Hey guys! I know this chapter is pretty Kylo and Hux heavy, I hope that's okay. I just realized most of the action and everything that happens is more relevant from their point of view. And I wanted to write the parts to the film that people don't know, not just record basically everything that you already see with Rey fighting in the Falcon (by the way she's way too excited about shooting down ships with people in them for someone who's supposedly training to be a Jedi of the Light) and the whole Rose/Finn thing. If you've started reading the Lightyear, you'll learn my opinion on that subject. Anyway, please enjoy this belated update :D

-Xero

Chapter 25

Kylo adorned his First Order Robes before boarding the command shuttle with General Hux and a few of his superior officers. Hux's eyes barely left Kylo's face. He'd been unanimously accepted as the new Supreme Leader. He was powerful, intelligent, menacing, and his youth and good looks no doubt did not go unnoticed by his peers. He was the perfect new face for the First Order.

As Kylo's command ship headed for Crait, Kylo stood tall even though he could've sat down to relax during their trip. He radiated determination and fury.

"Supreme Leader," Hux began gently, "You're welcome to sit for the journey to Crait. We will make quick work of what is left of the Resistance, you need not be concerned."

Kylo's eyes kept darting to the pilot in front of him. That was when Hux understood; he was anxious, uneasy because he felt that he should've been piloting his own ship. He wasn't used to being carted around by others. But now he was in a position of power, his piloting wasn't necessary.

Hux could see by the fingers curling and uncurling at his sides that he itched to be at the helm.

Kylo was in stubborn opposition. "Lieutenant," he said instead, "I will pilot our journey to Crait."

The Lieutenant nodded and immediately got up out of his seat. "Absolutely Sir," he said in complete compliance, getting up out of the pilot's chair.

"General," Kylo said once he said down. "Take the co-pilot seat."

Hux flushed with embarrassment. "With all due respect Supreme Leader, flying ships is not – "

"– It's quite instinctual," Kylo said firmly. His face was expressionless, betraying nothing, except for his eyes. They shone with something…Hux couldn't put a name to it.

Without protesting further, Hux sat down in the co-pilot seat.

"These are the basic controls," he began to explain. To the General's surprise, Kylo pushed his sleeves up slightly before once again landing his hands on the console. The gesture was rather boyish, and made Hux realize once again, how young Kylo actually was. His voice was even, calculated, clear. No one would have thought that he was the mess of pain and fear he'd been just moments before.

Hux wasn't certain if it was a front to hide what he was really feeling or if he'd developed a resolve after the scavenger girl's rejection. Perhaps it was just as Hux had always thought; the girl had been a distraction. An obstacle every step of the way ever since a mention of her had been uttered. Whenever she was in his presence, Kylo was unstable, reckless, unpredictable, sentimental, and rash. But now, without her influence, Kylo was the picture of authority. Just from the way he carried himself as Supreme Leader, everyone on that command ship knew he was focused on his ambitions and how he was going to achieve them. Finally, the First Order would make some headway, and the Resistance would be stomped out once and for all.

As he made the calculations for the command shuttle to go into lightspeed, it looked so fluid and natural, as if Kylo had done it a thousand times. It was in that moment Hux realized being at the helm of a ship was Kylo's natural element. He deduced that if Kylo had been presented with the option of a different career path, he would've been some sort of pilot. Hux could see that Kylo understood every fiber of this ship's body. Every time there was a hum in the engine, Kylo seemed to hum with energy himself. Kylo's body moved slightly when there was any sort of turbulence from passing asteroid fragments, as if he were part of the ship's tracking system. It was fascinating and awe-inspiring to watch. Hux wasn't sure if the other command shuttle personnel even noticed what he was seeing. Part of him hoped they didn't.

In no time at all, Kylo brought them to the stratosphere of Crait. It appeared to be a desolate planet covered in ice, but upon closer inspection, it was actually a mineral plant covered in salt.

Kylo and Hux both rose up out of their seats so the initial pilots could plant themselves in front of the ship's console.

After long-term exposure, there would no doubt be severe erosion of the At-M6s' feet but Kylo's command ship still remained aloft in the air. They wouldn't be on the planet's surface for long. Even from this height, they could feel the impact of lasers hitting the AT-M6s' legs. The muffled sounds of blaster fire were faintly heard from inside the command shuttle.

Kylo still stood up behind them, his eyes on the metal door of the old Rebel Base as if he was trying to burn it down with just a look. He could see the few resistance fighters left, hiding in some trench outside the Base's entrance, crouching and poised as if they were ants.

