Allegiance | Kylo Ren

LX

Hux looked up as I entered, his pale eyes narrowing as he recognized me.

"Hello, CL—"

"Calia." I interrupted him, barely able to stop myself from rolling my eyes. "General Hux, I need to talk to you, if you have a moment."

He rolled up the map on the table in front of him. "What is it?"

"There is a mission at the end of this week." I began, not liking the way he was looking at me. "And Kylo seemed surprised to hear it. Why is that? Isn't he a part of the planning committee for missions?"

Hux crossed his arms over his chest, sneering. "Did he send you to scold me for leaving him out?"

I frowned at him. "No, I am here of my own accord."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why does it matter if he was part of the planning or not?"

"It just seemed strange to me. The last time I checked, you were asking for his approval before sending out troops. But this time you left him completely out."

"I don't think it is any of your concern how we plan missions, trooper." Hux seemed all too pleased to remind me what I was.

I dug the toe of my shoe into the ground, fighting to hide my anger. "Please, sir. Kylo is my closest friend, and if there is something going on that affects him, I think I deserve to know."

He gazed at me for a moment, making me feel small under his light stare. Then his lips curled upwards slightly. "Very well. I will tell you. Kylo Ren has been meeting more consistently with Supreme Leader Snoke as he reaches the time of his final assessment. His training has almost been completed."

My eyes widened as I listened. I don't know what I had been expecting, but this wasn't it.

"He has a particularly long session with the Supreme Leader scheduled for the day of the mission, and Snoke and I agreed that he need not be bothered with a mission as trivial as this one as his assessment nears. He needs to focus on what is more important."

"When is his final assessment?" I inquired, curious. Maybe I could help him prepare somehow.

"That is confidential." Hux's voice was dry. "Even he does not know."

"Well... what is it?"

At that, Hux smirked. "Do you honestly think I would tell you?"

I blinked at his overt disdain. Clearly, this conversation was over. "That is all, General. Thank you." I turned to leave, but was stopped by his voice.

"Trooper."

I closed my eyes for a heartbeat, fighting to calm myself before turning with a false smile plastered across my face.

"Yes, General?"

He gazed at me for a moment, seeming to be studying my face. "Nothing. You are dismissed."

I turned on my heel and left, letting out a loud huff of frustration as the door closed behind me. The General never failed to irk me, no matter how much or how little he spoke.

I paced the hallway for a moment, trying to push down my irritation. After taking a few deep breaths, I stopped to think. Did I go back to Kylo's room and share what I had just learned? That didn't seem like a good idea at the moment. I probably should stay away from him until I found a way to control my raging emotions, to figure out what I really wanted, deep down.

I found myself en route to the hospital. Mason always seemed to know a way to calm me down, and that was what I most needed right then. Even as I neared the medical wing, I felt myself growing calm. It must have been a conditioned response by then—the very thought of being near him eased my nerves.

He glanced up as I entered, a smile working its way across his handsome face. He nodded with his head, indicating that I should help him with what he was doing. I pulled on a pair of rubber gloves and approached, examining his patient.

The trooper sitting on the bed in front of him could not have been older than fourteen. I stared at the boy for a moment, caught off guard by his youthfulness. He had a scratch running down his forearm. It was lightly oozing blood, the scarlet drops leaving trails across his tan skin.

"Cal, can you hold this gauze in place while I tape it up?" Mason handed me a long strip of the absorbent material. I took it and pressed it softly to the wound, watching the boy's face for signs of pain.

"You okay?" I asked him softly. "This doesn't hurt, does it?"

He shook his head shyly, refusing to meet my gaze. I smiled softly at his bashfulness as Mason set to work with a few pieces of medical tape. He finished quickly, and the boy thanked him quietly and hopped off the bed, grabbing his helmet and his arm plate before leaving quickly.

"He was young." I observed mildly, watching the boy disappear out the door.

Mason gave a soft shake of his nod. "They're getting younger and younger every day, it seems. It's the little ones who get hurt more easily—they're just not ready for combat, even in training."

I frowned. "That's not good."

He agreed quietly, pulling off his gloves and discarding them in a nearby bin. I copied him, glancing around the wing—it was empty of patients, its only inhabitants being nurses restocking materials and straightening bedsheets.

Mason tugged softly on one of my braids, and I turned to him with a small smile on my lips. He kissed me quickly.

"You look beautiful today."

"I look the same as I do every day." I countered.

"Well, you look beautiful every day, then."

I bit my lip and laughed lightly, admiring the way his green eyes sparkled when he smiled.

He leaned in and spoke softly. "Stay with me again tonight?"

"If you insist." I teased, shrugging.  Kylo's face flashed through my mind, but I pushed him away with a twinge of guilt.

"I do insist." He grazed his lips against mine.

"Then I will." I couldn't help but grin.