Chapter 1

The battle of Crait was a month done, and Kylo Ren still sulked. Not only was he stuck in charge of the First Order, but he had no idea where the Millenium Falcon had gone with the remaining dregs of the Resistance, and Hux had been insufferable the first few weeks.

And worse, Rey wouldn't speak to him.

The bond was still there. Whether Snoke had really created it or not, Kylo didn't know, but it was still connecting them, though less often. At first, they were both silent, but eventually, Kylo got sick of it.

"Why didn't you join me?"

"We could have been ruling the galaxy together right now."

"What do you plan to do with only a few dozen Resistance members and a single beaten-up ship older than either of us?"

She never answered a single question, and she always looked away.

So Kylo got creative. He started walking around her so she would have to turn her head or close her eyes to avoid eye contact. He poked her. He blew at her wispy hair. He tugged her ears. He tickled her once, though that had ended with a sharp elbow to his gut, so he stopped that tactic. He showed up shirtless. He even showed up naked once, just to see what she would do, but though she blushed deeply, she still ignored him.

One day, during one of their bonds, he sat behind Rey, leaned on her back, and asked, "Why did you stop talking to me?"

"Because you're not who I thought you were," Rey said.

Kylo froze. It was the first time in weeks he had heard her voice. "Who did you think I was?" he asked carefully.

"Ben Solo. A hero. Someone who would end this war through peace and liberate the galaxy from living in terror," Rey replied. "I thought you were more than a monster. I was wrong."

Kylo was silent as he considered her words, and the bond ended unexpectedly, tossing him backwards onto the floor where he had been leaning on Rey. He landed hard on the back of his skull. "Oww."

He was still mulling over Rey's words when he sat down for dinner that night with Hux and Phasma, the latter of which had somehow miraculously survived near certain death-again. "I need advice," he said after a minute, interrupting an intense discussion on stormtrooper recruitment between Phasma and Hux.

They both looked at him sharply. "Can you say that again?" Hux asked. "I think I just heard you say you needed advice, but such words would be impossible from your mouth."

Kylo glared at Hux and used the force to slam him face-first into the plate of food he had been eating. Hux came up sputtering with mashed potatoes and baked beans dripping from his brows.

"Supreme Leader, what advice do you seek?" Phasma asked, appropriate and dull as always. He almost regretted his request.

Then again, Phasma was a woman, despite how easy the fact was to forget. She might have some insight. "There's a girl I'm interested in, and she's been ignoring me. How do I get her to pay attention to me?"

"Assume she's playing hard to get. Ignore her back," Phasma said.

"That seems counterintuitive," Hux said. "What if she doesn't like him?"

"She doesn't, but it might help him recover from the disappointment sooner and would allow her greater peace in the interim," Phasma responded without ceremony.

"You don't know that," Hux said, pointing a spoon at Phasma in between bites. "You don't even know who he likes."

"I am the only woman in the First Order he has spent any length of time around in the last decade. The odds that he is attracted to any other woman are astronomically low."

Kylo Ren stared at Phasma in horror. Hux shrugged. "True, though you never know. He might have fallen for the Jedi girl he captured on Takodana. Hey, did you ever notice that the start of Takodana sounds like taco?"

Kylo's full attention went to Hux. "Hypothetically, if I were attracted to the Jedi girl, and she were ignoring me and referring to me as a monster for being the Supreme Leader of the First Order and trying to massacre everyone she knows, what should I do?"

Phasma and Hux both stared at him. "Her? Seriously?" Hux said. "When did you even have time to.. Nevermind. It doesn't matter. Is this why you've been in such a bad mood whenever I bring up the Resistance?"

Kylo Ren made the force choke gesture and raised his eyebrows at Hux.

Hux raised both hands, surrendering. "Got it. Got it. No teasing. So you like the Jedi girl, and she's ignoring you because she thinks you're a monster. Did I get that right?"

Kylo nodded.

Hux continued. "Well, we don't necessarily have to destroy the Resistance. From what you told me, Skywalker is dead, and this girl is the only remaining threat to the First Order. Should I assume that you don't plan to kill her since you like her?"

Kylo Ren thought about it. He nodded. Both Hux and Phasma blinked a few times at his hesitation.

"Okay, well if she's the only teeth the Resistance has, and you plan to keep her alive, we could stop wasting resources pursuing them and offer some form of peace treaty. Maybe even give them some of what they want. It's not like I have any real objection to most of their goals. I just don't want to put elected officials in charge of things," Hux said.

Phasma nodded. "I concur. We will support your love if you leave us in power and whine less."

"Is it wrong to force choke a woman?" Kylo asked Hux while glancing at Phasma. "I've never done it before."

Hux shrugged. "Force-choking does seem to fit the monster profile you want to avoid. Maybe it's time to turn over a new leaf. Go crazy. Stop bullying people with the force. Donate to charities. Adopt orphans. Reclaim your birth name. What was it again? Obi-Wan Solo?"

"Ben Solo," Kylo growled.

"I thought your birth certificate-"

"Ben," Kylo insisted. They stared at each other, Kylo glaring and Hux barely containing his mirth.

"See? You're already off to a good start reclaiming your name," Hux said.

Kylo looked between Phasma and Hux suspiciously. "Neither of you are bothered by this? Either the change in First Order goals or my going after the girl who killed Snoke?"

Hux shrugged. "Nope. Not really."

Phasma nodded. "Just leave Hux in charge of military decisions and me in charge of training, and we're good. Besides, it's not like either of us ever believed your story that the girl killed Snoke."

"You didn't?" Kylo asked, surprised.

"Do we look stupid to you?" Hux asked.

"No, General Hugs, you absolutely do not look stupid," Kylo said in an even voice. Hux's face turned as red as his hair.

Phasma rolled her eyes. "If you want the girl, become the good guy she wishes you were AND ignore her. Drive her nuts with desire, act like she doesn't exist, and when she is utterly crushed in despair and never believes she'll have another chance, then destroy her."

Hux blinked at Phasma. "Don't you mean give her a chance then?"

Phasma shook her head. "Not at all. It is far more satisfying to destroy someone than to have a lover."

Hux raised an eyebrow. "I feel like I understand you better now. I wish I hadn't."

Phasma didn't bother responding.

"So you're seriously recommending I make peace with the Resistance and agree to some of their demands so I can win a girl?" Kylo Ren asked, looking dubiously between his two highest-ranked subordinates.

Hux stared at Kylo Ren. "I'm honestly tired of the whole Resistance-battle. It's horribly inefficient, and their demands are not that unreasonable past the whole elected officials nonsense that invites chaos. Just promise to hear them out and have a strong hand against slavery and oppression, and we'll save ourselves a lot of trouble and resources. If it helps you win your lady love too and makes you less cranky, all the better."

Kylo Ren nodded. "And I should ignore her while I do this?"

Phasma nodded and smiled. "Definitely."

I didn't mean to write this... but it kinda happened. Also, I got REALLY sick and needed a break from A Reylo Cup of Sugar, so I'm trying new things for a little bit. :)

Hope you like it. Please review!