The party was more extravagant than Rose could've imagined - cakes, alcohol and music. The music was of course just Commander Xyo's Best-of-Playlist he had downloaded into PA-droids, the cakes were a bit dry and the alcohol was beer and a few bottles of Huttese vodka.

But that wasn't the point, it was the fact that Poe somehow managed to hang up large banners and colourful lights that blinked cheerfully in the tact of the music. People were dancing and having a good time.

Hux was standing in a corner and observed everything with a furrowed brow as if he were studying an alien species on a foreign planet. She joined him.

"You don't look like you're having fun," she said loudly to talk over the loud music.

To her surprise he laughed. "Is it that obvious?"

"Have you ever been at a party like this?"

"No, I've attended galas and balls in my official capacity but nothing like this. Truth to be told I would rather be working right now but Commander Dameron asked me to stay for a moment. I assume he intends to hold a speech."

Rose chuckled. "Well, I hope there is more cake until then - I'm starving and the chocolate one is delicious."

"Do you want mine? I took one because it was offered to me and it seemed impolite to refuse."

She beamed at him. "Sure! Uh, only if you don't want to of course."

He presented her his cake that was still untouched. She took it and started to eat. Of course this was the moment when Poe decided to cut off the music and climbed on a table.

"May I have your attention!" he yelled over the protest of the partygoers. "I know, I know - nobody wants to hear boring speeches. So I will keep this short! Rey and Chewie, get up here please!"

Loud cheers erupted when Rey climbed on the table, Chewie had the good graces to keep standing on the floor, he was still about the same height as Poe standing on the table.

"Rey and Chewie went after Kylo Ren and thanks to their courage we're one step closer to victory!"

Again cheers erupted, Rey bowed awkwardly and Chewie roared loudly.

"This success wouldn't have been possible without the minds behind the tech that will track Ren's movements: Rose and Hugs!"

Rose almost choked on the cake when the people around her began to cheer. She felt herself blush, Hux looked terrified.

"That's all - enjoy the party!" yelled Poe another loud cheer erupted. Moments later the music continued to play a popular dance song.

Poe joined them. "What a party, huh?"

Rose frowned. "You could've warned us, I almost suffocated on a piece of cake! You know that I don't like being put on a spot like this."

"I would also appreciate it if you wouldn't mention me like this," added Hux.

Poe gave them a lopsided grin. "I know, that's why I did it. So that people know what you guys do for the Resistance. I mean, of course we need good-looking daring pilots like myself but people tend to forget that the mechanics and the engineers behind all this."

Rose smiled a little. "Okay."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but if you would excuse me, Commander Dameron. I would like to check on the data feed." Hux gave them both a curt nod and left.

"He definitely has to work on his people skills," said Poe with a sigh. "I mean, after all this time he still calls everybody by their rank."

Rose started to pick her hands. "Well, we're on a first-name basis." Better to be safe than sorry, it was possible that there would be another slip of the tongue.

Poe's eyebrows went up. "You are? I can't even remember what his first name is. Something with A I think."

That caught her off guard. "Well, I still call him Hux but he calls me Rose. But his first name is, uh Armitage."

"Ah, then there is hope for him yet," he said with a smile. "As for you - maybe you should work on your people skills too."

She stuck out her tongue.

The next couple of weeks consisted of waiting. If they wanted to predict where Ren was going and what he was doing on which planet, they needed data on his travels to predict where he would jump next.

Rose didn't like waiting but luckily she could keep busy by working on repairs and on their new project. From time to time she helped Rey with her training by timing her run through the forest. It was freezing and thick layers of snow were now covering the ground but Rey didn't seem to mind.

"You are amazing!" Rose said with laughter after one particular fast round. "Don't you get tired?"

Rey jumped up and down and stretched her legs. She was only wearing a thin jacket. "Nah, sitting in the base is driving me crazy. I love running and training, makes me feel like I'm actually doing something."

Rose sighed and rubbed her gloved hands together to warm her cold fingers up. "I know the feeling, that's why I like to keep busy with repairs."

Rey took her staff and began to train her forms. "Sometimes I miss it, you know. Exploring old ships. Sometimes I found amazing stuff, these days I feel - imagine, one time I found a diary of some spice smuggler. I don't know if all of it was true but… that woman must have had an incredible life."

"That I can believe!"

"Of course it didn't end well for her, seeing as I found the husk of her ship in the dunes. But sometimes I would read in the diary and imagine how it would be - flying from planet to planet."

Rose heard footsteps stomping through the snow. Kaydel Ko Connix joined them. "How is it going?"

