Dawn of a new Force

Chapter 31 - Conspiracies and betrayals.

Hux quietly sipped an amber liquid in a coruscian crystal glass in his private sitting room. He watched, through the porthole, the apparent tranquility of space. He remembered his gradual rise to power, how his father Brendol had instilled in him the love of order and the ambition of power. How much he had worked, and all the sacrifices he had made to create the First Order. The hours and the energy he had spent on bringing this utopia to its feet and making sure to gather all these energies around this idea to make it a reality.

He had not worked all these years to leave this power to a despising post-teen, adept of the Force, that Hux had always considered unnatural. How to admit that a simple, unjust gift gives you a great destiny rather than rewarding ambition and hard work. At least Snoke had been a good Supreme Leader. He knew how to federate men around him, he could instil fear in his enemies without much demonstration. He had the measure. And the measure summed up the whole life of Armitage Hux.

All the opposite of Kylo Ren. This idiot incapable of mastery, unable to know how to direct men. Hux stood up and looked at himself in the reflection of the porthole. Yes ... the dark circles under his eyes reflected his sleep difficulties. A sleep he had been troubling for a long time since he met Ren. While he had given Snoke all his help, he had been on a par with Ren, even though Ren did not assist in the creation of the First Order. This opportunist had played the big arm, it was all about it. And Hux did not support opportunism.

Hux knew he was respected in the army he led. He knew that he was recognized as a leader and a soldier, the fact that he had climbed up the ladder to the rank of general, the consecration of his career. The next step was there, right in front of him. He would not have long to wait now. He would finally receive the power that was to come back to him, he could finally act as he wished and as the First Order had to.

He heard the beep of his tablet. He finally had the report.

He put his glass back on the console and grabbed the tablet. He looked at the data received. A thin smile appeared on his lips. His steel blue eyes were piercing. There was. But the hard part was going to be convincing the next morning. He knew Ren would not be present at the meeting, he wanted to meet Ren's knights. He would have every latitude to act. He would have to use all his influence, but he was a good politician, besides being a good soldier. Hux knew that his destiny was waiting for him tomorrow, and that he should not miss his chance.

He put the tablet back on the console, picked up his drink and took another sip. Yes, tomorrow would be a great day. The day of the consecration of his efforts.

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Poe sent a key that had the misfortune of being within reach. He also waved a trunk that crashed heavily on the ground, scattering around it all the tools it contained with a crash.

He lifted crazy locks that came to stick on his forehead.

He was so angry. He could not deny everything he believed in, even for Rey. Trust this monster ... impossible. And there was also Rey. That betrayal came from her was the worst thing. He who would have hoped, one day, to share more with her than a simple camaraderie. He was now convinced that this would not happen. She used that name, "Ben". As if they were close ... as if they were ... intimate. And that made him mad with rage.

He heard footsteps approaching him. It was Rose.

- Rose, this is not the moment ...

She kept coming closer and put a soft hand on his shoulder.

- Poe, look at me.

He turned to look at her. She had the power to appease people, he thought, calming down quickly. Her soft gaze reflected a tangible worry.

- I understand your anger, believe me. I also understand your surprise. But ... did not you tell me about Rey so often? Of her incredible qualities, of her light, of the hope that she brings us to all?

- Yes, I thought it once, he said bitterly.

- But what has changed so much? Rey brings us a hope to end this conflict, perhaps not by the way we thought, but perhaps in another way. She is still her, with her qualities that you enjoy so much.

- But Rose, she talks about him as if we could trust him ... she calls him "Ben"!

- I ... I do not know how to tell you that ... but, I believe her. I think we can change if we find the right person. And I think that all our bad deeds can be balanced by good ones ... After all, I'm sure the general would have liked us to save her son.

- He'll need some good deeds to redeem himself, he spat.

Rose pursed her lips. She had to tell him.

- Poe, you know, my sister always said to me "it's not in fighting those we hate that we win, it's saving those we love." And she was so right!

- I do not love her, Rose.

- Yes, but ... she loves him, she said softly.

Poe froze for a moment, then looked up to meet Rose's.

- She saved him, she gives us one more chance. The best we have, no doubt. Please, Poe, agree to speak with her.

Poe hugged Rose in her arms. This little piece of woman had the gift of bringing out the best of you. She had opened his eyes even though it had been difficult. He was going to find Rey.

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Hux had chosen to gather the generals in a meeting room overlooking the space. It soothed him and calmed his anguish when he felt it. The stake of this morning was capital.

He waited until everyone was seated and stood up. The disparate voices died one after the other so that there remained only one silence. With arms folded in the back, straight, his hair carefully combed, Hux looked over them. He looked at each face with his steel eyes, then began to walk around the huge meeting table.

- Gentlemen, he began, I have gathered you to give you particularly sensitive information about our Order. Data that will lead you to make a decision, the most important of your life.

Interrogating murmurs arose in the room, and Hux smiled. He could start.

A hologram appeared on the table. Data was included. Rey's face was attached to this data.

- This is how our current Supreme Leader betrayed our cause, as he sympathized with the rebels, and how he, assuredly, murdered our Supreme Leader Snoke.

The murmurs turned into lively protests.

- Hux, you are crazy!

- By what right!

- Impossible!

All these protests stopped when Hux returned to his seat.

- Tss tss tss ... Gentlemen, you can imagine that I unfortunately did not imagine all that. I am going to expose everything to you, then I will let you decide who should continue to lead our great Order ... or who must take back in hand and lead to ultimate power our Order.

And Hux began his detailed presentation.