Eɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ Rᴇᴘᴜʙʟɪᴄ

    “Hm… I think you’re lying, still!” He smirked harder, and was glad that this wasn’t focused on him right now, but instead on with how much this was making the General react. “It would be nothing, if it didn’t happen…. How many times a day??? Several? Goodness, Hux.” He halfway feigned being appalled by this news, but it was right there in the other’s head, easy to pick out from the other thoughts. Clearly, he did not care that this was making the man uncomfortable, because it was definitely amusing to see the other’s face lighting up so red. He was admittedly having too much fun with his power, and knew it was beneath him to be playing around. Yet, the Knight of Ren was disastrously bored, and being kept from his sleep. So, he had to distract himself, somehow!

| @toconquer​ |

The General might have been taken aback at how delighted Ren seemed to be, certainly more so than perhaps anyone had ever seen him. However, being that he was on the receiving end of the man’s smug smile, Hux was less than thrilled. His face burned with the fury of a blaster bolt, and his eyes had permanently fixed their gaze onto the ceiling while his fist curled around the blankets.

“This is quite unnecessary, Ren.” He spat through gritted teeth. At this point, to deny the veracity of his own memories would be ridiculous, so all that he could hope for was for Kylo to grow bored. “It means nothing. You don’t really have much competition on the Star Destroyer, after all.”

   “I— w–” Kylo seriously did not know how to react to this, and he felt himself locking up at the idea that anyone, much less the General here, that they would think of him in this way. “No.” He quietly half-muttered, and sat up to glare ahead at the dresser in the distance. It clearly did bother him, but he didn’t know how or why it did. “I think you’re lying, Hux.” He couldn’t help it, finding his only distraction from his own thoughts were to go into the General’s. There was just the slightest smirk on his features as he glanced at him again. He gestured to his own head, and shrugged. “From what I’m getting up here. It’s definitely more than physical. No one thinks about their superior officer like this, and during meetings?? Really, Hux??”

| @toconquer​ |

His cheeks bloomed a bright red as Kylo commented on the very memory he had dragged to the surface of Hux’s consciousness. It was so very juvenile, the way his mind would drift to the rare glimpses he’d caught of the unmasked Ren speaking with their Supreme Leader. His dark eyes, his lips, his--

“I--I didn’t mean that as an open invitation, Ren!” He snapped, clearly flustered. The expression of Kylo’s face was doing little to help, and it was all that the General could do to pry his eyes from that pompous smirk. “Does it amuse you? I swear, if you let this slip to anyone else,” He began, turning on Kylo with a livid glare, though he wasn’t quite sure he had the means to threaten him with much of anything. “It’s nothing, do you understand?”

    “I still can’t believe that this was what was needed for this mission. Out of all the ones he could’ve sent…” Kylo was trying not to get too off-course from his line of questions aimed at Hux, but even just the mention of his other name had his thoughts slightly tripping up from it. He frowned and then glanced over at Hux again, trying to get back on topic. “This doesn’t answer me, though. Why were you thinking of me?” He didn’t need to admit to peeking into the other’s head, because it was clearly obvious that he did. The fact that the other wasn’t in the know on how to shield his own thoughts is what started this, to begin with! It frustrated him a bit that he was being kept up with this problem. | @toconquer​ |

"Can’t you just look into my mind and figure that out?” He scoffed, though as soon as the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. On second thought, please don’t. “You seem to know enough as it is, so surely you have the answer to that.” His face burned with chagrin just having to address the matter this long, though Ren’s reaction was a bit surprising. The lack of absolute fury emboldened him, even if only a touch.

“Does it bother you, to be...thought of in that way? It’s only physical, I assure you.” He sniffed, as though that made this situation any less awkward. Once again, the more he spoke, the more his stomach was weighed down with the sort of regret that would take an entire bottle of whiskey to drown.

Kylo sighed, and slammed his fists against the tops of the covers, before glaring over back at the other again. He knew that that name wasn’t something he enjoyed to hear, and was clearly just trying to use it whenever he could. Lucky for him, he’s needed alive. His thoughts were so bitter, but he tried to even things out between them. “Why are you even thinking about me? I thought you were tired. What gives?” He was keeping it vague, still, for now. This was still quite strange of a revelation for him to be picking up on, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to really entertain the thought too hard here. Yet, he just had to ask his questions, and further the conversation… | @toconquer |

Hux wasn’t sure what was worse, the fact that Kylo had confirmed this invasion of his thoughts, or the fact that he continued to keep his knowledge of said thoughts quite vague. How much did he really know? Regardless, the General’s cheeks flushed with heat as he glared up towards the ceiling.

