Torn Apart

Downfall of Us All

General Hux was a handsome striking figure with his red hair and intense blue eyes. Lux could see how he was chosen to be a leader despite his youth. She attempted to get a read on him but his mind gave nothing away. He was mentally strong. The only thing she could pick up on was the fact that he found her attractive. It was a pulsing sensation that matched the beat of his heart. 

His face broke into a menacing beautiful smile. "So you're the cause of all the commotion? I can see what Ren sees in you. Indeed you are quite lovely. What is your name?"

Lux frowned as she stood before him. "I refuse to believe that you don't know my name."

He waved her off with a dismissive hand. "Lieutenant Antilles is not a name," he replied in a smooth tone "it's so.....impersonal."

She shrugged trying to remain impassive. "It was mine last time I checked."

"Are we really going to play these games? I warn you, I'm not one for games," he said. "You will begin to bore me and trust me, you don't want me to get bored."

"Then amuse yourself elsewhere," she retorted.

He sighed impatiently.  Of course he could torture her name out of her, but he considered that to be a crude means of extracting information. The long game of persuasion was always so much more, pleasurable.

After her escape attempt he had ordered that the Stormtroopers put her in one of the interrogation rooms. They were sitting either side of a table in the brightly lit room. He could see that she was exhausted, and had still not healed properly from her wounds. It had been foolish of her to attempt escape while she was still so weak.

Right now she was still not giving anything away, but Hux knew that she was tired and thought that it could not be long before she broke down.

"What were you doing on Dathomir?" he changed topics.

"Taking my troops on a well deserved picnic after a long day of work, " she said, laying her head on her arms on the table.

He shook his head as a reprimand. "Truth be told, I already know what you are your band of miscreants were up to. I'm merely giving you the opportunity to come clean to save yourself."

Her nostrils flared at the implication. Did he really know? Or was he baiting her? "You're going to kill me anyway...either you or Be...Kylo Ren. Why should I tell you anything if my fate will be the same either way?"

"I'm giving you the opportunity to come clean," he said spreading this long pale fingers across the table. "To tell me what you know...what the Resistance is doing before we attack your base."

She looked up at him, tired and confused, "You," she said, contemptuously "You know nothing about where the base is."

"Au contraire my dear. You see, I know quite a few things, some about your Resistance and some about you personally" he rolled the word around his mouth as if savouring its flavour "while you were semi-conscious, I have learned so much about you. I know that you're quite fond of our resident tantrum thrower. You should have heard some of the things you said about him while you were out."

"I don't believe you," she said.

He shrugged non comitantly "Believe me, don't believe me. It's of no consequence to me, Lux."

Her mouth dropped a bit at her surprise. He did know her name.

"Yes, I know who you are Lux Antilles, daughter of Senator Wedge Antilles and Sarana Helm of Naboo," he continued. "University, art lessons, multiple languages spoken, there is even a rumour that you can wield the Force, although not a strong as you could if you'd had a proper teacher. It's this fact alone that keeps you alive today. Supreme Leader Snoke believes Ren's assertion that you could be of use if you turned."

Anger built in Lux's chest and she blurted "Go to Hell."

He laughed at her outburst.  "And after Ren turned, you disappeared for a year only to resurface as a member of the Resistance , presumably so you could rescue Kylo Ren himself."

She didn't reply but looked at him with loathing in her eyes.  Good he thought himself, she needed to get in touch with her dark side.

He lifted a perfectly arched eyebrow "Tell me...did his mother have anything to do with that? Did she use you to try to help her son return to her? Is that why you're here...did she allow you to be captured and not rescued in an attempt to lure Kylo Ren to return to being Ben Solo?"

It was at that point that Lux tried to hit him. He ditched the blow easily but he let her carry on. She was admittedly very good at hand to hand combat. But he was well trained himself and he knew her weak movements almost before they happened.

When she began to slow down, he caught her by the shoulders and looked into her face.

"Oh Lux, we are so much alike you and I. We are strong and powerful but overlooked for purpose of our causes. Think of the power we could have together if we joined forces."

She looked into his pale blue eyes and saw longing in their depths. "I am nothing like you," she retorted and he laughed.

"You will see..." he replied.

Before she couple reply, the door opened and Kylo Ren walked through the door.

"What are you doing with my prisoner?" his mechanical voice asked, anger apparent. 

"Your prisoner...." Hux said looking from Lux to Ren and back again with a smirk. Lux held her breath wondering if he was going to to tell Ben she'd been trying to escape. "I'm just getting to know her. A meet and greet shall we say."

"You have no cause to talk with her," Ren replied.

General Hux moved closer and Lux watched in surprise at the conflict between them. She could feel Ben's hatred toward the other man...it vibrated off of him like waves, an overwhelming choking feeling.

"I will not allow prisoners on my base that I have not personally assessed their danger threat," Hux retorted as he glared at Kylo.

"I have complete authority over this prisoner by command of Supreme Leader Snoke," Ren growled.

"Careful Ren, your personal attachment to this one could jeopardize your judgment here."

"I have no personal attachment to her," Ren thundered and Lux shuddered. 

But Hux remained calm until that eery smile took over his face again. "Keep telling yourself that, Ren. It's your own downfall you're setting yourself up for. Frankly I'm okay with that as long as it doesn't cause the downfall of us all."

"As usual Hux, you have no idea what you're talking about," Ren countered.

"I don't?" Hux asked with a bit of sarcasm in his tone. "Well...we'll see."