There were tears in his eyes now that Kylo stood over the crumpled body of Finn. His breaths came in shallow gasps that shook his limbs in steady vibrations. Although thankful for the protection of his mask, Kylo knew the tears were not of sadness, but of passion. Feeling that power returning to his system once more made his insides twist as the darkness swirled around through his veins.

Gingerly, he kicked the unmoving heap sprawled on the metal floor. There was no stirring, but to his surprise, Kylo felt the man's pulse drum ever so slowly. It was clearly a desperate attempt to keep himself alive and with such an accomplishment, Kylo could hardly refrain from smirking. He became reminiscent of his small victory on Starkiller as he oversaw the former stormtrooper, much like he was now- sprawled out, in pain, and unconscious beneath his feet.

Kylo soon came to the realization that he had gotten hopelessly lost in the moment and had been standing frozen in place for several, long minutes. He sighed pleasurably and then turned from the body in search of the General to report his findings after his trip through FN-2187's mind. Much to his luck, the red head seemed to be awaiting him beside the door.

"I heard screaming. I presume that means you finally grew a pair and took the necessary steps into our traitor's head?" Hux exclaimed presumptuously, a twinkle shining within his eyes as he said so.

Kylo nodded, too exhausted to give in to his disparagement. "The Girl. She reached out to him before my interrogation and it would seem as though she is in the process of locating our base. I fear her...abilities have become overwhelmingly advanced with the aid of Skywalker. However, with her so firmly linked to him, I believe I may be able to gather her position from the boy's own mind." He glanced behind his shoulder and Hux's gaze was soon to follow. His narrowed eyes watched the body like a hawk ready to dive for its prey, sending shivers down Kylo's spine without him even having to look his direction.

"I suggest we act quickly, then. Take them first, before they even see us coming." Hux suggested, his voice smoother than Kylo thought possible. "Hurry now and pull whatever intel you need. Then, alert the five and have them at the ready. I shall seek counsel with the Supreme Leader in the meantime. Should he agree with my proposition, we depart by morning."

As Hux shifted to leave, Kylo caught his arm in protest. "We?" he questioned.

The General grunted, "Of course we. As much as I'd love to oversee the mission safely aboard the Finalizer, Ren, I've waited far too long miss Skywalker be put into the ground where he belongs." Kylo couldn't find it in himself to argue, even so, he knew there would be no stopping Hux now that he had his mind made up. Hesitantly, he released his grip and watched as his black coated form disappeared down the hall.

"Greetings Supreme Leader," said Hux, coming to a bow in front of the looming figure of Snoke. The great creature had been pacing the parameter of the chamber upon his arrival, clearly deep in thought. Although, about what, Hux was not certain. He cleared his throat in hopes to gather the attention of his leader and started, "Sir, after questioning, Lord Ren claimed to have intercepted a message from the Girl. She and her Resistance should be upon us any day now, therefore I believe we should be the first to strike, rather than wait for them to come for us here." This had finally caught the interest of his leader, so Hux continued without hesitation. "Ren also affirmed to me that he will be able to acquire the location of not only the girl, but Skywalker-"

Snoke raised a marred, white hand to silence him. "Do what you must, General. I simply ask that you inform me where it is our adversaries have gone into hiding. Only a select few in this universe have possessed the ability to escape from my sights." Hux swallowed, but did no more to indicate his fear as he would not dare show weakness in front of the Supreme Leader. "When is it that you suggest we send a legion to their location?" questioned Snoke, leaving behind the open ended threat for Hux to decipher how he pleased.

The General refused to further acknowledge Snoke's attempts at rattling him. Although surprised by his lack of willingness to disagree, Hux stood up straighter. "Tomorrow morning, Sir. That way, we move out as soon as possible while still having time to prep our troops."

