Predator and Prey

Chapter 17

Hux rushed out of his meeting with Supreme Leader Snoke to see most of the base was already evacuating. He quickly got onto an abandoned computer and searched for Kylo's signal that should be in the young Knight's belt. Upon finding it, he was both annoyed and relieved to see it was already out of the building, still on the base, but at least not in the targeted area from the Resistance pilots. He, however, would have to go through that area to get to Kylo Ren.

Hastily making his way through the halls, Hux came to the space in time to realize the bridge had already been destroyed... he'd have to take the long way through the service halls that were laid out of sight below the floors. He'd never been in them but he knew the entire layout of Star Killer base so it shouldn't be too hard to find his way. What irritated him the most however was the fact Phasma and that bounty hunter were nowhere to be found and neither one was answering him over their communicators!

"Blast it Ren! If you had just followed orders!" Hux muttered under his breath as he moved through the tunnels, which were of course deserted by now. From up above he could hear the blaster fire raining down along with the occasional explosion as TIE Fighters and X-Wings crashed... this place wouldn't hold much longer. "I better not die for this sorry excuse for a Knight of Ren!"

The supports moaned as another explosion rocked the base and Hux paled before picking up the pace, sprinting for the exit until the cold air hit him with full force. He slowed but didn't stop as he followed the tracks in the snow that led in the direction Kylo Ren had gone. Blood began speckling the snow in patches, concerning Hux over Supreme Leader Snoke's precious apprentice, but he continued on even as the planet began tearing apart. After all, if Kylo Ren died, it wouldn't matter if he got to safety... Snoke would kill him for his failure.

"Ren!" He shouted through the forest in frustration. "We need to leave!"

No one answered but he found a dark shape in the center of blood stained snow. Hux quickly pulled Kylo to his feet, taking in the new wound to the young man's face and the bloodied injury to his side. He scowled at the man, how had a scavenger woman and several rebels managed to defeat Kylo Ren... Oh, that's right; Kylo was an overconfident, arrogant, stupid, and childish excuse for a Knight of Ren!

A moan came from the limp figure as he dragged him and Hux glared down at Kylo. "Perhaps next time you won't make rash decisions!"

"S-shut up... Hux." Ren coughed, his expression wracked with pain. "Where... where is she?"

"The scavenger is long gone."

"No... P-Predator."

Hux rolled his eyes. "That bounty hunter is long gone."

"We need to go back!" Kylo shifted away, only managing to stagger to a tree to hold his weight up.

"We are going to die if we don't get to a ship now stop being a stubborn child and listen to me!" Hux shouted in rage, dragging the taller man to where a ship should be waiting.

Kylo once again tugged free despite his weakening body. "I n-need the truth! She has it!"

"Your delusional!" Hux followed after the half conscious man, trying to get back to the ship.

The ground ripped another fissure mere yards away, breaking the path back to where his ship sat and making panic flash through Hux... They were going to die here and it was all Ren's fault! He had no choice but to follow Kylo Ren as they went back into the burning and crumbling oscillator. The smoke alone was enough to make him want to leave but he was dragged in farther as Kylo Ren began his useless search.

"Ren, this is our last chance!" His voice rose in an undignified manner as a final hit struck and destroyed the oscillator, sending fresh heat through it... any moment now Starkiller would over heat and implode with them on it.

"Help me!" The foolish man's voice answered from amongst the smoke.

Hux rushed over, fearing the man had injured himself again, but found Ren on his knees and using the Force to hold heavy beams off a motionless figure. He was actually surprised Predator was still on base alive or dead, he had expected the bounty hunter to leave the moment things got bad. Kylo gave a huff, shaking with the strain of using his powers and the blood loss, which snapped Hux out of it long enough to drag Predator free.

"She's... alive." Kylo coughed, limping over and using Hux's shoulder for support. "We can go."

Hux restrained himself from giving a scathing comment as he did his best to carry Predator's dead weight and most of Kylo Ren's. For such thin people, they weighed a lot. He looked around hopelessly as he searched for any way to get to a ship, if there was even one left, but looked up as a shuttle flew down with the landing ramp out. He gladly got on, with a bit of difficulty of course, but managed to get everyone inside the ship. The ship took off right as the planet gave out and he felt the shuttle rock a bit but they managed to escape without any permanent damage. He gave a sigh of relief at that and check on Kylo to find the man was passed out on the floor in a ball of pain while Predator was still barely alive in his arms.

"You are so lucky I saw you." Phasma spoke up as she walked over.

Hux laid Predator down and nodded wearily before wrinkling his nose slightly. "Where have you been? You smell like Bantha dung."

Phasma turned away, most likely scowling at him under that chrome colored mask. "I'll take us back to the Finalizer, the medical droids can take care of those two."

Hux went back to working on getting the two before him stabilized, though most of their bleeding had stopped. Kylo's face looked pretty bad, hopefully the droids could save his vision if any damage had been done to it, though the stupid man deserved it for going off to fight on his own. The bounty hunter however, well, he wasn't sure what else there was to do for her. Her throat was coated in dried blood and most of her bones appeared to be broken if not crushed. Hux pulled off her helmet to check for any other damage and to make sure she could at least breath a bit better, not that it would make much of a difference, it was a miracle she hadn't been too badly burned though the burns she did have were deep.

"Fly faster Phasma." Hux looked at the Storm Trooper who was piloting the shuttle."We're going to lose both of them before the droids even see them at this rate."

Well book one is almost over :(

But.... Book 2 will be out after the epilogue! :D