Rose jerked her head up and realised that she fell asleep over her data pad - again. She groaned and rubbed over her face, feeling exhausted. She looked around in the small hangar. Several boarding droids were laying on the floor, ready to be deployed.

It had been three days since Poe and Hux had been taken captive. Rose had no idea how many hours she actually slept but she didn't care. How could she sleep when there was so much to do?

"There you are, Ro-Ro."

Rose yawned and turned to face her mother who was standing at the entrance to the hangar. Of course she was holding a plate with food.

"I'm busy, mom."

Thanya Tico walked over to her and put the plate with sliced fruit on the crate Rose was using as a makeshift workbench. Rose eyed the food, it was Jogan fruit. "Come, eat something."

Rose crooked an eyebrow. "I thought I was too fat?"

"I didn't mean it that way, Rosie," replied her mother with a sigh. "Why are you always so unforgiving?"

"Just leave me alone, I'm not in the mood to talk to you," replied Rose. "There's a lot going on, okay? I need to finish this before the Order invades." She grabbed the cold cup of caf and took a gulp.

"I know that you're worried about Poe but-"

Rose felt a stab in the heart and she slammed her fist on the crate. "You know nothing, okay?"

Thanya's face screwed up in anger. "How dare you talk to your mother like this? You never tell me anything and then you accuse me of not knowing what's going on! Ungrateful child!"

Rose almost screamed in frustration and fury. Why did she keep talking? Why couldn't she just go away? She was tired, exhausted and scared. And her mother just had to make things more complicated! "Just say it to my face!" She scoffed. "'Ungrateful child'! Really? You are just disappointed that you're stuck with me instead of Paige!"

Her mother blanched. "That is not true! I love you!"

"Then you have an odd way of showing it, mom! Have you any idea how it feels to be under the magnifying glass of your merciless affection?" She was so angry and frustrated that she could feel tears sting in her eyes. "You never used to care what I was doing - you weren't even at my school plays, not even once at the science fairs. And now that I'm the only thing left you prod and pressure me to be somebody I never was!"

"I was working! To put food on the table!"

Rose wiped over her eyes and sniffled. "And why were you at the school when Paige-"

"Because she wasn't as reliable as you! Because she had bad grades! Of course I would try to help her! You didn't need my help, you were fine on your own."

Tears ran down Rose's face. "I didn't need your help - I needed you to be there!"

Thanya threw her hands in the air. "I'm here now!"

"You don't even see me! All you do is bring food because that's the only thing you know about me! You may know what fruit I like but you have no idea who I am. And you don't know what I care about!" She slammed her fist again on the crate. "So don't you kriffing dare tell me that you're here!"

The silence that followed was almost deafening. Her mother blinked, her eyes were moist. "I know that I'm not a good mother, believe me… I know. I'm driven, unsentimental… just like you. Your father was the warm, loving parent. I know that. But I'm trying, Rose, I really am."

Rose could feel the anger ebbing away, a lump was forming in her throat. She gulped but it didn't go away. "I know, mom. It's just- sometimes I think we make each other unhappy."

Thanya stared at the forgotten fruit on the plate. "I don't want you to be unhappy."

Rose licked her lips. "But you make me unhappy. Just like back then when you told me that I needed to lose weight because-"

"Rose-"

"I'm seeing someone, you know," she said loudly.

"You are?" asked her mother in a low voice.

"You said that I was getting too fat, that men wouldn't like me." She sniffled. "Do you have any idea what it did to me? I became scared that he would leave me so I tried to eat less - I was miserable and it was all because you needed to remind me that I'm not Paige." Her mother wanted to say something but Rose lifted her hand. "I'm not finished yet. I know that you love me - but we both know that Paige was the brighter star. I made my peace with that a long time ago. I just wish you could do the same."

Her mother lifted her chin and blinked tears away. "Well, you are not making me unhappy. Because you're my daughter and I love you. You are mine, I brought you into this world and I'm responsible for you - always. Whether you like it or not."

Rose shook her head. "You still don't get it. But it's alright, I know you're doing your best." It was futile, her mother would never understand that she didn't want to be her daughter - she wanted her to see her as a person.

Would she be the same with her own child? No, no most certainly not. She wouldn't make the same mistakes.

They were both silent for a moment. "Are you gonna tell me who he is?" Thanya asked.

Rose closed her eyes for a moment. This was it, the moment of truth. She could just admit it, tell her mother that she was pregnant and that she was with Hux. She took a few deep breaths.

She opened her mouth and closed it again before she whispered, "It's Armitage."

Rose stared at the display of the pad in front of her without seeing it. Her heart was pumping fast, her breath even faltered a little. She didn't dare to look at her mother.

She pressed her lips together. Why couldn't she just look her in the eye, defiant, proud even? She really was a coward.

