The lieutenant commander looked understandably nervous as she brought the ensign into Hux's office on Starkiller Base. The chairs were off to the side, which wasn't unusual enough to explain her apprehension. She knew what they were there for – that was the cause of her tension. It would have been a breach of protocol if Hux hadn't told her. He stood behind his desk.
"Ensign Garjax," Hux said, addressing the young woman. "You have been officially reprimanded by your commanding officer for dishonorable conduct twice for harassment and assault on other soldiers. And once, by myself, as base commander. There will not be a second time."
Garjax stood a little stiffer – Hux's tone was probably just as alarming as his words. "What- what do you mean?"
"You are relieved of duty and of your commission. You are hereby discharged from service."
"A- what?" Discharge was so unheard of that the woman had no idea what Hux was talking about. Service was mandatory. No one was discharged. Hux's membership in the High Command had certain perks, one of which was passing summary judgment under certain circumstances.
"Commander, are you in witness of this?"
"Yes sir," the older woman said gravely.
It seemed a waste of a human being, but officers were only submitted to reprogramming for the most minor of offenses. Hux didn't consider this pattern of violent, aberrant behavior to be minor. He'd seen it too often as a by-product of his father's training. She was a violent, opportunistic bully who didn't follow orders when it came to curbing her impulses or redirecting them in approved ways. There was no reason to delay the inevitable. She was was no longer part of the Order. He pulled his blaster and shot her.
The former ensign jerked and fell, showing a little too much nervous system activity for Hux's liking. He rounded the desk and shot her again just in case she still had any shred of life in her. An extra blaster bolt was better than dealing with someone screaming in agony as soon as she was able to get a breath – not that that was likely. Hux supposed it looked bloodthirsty. He thought of it as pragmatic.
The lieutenant commander shrank back. Hux holstered his weapon and turned to her. "What especially bothered me in this case was that the victims had stopped making reports, but security footage showed the problem was continuing, sometimes even in your presence. But I never saw you directly witnessing it." Hux stared at her, wondering what to make of the fear in her eyes and the lack of guilt. Maybe she really had been as unobservant as it appeared on the video. "You may consider this your first official reprimand."
He didn't have to say there would be no second one, though if it came to that he'd have to convene a panel before doing anything to someone of her rank. Still, she stiffened much the same way as Garjax had. And paled. "Yes sir."
"Now," he said in a slightly warmer tone, "the next time you have a discipline problem in your ranks, you will bring the matter to me immediately and we will discuss solutions. You will not look the other way and you will not tolerate misbehavior. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir!"
"Then you are dismissed."
She nodded, about-faced, and opened the door. Outside waited four troopers and a disposal droid. They stepped back for her to exit, then came inside to clean up. Hux pulled his chair over and finishing filing the appropriate forms in the system.