[ Her rough answer tells him he's hit a nerve of some kind. Rather than her polished and neutral exterior from when they'd been communicating mentally, she's more guarded now. Defensive, even. Hux could press it bluntly, but he's not sure what her reaction would be. ]

The Empire is over, that's true. [ He starts off slow, wanting to be careful. ] I want to know your opinion on it, ended or not. It's relevant to how I know Kylo Ren.