Dark and Light

Prologue

One week after Starkiller base was destroyed.

General Hux stared back into the glare of Supreme Leader Snoke; glad he was only a hologram. "I assure you, Kylo Ren will survive his wounds. The fever is only a slight set back, he'll be back on his feet in a matter of days... a week at the most!"

"That isn't the only problem and you know it, General." Snoke's voice was rough and cold. "Your foolish assembly cost nearly your entire army... Tell me, how much use are you to my fight if you have no warriors to supply?"

He forced his eyes to keep looking forward. "Phasma is training more. As I said, we will not be stopped by the last attack, our armies will be back to their former glory soon."

Snoke's form loomed over him. "The scavenger girl has found Skywalker, she will not be defeated easily. What do you plan to do about her if she attacks with the Resistance at her back before you are ready?"

Hux stayed silent for a moment before responding a cocky expression coming across his face. "The Resistance wouldn't dare risk her just yet. That will be their own mistake... and their downfall."

"What of the bounty hunter?" Snoke leaned back, dropping the subject, but Hux could still see the fury behind the hologram's gaze. "You are wasting supplies and credits healing her. Things you could be using to make the First Order strong again."

"I have thought of that, Supreme Leader, but Ren will not have it. When he first woke up the first thing he made sure of was the bounty hunter being treated." He felt chills go down his spine, as Snoke seemed to grow in fury. "He said she was important, to get their blood tested, nothing more."

"And?" Snoke seemed to be waiting for his point.

"They're related." Hux stared at the ground. "Lord Ren has yet to know but he won't let her die until he finds out. He seemed to want information from her, or his father, I'm not sure. Either way, it isn't likely the old smuggler lived or the bounty hunter will make it."

"Make sure she does." Snoke's words surprised him slightly as the hologram leaned back, a calculating expression in his eyes. "Losing her could mean losing Kylo Ren... and I won't lose my apprentice. You may keep her alive for now."

Those words, those two little words, 'you may'. Hux nodded and waited until the hologram faded before leaving. Snoke knew he was part of the reason Zheth wasn't dead yet, it wasn't just Ren's choice alone to keep her breathing. If, no once, she woke up... he would make sure she could prove her worth to the First Order. Then Supreme Leader Snoke would have to allow her to stick around, which wouldn't be hard considering the need for manpower currently.

"I take it the meeting didn't go well General?" Phasma joined him as he walked towards the infirmary.

Hux didn't look at her. "Shouldn't you be training the new recruits?"

"I'm going there now... idiots are loyal but don't know one end of a blaster from another." She growled out. "Honestly, the Resistance wouldn't have to do anything but stand there while some of these dunces blew their heads off!"

"Then fix it!" He snapped, turning into the infirmary and leaving her to continue on her way... He'd pay for that comment later. Hux stopped a medical droid. "Is he awake?"

"He has been for some time." The droid responded.

Hux walked farther in until he found Kylo Ren shifting around uncomfortably in the medical bed, fresh bandages around his side and face. "You'll make them worse by moving."

"They're going to scar anyway so who cares?" Great, that childish attitude was back.

"Supreme Leader does. He wants you back training as soon as you are fit to."

"I'm fit enough." Kylo acted as if he was going to get up but only flopped back onto his side. "Force, why is it so cold in here?"

"You're sick. If you rested you would feel better sooner." Hux stated simply, as though he was talking with a child.

Kylo shuddered again despite the sheen of sweat on his body. "What about Zheth? Is my sister awake yet? I need to... I have something to ask."

"Nothing's changed in her condition." He saw frustration in Ren's fever clouded eyes and mentally rolled his eyes; no need to make him upset... it was bad for his healing. I little lie in this instance would benefit the man-child in front of him. "The test came back."

"And?" Kylo's eyes brightened.

"Whoever told her that Han Solo was her father lied. Most likely trying to change her alliance, nothing more." Hux assured him, hoping Ren wasn't in his mind to see through the lie.

Ren seemed to deflate a bit, an internal debate going through his own head before he spoke again. "Keep her alive. She could still help us... I want to speak with her as soon as she's awake."

Hux gave a nod to the wish before walking off. He wasn't sure what the point was behind Kylo's order but perhaps they were on, or at least close, to the same page of needing more manpower. He stopped to check in on the mangled body of Predator, her rough breathing was enough to alert him that she was indeed still alive, every wheeze sounded forced though. It was already a miracle she had survived this long, it would be more than a miracle if she actually recovered. Hux examined her closely, her bones had been set back in place to heal and wires stuck out of her in so many places it almost seemed as if they were a part of her body instead of a foreign machine.

"She is stable." A droid informed him.

"When will she wake up?" He demanded, continuing his evaluation.

If a droid could shrug he was sure this one would have. "We cannot calculate the damage done mentally. It will take time but we are working on stopping the rest of the damage before it gets worse."

Infection. The droid meant an infection. Hux glanced in the direction of Ren's bed, he might get over that fever the wounds had given him but the bounty hunter wouldn't. He didn't want to know the level of tantrum Ren would throw if she died before he could get answers, now that would be a waste of credits... Hux had a feeling that if he compared the money spent getting Starkiller operational along with the troops and weapons to the repairs he had been forced to fix because of Ren's bursts of anger, the latter was probably more money. Of course if he told Supreme Leader Snoke this he would be accused of trying to back out of the agreement like a coward.

Hux glared at the droid. "Make sure she wakes up, if she doesn't I will make sure Lord Ren knows exactly which droid to tear to pieces."

If the medical droid was phased by his threat it didn't show. Hux gave a stressed huff of air before stalking out of the medical bay... Things were not going as planned. He hated when things didn't go as planned! With a slight growl he walked off to bark some commands at a few unlucky workers aboard the Finalizer, he would restore order here and then to the rest of the galaxy.