Taking Command Book 1 (Kylux) (#Wattys2016)

Chapter Forty Five: Ransom

Hux PoV

I received word that Kylo had been captured about three days after his departure. I had been commed by the sole surviving and uncaptured member of his squad. Apparently the Resistance had known we were coming. They had ambushed the TIEs as soon as they had gotten out of hyperspace. They had picked off all of them but two, that trooper's and Kylo.

They had shot Kylo down but he had managed to crash on the planet and survive, but he had been captured. The trooper was apparently holed up in Mos Eisley, waiting for further orders from me.

"Great," I muttered, mostly anxious but affectionate nonetheless. "I'm gonna need to save my idiot boyfriend again."

I went to tell the Supreme Leader, feeling less happy about this task. I wanted to do this myself, but I worried that Snoke would prevent me from going to his rescue. I could not let that happen. Yet, I reflected, it would probably be best if Snoke knew. If he found that I had hidden the information from him, I would be dead.

"Supreme Leader," I said respectfully,"I have received word from one of Kylo's men that he has been captured on Tatooine. I ask permission to go and take troops to assist him." I waited anxiously for a response.

Snoke looked down at me, and if I did not know any better, I sensed a hint of smugness about him. "And if I said no?" He asked, an undisguised hint of malice in his voice.

"It would be your right to and your choice. It is not my place to question or defy you." I let military discipline answer that question for me. It was safer than me speaking my own mind on this matter. The longer I bantered with Kylo's psychotic master, the odds that he had been killed or that the Resistance had moved grew higher.

"Correct. You may go. It would not do to have Kylo die so soon. He has much more for him in life than dying young."

"Thank you, Supreme Leader. I will leave tonight." It was obvious he was done talking to me, so I left him where he was. I needed to get a squad together to save Kylo.

By that evening I had a ten trooper group assembled. They were the best I could find. All were top of their training groups and skilled aerial combat, fighting, and shooting.

We took the sleekest and best TIE fighters in the hangar and lifted off into the night to save Ren. "Hux to FN-2187, are you all ready to go into light speed?" I had made him commander of the troopers under myself.

"Yes, sir."

"Then set coordinates to Tatooine, and let's go!" I slammed the button and the TIE blasted into hyperspace.

It was a fairly long and boring trip in a fairly small and cramped ship. I spent the majority of the time making strategies and hoping Kylo was still alive. I was simultaneously full of adrenaline and bored out of my skull with anticipation.

When my ship finally dropped out of hyperspace, I spotted the massive planet right in front of us. We were right above where Mos Eisley was, the place that Kylo's squad's only surviver was hiding out.

"Let's go. Are you all accounted for? FN-2187?" I relied on him to take a roll call of all his subordinates.

"Yes. We are a go, General." FN-2187 replied to me.

"Let's head down to the planet. Let's try not to draw too much attention. You all have civilian clothes for a reason. Change into them as soon as we hit ground." I did not know how long we would be there, and Stormtrooper armor was conspicuous and also hot.

"Yes, sir."

We landed in Mos Eisley spaceport and acquired landing permits. Garbed like a bounty hunter, I looked for the cantina that the surviving trooper had told me of. I found it fairly quickly and headed towards it. The other troopers had been tasked with scouting the city for clues or hiding places.

As I walked into the cantina, someone grabbed my shoulder. I turned to see none other than Poe Dameron. "Jacen?"

"Poe?" I looked at him, not believing my luck. He looked a bit harried and worn out, but simultaneously exhilarated.

"Long time no see! Didn't I run into you on Seveda?" He asked me congenially.

"Yeah. I was looking for the First Order base. Never found it. How about you?" I looked at him, curious to hear what he had done after I had tried to ward him away.

"Nah. At the moment, we are waiting." He shrugged.

"Who's we?" I asked him curiously.

I had pushed too far. I knew it as soon as I said it. Thankfully, Dameron did not seem to care. "Can't say. Sorry. Nice seeing you again, Crise."

He walked away just as the trooper who had survived walked up to me. I could tell it was him because I had trained him for a short time.

"I have something for you," he said, handing me a small, portable holographic image displayed. "And also, did you just dupe Poe Dameron?"

"Thank you, and yes. What is this?" I asked the trooper.

"I don't know. I have not tried to open it. I assumed it was for you." The trooper watched me nervously.

I opened it and a small hologram image of Kylo Ren appeared. He appeared well aside from bruises and some burning on his face and shoulders. He was restrained and blindfolded, from what I could see, and none other than Poe Dameron was standing with him.

"This is a message to the commander o the First Order. We have Kylo Ren. We do not plant releasing him until you give us 20 million credits and surrender to us your most high ranking general."

"Oh no," I murmured. Money was no problem, but they wanted me too. "Where'd you get this?"

"I found it where Kylo's ship was crashed. They must have set it there after they captured him."

I sat and mulled over this ransom. I did not know what to do. Was I really willing to ransom myself and possibly lose the war, just for Kylo?