Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Armitage Hux knew his place in the world. He had never questioned the drive he possessed. Rumors had followed him his entire life, his father’s affair haunting him long into Academy. He wanted to prove to everyone that he was better than an illegitimate child that his father had sired, that he was worthy of the rescue that the late Grand Admiral Rae Sloane had performed from a fading world when he was young. He wanted to prove he was better than his father.

He was a damn near replica of his father appearance wise, which was a good thing, because he didn't want to look anything like his mother. In the early days, he could remember her kind face and her soft hands brushing his hair back, but that was before he knew that he had been a mistake. Once he had been rescued, shoved into a vessel with his father, he didn't know soft hands or kind words. He only knew strict schedules and the first appearance of that drive, that desire to be better and to prove to onlooking eyes that he was more than a bastard child. To see some form of pride glittering in those cold eyes his father possessed. Eyes he soon knew how to replicate.

He always knew he was special. He knew he would rule the galaxy one day if he played his cards right.
So... he watched, he learned, and most importantly, he listened. He became the perfect officer in his father's shadow, and then one day, there was no shadow to fill. He was Armitage Hux, General of the First Order.

What he hadn't anticipated in his life was a little back world gutter rat and a masked, emotional tantrum baby to really rock his entire galaxy.

--- ---

His days began around 0400 so that he could hit the officer's gym without anyone to bothering him. It was nice to sweat, to feel his muscles burn and feel himself get winded from a particularly harsh workout. He took pleasure in having control over his world from the moment his eyes opened until he went to sleep. By 0545, he was showered, shaved and polished, marching up to the bridge with his hands folded and his face like stone. He knew the importance of appearance, and the important of maintaining his well-oiled army. He would take breakfast in his office as well as lunch and dinner, filing away requests and paperwork, double and triple checking all forms and orders and anything that would be sent to the Supreme Leader. He would take his leave of the bridge usually around 2100 hours if there were no pressing matters that required his attention, and spend his nights reading whatever he could get through his data pad, whether it be propaganda or supporting. He wanted to know what the galaxy thought of his armies, good and bad.

On this day, he had woken up late. His alarm had not gone off, causing him to miss his workout completely. His shower had been lukewarm, and his shoe had somehow gotten a scuff near the heel. The lift was late, so he had strolled onto the bridge at 0618 precisely to some rather annoying news.

"Sir, Lord Kylo Ren is requesting your presence in the brig." Lieutenant Mitaka had reported to him. Hux repressed his desire to roll his eyes and groan, instead pursing his lips tightly.

"And, pray tell, what does he want this early in the morning? I assumed he was never up before noon!" Hux mumbled, slightly bitter. The officer referenced back to his data pad and looked back up at the general. "And why wasn't I informed earlier?"

"Sir, he just got back from that mission Supreme Leader sent him on, and he's brought back a prisoner. We have been trying your communicator all morning, but we keep getting a busy signal." At this, Hux did sigh. Why on earth Kylo Ren needed to brag about his latest catch? He nodded, desperate to escape the bridge on this rather off day he was having and even more desperate to see the dark-haired knight.

"Fine, alert him that I will be on my way promptly and get me a new communicator. Clearly mine is broken." He pulled the offending device from his pocket and flicked it towards the man. He didn't stay around to collect the new comm and strode off the bridge with his chin high and his arms tucked behind his back.

The second lift he came across was broken.

Hux wondered to himself if this was a sign. He rarely had such bad days as the one he was having now. He began the trek to a different lift, appreciating the way his troopers jumped out of his way. He found a lift that worked and let it take him down to the brig. His ship was massive, sure, but very organized. The brig was in the lower levels of the ship where the strongest, thickest metals surrounded the cells. It was also colder, almost as cold as space itself, to prevent proper assimilation of the prisoners into Finalizer. Most ended up being spaced directly from the brig and it saved time.

Finally, he landed on the correct floor and stepped out. Kylo Ren stood against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He was all muscle, thick and strong, dressed all in black with his mask firmly in place.

"Ren." Hux greeted him. "To what do I owe this...pleasure?" He could almost feel the smirk across the masked man's face, and it soured his belly. Was that blood on his gloves?

"I thought you might be interested in learning something today." Kylo said to him. Hux narrowed his eyes and slowly made his way to the Knight.

"And what would that be? Don't waste my time today." Hux said as threateningly as he could. Kylo pushed himself off the wall and pointed down a hallway.

"Then follow me." Kylo stepped down the hall, and Hux followed. Every step was harder and harder, as if his shoes were filled with lead. He wondered where the sudden apprehension came from when Kylo stopped. It was one of the larger cells, one that usually housed alien creatures that were more likely to escape regular human sized cells, and when Kylo opened the door there was a girl curled up on the floor.

"Holy hell." Hux was surprised, he knew it was all over his face, and Kylo radiated pride next to him. "Holy hell, that's the scavenger. How...how did you...."

"I don't think I've ever seen you at a loss for words, General." Kylo dropped his tone to a near whisper. "At least, outside the bedroom."

"Shut up." Hux mumbled back, confused and elated at the same time. He knew a faint blush was beginning at his neck -Kylo took pleasure in the pink skin- and he refused to give the man the satisfaction, even if it wasn't very general-like language. "Is she hurt?"

"Well, she gave me a bloody nose." He held his bloody gloves up. "And I got annoyed with her and put her to sleep. She will be up in a few hours, and then we will give her the full medical evaluation. I'm not sure what type of diseases are running rampant on Jakku and Ahch-To." Kylo sounded bored with the conversation. "I tried to reach you on your comm, and you never answered me this morning."

"It's broken.” Hux muttered, still staring at the girl. "So, you found her on Ahch-To. What of Skywalker?"

"Dead." Kylo's voice, even with the modulator filtering his normally warm tone into cold robotics, was tight. Hux knew this conversation was better left alone while surrounded by troopers and cameras, so he let it drop. "Shall we?" Hux nodded and Kylo shut the door. The two made their way silently out of the brig and up to the bridge. In the lift, Kylo removed his helmet and the lift slowed to a halt. He cracked his neck and Hux admired the slender face he'd come to know over the past few years on the Finalizer. Sure, there was blood caked over his lips and chin, his bottom lip split right in the middle and a bruise already forming on the bridge of his nose, but he was still Kylo Ren, still young and attractive-even with the scar Rey had given him last time they had met.

"Cameras?" Hux asked. Kylo looked up to the ceiling.

"Off for now. We've got two minutes until they realize." He said softly. "I can't believe she kriffing punched me."

"Did you really kill him?" Hux asked. Kylo's movement froze for a moment before he looked down and rubbed at his chin. Flakes of dried blood flurried off into the glove.

"Yeah, yeah I did. I had to…you know that. He will tear me apart until he finds what he's looking for, so I made it as quick as possible." Kylo's voice was soft. He didn't have to mention to Hux who 'He' was. "She didn't realize that I was there until I killed him. Looked up after stabbing him and she was there, all light and livid, of course."

"Of course." Hux echoed.

"But she will understand once the time comes." Kylo looked down at Hux, only a few inches taller than he, with distant eyes. "We still can't tell her anything. He will be able to read her like a book until I can show her how to block the thoughts."

"Pity, she might be more adaptable to the situation if she knew what was going on." Hux mentioned. Kylo sighed, exasperated.

"Tell me something I don't know." The tone was tight, slightly harsh. Kylo ran a hand through his dark waves, not caring that the dried blood flecked off into his damp hair. "Sorry, I don't mean to take it out on you. This is just a long time coming, a long process...."

"We are so close, Ren.... So close to finishing this. The galaxy is in our grasp." Hux whispered. He took another step closer to Kylo and rocked forward to plant a soft kiss on the busted lip. "So close." Kylo let out a shaky laugh and gave Hux a small shove. He replaced the helmet with a small click and a moment later, the elevator began to rise.

"I know." Kylo said, flexing his fingers.

--- ---

When she woke up, Hux and Kylo were both on their way down to the brig. Hux had received his replacement comm after lunch, and he was glad for it. He felt less in control when he couldn't demand information whenever he wanted.

"Sir, she's awake." The voice said through the speaker.

"Yes, we are on our way down." Hux responded firmly. Kylo pushed the button for the brig furiously again.

"She's livid." He said as an answer to Hux's exasperated stare. 12 seconds later, the door slid open to reveal the security troopers had blasters aimed down the hall Rey was housed in. He could hear something viciously slamming against the metal door. He knew there was no furniture since the only thing in the cell was the bunk that was built into the wall, and assumed that she must be throwing herself into the door with some sort of Force ability. He pinched the bridge of his nose as Kylo swept into the hallway, all billowing cloak and frustration apparent. Hux followed, motioning for the troopers to stand down. They gladly followed instructions, leaving the hallway empty aside for the two commanding officers.

"KYLO REN I KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE AND IF YOU DON'T KRIFFING LET ME GO I SWEAR TO THE FORCE YOU WILL REGRET IT!" She was screaming, her voice breaking in pain. She must have been screaming since she woke up to achieve that level of hoarseness.

"Rey." Kylo placed his hand on the trembling door, and slowly, the movement stopped. He removed his helmet and dropped it on the ground by his feet, leaning his bruised face forward so that his forehead touched the cold steel. "Rey." There was silence, and Hux was frozen on the spot. Kylo's eyes were open, large and dark, glassy, as he communicated with Rey. He had told Hux all about the force bond, about the occasional gap in space and time that allowed them to see each other. "Yes, I know what I did." He paused again. Hux listened to the conversation one-sided but somehow, he knew Kylo was trying to convince her to forgive him for Ahch-To. "Yes, but he wasn't going to help you." Pause. "I know for a fact that he saw too much of me in you." Pause. "I know you aren't a dark Force user Rey, kriffing. Just listen to me." Pause. "Listen. To. Me." His voice turned harsh. "You're here now, your precious resistance isn't going to rescue you, they have no idea where you are! We had your tracker removed." Pause. And the door slammed. "Kriff, you've grown in your ability, no thanks to your lack of teaching. Imagine if you let me show you how to wield your powers. Just imagine-" Pause. "You can stay in here as long as you'd like, or you can give all this up and join us-me. Join me." Kylo was incredibly focused, his forehead still pressed against the doorframe and hand up against the steel. Hux was glued to the spot, unable to move as he watched Kylo bargain for the biggest chip they could ever have in their traitorous plans.

"Kylo." Hux finally mumbled after a long pause of silence. Kylo blinked, the moment gone, and he turned his head. "Is she going to help?"

"I don't know."

"She has to."

"Yeah, I know. I know." Kylo pulled his gloves off and let them drop into his helmet. "I'm going to let her out." He moved two fingers and the door slid open. She leapt out at him, her arm already reeled back to punch him again, a scream pulled from her lips. Kylo fell to his back, grunting as his head cracked the grated floor, and took the punch, his top lip splitting. Hux got his first real look at Rey of Jakku at that point. Her three buns were loose, hair pasted to her red cheeks, and her mouth was set in a grimace. Her teeth were surprisingly bright and Hux found himself staring at her red lips. She was mumbling to Kylo as he chuckled, each of his arms held under her knees in surrender, as Hux stared on. She was slender, dirty and angry, a spitfire of raw energy. He could see the air around her trembling as she used her force abilities to hold him still.

She froze and looked up, her dark eyes contacting his icy blue gaze. She stared for a long moment before tightening her mouth.

"Who the hell are you?" She asked in a hoarse whisper. The screaming had taken a toll on her vocal cords.

"General Hux, I don't believe we had the pleasure of meeting last time you were here?" He drawled cockily. Her brows furrowed together, and she sat back on Kylo, her knees still sharp in his wrists but the force no longer holding him down.

"I thought it was Kylo Ren's ship?" She admitted.

"Kylo is Master to the Knight of Ren, he isn't an admiral. He doesn't lead the First Order."

"And you do?"

"Well, technically the Finalizer, but yes in a way I do." Hux straightened himself up. "Kindly remove yourself from his lap, if you would, girl." He motioned to Kylo lying supine on the floor. Rey's cheeks flushed brighter as she realized exactly where she was sitting, and she stood up, scooting so that her back was up against the wall, her knees brought to her chest. Kylo sat up, cracking his neck and rubbing the back of his skull from the impact.

"Damn Rey, that hurt." He grumbled.

"Don't." She glared at him. "Don't pretend we're friends."

"I thought we were." Kylo looked at her in earnest, speaking softly and honestly. "I thought we agreed that neither was alone." She looked at him with wide eyes.

"That's why you killed my master and kidnapped me?" She snarked.

"He wasn't your master." Kylo remarked to her. She glared again at his acceptance of the word kidnapping. "He never even taught you anything. I could teach you so much, Rey, so much." He was practically pleading with her now and it made Hux's stomach tighten to see Kylo have to beg for this piece of the puzzle.

"Dark stuff, you mean." She said. He shook his head sadly.

"I don't have to teach you the dark stuff. I was once a light Jedi, if you remember." He looked up at her from under his lashes, and Hux could swear he could hear her mind being made up by the looks that crossed her face. Her desperation to learn would outweigh any anti-dark side lessons she might have had.

"I won't learn anything dark." She mumbled. "But I need someone to show me my place in all of this."

"I can show you." Kylo pressed. "Nothing dark, unless you ask." He added the last part with a small smirk.

"And why is he here then?" Rey motioned to Hux, obviously confused as to where this new player came in.

"He's the most important person on the ship, aside from me. The Supreme Leader requests we work together, and so we do." Kylo hadn't told her about the relationship that had formed first from an olive branch of friendship, of cleaning each other's wounds after punishment from Supreme Leader, after not wanting to drink alone, to finally a drunken tryst that lead to their current situation. As much as Hux wanted to be jealous of the way Kylo was gazing at Rey, and of his withholding of their relationship, he couldn't quite muster up the energy. Kylo had been resistant to telling him of the force bond, but soon Hux had understood. Kylo had feelings for the scavenger, and there was nothing he could do to change it. And based on the way she looked back at him, he didn't really want to deprive his bedmate of the bond that meant so much to him.

"I don’t like this, I really don’t. But I have no choice in this matter, clearly. All my decisions are made for me." The snarky attitude was back but even Hux could see she was upset that she decided to accept his proposition. Kylo stood first and held a handout to help her up but she got up on her own, a defiant look in her eyes. Hux chuckled and turned to leave the brig.

The lift ride was uneventful, like his day had been since his bad morning, but he was glad that she had come mostly willingly. It made it easier on him to inform her where she would be staying, and he knew she wasn't going to like the rules it came with.

"You'll be rooming in the quarters we reserve for diplomats that visit the ship. It’s in the same wing as the officer’s quarters, but you won’t have access to leave the room unless it’s one of us.”

"No, oh no-"

"It’s that or the brig." Kylo seemed hurt at her apprehension. "You have a separate bedroom and a living area, so be grateful that we are giving you this.” She seemed to like it better because she started to follow them again. They walked a few doors down from the lift when Kylo stopped and pulled his glove off to allow the pad to read his prints. The door slid open and he ushered Rey in. Hux followed close behind. The living area was modern, all white and silver with sharp corners and crisp lines. The chamber was square with a large door on the left side of the room, a large ceiling to floor window that looked out into space, and a small alcove to the left where a bookcase was built into the wall. The carpets were dark grey, and the walls were stark white.

Hux brushed past Rey and took a seat on the couch, his data pad already in his hands and opened to the news feed. Kylo gestured to the door closest to the window.

"That’s your bedroom." Kylo said, removing his helmet and other glove. He joined Hux on the couch and placed his stuff on the coffee table in front of the inset sofa. Rey slowly made her way to the room, curiosity taking over her. She’d never had a private bedroom before, aside from her crude pile of furs in her AT-AT.

"You won't be able to exit the room without one of us, just remember this.” Ren reminded her, his deep voice echoing off the walls. She rolled her eyes and huffed, stomping to the door.

"Why does that not surprise me." She walked through the door and let it shut behind her. Kylo exchanged a small smile with Hux.

"She's being much more amicable that I assumed she would be." Hux commented as he exited another rebel propaganda feed.

"Trust me, her mind is going a million miles a minute. She is trying to think of ways to escape." Kylo said. He removed his cowl next and cracked his neck.

"Well once you start to train her, she should be more willing to stay." Hux said. Kylo shrugged.

"We'll see."

--- ---

Rey had never had so much free space in her life. The room was spacious and minimal, very few spaces to really make it personal, but all hers-if Kylo Ren and General Hux could be believed. She stared out the window into space. It was dark, mostly stars outside but she still couldn't believe she hadn't seen it before her escape from Jakku. Well, before she could remember, at least....

She stepped further into the room, removing her leather belt and dropped it to the large grey chair sitting to her right. Upon further inspection, one of the two doors on the far end of the room turned out to be a refresher-her very own shower seemed like the only plus in her situation-and the other was a mostly empty closet. The beside drawers held nothing and the lamps were attached to the tables. The only loose object in the room was a digital clock on the wall that showed her the ships time based on a 24-hour clock. Currently 1900 hours. She grew tired suddenly, frustrated with her life and her decisions and her inability to formulate a clear plan to escape, and fell face forward to her bed. She had been a captured less than a day and here she was, in her own room on the Finalizer because she wanted to hear what Ren said.