“You’re a rather important part of this mission, as is sticking to your alternate name and story. I would hate to late the wrong thing slip and jeopardize the entire affair.” He lied, still sounding quite bitter about being questioned. 

   “Good. Now, sleep.” He huffed, and finally turned onto his back to glare at the ceiling just the same as the other. It was increasingly becoming more of an annoyance, this entire mission that Snoke had set them out on, and with the alarming emotions coming from the man beside him set Kylo on a different kind of edge. He wasn’t used to being this close to another, not in such a long time, having his own space aboard their ships and Starkiller Base. This was only adding onto the piling up annoyances that this mission was succeeding in giving him. For now, he would attempt to get some shut-eye, until the mountain of worries next to him continued with his constant thoughts, and Kylo Ren couldn’t hold back the hiss. “General… Can you relax!?!” (Good stuff, coming from the prince of anger, here.) | @toconquer​ |

Now, this just wasn’t fair. Hux had built his career around learning how to manipulate not just the officers and circumstances around him, but his own emotions and how they were portrayed to others. Yet how was he to contend with someone who could so easily pierce that facade?

“Well, it’s rather difficult, Ben.” He hissed back, turning to face Kylo furiously. “You don’t exactly make for the most comforting presence.” His retort was meant to be biting, but it was dulled by the knowledge that Ren quite obviously knew the substance of his current unease. Hux elected to ignore that knowledge for the time being.

   “Yes, you definitely need to, General. If we are to succeed in this mission for the Supreme Leader, you will have to work on controlling your thoughts more efficiently. They’re aggravating, when I’m trying to sleep!” Yeah, he definitely felt something coming from the other’s mind. Kylo could not believe he’s even addressing the awkwardness of this situation, as vaguely as he could, and hoping that his slight mention of it would silence the subject for good. He really was tired, or thought he had been, but with the other now looking his way that was rapidly escaping him. What even is sleep when you have this man here ruining your peace! That was already rare with him to begin with, being able to possibly grab it during slumber, but now that’s all out the window! He continued to glare at him. “So, are you done???” | @toconquer​ |

His cold panic melted immediately as a flush crept up his neck. So the insolent wretch had been looking where he shouldn’t have been. It was all that Hux could do to stammer out a sound of assent, before laying on his side and staring at the blank wall beside him.

Of course, now his thoughts were a whirring panic of embarrassment, anger, confusion, and just about everything you might pile under the description of ‘negative emotion’. He might have stormed out...had he anywhere else to go, but Hux was not eager to contend with the locals, any more than he wanted to deal with Ren.

Self-satisfaction drew him to full height, and a sneer boasted of the pleasure that he felt, despite not having been the one to have made the capture. He had ordered the search, and that was victory enough in his eyes.

“If you continue to refuse food, we have other means of keeping you alive. Just barely.” He added, with a grotesque smile. His pale blue eyes studied her, able to feel predatory so long as she remained confined. Hux relished it all, the look in her eyes that was violent and helpless all at once. There was nothing that she could do, and if she thought otherwise, she was lying to herself.

“I do hope that you aren’t waiting on some miraculous rescue. Last that I heard, our TIEs were within shooting distance of that flying piece of junk you call a ship.”

It wasn’t that Kylo Ren was bothered by the fact that he had to sleep with another individual. It was merely the fact that said individual was an annoying pest of a man, who only cared about his future goals at the First Order, and whatever he wanted out of all this. Kylo just wanted to sleep, and get this entire mission over with. He didn’t expect to feel something strange from the other who was supposed to be resting. There was a slight buzzing in the back of his skull, as if he could truly feel the other’s thoughts; And when he used his power to get a glimpse, (A severely unwanted glimpse, mind you) his eyes shot open and he turned over to glare at the man.    “Why aren’t you sleeping, General??” It wasn’t a question, but a bark of a demand to know why this wasn’t happening. Think of it as a sort of reaction to what he saw in the other’s head, and that most definitely wasn’t a slight redness to his face you’d see if one cared to look closer, and with better lighting. Of course, he would hide that all away with his glaring expression. | @toconquer​ |

Ren may as well have dumped ice cold water onto him, for the plunge those words sent his stomach down. He felt the color drain from his face, and didn’t dare turn to look at the other. Had he been making noise without realizing it, or...No, he wouldn’t. Hux thought, without any real conviction.

