Red Opus

Chapter 13: Settled

"She's beautiful, isn't she." Hux said proudly, crossing his arms over his chest and not even trying to fight the smug grin that encompassed his face.

You nodded absently in agreement. The Supremacy may have been the flagship of the Supreme Leader, but you knew this was where both of the men standing either side of you felt truly at home. The star-destroyer was familiar to you in a way that the Supremacy had not been, it's ancient shape forged by the emperor himself in the times of the Galactic Empire. It was a simple, yet sleek design, installing both awe and terror in those who bore witness to it. The limo rattled loudly as it passed through the gravity field surrounding the ship. The shuddering was intense, even you had to grab on to the wall beside you so as not to loose balance. You hissed through your teeth in pain as the pilots steadied the shuttle, bringing her in.

As the ship settled, Hux moved first, standing with his hands clasped behind his back at the entrance to the ramp as he watched it descend. The first officer and other crew members scurried like mice around the three of you, eager to make their own escape from what you were sure was a less than pleasant atmosphere on board. Once the ramp hit the floor, you expected to follow him off the ship, but curiously, he didn't move. You cast him an odd look before marching straight past him and into the hangar. It was just one long hall, with a strange shape. Various transport shuttles were strategically placed along the floor, each marked out with beaming lights The hangar was half the size of the one on the Supremacy, and the walls were lines with TIE-fighters of all shapes and sizes. The fighters lining the walls stepped up in groups of four, encompassing both sides. As it had been on the Supremacy, squads of stormtroopers marched in and out of view, although the presence of other officers was less felt.

Hux and Ren both marched uniformly from the limo into the hangar behind you, a manoeuvre you had no doubt had been perfected over years of practise. Their footfalls were in perfect synchronicity, to your curious observations. Much in the way you had noticed officers' heartbeats synchronise when in close proximity to them, the unconscious dual footfalls of the apprentice and the general did more than peak your interest. You watched them from halfway across the hangar, half turned towards them in an awkward awareness, and your ears pricked up to hear the last remnants of their conversation.

"...Might I remind you that this is my ship." Hux muttered to Ren, who seemed not the least bit interested. "Not some fancy training vessel. You can't expect..."

They passed you, suddenly going quiet. Neither of them glanced your way as you fell into step at their rear. Muttering to yourself, your eyes flashed around, making quick mental notes of the nearest exits, what types of droid were scattered around, and most importantly –

" – and of course, it will be staying in my quarters for now."

You skidded to a halt, face inches from Ren's enormous back. His annoying habit of suddenly stopping whilst you were walking behind him would be the death of your pride one day. Hux carried on a few more paces, riding crop swinging against his leg, before turning to face the knight. His eyes darted back towards your figure. He looked startled by Ren's sudden tension, even though he must surely be used to it by now. You internally groaned at the thought of having to step in between a cat fight.

Taking yet another side step, you gracefully pivoted around Ren's statue-like figure, taking in his body language. His back was ram-rod straight, mask obviously giving nothing away to the untrained eye. But of course, you could sense a little more than that. The tiniest sliver of anger began to bubble inside of him, spilling to the top but not yet causing any physical reactions. What exactly was Hux putting in his quarters to have him react in such a way?