A/N: This story is Kylux, but it acknowledges the events of The Last Jedi in full. These are: There was a Force bond; Kylo and Rey shared … something; Kylo asked her to join him; she declined. This story accepts these as facts. Going forward, I assure you Kylux is endgame for this story.

This was inspired by a Twitter prompt from carefulenough.

"If we leave the battle space immediately," Hux said, "we not only leave the wreck of the Supremacy undefended against whatever Resistance allies and other filth who respond to their call, but even without an external threat, we risk the lives of all those still remaining on the ship. We simply do not have the resources to pursue the Resistance at this time."

You know, Luke's Force ghost said, he's right.

Kylo jerked upright in his seat, deeply startled. He'd been half-asleep, honestly, having long since made up his mind that they'd chase the Resistance to the ends of the galaxy and nothing Hux could say would change his mind. But there was his uncle. Standing there on the other side of the table, a hazy projection like a hologram. A quick glance around showed that no one else had noticed him, but they'd all noticed Kylo's startle.

"Shall I start over, Supreme Leader?" Hux asked with a steady, uninflected voice.

"What?" Kylo looked around the room again, but clearly no one could see Luke. He fumbled with the handle of his light saber, but didn't ignite it.

I said he's right, Luke repeated. Good advice is hard to come by. You might want to listen to it.

"I asked, shall I start over?" Hux's voice was patient and perhaps even a bit pitying.

"Yes!" Kylo snapped at him. He adjusted his seat. He'd rather them think he'd fallen asleep in the meeting (he very nearly had) than that he was seeing a ghost, which was still there, looking around the room with mild interest. Kylo wondered if maybe Luke hadn't really died and this was still a projection of him alive. Just a blue, funny-looking one. It was tough to keep an eye on him and pay any attention to Hux at the same time. Luke was more dangerous. So.

"As I said," Hux said, pressing a button to rewind several screens of information, "there is no field repair that can make the Supremacy space-worthy and we don't have enough capacity on the undamaged destroyers to take on the surviving crew complement. Also, main engineering is not convinced the Supremacy's systems are stable. If they collapse, all left aboard will die. We know the Resistance was able to send a distress signal. Even if no one wished to fight on their behalf, scavengers will be by soon to loot the battlefield."

Luke had walked to the front of the room. He was peering at the projected sitrep. Kylo could finally look at Hux without ignoring the real danger.

"Put simply," Hux said, "we cannot leave here without consigning the Supremacy and her surviving crew to a loss."

That means they all die, Luke said helpfully, still perusing the information. Kylo wondered if he should let him do that. Then he wondered about how he'd make him stop. Luke pointed at the screen. That's a lot of people.

Hux continued, "Ergo, we cannot pursue the Resistance at this time."

"We can," Kylo insisted.

Luke turned to face him. You're going to leave all those people to die, kid? Really? Over a million people who are lined up to fight to the end for you – you're just going to throw them away? Like trash? Like you were? Leave them? They'll die in space if their life support crashes.

Hux was staring at Kylo, his expression as mutinous as he'd ever seen it. Kylo began to think maybe Luke wasn't the biggest threat to him in the room.

Luke moved to the side, interposing himself between Hux and Kylo. That guy? Luke gestured behind him. He's considering whether it would be more honorable to kill himself privately or to do it by attacking you right now. Because your bloodthirsty, battle-hardened, borderline sociopathic general can't stomach what you're proposing. You really need to think about that. The guy who destroyed the Hosnian system thinks this is a needless loss of life.

Kylo exhaled heavily. "We could," he said, because Luke was right – Hux was about to do something supremely stupid. But when was Hux not doing something supremely stupid? He sighed a second time. "But we won't."

Hux straightened slightly. His expression cleared a little. He waited.

He's waiting for you to tell him what the plan is, Luke said as he moved to the side slightly. He made a rude, sweeping introduction gesture between the two of them.

"The plan, the original plan, was that we hunt them down," Kylo said, trying to buy time.

There are things you can do, Luke suggested, other than kill people when you've been hurt.

"You're one to talk," Kylo grumbled.

"I- I did not catch that, sir?" A few others around the table heard him better, but made no more sense of his words than Hux did.

Kylo huffed. "That was just talk. What do you recommend?"

Hux blinked at him. Luke said, He's wondering if that's a trap. How have you been treating your people that they hesitate to give you advice?

