Hux smoothed his long fingers over his black robe, and looked out at the stars. He was finally, finally, king of all he surveyed. A perfect mix of soldier, and... well, necromancer. At least, in his mind.

The Force had always been a mystery to him, as a simple soldier, without any previous Force sensitivities. But now, as he stood in the Throne room, feeling the Force vibrating through him, he realised for the first time what this thing really was.

It excited him.

He could feel so much. He Guards, alive, but essentially enslaved to his every whim, were now mere extensions of his own self. But he could still feel their shadows, and an echo of their feelings, as they stood motionless around him, ever guarding their Supreme Leader.

Yet, yet.

He felt...doubt.

Further away, outside of this room, he could feel Phasma. She was struggling, he knew, with the choices he had made. He felt her mind churn, her every anxiety, as well as the low level rage that still burned within her at her ...condition. That Stormtrooper, thought Hux.

Further still, he could hear echos. Echoes of other minds, whom he recognised as Force users like himself. Real users, of course, not ..thieves. They were too far away for him to target or identify, but he knew the girl was amongst them. And, no doubt, Kylo Ren.

Ren. Almost as soon as he thought of him, it seemed as if Kylo Ren's own face suddenly appeared before him. A vision, thought Hux. But it couldn't be. This was the face of a handsome young man, bronzed and shining like a golden coin. Hux closed his scarlet eyes for a moment, and then reopened them. The face was gone. But as he slowly turned away from the Destroyer's window, and looked towards his Throne, he saw the face again. Slowly, the face morphed into a head, a body.

A smile.

"What... is... this," said Hux, aloud. His Guards instantaneously reacted. As one, they all moved into their individual fighting stances, their heads turned towards Kylo's image. Slowly, they spun their various sabres and staff.

Does this mean he's there, or they simply see the same mirage? thought Hux.

Presently, Kylo answered his question.

"Hux. I'm not sure that command suits you. You seem to have...aged," said the younger man. He was wearing a long, black robe, but was bare footed. His hair was longer than Hux remembered. He wore a silver pendant around his neck, but a familiar lightsabre hilt hung from his belt.

Hux instantly flicked his hand towards the younger man, sending a stream of electrical bolts towards his body. They crackled and sparked ruby, ochre, and crimson. But one by one, the bolts passed harmlessly through Kylo Ren, instead singeing the edge of his golden chair.

Hux's brow creased in consternation. "You're not really here."

"No," replied Ren. "It's a new trick. And a good one, it seems. I hoped we might talk."

"What is it, Solo, that you think we have to talk about?" hissed Hux. "Unless you've come to.. bend the knee."

Kylo gave a rueful smile. "I could no longer serve you, than you could me," he replied. "No. I simply wanted to...talk."

"Do you come seeking an alliance?" smiled Hux. "You must think me a fool." His thin mouth pressed into a cruel, wintry smile.

"No alliance." said Ren. "Rather, a duel."

Hux let out a rasping, wheezing laugh. "What fool trick is this? Are we gentleman knights of an ancient realm? Bodies of metal, and minds raddled with fool superstition?"

Kylo just looked at him, saying nothing. He simply kept his golden eyes on Hux's, his brow determined, his lips pressed together in determination.

After a while, Hux spoke. "You speak in seriousness." Slowly, the smile slipped from his face. "And why should I fight you, traitor?"

"Because for as long as I live, I am your nightmare," spat Kylo Ren. His eyes glinted like flints. "How can a Force thief really rule over the First Order? How can he really sustain his men's ..loyalty? Especially when they are mine."

Kylo's eyes flashed with anger as he gestured towards the Praetorian Guards. Two or three of them stirred, imperceptibly.

Hux felt both the heat of anger, and a cold finger of fear, touch his breast.

"Be reassured. You will die, and soon," said Hux. "When I am ready, I will find you. And kill you. But not before I have found that girl of yours. The one that's made you so very, very... weak."

"Do I look weak?" smiled the younger man. Hux looked carefully at Kylo, and noticed for the first time how his eyes shone with light.

"What you are is inconsequential," he replied, keeping his voice steady. "And what you have, is nothing compared to what I have." His raised an arm, throwing his black robe behind his flank as his long, spidery fingers indicated his Guards, his ship, his soldiers. "So it's just a matter of time."

"I welcome time. As its time for them to doubt. To wonder." replied Kylo. He didn't need to finish the sentence. To wonder whether Hux could ever be their true Supreme Leader. Kylo Ren was the Son of Solo, of Skywalker, and a grandson to Vader. He was a Prince. Not a pretender.

"Fight me," said Kylo Ren, with sudden ferocity. "You and I, and with what's left of our people. I have four, true Knights. You have...these." His lip curled with disgust as he cast his eyes across his former Brothers. "A fair fight. A fast one. To decide once and for all. Who is...righteous."

Hux raised his brows and considered the plan. He could feel, from the shimmer of emotion that was now emanating from his Guards, that Ren was speaking a truth. A thief he was. A immensely powerful thief, but his name was not, and never would be, garnished with the history and reverence of the Skywalker's name. As long as this fool lived, he was a thorn in Hux's side.

And, whether he liked it or not, a people liked to see a Prince killed well, not murdered in a darkened speakeasy.

"Then I accept," said Hux. "I wouldn't wish to refuse such a welcome request for death." His Guards shifted on their feet. He felt a lightening, a shift towards approval.

Kyle Ren smiled a grim, resolute smile. "Then I will see you at Naboo. Three days hence, on the evening of the High Moon. Bring these puppets," he snarled at his former Knights. "I shall welcome their end, almost as much as yours."

And with a last flash of his golden eyes, he was gone.