Photophobia

The End

When he stepped out of the shuttle on-board the destroyer he was welcomed by Lieutenant Mitaka ... 24, shy, needs supervision, last performance evaluation: satisfactory. Hux was satisfied to discover that his memory was still working flawlessly.

"General Hux! Good to see you sir!" There was a tad desperation in his enthusiasm.

"Lieutenant Mitaka, I hope everything progressed satisfying during my ... absence," he coolly replied.

"Well, the Supreme Leader wasn't satisfied with General Nuresh's performance and insisted that we found you as fast as possible."

He had to suppress a smile. So Ren had finally started to realise how efficient he was? Excellent. He was certainly more than a cog in a machine. Strong, important. Rose had been wrong.

"I assume the hunter droids captured the rebel?" he asked. If they had harmed her ...

Mitaka nodded. "They stunned her. She's on the way here. We'll bring her to the interrogation room right away of course."

He almost flinched. "Of course."

"The team in the med bay awaits you, general," said Mitaka.

Before Hux could respond a shrill peeping rang out. A floating holo device appeared out of nowhere and projected Kylo Ren.

Hux's lips twitched. "Supreme Leader."

Ren stared at him, Hux didn't miss the way he smirked when his gaze wandered over his beard stubble and his less than perfect uniform. "General Hux, how good of you to return to us. And you even brought a prize."

Hux blinked. Ren had already heard about Rose? "Indeed."

"I want to interrogate her myself. I'll arrive in 26 hours – prepare everything." A twisted smile played on his lips. "You can relieve General Nuresh from command once you visit the med bay."

His holo picture vanished before Hux could reply. Damn it! If Ren interrogated Rose ... he still remembered the screams of Commander Dameron. He had to convince her to- to collaborate.

"Sir?" asked Mitaka.

Hux realised that he was still staring into the distance. He cleared his throat. "Prepare everything for Ren's arrival. I'll be in the med bay." He strode off, leaving Mitaka in his wake.

Some of the officers looked as if they saw a ghost when he encountered them on his way into the lower decks. He felt uncomfortable in his dirty uniform and with his unkempt hair, but first things first. He had to check on Nuresh, get some shots in case he had contracted a disease, and talk to Rose before Ren arrived.

The commanding medical officer, Captain Xun, 41, scientifically capable, last performance evaluation: good, scanned him himself.

"You're in remarkably good shape for somebody who was stranded on a planet for almost four weeks. You're malnourished and lacking vitamins but this," he used a hypo spray on him, "should fix it most of it. The rebel did actually good work with your injuries, but nothing motivates like a blaster to the head, eh?" He chuckled cordially.

"How is General Nuresh?" asked Hux. "Ren asked me to relieve her of command."

The doctor's eyebrow rose. "We all serve at the pleasure of the Supreme Leader. I'm afraid General Nuresh has done her duty."

"Ren?"

He nodded. "He cracked her skull and broke her spine. I'm afraid the head trauma was too severe for even the most advanced kolto techniques. She is brain dead."