Kylo couldn't figure out how to tell his uncle to shut it without talking to empty air. He already had enough problems with being perceived as the legitimate ruler. Being thought crazed wasn't one he wanted to add to the list. "Hux?"

"Yes. My apologies, Supreme Leader. I was gathering my thoughts. We should set up a defensive perimeter and apply all available combined engineering resources to stabilizing the Supremacy. We should bring in transports to evacuate what of the crew we can and form a team to review our options for the wreckage. It may be salvageable. We should at least deny the inevitable scavengers."

"You said there were no field repairs that could be done."

Oh, you were listening after all? Luke observed.

Hux explained, "None that can be done in the timeframe you had provided for mustering and leaving to pursue the Resistance. If we stay, more options present themselves."

"If we stay," Kylo pointed out, "we get bogged down."

Cut your losses and run, huh? Luke asked. Fantastic strategy. No wonder he wants you dead. I'm beginning to think he's right and he'd make a lot better leader than you. Why are you even in charge, anyway?

"Because Snoke's dead!" Kylo said, standing. His light saber was in his hand, unlit as of yet.

You think you're an improvement on him? Luke gestured at the senior staff, all of whom were silent and staring at Kylo like they expected him to do something violent and unpredictable. Luke continued, More importantly, do they think you're an improvement on him?

Kylo tried to think of something to salvage the non sequitur of his outburst. "We have to do this ourselves because Snoke is dead." He turned to Hux, who had not moved. "Put your plan into motion."

Hux's lips parted, but then sealed shut again. Kylo whirled and stalked out of the conference room.

Why does he hate you so much? Luke asked in the elevator.

Kylo glared at him, passing a hand through the apparition just in case it had some reality to it. It didn't. "Who?" he finally asked.

General Hux. You know, most of the time, people on the same side in a war support each other. Especially the top leadership. They might have their differences, but they're all on the same side, against the same enemy. Not many people seriously consider suicide as a viable alternative to continuing to work with someone. It's a warning sign.

"He wants to be in charge. That's all."

Why's that?

"Because he's ambitious. I don't know." Kylo stalked out of the elevator and headed toward a practice room where he could blow off some steam. He was embarrassed that Luke had goaded him into countermanding his own orders, yelling at a ghost in the middle of a meeting, and looking like a fool.

Luke tagged along. Someone wants to kill you or die trying and you don't even know why, Luke mused. Ambition, huh? Did he want to kill Snoke?

As they were walking past a couple stormtroopers on patrol, Kylo only shook his head.

That's interesting. Then it's probably not ambition. It's probably you. Why would he want to kill you in particular? He's a general. And if the First Order is anything like the Empire, he didn't get to be that way just because he joined up at the right moment. He has to be good at following orders, or else he wouldn't have been promoted.

"What would you know about it?" Kylo said as they entered the practice room. It was empty aside from them.

I was going to join the imperial academy when I was a kid, Luke said. I was going to join the military. I liked the idea – being part of something greater than I was, understanding what I needed to do to make things better for everyone. It was all propaganda, I know, but there's a little truth in it. He sounded wistful.

"What does that have to do with Hux?" Kylo shed his cloak and switched out his light saber for a simple stick sword. "He doesn't make things better for anyone. He has been a thorn in my side since I met him."

The military has a system of rank. Everyone is supposed to follow the orders of the person above them. You're not supposed to want to murder your commanding officer. If you do, and you're serious about it, then there's something wrong there. If it's not a pattern for him, then what's he so upset about with you? Is he a thorn in the side of everyone else?

"I don't know," Kylo said sulkily. "I've heard rumors."

Of what?

"That he's a rabid cur without any combat experience, who got his rank through …" He hesitated. Mentioning the rumors about sexual favors was crass. Even Kylo didn't believe those. They were just wish-fulfillment based on Hux's looks and youth. Kind of disgusting, really. So he mentioned the other major rumor: "Nepotism." He punched in the program code on the sparring droid.

That's an insulting thing to say about your own general. It reflects more on the leader than the follower.

Kylo paused and looked at Luke. "This is my fault? Snoke's? What do you mean?"

I mean, what kind of leader would put a 'rabid cur' in charge of his army? Or keep him there? If you really think of him as a that way, then you need to remove him. For the good of both of you, really. And I'm talking about firing him, not killing him.

"But I need him."

Then he's not a rabid cur, unless you're saying you need someone who indiscriminately damages everyone and everything around them. Does he do that?

"No." If anything, Kylo knew, it was himself that did that.

