she went to let him in.
After another round of pleasantries, the two seated themselves across from one another, picked up their utensils, and began eating. Rey lagged behind for a moment, watching him as he focused on the plate in front of him. Turning her attention back to her own plate, she mimicked the way he stabbed the bacon and pushed it with a piece of meiloorun before lifting the fork to her mouth and eating.
Her work erupted with flavors and delights she had never even thought possible. Her eyes grew wider and wider with each time she chewed, the flavors exploding on her taste buds, not used to anything better than a ration, until finally she swallowed with a sigh of amazement.
Hux, upon hearing said sigh, looked up with a questioning look. "Everything alright?"
Rey, who was in a bit of a tizzy from the whirling of immaculate flavor, blinked a few times to refocus herself on her guest. "I… Yes. It's just- Wow…" she gasped, "This is the most amazing thing I've ever eaten."
"Ever?" Hux asked with a dry yet perplexed tone.
"Yes! Ever!" She exclaimed before stabbing another bit of bacon and meiloorun on the fork and shoving it into her mouth. She felt her body melt into the chair from the décident flavors that danced in her mouth.
Hux merely let out a small snicker of disbelief as he returned his attention to his plate, "That's hard to believe. It's quite a simple dish…" he let his thoughts trail off as he poked at his eggs before his eyes looked back to her, "Ever? Really? Where did you say you're from again?"
Recovering from her last mouthful, she sat up straight again and shrugged, already moving on to stabbing at the eggs, "Nowhere, really. Jakku."
"Jakku?" He repeated, almost appalled. Rey, giving him a glance, wasn't quite sure the reason why, but didn't mind either way, "How, out of the whole galaxy, did someone from Jakku become the supreme leader's new apprentice?"
This got Rey to pause, eyes fixated down at the eggs that accumulated on her fork. She didn't think she'd have to answer this question so soon. Panic raced through her as she thought to every corner of her mind to think of some sort of excuse that didn't involve her lineage; involve Palpatine.
"I um..." she hummed softly, slowly looking back up at him. Think, Rey, think! "Kylo!" She said quickly, before pursing her lips and continuing, brushing her little outburst aside, "After he captured me, he must have relayed my strength to the Supreme Leader. Yeah."
"I see…" Hux nodded slightly, expression empty, "You're the girl from Starkiller Base he wouldn't shut up about…"
"Well, I didn't know he was my biggest fan, but yes. That was me. Anyways, after I… After I left him to die on StarKiller Base, the Supreme Leader reached out to me."
Hux listened intently, eyes narrowing with every word, which caused Rey to feel heat rise in her face as she anxiously awaited his reaction.
"So… He's really dead, then?"
Rey blinked a few times in confusion, unsure of what Hux meant by this before it clicked and she gave a harsh nod, "Yeah. Or… So I believe, anyway. I…" her voice trailed off. An idea caught in her mind. She realized she would have to prove herself here, prove her strength as her own. And so she continued: "I injured him quite badly. After I had escaped his captivity, of course he came after me. He had caught me off guard the first time, but I wasn't going to let him do it again. It didn't take long before I had overpowered him… And stole his TIE and escaped the planet. I can only assume with no way off, he…" her words trailed before she made a small explosion noise and flared one of her hands to mimic it.
Hux, who seemed stunned at her words, blinked a few times and in the silence, Rey wondered if she had gone too far, if he had seen right through her. Though in the next moments, her worries were expelled.
"Hah!" He let out a loud yet restrained laugh, the biggest smile she'd seen cracking his lips, though granted it was still very reserved and fine. To be sure, this was the most emotion she'd seen from him yet, "Good riddance. He was always a petulant little child. You, on the other hand-" he pointed his fork at her, "You seem like you have your head on straight. You don't happen to have any ties to the Rebellion, do you?"
She pursed her lips into as much of a genuine smile that she could muster as she shook her head. "No. I can't say I do." Not anymore.
"Fantastic. Well, I'm glad his lack of hospitality didn't scare you off from the First Order. You are a welcome change, to be sure of it." Hux said as he turned his attention back to his food and began eating once more.
Letting out a gentle sigh, she let herself break a small smile as she went back to eating as well. That conversation went so much better than it could have, and she didn't even get close to mentioning her bloodline.
In the silence that followed as they both ate at dishes, Rey's mind wandered back to thinking of Kylo Ren. Strangely, she wondered what he was really like, how he carried himself, what could've been going through his mind when he murdered Han Solo. She also wondered what sort of student he was, and what shoes she may have to fill.