The mattress was the perfect degree of hard and the sheets were soft against her face. She didn't move before she was asleep, legs dangling off the side and mouth wide open in a snore.

She woke up to the same stars, the same room, but a different time on the clock. She sat up, pulling her dirty clothes off and leaving them on the floor, heading towards the fresher. After some trial and error, she managed to get the sonic to a pulsating rhythm, and scrubbed her skin until it was red, watching the flakes fall through the grated floor. It was nice to be free of the dirty world that she had been on, even if the thought made her feel guilty. It wasn't just any world; it was Luke Skywalker's world. She rubbed herself down with a white towel, pleased that none of the dirt had followed her from the sonic. The Resistance’s sonics were ineffective, vibrating too low to get stuck on dirt and oil, shutting off after two minutes. She left her refresher with her towel wrapped around her chest. Her clothes were gone off the floor, and she was shocked for a moment. She knew nobody had come in. Exasperated, she went to the closet and pulled out a black tunic, underthings, and a pair of black leggings. The carpets were soft, and she decided to go barefoot-a luxury she'd never had before. It was strange, to feel the floor beneath her feet versus her worn shoes.

She was surprised to find Hux still up but Kylo nowhere to be seen. The General was deep I thought, staring at his data pad. Rey cleared her throat and he turned to see her, peering over the back of the couch.

"Oh, hello there." He turned back to what he was doing, and she echoed the greeting back. "Did you want something to eat?"

"You cook?" Rey asked as she slowly approached him. He chuckled.

"I don’t cook.” He self-righteously said. “I will order us something to eat from the dining facility." She came up closer to see him exiting from a news feed before joining him across the couch. He ordered dinner off the data pad.

“Do you have a preference in meal?” He looked up at her as she flushed.

“Look, General, I’ve never had a choice in anything apparently. My captivity here, my service to the Resistance, especially considering my confinement on Jakku. You deciding my dinner will make no difference to me.” She said unkindly. She picked at her nails as he finished the order selection and placed his data pad down.

“You are calmer than I was told you’d be.” He observed. “Forgive me, but I am curious.”

“There is always calm before a dust storm on Jakku.” She said hauntingly. Her eyes darkened for a moment as her tongue darted out against her lips. He watched her, taking in her crossed arms, her bouncing knees and her jaw twitching.

“Where is he?”

“He doesn’t tell me where he’s going, girl.” Hux said. She tightened her lips and looked away towards the stars. They waited in tight silence until the door buzzed. Hux stood and let the droid in, watching it drop the trays on the table before rushing from the room. He locked the door again and joined her in front of dinner. She looked shocked at the portions she received, almost as if she would receive less. The two plates were made up of some sort of meat and a white substance that looked suspiciously like the old bread Rey used to eat on Jakku. Somehow, she didn't think it would taste the same. She couldn't imagine that anything the general put in his mouth would be as distasteful as portions.

“Thank you." She said as she leaned forward and reached for her glass of water. She began to guzzle it down, not realizing how thirsty she'd been. He chuckled as she sat the glass down and wiped at her lips, embarrassed.

"There is more water if you press your glass against the lever." He gestured to a small container that was pressed in the corner of the room. It was large, a black solid bottom with a large clear bin on the top. "Ice is on the inside, you just open the bottom and scoop it into your glass.”

Her eyes looked a million miles away as she suddenly focused on her plate. She scooped a bite of the white substance and discovered they were creamy and delicious. A potato of some kind. The meat was thick but tender, and very juicy. There were small orange beans on the plate she’d never had before. It brought it to a very real place. She began to tremble, the fork in her hand shaking against the table. The Resistance didn’t have fine foods like this. They often didn’t have several dishes at once presented together. They didn’t have meals on call. They didn’t even have vegetables most days unless they were harvested from the planet they were on.

"Ice." She echoed softly, looking up at the General. "The Resistance isn't going to win, not against the First Order and Snoke. Not when you have boxes of ice for your drinks, not when you have these large ships and manpower." She held her arms up, gesturing all around her before finally landing back to her plate. "Not when you have meat AND vegetables on the same plate as if we weren't light years from any planets."

"You are correct about that." Hux was already cutting into the meat, bringing it to his mouth. Rey sat still for a moment, unsure of how to proceed or even if her stomach would accept such rich foods. "You'll have to eat it, or it'll go to waste. Ren already ate."

"Where is he?" Rey asked again as she picked her fork up. It took virtually no effort to cut into the meat. He ignored her.

"Take it slow. I’m sure the Resistance was feeding you some sort of subpar meal." As he said it, the meat melted against her tongue. She gave a little moan at the flavor. She hadn’t had meat before the Resistance, and she’d never had meat this delicious in her life.

She chewed slowly and shrugged before realizing that Hux wasn't in a uniform anymore. She observed him quietly. He wore a soft grey shirt, black pants and what looked like black loafers. His hair was slightly damp, most likely from a shower when she’d been asleep, and he was consuming his food as if he'd never had to rush for anyone his entire life. Rey tried to follow suit, but the meat was delicious, the mashed potato was creamy, and the beans were crispy. She was finished before he was and had refilled her glass of water twice before he finally set his utensils down. Her stomach was fuller than it had ever been in her entire life and it hurt, the rich foods settling down as her body attempted to digest.

"I'm glad you enjoyed your dinner, Rey." Hux said. He seemed sincere, but she was still weary. She wanted to trust him if Kylo trusted him, she wanted to trust Kylo with her life. She felt connected to him after their brief touch in the hut on Ahch-To, even after he.... She bit her lower lip to keep tears from springing to her eyes at the thought of Luke, of her embarrassment at having to follow him around for days before he offered her a measly three lessons, before he decided she was too dark to teach after barely one....

"Thank you." She whispered, allowing him to clear her plate. He placed it in a small bin by the door. "Aren't you going to wash them?"

"We have a cleaning drone that comes in after midnight to tidy up." He shrugged. "You'll have one in your room, it sits under your bed, and it’ll clean the floor when you're not in the room."

"Oh." She knew now where her clothes had gone.

"Any clothes you leave will be laundered and returned to your closet, pressed and ready for wearing." He shrugged. "Efficiency at its finest." He seemed proud and she nodded.

"Okay." She investigated the living room. "Is there anything do to here since I am confined to this space?"

Hux smiled. "I have something for you, in fact." He grabbed the small data pad that had been to his left when she came in and he handed it to her. "Place your thumb on the bottom right hand of the screen." She did so and watched as it came to life and took care listening as he pointed out small folders on the screen. "Some are book feeds, some are game feeds, some are news feeds. You are not able to communicate outward with this device. It does not have the ability to. Yours is merely for recreation and sending messages to myself and your new Master.” The information was given with a smile on his face. Were all these Generals so nice?

"I guess." She wasn't really in the mood to play. "I'm still a glorified prisoner in officers’ quarters, dining with a General and training to be a Jedi." As she said this, the door slid open and Kylo came in from the hallway, his black hair stuck to his forehead. His cheeks were bright red, his hands trembling with exertion.

"You're awake." Kylo stated. She looked at him.

"Clearly."

"Your training begins at 0500 tomorrow. You have an 0800 medical appointment for a full evaluation and vaccination." Kylo turned quickly and fled her room.

"Vaccinations? Training where?" Rey asked, hoping he would stop to answer her questions, but the door shut behind him with finality on the evening.

"We have a private gym on this level, but it gets relatively busy later in the day. Supreme Leader had a special room cleared so that Kylo could practice in privacy." Hux cracked his neck and stood, grabbing his data pad from its place next to him. "It's already late. I'm taking my leave. Please do not hesitate to send me a message should you need something." He shot her a glance that made her cheeks flush. She watched as he exited the room and stared down at her data pad, not quite sure if she regretted her most recent life choices yet but secretly wondering why she didn't know that all First Order officers were so nice.

On one hand, she had a connection to Kylo Ren. She had the force bond and she had some type of feelings for the dark and brooding man. She realized after their touch in the hut that there was a sort of conflict in him, and she had desired to basically ship herself to the Finalizer to bring him over. She might have gone through with it to, if he hadn't found her first. She thought maybe he came to her to retract from the dark side, until she realized he had been standing over Luke, Ren’s saber buried in the chest of the old Jedi. She was beyond angry, the bond wide open and her full fury poured into it. She called her -Luke's- saber to her hand but he had been quicker, knocking it to the right and she instead jumped right at him, her fists swinging. She landed a solid blow to that large nose –not surprising- and enjoyed the blood that gusted out. He, on the other hand looked disappointed and had used that sleeping trick he had on Takodana. She felt his soul split at having to kill his uncle, had felt some sort of underlying treason in his heart, but didn't realize soon enough he was putting her to sleep.

She woke up and was livid. Back on Finalizer, but this time not strapped to a torture table, instead in a large cell. He came to her soon, trying to coax her into a calmer state through the bond and through the steel door. She knew he knew she wasn't calm when he opened that door. She leaped again, fist first, and landed another solid hit. She used the force to hold his body down and her knees to hold his arms down before realizing there were eyes on her. Icy blue eyes with a calculating gaze that didn't seem impossibly cold. She knew she looked wild and insane and she frankly didn't care. But the longer the stare went on the longer she realized this person cared about Kylo Ren. She had been watching the way they interacted, cautious but with memory, as if they were closer than they let on.

She was trying to put the pieces together long after they had both left her to her own devices. She eventually took her water and her data pad to her room, making sure the door was secured behind her, and left them on the nightstand. She crawled under the cold covers still clothed, not quite ready to trust the room, and let herself sleep.

Chapter Text

She woke up early to knocking on her bedroom door. Eyes cracked open, her skin was hot with her clothes and the blankets covering her.

"Rey, wake up." Kylo’s voice came through the door, enhanced by the bond. She sat up as he opened the door. She glared at him as he stared down at his helmet in his hands.

"I was going to say you should have knocked, but I guess you did." She shrugged the blankets off and climbed out of bed. He respected her space and didn’t come into her room, instead waiting on her sofa for her to visit the refresher. She spent time washing her face, brushing her teeth with the provided hygiene materials. When she came out, Kylo had replaced his helmet. She looked at him unpleasantly and rolled her eyes, tucking her feet into her soft boots and following him out silently.

He led her down the hall into the Knight’s training room. The floor was padded with thick black cushion that had a slight bounce when she stepped on it. He removed his helmet and set it on one of the benches that lined the walls.

“We will start with something simple. I know for a fact Skywalker didn’t teach you anything useful. Remove your shoes.”

"He taught me some meditation." She mumbled, dejected. He nodded and sat in the middle of the room; legs crossed. He pointedly looked at the empty space across from him and she quickly sat down, crossing her own legs.

"You must learn to stop projecting your thoughts and start shielding." He said quietly. "This is a vital tool to flow in and out of the force." He shut his eyes, hands on his knees, and she followed suit.

"So, Luke said just to breathe and look in between." She mentioned to him. Kylo sighed.

"We are going to try a few chants. I am going to recite them to you, and you will tell me which one you align with most. This will help you find your center." He knew that if the Supreme Leader saw him doing this, he would probably skin Kylo alive, so he had to do this fast. He had been doing some research deep into the archives of the ship and of the First Order, even digging into the old Republic and Galactic Empire for the knowledge of the other factions of force users. He had located a few, but one code stuck out to him that fit Rey perfectly.

"I'm listening." She said softly, her eyes tightly shut. Kylo began:

"There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force." He paused. "What do you think of this code."

Her eyes remained shut as the ideas flittered around. "There is passion though, passion and emotion to the way I have always lived. There is always chaos. There is ignorance everywhere. This one doesn't make any sense. The force is balance so saying that there is no passion, and this leads to serenity is senseless."

"Very good." He was pleased with this; glad she has all but rejected the Jedi code. He knew from the first time going through her mind that she wasn't pure white light and was a touch darker than she’d like to be. "We begin again with another one. Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall set me free."

"This one doesn't really make sense either."

"Explain." This was his code that he lived by, all passion and emotion.

"Peace isn't a lie. Peace is an achievable concept. But your emotions can't rule you. You are not chained by anything." Her voice is taking on a mystical tone. She was floating through the force, touching what she could and trying to make sense of it all.

"One last one, and we will try again."

"Alright but do I have to have a code?" She cracked her eyes open as he smirked.

“No, you don’t but in the beginning, it can help to really focus your thoughts.”

“Okay, I will listen.” She shut her eyes again.

"There is no dark side, nor a light side. There is only the Force. I will do what I must to keep the balance. There is no good without evil, but evil must not be allowed to flourish." Her breath caught, and he could tell she was connecting deep down with it and kept going, lowering his voice. "There is passion, yet peace. There is serenity, yet emotion. There is chaos, yet order."

"That's it." She whispered, barely heard. "There is only the Force." Kylo watched her face clear, the lines smoothing out and the beat in the room quiet. In the corner, a scraping sound had him turning his head. The weights and benches were floating, her connection powering the levitation. She had her hands on the floor, her hair around her face, and she was glorious.

His mouth fell open as he watched her, inhaling sharp as her lower lip found its way between her teeth.

"There is only the Force." The bond flared to life between them, the invisible tie that sealed their minds together. Her mind fusing into his slowly, leaking into his conscious. His eyes shut as the connection solidified, dragging him down into the Force heaven that was her mind. She had dark aspects that were calling him and he complied with it, as he always would. She watched her family fly away, weaving selfish and painful thoughts through her mind. He was sucked into her memories, watching as a fat slime degraded her, told her that her work was useless, not even enough to feed herself. Watched as the dark took hold of her heart while she clawed another line into the side of a downed Imperial AT-AT, watched as she learned binary so that she could speak to those around her, speaking to her keepers, speaking to herself as she cried herself to sleep. She craved a family, craved someone to hold her and tell her it's okay, watched as the filthy junk trader pushed her and tried to sell her malnourished body to the highest bigger. Watched as she tries to resist. They were always bigger than her, crueler, using her mouth in obscene ways. She worked harder after that, the resentment for her family growing in her heart. She worked hard to avoid being sold, worked hard so that she would not be a disappointment to her family if they came back for her. They would never want her, so tainted. They would not come back for her.

Watched as she came to realize, but never could accept, that they would never be coming back. They were dead, or worse...they didn't care. They knew she would be hurt, would be degraded and beaten and abused in the hands of Jakku's keepers.

She hated them. She hated her parents.

He could feel her desire to not hate, to not fall down that dark path. She needed to be good, regardless of her past. She saved a BB unit, even up against more food than she'd ever had in her life. Watched as she met the defector, as they left in Solo's scrap bucket ship.... As she met him and tried to see a father in him, tried so hard to be what he would keep.... Then there was the sight of him in the forest, all dark and billowing, holding his lightsaber to her neck. The connection of her mind to his in the interrogation. The desire to hurt him and the desire to flee. Watched as he murdered his father in cold blood, as the darkness sung to her while she cried out, as she fought him in the forest. Her desire to take the offer, to need to be with him overpowering everything else.

How hard it was for her to turn him down.

Watched as then he murdered Luke, the man who rejected her more than once, rejected everything she wanted to be, everything she was, and refused to see the dark in her was because of her past.... How she had screamed out and fought even though she was so relieved that Luke was gone. The present was coming up, he could feel it. He could feel his nose almost break under her fists, his blood dripping as he put her to sleep. The cold metal of the jail cell she was in, the feeling of being wanted as Kylo spoke to her through the door, begging and begging her to see things his way. Reminded of his fingers against hers. She had known he wouldn't change sides, but that's what she liked best about him. She knew where he stood, she knew exactly where she was and there was no lying.

Then there was Hux, all red hair and pale skin, all powerful and calm. He was nice to her, something that hadn't happened in months, since the traitor. FN-2187 had been nice, but in the end, he still tried to abandon her on Takodana.

Her eyes slid open to meet his, dark brown to dark brown, and he understood in that moment why she had accepted to stay. He had once said to her, let the past die, but she hadn’t been able to. The past made her who she was. She couldn't throw that away. But she wanted to be good, so very much. She wanted to help the galaxy out, wanted to be someone her parents wouldn't have thrown away.

He understood more than he ever could about her, more than what she would have ever told him willingly.

They stared at each other, breathing deep as the objects hovered a few inches above the floor. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears as his gloved hands grasped hers. He understood her, but she had understood him as well.

--- ---

He repeated the code to her, and she felt her force align dead center in her body. His words had bled into her mind, but something else was there too; A dark force that was not unfamiliar to her. One she had fused with months before and continued after that. Images had come to her, but they were not her own. She traveled the path of them, seeing a past that was not hers but somehow belonged to her now. She could see a dark-haired child being shoved away by a mother and a father. The poor youngling trembling with the desire to be loved and the craving to be in their arms. Shoved away again, older now, but not disappointed by the rejection, coming to accept that they did not love him. Older now, a child who was being thrusted away, given to the uncle who he tried to be close with, someone who he moved up to a maybe-father position. All the time a whispering in his mind, a dark thread under the thoughts of rejection, the idea that he isn't wanted.