Luke shrugged, turning his palms upward in a 'So?' gesture. Snoke had the entire First Order to choose from for that role. With all his powers of discernment in the Force, are you seriously telling me he picked someone incompetent?

Kylo scowled in answer.

Right, Luke said. If you're saying you need him, then you know he's not. Also, considering you're Anakin Skywalker's grandson, I think you're the last person alive who should be complaining about nepotism.

Kylo set to sparring, but he was thinking about what Luke was getting at. Hux was an asset, not a liability. That was why Kylo had kept him close and was still keeping an eye on him. What Kylo had seen as traitorous really wasn't – at least not toward the Order. It was specific to Kylo himself, which wasn't surprising given their past rivalry. "Halt!" he commanded the practice droid. He turned to Luke. "What do I do about it? About Hux?"

I've been thinking about that. This is a guy who followed Snoke, so we know he doesn't have the highest of standards for his leaders.

Kylo rolled his eyes. "Why are you helping me, anyway?"

Nepotism.

Kylo sighed, but as much as he wanted to argue that, he'd waited his whole life for someone in his family to show the interest one would expect from family members. "How can I trust what you tell me?"

That part's up to you. The Force allows me to talk to you. Listening is something you'll have to decide for yourself. I've never had all the answers, Ben, but I-

"Don't call me that!" Kylo slashed his sword through Luke's form.

Luke blinked, glanced down at his intact body, then at Kylo. You want me to call you Kylo? he asked, deadpan.

"I demand it!" Kylo bared his teeth at him.

Luke looked unimpressed.

"No one cared about me while I was Ben Solo!" Kylo raged. "I went where I was told. I did what you said. And I got nothing from it but mistrust and fear! Now if they fear me, it's on my terms! At least I deserve it now!"

Luke's eyes saddened. Alright, he said softly. I can listen, too. Kylo.

Kylo straightened and exhaled. The practice sword bounced a little in his hand. "You were telling me about Hux?"

Luke nodded a couple times. I was just wondering what you've been doing that makes a life-long military man, trained to obey and willing to follow the orders of someone like Snoke, balk at obeying you?

Kylo swallowed and turned away. "We were … rivals for a long time."

Did he ever try to kill you?

"No."

What's happened more recently?

Kylo sighed. He supposed he might as well explain, since Luke seemed to be genuinely digging for the root of Kylo's current problems.. "I know what happened – why he hates me more than ever now. I've been, uh, throwing him around."

You've what?

"I've … used the Force. To push him around." On retrospect, that sounded pretty awful. At the time, he'd thought he was going full Darth Vader and Vader was known for mistreating subordinates, especially annoying ones, so why not? But now he imagined how Luke saw him and of course, how Hux saw him. He deserved the fear and the hatred. He was a monster, as he'd told Rey.

Luke was aghast. You used the Force to hurt someone on your own side? He slumped, finding a punching bag lying on the floor to sit on because his legs wouldn't support him. Kylo was uncomfortably reminded of Luke's lectures about their obligation to use the Force responsibly. You used the Force to hurt someone? On your own top general? To the point that he wants to murder you? That's self-defense, B- Kylo. Not ambition!

"He shouldn't defy me!"

Was he defying you? Has he defied you?

"He got in my face!"

Luke looked at him unbelievingly. That's part of his job. Who do you want serving you? A bootlicker? A yes-man? Do you want someone who never challenges you, especially when you're new to the job and he knows you're making mistakes? Because you've made mistakes, Kylo. Crait was a mistake. Among other things, here I am, asking you to reconsider your choices. It's never too late.

Kylo scrubbed at his face. He'd asked, prayed, to not be alone. And this was what the Force sent him. (Well, theoretically, he'd been sent Rey first, but that hadn't panned out.)

What about the other officers? Have any of them gotten in your face?

"No," Kylo said sullenly.

Why not?

He knew the answer. He didn't want to say it, but he did anyway. "Because they're afraid of me."

Is that what you want? A staff of people terrified of you? To go around feeling their fear swelling up around you? To never have anyone's approval, support, or love?

"I don't have those things anyway!" Kylo yelled at Luke's ghost. "None of them!" He slammed his sword through Luke's image because he knew it wouldn't do anything. Luke gave him yet another unimpressed look.

You are terrifying. I can't imagine the courage it takes to 'get in your face' from someone who doesn't have the Force and knows what you can do to them. It's amazing he hasn't tried to kill you already. What you did earlier in listening to his advice was a good peace offering. Don't punish him for it. You can fix this. Make amends, and you can have something more than fear and mistrust.

