Negotiations (Kylo Ren x Reader)

The Drive

You spent your next few days almost exclusively in the training room with the Knights, sparring, mostly getting knocked on your ass. You didn't see Vicrul nor Kylo Ren, and you didn't ask the others about them. At this point, you were trying to keep yourself occupied at every possible moment, trying not to think about anything except brutal attack strategies, and the Knights were very skilled. Trudgen had already taught you several maneuvers that aided you in your first defeat of Ap'lek. As you held the point of your metal spear to his throat, a slow clap came from the side of the mat. You dropped your weapon, offering a hand to Ap'lek, who refused, muttering irritatedly that you had cheated.

"I forget sometimes, how barbaric you can be." General Hux was standing at the edge of the mat, watching you with a teasing smile playing over his lips.

"I'm happy to remind you anytime." You winked at him, hopping down off the mat to stand before him, watching him swallow hard.

"Take a walk with me?" He clasped his hands behind his back as you nodded, following just a step behind him as he turned right out of the training room. You made a mental map as you went, waiting for Hux to speak, hearing Ap'lek trail just a few paces behind. You reached a large window that spanned the length of a hallway, looking out into the twinkling stars of space. Hux paused, looking out with a peculiar expression on his face, not quite as pinched as it usually was.

"I have invited all of the senators to take refuge on the Finalizer, to stay for an emergency meeting." He announced, not looking over to see you reaction. You blinked, processing the fact that Dane could be on the ship soon, in the same vicinity as Kylo Ren.

"When?" You asked in an uncharacteristically small voice. He glanced over at you then; you knew you'd gone pale, lost your vigor.

"In three days time, five or six centrist delegations will arrive. The rest have refused to come in person and will attend the summit virtually. They seem to think that we were involved in one or both of the attacks." You breathed a sigh of relief, perhaps Leia would also be attending virtually.

"Were you involved?" You asked honestly, raising your eyebrows. Hux gave you a long, incandescent stare, so intense that it made you take a step back.

"What do I have to do to prove that the First Order is not your enemy?"

"You didn't answer my question." You said pointedly, averting your eyes back to the window, touching the glass and feeling it icy against the pads of your fingers.

"No," He sounded colder now, formal once more. "I had nothing to do with it. I'm trying to win over my opposition's trust, not kill them off." You huffed out a laugh, taking in his side profile.

"Sometimes I think you have too much of a moral compass to work for this organization." You admitted, watching him look at you with wide eyes, hands tightening over each other behind him.

"I think you know very little about me." He seemed almost ashamed, swallowing hard.

"I guess you did call me a whore." You elbowed him, cracking a teasing smile, even sniggering a little. He shook his head at you, but even he couldn't keep the sternness on his face for long. "Will Leia be coming to the meeting in person?" You asked, your stomach twisting in knots again.

"She hasn't responded yet. I was going to ask you to reach out to her to get her reply. I have quite an important proposal for her. And you, I suppose."

"What is it?" Your mind was only half there with Hux in the moment, the other part of you desperately wishing for some excuse to make Dane stay far away from the Finalizer.