Chapter Text
There wasn’t much to your new job on board The Finalizer. In fact, you were finding it rather boring. Encode, decode, encode, decode... endless hacking and encrypting. After 7 years on The Supremacy, you were grateful for a change in scenery, sure. But, there was a lot to be said about working with familiar faces—who eventually became your friends—and not having to worry about running into General Hux so often. On The Finalizer, the command center was right next door to his main office, so you practically considered him a co-worker.
“Colonel (L/N),” he would say—predictably, monotonously... every day—“I am not impressed by the lack of intercepted messages in this unit.” To which you would reply, “With respect, General, Lieutenant Ralpha is responsible for intercepting messages.” Then he would go bark the same complaints at Ralpha, who had kindly agreed to take your redirections if you gave him your dessert at lunch; it was an agreement that solidified your simple friendship.
Except today was different. After lunch in the mess hall, you and Ralpha had barely returned to your posts when Hux burst through the door of the Command Center, cheeks as red as his flaming hair, with Supreme Leader Ren hot on his tail. Before you had a chance to speak, Hux started yelling:
“Since the Supreme Leader is uninterested in what I have to say, perhaps you will enlighten him! Why is it that we have restricted access to file 345HZ-99? I suspect that it is purposeful, Colonel, just like everything else you do.”
Taken aback by what you think might have been a compliment from Hux—perhaps tone-deaf and backhanded, but a compliment nonetheless—you stammered out:
“U-uh, yes sir... yes, uh. The file is more heavily encrypted than most because it is the only version we have... it’s um...” You paused, trying to decide how to explain what you meant in terms that they could understand. “It can’t be duplicated, sir. It’s essentially a copy of a copy of a file that was transcribed by hand a few years ago. To change the access would mean... would mean...”
The Supreme Leader’s eyes bore into your soul from behind his imposing mask. “Would mean what, Colonel?” He sizzled through the voicebox, a mechanized voice for a seemingly mechanical man.
You addressed him then instead of Hux, whose face had not done more than twitch at the eye and grow redder by the minute since you began your explanation. “It would mean that we would risk losing its information to the greater network, Supreme Leader.” His head tilted ever so slightly to the side as if he were studying your face.
“If you want access to the file—which is, I assume, why we’re having this conversation—you will have to use the super tablet in the records bay.... Supreme Leader, sir.” You pursed your lips together, hoping that it would make you look more confident in your words, but you feared that it made it look like you were fighting off tears.
“I see ... Colonel.”
“I apologize for the inconvenience, Supreme Leader. Would like me to show you to the records—“
“I know where my own records are kept, Colonel.” Every time he hissed your title it sounded like an insult. Something that usually filled you with pride he was using to make you feel small and incompetent. But still, something about him talking to you directly made you want to have more conversations with the mysterious Kylo Ren.
“I won’t forget this little... inconvenience, (L/N),” purred Hux, but his smug scolding was interrupted by an invisible hand around his throat; he dropped to his knees, gasping for air and prying at his own neck to no avail.
“Colonel (L/N) has done her best to answer our question. Now, apologize to her for your insolence.”
Your eyes flew open wide as you realized that Kylo Ren was essentially saving you from another time-out order from Hux. Kylo released his grip so that Hux could speak, which he did after a few coughs:
“My apologies, Colonel. Thank you, as always, for demonstrating your expertise for us.”
A soft chuckle escaped from Kylo’s warped helmet voicebox, and you could tell that he clearly enjoyed Hux’s pain and submission. What you hoped more desperately in that moment than anything else was that Kylo would remember your face and your name so that you could engage with him again one day.
“Please let me know if you have any further questions, need help accessing the file in the records bay, or...uh, anything else I guess... my quarters are in Bay 7, Unit 48X.” You bowed your head to the two agitated and powerful men in front of you as they exited the Command Center.
After a few moments had passed in stunned silence, you turned to Ralpha who was sitting in his chair, mouth agape. “What the hell was that?” His dark curls seemed to quiver on his head as he practically panted—his eyes were wild behind the thick, black frame of his glasses. “And how are you so calm?”
“I don’t know, Ralpha... but I have a feeling that Ren will be back.”