Kylo returned to the practice droid and ordered it to continue the drill, but Luke's suggestions ran circles in his head through the rest of the session. He eventually made a list of Hux's irritating qualities and personal failings. When he turned to tell Luke about these, the room was empty, because none of that mattered.

Kylo leaned forward in his seat, looking at the various ship deployments Hux had just walked him through. Most of the fleet was still here at the wreck of the Supremacy, but the Order still had other ships elsewhere. As supreme leader, it was Kylo's job to sign off on their deployment and missions.

"These ships," he pointed. "The ones in the asteroid field. We need to pull them back. Reassign them to …" He looked around, trying to settle on a destination that would be to their advantage. "Here." He pointed at a likely system. It felt safe in the Force.

"But," Hux said, "those asteroids are a vital source of dedlanite. If we pull out, the mining guild might switch their shipments to worlds aligned against us. We'll lose control of who they supply."

"We're going to lose control anyway," Kylo said off-handedly.

"Only if we move them. You can't just pick some place at random to send them!"

"Yes, I can!"

"How do you-"

"Don't question me!" Kylo snapped.

Hux flinched and then recomposed himself.

Far be it for your general to try to understand his orders, Luke said dryly.

Stiffly, his lips twisted in distaste, Hux said, "The ships will be reassigned as you have directed, Supreme Leader." He made a note on his datapad.

Why don't you throw him around some to make sure he understands he doesn't get to voice legitimate concerns? You did so well with all those years we kept you in the dark. Has to be a good policy, right?

"Wait." Kylo pressed his lips together and rested his forehead on his hand, elbow on the table. Hux did as he was told. Kylo had to admit – Hux always did as he was told. Maybe what Kylo didn't like about him was that he pretended to be a perfect, obedient soldier all while fuming inside. So much pent-up rage and much of it, Kylo realized, came from not understanding.

Kylo spoke slowly. "The complement of each of our ships numbers in the thousands. Sometimes tens of thousands. The ships they engage with are the same. The populations those engagements effect are hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions."

Hux knew this. He waited silently, stony-faced.

Kylo licked his lips and looked from the floating display to his general. He motioned gently with a hand. "The Force is in all life. As I review this information you have presented, my attention turns to the future of these lives, these threads of the Force. Some of them continue undisturbed for the foreseeable future." He gestured to the left, to units he hadn't bothered to mention. Hux's tense expression had slackened into surprise. His eyes darted to follow the motion. Obviously, he was already seeing where Kylo was headed with this.

Kylo kept explaining. "Some of them, like these in orbit around Aleen, are uncertain. But since I don't know what will happen to them, I didn't mention anything. I didn't want to … look stupid. Be wrong if nothing happened. I don't … I just don't know." He looked up at Hux expecting disappointment or sneering. There was none. He was leaning forward, listening closely with a sort of attention Kylo had long wished to see from the man.

Kylo gestured at the asteroid field. "With these, I sense great loss of life, along with uncertainty. There will be battle. Maybe they will win, but there is the death I mentioned." Kylo scratched his jaw. "I'm thinking they will only win at great cost and the uncertainty is there because if I withdraw them to a safer location, then there will be no battle and no death. I would rather preserve the units than the asteroid field. We can always retake it later when we're better positioned."

Hux was still staring at him with rapt attention. Kylo asked, "Does that make sense?"

Hux blinked several times, gulped, straightened, and looked possibly misty-eyed. "Yes." He cleared his throat and sniffed, taking a deep breath to settle himself. "That makes perfect sense. No one- Snoke … never explained any of this to me. He just knew."

Next to Hux, Luke pointed at the general. This is gratitude. This is important. This is how you stop fighting with your own people. Do more of this.

"I thought it might help … if you knew." Kylo shrugged one shoulder awkwardly. "So you knew I wasn't just making stuff up."

"I-" Hux made a small, shrugging gesture that pretty much confirmed that yes, he'd thought Kylo was just making shit up. "Might I make a suggestion based on what you have just told me?"

"What's that?" Kylo couldn't help a defensive edge from creeping into his voice. He'd no more than revealed this than Hux was looking to exploit it?

Hux gestured. "The units in orbit over Aleen. You sense uncertainty there. We may not know what will happen, but would you allow me to order increased patrols and long range scans? There are drills that could be conducted, practice exercises that would mean we'd have ships activated and deployed in case of danger. It's not the same as going to high alert, but if anything happened, reaction time would be seconds instead of minutes."