Waking up to a lightsaber over his body, the fear and the resolve pushing so hard against each other. He waited, and then the strike came down, his reflexes faster than his old uncle. Him bringing a stone hut down and crawling out, more than just his body hurting, all the while a whispering underneath his skin. Bring the most loyal to me, come to me, young Solo. I will save you; I will teach you all you need to learn. I will appreciate you, my young apprentice. The temptation was there, and the desire to be greater. Or even wanted. Just acknowledged. Something, anything more than this pathetic life.

He found six others like him, six other dark whispers in the force, and killed the rest. Surrounded by slaughter, coated in Jedi blood, he and the others boarded a shuttle and headed to the home world of Snoke, the Supreme Leader. The seven of them, five boys and two girls, found a family of sorts in each other. They had created their masks together, their weapons, created an existence together. They were being trained in the dark side and learned to find comfort in the carnage. They found it all together, their bodies, their minds, all with each other. Being separated across the galaxy to do the bidding of the Supreme Leader, for years and years, being alone again was soul crushing for the leader of his Knights. He was desperate for the comfort of another body, of someone who understood raw pain and the horrible feeling of rejection. Instead, there was conform in slim, pale fingers against scarred skin, blue crystal eyes similar in emotion to dark brown ones. A soft moan, the taste of expensive whiskey and cigarettes on her lips, but not really her lips, they were his memories.... Fingers up her-his thighs, a mouth down below. Hiding all the intimacy from Snoke, hiding everything…thought between lover's lips passed quietly in the night.

She could not get the image out of her mind as they stood up and began to spar, the feeling of lips on hers and the burn of whisky down her throat.

Pale fingers against a tan throat....

Chapter Text

Kylo left her in her rooms, face flushed with the closeness of a mind meld brought heavier by the sparring, with instructions that he would bring her breakfast. He quietly slipped out, leaving her shivering in the living area. Space was cold, the floor was cold, the air kissing her damp skin had her shivering. Space was just callous.

She couldn't shake the image from her brain, the picture of those pale fingers along tanned skin, bruises under careful brushes, the taste of whiskey and cigarettes.... She brought a trembling finger to her lips, confused as to what memories were really his or hers. It all felt much like the same to her. She was embarrassed, but it was more him than her. Those memories weren't for her to see. Much like hers weren't for him to see.

But she felt closer to him and began to understand why he had chosen Snoke over his own lineage. Understood the feeling of being pushed away, being forgotten and left alone, of being rejected so many times that the thought of ever trying again was horrifying.

She stood up and went to her refresher, letting the sonic vibrate her clean. She wrapped herself in a towel, her mind a soft buzz from the aero vibrations, and ran right into a lithe body. She looked up as soft hands gripped her shoulders to keep her from falling backwards.

"Oh! Good morning! I hadn’t realized you were still in here. Pardon me." He apologized to her. His fingers were on her skin, his touch warm. She looked up into those crystal eyes, her gaze pleading. She grasped the towel to her chest tightly, quivering.

"I understand why Ren chose the First Order and Snoke over his own family, but I cannot. I cannot choose this life." She gasped quietly, her eyes burning with unshed tears. Hux looked sympathetic, his fingers still gripping her.

"You don't have to agree with this life. But you did choose it." He said to her softly. "You chose to stay here."

"No, I didn't." She replied forcefully, shoving past him. "You two forced me here!"

"You are more than welcome to try and escape, Rey. But it's like you said last night." He reminded her, placing his hands behind his back while moving away from her. "The Resistance can't win when we've got more resources and more man-power. We are going to win, Rey."

"So?" She was quiet because she knew he wasn't lying to her. She knew, deep down, the First Order would win. She paused in front of her bedroom, hand on the door, face turned down. “So, what do I get out of this, General? Choosing to stay, what do I get?”

"You want to be powerful, Rey. You want to not be left behind, or forgotten, and you want a taste of the ultimate power." Her lower lip trembled at his words. She wanted them to be wrong. "You want to belong."

"I do belong…with them."

"That's why they've come for you." Hux's tone was thick with accusation. "That's why they've searched for you, high and low, and then just given up."

"They will find me." Her eyes finally let the tears fall. They burnt her cheeks. He came forward to turn her to face him.

"They gave up, Rey. You've been gone about 24 standard hours and maybe longer, since we found you on Ahch-To." He lifted his hand to wipe a tear off her chin. "They’ve made you into a martyr."

"What is that?" She didn't want to believe it. She pulled the towel tighter and stared at him sadly.

"They've written you and Skywalker off as dead. The last two Jedi, gone. They’ve been releasing all sorts of informative promos all night, detailing how you died for the Resistance, for the cause." He returned his hand to his own body and gave her a soft smile. "But here, you have a place. You have friends. You have Kylo Ren as a teacher, and as much as I hate to admit it, he is a know-it-all when it comes to the Force."

"They wrote me off?" Her chest ached with the realization. They hadn’t even bother to look for her. "They say I'm dead?"

"It's all over the feeds. I recommend reading them, they are very incorrect." He turned away from her and moved to sit on her couch. "I’ll order some breakfast if you’d like to get dressed." She turned quietly and entered her room, letting the door slide shut behind her. It hurt, the words and the conviction that he spoke them with. Trembling, she reached for the data pad, and turned it on. She clicked to a news feed and her face popped up, bright and bold, with the date of her supposed death. Leia had given the eulogy, stating Rey and her brother had died for the cause, murdered by Kylo Ren.

It hurt. The betrayal, the refusal to even consider that she might have been alive and captured. So quick were they to write her off, much like her own kriffing parents had. She threw the data pad against the wall, but it didn't crack against the pressure. She ripped the towel off her body and screamed loudly, tears streaming down her face. She dressed in dark clothes and crawled into her bed to cry.

--- ---

Kylo Ren was wearing his dark costume, sans mask, delicately cutting into a blue egg. She joined him, knowing full well her face was puffy and her eyes red, and quietly cut into her own. The yolk ran across the plate as she ate, scraping her fork to grab all the nutrition she could. Her thoughts betrayed her, no longer powered to escape but how to best enjoy her confinement. She knew she would never leave Kylo Ren. He wouldn't allow it, not now that they've joined minds. He must have felt her mind rolling because he stayed quiet, instead scraping the yolk off his own plate with a biscuit. Hux sat quietly on Ren’s other side, scraping a muffin with blue margarine.

"Did you see the feeds, Rey?" Hux asked her as he took a small bite of the muffin. She nodded, keeping her eyes down. Hux didn't ask any other questions, but she felt him and Kylo exchange glances above her head.

"You're nothing, Rey." Kylo's voice was soft, and she glanced up. "But not to me." His words rang through her head, their shared bond reflecting the honesty. "Not to us."

Hux smiled, chewing on his breakfast. She was desperate to change the subject even though her chest ached a little less at the promise.

"Did this come from the dining facility?" She asked Kylo. Hux chuckled.

"There are no kitchens in any room." He said. "All of your food will always come from the dining facility. Ren or I will order your meals for you.”

"It's not bad." She told them, finishing her biscuit and pushing the plate away.

"Our dining crew is trained in making food that is nutritious and delicious. But when given the opportunity, the General can make a magnificent spread.” Kylo bragged. Hux gave him a look but shrugged.

"I learned...." He paused but decided to move on anyway. "When I was younger, I learned from my mother." This caught Rey's attention, but it was a story Hux was not ready to tell. "I am much too busy to cater to your ever whim, Ren." He finished the rest of his breakfast and left the coffee table in a hurry. Kylo was the last to finish and grabbed all the plates. He put them on the tray by the door and gestured at her to follow him.

She remembered, her medical evaluation.

The way he took her was winding, meant to confuse her. She was lost, and cold still even in the dark pants and long-sleeved shirt. The medical wing was down a lift, down long winding corridors, down another lift. She followed Kylo without speaking, head down. Slowly, slowly, accepting her fate here with them. Pale fingers to a dark bruise, delicate feather touch not bringing pain, but pleasure brushed her brain again and caused her to flush.

The medical wing was white, a crass difference in the grey and silver halls of the Finalizer. They must have been expecting her, because a droid approached and escorted them to a private room with the instruction of dressing in a robe that was on the bed. Kylo didn't leave, but she wasn't ashamed of her body, and dressed down and into the robe with him in the room. He didn't look at her, instead focusing on a spot in his glove, picking at it while sitting in a chair in the corner.

The doctor came in and drew blood-she was not fond of the needles-and left them alone again. It was quiet for a time.

"Does everyone have this done?" She asked him, tired of hearing her own blood rushing in her ears. She held a swab to her elbow and bent the arm upward to prevent bleeding.

"Only those that aren't First Order by birth. Most prisoners we don't keep so, they don't get this either. Only those that come over." He was honest. "Even though you aren't technically First Order, we must see to your health." She nodded at this. A nurse opened the door, followed by another droid, and smiled at Rey.

"Good day, Rey. Good day, Lord Ren." The nurse bowed her head to him in respect. "I might ask you...well...the next part of the exams is more private." Kylo's left eye twitched.

"He can stay." Rey said quietly, not wanting to cause a rift. It would be better if he was here anyway, she told herself. She didn't want to be alone.

"Well, since it's okay with you, we will begin the questions." The nurse pulled a data pad from her droid's grip and opened it, ready to write her answers down. "Age?"

"I'm not sure. I think about nineteen standard years." She admitted. Kylo looked at her curiously. She was younger than she appeared to be, but he didn't doubt it. "I don't know when I was born, only that I was born in 15 ABY."

"Alright, that's fine." The nurse smiled. "Any allergies? Any medications you take regularly?"

"No and no."

"Okay, that’s fine." She took a long, thin metal tube out of her pocket and smiled at Rey. "I'm going to wave this over your body. It will let us view you in a three-dimensional view on a computer station to do more in-depth research so that you aren't here all day." Rey nodded and laid down, allowing the nurse to take the images. Finally, she let Rey sit up and replaced the tube in her pocket. "Now, when was the date of your last menstruation." The nurse didn't look at Kylo, but his cheeks grew hot at the mention of her period. Rey shrugged.

"I've only had one really, the initial one. I was twelve. I've had spotting on occasion, but I was never...I wasn't...I think my health prevented it." She answered.

"Yes, it does say you weigh about 54 kilograms. You are a little underweight, which would contribute to a lack of menses. Once we get your diet and exercise regimen regulated, it should start right back up! I will go ahead and give you a birth control implant to help as an estrogen supplement. Talking about birth control...." The nurse scrolled down, scribbling all the while. Rey knew where she was heading next and really didn't want to discuss it. "Are you sexually active?"

"No…. Not of my own free will, really, but not...penetrative, I guess? I’d rather not discuss it, it’s in the past." Rey refused to look up, her body tense, hands balled into fists on her knees.

"Since that's the case, we will test your blood for any diseases transmitted sexually. I am sorry to hear." The nurse seemed sincere. "We do have all types of doctors aboard. If you ever need to speak to one, a psychologist, just alert the staff. We have a no questions policy, and you can speak to a male or female doctor. They keep it confidential."

"No, thank you." Rey was firm. The nurse smiled sadly again and nodded.

"Very well." She scrolled further down. "Let me prep you for the implant, tracker and a series of vaccinations. You will be sore, maybe sick from these. It is normal. Should the sickness carry on for more than 24 hours, you should return here for evaluation." The nurse gave her dad pad back to the droid and pulled a packet from her pocket. The droid rolled forward and, as the nurse swabbed Rey's arm down with an alcohol pad, began to produce shots from his innards. She was quick, giving Rey about seven before moving to her right arm and giving two more and placing the tracker under her wrist in the soft skin where it wouldn't be visible. The last was the implant, barely the size of a grain of rice, but the needle was substantially larger. The nurse numbed the area and injected her in the back of her arm; the implant barely visible under her skin but she could feel the tiny grain if she pressed hard enough.

The nurse and droid left, leaving Rey to get dressed. Kylo still didn't look, giving her a sense of modesty, and she hurriedly dressed. They left the medical bay with instructions to rest and alert the staff if she hadn't begun a menses in a month.

"That was rather thorough." Rey said as they walked back to her quarters with Ren.

"Yes, it was." Kylo agreed. "I would have left if you really wanted me to, but after...this morning I figured there wasn't anything I didn't know. Besides, you're still-"

"A prisoner, I know." Rey interrupted him. He shook his head.

"You're new around here. I didn't want you to feel pressured or alone." It was a rather sentimental thought, Rey realized. Her first medical eval by the Resistance didn't give her any vaccinations, any birth control to regulate herself, just gave her a once over and left her be. The First Order had done more than the Resistance had, and she'd been here a day. They took a different route back to the rooms with Kylo stopping inside a large alcove. The doors shut behind them, leaving the two alone. Rey looked to the massive windows, observing a beautiful galaxy that was in the distance. The window lay in front of several rows of seating. A podium sat in front of the window.

"It's a meeting room, but hardly used anymore." Kylo said, removing his helmet. Rey watched as he locked the door, but she didn't mind. She didn't want to be bothered either while they spoke, and she wanted to talk about the meditation and chants. He walked down to the very first row of seats down a series of short stairs, and sat, gazing outward. She followed and sat next to him. They were quiet, observing, before he reached into his pockets and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. She eyed him wearily.

"I didn't know you smoked."

"Bad habit, but like the dark side, I'm in too deep to quit." He brought a cigarette to his lips, lighting it with a small lighter, and replaced both in his pocket before pulling in a deep drag. The smell of menthol as he exhaled surrounded her, but it didn't bother her.

"I wanted to ask you about the chants you said this morning. What were they?"

"They were codes, actually." He took another drag, words clouded with smoke. "The first was the Jedi code, the second was the code of the Sith."

"And the last?"

"A long dead code of the Grey Jedi."

"You think I could be a Grey Jedi?"

"Yes. Someone who has both dark and light, someone who has the ability to choose which path they want to follow for whatever obstacle is in the way. They were all but eliminated by the Jedi."

"Why?"

"They operated how they saw fit, not regulating to the council of Jedi or really following the Jedi code. They could access the dark side of the Force without making the fall. They could walk the line, going one way or the other, based on the situation. They helped whoever needed helping, not a particular side."

"This is why you think I'm grey."

"I know for a fact you are grey. You have too much darkness in you to be truly a Jedi, but you are too good for the dark side." He took another drag, closing his eyes. She took a deep breath.

"And the connection we shared?" She looked at him carefully as he considered his words.

"You connected with the force. The force connects with everything. Our bond is special, between just the two of us. I’ve never had a bond like that with anyone else. The force made that connection stronger. We became one soul for a brief moment there." He looked into her eyes. "It can be very dangerous to merge with someone else for long periods of time."

"Why?" She asked.

"Because then the memories become confused. Two people can share a soul, sure, but in the end, there is no balance. There is no leaning force. It would be like a circle." He lifted the cigarette and drew a circle in the air with smoke and used the force to manipulate the smoke into an actual circle. Cigarette replaced between his lips; he raised his hand. "A circle can collapse if one side gives and bends too much." He demonstrated with the removal of one section, and the circle of smoke collapsed.

"The circle could support itself though, should enough be there to support it.” She couldn't stop herself. "You…and Hux shared memories." She began tentatively.

Kylo coughed into the cigarette, smoke falling from his lips. "That's not...we don't share a force bond, or a soul for that matter. Our force bond is unique to us and us only.”

"But you do share something." She pressed.

"That's private." He was getting upset.

"I showed you my entire life, with how private it was to me. Your mind gave me memories that showed that we are the same, Ben."

"Do not call me that." His voice was harsh, and she knew she had crossed a line.

"Alright, Kylo. I apologize.” She licked her lips. “But your mind gave me memories to show that we are the same. We are both so alone." She was lamenting to him and he bent forward, away from her.

"We aren't alone if we have each other." He whispered. She nodded.

"So then teach me, Kylo Ren. Show me the power of the force." She felt her soul ripping as she did what she said she would never do. But Rey needed a teacher, this much she knew. She sunk from the chair and to her knees, hands coming to rest on his arm. "Please, show me the ways of the force." Tears streamed down her cheeks, humiliated, as she gave herself to him. “Master.”

Kylo looked down at her and brought a gloved hand to stroke her from ear to chin with his thumb. He needed a student, and he needed her to be it. "Yes, my Apprentice. I will teach you everything I know."

--- ---

Hux stood on the bridge, looking out at the galaxy on the horizon. He always enjoyed space, even when he was younger. He had known that this would have been his one day, even as he heard the whispers that his father had pitied the little bastard red-headed child that ran around his legs. His arms came to meet behind his back, hands tight together with pride, as his comm beeped from his pocket. He fished the device out, opening it to read the message.

'She has agreed to be my student. -Ren'

A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth, but he quickly wiped it from his face. He didn’t want anyone to see emotion from him. He was quick to reply, fingers flying over the keyboard.

