Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, obviously.

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Chapter 4: Fireworks

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Back on the bridge, chaos ensued. Through the window, doctor Eldon Calway saw X-Wings swarm like a bunch of angry insects, constantly firing at the First Order's Star Destroyer. Flight officers and technicians struggled to persevere until the reinforcements arrive and Commander Hux kept shouting into his com link angrily, berating everyone he could reach.

"Tarkin!" His nostrils flared as he contacted the ship's senior intelligence officer. "What sabotage are you blabbering about?" For a while, he listened to her, focusing. Gradually, his face got paler until all color left it. Abruptly, he turned to the one of the younger officers, pointing his finger at him. "You there! Check the state of the reactor!"

The young man nodded, his fingers typing at an insane speed. When the required data popped on his screen, he leaned forward. His jaw went slack and he paled just like Hux. "Sir, the cooling won't compensate heating the core! The reactor will overload in twenty-five minutes," he said quickly, before adding slowly and clearly, "It means it will blow up."

"I know what it means!" Hux snapped at him and turned his com link back on to broadcast ship-wide. "Commander Hux to all hands, abandon ship. I repeat: head to the escape pods and eject." He addressed the flight officers, again. "What's the status of our reinforcements?"

The only female on the entire bridge whirled around in her chair. "On their way, sir. They should be jumping out of hyperspace any moment now," she informed.

Hux nodded, acknowledging the news. "Very well," he said and closed his eyes. Barely audible, he sighed with relief. The corners of his lips turned upward in a smile – a rare sight on his usually frowning face. "Thankfully," he whispered to himself.

As if on a cue, another fleet dropped out of the hyperspace. Three Star Destroyers, accompanied by a dozen of Dreadnaught-class heavy cruisers and a multitude of TIE fighters came to the rescue, engaging the resistance's forces. The X Wings moved away from Deterioration to intercept the First Order's smaller spacecrafts, while the intimidating, huge ships stood by, ready to assist Commander Hux.

Eldon squinted his eyes, staring at the saviors. One of the Star Destroyers was painted crimson and black, the colors of the First Order. It was quite a characteristic vessel and doctor Calway thought he knew who it belonged to.

"Commander, the insignia on that ship…" he drew the attention of Commander Hux, pointing his finger at the colorful Star Destroyer. "Isn't it, by any chance, Supreme Leader Snoke's personal spacecraft?"

Hux paled even more, if that was possible. "It is." His blue eyes bulged as he swallowed a lump in his throat. "I'm done for," a weak whimper rolled off his tongue.

Eldon couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor commander. His grandma always told him to be sensitive and helpful. Thus, he stepped forward and rubbed Hux's back reassuringly. "Now, don't be so pessimistic, commander. Everyone has a bad day from time to time. My late grandma used to say-"

Hux shivered and jumped out of Eldon's reach. "Calway." He seemed surprised to see Eldon, as though he forgot that he was standing right behind him the whole time. "Why are you still on the bridge?"

"For moral support?" Eldon offered him a wide smile.

The commander gritted his teeth. His blood pressure must have spiked, for his face regained its healthy color and reddened, blending in with his red hair. "I don't need your moral support! What I need is for you to abandon this ship immediately, is that clear?" He crossed his arms on his chest.

"Yes, commander," Eldon made a casual reinterpretation of a salute; he waved his hand. As slowly as it was humanly possible, he made his way out.

"Good." Hux turned his com link on to harass someone else. "Kylo Ren? Hux to Kylo Ren!" Angrily, he tapped the device, as if he was suspecting it of being broken. "Answer me, damn it!" he yelled, gaining the attention of everyone on board. When only silence answered him, he pointed at the female officer. "You there! Scan the ship and locate Kylo Ren, immediately."

She typed quickly and cocked her head in confusion. "It appears Kylo Ren is still in his quarters, sir," she said hesitantly.

It was hard to tell if the grimace on Hux's face was a display of fury or utter dismay. He hung his head, rubbing his forehead. "Hasn't he noticed that the ship is falling apart?" the commander muttered under his breath. Then, he raised his chin abruptly and whirled around, his keen eyes looked like those of a predator searching for prey. "Calway!"

Eldon shuddered as his danger senses tingled. With one foot on the bridge and the other already on the corridor outside, he gawked over his shoulder. "Yes?"