Rey beamed at her. "I beat my own record!" She elegantly continued to practice with her staff.

Kaydel Ko smiled. "That's great, Rey."

Rose checked her chronometer, it was almost noon. She felt hungry. "Well, I should get going. I hear the chef is cooking his special noodles today. I can't miss that!" That and she had told Hux that they could have lunch together.

"Okay, thanks and see you later!" said Rey.

"Bye Rose."

She marched back inside the base, her hands started to tingle as soon as she was in the warm base. Stars, it was really cold outside.

Hux was already waiting at the entrance to the Cantina, bless him for his punctuality. They went inside and she peeled herself out of her parka while he got their plates.

When she sat down she had to adjust her overalls a bit, and by the time she settled in Hux had already appeared with the food.

"Thanks, I'm really starving!"

"Well, I need to taste these famed noodles too," he replied with a soft smile.

She literally inhaled the food and leaned back with a satisfied smile on her lips. "They're great, aren't they?"

Hux shoved a forkful into his mouth and chewed. "I didn't know that noodles could taste so different. Back in the Order I mostly ate ration bars."

"Sounds horrible." She adjusted her overalls again, stars, she shouldn't have had a second helping. Eh, whatever. The noodles were great.

He just shrugged. "It was efficient."

"I repeat, it sounds horrible!" she said with a laugh.

.

-o-

.

Hux checked the data they gathered so far - to his annoyance it wasn't enough. Ren seemed to lay low for now, as incredible as it sounded. Or perhaps he had finally given in to Pryde's nagging and actually ruled the Order?

Either way it was frustrating that they were stuck on waiting for Ren to make a move. Of course that meant that Rose and he could work on the boarding capsules whenever they found the time. It was quite surprising how often some critical piece of equipment broke down.

At least he had managed to improve the prosthetic arm as well as most of the spare parts.

Dr. Kalonia smiled at him when he brought another piece back to her. "Thank you - that is really a big help."

He straightened his shirt and cleared his throat. "I have some free capacity, that's all."

"Ah, and here I thought you care about people, my bad."

"No, it's just about efficiency," Hux replied. "If you'll excuse me, I'm expected back at the lab."

When he entered Rose's head perked up. "Poe was just here, he asked if we wanted to come to the huttball game tonight."

"Why not? I think I'm getting the hang of the rules. Even though it's still annoying how many fouls the referee doesn't punish with sending-off."

She sighed. "That would ruin the game. It's supposed to be a bit rough."

He gaped at her. "But it's against the rules!"

"That again? It's just a game, and sometimes rules are meant to be broken," she said with a mischievous wink.

He knew that she was only teasing him but he couldn't help himself. "If everybody just did what they wanted there wouldn't be a game to be played. Games are rule-based-"

The door behind him opened and he fell silent. Sergeant Major Tico appeared, carrying a plate with sliced purple fruit, probably jorgan fruit Hux assumed by the round shape of the slices.

"Mom, come on. You can't keep interrupting our work!" groaned Rose.

"You need to stay healthy, and jorgan fruit has a lot of vitamins." She put the plate on Rose's desk.

"Uh, fine."

"Besides, this is the first time in weeks that I stopped by. I got my hands full with distributing the new gear." She turned to face Hux.

"You should eat too, Hux" she said with a crooked eyebrow. "You are too thin."

Before he could utter a response she turned on her heel and left.

He exhaled and activated his pad and checked once more the data stream from Ren's shuttle. He could hear Rose chewing on a slice of fruit.

"I think she is warming up to you. Do you want some too?" she asked.

"No, thank you. It's too sweet for me."

"Okay."

After a while he looked up, she was slowly eating the fruit, eyes focussed on her pad. Her jet-black hair was bound together in a sloppy ponytail, as usual she was wearing her brown overalls. She looked as stunning as always and he had to force himself to refocus on his work.

Later that evening they were sitting next to each other, watching the huttball game. Loud cheers and boos erupted whenever a team scored. Right in front of them were Captain Finn and Commander Dameron, Dameron had his arm draped over Finn's shoulders, holding him close.

From the corner of his eye Hux saw Rose, he was tempted to touch her, perhaps just brush her fingers as if by accident, to show her his affection just like Dameron did. But what if she didn't like his public attempts for brief physical contact?

The grip around his beer bottle became harder. It was better not to risk it. He already made a mistake and had been lucky that she still wanted to be with him. He stared at the holo without really watching the game.

It certainly was odd anyway - to show affection in public. Why would anybody display their weakness? No, there was a reason why things like these are better kept private.

He watched Finn giving Dameron a peck on his cheek, whispering something in his ear.

