They walk for a long time in silence, Techie trailing behind, careful not to alert Hux. He feels the thrum of Kylo Ren’s energy in the air; it fills him with a bravery he didn’t think himself capable of. Not even his hands shake.

Finally, Hux stops abruptly on a narrow metal bridge over the Finalizer’s engines, which hum down deep below. Techie, meanwhile, ducks behind a column and watches.