The moment took a turn. The Lieutenant said, "Thirteen incoming light craft."

Hux stood with his hands behind his back, turning to his new Supreme Leader. "Shall we hold until we clear them?" Hux asked in the same measured tone he'd been using. He didn't know whether Kylo's emotions were really in check, and he wasn't going to take the chance of agitating him again.

"No," he said firmly. "The Resistance is in that mine. Push through."

Besides, thirteen light craft were nothing compared to an entire fleet of TIEs, not including the AT-M6's or the charging Superlaser Siege Cannon. It was only a matter of time before they cleared the front-line defense of the Resistance.

The speeders raced in vain towards their laser cannon, leaving streaks of red sediment in their wake. Ordinarily, Kylo wanted to be in on the action, right there with them, flying a ship into battle and shooting Resistance fighters down himself. But after the loss of the girl, for he felt, the last time, he was numb to the joys of anything life had to offer. He just needed this done. He wanted some semblance of peace, and it couldn't start until the Resistance had been obliterated.

His thoughts were jarred when he saw three TIE ships get blown up simultaneously by one shot. He'd never seen such accuracy. Only someone with the aid of the force could've pulled off a move like that.

When the Falcon soared past his view, he realized he'd been right.

Suddenly every emotion came flooding back to him. The pride he'd felt winning the battle with her against the Red Guard, the sting of her betrayal, the pain of her rejection, the loss of her warmth –

"BLOW THAT PIECE OF JUNK OUT OF THE SKY!" He demanded, pointing at the monstrosity that symbolized the source of his torment. Was she piloting that ship? Undoubtedly. But he could never have her. She'd made that clear. And her existence only brought him more pain.

Like every other part of his past…she needed to die.

"All fighters!" Hux shouted to reinforce Kylo's command.

Every TIE drew their fire to that one ship, and Kylo willed it with his heart to go down. But she was strong and just as great a pilot as he was. She was taking down TIEs left and right as if it were effortless. It was endlessly frustrating.

She'd drawn off every TIE but Kylo in haste realized that had been her plan. Now there was nothing stopping the speeders from causing damage to the still-charging laser canon. "All firepower on those speeders," he said quickly to the lieutenant in the pilot seat.

"Concentrate all fire on the speeders!" Hux said excitedly.

Kylo glanced at him in disbelief and confusion. He was certain he'd made it clear who in charge here, yet Hux was shouting out commands as if he were the supreme leader. If it continued, Kylo would have to reprimand him somehow. But it was entirely possible he was just getting caught up in the excitement of battle. Kylo wasn't sure Hux had ever seen one firsthand like this. For the General's sake, he hoped that was the case.

The AT-M6s were easily picking off the speeders now, until the rest had been drawn off and only one remained, stubbornly racing towards the center of the laser cannon itself which was almost fully charged.

But at the last minute, another speeder crashed into it, throwing it off track.

Now there was nothing to stop the laser from blasting through the base's Hanger door.

"The weapon is ready," Hux declared to Kylo.

Kylo nodded. "Fire."

The Laser was bright, blinding, and beautiful. It shone across all their faces as it tore through the Base's hanger. Even in the air they heard and felt the vibration of thousand-ton metals creaking and bursting from the force of the heated laser. Even from here, Kylo could smell the burning metal.

Now all that was left was to storm the base, once the freshly hot metal had cooled slightly.

"We've done it Supreme Leader," Hux said proudly, daring even to give Kylo a gentle nudge with his shoulder. "Your reign begins with a clean victory."

Kylo nodded, gazing at the demolished Resistance Base. "General Hux," he said softly, and calmly, "Advance. No quarter. No prisoners."

Hux was beaming. "Yes, Sir." He repeated the order over the intercom. "All troopers prepare to disembark from your AT-M6 and assemble on the ground level, we're taking the Base. There shall be no prisoners."

But just as the AT-M6s began their steady advance, Kylo grew hysterical and shouted, "STOP!"

Hux didn't understand it. He looked at Kylo's face and suddenly the calm, composed confidence he'd carried all through their conquest vanished, leaving behind rage and fear once more.

Hux turned to gaze outside the console's visor to see what it was that Kylo was reacting to. There seemed to be an old man emerging from the fire and smoke.

Upon Kylo's command, every single machine simultaneously stopped. Kylo stepped forward as the man stood in place, seeming to stare up at Kylo's command shuttle.