Kylo leaned back. Hux was exploiting the intelligence, but not to Kylo's detriment. "That … that is a good suggestion. Yes, do that." He had to wonder if the uncertainty was that these additional patrols would head-off an encounter before it even happened. But even more, he wondered at the relieved and pleased expression on Hux's face.

"We could also tell the mining guild," Hux said speculatively, "that we are withdrawing our forces from the asteroid belt because we trust them. Then if they sell us out, our counter-attack will teach them the cost of betrayal. That will play much better than letting them see us weakened or defeated in the field in whatever conflict you sense. Or for us to leave without explanation. It gives them incentive to support us even when we're gone."

"That's true," Kylo nodded, beginning to see the benefits of sharing information. "Do that, too."

"I will." Hux nodded, face serious as he made another note. "Now, shall we go over the logistics report?"

By the way, it's not Rey's fault for turning you down.

"She doesn't want me. That came through loud and clear." Kylo swallowed tensely as he stared out at the stars. Luke's projection reflected dimly in the transparisteel. It was weird that he had a reflection at all.

Having a preference isn't grounds for hunting people down and killing them.

"She's not why I was hunting the Resistance."

Yes, it is and you know it. Rejection stings. I get it.

Kylo's nose wrinkled. What did Luke know of such things? "Did you ever hope anyone would love you and see something in you? That they'd understand you after they got to know you?"

I'm just saying you need to look elsewhere for understanding. Hunting Rey down will make her your enemy and neither of you will ever be free of hatred.

"You'll be happy to hear I'm not hunting the Resistance anymore. They're gone. I have more important things to attend to here, within the Order."

"Yes, I am happy to hear that, Supreme Leader."

Where the reflection of Luke had been was now the reflection of General Hux. Kylo spun. For the moment, Luke was nowhere to be seen. "How mu- What did you hear?"

"Was I not meant to? My apologies." Hux seemed genuinely surprised that the conversation hadn't been meant for him.

"What did you hear?" Kylo asked more casually.

Hux tilted his head slightly, wary. But he answered. "You asked if anyone would love you, or understand you. Then you said I'd be happy to hear you'd given up the hunt for the Resistance." In a lower voice, he said, "There was nothing compromising about what you said, Supreme Leader. You needn't worry. I heard nothing untoward."

Kylo laughed a couple times in relief. "Nothing compromising? Yes, now that I've made it perfectly clear I didn't know you were there and was just talking to myself." He exhaled and shook his head. "Right." He swallowed and looked away. In the transparisteel, he could still see Luke. Asshole.

"You shouldn't be embarrassed," Hux insisted. "It's humanizing, really."

"What do you mean?"

"It's not like it's something I haven't wondered myself."

"That someone would understand you?"

"Yes. But no one's ever bothered. The very idea is absurd." Hux snorted and laughed it off. "You summoned me, Supreme Leader?"

Kylo looked at him. Smartly presented, dapper in the standard uniform, not a hair out of place. He wondered what Hux would look like with his hair out of place. It was such a weird thought. Kylo shook it off. "Yes, I did. I need to consult on our finances, but Delris Kaan is unavailable."

Hux looked confused. "She is the Chief Financial Officer. It's not really my area."

"Yes, I know. But the casualties are." Kylo gestured out the window. "I've been reading your reports. Her name isn't among the dead. Neither are those of her direct subordinates. But where are they?"

"Ah," Hux said, straightening as he realized why Kylo wanted him. "The … You've actually been reading my reports?" He looked surprised.

Kylo exhaled heavily. "Just … this morning. But yes, I've started doing that. Thank you. Thank you for sending them to me. And for continuing to send them to me even after it was obvious I wasn't reading them." A few days before, Kylo had very nearly accused Hux of treason for acting without oversight. Hux had defended himself that he provided his plan daily, on the dot, through regular channels. It had taken Kylo a few days to figure out what that meant.

Hux blinked at him several times. There was a strange, awkward silence, broken finally by Hux saying quietly, "You're welcome," and then immediately adjusting his voice to normal to say, "Although I do list all the identified individuals in the death rolls, the number of unknown or missing is staggering. I'll set someone to researching it and have an answer for you in the morning. It should be worth mentioning that the Supremacy was carrying most of our trade goods and hard currency. I'll have a preliminary accounting made."

