028. RESPECT THE ADMIRAL

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Hux was quiet. Too quiet in fact. He had been quiet ever since she went back for him and freed him from his containment cell. The hopelessness that she had seen cast on his face remained as he stared at the floor of the stolen shuttle. Normally she wouldn't mind the silence, but something was clearly wrong if the general had nothing to say about what had happened.

She took the first step in breaking the silence, "Did you run out of protocols to talk about?"

He didn't even acknowledge that she had spoken.

"General?" she turned to face him now concerned.

He had pulled his knees up into his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. If things got much worse, she assumed that he would start rocking in a matter of minutes. She had dealt with too much stress today to add this to her platter. She set the controls on autopilot and approached the back of the vessel.

"Snap out of it, Hux!" she demanded.

He flinched, but nothing else about his demeanor changed. She frowned and crouched down to meet at eye level. He seemed to look straight through her. Now she was genuinely concerned. She'd never seen him look broken. Sure, at times she thought he was an idiot. But now that she essentially had his job, she understood how hard it was to make decisions for an entire organization. He was bound to break sooner or later from all of the pressure. Unfortunate that it occurred when it was just her around.

She softened her voice, "Armitage."

He blinked and seemed to snap out of his dazed stupor, "Dangir... where—"

"We're aboard a shuttle," she explained, "headed back to The Supremacy."

"How did you—You came back for me?"

"I said I wasn't going to leave you behind," she nodded before gruffly adding, "I've got enough to deal with, I don't need your job added to the palette."

"Yes," he stood and brushed the wrinkles out of his rebel garb, "of course."

"I didn't have time to grab your uniform," she noted, "I barely managed to make it out of there with you before the First Order demolished the place."

Hux nodded, "I'm sure arrangements can be made for replacements once we've returned."

"How do you think the Supreme Leader is going to react?"

Hux winced, "I—I'd rather not think of that right now."

"...clearance codes..." a muffled voice could be heard from the radio.

"I've got to give security those codes," she stated as she noticed that a worried look crossed his face when she got up to leave.

"Right," he nodded.

She couldn't remember the rest of the flight since she was too focused either preparing to dock the stolen shuttle or ensuring they didn't get blasted out of the sky on their return. Thankfully, the codes were accepted without question along with their lack of uniform once they disembarked. However, the moment that she was actually worried about came once she had returned to her quarters and freshened up.

"The Supreme Leader would like to see you."

The trooper had left before she could recall their identification numbers, so she finished putting her boots on and left without a word. Although practically foreign before, she had managed to become more familiar with the halls that were restricted to the use of higher ranking officials. Hux arrived at the same time that she had and seemed much more put together. The haughty look was once again plastered to his face.

"How are you doing?"

He upturned his nose and looked forward, "I have no idea what you are referring to."

She frowned. It looked like things were going to go back to the way they were before they had left for the Florrum System. The doors opened and they were ushered inside. If the Supreme Leader had been intimidating before, he was absolutely terrifying now. He once more had his cloak pulled up over his eyes so that only the disapproving snarl formed at his lips was visible. The room was dimly lit and the lights that were operational flickered to no end. She wasn't sure if the ground was shaking or if her knees were knocking together, but the air trembled in response as well. The most horrifying bit was that there were bodies littered across the floor. All officers who had failed no doubt... and it certainly looked like they were next. She risked a glimpse over at Hux. He remained composed and unfazed, but it was apparent that he refused to look down at the floor.

"You requested our presence—"

Her breathing hitched as Hux was cut off and instead began to choke. The Supreme Leader had raised a pale hand from beneath the solid black cloak. Although Koria didn't understand much about sith lords, she knew their power was unrivaled and could end their lives in an instant.

"Give me one reason not to end you right where you stand?"

She carefully thought of how she should respond once she realized that the Supreme Leader still had a firm hand around Hux's windpipe. The shade of his face had changed as he continued to gasp for air.

"If you have decided that we are of no use to you, who am I to question you, Supreme Leader?"

Although no sound emerged, Koria knew that Hux had tried to make some sort of undignified sound. However, the Supreme Leader seemed pleased with her response as Hux gasped for breath when he was finally permitted to breathe. He clutched his throat and eyed the Supreme Leader warily.

"You know your place," the Supreme Leader nodded his head, "As you can see, there are few that think like you here."

"How shall I serve you?"

"Up until this point, I have tested the leaders of the First Order to determine whose loyalty I could trust," he pulled his hood back and allowed it to drop behind his head, "You have passed my test. From here on out, you shall perform the duties expected from your rank. You will also be my mouthpiece to the rest of the First Order as I prepare for what is to come next."

"Thank you, Supreme Leader," she nodded her head with a slight bow.

"You have earned the ability to call me by my name."

She raised an eyebrow in confusion, "If I may, why the sudden change of heart after our failure?"

"It was not about failure or success... this time," he replied, "It was about your willingness to perform tasks that may have seemed impossible."

It then suddenly made sense why she and Hux had been sent to retrieve things and people, especially if they were under and overqualified for such menial tasks. He'd been testing them all along just as she had assumed. She was temporarily safe, but such security would not last forever.

"You are dismissed," he stated with the expectation that they would immediately leave.

"Yes, Supreme Leader," she quickly corrected herself when she received a look of disapproval, "Seth."

"Much better," he nodded his head as if he liked hearing the sound of his own name, "I once stated that you were my second-in-command. As of now, everyone will know of your rank and importance to me."

She had easily remembered that she was made Admiral over the entire fleet despite the unbefitting tasks that she'd been assigned; however, she had entirely forgotten that Seth had made her his right-hand man from the moment they had first met. She decided that it was best to leave the room on a good note rather than join those who had less than pleased him. Had she not heard his footsteps following her out of the room, she would've forgotten that Hux had been beside her all along. The doors closed as they left.

"What was that about?" she asked quietly, mostly to herself.

"He would've killed me," Hux muttered while looking straight forward, "He would have tossed me aside like I meant nothing."

Koria continued to walk away from the throne room, "That's what I've been trying to tell you all along. No one is irreplaceable among the ranks of the First Order. Not even you."

She didn't look back. She refused to show weakness of any kind. It was the one thing that she had learned from him. If you show weakness to those beneath you, you will be devoured within an instant; however, that same principle could not be used when addressing higher authority. She had also learned that from him. Now that she had surpassed him in rank, she couldn't let others see him use her as a footstool anymore. She had essentially become the Supreme Leader's ambassador, so any treatment of her would seemingly be reflected back onto him. She had to demand respect and she could not allow any acceptions from this point forward. She was no longer a no name. She didn't rely on an identity in the form of numbers. She was Grand Admiral Koria Dangir of the First Order and if the world did not bow to the might of the supreme leader... it would burn.