After the Awakening (Closed)

[corsettdoll]

Darkness permeated every corner of an old, decrepit ruin, lit only by large smoldering torches every few feet. The floors and columns a black marble, and the walls unknown in composition due to being covered in shadow. There were no windows to demonstrate the condition of the outside, therefore making it likely to lose oneself in the darkness of the place, of time itself.


A figure moved soundless down one of the many corridors. Her feet were simply wrapped in bandages, stepping carefully along the cold tile and making no sound. It had been some time ago since she had been here, in fact she couldn’t remember how long ago. Perhaps for her own training, though she cast the musings out of her mind as she froze outside the chambers that Snokes haunted. She contemplated entering, but knew better. She stepped up onto a large stone slab, settling herself down and putting her hands into her pockets, watching the fire.


Inia couldn’t help but wonder vaguely about the situation. She wasn’t told much, aside from her requirement to assist Master Kylo Ren in his training. She took this as Snokes being too physically incapable to spar with a much younger and physically stronger apprentice. She pondered the practicality of an assassin training someone that was essentially a warrior, her train of thought being broken as the door swung open.


Meanwhile aboard the Finalizer, Hux walked briskly through shiny metal corridors, a pair of high rank troopers flanking him as he made his way to the mission control room. Since Kylo Ren had been incapacitated, things on the ship seemed to move along a bit smoother. At least his troops seemed a bit less on edge, and they definitely hadn’t had any incidents with the computers malfunctioning since.


He slowed down as he stood in the center of the control room, looking upon the planet that was being slowly taken over by waves of his troops. He had been on the planet's surface, trying to negotiate with the democratic leaders there, but it did not turn out in their favor. The corner of his lip twitched slightly as he thought upon the threats they had cast upon him, though he knew that they were winning, and regardless of the once proud leader’s stance on the First Order, they were being shown this was the price they had to pay for not cooperating.


“Do we have coordinates ready for the next target?” He asked calmly to his helmsman, whom nodded before confirming verbally, “After we have called back the troops we will head out.” Hux pursed his lips, “Excellent. I don’t see it taking much longer.” He nodded to Captain Phasma, who moved to exit the control room, being followed by two more high rank storm troopers. Ever since the incident with FN-2187 security had tightened tremendously, though Hux had no complaints.

 

[Lucyfer]

It had taken longer than Kylo Ren expected to recover from his wounds. It was not the facial wound that had, in the end, been the most severe. That had healed into a scar that the man detested whenever he looked upon his face. He saw the weakness as it parted him between his hazel-brown eyes.


No, the one that had been most detrimental had been the shot from Chewbacca, the scar that was a circle over his heart.


There was a joke about him being heartless there—no one would ever make it, except perhaps Hux, who was the only one who knew of it. Or the other Knights, if they ever found out.


‘It is not important.’ The Knight thought as he donned his new helmet, more akin to Darth Vader than his old one. ‘I am healed at last.’ Dressed in all black, the scars were covered. No more could he see Chewbacca’s treachery upon his chest, nor his failure to defeat the Scavenger written upon his face. He saw only power as he peered into the glass, before turning away.


Today, he would see Supreme Leader Snoke. Today, he was prepared to begin his training. He had killed Han Solo, one of three steps to showing the Supreme Leader that he was prepared to go all the way. The others, of course, were Leia and Luke. He would have to show the Supreme Leader that he was capable of destroying all temptation towards the Light, to further their goals, and rid the Universe of the tyranny of the Jedi once and for all.


He made his way from his room, and stalked down those dark and old halls. Snoke had made his home on Korriban, amidst the ruins of the Sith temples and Academies, where old powers waited to be found and used. Blueprints from here had led to the creation of Starkiller, and more waited to be uncovered.


It was not just Kylo and Snoke, but it often felt like it. So, Kylo was a bit surprised when he entered the hall before Snoke’s chambers and noticed a figure in the darkness there. “Who are you?” Kylo Ren demanded, not sure why anyone else but himself, the Knights, and Hux would be allowed so close.


~***~


There were more Knights beyond Kylo Ren. They had been scattered, tending to the business of the First Order or Snoke—they differentiated between the two organizations, at least, with each other. Never publicly.


“Kylo Ren is incapacitated and training. You must represent us with the First Order.”


The order had been received by the red-haired woman while she was on Tython, investigating old ruins and Jedi secrets, as well as looking for Luke Skywalker. Rumor had it he went to where the first Jedi temple was, and rumor had it that was Tython.


