Blinded by the Dark | General Hux

I

AM-1596's eyes darted about the flashing metal of the lift as it sped past tens of floors; ticking lights signifying where they were - that being her and her leader, the infamous Kylo Ren of the First Order who stared forward under the mask. She dared not look at him however, and held her hands behind her, wringing them anxiously.

Swept from her regiment, and as such her life as a mere Stormtrooper in uniform, she was uncomfortable in new clothes that felt formal and well made in comparison even though they only consisted of a black sweater tucked into cargo trousers of the same shade; and for the first time in her life, her dark hair stretched down her back, brushing her hands, a far cry from being stuffed into a helmet all day.

She had no real idea why she had been excused from her duties, especially by such a higher up, but AM-1596 could tell, in some way, it wasn't to be reprimanded. Such a job would be left to her captain.

The lift slammed to a halt and she drew a breath, glancing for a millisecond at Ren as if for instruction before returning her gaze and stepping out after him onto a shiny, echoing bridge that ran all the way down the red room to a throne. Slouched upon it was a decrepit looking thing in a gold robe that clashed viciously with the red wall behind; had it not been for their slight movements, she never would have spotted the armoured guards lining the room.

She hung back like someone who had intruded on something far above her, which was not, to her, far off from reality and watched her commander approach instead, bowing on one knee at the foot of the throne. It was then she became aware of the General, the stoic red-head whom she had seen many times on the bridge of Starkiller on her rounds and the likes of which she couldn't say she especially liked even through their limited interactions.

He was cold, a perfectionist, willing to do whatever it took to get his way and she had seen that first hand. She couldn't imagine what being shouted at by him must feel like: the second hand fear she had experienced before on behalf of the officers was enough to make her nervous of him so she kept her eyes firmly fixed away from his line of sight, trying to almost hide herself behind the commander instead.

An opinion had yet to form of her commander however, given the brief nature of their encounter thus far and how she had never had the honour of meeting him before. She had only ever caught glimpses of him and his shadows as he stalked down hallways: always masked and never in a good mood. That would be why so much damage to the base was attributed to him.

"Ren, you have interrupted once again." Hux said as the commander stood. "Have you actually anything of worth to report?"

"I suspect for the first time ever he does." the golden robed one replied, intrigue lining his words. "Speak, then."

"Supreme Leader, I have discovered an individual who is well versed with the Force." he explained, voice disguised by the mask which AM-1596 found as the first time she had ever heard it. But in this brief reverie she realised that they had all turned to look at her, Ren gesturing her forward, so she moved, shuffling to his side while the General glanced her up and down with cold, unwelcoming eyes. She diverted her gaze nervously again. "The Force is strong in her."

She looked between them all quickly then swallowed, waiting for someone else to speak. Stars know she was not about to get herself punished for talking out of turn accidently.

"Name?" the Supreme Leader said, looking to her for an answer with a dismissive, unimpressed air, lip curling into a vaguely disgusted sneer of entitlement.

"A...AM-1...1596...sir."

"A trooper?" Hux scoffed with a furrowed, somewhat amused expression, once again looking her up and down as her legs began to shake. A lot of powerful people were looking at her in that moment and she was a worthless individual, they had made that clear. She was slightly hoping one of them would just squash her like the bug she was and put her out of her misery. "The level of incompetence you exude baffles me more and more every day, Ren."