“My apologies, I didn’t know I needed to adjust my sleep cycle to your liking.” He spat, finally gathering the courage to turn onto his back and glance at Ren. He did search his expression curiously, and was surprised to see that it contained less anger than he’d have expected. What that meant, however, the General could not begin to guess at.

   “We better.” He tossed off some of his clothes, not even caring about whichever it was, and glared ahead as he went right over to the bed. It was annoying that they had to not only share a room, but a bed as well, since there was hardly any furnishing large enough for the General. So, he was forced to sit there on the edge of the bed, and look blankly out the window. “This is a terrible mission. If Snoke wanted to keep these beings appeased, couldn’t there have been a different way? Why send us to do it?”

| @toconquer |

“I’ve been wondering that myself,” Hux responded dryly, sitting at the opposite edge of the bed to carefully remove his boots. He hated, of course, to agree with Ren, but it had been nagging at him ever since the orders had been given. “There’s certainly something more to it, though whether it is intended as a test for you or I...or both of us, I could not say.” That, or perhaps a way to get rid of one of us. He thought grimly, though said nothing more.

Finally, he had gotten himself into nightclothes and faced the awkward situation that was to share a bed with the ‘commander’. He shut off the lamp wordlessly, glad to see that Kylo had already turned his back to him. It should have been easy, then, to slip into the stillness of sleep. Yet his mind kept wandering to the man beside him, to the fact that nothing covered his chest but the blankets, to wondering what it would feel like to run his hands up that chest and take hold of a mass of dark, wavy hair. And so he lay there, flushed and wanting, but at least he did so in the privacy of his mind. Surely that was harmless enough...right?

Kylo was not thrilled to be apart of this mission, but he would do whatever the Supreme Leader ordered him to do. If that meant sacrificing his robes and titles, name even, then he’d do so without question. Still, the idea of pretty much being solely with the General had him wishing he could wipe memories from his mind. This was ridiculous, putting him up with such an arrogant person, and for longer than a few moments! He’d have a few words with the Supreme Leader, whenever he returned.

For now, he was forced to endure, and realized that he was currently stuffing food in his mouth, or supposed to be doing such a thing, and glared at the other. “Yes, almost finished.” He had to shove more of it down his throat, not even feeling hungry, and agitated that he was the one to play up diplomacy. It was already difficult having to retrain himself, and being talked down to by more than just the General.

| @toconquer​ |

In that moment, it was all worth it. Kylo’s misery more than made up for the tedium and various undesirable conditions of this mission. He waited for the other to force down the rest of his meal, before they made their excuses and bid their ever hostile hosts a good night. Hux didn’t relish sharing a room with Ren, but apparently housing them and a small host of troopers was quite the inconvenience (or, more likely, a power play) for the warlords.

“Well, that didn’t go as terribly as I expected. No deaths, as of yet.” He remarked, stripping off his coat and gloves. “With any luck, we’ll be off this filthy pile of muck that passes for a planet in no time.”

His only consolation was the fact that, in order to play up their ‘submissive’ appearance and catch the warlords off guard, Kylo had been instructed to forgo his usual intimidating mask and robes for something less threatening. And accordingly, he was to shed his usual moniker for...

“Ben, are you quite finished your meal?” He asked, making a show of covering a yawn to conceal the spiteful glee threatening to light up his face.

“People will notice… They’ll look for me! You’re making a big mistake.”

“Yes, we’re counting on that.” He sneered, looking at her as though they had decided to let a large rat on board. “Now why don’t you be quiet, and accept your situation. Arguing isn’t going to do much of anything for you. Cooperation might get you a bigger portion at dinner time.”

Not that said meal is anything one would desire a larger portion of.

    “Positively…” She wasn’t going to be using any formal way of speaking, unlike the mindless drones that he had at his disposal, as if she needed to use any of that when around the repulsive Unkar Plutt. There was also that doubt on if the General here even really cares about his troops as badly as he prattled on, for she could easily see one like himself just scrambling to get away if things got heated in combat. Would he retreat though? Yet, the man still remained quite a mystery to her, which was what kept her from really lashing out verbally. Oh, and the part where I need to behave. Right.      “So far there’s nothing that I can sense. Everything seems safe, but who knows how long that will last, if what you say is true. If I know any better, it seems like the Resistance likes to strike at the most inappropriate times, after all. I’ll keep alert.” Rey was not going to let any of this get past her, and she’d do anything to prove to the other that she was definitely needed. Who else can use the Force here? I don’t see anyone. Was what she would have snapped out, but refrained, and instead used most of her time keeping quiet and focusing on the areas around as the group walked… Marched… It was some time, and already there seemed to be endless trees all around, Rey wondered how long it would be until they’ve found those crystals. I’ve never seen any, besides what was in my lightsaber… I wonder what they look like trapped in rock?    “You’ve seen plenty of these Kyber deposits, then? With Kylo Ren?” Oops, said it again. Makes this two times now, right? | @toconquer​ |