Hux clasped his hands, smirking. "Make yourself useful for once. On your way to the escape pod, grab Kylo Ren," he commanded.

"Excuse me?" Eldon stared at him blankly.

Commander Hux rolled his eyes theatrically. "Drag him out of the quarters and stick him in the escape pod with you. The supreme leader will be furious if his apprentice dies so stupidly. Now, off you go!" He made a shooing gesture.

Eldon groaned, feeling that he had been just saddled with the most thankless task imaginable. He hunched, as if great weight burdened his absolutely non-muscular shoulders. "Can't someone else do it? I'm not exactly comfortable around that fellow," he complained.

Hux glared at him ferociously. "Don't annoy me, Calway, and hurry up. You have less than twenty minutes now," he said harshly and turned his back on Eldon.

Eldon sighed heavily, wallowing in self-pity for a brief while, before he remembered that he was currently on a ship, which was about to explode in no time. Moaning, he broke into run; actually, it was more like a semi-energetic march in Eldon's case. He was never a great fan of the fleet's gyms, although on a second thought, he could have improved his escaping capability.

He took a sharp turn, a little too fast, and bumped into someone. The force of impact sent him swaying backward, while the other person bounced off of his belly and landed on her bony butt. It was sergeant Tarkin, glaring at him from the floor with that stern, eternally frowning look on her face.

Concerned, Eldon bent over and reached out with his hand. "Where were you going? The ship is about to blow up in fifteen minutes!" He grabbed her palm and pulled her back onto her feet.

Tarkin shook the dirt off her uniform and straightened her cap. "I know, I was on my way to the escape pod," she said dryly; the tone of her voice reminded Eldon of Hux.

Thinking of whom… Eldon froze remembering his errand. "Oh dear," he mumbled, remembering the commander's order. Biting at his lower lip, he gripped Tarkin's hand and started dragging her down the corridor. "Come with me."

"Why?" she tore her palm out of Eldon's, but kept following him.

Her questioning stare bore into the back of his skull, but there was no time to explain. Right then, the silent red alert turned on and the previously white walls assumed a crimson shade. Most of the crew must have abandoned the Star Destroyer already, for there was not a single person in sight. Aside of Eldon's and Tarkin's footsteps the only other thing he heard was the titanium construction elements of the ship creak under the strain and weird noises made by the malfunctioning systems. At least the floor wasn't swaying anymore, now that the First Order's fleet distracted the resistance.

"It's here!" Eldon exclaimed, when he finally reached the living quarters. He made a beeline for the right door and banged his fist on it. "The ship is exploding!" he informed, yelling wholeheartedly. When there was no response, he took out his hand blaster and hit the door with its butt, repeatedly.

Tarkin gawked at him, a bit lost, but after a brief while, she joined him, using her boots and high-pitched voice. "Get out of there, you moron!" she shouted without any inkling of who was inside. "Drag your lazy butt over here!"

Together, Eldon and Tarkin made quite a racket which, fortunately, was effective. The door opened and the quarter's inhabitant glared at them with bottomless hatred reflecting on his pale face. With his hood casting shadow on his face, Kylo Ren ominous at first glance. He stared at the two officers threateningly, with his hand on his lightsaber. Then, however, Eldon noticed his bloodshot eyes and red nose, its color distinguishable even in the crimson light.

"Huh." Tarkin saw it too. Arching her eyebrow, she exchanged amused glances with Calway. Her smug smirk vanished, though, when someone hailed her on her com link. She pressed her palm to her ear and listened. "Phasma!" Tarkin exclaimed. "Negative, I'm still on the ship. Kylo Ren and Calway are with me." She winced, cocking her head, as though she wanted to get away from the speaker. "Yes, sir. We'll hurry to the shuttle."

"What's going on?" Kylo Ren pulled his dark hood so it would cover the upper half of his face.

Eldon cleared his throat, saying it for what felt like a hundredth time. "The ship is exploding in ten minutes."

"Eight," Tarkin corrected him after she checked her holographic displayer. She pointed her finger at her ear. "And Hux just said that all escape pods have been ejected already. His shuttle in the hangar bay is our only shot on making it out, alive," she said in a startlingly calm and collected fashion.