"Go, then. I shall join you before you touch down on the planet. Like you, General, I wish not to miss the demise of Skywalker. It has been a long time coming." Hux nodded, his previous alarm replaced with a sense of pride at the thought. The Order's final blow was to come into play before long and it would cripple the Resistance beyond measure. All his life's work, from the Academy to Starkiller, had been leading up to this. He bowed once more, then turned on his heel to leave. Although, Snoke's eerie whisper ghosted into his ears before he was able to exit the chamber, making Hux's skin turn to frost. "And General, don't forget our little arrangement."

Hux returned to his room that night with vat full of mixed emotions turning within. He was torn between the great pride he felt for himself and the Order, but terrified all the same at Snoke's tactful warning. As a headache began to splice into him, Hux launched himself inside the door and threw his body on the mattress. An audible groan escaped his lips when the hiss of the doors alerted him of a visitor. "You know," Hux started, voice mumbled by the cloth, "my quarters require access codes for a reason, Ren. And you certainly do not have said codes."

Kylo removed his mask with a chuckle and plopped himself down beside the other man. "When have you ever known me to do the lawful thing?" Hux sighed and rolled over onto his back to stare at the ceiling. Ren smiled fondly at his flustered expression before reaching his hand over to entwine them between the strands of Hux's hair.

"You know I hate when you do that." Hux growled shooting him a glare.

Kylo stopped rummaging his fingers for only a moment to respond matter-of-factly, "Which is exactly why I do it."

The two sat in a comfortable silence for only a little while longer before Hux pushed himself up by his elbows to land gracefully at the foot of the bed. "Look, you're welcome to stay the night, Ren; however, I would actually like to sleep for at least a few minutes." As he had guessed, Kylo made his decision quickly. He nodded in response, then unlatched his boots and shed his outer clothes before easing his way under the sheets. Hux did the same and was met with a set of bulky arms capturing him into an embrace. "Do try not to strangle me, will you?" Kylo loosened his grip, though Hux refrained from admitting he actually enjoyed the affection. Instead, Ren smiled into his hair as the thought projected itself  into his head subconsciously.

"Ahch-To."

Hux peaked open an eye and sat upright, "What?"

"That's where Skywalker and the girl are now." He paused as if recalling a long forgotten memory, "Also, the location of the first ever Jedi Temple. Lucky for us, they have not departed yet, so we should be right on time." Kylo smiled fondly in the darkness,  as even without Hux's vision, he knew he could sense it. "The galaxy will be ours before long."

Soon enough, both men's breath had slowed as they succumbed into rest. Although, when Hux's eyes opened again, he found himself not enclosed within Ren's caress, but kneeling before of him. His head thrummed in pain following the sudden sensation of blood leaking from a gash beside his temple. "How could you do this?" Came the accusatory roughness of Ren's voice. He wore no mask to deflect the hurt displayed so clearly across his features. From where Hux crouched, he could even see the few rebellious tears being unsuccessfully fought back into their ducts. Unbeknownst to him,  Ren's saber had been ignited, casting them both in its red glow. In the light, Kylo's eyes shone with pure hatred, making Hux shrink back in fear.

"Kill the traitor."

Hux's head snapped around to Snoke's haunting grin. He watched the pair like a predator stalking its prey. Just in time, Hux went back to face Ren, but not before his abdomen was met with the piercing jab of a lightsaber. He gagged once before hitting the ground with a sickening thud and an unheard scream echoing around inside his mind.

The blackness was traded for the feeling of hands clasped around his shoulders, violently shaking his body. Hux awoke to see Ren's face again, this time, his eyes were no longer burning with loathing, but concern. "Hux wake up! Hux!"

The General gasped, and upon instinct, shoved him away violently. Kylo crashed to the floor, while Hux hastily crawled as far away from the other man as possible "Get away from me!" He shouted, his gaze not daring to move in case Ren decided to make a sudden movement.

"Kriff, Hux. What is wrong with you?" Kylo held his hands up in a gesture of peace, while coming to a standing position as slowly as possible, though he took note of the flinch in Hux's posture. "Hey, you were thrashing and yelling in your sleep. I-I tried to get in and help, but you pushed me out."

