[Finn]

Finn was unsurprised when Hux gave him the silent act. It was a common and simple ploy to test discipline – stare at a person expectantly and then jump on them when they spoke out of turn, or rather 'without permission'. In the Order, underlings were supposed to speak when spoken to by their superiors and otherwise keep their mouth shut around them. This was a test that every other member of the Resistance team would have failed, because they wouldn't have even known it was a test.

Test complete, Hux leaned back in the seat he'd taken and finally spoke. "I need a unit report from you – names, ranks, capabilities and functions."

Finn had been a squad commander during training and though the rank didn't carry over when he graduated to regular service, he still knew the drill. "Commander Poe Dameron, pilot, weapons specialist," as it was easier to say that than go into the various weapons Poe was familiar with – and besides, Finn didn't know all of them, "repairs, espionage. Stuff."

Hux frowned. "'Stuff' is a very loose term."

Finn grimaced and shrugged. "He's a capable guy. Commander Rose Tico, engineering, repairs, supply. Lieutenant Kaydel Ko Connix, communications, administration, logistics. Lieutenant C'ai Threnalli, pilot, gunner. He's the Abednedo," Finn added, knowing Hux may very well not know the species – First Order often didn't go into detail beyond 'alien'. "Then there's me. Finn. Technically, I joined, but it was during the Battle of Crait and they haven't been consistent about handing out ranks."

"You- You don't have a rank?"

Finn smiled tightly, because in the Resistance as it was now, he was a hero, everyone knew his name, and his rank didn't matter. He was THE Finn. But in the First Order, to not have a rank was a debatable step above being a slave, a prisoner, or some other undesirable. "It doesn't work the same way."

"I should hope not. Is this because you defected?"

"No." Finn shook his head. "Seriously, it's because they haven't gotten around to it and it's basically unimportant."

Hux leaned forward, amazingly looking offended on Finn's behalf. "That is saying you are unimportant. But you were sent on this mission-"

"I volunteered for this mission."

"But- Did they expect you to not come back?"

"No. We expected to be in and out without you noticing but it didn't work that way."

Hux blinked several times and leaned back, swallowing. "Fine," he said quietly. "You have no rank. The others?"

Finn smiled tightly again. "Well, here's the thing – they're not even Resistance members."

"What?" Hux sat forward again. "The Wookiee? He's well-known. The 'Mighty Chewbacca' of the Rebellion!"

"Yeah, but … He's definitely Leia's friend, and Rey's, and Kylo's, but he's not part of the Resistance. He's just here helping his friends." As far as Finn could tell. Finn didn't understand most of what Chewbacca said so his intentions were something of a mystery.

"What happens if he decides not to help his friends? Does his involvement just … cease?"

"Pretty much, yeah." Finn nodded, clasping his hands in front of him as he managed to keep a mostly straight face. Watching Hux struggle to deal with this was hilarious, precisely because Finn understood how nonsensical this must seem to him. He was waiting for the moment when Hux gave it up and said they were all depraved.

"The same for the Force users? You have yet to mention them. They aren't even formally aligned with the Resistance? Is that what you're telling me?"

Finn nodded. "But it doesn't mean we're not all fighting on the same side." Hux struggled to find words and failed, so Finn added, "It's more the 'anything other than the First Order' side."

"Well, at the moment, we share a common enemy."

"About that," Finn said, leaning forward. "No one else has brought it up, but I want you to formally recognize this as a truce situation. Also, whatever standing orders for the executions of myself, Rose, and Kylo are ended. We're in this together. We share risk equally. No one gets stranded and left behind on this rock when the shuttle gets fixed." Finn was emphatic about the last sentence, because that was the big deal.

Hux leaned back slowly, tilting his head. "Resources will also be shared equally, including information. I want to know everything you took from the Finalizer and why. I want to know whatever it is your Force users can sense of our current state."

"I can't promise those. You're going to have to take that up with them."

Hux sneered. "Because you have no real authority, is that it?"

Finn knew that was supposed to be a biting insult. He defanged it by nodding and saying, "Yeah, essentially."

"Then you're no good to me."

"Because you're trying to make me something I'm not. Like you always have," Finn said, barely containing his anger. Hux watched him warily. CL-0745 shifted in the corner. Finn said, "I am not going to force other people to do things. If you want a unit commander, an intermediary, a leader, I can do that."

"A core component of leading is requiring others to follow," Hux bit out.

"That's not leadership. That's slavery. I've been through it. I know." Finn leaned back, studying the man. He took a wild guess – though it wasn't that wild. More like a well-informed guess. "And so have you." He looked over at the first sergeant in the corner. She wasn't giving him much (and she couldn't, given her position), but she wasn't disagreeing.

"I will keep your political philosophy in mind," Hux said in what was as close to a concession as Finn was likely to get. "Now these commanders and lieutenants. How accurate are their ranks? Are they inflated or did the Resistance really send a bevy of officers and high value assets on a retrieval mission?"

Finn's mouth opened and shut. He gave a helpless half-shrug. "I'm not sure. They're not standardized like ours- uh, the First Order's." Near as he could tell, people got the amount of responsibility they were willing to take on, but that would probably completely blow Hux's circuits so he didn't say it.

The corner of Hux's mouth quirked up and his lips tightened. "Yes, well. We'll see then. In the meantime, from what I overheard last evening, your group has a plan for repairing the ship. Tell me about it."

"You'll need to talk to Rose for that. She knows the details."

"I'm talking to you," Hux said in irritation, "and I didn't ask for details."

That sort of thing would be insulting in the Resistance. In the Order, not so much. Finn was unrattled and answered best he could. "Um, they're going to strip this ship of the forward winch and drag back the wing we lost."

"They need to ask permission before they go dismantling First Order property," Hux said stiffly.

"They haven't done it yet," Finn pointed out.

"Very well," the general said. "Let's get breakfast into everyone. Have Commander Tico speak with me. I'll get the details I need from her." Hux turned to CL-0745. "We'll have the situation report after that. I'll be adjusting duty assignments once I understand the scope of their intention."

"Yes sir."

"Until then, you and Finn are to consider yourselves equivalent in rank, with yourself being superior."

"Yes sir."

Hux turned back to Finn. Finn answered, "Yes sir."