His gaze was intense. His voice barely containing his emotion, but emanating passionate, unbridled fury. "I want…" he said through gritted teeth, "Every gun we have…to fire on that man."

Hux turned his head to look at his Supreme Leader in shock. There was only one person Kylo would have such a strong reaction to.

His old mentor, Luke Skywalker.

"Do it," Kylo commanded. Kylo could feel it. Everyone was waiting for some vocalization of protest from General Hux, but he gave none.

The AT-M6 directly below him shot first. Then they all began shooting in the same spot.

"More!" Kylo said over the loud firing of shots. His fist tightened at his sides. Hux knew this was coming from a place of deep-seated pain and fear. If this truly was Skywalker, then the exact spot they were shooting at was the manifestation of every nightmare Kylo had ever had. Hux understood it. Hux tried to allow it.

But there was no sign that Kylo was going to stop. He once again screamed at the top of his lungs "MOOORRE!" As if it were his own battle cry before charging at Skywalker himself. He was breathing hard, angrily, like a mad man.

But this had gone on long enough. They were so close to victory, they couldn't afford to lose it because of the whim of one person's heart. Even if it was the heart Hux cared about the most. "That's enough," he said softly but Kylo didn't seem to hear him. Or hear anything.

"THAT'S ENOOOUUGH!" Hux yelled over the laser fire, and it finally ceased. He stared down momentarily at where Skywalker had previously stood. Which was reduced to simmering ash and smoke. Slowly turning around, Hux glared at him with annoyance and said measuredly, "Do you think you got him?"

Kylo's only response was to collapse into a chair, as if he'd been on the brink of death and he'd somehow survived. The relief on his face was evident., but Hux hadn't lost sight of their goal. "Now, if we're ready to get moving, we can finish this."

Hux was looking down at Kylo, waiting for the final command. But their lieutenant said, "Sir?"

Kylo's eyes once again pooled with disbelief, and immediately stood up, gazing out the console's visor. As the smoke and debris began to clear, the figure of Luke Skywalker emerged from the ashes, and as if to mock him, gently brushed a hand over his shoulder in a gesture of wiping away access dust.

Kylo exhaled shakily, the sight a direct insult to his pride and his heart. "Bring me down to him," Kylo said immediately. Hux couldn't believe his ears, but Kylo's voice was affirming and clear. "Keep the door covered and don't advance until I say."

Hux tried his best to gently convince him otherwise. "Supreme Leader, don't get distracted, our goal –" but before he could finish, he was force pushed onto the console and fell to the floor of the command ship, becoming instantly dizzy.

"Right away, Sir," their lieutenant said before beginning their descent to Crait's surface.

As the ship was landing, Hux scrambled to his feet to catch up to Kylo, who was briskly leaving the command ship before it had even officially landed.

"Supreme Leader!" Hux called after him, but he didn't slow down. "Kylo!" He exclaimed.

This finally made him pause and turn around.

"You don't have to do this," Hux said in a rush. "All the firepower of the First Order couldn't kill him, what chance could you possibly have – "

"– Get out of my way, General," Kylo said but his resolve softened only slightly. There was genuine panic in Hux's eyes, and he took note of it.

"What will we do if he succeeds in hurting you?" he said in hushed whispers, away from the prying eyes of the rest of their personnel. "I've never seen anything like that before. I've never seen a single man survive that kind of weaponry. I didn't know the force could do that."

Kylo finally took a look at Hux's face who was earnestly fearful. Whether or not he was capable of feeling affection anymore, he knew he was able to see it in others. And it was clear Hux had it for him. "Skywalker tried to kill me. When I was a sixteen-year-old boy…he came into my tent in the night…while I was asleep, and tried to slaughter me with his lightsaber. I was lucky enough to wake up in time, and that's why I'm still standing."

Hux's eyes widened in shock. He'd never known that.

"I know what your father did to you," Kylo said suddenly, making Hux 's heart beat erratically. "You had every right to kill him. You righted a wrong. That's what I need to do, or I'll be haunted forever. The past needs to die before we can live."

The General wished there was something he could say to stop his Commander from leaving him…but Kylo was right. He needed to do this. Then finally, Kylo Ren could rule the galaxy, with his General at his side.

With reluctance, but powerless to do anything else, Hux slowly took steps backward, out of Kylo's path, and watched him leave as the platform opened and lowered onto the ground.