Hux let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding and ran a hand over his cheek. Finally, as he came back into reality, Hux spoke, "I'm sorry. Just a nightmare, Ren. Nothing to fret over."

Kylo inched his way back over to the bed, sitting tentatively at the edge, "It must have been. I've never seen you look that frightened in your life." He seemed to think on this for another moment, "Actually, I don't think I've ever seen you scared before."

He reached out in hopes of offering a caring squeeze to his arm, but Hux shrunk away. "Stop! Please! Just stop. I'm fine, Ren." Kylo appeared stung, even though he did not dare disobey. "Just go back to sleep."

"There's no point," He sighed. "It's already drawing near to the end of the sleep cycle." At that, Kylo began to change into his battle robes, yet his mind never left Hux's evident distress filled outburst. Even as he dressed himself, Hux moved with reserve, carefully avoiding a meeting of the Knight's eyes. The ambiguity of everything soon became too much to bear. Kylo stood and began to reach over to the General who tensed, though not at him- at the knock sounding at the door.

It was Alema. "My Lord, the shuttle is ready to depart and the Knights are at your command, sir." Kylo waved her away, then followed close behind, Hux at his heels. When they reached the ship, a small legion of troopers awaited them outside, poised and ready for their arrival. They passed by without a second thought and fastened themselves down inside the carrier. The ship hissed awake, sending them careening up into the atmosphere before finally breaking into light speed.

Glad to be cleared from his safety restraints, Hux propelled himself forward out of his seat. Immediately, his path was set for the frontal viewports. Whether it was from familiarity or just plain curiosity, he did not know, but naturally Hux gravitated towards it. Watching the stars streak by, filled him back with the confidence he had lost during the night. This had to be his most important mission of his life, and in no way would he let one nightmare destroy his ultimate dream. Hux felt the foolishness of it all rise up in his system.

Ren, he called out.

Hux. Came back the overly fond undertone he had grown so accustomed to tingling in the back of his skull.  Warmth filled his body at the sensation, forcing out a sigh of comfort that Hux quickly extinguished, had any personnel been keen enough to witness. Not surprisingly, within a moments notice, a figure was by his side, masked and as threatening as ever.

Hux bowed his head to the floor, ashamed to have to even mentally murmur the words. Look, Ren, I'm sorry. He chuckled aloud, but it fell away almost as swift as it came. I just need you to know that I'm not entirely the man you think I am.

How cliche, General. Kylo responded.

In that moment, Hux felt the overwhelming urge to hit the other man across the back of the head. Yet, he congratulated himself at showing at least some restraint,  instead opting for an audible groan. I'm serious. If we make it out of this alive, I just need you to know-

Unexpectedly, an immensely large hand slipped its way into Hux's own that had been tucked away inconspicuously at his side. Stop, Hux. I don't care. Ren replied. The General shifted uncomfortably to cloak the display from the surrounding pilots, but did no more to end the touch.

"Beginning our descent into Ahch-To's atmosphere, sir." Informed a nearby trooper, quickly gaining the attention of both Ren and Hux.

Hux furrowed his brows, curious as to how the exchange had been so easy coming. He presumed his  thoughts had been projected as Kylo spoke up, "They know we are here, but as immensely powerful as they are, they do not possess enough to stop us from this distance." He stilled for a moment before continuing, "It would seem as though they have contacted the Resistance, but their forces are too far off. Only few remain within a few hours or less of a reach."

As they broke through the cloud coverage, a world of endless sea came into view. Scattered like bread crumbs, were islands that without a doubt concealed many of the galaxy's most ancient secrets. The General's eyes sparkled uncharacteristically at each tempting mass sticking from the waves. Now was not the time to explore, Hux reprimanded himself, focusing again on the location of Skywalker and his disciple, though he knew Ren was far more skilled in himself to find the pair without instrumentation. "There," He pointed to a chain of land marks, huddled just across the viewfinder.

