The Spark Of Hope And Fire

General Hux of the First Order

    Emperor Palpatine was a romantic. He desired only the power of the dark side, and political conquest. He spent decades placing his pieces strategically. He gained control through strategic moves and sweet speech. He Seduced Anakin Skywalker into betraying the jedi order, and becoming his apprentice. He seduced the entire  galaxy into handing itself over to him willingly. With thunderous applause. He merely wanted to be strong with the dark side. He wanted to control the political powers in the galaxy. He attained that in Vader. He gained the Galactic Empire. He dominated the galaxy through Vader's muscle, volatile hatred, and quest for vengeance. Until he was eventually betrayed by the very one he trained.
       Snoke was something else entirely. Where Palpatine was a romantic, Snoke was an iron fist. There was no escaping his grasp. And those not caught up in it would be crushed by it. Snoke wanted power also. But he was much wiser than Palpatine in his attaining it. Snoke seized control over the galaxy in one quick move, where Palpatine took decades. He sought to control the force itself, not merely the dark side. He sought the power of both the dark and the light. He not only wanted rulership. He wanted the galaxy- the universe, even, to be a puppet in his hands. Snoke wanted more than rulership. He wanted, not unlimited, but absolute power. Godship.

      Gambling has its ups and downs. Mostly downs. He'd lost all the money the first order gave him already. And then some. But money isn't much fun not spent. And bad deals just... happen.
           DJ stumbled upon the escape shuttle, shortly after escaping the previous captivity in quite possibly the least held together vessel in the galaxy. Some fossilized bucket called "the Twilight." The ship was losing life support and structural integrity quickly. He spotted the drifting first order shuttle just as his current vessel went critical.
       His curiosity piqued as he realized the origin of his new ship. Snoke's flagship drifted slowly into view from behind the planet, torn completely in two.  As he went through his new shuttle, pocketing this and that, a first order star destroyer popped out from hyperspace and into the viewport. They must have forgotten something, he mused.

     The rebels are all but completely destroyed, and the first order reigns. General Hux had been sent to retrieve Snoke's abandoned escape shuttle from Crait's orbit. He didn't understand why it needed to be retrieved, or why it wasn't destroyed on the way out, for that matter. It wasn't as if the first order actually needed it. But Hux knew better than to question Kylo Ren. As insufferable and insufficient as he was, he had no choice but to bow down to Kylo Ren as the new Supreme Leader. Otherwise would be exile, or death by means of the force. The rabid cur was force sensitive, as was Leader Snoke. Which meant Hux had little to no chance of actually leading the army he himself created.
      "Sir, we've arrived at the rebel planet."
      "Very good. Scan the area." Hux nodded.
       Over the course of the trip, Hux had time to think of his future course of action. He had gone over every loophole, every variable, every obscure law and code from the empire. And the first order. He found nothing he could use to usurp Kylo Ren from the throne. He stared out the ready room viewport, drinking tea, and conjuring scenarios in his head.
       "General Hux. We are receiving a transmission. It's coming from Snoke's escape shuttle "  a voice said, startling him, and breaking his concentration. He stepped out onto the bridge, trying to covertly wipe away the previously flying tea from his pristine officers uniform.
      
      " fantastic. …" sarcasm soaked his thoughts.
 
      "Patch them through... this is General Hux of the first order. That ship is property of the first order. You are in violation of order 75-223 unlawful possession of first order property. You will return that shuttle immediately, or you will be obliterated." Hux proudly smirked, making sure the eyes of all on the bridge were on him.
    "Aah…. G-G-General….. I've missed you!" Was the reply.
    "Set the tractor beam. I don't have time for this ridiculous banter!" Hux barked.
     He and several stormtroopers stood waiting in the hangar as the opportunistic criminal slime only known as DJ exited the shuttle with his hands up.
      "Take him to the brig, and set a course for the new base. "
       Hux wasn't sure of the usefulness of the scoundrel. But Hux decided to keep him anyway, in case something happened to come along. He was always at the ready to make himself look good before his superiors. Regardless of his personal distaste for them.
    
    The brig here was at least clean. Much cleaner than the one he just left from.
     "General!" DJ said, in a mock salute, standing at attention in his cell, Ironically still in the first order uniform.
     "Enough!" Barked Hux. "What are you doing here? The first order sent you away with enough money to supply you through the galaxy twice!"
     "Clearly, you don't know how to live, man."
     "And you do? Spending all your nights in the nearest brig?"
      Hux knew this guy had no loyalties, except to the one holding the biggest bank account. He couldn't exactly charge that against him. Suddenly, the idea struck him...
      "DJ.. is it? I have a commission for you. If you are able to pull it off, I will put you on the first order payroll, at twice my salary. For the rest of your life..."