It was not, in fact, Tython, or the Knight would have found him.


So, grudgingly, she had accepted the order.


‘This is one hell of a greeting.’ The woman thought as she sat in her ship, brought to a halt by several TIE Fighters that now surrounded her.


A voice spoke over the radio: “State your business immediately.”


“I’m Knight Ren, I’m here to see General Hux.”


A moment of silence. Then, “You don’t sound like Ren. Your ship doesn't look like Ren's."


“I didn’t say which Ren.”


More silence. The woman shut her green eyes and tilted her head back against the headrest of her seat, knowing someone was going to run to Hux and alert him to this odd happening. ‘So help you if you try to shoot me down.’ Snoke would be immensely displeased if she had to kill all of these TIE Fighters.

 

[corsettdoll]

Inia felt her brow raise slightly, a hum rising in her throat slightly before she spoke with a slightly raspy voice, damaged from lack of speaking, “You should be a bit more polite with your wording.” She slid off of the slab and stood, hands still in her pockets.


She did not approach him, instead choosing to size him up from where she stood. He was a head taller than her, which might prove a challenge if he were quick. ‘The boots on his feet might slow him down though’ a voice in the back of her head quipped.


Her observations were cut short as Snokes’ rising voice permeated the area, “Master Ren, Inia… Please enter.” Inia moved forward, walking ahead of Kylo and through the door with ease. When she stood in front of Snokes she paused, rocking back and forth on the balls of her heels slightly with her hands in her pockets, eyes on their leader.


Snokes sat on his throne, head on his hand as he regarded the two, shifting in his seat, “I believe that you have healed enough to start your training, Kylo Ren. Your fighting skills, force skills, and several other skills involving your powers will be tested. I will be monitoring all of your progress closely. I will not take failure as an option.”


He turned to Inia, not waiting for a response from Kylo, “Inia. You have been assigned as Master Kylo’s training partner. I have faith in your ability to gauge him and test him. Again, failure is not an option. I will expect him to be ready for anything.” Inia nodded at this, glancing over at Kylo as Snokes continued, “Are there any questions?” It was a rhetorical inquiry, Snokes’ tone indicating that he wasn’t exactly in the mood for any intolerance.


~.~.~.~.~


“General Hux?” An office had hurried from the comms room to the command center, trying not to pant. Hux looked at him, curious at the urgency, “Yes, officer?”


“There’s an incoming ship, they said that they’re here to see you. It’s a Master Ren...” The pause that followed the statement caused Hux’s chest to tighten uncomfortably as his eyes narrowed slightly. Was Kylo Ren already healed? So soon, and without any warning from Snokes that he would be coming back. Did that mean he did his training while he was healing? That didn’t make any sense to Hux either, having seen his wounds.


“But, this Master had a woman’s voice? Do you know of any female Knights of Ren?” the officer looked confused and anxious. Hux felt himself relax, though he showed nothing had been wrong, “Let her board. Keep an eye on her, but send her to me.” he turned his attention back on the planet, mildly confused. What was another member of the Knights of Ren coming to him for?


It seemed like ages before the comms personnel ordered the TIE fighters to stand down before speaking to Master Ren, “You are cleared for docking, please proceed.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo had no intention of being anymore polite to this strange woman than he was anyone else. He was not polite to anyone who had not earned his respect, no matter their fancy title. Hux knew that too well. However, before he could throw a comment at her, Snoke’s voice broke through to them and gave Kylo a name. ‘Inia.’ He made note of it.


This was another Snoke had hired.


Hopefully they weren’t as useless as Hux.


Kylo entered the room without hesitation, and gave a deep inclination to the Supreme Leader. He listened as it was explained he would begin his training, but not with Snoke. He balked as he looked over at Inia, though he said nothing, he knew Snoke would feel his irritation through the Force. ‘Can she even use the Force?’ She didn’t feel to him like Rey or the other Knights. He doubted her sensitivity.


“No, Supreme Leader,” Kylo knew when questions weren’t allowed. “I will train with Inia as you command. I will not fail.”


Snoke gave a nod of approval, even as he sensed Kylo’s doubt through the Force. The man would learn. “Then go.” He gave a slight wave with his hand to punctuate the command.