Almost as if on queue, blaster fire shook the hull. The ship rumbled, but otherwise remained steady. Hux regained his balance and straightaway began barking commands to the others. "Fire the assault weapons and make sure we get those pilots either on or in the ground." At that, Hux spiraled backwards and headed towards their armory. Without a pause, his hand reached for the single sniper rifle encased carefully on the wall. It's sleek, ebony features glinted darkly as it was plucked from its place, making Hux's lip hitch into a brief smirk. Though more of a strategist than fighter, General Hux was,without a doubt, a gifted sniper.

The room shook as it was fired upon, but the low rumble of internal blaster shots alerted Hux that the game was not yet over. As he emerged, from the space, he took note of the standing Knights huddling together at the corner of the hangar, as if awaiting something. Their arms were outstretched and clinging tightly to the handle bars above. Although, before this action registered in Hux's mind, his body was sent crashing forcefully to the floor. The pressure shifted and it was then that Hux realized that they were going down.

Still sprawled on the ground, he fumbled across the expanse to grab hold of his rifle. All of a sudden, the room became engulfed in flashing red lights as sirens blazed wildly, irritating Hux's already pounding head. However, once his fingers curled around the weapon, the ache began to slightly dissipate. He glanced back upwards to the Knights and was stunned at how soundly they stood. Just as before, they were latched carefully to the bars, but seemed otherwise unfazed at the ship's critical condition.

That was when Hux heard the crash. Everything around him exploded in a blaze of fire and from there, he was hurtled again through the air. Now that he had accepted his fate, Hux did nothing more than squeeze is eyes shut and hug his blaster as close to his body as possible, awaiting whatever pain the crash had in store for him. But then out of nowhere,a presence draped itself across every inch of himself in protection and the agony never came, or at least not in its full.

Hux's eyes shot open as soon as he felt himself tumbling out onto the caressing embrace of grass. The fall had split his lip, but it had seemed as though no other harm had been done, save for a few bruises and scratches. He drew his attention away from this and instead, Hux pushed himself weakly up to take a look at his surroundings. Stone structures littered the green expanse, though smoke billowed out heavily from the destroyed carrier laying in heaps all around them. Dead center of it all was Ren.

The Knight's jet black robes swayed regally behind him as the wind carried it through. The pair's eyes connected in an instant, prompting the swift arrival of the man by Hux's side. "Are you hurt?" He questioned immediately, expanding an arm in service.

The General eyed the offer of assistance with uncertainty for only a second before grabbing hold and hoisting himself up. "Of course. Much thanks to you..." Hux sighed with a raised brow; then, alarm struck. "The crew? Phasma? Are they alright?"

"You know, for someone who prides himself in pretending not to care, you're quite awful at it." Hux shot Kylo a death threatening glare before he had the chance to continue, "Only four didn't make it, as far as I know- all troopers." Ren glanced skywards sand added, "We shot down the three X-Wings trailing us, but likewise only minimal casualties were reported. Even so, more are on their way, so we must act fast." When Hux nodded, Kylo kept his report ongoing, " We landed on one of the bigger islands, a good way to lure the others into the open, but I doubt Luke and the Girl will be so easily fooled." Shots rang out in the distance, drawing the attention of both men.

"Looks like the party's just starting. Go. Find them and strike them down where they stand. I'll lead the troops and draw them away from you." Hux stopped midway, looking conflicted. "You know, it's quite difficult to come across someone as insufferable as you and if you die, who will I have to patronize me? No one. So...try not to, okay."

Kylo stifled a chuckle and as he did so, pulled the mask from his face. "Same to you, General. Can't have Mitaka shitting his pants cause of me anytime soon, now can we? " his brown eyes sparkled with in amusement, but behind them, Hux knew there were more emotions attempting (and failing) to remain hidden. Whatever it was, it was warm and inviting, causing a flicker of regret to flutter in Hux's chest. Before he could think more of it, his face was being pulled in with gentle hands to meet the lips of another that he knew so well.

"Careful, Ren." Hux whispered after they broke apart. He only smiled with great endearment as his face was soon encased within the mask once again. Then, off he went without another word.