'Where is she? -A. Hux'

'Resting. The vaccines have taken effect. -Ren'

'Let her rest, then. We can celebrate tonight. -A. Hux'

He replaced the device and looked back out at the stars. They belonged to him, at least then.

--- ---

It had been years since she had run a fever and the cold of space kept it down to a manageable temperature. She sat on her couch, blanket tight around her body as she shivered. Kylo handed her a glass of water with the command to keep drinking. He was typing on his comm device, most likely to Hux, but she couldn't care less.

"Do they always work this fast?" She asked with a weak tone.

"Just means that you were carrying some sort of sickness. The vaccinations will help eradicate the illness and then we can begin to train. But for now, take your time in recovering." He sat across her on the other couch, his data pad on his knees. She sipped at her water before placing it on the table. He didn't look up at her, even as she slouched over, bringing her legs up to tuck under her body.

"Will you-" She paused as another shiver overtook her. He looked up curiously.

"What?" He asked, not unkind. She looked down at the spot and he took her meaning, slightly based on the emotions that bled into the bond. He didn't want to get sick, but he knew that she was mostly feverish because the microbots were going through her bloodstream destroying all the disgusting things she'd encountered through her life. He got up and sat next to her, knowing her pride was destroying her but her desire to be warm was much higher. Always the survivor.

She leaned into his shoulder as he brought his game back up on the data pad. Rey's eyes shut as she choked her pride down and enjoyed the warmth he had brought her. Within moments, she let sleep take her.

Kylo looked down as her eyes shut, feeling her force signature resting as her body fought to rid itself of the impurities. He went back to his numbers game, matching and dragging items in place so they belonged, still tasting his menthol in his lungs. He tried not to indulge much, but after a cigarette before his shower, and after the medical appointment, he found his lungs clawing at his throat, desperate for the stress relief. He wasn't craving now, just missing the taste. It was only early afternoon, but Rey was asleep with fever and he was hungry already. He exited the game and ordered some lunch for three people, assuming that Hux would join him at some point. He went back to the game for distraction, playing another round before the droid showed up to deliver the food. Hux was quick behind it, shedding his coat and hat to better enjoy lunch. He glanced down at Kylo with amusement.

"You're now a decorative pillow, Ren."

"Oh, shut up." Kylo teased back, slowly getting up. Rey stirred, opening her eyes and sitting up with a yawn. Her eyes were red, cheeks dark with fever and shivering still, but she sat up and joined them for lunch. Kylo had ordered her a broth with some sort of fowl baked with vegetables floating. It went down smooth and she ate quietly while Kylo and Hux discussed the ongoing of the ship. She couldn't pay them mind but was polite when asked questions about how she felt.

"I'm just cold, is all." She admitted after describing her fever and headache to them. "Space is cold. Everywhere is cold compared to Jakku."

"Jakku is one of many desert planets, but it is definitely hot. I will have the atmosphere regulated in your room to be warmer if that would better suit you." Hux offered. She nodded taking another sip of her soup. Something brushed against her leg and she jumped.

"What was that?" She asked, peeking under the table. Something was crawling under there, weaving its way through the legs.

"That? Just Millicent. She's an orange feline, very young, very sassy. She does have claws, so be careful." Hux reached down to pet his sweet girl, and she meowed in response.

"You have a pet?" She asked Hux in surprise.

"Well...she was given to me. I take care of her." Hux shrugged, offering a piece of his meat to the cat, who accepted it and sped off to the other side of the room to feast on her treat. "I am one of the few to bring my pet aboard. Although I'd rather her be home, I'd never get to see her. I thought you might enjoy the company, so I had her brought here last night for you.”

"She's safe here. She's gotten out twice, and both times been returned." Kylo said. Rey nodded and pushed her soup away. She bent her head over and rested it on the cold table. The two were quiet, and she closed her eyes. Fingers brushed against her forehead, feeling the warmth and beaded moisture on her hairline. She wondered who's fingers they were, but they were blessedly cool and decided she didn't care.

"Maybe you should go lie down." Hux mumbled, brushing her hair away from her face. "The fever should be gone in a few hours once the vaccines are done.”

She nodded and crossed the room to her door, heading to bed. Hux looked at Kylo, who had his mouth stuffed full of fowl.

"What?" Kylo asked between bites. Hux rolled his eyes.

"I can smell the cigarettes, Kylo." Hux chuckled. "An even worse habit than my drinking, I'd say."

"They can fix a liver and replace lungs. Nothing as stupid as addiction will kill us, unfortunately." Kylo took the dishes once they finished and set them in the tray, alerting a cleaning droid to remove them. He went back to the couch to join the General.

"How long before we can do it?" Hux asked. Kylo sighed.

"She pledged herself to me today. A few weeks of training to make her stronger will help us when we take him down." They spoke quietly even though there were no cameras in the room. Treason was too serious to be taken lightly.

"Does Supreme Leader know we have her?"

"I hadn't been summoned so I haven't told him. But we will have to soon. He knows, I know he does."

"It was in the most recent report, I’m sure of it, so you'd better come up with a lie quick. Say she was too sick to be brought to him. I don't think she would last long with him with her lack of training now."

"She won't. He will destroy her mind." Kylo rubbed his eyes while Hux yawned. "She's grey, not all good but not all bad. She won't join him, but she will join us if we tell her we will stop the war."

Hux considered this. “In the end, what we want and what she wants still doesn’t align, Ren. How do we get her to want what we want?”

“We show her how much they lied.”

Chapter Text

The fever passed after a solid nap and she awoke for dinner, feeling much better but still lethargic. Barefoot again, she sat at the table drinking her glass of water. The rooms were empty aside from the little orange cat who was zooming around her living room. She could feel Ren approaching through the bond, which had strengthened considerably since that morning, and could even feel a presence coming up with him.

Her fingers trembled as she stroked a bead of water down the side of her glass, reflecting on her newest life choice. She had always been a survivor. It was important to live to the next day, trying to make her dead –or horrid- parents proud. With the confirmation that the Resistance had made her a martyr without even trying to even find her body, she was more resolved with her decision to become an apprentice to the Master of the Knights of Ren. She never could have foreseen that she would be aboard the Finalizer, in her own room, budding friendship with Kylo Ren and General Hux. The First Order had given her shelter, food, medicine and even understanding between two of the most powerful people on the ship.

Her mind tried to wrap around the betrayal she was feeling, tried to bring it to light, but something in her pushed it away. This is where she was supposed to be, this is where the force had guided her, and so she decided she wouldn’t let an emotion like guiltiness get in her way. She just wanted to know her place in the galaxy.

Who cares who taught her and what she learned? At the end of the day, weren’t the people fighting wars on opposite sides still technically in the right? They were fighting what they believed in, trying to share their beliefs with others and share their way to fix the problems of the galaxy. She sighed, digging the heels of her hands into her eyes in frustration. She hoped her feelings would resolve when she received more lessons on controlling emotions.

The door slid open and she looked behind her to see Ren and Hux sharing a gaze between them that brought a flush to her cheeks. They were smiling softly at something one of them had said in the hall and walked in together. They turned to her, followed by the dinner droid.

“Are you feeling better?” Hux asked her gently after he noticed she was waiting for them to speak. She nodded and shrugged at the same time.

“I’m feeling better physically. Mentally I’m very drained. This is the most I’ve slept and ate in... well...years.” She watched as they joined her on her couch. She took a polite sip of her drink to moisten her throat which had grown dry, sensing they were wanting to talk with her.

“I am sorry that you had to see what the Resistance had to say about you.” Hux seemed sincere in his apology. Rey thought back to Ren telling her that she meant something to the two of them.

“I’m incredibly disappointed in them. I thought that maybe them not finding a body would have suggested I had been captured.” She decided since they were being honest that she would give them the same courtesy. “I thought I meant more to them than I guess I really did.”

“If anyone dies on a First Order mission, we always make sure to collect bodies. If bodies are not found or the death not witnessed by any of our own, they are presumed missing in action or captured. We never assume anyone is lost unless we have proof.” Hux told her. “Our list of MIA casualties is so long it would almost be easier to write everyone off, but that is poor for morale and we would never leave anyone behind.”

“I didn’t know that.” Rey whispered. “There is a lot I don’t know about the First Order. I’d like to know what the goal is.”

“Well, to bring peace and order to the galaxy. To make sure that there is available work for anyone who needs it, to make sure that children have an opportunity for education and to be fed. To create a system where everyone has a place.” Hux said.

“So, you want to control everyone?” Rey asked. Hux felt his jaw clench and took a deep breath through his nose.

“As opposed to having everyone run around free, like children going hungry and uneducated? Parents abandoning their younglings with junk traders?” Hux stopped himself, knowing he might have crossed a line. “Slavery will be outlawed to all planets within our control once we can regulate the trade and the government on those planets.” Rey felt herself getting frustrated. She knew she was an uneducated girl from a backwards planet in the height of proper society, totally unprepared and not sure of what was going to happen. She hated being reminded of it.

“I know I don’t have the typical education, but I know a lot about ships and engines from having to take them apart my entire life. I know how to fight, how to win and how to protect myself. I can speak several languages and even binary. I am only nineteen, I think so I have my whole life ahead of me. I can learn to fit into whatever you’re trying to build here.” Rey was swallowing the rest of her pride here. She’d already pledged herself to learning whatever Kylo Ren was going to teach her, might as well take the entire plunge and give herself a chance to be a high-ranking official in the winning side. “I can be trained to fill whatever roll you need me to.”

“No.” Kylo spoke up suddenly. Hux jumped a little but didn’t disagree with him.

“Your Master is right. You do have an important role.” Hux smirked. “Besides, you aren’t First Order material. You’ve got too much...heart.” He was teasing her again. She felt her chest tighten as she returned the smile gingerly.

“I’ve got so much to offer, so much I gave to the Resistance and they threw it away. Let me give it to you instead.” She knew what she was offering them. She couldn’t bring herself to care anymore. She thought of Leia’s kind words on her eulogy. ‘She was a kind soul who knew right from wrong, who cared to give her life to the Resistance and sought out the difficult path to become a Jedi and paid the ultimate price – her life. She gave everything for the Light.’ Rey placed her hand in the middle of the table, heart thrumming to the final sentence she’d read. ‘We gave her a proper Jedi burial, cremating her body to make it once with the force.’

“Are you ready for this Rey? There’s no going back if you decide to join us here.” Hux was watching her carefully. He wanted her to make this decision for herself, and it looks like the Resistance had actually helped in this case. Ren’s fingers glided over the table and touched hers, still gloved. She took a deep breath and nodded.

“I’m sure, General.” She looked at his eyes, icy blue and confident, calculating her words. “I want to belong somewhere. The Resistance threw me away, like my parents did...like I’m garbage. I’m not stupid. I know you know the value of strength and survivors.” His slender fingers crept up to cover Ren’s and hers.

“If you’re sure, then welcome to the First Order, Rey of Jakku.” Hux gave her a cunning smile and retracted his hand, standing. Hux gestured to the droid, who carried the tray with several meats and cheeses on it, surrounded with crackers. Rey was starving. They devoured the tray of food quietly, exchanging small glances, and once finished, Hux left the room claiming he had some work to do. Somehow Rey knew that Kylo wanted to discuss something with her. He pulled the bond between them taut and she sighed at the relief of being close, of belonging to something.

“You want to say something.” She said as she placed her glass of water down. She would never get used to having a luxury such as this; she feared that it would go missing as soon as she let it go. Kylo gazed up at her from his empty plate with a pleased look.

“You really mean it. You’re going to stay.” He whispered. She shrugged, unsure of his gaze or how to confirm his words. She finally settled on telling the truth.

“Leia lied about me. She lied about finding a body, and about cremating me.” It hurt to say it aloud but to accept it, she would have to say it. “She was right when she said I gave everything to the Resistance. But I didn’t give my life. They wouldn’t even look for my body. They wrote me off. They didn’t even try. Luke wouldn’t teach me. He would barely give me the time of day. I had to beg for lessons, like I used to have to beg for portions.” It had made her feel disgusted that he wouldn’t even look at her, wouldn’t consider an abusive past could have burrowed some dark feelings deep down under her light.

“I don’t make you beg, Rey.” She knew it was true. “I’ve never lied to you. I’m a monster, and I murdered my father and my uncle. If I get the chance, I’ll murder my mother too. I want nothing more than to fall into the power the darkness has to offer, and to finish what Grandfather started.” This was the truth about him. She knew he wanted the galaxy and she had promised to help him achieve it only last night. Somehow, it was bothering her less and less, as she realized how crushed the Resistance would be on the final day of this war. Her inner survivor was glad she had changed sides.

“Yes, Kylo, I know.” She watched as his emotions ran through his eyes.

“You have pledged yourself to be my Apprentice. This means that my Master will want to meet you.” He spoke softly, eyes intense. “I will not allow him to hurt you.”

“But what if he wants you to hurt me?” She sounded so small and nervous.

“I won’t allow that to happen. You mean a great deal to me, Rey.” He confessed. She felt herself swallow the confusion.

“I mean a great deal to you...the same way that the General does?” She sat at the table and watched him stand. He leaned forward and used his thumb to again draw a line from her ear to her chin before walking away. He left the room, off to do Sith things, she was sure. She knew it would be hours before they joined her again.

Solitude had never bothered her before. It did now. Sure, she would kill time learning the games on her data pad and avoid the news feeds like crazy, but the isolation without work meant her brain could think about slender fingers and tanned skin, about her coming in between an attachment formed before their bond. She threw the data pad down next to her, unable to focus, and she couldn’t stand to see her face with a supposed date of death plastered on virtually every news source except the First Order supporter sites. It bothered her. She was nobody just a few weeks ago, and now people mourned her, people that didn’t even know another force sensitive existed until Leia’s goodbye.

It was baffling to her that she had been betrayed. The betrayal itself was not new to her. She’d been betrayed her entire life. She was offended that she had fallen for pretty words wrapped in Leia’s wisdom. She had considered Leia a confident, maybe a mother figure, that she was desperate to have. Thinking back on it, she hadn’t had very many conversations with her, had only connected in a way that those who hurt did, and shared a hug over the loss of Leia’s husband. Leia had given her a tracker when she left for Luke’s planet, the tracker that the First Order had destroyed.

She gazed around the room from her spot on the couch, looking out into space and trying to relax. Millicent was nowhere to be found, but Rey noticed that there was a series of stacked twine boxes in the far-right corner of the room. A cushion spilled out of the bottom one. The cat must slip in and out at her own pleasure. The stars weren’t moving fast; the ship looked to be just floating around until more solid orders came through, but she still felt anxious. She reminded herself again that she’d picked this now, she chose to stay here and learn the ways of the force through Kylo Ren. She had already started to form a small friendship with the general. She wanted to belong somewhere, and at this point, the only place to do so was right where she had ended up.

--- ---

Hux was waiting for Kylo Ren around the corner. He knew when people needed privacy, and this was definitely a moment the two needed alone. It was a big step for the two of them, and they knew it. Hux hadn’t expected it to be this easy, but she must have been hurting a lot worse than they’d assumed for her to leap into their open arms. The Resistance had helped. The idiots had written her off for dead and even lied about a burial for her.

The nail in the coffin. Hypothetically.

He gave a small smile and drug one of his fingers over the top of his other hand, stroking a small scar that crossed from one knuckle to the other. The first injury that Kylo had helped to heal after their failure to retrieve Skywalker the first time, so many years ago. The torture had gone on for hours that evening, Snoke leaving them both alive –barely- and frustrated with themselves. He left and the two peeled themselves off the ground, limping back to their rooms and collapsing on Hux’s couch. Of course, the couch had been ruined and replaced after, but at the time all that mattered was getting somewhere safe and private to bleed out in peace.

Kylo had started at Hux’s hand with a damp washcloth rubbing away at extra blood that had dried along the cut on his hand. Hux looked at Kylo, an understanding passed through the two of them. They might not like each other, but the two were in the same boat as far as they were concerned. Both in a high place, both able to fail and fall at Snoke’s command. And it was then the treason had been born, shared as Kylo whispered that this wasn’t the worst it had ever been as he cleaned the clotted blood off the pale, freckled skin of the General.

It was the first time they spoke without insulting one another and realized they had more in common than originally thought. Parents who hated them, the desire to be better than the ones before them, to finish works someone had started and make it their legacy.

Hux looked up from his musing as footsteps came around the corner. Kylo’s mask was back on, secured and terrifying, but Hux joined his side as they made their way to the viewing room.

--- ---

Rey wasn’t sure when the two would be back, but she knew she wanted a shower before then. She was sticky from her fever earlier and her muscles sore from her body warding off illnesses. All the Resistance had had were weak and sometimes erroneous sonics that blew cold on occasion. Sometimes, the pilots went a week without any sort of hygiene because resources ran low. It hadn’t bothered her. On Jakku, even a sonic was rare and a risk. She only took one when she really needed to because she didn’t want to be caught naked by a stranger. Again.