Kylo moved his arm over his chest and pressed his hand over his heart as he offered a bow to the Supreme Leader. Then, he turned on his heel, and marched off. He’d find out just how good this Inia was, and when he killed her, Snoke could find someone who could truly match him. ‘This is ridiculous.’ Snoke was mocking him for getting beaten by Rey.


~***~


“Thank you,” the woman spoke to the voice that allowed her clearance, and moved on to the Finalizer, to the dock that opened for her. She landed her ship smoothly and grabbed her helmet. She didn’t put it on, though. She was dressed in the black of the knights, but her attire had come to model the Jedi tunics.


Now and then she’d remind Kylo that her attire looked more like Anakin Skywalker’s, to his irritation.


It’d been a while since she’d had the opportunity.


She didn’t bother lowering the ramp to exit her ship, but jumped down, landing before an officer who looked a touch unnerved with her presence, “Master Ren?”


“Is it Master now?” Her grin was crooked, “Well, this is an upgrade. Thank the General for me.”


The officer was clearly not certain how to react. He assumed this was the right person. “The General would like to see you immediately.”


“Very well. Lead the way,” she was unfamiliar with the Finalizer. She didn’t tend to occupy ships this large.


The officer nodded, and did, of course, lead the way. He went to the command center, where he last knew the General to be, and was pleased to see him, “Sir,” he spoke, “Master Ren, this is General Hux. General Hux, this is Master Ren.”


“Thank you for the promotion, General,” she answered, still highly amused with the title ‘Master’. Kylo would throw a fit.

 

[corsettdoll]

Inia waited a moment before turning, the corner of her lips curling into a crooked smirk. She moved silently, following Kylo out of the chambers and respectfully half bowing to their Supreme Leader before the door closed behind them.


She turned and continued following him, clearing her throat slightly before she spoke, moving to catch up to him easily and falling into pace with him, “The first thing I want to do is know what level you’re on with your saber training. I know you have had some but I don’t know to what extent.”


She had taught a few before, though they had not been very successful in their endeavors. It did not reflect ill on her though; the will of the trainees did not reflect her own. She mused slightly on the fire that Kylo had already displayed, wondering if she could break him.


~.~.~.~


“Typically in the absence of a leader one must step up for the position. I do not know Kylo Ren’s status, therefore I assume this arrangement will work for now.” Truth be told he wasn’t entirely sure the ranking system of the Rens. He didn’t even known how many of them there were, as it wasn’t a topic that Kylo was keen on sharing with him.


Hux motioned away the officers, who saluted him as they walked off, quickly back to their posts. He cleared his throat before speaking again, “So, for what do we owe your presence? I’m sure Snoke has sent you here, correct?”


He motioned for her to follow him from the main part of the command station. He figured that whatever it was that she was here for, the whole ship didn’t necessarily need to know. Just having another Knight of Ren meant that everyone was going to be on high alert.

 

[Lucyfer]

“Well let’s see,” Kylo’s tone began in a sarcastic manner, “I created my own lightsaber in a design that the universe has never seen before, and I’m competent enough with it to slaughter multiple foes at once. I can stand my own against plenty of fighting styles, including those who choose to use more than one saber at a time, or dual-bladed sabers,” he was thinking of other Knights in his group.


They each had their own ways of manifesting their talents and styles. There was one who had decided on the route of the dualsabers, and then there was another who preferred to use two blades over one. “I’d say my skill with the lightsaber is rather high.”


He didn’t look at her as he answered, and immediately turned the question on her, “What is your exact skill level with the Force?” Nothing else truly mattered to him, just whether or not she could use the Force.


After all, a lightsaber was all but useless in the hands of a non-Force sensitive, as he’d shown to Finn. The foolish Stormtrooper shouldn’t have picked up that blade.


~***~


The woman was not about to protest the upgrade. Far from it. She merely nodded at how Hux phrased things and walked with him when he gestured. She knew that Kylo Ren had been a handful for the First Order, and she could see why.


Kylo Ren didn’t exactly like organized hierarchies. The Knights didn’t have them. It was generally assumed that she was Kylo’s second, but that was based on seniority. Their ‘chain of command’ put Snoke as leader, with Kylo as his subordinate. The rest of them were below Kylo Ren.