"You're going to send people in to count while rescue operations are still going on?"

"No. We'll just look at the schematics of where they were stored and what took damage."

"Can we do that? Now?"

"Yes. Yes, we could. If you wanted to. I didn't know if you had the time?" Hux looked surprised again.

"I'm sure I could look out at space and talk to myself some more," Kylo joked.

The general huffed a laugh and moved toward the control panel. "Let's get the projector up, then."

Kylo leaned forward, peering at Hux. "You're smiling. I don't think I've ever seen you smile." It looked good on him.

"Oh, I never smile." Hux said, pursing his lips to suppress it. "I wouldn't possibly find humor in the supreme leader's habits. It's unhealthy."

Kylo leaned against the console near Hux, smirking at him. "Am I that intimidating?"

Hux looked up at him without raising his head. A brow arched. 'Are you serious?' his expression said more clearly than any words.

"I'm so sorry," Kylo blurted.

Hux turned back to the controls and brought up a wireframe image of the Supremacy. He opened a comm channel to an aide and they began a back and forth about the location of the Finance Department. Hux highlighted the area. As Kylo had suspected, it was right in the middle of the zone of destruction. Kylo grimaced.

Hux shot him a look, nodded, and then went on with the aide about the storage locations of for everything in credits or easily converted into it. Due to the security, there were only a few holding locations. One was gone. The others were in undamaged areas. Hux signed off. He looked up at Kylo. "So there's the answer. I will have security verified around the vaults, but I don't want to draw too much attention to them."

"Or make them a priority. Should they be a priority?"

"To some extent. Passive systems should be engaged even now, with security droids in place. If that's solid, I'll leave it alone for the time being. If it's not, then we need to do something. I'll contact you if that's the case, because our wealth is as much a weapon as a blaster. Was that all?"

"Yes," Kylo said. "You are dismissed." Thoughtfully, he watched the general walk away, then turned and switched off the display. Luke was there.

Were you flirting with him?

Kylo looked back to make absolutely sure the sneaky red-head was out the door. They were alone this time. He told Luke, "What's it to you if I was?"

He's a subordinate officer.

"I can fix that."

Oh really? I think you might have a few other things to fix, too. He didn't accept your apology. But I have to admit … you were making strides there. He did smile at you.. Luke smirked. You know he's on to you, right?

"Good. Then I'll let him make the next move."

Hux's report the next morning included an invitation to a working lunch where Hux requested the supreme leader's guidance on plans post-stabilization of the wreck of the Supremacy. Kylo read through twice. It was just a few lines, a time, and one of the private dining rooms off the officer's mess hall. Innocuous. But unprecedented.

He put his datapad down, picked it up, and put it down again. It was weird. He'd never actually been asked on a date before. And while it was easy to imagine this wasn't one, he was pretty damn sure it was. There were a few things he needed to see to first and he had little time to prepare.

He was turning heads well before he got to the private dining room. Hux was setting something up on the projector when Kylo walked in. Hux's glance up turned into a long, somewhat slack-jawed stare.

"You like it?" Kylo asked.

"I didn't know you had a uniform."

"Well, I do, as a matter of fact." He set down his tray across from Hux's. "I had to have it updated, obviously. I'm not sure it was a good use of resources under the cir-"

"Yes, it was," Hux interrupted him. He moved back to his seat. "Appearances matter. Uniformity. Discipline. Group identity. All very important. Especially in times of stress or transition." He took a seat, his eyes still roaming over Kylo's standard First Order uniform.

"I thought you might like it."

"It's wonderful," Hux blurted. "You're not Snoke. You're … telling everyone, that you're not like him. That you'll be different. You're showing them! That you're one of us. That the Order matters to you. That we matter."

Kylo smiled at Hux's excitement. "I'm glad it meets with your approval."

"It does!" Then more carefully, "You do." Kylo paused in lifting his fork. Hux added, "I know you may have entertained doubts about my loyalty and things did not begin … well … but I think that period might be behind us and we can work together, um, better … in the future."

"Yes," Kylo responded. He was amused that Hux, the great speaker, seemed a bit tongue-tied. "That's behind us. Snoke pitted us against each other. I think because he was afraid of what we could accomplish together. That's the future that I want to discuss with you. Thank you for asking me out to lunch."

A small smile touched Hux's lips. This time, Kylo didn't call attention to it.

Well, Luke said to himself, My work here is done. Go bring peace and order to the galaxy, or else I'll come back and make comments on your bedroom technique.