Ginger Gears

Melting Point

In the evening Hux went to the lab, but he left after an hour. It wasn't the same without her. He briefly mused about returning to his quarters, but he felt restless.

The feeling of the scabbard of his monomolecular blade on his right forearm didn't help. It felt uncomfortable. He had to resist the urge to touch it, to adjust it. It had been a long time since he had felt the need to carry the hidden weapon in his sleeve.

He decided to visit the officer's mess for a tea. The view from the viewport would prove interesting enough.

After he had ordered his tea, he scanned the room with his eyes. Only a few officers where present, they looked tired, the chatter was quiet. He relaxed a little and pulled his data pad out of his coat's pocket. He searched for Rose Phan's file.

He didn't bother to read the file itself, instead looking at her picture. She looked unusually serious, almost sad. He suddenly wished he had another picture of her, one in which she looked more like herself.

Suddenly his heckles rose and a voice behind him rang out. "Are you missing your girlfriend, General?"

Ren. How in the name of the Emperor had he managed to sneak up to him? Again he felt the weight of the scabbard of his monomolecular blade on his arm. Hux slowly put the pad down and turned in his seat. Ren stood right behind him, wearing his trademark robes and his silly mask. "Lord Ren. It seems that the IS didn't waste any time to spread rumours."

Ren rounded his chair and sat down across from him. "So you don't deny it?"

Hux shrugged. "What's there to deny? Did you think that I would turn red like a cadet?"

Judging from the silence that followed Hux had guessed right. He briefly wondered how old Ren was. He certainly acted like a youngling. He himself would probably be ashamed of a rumour that he had relations. Hm, interesting.

"It's just that I'm surprised at you, General. I thought you were a man of taste. Instead you chose a chubby little nobody."

Hux gritted his teeth and glared at Ren. Cheap provocation was all he was capable of. Well, now that Ren had revealed his own inexperience and insecurity, Hux could provoke him in return. "She chose me to be honest. I assume you are not familiar with that concept."

Of course Ren got angry. He leaned forward and hissed: "There are plenty of women who want me."

Hux raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

Ren slammed his fist on the table, and some of Hux's tea sloshed over the rim of the mug on the table. "You're lucky that Snoke needs you, Hux. I have killed for lesser insults."

"Every word you utter betrays you, Ren. You're nothing but an overgrown boy who hides behind a mask."

Ren jumped up. "Unfortunately I can't touch you, Hux, but I can touch what is yours."

Hux gave him a thin smile. "You don't understand, Ren. She was never mine, and now she's gone." He took the cup of tea from the table and used a napkin to clean the spilled liquid. "Did you honestly think that I would let her be a bargaining chip in a power play?"

Ren stood completely still, then suddenly huffed. "I can sense your feelings. You love her."

"Yes, I do, more than you can imagine." It felt strange to admit it out aloud. At the same time it was liberating.

Ren stood awkwardly in front of him, probably unsure how best to make a dramatic exit. Strangely enough he didn't seem angry anymore. "But you let her go..."