#grholiday

Who in the world could it be at this time of night she wondered as she quickly threw on a nearby coat over her sleepwear. It was dark, freezing cold, and it had snowed earlier in the day and now everything was iced over. Not fit for man nor beast outside.

Rose was fixing up this old cabin as a sort of therapeutic relaxation after so many years of war and destruction. Her friends knew if they needed her she’d be on the next transport before the holo call ended but she was glad for the quiet. So much has happened and she needed a rest, a time to recharge but she could never truly sit still so she bought this place as a relaxation project.

She slid on some slippers and made her way to the door. She looked at the monitor next to it showing an outline of a slight figure on the other side. She knew the face well.

Throwing open the door she was face to face with a man who looked like a walking piece of tinsel, his overly worn coat no match for the snow and the icy layer that had formed on it, his pale skin adding to the silvery effect. Only his red hair stood out to declare this was a man and not a droid. He also looked like he hadn’t eaten a good meal in a long time. Thin and gaunt. No trace of the arrogant man that had commanded legions just years before.

She just stood there staring in disbelief until he broke the silence.

“I had no where else to go”.

He said through his chattering teeth. He looked down to his feet in shame and embarrassment. He was not a man ever used to asking for help and had no expatiation on it being given but he had something, somthing that had kept him alive as he floated through backwater ports after the fall of the First Order, something that was new to him, he had a small flickering spark of hope, hope that the women who had been the angelic voice on the radio that he had given clandestine information too, might be kind enough to at least give him a hot meal before he was sent away. But right now he was desperate, broke, and alone. He looked up into her eyes with humbleness when she said

“Come in”

He just stood there frozen unsure if he heard correctly. Rose grabbed Hux’s arm and gently pulled him in the door before slamming it with a thud against the biting wind.

“Sit”

She commanded him, and pointed to the large comfy chair nearest to the fireplace. He did as he was told and his body started to shiver even more as it started to warm up again. Rose came back with a couple of large heavy blankets and enveloped him with them then disappeared into the kitchen to heat up some water for tea.

Under the shaking blankets, wrapped still in a carry bag hanging of his shoulders came a tiny

“meow”

Millicent stirred and started to scratch trying to get out of the cloth bag. He wouldn’t have left her behind for the world. He was just sad she had suffered along with him but he didn’t trust anyone to care for her either.

Rose returned from the kitchen with a tray carrying a cup of tea and a bowl of reheated soup and placed them on the table. As much as she wanted to ask a million questions and possibly tear into him she was not mean nor malicious enough to attack while he was in such a state. Again a little

“Mew” came from the bag with little scratching noises.

“Do you have a lothcat in there???” She asked incredulously.

“Yess, Millicent…I couldn’t leave her” he whispered in between sipping the warmth from the cup he held tightly.