Her mother's voice rang out. "What?"

Rose jerked her head up and straightened her back. She was getting angry again. "You heard me." Her mother would without doubt scold her, scream at her, tell her that she was betraying her sister's memory. The lump in her throat seemed to grow.

"Oh, Ro-Ro..." said Thanya. She pulled her in a hug, Rose buried her face in her shoulder. Her anger trickled away. Her mother's shirt smelled of soap, oil and snow. The smell of home overwhelmed her and she started to cry as her mother softly massaged her back.

"I'm sorry, mom. I didn't mean for it to happen," she bawled. Why didn't her mother yell at her? Tell her off for falling for somebody who had been there when Paige-

"Shhhh, everything is alright, Ro-Ro. I'm not angry - how could I? You were retreating from us, burying yourself in work… you used to laugh so much. With him it's almost like- He's good for you, even an old cynic like me can see that."

Hearing these words, even after all these years, after all that happened between them made her feel calm, safe even. She grabbed her mother and held her close. "I'm pregnant."

Her mother just continued to stroke her back, holding her. "Everything's alright."

Rose let go of her and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "You're not mad?"

Thanya smiled at her with a softness in her eyes she didn't think she possessed. "How could I be mad? Don't you remember what your father used to say? 'We're going to win not by fighting what we hate, but saving what we love.'" She took her hand and held it in a warm and firm grip. "You're such a strong, independent woman, Rose. Much stronger and smarter than your old mother. You deserve to be happy," she added, "and you inherited the best parts of your father and me. This is how I know that everything will be fine."

Rose sniffled again and returned the smile. "Well, I have certainly inherited my stubbornness from somewhere."

"Can't be from me, I still have mine," replied Thanya and brushed over Rose's hair. "Now I know why you are working so hard, Ro-Ro. You're doing it for your family and I can promise you that I will do everything in my power to keep you safe."

Rose sobered up a bit. "I just hope that they're alright."

.

-o-

.

Hux tugged at his black leather glove as he followed Ren down the hallway to interrogation room 42. He could feel a headache coming on, oddly enough he felt like everything was wrapped in cotton… the sounds, the lights, everything seemed fuzzy.

Had he worked through the night? Had he forgotten his usual stims? As much as he tried to remember, he couldn't recall. Before he had time to muse over his odd memory lapses they had arrived at the interrogation room.

The guards at the door snapped at attention and opened the door for their Supreme Leader. Ren stepped inside, there was a man in an orange pilot jumpsuit strapped to an interrogation rack. He had an black eye and a split lip.

The pilot looked familiar, but Hux's mind was sluggish, he had trouble focussing on his face.

Ren grabbed the pilot's chin and lifted his face up in the bright light.

"Are you in the mood to talk now, Commander?" whispered Ren, his voice amplified through his vocoder. The sound made Hux uneasy, but he didn't know why.

The pilot just stared at Ren, without saying a word.

"I thought as much, that's why I asked General Hux to attend our session." Ren stepped aside so that the pilot could see Hux who had been standing behind Ren.

Oddly enough Ren didn't stare at Hux but at a point behind his shoulder. Hux still tried to focus and looked back to where Ren was looking, but there was nothing but thin air. He turned his attention back on the pilot who blinked slowly, judging by his pale face he had been tortured for a while now.

"Hugs, it's good to see you," said the pilot haltingly.

Hux frowned. The pilot was obviously making fun of him. And how could he not? whispered a small voice in the back of his mind. Disgusting bastard. They were all laughing at him. Weak, silly boy!

It didn't matter, he could be as professionally as it was expected of a General of the First Order, even if the Rebel scum was not. "You will only talk when asked a question, Rebel," said Hux. His own voice sounded throaty and raw.

Ren crossed his arms. "Now you talk, eh? Rebel scum! I thought that-"

"You don't look so well, Hugs," said the pilot as if Ren hadn't spoken. He laughed, but his laughter turned into a cough. "I guess I'm not looking so good either."

Why was the pilot acting as he knew him? And why did he keep calling him 'Hugs'? Hux tried to focus on the task at hand despite feeling light-headed. "Where is the Rebel base?" That's what he had to find out, wasn't it?

"Come on, Hugs. You're too clever for these games," the smile faded from his lips. "Ren messed with your head."

"That makes no sense," replied Hux. "The Supreme Leader doesn't need to manipulate me. I'm a General of the First Order." After a pause he added like an afterthought. "The Order is all I have." He frowned at his own words, and started to massage his temple. A headache was coming on.

"Hux, look at me," said the pilot in a calm voice.

He continued to massage his temple. Why was everything so- so fuzzy? He looked at the pilot, he did look familiar.

"The Order is not everything you have."

Hux scoffed. "Of course it is."

