Chain Reaction

Chapter 24 - Redemption

Hux

Hux was anxiously pacing outside the tent, his finger between his lips, and his eyebrows were furrowed as he was lost in his thoughts. He wondered how Ren was doing with stalling Paige. Leia and Rey were the only people in the tent now and had been trying to contact Paige's mother's ghost through the Force. Hux ran a hand through his hair, his boot suddenly hit something and he looked down to find the pilot's droid. It was looking up at him, beeping something he didn't bother to try and understand.

"Buddy, be careful, he's not someone to play with."

The general looked up and saw Finn and Poe heading towards his direction.

"I need to talk to you." Hux said.

He was looking at Finn, and deliberately ignoring the pilot.

"Okay." Finn replied, he was skeptical, but if Hux tried to pull anything, he could take him.

Finn and Hux walked a distance away from Poe and the tent. They stopped and took shelter under the shade of a giant tree. Hux turned and faced the soldier.

"The wrench." He said, holding out his hand.

"What?"

"The wrench." Hux said, dragging out the last word.

Understanding landed in Finn's eyes, and he reached into his pant pocket. When his hand appeared again, he was holding the small wrench he had showed earlier. Hux reached out to grab it, but Finn quickly moved his hand out of the way.

"What do you want with it?"

"I'm going to return it to her, since you obviously have no plans to do so." Hux sneered.

Finn pursed his lips and tightened his grip on the item. He waved it in front of Hux's face.

"I always wanted to give it back to her." He said. "I took every order that people like you threw to do small things like summon her for something or check on her, so I could give this back to her."

"And I see you've had a successful venture." Hux said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"I... I just..." Finn closed his eyes tightly, and Hux raised his eyebrow at this.

He held the wrench against his chest. When Finn opened his eyes, he spoke clearly again.

"Everytime I saw her, I would remember. I'd remember what he looked like when he died. Whenever I look at her and see her suffer, I'd think that it was my fault for what she's going through, and that she doesn't have a family anymore."

Hux's jaw clenched as he heard his speech. It was like he was hearing himself talk, for he felt the same thing. He blamed himself for what had happened to her, in the first place, he was the one that brought her to Starkiller base. He captured her, and he chose to spare her, but at what cost. He wondered how things would have been if he hadn't let her live. Hux shook the thought off his head, he did not want to consider the idea, because he couldn't imagine a world without her.

The general reached out his hand and clasped it around Finn's, that was clutched around the wrench. Finn glared at Hux at first, but soon he slowly let go of the item. He heaved a sigh as Hux finally retrieved the item from him.

"Make sure she gets it back." Finn said.

Hux nodded and the ex-stormtrooper turned to leave him there. The general placed the item safely in his pant pocket and made his way back to the command center. Poe was once again seated at the foot of its entrance, lost in thought, as Hux came he looked up and stood.