Eldon stared at her with awe. He never suspected Tarkin of such courage in the face of imminent demise. She even took the lead as their group of three ran toward the hangar bay. "Left," he said, seeing she was about to take a wrong turn.

Just when their destination was nearly within their reach, something orange flashed before Eldon's eyes. Simultaneously, he got knocked to the floor, sensing immense heat. His eardrums felt like bursting as a deafeningly loud, roaring noise hit him. The bulkhead's door closed without fail, but not before some flames smoked Eldon's eyebrows.

"Was that an actual explosion?" he uttered, shivering like a leaf in the wind. His trembling knees could barely support him when Tarkin pulled him up.

"A minor fire," Kylo Ren stated grimly, in a deadpan voice devoid of all emotions. "It cut off the only way to the hangar bay, though."

Eldon bulged his hazel eyes at Snoke's apprentice. How could he be so uncaring about it? Had he a death wish? Tarkin, on the other hand, was freaking out.

She gripped her cheeks, taking brief, shallow breaths. "I can't die," she whispered to herself with terror reflecting in her eyes. "I haven't gotten my medal, yet."

"No one is dying." Kylo Ren looked around until he found a panel, which could be opened. "This is our way out." He pointed at a man-sized hole, which lead who knew where. Expectantly, he stared at Eldon and Tarkin. "Jump in."

Calway swallowed a lump in his throat and took a step toward the mysterious shaft. He eyed Kylo Ren suspiciously, wondering if he wasn't leading them in some trap. Fellows in black capes tended to have funny ideas, that's what Eldon's grandma used to say.

Tarkin wasn't as indecisive and distrustful as Calway was. "Move!" she shoved him out of the way and dove into the shaft head first.

Encouraged by her example, Eldon followed her, squeezing himself through the hole. On his way down the steep shaft, he could hear his own voice as he shrieked at the top of his lungs. The rough ride ended just as quickly as it started and he landed on something angular. Immediately, the nauseating stench hit his sense of smell, bringing him on the edge of vomiting. Covering his nose with his palm he looked around at all the compostable trash around. "That was a garbage chute," he coughed out.

"No kidding." Tarkin's voice came from under Eldon's butt. Clenching her teeth from effort, she shoved him off herself.

Unlike Calway and Tarkin, Kylo Ren landed far gracefully. He fell onto his legs and quickly regained his balance, wobbling atop a mountain of trash. One corner of his lips rode upward in a crooked smile as he made his way toward the door.

Suddenly, the trash compactor's walls started to move inward, slowly crushing the trash. Eldon and Sergeant Tarkin looked at each other, pale like ghosts and cried out in a high-pitched duet. Abruptly, Calway felt a surge of adrenaline and power. Lightly like some assassin, he climbed higher and made a run for the door, leaving Tarkin behind. Somehow, he outrun Kylo Ren too and got to the door first. Frantically, he searched for a way to open it, but it wasn't possible from the inside of the trash compactor.

Despaired, he let out a whimper, falling to his knees. "There is no hope," he wailed.

Behind Eldon, Kylo Ren groaned, rolling his eyes. A characteristic buzz echoed across the room as he turned his red lightsaber on and plunged it in the door. The laser beam went through several inches of solid meta,l easily.

Eldon scrambled himself from the trash, watching Snoke's apprentice cut a hole in the door like it was nothing. So those obsolete lightsabers were useful, after all. He would never say it out loud, but, at this very moment, he was glad that the creepy youngster was on their side.

When he finished cutting, Kylo Ren kicked the round piece of metal and jumped through the hole. Of course, he didn't lend a hand to Eldon and Tarkin as they crawled out after him. Instead, he grabbed the intelligence officer's earpiece and tore it off.

"Hey!" she protested.

Kylo Ren glared at her, making her seam her lips shut. "Hux, get the shuttle to the garbage ejectors. Now." He tossed the com link back to Tarkin and focused his gaze on a batch of empty barrels that lay around.

Eldon developed a disturbing premonition regarding those… At this point, he was kind of following Kylo Ren's smuggler-like thinking. He wasn't wrong.

"Get inside those barrels," Kylo Ren said confidently, looking absolutely gleeful, as though it was the grandest design in the history of the galaxy. Seeing the hesitation of his companions, he narrowed his eyes at them. "I know what I'm doing."

