Sky Fall [ReaderxGeneralHux&KyloRen]

(3) Drought

The sun shining down on you is hot. It takes maybe ten minutes until your remaining clothes and hair are merely damp. They already dried a bit on the walk from the crash site to the woods. Sighing, you enjoy the warmth a little longer. It's not often that you spend time on a planet with a proper day-night cycle and endurable temperatures.

You walked a few hundred yards away from the camp. Your shirt, boots, and leggings you brought with you. Picking them up from the grass, you're delighted to feel that they are almost fully dry as well. You put them on and make your way back, walking a half circle to actually scout a little of the surroundings.

It's mostly trees, a few mossy sports here and there which indicates that water should be around or at least regular rainfall, as well as a lot of fern grass. You haven't seen a lot of animals. Some butterflies, small birds, but nothing bigger.

By now, you can smell the fire the Trooper seemingly managed to start. Walking through the brushwood, you have to duck under fallen trees that are now leaning on another one a few times.

Suddenly, you can hear yelling coming from the camp. "What the-" You furrow your eyebrows and start to walk faster. At first, you think that for some reason Hux is yelling at the Trooper. Soon, however, you make out that they are both shouting in distress. You start to sprint. Barely able to see where you are going, you run towards the noise. What comes into sight is horrifying. Found the big animal, you think to yourself.

It looks almost like a deer, but with broader shoulders and obviously sharper teeth. It's fur is brown with white stripes around the neck. Small, crooked antlers coming out of its head. Hux is already on the ground, using a burning stick to keep the animal away. Sixteen is holding up his arm in defense as it keeps pouncing at him. You see the blood running down his arm.

Distracted by the fighting, neither the animal nor the others see you coming. Your knife in hand, you throw yourself onto the animal, slamming it into the ground. The one second it is disoriented, you use to drive the knife into its head. It struggles for a moment before it lets out a throaty sound and stops moving entirely.

Your left shoulder hurts like hell from when it collided with the ribs of the animal. But besides that, you're good. Taking a deep breath, you get up. Sixteen as well as Hux look at you wide-eyed.

Pulling the knife out of the animal's skull you say: "I leave you alone for ten minutes..." and shake your head. Sixteens lets out a laugh. Hux doesn't move. You wipe the blade of your knife clean using the fur of the animal while you order: "Show me your arm."

The Trooper lifts his injured arm. Methodically, you rip open the shirt up to his elbow, and pull shreds of the fabric off the arm. It must hurt like hell, but the Trooper keeps quiet. "Shit." You curse under your breath. "The bite marks run deep. We need to clean this." Looking around, you try to think of a way to get water. "Sit down. I'll figure something out." He nods thankful and sits down next to the fire.

Walking over to Hux, you offer him your hand. However, he just scoffs and gets to his feet as he throws the burning stick in his hand back into the burning pile. "Where were you?" He raises his voice at you.

"Like I told you, I walked around a bit."

"You also told me, you would stay close!"

You clench your jaw. He's right about that one. But before you even get the chance to apologize, he launches into an angry monologue: "You were supposed to scout the surroundings! How could you miss such a threat? It was a simple task, and your reckless behavior endangered all of us. And on a sidenote," he points at the Trooper, "there is a reason they are supposed to keep their armor on outside! None of this would have happened if you wouldn't have been so slackly in how you treat your subordinate, and at the same time remembered that you are not at the top of the chain of command here!"

Stunned, you take a step back. He could have intervened with any of your suggestions at any time. He didn't.

"Oh, yeah?" You yell at him. "Well, nothing of this would have happened if you did your job properly and saved the ship from being shot down by two fucking x-wings, but here we are!" You make a wide gesture, pointing at your surroundings. Hux' fist clench and you see that he is boiling inside. Nevertheless, you get in his face and add: "I just saved your life the second time in one day, and instead of thanking me, you berate me. I'm not one of your Troopers."

You turn on your heels and walk back to the cadaver of the animal. Kneeling down, you start to cut it open.

"What are you doing?!" Hux sounds angry, and a little curious.

Over your shoulder, you tell him: "Dinner."

- - - - - - - - - - -

You feel the stress radiating off of Hux. It drives you insane. It's a difficult situation however you behave. Nevertheless, this pissing contest definitely won't make it any better. You might have solved the problem of having nothing to eat as the meat of the animal you killed is currently being cooked over the fire; however, the trooper still has a gravely wounded arm you need to tend to, and additionally, you don't have anything to drink.

In the way Sixteen holds his arm, you can see that it gets worse and worse. After you've eaten, you declare: "We need to figure something out, now."

The Trooper and you expectantly look at Hux, who stares right back at you, his mouth still full. He looks a like a baby bird in a nest, surprised by his mother suddenly showing up. After swallowing his food, he says: "It's getting dark. We need to find a place to sleep for the night."

You furrow your eyebrows: "He's going to lose his arm or die of the infection if we don't do anything about it."

"We will set up camp." Hux answers indifferently.

Your mouth falls open. You turn your head to look at Sixteen. His face doesn't display any emotion either. Probably because he was bread not to.

"This is bullshit." You get to your feet. "I will look for water and maybe I find some herbs."

Hux gets up as well. Oh boy. You really don't want to do this again.

"Look." You calmly state. "I am tired. My body hurts. And I want nothing more than to lie down. But we are stranded on a foreign planet, and we need any manpower we can get. I don't know how you usually handle things within your battalion, and frankly, I don't care right now. This man needs medical attention, and my job is to get him some. If you want to punish me once we get back – if we get back – to Starkiller Base, I'm fine with that. Until then, however, I will do whatever I can to protect my own."

The corners of his mouth twitch.

"What?!" You prop up your hands on your hip.

"I agree." Hux states calmly.

"I- You agree?"

"Yes. You look for water and we will set up camp."

Flabbergasted, you stare at him. Then you say: "Alright."

"Alright." He gives you a nod.

"Alright." You mutter as you turn around and make your way deeper into the woods, back to where you saw the moss and assumed water must be near. As you walk away, you could swear that you hear Hux chuckle.