Her thoughts had become too much to contain, and after a while she broke the silence. "What was he like?"
"Who?" Hux asked plainly, looking up at her, as if he had already forgotten who'd they'd just been talking about.
"Kylo Ren."
"Oh… Why?"
Rey pursed her lips a bit before shrugging. "I… Want to know how big the shoes I need to fill are, I suppose."
"I see…" he paused before giving his own gentle shrug to suggest he was satisfied with that reasoning, "Seeing as he's dead and gone now, there's no reason I should go out of my way to belittle him. He was quite tortured, from what I understood of him. I can't say we ever had occasions such as this," he gestured to her and the food, "to reflect on. We only ever had… Pleasant-ish conversations when he first arrived. I never trusted him. He always acted with excessive brutality to cover his insecurities. No doubt this was due to his rebel scum family. But, for whatever reason, the Supreme Leader trusted him," Hux paused before drawing in a breath, "Well. I can't particularly say that exactly. He is, excuse me, was the grandson of Lord Vader of the Empire. The Supreme Leader, I suppose, wanted to emulate the legend." Finishing his words, he looked to her to see if she was satisfied by them.
Rey had listened intently, though found them little help until the very end. Vader was a far off name, one she heard in passing; a shadow of cruelty and darkness and the arch rival to the legendary Luke Skywalker. But seemingly here, Vader was someone to admire, to aspire to, at least in the Supreme Leader's eyes anyways. And if Kylo Ren had been his grandson, then that was all the more reason to be nervous.
Seemingly, she must have been wearing an expression of apprehensiveness, because Hux spoke up again. "For what it's worth, I do believe you will make a much better addition here than he ever could."
"Are you sure you're not just saying that because you're happy to be rid of him?" She asked with a small smirk.
He rolled his eyes in jest, "It would seem like that, but I'm sure. When the Supreme Leader spoke to me about you, it was different this time. His zeal seemed much more…" he trailed off in thought, looking to the stars outside the window for a moment before continuing, "Prominent."
"And…That's good?" She asked gently.
Looking back to her, he gave her a nod and his lips twitched into the smallest smile. "Yes, I'd say so."
The rest of their meal together passed by silently. Oddly enough, both found passive comfort in the other company, and the silence fell naturally between them like a gentle blanket. Once they were done with their meals, Hux informed her that all that needed to be done was return the plates from where they came and they'd be taken care of. Once the space was clean again, both of them walked back into the living space and towards the door.
"Oh. Hold on," Rey said quickly, moving over to the couch and scooping up the lightsaber she had tossed there the night prior before walking back over to him. "Ready."
Hux, glancing between it and her, gave a slight tilt of his head. "How did you-"
"His TIE wasn't the only thing I took from him that day. Besides, you're telling me you've never wanted a lightsaber?" She asked skeptically and jokingly.
Rolling his eyes similarly to how he did before, he turned and walked for the door, "I refuse to answer that." And together they exited Rey's suite and headed down the hallway.
The journey to the Supreme Leader wasn't very long. They walked down the hallway and to the transport shuttle similarly to how they did the day before. The hallways were empty aside from a few storm troopers standing guard at various points, and Rey couldn't tell if this was because they were late or they were early. They were no longer escorted by troopers this time, simply heading on their route just the two of them.
Stopping at the panel, Hux instructed Rey that she was heading somewhere else today, and informed her how to get to it, "The training room. He had it built specifically to train his apprentices." Hux explained as they boarded the shuttle.
The ride was silent, and quite short. Before they knew it, the doors were opening. This section of the ship was a lot busier. Small battalions of troopers and officers marched up and down the hallway. Mouse droids skittered along and technicians hustled and bustled back and forth. Here, as they exited the shuttle and moved with the flow of traffic, no one stared at them. Most people minded their own business. If they did get a look, it was from subordonnants who would move out of the way or straighten their posture upon passing them.
After a few turns, they made it to a larger door with the words 'Training Room: Authorized Personnel Only' in aurebesh above it. Staring up at it, Rey turned to look at Hux who simply gestured to it.
"The Supreme Leader should already be inside waiting for you," he stated. She gave a hesitant nod, glancing between him and the door, "You'll be fine. Simply first day nerves. I'll catch up with you later," Turning on his heels, he started to walk away before pausing and clearing his throat, back still towards her, "Yes, Well, and… Thank you for breakfast." And with that, he strode off down the hallway.
Blinking a few times in confusion, she drew in a deep breath. It was relieving to have at least one semi-friendly face around here, and his thanks made her fears quiet down a bit. That was, until she turned back to the door and realized she had to go in.
