Blinded by the Dark | General Hux

XI

"Maybe...I guess I've got years to work out what I want, what all this really means to me...Love and stuff..." she said, her mind suddenly gravitating back to the General at that but she took it as a sign she should try and apologise rather than anything else. She quickly changed the subject. "Why would I want to be his pet? Snoke?" she spat and he looked at her in slight shock at her abruptness. "I don't want that, why would I? Why would I want to betray the one person I've ever really been close to or slightly cared about, apart from maybe the General...It's not right, it's not me. I want to be normal. Yes, having this power is great and I appreciate you taking the effort to help me but I can have that while not ruling the entire galaxy. Is that possible? Is that not human?" 

"No...People long to have what you do: the opportunity for greatness. What people would do to be where you are now, to be chosen by me, by the Supreme Leader, even the General seems to be taking a liking to you." he said with a degree of disgust. "Still, I admire your honesty and I get it, but you're stronger than me. You always have been in that regard."

"Thank you, master...But I'm sorry I'm not the apprentice you wanted. How can I say I'm loyal to the cause when I don't want what is clearly being offered?" 

"Of course you're loyal, anyone can see that. You are everything an apprentice should be." 

She nodded with a little smile, reaching out her hand to meet his when he held it out. 

"Thank you... but I think I have some amends to make...As for Snoke's offer, I guess we just have to wait and see."

"Just know that if he chooses you, I won't be offended. You are a perfectly worthy candidate." 

"That means a lot." 

"Well, goodnight, Amelia. Get some sleep," he said, getting up. "I will see you in the morning, don't be late." 

"I won't. Goodnight." 

***

Many of the officers on the bridge went quiet when Amelia walked on, looking up at her nervously before getting back to their work. She threw her hair back over her shoulder, the routine click off heels brushed by her black dress alerting Hux to her presence and forcing him to take a deep breath before turning to her with a polite nod. 

"General Hux," she said and he tensed a little. He had hoped she was there to speak to someone else given they clearly weren't on the best of terms. Not that he didn't still find her incredibly attractive...

"Amelia, good morning. How can I-"

"I would like to speak to you."

His heart stopped for a moment. Damn. "Of course."

"Privately," she added and the officers and technicians all looked at each other, knowing from the incessant gossip of the ranks that they weren't exactly on the best of terms and had been particularly unfriendly recently; the General was trying his best to avoid her. "If possible." 

"Yes...Absolutely...The board room is free I believe." He gestured in its direction. "Please." 

She walked ahead of him and he lowered his hand, looking around at all his workers with a nervous glance then a glare. 

"Get back to work."

He attempted to prepare for an argument, more on her side than his he imagined, given her initial outburst towards him, and as such how he would respond, closing the door after him. He did admit that what she had said had hurt to some degree, more so because he himself believed it to be true that no one did like him and he really did have no friends because of that. She had been right in a sense about everything and he just hoped she wasn't there to reinforce that.