Completely unnecessary he thought to himself while glancing at Rose. She was watching the game, feet dangling from the crate she was sitting on. Her jet-black hair was bathed in the blueish light of the holo, giving it an ethereal shine.

He pressed his lips together, yes, there was absolutely no need to want to touch her in public. None at all. Even if she was looking-

"General Hux, may I have a word?" said a voice to his left, derailing his thoughts.

Hux jerked his head around and saw Master Rey standing next to him.

He cleared his throat and felt caught in the act but he didn't know why. "Of course." He got up from the crate he was sitting on and grabbed his beer. Rose looked at him and gave him a small smile, he didn't dare to return it.

"The last time we spoke you told me about your impressions of Ren, how you thought that he was angry and unstable."

They walked out of the noisy hangar and stopped.

He nodded. "I did, Master Rey."

"I told you, I'm just Rey."

"Of course… Rey."

She leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. "This time he was different. Before he was like a sea during a storm, strong currents moving him and his moods and now it's calmer on the surface but beneath there is something lurking," she shuddered. "Like a sea snake slithering in dark waters," she stared blankly at the wall across from her. She blinked and looked back at him. "I know it doesn't make a lot of sense but- have you ever witnessed something similar in him?"

"I don't think so." Ren had always been hot-headed, but when he became Supreme Leader he changed. "I mean he was getting calmer compared to when I first met him. But then again… perhaps I misread his moods. The way he orchestrated Snoke's demise implies that he is capable of more self-control than I gave him credit for."

"Chewie and I were observing him from a distance. He was watching his knights train. Suddenly he just grabbed one of them and Force pushed him away, then he yanked his training partner towards him and impaled him on his lightsaber." She shuddered. "He didn't even seem angry when he killed him. He stood over the body and stared at it like a toddler who had stomped on a snail… He acted like he was expecting him to move again, kicking him and watching his corpse as if he would get up and keep training."

"Perhaps he just wanted to see how the others would react?" suggested Hux.

Rey frowned. "No, he already knows that they are loyal, does he not? No he- what if he sensed that I was there? Perhaps he did it to show me… I don't know. Does he not care about the knights?"

Hux stared at the luke-warm beer in his hand. This reminded him of something, he just couldn't put his finger on it. Putting on a show… just for one person. Setting a stage… now it felt like krayt dragon scales from his eyes - it had been on D'Qar.

"After Crait we went back to D'Qar and-" he gulped. "We wanted to punish the people of D'Qar and Ren ordered the Stormtroopers to round up children for our recruitment program."

Rey shot him a withering glare.

"Uh, I'm sorry. I don't know how else to call it." He licked his lips. "Ren called me to the hangar where they were putting the children on transports to be sent to our academy. And there was this one red-haired boy in the middle of a group, sobbing and crying as he was herded into the transport." He exhaled. "And I had this feeling that Ren was watching me the whole time, as if he knew that I would see the boy. And as if he would know that the boy would remind me of myself."

"Did he say anything?"

Hux took a gulp of his warm beer and grimaced. "I acted like I hadn't seen it and reported to him for orders, he didn't mention anything and just told me to return to the ship." He shrugged. "I assumed it was an attempt to show me that I was nothing more than some upstart dragged away into the Order whereas he chose to join it."

"I assume you know that Force sensitives can pick up moods and emotions?"

Hux nodded.

"Just now, just talking about it - it did affect you, didn't it? To see that boy?"

He jerked his head up and scoffed. "Of course it did. He reminded me so much of myself that it was almost uncanny. He looked weak, with his red puffed up eyes and his pale face."

Weak and useless.

The boy probably didn't survive long. He gritted his teeth. This was exactly why he had made sure that he couldn't father children.

"I think Ren could sense your sadness and anger," said Rey. "Just like he may have sensed mine. But I still don't get why he's doing it."

"I wasn't sad," said Hux in a low voice. He didn't know what he had felt back then, something akin to anger and frustration perhaps.

She didn't seem to hear him. "Perhaps it makes him feel powerful. That he can manipulate people's feelings like he pleases." She pushed away from the wall she was leaning against and started to pace. "He shows everybody what affects them most, with Han it was the face of his son - right before he killed him. With you it wasn't death but something more perfidious like an innocent boy… with me it was the longing for love, a sense of abandonment only to use it to his advantage. And now this…"

Hux realised that she was right. Ren liked watching other people squirm and suffer, not because he was a mere sadist, it was because he enjoyed rubbing broken dreams into people's faces.

Rey stopped her pacing. "I think I need to muse on this on my own." With that she left.