Rey found herself feeling incredibly nervous, despite having met Snoke the day before. This was yet another big step down this new path to her destiny. Rey figured with every step forward, it would get easier. She just had to get over the hard ones first. Clenching her fists at her sides, she stepped forward towards the door.
It slid open for her, and she wasn't sure exactly how it knew to open for her, but it revealed a vast training room. Dark grey metal lined the walls and floors, and a fully stocked weapons rack with almost anything one could think of was located to the left, in an alcove made specifically for it. To the right, the wall looked as if it were sliced into cubes and stacked on top of one another. Looking dead ahead was a similar wall, and looking up revealed an observation deck where Supreme Leader Snoke stood, staring down at her.
After making eye contact with him, she quickly walked into the room, door sliding shut behind her. She only stopped when she reached the middle of the room, eyes still staring upwards.
"Welcome," came Snoke's voice, which seemed to reverberate off the walls as he began to move from the deck and descended a rapidly appearing set of stairs that expanded from the wall, "This is where you will be spending most of your time for the foreseeable future." He explained, gesturing to the room at large.
The closer he came, the more Rey felt her posture stiffen with anticipation. She didn't dare stand aloof, staring at him intently yet respectfully.
"You will learn the ways of the Force here, the ways of what is known as the Dark Side." Snoke continued, and once he reached the floor he approached her quite casually. Her brows furrowed softly at the words 'dark side' however, a bit of worry flashing across her face, "Fear not, my apprentice. Despite what it has been dubbed in the colloquial sense, it is simply the purest form of the Force's nature, and our own as sentient creatures. And who are we to deny the force?" Rey only gave a small nod, but it was clear she didn't understand, "All will be revealed to you in time, but we must take things step by step."
"Yes, Master." She replied,as he stopped in front of her to continue speaking.
He seemed pleased at her words, "Good. You're sharp," he praised with a small smile, "Along with the ways of the Dark Side, you will learn the history of the Sith, the unjust prosecution from the Jedi, and the many battles the two fought between one another. Unlike the Jedi, we believe in truth. You will see both sides do terrible things for their own benefit, but I have no doubt you'll understand why we must persevere in the end. Most importantly, your grandfather, the Emperor, has asked me to teach you all about the Empire, and about him .He, and I for that matter, think it's very important that you understand your lineage and its history. The greatness of your bloodline has been taken from you, and we intend to return it."
"That sounds… Great, actually. I would really like that, thank you Master." She said, a hum of excitement sparking in her voice before she tried to level it again. Rey was overjoyed honestly, more than she probably realized. The prospect of getting to understand more about where she came from, about her family, thrilled her beyond words. Finally, after so many years of waiting, she would fully understand everything about her family. A concept to which she thought would only come true in her dreams.
Nodding to her, he turned and gestured for her to follow, "Since you are still settling into life here, we will start off easy." He said, moving to the wall near the weapons rack and pressing a hand against it. Three of the cut out blocks slid backwards and off to the side, revealing a small room through the now open doorway. Gesturing for her to go first, Rey stepped forward and peered inside.
It was a library, small in its nature but stocked full of books. Some looked old, some looked new, and where there weren't books there were artifacts. In the center of the room was a table, and on the table a large data pad built into it. Entering in, Snoke followed behind.
"Impressive, isn't it?" he hummed gently, "This is where you will learn. I will be here to answer questions if you need, but a lot of what you will start with is more… Independent study. You will find everything you need here in the books, and in the data pad. Did you bring yours with you?"
Looking up to him nervously, she shook her head. "I didn't know I'd need it. Hux-"
"General Hux. Remember, formality is important."
"Right. My apologies. General Hux led me here, so I didn't think about it."
"This is alright. Usually you will want to bring it, but I understand the circumstance. Simply bring it next time. The data from the table can be transferred to your personal device, but it must be brought back here every 24 hour cycle to keep the data from deleting off your device." Snoke explained. "We can't just let anyone have this information."
Nodding, she simply affirmed, "I understand."
"Good. Good. This is where you will start today. As I stated, this will be quite independent work, so do feel free to self regulate. I will check in on your progress from time to time," Snoke explained plainly. The tone of his voice, while the subject was important, was nonchalant. This seemed like an extremely low pressure assignment, despite it being her first, "For now, I shall leave you to explore this wealth of knowledge I have here. Do you have any questions for me before I depart?"
Rey glanced around the room, thinking for a moment before shaking her head. "No. I don't think so."
"Very well. I will let you to your reading, then."