He heard the edge in her words, and he ignored it with ease. She senses nothing, scans show nothing, the troopers are reporting...nothing. The General may not have been as seasoned as others who held his rank, but he still was a human with instincts and right now he felt optimistic. He didn’t expect a sudden Resistance attack, but he certainly was prepared should his instincts prove wrong. 

Once they entered the forest, the General did pick up on something. Mostly, the force-user’s growing impatience. Of all subjects, though, must she continuously remind him of the one he had finally escaped? (If only for a few days).

“Ren...He went looking for Kyber on his own, as I recall. On a quest to make that wretched thing he calls a saber, I suppose.” Hux shrugged, wearing a disdainful look on his face. He remembered Snoke’s reports concerning his mysterious pupil, ones that had only mattered to the General as matters of cost and use of their forces.

“The missions that he’s accompanied me on have all been intelligence operations and the like. Personally, I have never been present for the harvesting of Kyber.” Nor would I ever be, were it not for the Supreme Leader’s orders.

     “Ren.” He nodded curtly, noting the absence of his newly       acquired pupil. “I see you’ve left behind your pet. Will she       be able to fend for herself without you?” He sneered.

Rey saw his distaste written clearly all over his scornful expression, and she wasn’t about to let that bother her too much. What did give her the slightest annoyance was his tone of voice, and how he just could barely contain how much he detested her. Nods slightly as he went to leave, quite relieved for the bit of peace for what would be a few hours. Whenever she was done making preparations, and sure to have whatever she needed to bring in the pack on her back, Rey was soon sent flying off with the General and his crew. Within hours all of them were landed, and she was carefully reminded that this was a serious mission by the glare of passing troopers, some not wearing helmets had given her this look. So, Rey wasn’t about to go pissing off more people. One is already enough. Which brought her back to this one, the great General of the First Order, and she recalled the look of annoyance on Kylo’s face when he had given her the task of accompanying the man. Yep, I understand it now. Moves on through the terrain, making sure to keep up with the rest, and she had to hang back in order to keep up with the General’s quick pace. Though, she couldn’t help but notice the strategy that was seen before her, and a turn of her attention back towards the red-haired individual.     “So, is it always the infantry that goes in first? I thought that was for battle situations? I don’t sense any other sort around, so why the precaution? You could easily be at the front of the line…” | @toconquer​  |

The night had passed in a blur of activity, for his absence at the base necessitated a great deal of preparations. Officers to be chosen and briefed for roles that would stand empty, instruction upon instruction given for any number of emergency scenarios that would typically fall to the General’s discretion. Of course he could be reached by comms, but that was not always a guarantee at long range (nor in other, more serious, situations).

The trip itself was almost a relief, as there was little to do besides wait. Hux spent the flight with his nose in his holopad, pleased to see everything running smoothly. Here’s to hoping that it remains such, even with Ren prowling around. When they landed, he fell in beside the Force user as the troops went ahead to scout. It was a new experience to work with someone other than Ren, and he had to admit that despise Rey as he might, she could very well be more sensible than their tantrum-prone Commander.

Or had he spoken too soon?

“Reports from mere days ago showed Resistance crafts hovering about this area. They may have simply been performing maintenance, but I’ll take no chances where my men’s lives are concerned. Every Trooper is an asset to the First Order, one that should not be carelessly thrown away.”

As ever, he spoke with pride of ‘his’ troopers and their importance. It was almost enough to make him seem agreeable in that small moment. Then he looked down his nose at her once more.

“I told you not to worry about my orders. I am the General for a reason. You would do well to remember your role here, Miss Rey. Alert us to any threats that you can...sense,” He began, nose wrinkling at the word, “And escort the party to camp until we come across a site with adequate kyber deposits. Do I make myself clear?”

fire  b u r n s  hands, lips glossy ; ( p e r c h a n c e ) times can’t breathe  -;-;;  B R E A T H E