Moriah was not certain where their ranking fell in the First Order, but if Kylo Ren was on par with Hux, she assumed that technically speaking, she was beneath the man. However, she’d act as equal. She preferred it. “You are correct. I am to stay here until Kylo Ren’s training is completed. I will serve as representative for the Knights in his stead and assist in the direction of the First Order, wherever a Force Sensitive is needed,” she answered, “My presence isn’t any more exciting than that, I’m afraid. Can you brief me on what you have been doing of late so I know where the First Order currently stands?”

 

[corsettdoll]

Inia remained silent as he showed his frustration and impatience. She kept her hands in her pockets, listening patiently. She hummed slightly, watching their shadows dance around as they moved past torches in the hallway.


When the question of her force abilities came into play, she chuckled, “Didn’t you think there was a reason that you can’t sense them? It’s not because I don’t have them. I keep them cloaked so I can’t be found unless I want to be found. An important technique to have in my line of work.”


She turned down a hallway suddenly, moving briskly, “I don’t blame your doubt, Kylo Ren. Therefore you can’t blame mine.” It was a passive aggressive jab that made her lip curl slightly. She was impressed in her own patience, though his anger was so blatant that it wasn’t hard to be patient.


Soon they reached a set of double doors that opened quickly for them, Inia hopping down the stairs quickly and moving ahead of Kylo, eyes narrowing slightly, “We’re starting with your saber skill because of your confidence in it, I’ve decided.”


They were now in a large courtyard area, the moons hanging in the sky ominously overhead. Torches were still lit around them, flickering in a slight breeze, “So, I want you to try to knock me off my feet. It’s immensely simple.” She sneered slightly as she shifted, hands still in her pockets, rocking back and forth on her heels as she hummed softly.


~.~.~.~.~.~


Hux nodded, motioning towards the window of the ship,where small explosions were now erupting from the surface of the planet they had managed to relieve of its democracy, “Since the destruction of the Senate, we’ve been picking up alliances with worlds that were originally allied to them heavily. Sometimes they cooperate and sometimes… Well, we must be more persuasive.”


He continued, turning to her, “We haven’t been met with much resistance, aside from those that are harboring protection from the Resistance.” He felt a tad proud at his joke but continued, “We have secured several constellations, a good amount of them, but regretfully we’re still in the midst of interrogations and shifts of power. We don’t have as many moles as we had hoped, but I digress.”


The navigations leader came up to them, “We’re ready to call back the troops and head to our next location, General.” Hux nodded his permission to the officer, who saluted him before rushing off and starting preparations for departure, other officers giving commands relating to retrieving storm troopers and getting ready for the possibility of the next battle.


He cleared his throat, turning the conversation to her, “Have you had experience with intense interrogation situations yet? I’m assuming you’ve had some experience with it, but on a larger scale?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo rolled his eyes at Inia hiding them. ‘In your line of work?’ Well she obviously wasn’t a knight. Spies and assassins were usually the sort who had to stay hidden, and they weren’t often the best at fighting foes like him. They’d just dance away, thinking they could tire him out or get in a cheap shot.


So far he’d not met his match among their sort.


As they entered the room to train in, she bounded ahead and spoke of just knocking her off her feet, “With a saber?” He asked as he used the Force to draw his blade into his heads. It illuminated the area in red, the vents pushing the energy of the broken crystal out on either side, “Do you understand that a saber doesn’t have a stun mode?” Not his, anyway, “I can remove your feet from the rest of your body."


But knocking her off her feet? No. This wasn’t some sword with a flat-side. This would remove her feet.


~***~


It seemed Hux was busy in the midst of Kylo Ren’s departure, “Well, I’m glad you haven’t let the loss of one knight slow you down any,” he needed to rebuild, of course. The loss of the Hosnian system was a huge blow to the Resistance, but the loss of Starkiller was a huge blow to the First Order.


No doubt he needed to fund the next superweapon. ‘Please not Deathstar 4.0.’ Moriah was getting so sick of those.


“I’ve had experience with interrogations,” she answered, “They do not usually last long. Force,” she waved her hand as if gesturing to the Force itself, “It isn’t difficult to break into a mind and get what you need from it, if that’s what you’re asking.” She was capable of doing that, just like Kylo Ren.

 

[corsettdoll]

Inia rolled her eyes slightly. “I wasn't being so literal. It's about incapacitating, not slaughtering.” She let out a sigh, growing annoyed by her trainee.


“true mastery would indicate you know ways to utilize your saber in such a manner that you can knock someone off their feet. It's just an extension of yourself.”


She rocked back and forth, watching him, “so are we going to start out am I just wasting my time?”