She rubbed her body with some sort of soap that was in her stall and scrubbed the oily skin until she was feeling polished and prim. Her hair was wonderfully smooth with the oils she’d been given to clean it. Her fingernails were cleaner than they’d ever been in their life. Even her feet didn’t have a lingering odor that followed her from her shoes. She was growing familiar to the realization that the side she had fought for wasn’t going to win the war. Accustomed to the side she was now on, the side she had chosen....

She was sitting on her bed, tucking her feet into socks –socks! - when the feeling hit her. It was a tightening in her stomach, a sort of pulling on the bond. She sat straight up as she felt something pressing against her front. There wasn’t anyone there, of course, but somehow, she knew Kylo Ren was close to someone else. Someone that wasn’t her. Her chest tightened with this comprehension. She wanted to see who this was, who dared to approach her Master in such a personal setting. As far as she was aware, Jedi abstained from any and all pleasure. What the dark side did was none of her concern, but she was pretty sure they also refrained from such activity. She gave the bond a half-hearted tug to see if it would bring their minds together, pleased that it was tunneling her to the viewing room her and to her Master.

Kylo Ren was sitting in the first row of the viewing room, head thrown back with eyes shut tight, cigarette between lips. The smoke was giving the area around him a hazy glow. She approached him with slow steps but for the first time, he was almost unaware she was here with him. His eyes opened to meet hers, glazed with a type of emotion she’d never seen before, and his hand came up to pull the cigarette from his lips. He exhaled, letting the cloud of smoke out with a moan, and she felt her stomach drop again. She approached closer, his smirk apparent now, and she knew she was approaching on a private moment. Her feet carried her further, unable to pause, as she glided along the aisle.

She could see a ginger head bobbing between Kylo’s thighs, making obscene sounds with his mouth. She’d seen this in her past, experienced this in her past, a girl being held by her hair as someone forced themselves into her mouth, choking on the taste. This was different. Kylo didn’t have his hands in Hux’s hair, forcing him down. Hux was enjoying this, so it seemed, by the glances he kept giving Kylo. It was clear that Hux really liked what he was doing.

Her throat was dry from his cigarette. Kylo’s eyes were on hers as he let out another explicit sound. She began to apologize but no sound would come out. She felt the bond lessening as another drawn out whine came from the Knight’s throat. She took a step back as his hips bucked up into the red heads mouth. She shut her eyes, something was tightening in her abdomen, she wanted to leave before Ren finished but she knew he would beat her ability to fade from the bond.

“Fuck.” The word came from Kylo, his voice thick with smoke and deep from arousal. “God Army....” His hips bucked upward again, and he let out a grunt. The cigarette was hanging from Kylo’s fingers and as he came, he let it slip from his hand. It didn’t actually hit the ground, instead floating just a few inches above the carpet.

Rey’s eyes were stuck on Hux, his lips sticky with thick white fluid. His tongue came out and licked the excess away, letting Kylo’s member fall from his mouth and back to his lap. Hux brushed his mouth with the back of his hand and stood from his knees. The front of Hux’s pants tented upward and Rey felt her eyes widen at the arousal. Kylo brought the cigarette back to his hand so that he could raise it to his lips. He stood up, not bothering to button his pants, and planted a kiss to the General’s mouth.

Rey opened her eyes, back in her room. Her thighs were pressed together, her underwear damp, her throat dry. She grabbed the water off her bedside table and drank the entire thing in two long gulps. She knew the two were close, but she didn’t know what to make of what she just saw...or why Kylo knew she had been watching and he let Hux continue.

He’d called Hux by his first name, Armitage. Actually, he’d called the General by a nickname, Army. She felt horrible that she’d trespassed on their private moment.

Another thought had occurred to her…. Kylo had taken her to that room, and she had sat in that same position when she’d pledged herself to him. She decided to take another shower before bed.

--- ---

Hux remembered the first time Kylo had kissed him. The two had come from Snoke’s latest verbal abuse and both were emotionally beaten from the harsh words and blatant threats. They were three-fourths of the way through a bottle of Corellian whiskey, absolutely plastered to the furniture holding them, not even bothering with shot glasses anymore. They’d abandoned them on the table, instead passing the green bottle back and forth between them. Hux typically didn’t share, especially not his rare –and expensive- whiskey that he’d brought on board with him, but Kylo had looked exceptionally distraught over the threat of replacement as the Master of the Knights of Ren.

“I jus’ dan’t gettit.” Hux slurred, pointing to the window. His hand was ungloved, collar pulled away from his neck with his jacket slung over the arm of the couch. He didn’t really care that his words were garbled or that he was swaying. He just wanted to forget his own threats, that anyone could be a puppet in his shoes, that he was in fact replaceable.

“Dongetwhat?” Ren asked. He was more intoxicated than Hux was, purely because Hux drank whiskey like water sometimes. He looked out the window as if that held the answer, passing the bottle back. Hux took a short sip, his face tensing up with the bitter taste.

“Don’t ge’ why you an’ thos’ otha’ magical magi –hic- magicians jus’ disa-uh-pear. He’d neva’ fin’ you.” Hux was curious, his eyes wide. Ren turned back and they had both slouched down low, their faces inches from one another. Ren let out a deep breath, Hux could taste the alcohol in the air between them and shrugged at the statement.

“He knows ma’ mind. He ca’ find an’one.” Ren whispered. His look changed to one of fear. “But if tha’ was tru’, he coulda find Sky’alker by naw.”

“My thou-” But Hux was cut off by Ren’s lips on his. He responded after a split second, his lips finding a fit that worked, their tongues dancing between them. Even though Ren had some cigarettes hours before, Hux could taste the menthol. It would be a taste he committed to memory. Ren pulled Hux off his couch, slowly stripping away his shirt and pants, followed by his own. The hands were much gentler than Hux would have imagined them to be, calloused but gentle along Hux’s freckled skin. They were both down to their underwear, both attached at the lips and making their way to Ren’s bedroom. Hux ended up on his back, his hands traveling up the river of muscle along Ren’s broad back, along the strong shoulders and then to cup his hands on the sides of the square jaw. Ren broke the kiss and began to nip down Hux’s neck, leaving small little pink marks wherever his teeth went.

“You bruise easily.” Ren whispered against Hux’s skin. He’d known this, it had been his skin after all, but knowing that Ren knew and still continued to nip at him sent shivers down his spine right to his cock. He rocked his hips into Ren’s solid ones, relishing in the feeling of a hardness against his own. Ren in turn pressed his hips into Hux’s and ground, letting out a soft gasp at the feeling. Hux could tell Ren had done this before. It was a reassurance that it was okay to keep going.

Ren was his junior by four years, but in all his own 32 years of life, Hux had never taken a virgin, and had no desire to. Ren’s fingers had traveled down to the waistband of Hux’s black shorts, and he gave a gasp of affirmation so that Ren would slip them down. He did so, followed by his own, and Hux was shocked to see the tanned skin followed every crevice of the body above his own. Hux knew he was pale compared to, well, everyone else, but next to Ren, he looked like an icy moon. Ren’s lips were kissing down Hux’s chest, down his stomach, across the tuff of neatly trimmed ginger hair. Ren chuckled, running his fingers through it and giving it a tug.

“I like this.” The words were slurred together and still made his dick twitch. Then, as if it was the most natural thing on earth, Ren took Hux all the way down his throat. Hux let out a slur of obscenities, gasping and bucking up into the warmth that was Kylo Ren’s mouth. He couldn’t say much as he was speechless, completely unknown that such a smart mouth could do such a wonderful trick and let himself be ravished. He couldn’t stop the slew of words that poured from his lips as much as he could stop the wet, obscene sounds coming from Ren’s mouth as he swallowed his cock. It had been a few months since his last sexual encounter and he knew he wouldn’t last long if Ren kept running his teeth along the sensitive skin near the top of his dick every time he pulled off the member with a thick ‘POP’, and he voiced as much. This only encouraged Ren, who began to move faster, humming around him, and then the orgasm hit Hux suddenly, as they usually did when he was this plastered.

“FUCK!” He shouted, gyrating his hips against Ren’s hands as they held him in place. Ren swallowed, another fact that he was glad to learn. “Fuck.” Hux mumbled as his hands shook. Ren returned to his place above Hux and joined their lips. He could taste himself mixed in with the menthol, salty and thick against the tongue of his once enemy turned friend.

“Now tha’ was great.” Ren whispered, grinding down into Hux’s hip. Hux was only glad to return the favor.

--- ---

He was always reminded of that drunken night whenever he went down on Ren. They rarely showed any type of affection outside their separate rooms but were very occupied with hosting Rey. Hux knew Kylo harbored feelings for the little slug, but now having met her, he could see where those feelings came from. She was a fragile creature, so jumpy and scared, and broken. Fuck was she broken. It would take something really strong to repair that shell of a woman. Well, more of a girl. Ren had told him she was only 19 standard, which blew his mind. He wondered absentmindedly if Ren had shared his age with Rey.

He slowly unbuttoned the pants while Ren smoked his cigarette, casually accepting the blow job, enjoying the affections today. He was already hard when Hux pulled him from his pants, and with a swipe of his tongue from base to head, he engulfed the tip in his mouth. He wasn’t a deep throater like Ren was, but he had learned some tricks over the past few years of being intimate with him. He tightened one hand over Kylo’s balls, knowing the younger man enjoyed the sensation, and used the other to run his nails over the still covered thighs. Kylo threw his head back and moaned around the cigarette. He looked up at his bedmate from under his thick lashes, enjoying the way he could unwind the force user by just using his mouth. He moved his hand from Kylo’s thigh and used it to stroke where his mouth could not reach, the last two inches of his cock. Both were just about equal in size and girth and never really felt competition, except times when Hux had to use his hand. He wished he could take Kylo into his throat like Ren could but that ended up with Hux over the toilet vomiting and all but killed the mood.

He’d only tried twice after that before circumventing to using his hand on the last inches. Ren was adamant that Hux still gave him the best head he’d ever received, and Hux was glad, because before Ren admitted that, he felt that the blow jobs he gave were subpar. He felt Ren tense above him, a slurred sound of arousal ripping the smoke from his lungs. He could feel Ren tightening in his mouth. “Fuck! God Army.” Another moan followed by the cigarette falling. Hux would have worried, but Kylo caught it by using his force magic, and it floated above the carpet. He let Ren buck into his face a few times as he emptied himself into Hux’s mouth. He pulled away, letting a little cum slip out, before swallowing what he could. He licked whatever was left off his lips and stood, wiping at his mouth. He knew he was hard as hell, but ignored that in favor of Ren standing, pants still undone, for a kiss.

Hux had his blowjob repaid with one from Ren, but he never lasted long when Ren’s mouth was concerned. He’d had several men, woman and humanoid's give him oral pleasure, but the best was Kylo Ren. Once he was sated, vision foggy with orgasm, he looked at Ren with a smirk.

“She watched.” Kylo told him. Instead of being upset, Hux felt something akin to arousal deep in his blissed-out mind.

“Did she like it?” He asked Ren after a pause. Kylo shrugged but Hux saw the underlying emotions. “I’m okay with it, you know. With whatever is happening there. I understand you have a connection with her.”

“I’m not sleeping with her.” Kylo snapped. The moment ruined, Hux buttoned himself up and watched as Kylo put his most recent cigarette out on the arm of the chair.

“I’m just saying, if you were...it would be okay.” Hux was speaking softly. “You aren’t committed to me, Ren. You aren’t pledged to me like you are to her. You two all but share a soul. You told me that you’ve share a lot through the bond.”

“But I need you.” Ren looked up at Hux as he said it, honest permeating the air. They didn’t talk about what they did, just accepted it for what it had been. But it was true. Ren needed Hux like he needed the menthol, and Hux needed Kylo like he needed whiskey. They were poison to each other.

“But you need her too.” Hux drew a line down Kylo’s cheek with his thumb. “Besides, I’ve had to share you with the knight’s before. I can share with her too.”

“I haven’t had a knight since I’ve been with you.” Ren admitted. Hux was taken aback by that but said nothing. “She might not be a bedmate like you are though, Armitage. She is just a bond mate and my Apprentice.” Even as he said it, there wasn’t much conviction in his voice. Hux nodded in disbelief.

“Alright Ren. Whatever you say. Whatever makes her agreeable to our plans.” At this, Kylo smirked.

“I don’t think that will be a problem once I start sharing with her the past.”

“What past?”

“The torture. She’s been tortured in her life too. Not by Supreme Leader, obviously, but her entire history is betrayal and hurt. She will need you too at some point. A friend.”

“I can be a friend to her.” Hux told Ren. The two began to exit the room, unsure of what type of stalemate was passing over the two of them as Ren decided on his feelings.

Chapter Text

Sonic vibrations pulsated under her skin. She was breathing heavily, unsure of what she had just seen and even more unsure of the deep, reckless feeling in her abdomen. She was shivering, anxious, and she loathed the feeling. She was a strong woman, a unique individual who had force powers, who had grown up in the sludge of the galaxy...who was just completely unwound by watching her Master, Kylo Ren, receiving oral pleasure from her sort of friend, General Armitage Hux.

They must have been in a relationship. This shouldn’t bother her. She was here to learn the ways of the force, and she had pledged herself to the First Order. They had accepted her for who she was, and she was accepting her new way of life. So why were her thoughts so...unlike her? She’d never had a satisfactory sexual feeling –much less encounter- that had ever triggered such emotions in her. She’d never felt that dampness between her legs. She ran her hands down her breasts, gasping at the feeling of her calloused fingers rubbing against her nipples. She’d never seen her breasts as being an object other than something for the men to grasp painfully at, yet here she was, rubbing her thighs together as she repeatedly rubbed her hands over her chest.

She bit down on her lip, holding a whine in, blushing everywhere, as she decided to try something new. She remembered the tightening in her stomach, the tenseness of her thighs, and where that feeling pointed her to. She let her fingers drop down through the dark patch of hair between her legs, and into her folds. She’d only done this a few times, to feel any damage done by others, and never in a sexual manner, so she wasn’t sure what to feel for. She ran a finger around the area, probing, until she was able to locate the dampness. She pressed a finger into the area, the slickness not giving any resistance, as she pumped her finger in and out slowly. The sensation was nice, made her gasp in pleasure, but didn’t bring anything more to the table. It didn’t bring that feeling back, the one Ren had as Hux had swallowed him. She retracted her finger and slid it upward. There, a bundle of nerves that had her shout, that was where the tingle was coming from. She pressed against it, testing the feeling. It was sensitive, but incredibly small, and the more she rubbed against it, the better it began to feel.

She chewed her lower lip between her teeth, holding the sounds in her throat, one hand gripping her nipple firmly while the other worked circles on the small bud. She was leaning against the cold tile, a stark difference from the searing pulsations that jetted over her body. She tilted her head back, quickening her fingers to work a tighter circle. She moved to her other nipple, pulling hard, and felt her body tensing up. She felt as though she had to urinate and for a second stopped her ministrations. The feeling began to subside, and she began again, confused as to what her body was playing at. She felt it again, the build in her stomach, starting at her trembling legs and moving up her body. She pulled roughly again, her breast almost screaming in response, as she found the sensation again. She stopped for a moment as the feeling of needing to relieve herself came back.

She grew frustrated, unsure of herself, but decided to try once more. She swapped hands, her right hand getting sore from the movement. She took her top lip between her teeth, scraping it with her lower as she moaned loudly. Her knees bent slightly, she brought a hand up to her throat, applying a little pressure to curb her arousing sounds. The feeling went straight to her center, and she quickened her fingers again. She was unsure, but as the sensation grew and stars bloomed from behind her sealed eyes, she decided she would rather just pee all over her hand than deprive herself of the feeling again. She let the feeling grow, the tightness around her throat and inside her, the muscles so hard that she wasn’t sure the pressure would ever be relieved, when the sudden need hit her again. She squeezed tightly inside her and released.

Her vision grew white as her body quivered with the force of what had happened. Her fingers fell from her throat as her knees locked. She grasped at the wall, steadying herself as her body clenched and released. Surprisingly, she hadn’t peed on herself at all.

This must have been why people had sex. If they felt that all the time, then she could see why it would be so enjoyable. She’d crossed several alleys in Jakku with men who had their hands down the front of a girl’s pants, furiously doing what she had just done, but those girls did not look the way she must have. Maybe there was a difference in consent, where pleasure was concerned. She knew that she’d never felt that before tonight, even with all the bodies that had been forced against her own.

She finished in the sonic, scrubbing herself between her legs carefully as she was still very sensitive, and rubbed her energetic skin with a soft towel. She braided her short hair back and found herself exhausted. Deciding to avoid the whole confrontation that was bound to happen, she opted for bed instead, tucking herself in between the sheets. No doubt Kylo would wake her in the morning for her training.

