Blinded by the Dark | General Hux

XIII

"Did you find them?" Ren snapped when Amelia walked back onto the bridge, clearly fuming, shoulders tensed as he leant over the switchboards, turning only slightly to look at her. She was a little nervous of him but kept her head up, looking to Hux who was clearly hoping she had brought good news, if not for keeping the rebels captured then keeping Ren's temper under control. 

"No, I couldn't find them anywhere, couldn't even sense them." 

She stood by his side while he remained silent, looking down with a huge irate sigh. 

"And now they've escaped," she added.

This tipped his patience and he suddenly threw his hand out, gripping her by the neck and throwing her at the wall in pure unfiltered rage, her head smacking the corner before she dropped to the floor. 

"Ren!" Hux shouted as Amelia sat up a little, staring at the floor in shock, shaking, trying to control her weak breathing. The General ignored the glare he got from Ren and instead knelt beside the apprentice, resting a hand on her shoulder. The entire rest of the room had fallen quiet. "Are you alright...?" 

She nodded once. 

"What exactly is wrong with you?" he spat, seething a little at the wound he uncovered on her head. "Moron..." 

"Leave her before I do the same to you." 

"I have no doubt you will," He helped her up, holding her hand gently. "What did she do to deserve that? She's your apprentice!"

"It's not like you to defend your troopers, General." came the spiteful reply that struck deep in Amelia's chest, hitting deep. 

"These are exceptional circumstances, you know that. Don't be so disrespectful." 

She hardly caught the end of his words as she had already taken off towards the door, throwing her hood back up to mask the few tears that rolled down her cheeks and dripped to the floor. Her hurrying alerted the rest of the staff to move out of the way, backing back down corridors and into walls to avoid her; and though they were unaware of her sadness as opposed to anger - for they dared not look too closely out of fear - they knew better than to be in her line of fire.

For her though, as she dropped to the floor in an alcove in a quiet maintenance corridor, she was shaken and more scared than they could ever be. Her master had become angry at her of all people, not an officer or even the General but his student for failing to find the rebels. In fact, he had lashed out just because she had been the one to break the news. He really did see her as insignificant and unspecial. 

In a way, she was glad she had let Rey go because who knew what he would have done to her if he was that furious at his own apprentice just for updating him on the situation.

Perhaps he sensed her lies or guilt about her betrayal but she knew she had hidden it expertly. After all, he had taught her how and well. 

She really was worthless in his eyes then, just someone to do all the messy stuff he didn't want to deal with, a servant of sorts who he'd trained a bit. She had believed he cared about her a little given their history, what they'd shared and all his assurances that he would help her as her teacher. Was it a lie? Maybe he did care and he'd just been unable to control himself, but even so, you wouldn't throw someone you cared about into a wall, call them an insignificant trooper and humiliate them in front of everyone they were the boss of...the General too. At least he had shown a little compassion and tried to defend her. 

She leaned against the wall and held her hands over her face to sob into them with heavy breaths, trying to be as quiet as possible, though not quiet enough...