~. ~. ~


Hux nodded, “That's good. One thing that Kylo Ren was good at was his interrogations. I will admit the past few months have been hard without the talent.”


He cleared his throat, “I imagine that you're going to want to know where you'll be staying, yes? If you wouldn't mind following me.”


He turned and walked towards the exit, keeping step with her as the two troopers that followed him in flanking him again and staying a bit behind the two add to give them space to talk. Hux was curious about her, “So what's your impression of the ship?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo rolled his eyes. Incapacitating still meant crippling to him. If he wanted to actually incapacitate someone, he wasn’t going to use his saber, anyway. He was going to use the Force. The saber didn’t have an ‘off’ or a ‘stun’ once the blade was on, after all. Kylo Ren wasn’t stupid.


Apparently this red-headed woman in front of him was, “And I thought red-heads were intelligent,” that was what both Hux and Moriah would have him believe, “Fine. We’ll play it your way.”


He’d withhold from using the Force, save for the Force that made the saber like an extension of his arm. He took a couple of steps forward, twirling the blade to build up its momentum, before he dashed ahead. He did not anticipate his first strike to hit, but he swung at her knees. He expected she would dodge rather than guard, and he’d get her on the run, defensive, until he backed her into a wall or found an advantage, after learning her style.


Kylo’s own was not quite style 7—but it was ruthlessly aggressive like it.


~***~


“I would like to know, yes,” Moriah was actually surprised there was even space available, considering there seemed to be no warning of her approach. Even so, she followed after Hux. There were likely guest chambers that she could stay within until more appropriate accommodations could be made.


She’d move her life from her ship to a room. It’d been a while since she’d done that.


Two troopers fell in line behind them, and Moriah glanced back at each. Nameless drones. “The ship is the largest I have been on, but that is not saying much. It seems a city unto itself. It’s rather impressive. Were you the one to name it?” She knew its name, of course. ‘Finalizer’. A fitting name. “And design it?” She added as an afterthought. She was not sure how far Hux’s knowledge went.

 

[corsettdoll]

Inia snorted at the insult, shaking her head. He didn't expect him to understand the point of the exercise yet. It was more for her benefit than his at this moment, to know what he was capable of. She had heard rumors, but they weren't anyways substantial.


When he moved forward, swinging his saber she simply moved out of the way. She danced to the side, humming slightly. It seemed that she was simply biding time.


~. ~. ~. ~


“Ah, no. It was a resurgent model constructed in violation with the treaties of the New Republic. I was just lucky enough to be given command of it as my flagship for galactic conquest.” Hux seemed proud of this, but it was obvious why. The ship was the largest star destroyer in the fleet.


Slowly they made their way into the barracks. He paused outside a door, hesitating, “this is your makeshift quarters. It's not much, but we'll find room in the commanding officer's barracks for you.”


He cleared his throat, holding his arms behind his back, “now, my next question is if you're ready to start working soon. Our next destination might require your abilities. We haven't had Kylo Ren to help us with.. Diplomacy. So we've had to resort to more destruction than normal.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo let the momentum of his swing turn him so he followed on the woman’s heel easily. He followed through with an upward swing, and he would continue in this way to try and push her into a wall, where it would be easy to pin her down and set about this task of ‘incapacitating’ her.


If she played well, Kylo decided, he wouldn’t actually cripple her by removing a limb, but he would make it very clear that he could, and she shouldn’t try to imagine a lightsaber was anything like a petty blaster. Sure, he could just stab it through her knee and that might not permanently damage her, but the odds were against her.


Kylo Ren would also let the Force flow through his body, his limbs, speeding his advances and adding strength to the blade, which flickered more erratically under the pulse of the Force. Those sparks could be harmful, as well, if one flared up near enough to Inia.


~***~


So it seemed General Hux was not an architect then. ‘So Starkiller was all Kylo’s doing then.’ She determined. It made sense to her—Vader fetish. Not that he cared much for jokes like that, but it was accurate. “Congratulations on your fortune, General,” she offered as they rounded into the barracks, which was a bare area. As the door to her own quarters opened—not by any hands, but through her own curiosity and a touch of the Force—she understood this would not be permanent before Hux said anything. These quarters were shared, and there were other beds in hers.