--- ---

Kylo had known what she was doing and closed his side of the bond quietly. He knew she was having a hard time bringing herself to release, but he knew if he interfered, then he would only make things worse. She would likely head to bed and avoid both him and Hux, but it was late, and he could not fault her for her exhaustion. He’d seen the experiences she had, and he knew there would be some residual post-traumatic stress symptoms she might feel. This was her way of needing to overcome her torture. He bid Hux a goodnight with a soft kiss to his cheek and made his way to his room. He knew that sleep would be difficult to come by, but he hoped with his recent orgasm and the fact that his bond mate was so close and now completely healthy, this would assist in his mind quieting down. Hux snuck into his quarters after an hour of silence and he was glad for the company. His bed felt entirely too large with just one body in it, but tonight, two bodies still felt too small. He drifted, imagining a third body on his other side.

Hux’s mind was running at a mile a minute, however. He was trying to incorporate Rey into their plans now that it was clear just how much she meant to Ren. He knew deep down that any harm that came to her would be disastrous mentally for the Knight, and by default, himself.

He berated himself silently as Ren slept peacefully. He often stayed awake, thinking about what kind of disappointment he would have continued to have been to his father. Not for becoming sexually active with someone who was his equal and technically bettered his station, but for developing feelings for him. Hux’s father had always taught him the best way to power was through the body, either with sex or murder. His disdain for bloodying his hands often had him offering his body out to whoever could advance him more. Quietly, of course. Reputation was everything, so nobody could know what he was doing. He was glad his father was dead. The history was finally laid to rest. Nobody to remind him he had been a bastard child, a totally happenstance.

Hux watched Ren’s chest moving up and down, happy that his bedmate was finally relaxed enough to sleep. Both men barely grasped a few hours every night. Between training and running a ship and doing Snoke’s bidding, the pair of them were always exhausted, thus the unhealthy coping vices they’d both turned to. Hux coaxed his mind to slow down enough that he was able to let exhaustion finally take him an hour later.

--- ---

And thus, began the routine. Kylo would wake Rey, and they would practice meditation and levitation of objects with sparring until she was strong enough to move to saber techniques –which wouldn’t be quite a while, according to Ren, much to Ray’s disdain- as late as they could in the day, until Hux would either call them to breakfast or Ren had other duties to attend to. Rey was finally granted access to leave the room with an escort –after all, where would she go if she left? - and often went to pester Hux, who was glad to entertain her with his daily antics. They mostly took lunch in Hux’s office or in her room, depending on how late training ran, and ate dinner together. Rey was growing quite fond of her routine, as much as she despised to admit it. She wanted to hate her confinement, but if she were honest with herself, she was no more a prisoner than Ren was her captor. She was growing comfortable with them being around her, about being her true self. She let them help her through the menstrual cramps she’d never felt before –and thought she’d been dying, honestly- and through the entire five-day misery she experienced.

Hux was a friend she had come to care for, very much. She couldn’t look at him the same way but noticed the small glances he would spare Ren every so often. She could tell when the two were physical or together, and with the bond and training, she was able to build a strong mental wall to give the two of them privacy enough that she’d never intruded on them again. In return, Ren would give her privacy to explore her own body. He did touch on the subject of sex and sexuality in training, advising her that passion would give her strength, and great love would give her power. The Jedi were stupid and foolish to throw away what drove mankind to really continue this long and so he would not allow his new trainee to fall for such a futile practice.

It wasn’t even a standard week before Ren and Hux received summons, and to bring the girl with them. Two weeks was all they had to prepare before they arrived at his ship for an in-person meeting. Rey was nervous. She didn’t want to be a dark side force user, but with Ren doubling down on the mental wall, he taught her to lie well enough that she would try and convince the Supreme Leader her true intentions were to be a Knight of Ren.

Supremacy was still a week away, even at hyperspace. Rey joined Hux in his office for lunch, her stomach in knots. 7 standard days was all they had left. They sat quietly in Hux’s office, eating the casserole from the dining facility that was definitely delectable on any other day. Well, Rey picked at the cheese while Hux swallowed half before shoving it away.

“What’s on your mind?” Hux asked her softly. She shrugged, shoving her plate away as well after only a few bites. She met his eyes cautiously.

“I was...I wanted to tell you...before our minds are laid out in the open.” She swallowed nervously. “I saw you and Kylo a few weeks ago. It was a mistake, before I could control it. I didn’t mean for it to happen. Kylo and I share a force bond and so I was connected-”

“It’s alright Rey. Ren told me about the force bond a long time ago. He told me right after you’d…left or disappeared, however it works.” He watched as she blushed, realizing that of course he must have known this whole time about her watching. “Ren and I.... It’s a long story.”

“I have time.” She said gingerly. Hux leaned back in his chair and nodded. “If you want to share.”

“Very well.” He spoke matter-of-factly. “Ren and I had been pitted against one another for a long time. I was around thirty years standard, almost thirty-one, when I had met him. Supreme Leader forced us to work together, even though he was much younger than I. I believe he would have been twenty-six at that time. We were made to share missions as well as training slots. Snoke thought it might bring us closer together to help complete Ren’s mission. He was searching for Skywalker and we were going world to world, lead to lead, burning planets in our wake. Every single time he failed…I was punished alongside him. It made for some long months of hatred between the two of us. Supreme Leader’s torture is....” He paused; his eyes glazed over. “.... It’s a unique brand. I hope you never have to experience it. Coincidentally, I started drinking when I met Ren.” A grin now graced his face. “And he started to smoke like a freight train. Although I believe he had been doing it for years before meeting me. One night, Snoke was angrier than usual. We’d visited 47 different systems in eleven months, several hundred planets, and yet we were no closer to locating him than we had been at the beginning. He was very angry. Ren and I.... I think I would have preferred death than what was dealt out that night. I remember Ren telling me to stand, and eventually just pulling me along beside him to his quarters.”

“This was three years ago?” Rey asked. Hux nodded.

“About three years ago, yes. He helped me clean the wounds, showed me what works best to rid the scars and bruises so that nobody would see our weaknesses.”

“It isn’t weakness to bleed, General.” Rey advised. Hux smiled at this.

“In this world it is, Rey.” He seemed sad to her. “After that, the torture sessions grew more manageable. As if Snoke knew too much would kill us. He toned it down, but it was still harsh enough that we were bloodied and bruised at the end of it. We would heal each other at the end of the night, and retreat to lick our wounds in our own rooms. One night, after several more months of this arrangement, I asked Ren if he was a drinking man. He was twenty-eight by then, I myself thirty-two. We drank a bottle of whiskey by ourselves after clearing the bruises and then it became habit. After really bad torture, after twenty more worlds and no Skywalker, we’d indulge into more whiskey, or rum, or whatever type of alcohol we could get our hands on. Whatever would relieve the nightmare that we were living in. After a few months of that, he kissed me.”

“And the rest is history?” Rey finished with a snicker. Hux gave her a gentle smile. “That’s a nice story though, and so uniquely you two.”

“Yes well, after my upbringing, my life would be nothing normal.”

“Will you share that with me?” She asked him. He felt the olive branch reaching out again, the desire to be closer to him. He would indulge her with this. After all, she might share hers with him and that would bring them all the while closer.

“I was born of an affair my father had with the kitchen maid. She taught me to cook when I was very young. My father was never proud of me. He considered me weak and he was harsh. He hated my real mother, hated how she coddled me and made me weak. He also hated his wife, ironically enough. We were on my home world of Arkansis, which had been blockaded by the New Republic. They didn’t know if the planet would really make it through that. My father was Commandant to the Arkansis Academy, which turned out the finest military officers of the time. He and a Grand Admiral went out of their way to see us safely off the planet. My mother and my father’s wife were lost to the sieges. I listened to him belittle me consistently to others, calling me weak-willed. Thin as a slip of paper.... Useless...but that he would train me. He made me into the man I am today.”

“What happened to him?” She wondered. “You speak of him as though he were dead.”

“Oh, he is, long gone for several years now.” A devious smile curled on his face. “A poisonous beetle bit him and he died.”

“You seem torn up about it.” Rey remarked dryly. Hux shrugged.

“It was time for the old man to die. I didn’t actually do the killing myself if that makes you feel any better.”

“If it freed you of your father, then you are better for it.” She said. He nodded and stayed silent, waiting for her to share.

“I supposed you want to hear my life story now.” She said after a long pause.

“It would only be fair.” He admitted, sitting up in his chair. She sat back, staring at the wooden desk and all the data pads scattered across its surface.

“I know when I was born, in 15 ABY, but not where. I know I am about nineteen years old. I was abandoned by my parents on Jakku when I was six or seven. I learned how to fend for myself. I.... I was too young for most of the male creatures of the planet, so I learned to scavenge from a Crolute named Unkar Plutt. I was very little, so my hauls weren’t impressive. This led to him selling my body to anyone who would pay a fair price. When I got sick of that, I was around sixteen standard I think, and I branched off. I scavenged for myself at that point. I was tired of being used. Of being useless except as a vessel. Then I found BB-8 and Finn. They led me to Han Solo. Which inevitably led me here.”

“I am sorry to hear. Your life sounds harsher than mine was.” Hux said after a moment of reflection. “I had my father, at least, for all the garbage he was.”

“I learned my lessons there. It made me who I am today.” She repeated his words back to him, her head tilted to the side. “Besides, I’m nothing if not resourceful, General. I can find use out of anything.” He smiled at her. An understanding of two individuals who shared a hard upbringing connected them together in that moment.

“Did you want to stay and watch me work for a little while?” He asked her. She sighed and stood up, shaking her head.

“No, I wanted to catch up on some mediation today, but I will see you at dinner, General.” She let her hand graze the top of his resting on the desk and strolled out of the room. The stormtrooper guard that was outside the door followed her down the hall, a shadow behind her that she’d grown used to. Hux knew the summons from Supreme Leader was punishment and confirmation of the rumors that Snoke’s spies must have passed on, that the girl roamed free on the ship, calling the Knight her Master and training beneath him. He shook his head, taking a deep breath, and turned back to work. He was barely back into the weapons requests when the ship jolted. He looked up, confused, as Lieutenant Mitaka came rushing into the office. He must have been worried, because he didn’t even salute, which caused Hux to stand up.

“Sir, we have a big problem.” Mitaka said quietly. His voice shook with fear, his eyes wide and his entire body shaking.

“Good lord Lieutenant, what could it possibly be?” Hux asked him, bewildered. Mitaka licked his lips and blinked hard.

“Well, sir, something has happened to the hyperdrive. We have engineering requesting a full emergency stop.”

“What the hell happened?” Hux stormed out of his office and onto the Finalizer bridge, shouting at Mitaka, who trailed behind like a berated child. The ship was tremoring around him. “Signal to engineering that a full emergency stop is approved.” Mitaka was typing on his data pad, relaying that Hux had approved the halt.

“They don’t know what happened, sir. They only know there is a problem with the hyperdrive that might cause sudden-”

The entire ship lurched uncomfortably and the crew on the bridge went flying forward. Hux fell to his chest, face smacking into the marble floor with a thud. Mitaka’s data pad went flying over the edge. The lieutenant himself landed on top of Hux with a grunt. The General shoved the younger man off and grabbed at his face, assessing damages.

“Fuck!” Hux shouted as he stood, looking up into space. The stars were no longer as blurred, as if they were actually slowing down while still at light speed. “Stop! STOP THE GODDAMNED SHIP NOW!”

“Aye, sir!” A few button presses had the ship coming to a complete stop. Another officer was being pried off the floor, her arm bent at an awkward angle upward. She was crying out in pain.

“Take her to medical immediately!” Hux shouted, pointing at the crying officer. “Lieutenant get me the readouts on the god damn hyperdrive. What the hell happened? I want to know everything. You’d better have it in the next five minutes, or I swear....” Hux left the threat open, and Mitaka went to his comms, calling down to engineering immediately. “Get those shields up, right now! Prep the TIE fighters, have them ready for launch if anything happens to cross us! Where in the hell are we?” He was shouting, rubbing his throbbing nose, demanding answers. He hated when things went wrong. He hated floating in unknown space, for an unknown amount of time. Someone came on the bridge, swearing, and Hux turned around to see Rey sans stormtrooper guard.

“What the hell was that?” Rey was holding a hand to her mouth. Blood was leaking down the right side of her face, her cheek split, and her forehead and eye were sporting the beginnings of what would be a magnificent bruise. Hux moved to her quickly, his hands coming to graze the bright red spots that lined her face.

“There was a failure in the hyperdrive. Are you alright? You need to go to medical to get that cheek healed before it scars.” Hux was snapping at Mitaka. He lowered his voice. “Ren?”

“Kylo is fine, I think. I’m not sure what he was doing. He is in a lot of pain, and he’s very angry. I’m sure he will be up here soon. I’ll be in your office.” She turned to the double door and snapped at an officer. “You, bring me some ice and a medic with bacta.” She made demands very fitting of a First Order officer. He smirked, wiping his own bloody trail away from his upper lip and went back to the bridge. Phasma commed that she was checking on her troops and Mitaka was busy with the requests Hux was giving out. He stood at his spot at the front of his bridge, waiting for the reports.

--- ---

 The best thing about being in a relationship with the commander of the Finalizer, was that Armitage Hux had a shower, not a sonic. This luxury was provided typically to officers and to the higher enlisted personnel, in the refresher rooms that officers and higher enlisted members had on each floor.

Having a private shower was the luxury the commander of the Star Destroyer possessed. The water was lukewarm. If he could stand it, he would take icy cold showers to wake his muscles up. But he was human, and he hated icy cold water. Kylo brushed his hair under the stream, making quick work of cleaning himself under the spray. To enjoy a shower was to waste time, something that Hux had drilled in him that was not acceptable. He made quick work of it, letting the water run a little warmer than he usually did, as he felt Rey’s side of the bond growing happier by the moment.

He let himself in her head for a second, pleased that she was willing to share her story with Hux. She was ready to let him in. That was what Ren had been waiting on, for her to finally give her trust to his lover. He exhaled under the spray, letting the water drain into his mouth before spitting it to the floor. She was leaving Hux to come back to the rooms, and he allowed himself a moment more under the water, relaxing the bruises that covered his shoulders. He blinked the water away, embracing the chilly quality the room took when he waited too long to leave his shower.

He turned the water off, stepping out, and wrapped a thin towel around his waist. He made his way to the closet, searching for his knight garb he kept in Hux’s closet, when the ship gave a shudder. He paused, hand up to the robe that was folded over a hangar, when the entire ship tremored under his feet. He turned to the door, confusion seeping through the bond, when the ship lurched again suddenly. He flew backwards, his head knocking into the corner of his bedside table. Darkness seeped into his vision, white stars crossing the darkness, and he forcefully blinked it away. The towel had come undone, he noticed, as he struggled to stand up. His world was wobbling left and right, his teeth grinding down into his cheeks.

The world began to clear up the more he blinked the room coming into a sharp focus. He got up slowly, rubbing the back of his head, which was now very wet and hot, and found blood on his fingers when he pulled his hand away. He swore silently, sending a question into the bond, which Rey responded to. She was going to see Hux and she was bleeding, but she was fine. She worried about him, and he brushed her off, crossing back to the closet unsteadily to get dressed. He pulled on his Knight’s clothes quickly, shaking from pain and quite possibly a concussion, before pulling the towel off the floor and holding it to the back of his head. He wouldn’t be able to wear his mask, much to his disappointment, but he grabbed it anyway as he left the room.

He made quick work of the halls, distressed that he seemed slightly disoriented and unsteady on his feet, but still made it up in record time. Hux pointed to his office, holding a bruising nose with a bag of ice, and Ren walked in to find Rey being treated by a medic. She had a cut on her cheek and some bruising beginning around the right side of her face, when she noticed him coming in.

“Oh! Stay and check over Kylo please.” She asked the medic. Ren knew he needed to be checked because his vision kept fogging up, and he gave the medic confirmation he wanted to be looked at. She finished applying the bacta to Rey before coming to see Ren, who sat with the towel pressed to his head. He allowed her to pull it away, grimacing at the caking of blood that pulled his hair.

“This cut will need bacta. My lord, are you feeling at all disoriented?” She asked him. Rey watched, knowing that he did feel that way through the bond. He voiced his concerns, the dizziness and the changes in his vision, and let the medic make her own conclusions.

“It sounds like a concussion, sir. Most likely a grade two, although I do not believe that there will be any lasting damage as long as you did not lose consciousness. You will need to recover, and if you are still not feeling well, come by medical and we will run scans on your head. Although you might want to come by anyway to rule out any lasting damages.” She finished applying the bacta to the back of his head and scurried out of the room. He rested his neck on the back of the chair, allowing the warm sludge to work its magic on his skin. Rey was grimacing at the feeling of it on her face.

“That was miserable.” Ren stated. Rey gave a chuckle.

“Yeah, tell me about it.” She said, tilting her head.

“What happened?” He gestured to her face. She sighed.

“The ship was shaking, and then it just reeled, and I went face first into a wall. The stormtrooper went face first over a railing, so I guess I made it out better than they did. I was only a floor down, so I came back up here. I knew you’d make your way up here as well. Hux said that there was something wrong with the hyperdrive-” As she spoke, an alarm began to sound. She looked around curiously, confused at the noise. “What is going on?”