"It's not, there's much more to you than being-"

Before the pilot could finish the sentence, Ren lifted his hand and paralysed the prisoner. "We are wasting our time, General. I suggest you kill him. He's wasting your time." Again he looked at the empty corner of the room.

"Supreme Leader, that would be a waste of resources. Certainly we can-" began Hux.

"You have your orders!" barked Ren and let go of the pilot.

Hux reached for his blaster, his eyes not leaving the man in front of him. It was senseless to kill him, but he had to obey. Can't you do anything right, silly boy? Just do what I'm telling you to do!

"Don't listen to that overgrown child," panted the pilot.

The headache was growing worse. "I- why should I listen to you instead to the Supreme Leader?" he asked to his own surprise.

The pilot gave him a lopsided grin. "Easy. Because I'm your friend and he is not."

Hux froze. "What?" An iron grip took hold of his heart. Was the pilot joking again? Making fun of him? "You're not my friend," he whispered. Of course he wasn't. Nobody was. Weak, silly - thin as a slip of pap-

"Really, then why do I know that you love stew? Or that you would read like six publications about huttball because you like to be prepared even for a small social gathering?"

Something inside his mind started to tug at the edge of his consciousness.

'The huttball match is about to start and I just wanted to remind you - in case you forgot about it!'

"The referee is missing fouls... " Hux mumbled.

"I know, and it drives you mad." The pilot spit blood out. "You said you're not interested in huttball but you came to every match. Because you don't want to be alone anymore. Because you wanted to be with friends."

Ren put his hand on Hux's neck and immediately an old memory of a meaty hand on his shoulder resurfaced. He tried to pull away but Ren held him in a firm grip. "Don't listen to that drivel, General. Just kill him and be done with it."

"I can't," pressed Hux out, his hand glued to the blaster in his holster. Memories of him sitting next to people that were oddly familiar swirled through his mind. A memory of eyes that shone like stars in the dark night resurfaced before his inner eye. A lingering touch of her hand on his naked chest. Somebody was smiling at him. The pilot hugging him, telling him to come to silly sport events. Hugging him.

"And why not?" hissed Ren.

"Because h-he's my friend," stammered Hux. "The most annoying, obnoxious friend one can have." As soon as he had said the words, he suddenly remembered the pilot's name: Poe Dameron. Yes, that was right. His name was Poe Dameron.

Ren sighed. "A pity." He turned to look once again at the empty spot in the back of the room. "Truly a pity. I guess I was too impatient." He Force-pushed Hux into a wall.

The moment his head banged against the durasteel wall his mind cleared up a bit. He was pinned against the wall, gritting his teeth at Ren. Yes, Ren had done something to him… but he couldn't clearly remember what.

"This is getting boring," said Ren and stormed out of the room. Hux fell on the floor and groaned. His headache was now raging through his mind, making him almost throw up.

"You know, Hugs… I didn't think you even considered me to be your friend."

"I-"

"But I guess that's what we are, aren't we? We are friends."

Hux struggled to get up on his feet. "R-Rose… she doesn't hate me." Images of her smiling came crashing down on him, making his head spin even worse. He could feel tears sting in his eyes. She didn't hate him, did she? She didn't think he was disgusting, weak… He buried his face in his hands. Or did she? If she saw him right now...

"She got away, right?" Hux asked with a trembling voice.

"Yeah, she did. And now they know we're alive and well." Dameron grinned at him. "Ren really is a moron. He thinks he can bend anybody to his will."

Hux looked up, he felt a lump forming in his throat. "But he did. He manipulated me into-"

"All he did was make you play a role you left behind."

Hux stumbled on his legs and went over to the controls of the rack Dameron was strapped to. He released him and Dameron fell down on his knees. It was a pointless gesture of course, soon Stormtroopers would come and take them captive again.

"What do you mean by 'they know'?" Hux asked as he sat down next to Dameron.

Dameron wiped over his face. "Did you notice the way he kept looking over his shoulder? I bet Rey saw what was happening through their Force bond. That's why he bothered in the first place to manipulate your mind. He was playing games."

Hux massaged his neck, the headache seemed to recede a bit. "We already talked. They know where the base is."

Dameron scoffed. "I'm sure I cracked pretty much the first day. I couldn't keep him from finding out about the map to Skywalker back then, I couldn't withstand him now."

It was just like on Crait, Hux realised. Ren didn't care about finishing off the Resistance. He just wanted to play his own sick games. Prove that he was superior to everyone. "We are already there, aren't we? Above our base?"

Dameron shrugged and leaded back against the rack. "No idea, but if his staff isn't completely inept, we are."

Allegiant General Pryde's visage came to Hux's mind and he scoffed. "Some of them aren't completely incompetent."

From the outside they could hear at least a dozen Stormtroopers approaching in their heavy boots.