"How could you possibly know something like that?" Eldon fit himself into one of the barrels, assuming an uncomfortable, embryonic position. His knees found themselves near his chin, while his arms got twisted at an odd, unnatural angle.

Kylo Ren loomed over him with the lid, ready to close Eldon in that tiny coffin. Before sealing the barrel, he muttered, "Everyone has secrets."

Eldon felt a cold shiver go down his spine out of the blue. He was scared for his life, but it wasn't that. He was under the impression that Kylo Ren's words triggered something in him, a stirring, ominous sensation. Although he tried, he couldn't back trace that eerie emotion to anything; his mind was hopelessly blank.

Calway didn't have the time to overthink his current emotional state, for the barrel, he was in, got tossed to the floor unceremoniously. "Ouch!" he yelped, almost biting his own tongue off. Next, he got an instant headache directly linked to nausea as the container rolled. He felt his brain rattle inside his skull. He harbored a flicker of hope that the barrel would eventually stop moving, but it never did.

It kept spinning even after it hit something and Calway felt disgustingly light. All pressure got removed from his spine and he was weightless, unable to tell where the bottom was anymore. Inside the thick container, the temperature dropped to an unpleasant level. Eldon put his hands under his armpits and struggled to endure the merciless ride. From the dark inside of the barrel, he could hear only himself breathing, as the sound didn't travel in the vacuum. Perhaps, it was for the best. The experience was mortifying enough without the sounds of laser blasts and explosions.

After what felt like an eternity, Eldon's container underwent serious tubulence – it bounced off something repeatedly, changing the way it spun. Surprised, he discovered that it was possible to feel even more queasy. Suddenly, the gravity was back on and the barrel plummeted, hitting the flooring. Eldon gasped, sensing his limbs and torso collide with the hard surface painfully. He coughed, when the container's lid got lifted. The light blinded him as he looked at it, squinting his eyes. "Am I alive?" he asked.

"You certainly are, Calway," Commander Hux answered him. His red hair glowed like a halo around his head, making him look like a divine being.

Clumsily, Eldon crawled out of the barrel and gawked about. Tarkin was slowly emerging from hers. Kylo Ren's container lay in two halves, presumably having been sliced open by a lightsaber. Miraculously, all of them made it, safe and smelly inside Commander Hux's shuttle. Eldon shook his head in amazement. "I can't believe that worked," he said, standing up. Swaying from side to side from the residual shock, he made way toward the front of the shuttle, where Sergeant Phasma sat behind the steers.

"Don't even think of coming near me," she told him sharply. "You reek."

Eldon shrugged his shoulders, then gently lifted an unidentifiable piece of trash from his hair and dumped it onto the floor. "You'd reek too if you had been forced into a garbage chute," he said to the trooper officer.

Phasma snorted. "Like that'd happen," she murmured with humor and gently lead the shuttle away from Deterioration and toward Snoke's personal fleet. She leaned over the steers and peered out the window like a nearsighted, old woman. Her grip on the handles was fiercely firm, betraying how inexperienced at piloting she was.

Not that Eldon was a master either; he couldn't land a shuttle in a hangar bay if his life depended on it. Feeling his adrenaline levels drop gradually, he made himself comfortable in the seat of the second pilot and surveyed the situation. He smiled, seeing that most of the insurgents were gone, either having been shot down or escaped. A few of them were still in sight, chased by flocks of TIE fighters. The initially grim situation turned into a win for the First Order in the end, sort of.

As things couldn't be too well for the five of them, an abrupt shock wave hit the Lambda-class shuttle, pushing it forth with a great speed. Phasma gasped, startled and panicked, helplessly staring at the console full of buttons, switches and levers. Ahead, parts of blasted X Wings and TIE fighters littered the space like a tiny asteroid field. At random, she pulled the steers and the small craft made a breakneck, 180 degrees turn.

The shuttle's crew froze, staring at the majestic explosion in front of their eyes. Consecutively, the neighboring sections of the Star Destroyer blew up, with orange balls of fire flickering in the silence of space. The humongous craft broke in half first, before the final explosion engulfed it all, tearing it into pieces. It was just like the fireworks on the Empire's Day, when Eldon saw them with his grandma.

Hux sighed heavily and commented, "And my flagship is gone, now."

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Author's note: Thanks for reading, as always. Reviews from you would be lovely, even one-line comments would brighten my day. Until the next update!