“That’s not good.” Kylo said, standing slowly. “I forgot my saber...stupid head wound. I’m going to go back and grab it.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“No!” He looked to the door. “No, stay here. It’s much safer up here. We need to be careful. That’s the alarm for attack.” Kylo walked to the door and exchanged a glance with Rey.

“Who would attack us?” Rey stood but didn’t move. Kylo sighed, rubbing his hair back into place gingerly.

“Whoever sabotaged the hyperdrive, I’m assuming. Resistance, most likely.” He left the bridge, and she crossed the office to look outside the window. There were several unmarked ships outside, set up in an attack formation, and Rey felt nervous. She went back to her chair but didn’t sit. Her training staff was in her rooms with Skywalker’s saber. She felt foolish for forgetting a weapon, but Finalizer had felt so safe recently, she had forgone it just that once, to have lunch with the General. Hux came in, his face livid, and he looked at her.

“Go to the rooms.” He commanded; tone tight. He came to her, grabbing her shoulders and giving her a slight shove to the door.

“But Ky-” She began to say, but he cut her off.

“You have to go to the rooms. It’s much safer there. Nobody can get up the lift without the proper biometrics.” Hux was pulling drawers out of his desk, searching for something. “I am not sure who is attacking us, but I’m going to destroy them.” He found what he was looking for –a small ancient sporting blaster tucked into a leather holster- and wrapped his holster around his waist. “Please, Rey. It’ll be much safer there.” His eyes sung with concern while his face remained deadpan. She paused and nodded, eager to find her bond mate but devastated of having to leave Hux. She wanted to stay and fight, to safeguard the ship, but she was afraid. What would they say if they saw her there with Hux, with her saber ignited next to Ren? She slowly walked out the door.

The bridge was chaotic, several officers screaming out commands to readying TIE pilots, managing shield power and weapons firing. Outside the cockpit, space was lit up with the bright red beams of weapons and the bright orange of cannon fire. She hurried out, overwhelmed with the sheer power of the First Order. She saw now, what had been confirmed to her that first night as she stared at her plate with both a meat and a vegetable...the First Order was winning.

There would only be one enemy that would attack the First Order.

The Resistance. Ren was right, it had to be them.

She was immediately terrified for herself, in that moment. They wouldn’t understand. They would assume she would just ignore the fact that they wrote her off, would pick up arms and join them. What terrified her more was that she knew she wouldn’t go with them if they found her. She had a place here, with Kylo Ren and with General Hux. With her new family.

The Resistance was dead to her.

She ran down the halls, her body trembling. She tried to center herself as she ignored the lack of stormtrooper presence around her. They would be, of course, readying to defend the ship in case of being boarded, and not in a hallway that lead to the officer’s quarters. She was jogging, her breath coming out harshly as she worried herself sick. Her stomach was beginning to tighten, her hands shaking. She turned the corner; the elevator was in view....

“Rey?” The voice was incredibly familiar, even though she hadn’t spent much time around it. She froze, her entire body seizing up in fear. She slowly turned, facing Poe Dameron and Finn. They were wearing officer’s garb, but they were filthy, so clearly NOT First Order that it actually sickened her. She didn’t let herself smile, and she certainly didn’t feel joy.

“What are you doing here?” She asked harshly. The two men didn’t approach her, but instead looked cautiously onward. Finn was braver, more willing to trust her. He took a single step forward and even looked happy to see her. Poe was not. He held back, staring with an odd sort of disappointment that made her gut feel heavy.

“We sabotaged the hyperdrive.” Finn said proudly. Rey scowled.

“You could have killed us all, you idiot.” She snapped at him, taking a step back towards the elevator. Finn shrugged.

“Just First Order slaves.” He rebutted. Poe was looking at her up and down, an understanding crossing his face. She knew what she was wearing; dark legging, a long dark tunic that had a First Order insignia embellished on the belt at her waist and a cowl to cover her single bun. She knew her face was still swollen and bright red, her bruising slowly healing with the remaining bacta. Down to her ankle boots, which were an expensive, rare type of leather shoe, she was all First Order, all Knight of Ren. She was no longer Resistance filth.

“She’s one of ‘em, Finn.” Poe mumbled. Finn’s face fell, but his eyes were determined.

“No.” Finn shook his head, bringing his blaster up. “No, she’s one of us.”

He fired.

Chapter Text

She was gone. Ren could feel the bond pulling taut around him as he called the saber to his hands with the force. He had tried to reach out to her with no response, and he instinctually knew she was stunned. If she’d been consciously blocking him, he would feel the wall she built, but there was nothing.

He was an idiot to leave her up there, to leave her without guard. He should have brought her with him. Even with a head wound, he would still have given his life to protect hers. He had felt her call out in fear and then go silent. He could tell she was still on the ship and followed the bond as best as he could. The ship groaned around him, the hull no doubt breached in certain halls. He made his way around, stumbling, a hand up to his temple. He wasn’t sure where his mask was, but the weight of his saber in his hand was enough to motivate him to continue on. The ship lurched to the side and he steadied himself against the wall with a deep breath. He was definitely concussed and would most certainly stop by the medical bay once he had his Apprentice with him.

He was moving down towards the hanger of the ship. This didn’t sit well in his gut. His fingers moved from his head to his comm device as he turned the corner. He tried Hux, but the General was too busy to hear or didn’t have the device with him, and so he moved down the list of available people.

“Captain Phasma.” He spoke as careful as he could, still moving forward. He waited a moment for her to answer her device.

“Yes, Lord Ren?” She must have been on the bridge. He could hear alarms in the background and several voices behind her shouting, including Hux.

“I need you to lock down the hanger. No ships out.” He was in the hall, the hanger only a hundred feet away.

“I cannot, sir. We are launching our TIE fighters-” The pit in his stomach was almost a foreshadowing. He sprinted forward even though his legs were like lead.

“SHUT IT DOWN NOW!” He screamed as he rounded the corner. The bond hummed that he was in the same room with her, but as his eyes swept around, he could not locate her. He began to scream into the bond, a constant REY REY REY REY REY, but she couldn’t answer unconscious. His hands were shaking then, ignoring Phasma’s blithering about launching their fleet, when he saw her. All sounds faded except the humming of his saber. When had he ignited it? She was lifeless, thrown over the shoulder of a man in First Order garb. The man’s head was grimy, however, definitely not in regulation, when Ren saw the dark-skinned man with him. A growl ripped from his throat before he knew it was him making that sound.

The traitor. FN-2817. They were moving fast, the traitor was stroking Rey’s hair away from her face –Ren growled again, at them touching her- and pulled on the bindings at her wrists. She had the look as if she had been stunned, her eyes closed and her breathing steady, but her mind silent. Good, she’d fought. He was moving towards them, a solid force of anger, when the two slipped into an officer transport ship. The TIE fighters around him were taking off, oblivious to the dark force user’s desperate attempt to have them stop. His saber fell from his hands as he focused all his strength on his force abilities.

“SHUT IT DOWN, LADY REY HAS BEEN TAKEN!” He threw the comm device down and reached out with his hand, desperate to hold the ship still until the lockdown was complete. His head was throbbing, blood seeping down his neck in a slow pulse, and his hands were really shaking now. The ship was lifting off, too far for him to have reached even if he had been at full power, and he could feel the bond wailing in protest. The force didn’t want the two of them to separate. He flooded his mind with the power, trying hard to really drive it to hold the ship, but his vision was clouding again. He willed the force around him, begged it to do what he needed, but it wasn’t cooperating. The ship was turning, and it launched outside. He felt his tongue in his mouth, thick and dry, and his throat burst with a frustrated scream as he crushed a steel box in his view.

“Lord Ren?” The stormtrooper approached him, cautiously but with the colorations of a sergeant, and gestured to the openness of space. “Lord Ren, did you miss your transport? I can call for another-” But as he spoke, Kylo felt his knees buckle as his vision blacked out.

--- ---

Captain Phasma took the comm call from Ren, moving to the back of the room. Hux was still demanding updates as he led the armies around him. It was definitely Resistance. The bold, no nonsense attack they led was uncoordinated and brutal, stupidly geared towards their weapons. He watched as TIE fighters poured out of the hanger. He wasn’t listening very hard to Phasma, until he heard Kylo shouting something about Rey. Phasma was back at his side, her modulated voice repeating the words Kylo had said carefully.

Taken, she had been taken. Right from under their noses. He had sent her out, to the rooms to be safe. Where had Kylo Ren been?

“Shut the hanger down!” Hux shouted. The answer came from the lieutenant manning the console to his left.

“Sir, we can’t! We are almost done with the launch and we can’t stop it now that it’s started!” She looked nervous at providing the news.

“Send a sergeant down there to get Kylo Ren.” Hux told her on impulse. He watched as a ship that wasn’t TIE emerged and knew that’s where Rey was. “Tell them to give Lord Ren a ship!”

“Yes sir, right away!” She began typing and speaking furiously into her headset. Hux turned to Phasma, for once in his life, not knowing what to say, not even knowing how to feel. She stared at him and even with her helmet, he could tell she was just as lost for words as he was. Her hand came out and grasped his elbow, giving a squeeze. He turned back to the bridge. The lieutenant's face fell, and she stammered out a noise. Hux looked at her, annoyed and distraught. He’d sent Rey to the rooms; he’d sent her to her death....

“What is it, Lieutenant?” He shouted. She turned back to him, face pale, before swallowing hard.

“Sir, Lord Ren has collapsed. He is bleeding from a head wound. Medical is on their way to get him but the Sergeant said it looked bad.” He gasped, his heart beating loudly in his ears. He absentmindedly wondered if anyone else could hear the fear pounding in his veins. He looked outside his window, outside into space, where the Resistance ships were turning around. The tell-tale of their engines moving to light speed flashed and then, they were gone.

She was gone. Kylo might be dead.

Hux turned off the bridge and ran.

--- ---

He had been waiting for hours at that point in the medical bay with no solid news. A nurse came out every so often to let him know that the vitals were the same, stable and the surgery was still ongoing. Kylo Ren, senseless dark force user, big cry baby, had ignored a very serious traumatic brain injury. He’d suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage from ignoring his concussion when he had fallen backwards in Hux’s bedroom.

The guilt Hux was feeling was unmeasurable. Kylo was suffering because Hux hadn’t noticed that two Resistance spies had snuck on the ship before they’d moved to light speed, too wrapped up in the happiness he’d been feeling. He’d started to become close to Rey, satisfied and ignoring his duties in favor of spending time with her.

And now, Ren was here dying, and Rey was gone.

His eyes burned and his head ached. Even the constant anguish his heart felt with every beat was absolutely overwhelming. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with two fingers, willing the headache away, desperate for some silence. Sure, the medical wing was quiet, but it was sterile and hushed. The constant beeping of machines from the back flooded in between two doors beside the check in counter. One nurse sat there, typing away at her reports, nails tapping against her keyboard rhythmically. Another nurse was walking between her rooms, her shoes tapping against the marbled floor, echoing off the white halls.

He could hear his breath as he tried to not sob, every gasp tight and erratic. His elbows rested on his knees, his hands running through his no longer slicked back hair. He let it fall to cover his face. His nose no longer ached since he’d accepted a pain treatment for the nasal fracture he’d suffered, but he rejected the correction treatment. That meant having to put him under to correct the small crack and he wasn’t willing to be unconscious for any period of time that Kylo was comatose. He hadn’t even changed his uniform which was stained with his own blood down the front.

His thoughts wandered to Rey. She wouldn’t have gone willingly, that he knew. She had a home here, with them, she belonged with them. He was worried for her, but more so, he was livid. She’d been taken from under them, while injured, and defenseless.

The doors opened and he raised his head to look at the nurse. She had a clipboard and was approaching him at a fast pace. She was accompanied by a doctor who had cleaned up but still had the smell of blood on his skin.

“We did what we could.” The doctor began. Hux stood, his stomach twisting in pain, as he anticipated the doctor’s next statement. “The hemorrhage was caused when he hit his head. I don’t know how using the...his...um, force, manipulates his brain tissue, but we had to drain the excess blood and give him a transfusion. He is in a bacta tank right now. We only shaved the bottom part of his head where we drained the blood. He should be in there for a week at most while we monitor any permanent damage that might happen.”

“Permanent…damage?” Hux echoed. He felt his chest hollowing out.

“Yes sir. I am not sure about his abilities and any damages there, but it could be as little as fatigue and headaches to as serious as personality changes, short term memory loss, seizures and speech problems to name a few. We shouldn’t worry until he is actually awake, but for now, keep in mind that he might not be the same as before. Mental preparation can make it easier on...others.” The doctor looked to Hux sadly. “I must admit sir, it is odd to see you down here. Most times when Lord Ren is injured, he comes alone and works directly with droids.”

“Yes, well, he is vital to the First Order’s success, now isn’t he?” Hux spat at the doctor. The nurse gives her superior a weary, knowing glance and the two medical professionals step away from Hux. He sits back down and rubs his eyes tiredly. It would be a long week.

--- ---

Rey felt the tell-tale of re-entry into the world of consciousness and groaned. Her nightmare had felt incredibly real, that the Resistance had stunned her after attacking the Finalizer in some sort of half baked, reckless idea. She went to roll over before noticing a thick strap across her chest. Her arms were tight to her side, her legs wouldn’t move, and her body lay on a thick steel slab.

She opened her eyes carefully, trying to blink away the bright light shined into her face. She could feel others around her, but the bond was up front, stretched to the point of misery. It told her automatically she wasn’t even in the same part of the galaxy as her Master. It hadn’t been a dream; it was a real-life nightmare she was living.

“Rey?” The voice was soft but bitter and she turned her head towards Finn.

“Finn.” She forced her voice to not waiver with the anger she felt. “Let me out of these restraints immediately.”

“I can’t Rey.” He said. He did move the light from her face, which she was thankful for, and she blinked the white spots out of her vision. Finn wasn’t wearing the First Order garb any longer –which Rey was glad for, because he made it look like rubbish- and his face was lined with exhaustion. He looked incredibly upset, arms crossed over his chest. Poe joined Finn’s side, followed by several others she didn’t recognize.

“Let me out of here, Finn.” She commanded again. Poe clapped a hand to Finn’s shoulder and stepped in front of his friend.

“Look, Rey...we showed up to sabotage the Finalizer. We were looking for any intel before we jumped ship, and we find you. You reek of First Order slime. What is going on with you? Did you join them? Did they make you an offer?” Poe asked. Rey felt her cheeks brighten at the assumption.

“Did I join them? Are you joking me?” She couldn’t stop the accusation in her voice. “We gave her a proper Jedi burial, cremating her body to make it one with the force.”

“Rey.” Leia’s voice came from the shadows. The old woman crept from behind and approached the group. She walked much slower, using a cane to get around, and Rey hated the disappointment written on the General’s face.

“General.” Rey spit the name sarcastically. “Release me.”

“I can’t do that, child. You know too much. Sources tell me that you’ve been in the office of General Hux and that you’ve been training with my son.” Leia shook her head. “You’ve gone to the dark side.”

“I have done no such thing. How dare you assume...after your precious brother all but threw me to the side, couldn’t wait for me to leave his mysterious planet. Kylo Ren murdered Skywalker.” She knew her voice sounded proud and she didn’t exactly hate it. “He offered to teach me how to meditate and practice forms. He offered me what the Jedi would not. But I am not a dark side force user. I am a grey force user.”

“Being grey is just another way to be dark, dear girl.” Leia was looking at her Rey’s clothing. She was still in her ensemble she’d been apprehended in. “You’re First Order all over.”

“So, what do we do with her, General?” Poe asked. She bared her teeth at the group. She could not, would not, forgive them for presuming her dead and lying about it to the galaxy.

“We can’t let it get out that she’s alive. That would ruin the backing that we have right now. Throw her in a cell with a guard around the clock.” Leia waved her hand as if to dismiss Rey.

“You won’t win this war, General. And they will come for me.” Rey promised.

“They can’t find you.” Finn said confidently. “We’ve removed the tracker.”

“They don’t need a tracker to find me.” Rey knew she’d caught them in a lie, because the First Order had hidden the tracker. She would bet her left arm that she still had it tucked away in her wrist.

--- ---

Hux watched as the computer zeroed in on Rey’s little dot in the galaxy. He had remembered at the last moment that he had requested she have a tracker implanted –mostly in case she ran away- and hurried to his office, calling in tracking officers to perform the trace. Everyone was quiet as the dot zoomed in further, and further, giving coordinates to her location. Hux let out a deep breath and commed Phasma, who had taken residence up on the bridge while Hux worried about Rey and Ren.

“Take the ship to the Mid Rim. It looks as though the Rebellion is going to fuel up either around Malastare or Naboo.” Hux directed, turning to leave his office. He repeated the coordinates to Phasma and told Mitaka, who was close behind, to report to him if there were any more problems before placing this comm device back in his pocket. Mitaka knew Hux wouldn’t be back up to the bridge until Kylo was awake, and Hux knew Mitaka wouldn’t expect him up there, so the two parted ways with Hux heading to medical and Mitaka to assist Phasma. The hyperdrive was fried, and they were stuck making their way on Ion power alone until the hyperdrive was repaired...at least, repaired enough that they could force the ship to move faster.

