Chapter 7
Kylo Ren paced his room with furrowed brows and a frown on his face. Behind him, Growlie quietly waddled, every now and then flapping its wings to catch up with Kylo's long stride. The trouble with being the Supreme Leader is he had no one to speak to for advice, and yet advice was what he needed. He cursed and slammed a fist into the wall as he recalled his idiotic attempt to claim Rey through the embroidery handkerchief. She had turned it on him in a heartbeat, focusing on his weakness instead of the unspoken promise he meant to imply, and how on earth did he end up asking her if she would marry him if they weren't at war?
"I'm a fool," he said, dragging his hand down his face. Growlie moaned at him and snuggled against his boot. Kylo sank down next to Growlie and gently pet the porg's head. The research station had returned Growlie just after his last conversation with Rey. Apparently it was from a little known planet named Ahch-To. Kylo suspected that might have been where Rey trained with Skywalker. He couldn't think of any other reason his scavenger would have kept a pet from there.
"You know, my father would have actually been useful for this. Not that I would have followed his advice, necessarily, but it would at least give me a frame of reference. I haven't tried to have a relationship of any kind since I was still with Skywalker, and now I'm talking to a pet," Kylo said, leaning back. Growlie hopped into his lap and snuggled in next to his chest.
The com for his room buzzed, and Kylo looked over as it slid open. He had not locked it, but he also did not expect anyone to try and enter without his permission. Hux, of course, never ceased to disappoint him.
"If you're not busy, there are several matters that need addressing, Supreme Leader," Hux said, sweeping in and shutting the door behind him. Kylo stared up at Hux, not bothering to stand up. Hux rolled his eyes in disgust. "Can you at least get off the floor? Is that that creature from earlier in your lap? You don't seem so allergic now."
Kylo took a deep breath, gently set the porg on the floor, and stood up to face Hux. Five minutes ago he probably would have used a force choke to straighten up Hux's insubordination, but Kylo's wrath was tempered by his desire to have someone he could talk to. "I don't recall inviting you in," Kylo said.
"You're not allergic to the creature, are you?" Hux said. Hux studied Kylo's face, and Kylo's eyes narrowed.
"Are my allergies the matter that needs addressing, Hux?"
They glared at each other in silence, and Hux backed off. "I don't think it would come as any shock for you to know that I hate you-"
"It's quite mutual," Kylo interjected.
"It is, isn't it?" Hux said and sighed. "I thought about killing you, you know, when you were stretched out unconscious on the floor of the throne roo-" Hux's voice cut off as Kylo gripped his throat with the force. Instead of fighting it in terror, however, Hux glared at Kylo.
Kylo loosened it after a moment, but did not let go entirely. "Is there a point to this? It's no secret that you have mutiny in your heart."
Hux did not speak right away. "The girl is a problem."
Kylo felt his heart chill. "The girl?" he asked, even though he knew perfectly well who Hux referred to.
"Yes, the girl, the one from Jakku, the Jedi you claimed killed Supreme Leader Snoke and the guard and knocked you unconscious," Hux spat and immediately gagged as Kylo tightened his grip.
"What's your play, Hux?" Kylo asked. "Think very carefully over your next words. You would be difficult to replace, but not impossible." He loosened the grip once more.
"There are two possibilities. Either she's far more powerful than you, the Praetorian Guard, and Supreme Leader Snoke combined, in which case we would need to develop a plan to defeat her, or you helped her and were betrayed by her."
"Rey is not your concern!" Kylo shouted, sneering openly at Hux and flinging the man across the room. Hux slammed against the far wall and collapsed to the floor. He stared at Kylo Ren with wide eyes as Kylo stalked towards him again. "She is mine," he hissed.
"Unbelievable. You care for her," Hux said. "But she left you for dead, and she's part of the Resistance! She even turned you against Snoke."
"Snoke was a cruel master to us both. Don't deny that you are glad that he is gone," Kylo spat.
Hux was silent as he pulled himself to his feet and looked Kylo Ren in the eyes. "I do not deny it. Now that we're being honest, I am curious. Who turned the blade on Snoke?"
"I did," Kylo Ren said.
"Good. I might feel guilty about what I'm planning if it had been the girl," Hux said, grinning maliciously.
Terror froze Kylo for only a moment before he used the force to pull Hux to his knees before him. "You will tell me your plans," Kylo said. Hux's expression turned to horror, and Hux screamed as Kylo used the force to bluntly shove his way into Hux's mind.
Kylo Ren's rage grew as he found half-developed plans to capture and torture Rey in order to manipulate and eventually kill him. "Never," he hissed. He snapped Hux's neck with his next thought and dropped the corpse to the ground.
A small noise made Kylo spin around and draw and ignite his lightsaber, but it was only Growlie, coming out from behind a chair.
Kylo Ren sighed and turned off his lightsaber before putting it away. "I will protect her," he said to the creature. "I have to."
Growlie chirped at him absently and then waddled back off to explore another part of the room. Kylo Ren collapsed onto his bed and gazed down at the red-headed corpse of Hux. For years they had competed for Snoke's approval and trust, each trying to undermine each other. It was strange to see the man gone. Kylo Ren wondered if he should feel loss, but he felt nothing except satisfaction that he had kept Rey safe from Hux.
Unfortunately, this meant he would have to find someone to promote to General of the First Order and explain yet another mysterious death to the already skeptical leaders of the First Order's troops.
He pulled himself up and went to his desk. He had a lot of work to do.
When starting this chapter, I had some hopes that Kylo Ren might end up making peace with Hux and form some kind of camaraderie. But Hux is Hux, and clearly that didn't happen. Oh well. I'm still having fun winging this fanfiction. If you have any thoughts about the story, positive or negative, please share.
