A/N: There will be a later chapter, Asleep on the Job 2.
"Our intermediary has been able to pull up delivery of farium from Mon Cala. This has accelerated droid replication and thus, allowed us to begin work early on Phase II excavation. We won't be able to capitalize on the time saving unless we can expedite delivery of additional doonium strut via Kuat. I have-"
Hux stopped. He had turned from where he had been pointing at the relevant milestones on the project chart to face Leader Snoke. He found the creature slumped in his chair, eyes half shut, mouth slack. He looked dead. No, wait, he was breathing.
Hux blinked a few times. He knew better than to ask what was wrong or show alarm. He'd been summoned here to perform a duty. He had no instructions for dealing with his leader's incapacity, whether it was due to narcolepsy or Force magic.
The eight red-clad guards in the room did nothing. They were watching him just as always. As far as Hux knew, the black-clad ones – who had been introduced as the Knights of Ren – had finished whatever stint of guard duty they had and were now being sent out on missions. It was just an assumption – he knew little of Snoke's staff allocations. Maybe they'd just traded out colors on their uniforms. Snoke had made a few minor sartorial shifts for the Order in the last few months.
Hux considered his options as far as his presentation went. He swallowed and continued, "To effect this, I have used the authority you granted to me to requisition cargo space on the Avenger. It is being rerouted from the Pressylla system and I expect delivery of the strut in fifteen standard days." He continued on, facing Snoke and watching him as Hux spoke. Half his mind was on what he had to say, while the other half was bemused by the situation.
He was nearly done with his presentation when he was rudely interrupted by having his throat constricted with the Force. Snoke straightened with half a snarl, looking around himself warily. Two of the guards shifted their weight, but didn't quite go to an attack posture. Hux was released. Snoke blinked and seemed to think. "You were telling me about the start of work on Phase II. Go back to that part and resume your explanation."
Hux stood stiffly, resisting the urge to rub his throat. The assault felt almost routine by now – certainly his heart rate spiked, sweat prickled, and adrenaline washed through him – but the nausea and shakes didn't happen anymore. Being treated like a droid which could be rewound to a previous point in the recording? Well, he would have preferred to be treated with a little more dignity, but his preferences were immaterial. He cleared his throat, re-ordered his thoughts, and began again as instructed.