Moriah didn’t speak to that, but answered his query with a semi-sarcastic, “I live to serve,” Hux was failing diplomacy? Well, that explained why Snoke called her here, then. She thought Hux was the less destructive of him and Kylo Ren. Perhaps she was wrong in that assumption. “What is the next destination, and where does the First Order currently stand with them?” Trade agreements? Alliance? Enemies?

 

[corsettdoll]

Inia seemed to dance just out of reach, moving quickly and erratically. She was calculating his responses, formulating ideas for what he would need to work on. It was true he was strong, but she felt he seemed a tad too bold, too directionless in his anger. Granted, every force user has their methods, but she couldn't help but feel that a bit of focus on his part would bring him above his current strength.


Soon she danced a tad too close to his blade, getting cut across her arm. She did not flinch though, instead pulling her hands out of her pockets finally, withdrawing a rather crooked handle to a lightsaber holding it at an angle behind her as it came on, black blade crackling menacingly.


She brought it forward in a quick slashing movement, eyes flickering, “So are you even invested in this or are you biding your time?” her tone was bored as she struck out at him, pushing him back.


~. ~. ~. ~


“Ah yes. The next target is Gan Moridir, a Mid Rim planet. They've been in shambles since the fall of the Senate. From what I can tell, they have no true system of rule to keep order and rule complete. Thankfully the alliances they have are on good terms with the First Order, so ideally we shouldn't have many issues with them.”


He shifted slightly, looking around, “we are concerned that the Resistance might have known our diplomatic movement towards the planet. They might have tried to swau influence with the Xan people, appeal to their needs. I'm not entirely sure but… it's something we should be prepared for.”


He cleared his throat before looking back at her, “Now. We have time if you wish to settle in. Just meet me in the command center when you're ready to join us. We're going to be negotiating a meeting with whomever is in place of their ruler currently. It would be useful to have you there. ” he turned away from her and left with his guard, headed back to the main bridge.

 

[Lucyfer]

Kylo Ren was not the sort to be pushed back. He did not step backwards when that black blade came to crash against his own red one, but he held his ground and met it. He had more strength than this woman, of that he was certain, and if this was a battle where the Force was not to be in play, he had no need to be concerned about it.


Although, he felt his anger spark at her comment, and he wanted to throw that into his own strength.


He attempted to use the moment their blades met to throw her arms up with a forceful push back and up from his blade. If he was successful, he would quickly use the momentum of his own forward push to bring his blade down and slash open her knee. He’d struck her once on the arm, so now he planned to burn her knee and make her kneel.


~***~


Gan Moradir had aligned itself with the Galactic Empire, if Moriah recalled correctly. That should make it easier to bring them on board if the New Republic wasn’t serving their needs, which it sounded like they weren’t. ‘Not as destructive then.’ Just concerned with how the Resistance moved. “Sounds like there may be a mole among you, Hux.”


Huge organizations always had spies.


The problem was when the spy was high enough up to get information about diplomatic meetings to enemies. “Seems that should be a concern of yours, but no matter,” the General set the agenda, “I will join you soon.”


She let him leave with his guard, and then turned from her room. She wouldn’t take much from her ship, but she did need to get a few things to clean up, and a food bar would be useful. ‘I’ll eat decently later.’ Perhaps the meeting would even have food. Some diplomats liked to wine and dine.

 

[corsettdoll]

Inia knew she was too small compared to Kylo to overtake him with just a saber. There was a reason that she was an assassin and he was a warrior, as evident by the power struggle that was taking place now. But it would do her no good to be taken over by his strength.


She pushed against him suddenly with all of her strength, focusing. Her eyes were wide as she concentrated on using a bit of her power, getting into his mind and generating a gradual buzzing drone that shifted to electronic screaming, louder and louder. It would drive a normal mind to insanity.


~. ~. ~. ~


Hux found himself being swept into preparations. It was tedious, but he needed to know who was going to be present, what each person aligned to, if a translator would be needed for some strange dialect that was nearly a dead language, customs that were deemed appropriate or inappropriate depending on guests. He reminded himself, though it was tedious, it was necessary for the greater good to be upfront and cordial, to present the First Order as the best and only choice.


He stood watching the main window as he waited. They had pulled out of their previous endeavor and were now heading to Gan Moradir. It wouldn't take too long, and Hux wasn't worried about the outcome. He knew that the troops were preparing, and now he had another Knight of Ren to help with the negotiations. He didn't admit it out loud to Kylo, but he did prove useful when they needed specific information from people.