The trip down to medical was easier now that he was able to view the bacta tank Ren was floating in. He wished he could ask Kylo what to do and how to cope with being alone, virtually. He made his way into medical and took up residence in Kylo’s room. The bacta tank was still cloudy but he could make Ren out. His dark hair floated in the gelatinous substance, his skin had a translucent pallor to it, and his face was slightly bruised from the breathing apparatus that was attached to his nose and mouth. If Hux walked around, he could view Ren’s shaved head in the back, although the accelerated medical properties had it already growing back in a stubble. Ren’s face was sprouting a nice five o’clock shadow. Hux rubbed at his own cheeks, feeling the bristle of his own growing. It had been a few days since he’d seen a razor, electric or laser, or even been to the rooms. It was much too empty in there for his mind. He’d taken to having Phasma check on Millicent because he couldn’t stand to see Rey’s little touches in her apartment, the glasses of half-drunk water left on every surface, of her and Ren’s little technical projects that were left in corners of the room or on the table. He couldn’t stand to think of the blood-stained carpet in his room or Rey’s new clothes that still hung in her closet, perfectly pressed but never worn.

He took a seat, watching his bed mate float in the bacta tank, thinking of Rey and wondering about what could be.

--- ---

She knew they would come for her.

She hoped they would come for her.

She was confined to the small cell, only enough space to pace three feet before having to turn around again. There was no bed, no refresher. She had a bucket to do her business in. It was repulsive.

The First Order’s accommodations were better for prisoners of war. How had she not seen this side of her precious Resistance before? It was vile. She could feel the dirt clinging to her skin through the mucky walls of her cell. She didn’t even have a chair to sit on but refused to sit directly on the soiled floor until her legs felt they would give out. She used the time to meditate, to reach out to Kylo through the bond. She couldn’t find him though, only a dull memory here or there, an unconscious wall that met when she tried to wake him. It worried her. He would surely be angry that they’d taken her...unless he didn’t know....

But she trusted her gut.

They knew. They would come for her.

She had been right in thinking that they had taken her implant instead of her tracker. She pretended to be upset, rubbing the spot on her arm angrily a few times while in front of Poe and Finn. The Resistance hadn’t taken very good care of the area, just cutting it out without so much as a bacta patch to heal the area. She would be surprised if she didn’t have an infection in the cut, combined with her horrid environment and their uncaring attitude towards her. They’d also went as far to remove the bacta that had been healing the wound on her face. It was closed thankfully, but she knew it would scar without the last bits of the bacta to help it along. She knew they left her bruises there too.

She sat against the bars, leaning her head into the cold steel, wondering how the hell she ended up in a Resistance cell because they’d faked her death and been upset that she’d -of course- become all First Order.

If she ever got out of the cell, she would never leave Ren or Hux’s side ever again, even if they begged her to. She would stay with them until the end of time. She used her mostly quiet time to reflect on Ren. She knew she had an emotional attachment to him. He was her Master, the first person to really care about her, to not lie to her. Kylo had been honest through and through, forward and yes, she knew he was a monster...but...in the end, wasn’t this entire war causing all sorts of monsters to be bred? She thought about Hux, about how their childhood was similar. Raised by someone who didn’t really care about them, more about what they brought to the table, about how they were fighting for what they believed in.

She thought about she’d seen his mouth stretched around Kylo’s cock, about how he was drawing all those noises out of her master. About how it had made her feel, an entirely new sensation, and how she looked at him from that day on, wondering how those lips could make her feel, dreaming about his mouth on her, eliciting all sorts of responses from her while her Master watched...if he allowed Hux to touch her.

She missed them. She missed the space they had shared, missed little Millicent and her zoomies around the room when Hux gave her a special treat from the dinner menu. She missed Ren’s piles of tech lying around her table, his random desire to build and fix. She missed the data pads lying around, from Hux’s constant need to work. She missed her own data pad that had her games and the books Hux had recommended her that she hadn’t finished. She missed her private room and private refresher, her clothes pressed in the closet, the unlimited water and ice.

Her meal was delivered on a metal plate, tossed under the lower bar of her cell. It looks suspiciously like she used to remember, better than portions but not even up to par with the dining facility on Finalizer, not even considered food for the skittermice that haunted the nights on Jakku. It was a powdered, grainy white substance that was meant for protein more than flavor.

She’d been spoiled by her General and his taste for the finer things in life. She refused the revolting meal until she felt herself getting weaker, day after day. Only then had she given in and swallowed a few bites to keep herself alive. Hux and Ren would never forgive her if she died of something as irresponsible as starvation. They would come for her, after all.

Leia didn’t have anyone come in to question her again. They left her down there with the twenty-four-hour guard, to stew...to pine for others. All she had was her two meals a day and her thoughts.

Chapter Text

He hadn’t anticipated a summons to come, although he wasn’t sure why he hadn’t expected it. They had sent a message to Supreme Leader of the emergency. It was necessary because he was expecting them in less than four days, and they had been delayed. Hux had received the summons while still avoiding his room on the third day of travel on Ion power. The doctors had no updates on Ren’s condition and Rey’s tracker had landed on Naboo. Until they were closer, they wouldn’t know exactly where she was being held. 

Hux approached the giant subspace transceiver held in an amphitheater in the lower bowels of Finalizer. He’d done this several times alone, knowing he was coming to tattle on Ren before he’d gotten to know the man behind the mask. Snoke was already there, his hologram glowing blue on his large throne. Hux reached his spot and bowed his head low, down on his knees. 

“What happened.” It wasn’t a question. Hux could feel the anger radiating off the creature and he stood to explain himself.

“Supreme Leader, we were sabotaged. Some Resistance scum stored away and hid within our ranks, aided by spies I’m sure, and incapacitated our hyperdrive. The damage was small but will take some time to repair.” He felt the tell-tale of Snoke picking his brain apart and pushed his relationship with Rey and Ren behind his walls, hidden from the invisible hand that searched him. Instead, he pushed to the front his disappointment in the situation, his hidden aggression at Rey being taken when she was so close to a breakthrough with Ren.

“And they escaped.” Snoke withdrew, the disdain all over his face. “How did they escape?”

“They took one of our ships while we were being attacked.” 

“The attack was a diversion.” Snoke said.

“Yes, Supreme Leader. After sabotaging the hyperdrive, the ship jolted hard, and I had to stop the ship. Several troopers died, unfortunately. We had several injuries. One was Ren, as you know. He is still recovering-”

“And where is young Rey?” The tone was condescending. Hux knew that he had seen that she was gone in his mind.

“They took her.” Hux couldn’t keep the bite out of his tone. “But they left the tracker in her. She’s on Naboo.” 

“Have you started the trip there?” Snoke’s hands came in front of him. Hux braced himself for torture. 

“Yes, we set off as soon as we had the signal. Unfortunately, until they repair the hyperdrive, we are forced to carry on at Ion power-” 

“You have failed me yet again General.” Snoke interrupted Hux, and Hux shut his mouth immediately. The pain was instantaneous. He felt his knees crack against the cold metal of the floor, and he brought his hands up to grip at his temples. He let out a shout, feeling the claw ripping at his memories. “You are turning out to be the disappointment your father believed you would be.” The pain seared through him again and his forehead met the floor with a snap. He felt sticky warmth over his mouth as his nose refractured and he shouted in discomfort. Snoke pulled back, his mouth set in a grimace. 

“Supreme Leader.” Hux pried himself off the floor and eyed the creature, ignoring the blood on his face. 

“Go get her, General Hux. The hyperdrive will be repaired. Just make sure my apprentice makes it out alive and young Rey is returned to us. If this does not happen, you will die.” 

Snoke evaporated, disappeared before Hux’s eyes, and the General sighed. He reached up and wiped the blood off his chin. He agreed with the Supreme Leader though, if he didn’t get Ren or Rey back, he would most certainly die. 

--- --- 

The week was most definitely long. Hux felt his stubble itching his face and he could barely stand the feeling of his face scraping his collar and made quick work of a shower and a shave in his quarters. He’d had a droid clean the blood and have the carpet replaced before he’d gone back, but he could still smell the bleach they’d used. He preferred the aseptic atmosphere of the med bay. Nobody bothered him unless it was an update for the ship or a question of direction, and he could watch Ren float. The last day, day six –finally- he was brushed out of the room so that they could empty the bacta tank. He decided to stroll back to the bridge.

The trip was quiet. Stormtroopers left him be and he chose to ignore the stares that followed him. The bridge was silent aside for the soft chatter of officer to officer, of the clicking of keyboards and comms clicking on and off. Phasma stood off to the side with Lieutenant Mitaka, whispering over the information on a data pad. Hux approached them, knowing he looked more disheveled than normal, and cleared his throat. Both snapped a quick salute before showing him the information on the data pad. 

“Shows here the rebels threw a bomb inside. Luckily, we were able to clean the majority of debris away and repair the damages to the hyperdrive. We should be okay to launch to light speed, but we should make sure to watch for any more signs of rupture, sir.” Mitaka nodded as he spoke, confident. “We can go ahead and make our way to the Mid Rim and stop around Naboo. Would you like a copy of the engineering report?”

“Yes, Lieutenant.” He turned back to the bridge. “Set a course for Naboo and go to light speed.” 

“Yes sir!” The engineer began to input the request before setting the location. “Light speed in ten seconds.” 

“Proceed.” Hux braced himself against the railing and watched as the stars began to drag against space.

--- --- 

Rey wheezed against her restraints; her tears free flowing –mostly hoping to play on her ex-friend's sympathies- with her pain evident. They were clearly not the Resistance she thought they were. She was back on the steel table, tied down again, and being tortured for answers. Her lips were sealed, however. She would not give anything to them. 

“Rey, just tell us.” Poe demanded softly. “This will stop if you tell us the plans.” He pushed a button again and a bolt of electricity shot through her bones. She cried out, tears hot on her face, as it continued on for what seemed like hours. The electricity died down and she gasped.  

“Rey, tell us what you know.” The tone was harder now. She sobbed as Poe sighed. How dare they? How dare they hurt her, after everything she’d been through. She knew if she said anything, they wouldn’t stop until they thought she said everything.

How dare they? 

She growled in her throat, reaching out with her feelings. She was irate, her emotions rolling within her. She had sworn to herself she wouldn’t use the force to hurt anyone else, any living thing unless they were evil.

The Resistance was evil.

“Leave me be.” She whimpered. Poe and Leia exchanged a glance, and Leia nodded once. Poe pushed the button again, shocking her. She screamed in pain. Leia was begging her to speak over the sound of crackling power in her ears. She felt her skin, a live wire, conducting the current through her. With the electricity came her muscles tensing, her hands curled into tight fists. While the pain throbbed through her body, she was unable to push the force out while her mind was distracted with the power current. It ebbed away and left her with a ringing in her ears, pants damp with sweat and urine, hair sticking to her face and neck. Her muscles were still spasming.

“You have to tell us what you know, or we won’t win the war, Rey. You used to care about that. You used to fight for what was right.” Leia was disappointed, but Rey was fuming again through her exhaustion. 

“What is right being purely from where you’re looking, General. Perspective is everything.” Rey chuckled even though her throat was raw from screaming. “You aren’t going to win.” 

“Again, Poe.” Leia was frustrated that Rey wasn’t cooperating. “She isn’t one of us anymore. Get the old Rey out of your head. I was right.” She looked back to Rey. “Get what you can and kill her.” Leia turned and left the room, leaving Rey’s head spinning. Poe wiped a hand over his face, frustrated at Rey and Leia.  

“Please, Rey.” Poe whispered. “Please, don’t make me do this.” 

“Anything you get out of me, you’ll have to pry from my cold, dead hands.” Rey panted in fury. Poe’s face ran through a series of emotions, and Rey couldn’t help but sneer at the weakness that crossed his face. He settled on resentment finally and pressed the button again. 

--- --- 

They’d reached Naboo safely. No explosions, no more slowing down. They set orbit far enough away that there was no possibility of being seen from Naboo’s thin atmosphere and Hux began to plan. He went down to visit Ren, still in a medically induced coma, and gently touched Ren’s cheek, observing the face he’d come to love over the last few years.

He would make them pay. 

Preferably, in blood. 

He joined Phasma –an odd feeling of déjà vu playing in his head- and the two boarded an unmarked craft. If the Resistance wanted to play dirty, he would play fucking dirty. 

The voyage to Naboo lasted a few hours. Hux prepared, changing out of his crisp uniform into coarse brown pants, worn brown boots and a stained white shirt. He wore a dark jacket with the symbol of the Resistance sewn into a patch on his shoulder. He topped it off with a dark beanie to cover his trademarked red hair. Phasma had changed from her chrome armor into a similar, common outfit. He could feel the dirt clinging to his skin already as he shifted in the outfit. Phasma was tying her short champagne hair back into a tight bun, pinning stray pieces away from her eyes to keep her focused. They were joined on this mission by a handful of her most trusted sergeants, all out of their stormtrooper uniforms and into Resistance garb.

He hated the way they looked.  

They landed quietly in a soft marsh, deboarding the vessel and setting out, leaving the First Order behind. 

--- --- 

She wasn’t sure how time passed in the cell, with her meager meals and her daily torture but was almost sure it had been a week since she’d been locked here. They had stripped her of her First Order clothes when they began the torture and given her a flimsy white shirt and some dark pants that didn’t keep the chill from her bones. She was barefoot, a horror in the dirty cell and there was no way to escape the horror, they made sure of it. The room was built with some sort of ancient stone. She was unable to use her force powers here. It was difficult, having to endure silently, when all she wanted was her room back on Finalizer. She wasn’t sure when her alliances changed permanently, but she would die before giving up First Order secrets.

They’d moved from the electroshock torture to more physical methods, such as stress positioning her arms behind her back while they dunked her face into water, withholding oxygen until she passed out. They beat her, with fists, with whips, with whatever they could get their hands on.  

What they didn’t know was, aside from the waterboarding, all this had been done to her in the past. 

The memories sprung to her eyes, the past she’d pushed down so hard to try and forget. The tied hands reminded her of her attacks in the past. She could feel the slimy hands all over her body, at thirteen and fourteen, trying to make it make sense, why this was something they would do with a child. She remembered the ache in her soul. Her wrists were bruised, the skin sliced from her fighting the bindings. She didn’t like the flashbacks, couldn’t stand the feelings of fingers inside her body, couldn’t stand their lips on her neck, biting at her innocent flesh until she bent to their will.  

She was hurt. Her wrists were a sickly purple color, the outsides a faded yellow. She knew the bruise on her face remained from the fall on Finalizer. She knew from the ache in her ribs that she had fractured something. What was most painful was the realization that the Resistance was so desperate now, so despairing they were turning back from all their morals, all their god damned promises, and she was sick with it. She vomited after her torture, into her disgusting waste bucket they never emptied. She began to refuse her repulsive meals, thinking even death would be better than this waste of a life she’d been living. Ren and Hux would forgive her for wanting to die.

Her only happy recent memories were the shared smiles from Kylo Ren, her lessons fading in and out between the PTSD of her attacks. She remembered Hux, his long fingers gripping Ren’s member, bringing him over the edge with expertise. Her main regret being that she hadn’t gotten to experience a pleasurable sexual act with someone else. More specifically, two someone’s who she’d come to know the past few weeks. 

She tried to pull the bond, but the stone weakened it significantly. Ren was silent on the other side, as if he was sleeping. He had been like that since she’d been taken, almost completely gone. She was so worried. He must have been hurt a lot worse than he let on initially if he was radio silent.

The light at the end of the hallway was growing closer now, Rey noticed offhandedly. That meant either a meal or another round of torture. She mentally prepared for the latter since her plate from the previous interaction sat untouched, only a small potolli skittering on and off the plate through a small crack in the wall. She closed her eyes, bracing her body for another round of electroshock torture. When she opened her eyes, Finn and Poe came into hazy view outside the cell.

Finn was a rare presence. Since being captured, he had refused to see her. Poe was the hand she had come to fear by way of torture. His appearance didn’t startle her. Finn took her in, his eyes wide, and his mouth set in a permanent frown. She knew he was reacting to the swelling of her face, the way she was hunched due to her ribs and the bruises scattered across her skin. Poe pulled the key out and unlocked the door with a heavy ‘click’. 

“Rey.” Poe said. “Anything you want to tell me today?” She stayed silent; her gaze murderous. When Finn and Poe entered the cell, they shut the door behind them. She was weak and without a solid plan but wanted to grab the keys from them. Her only strategy was to attack them. When she tried to stand, her legs shook violently beneath her and she sat back down on her knees. She stroked her bruised wrist gently, where the tracker was still hidden, as if she were stroking the bruises. Finn brought his hands in front of him, wringing them out. She could see the small beading of sweat between the grip on his hands. 

“Please, Rey.” Finn mumbled. “We were instructed to do something rather extreme to make you talk. Just tell us anything.” 

“Just tell us a lie, even. Something to placate the General.” Poe spoke softly, echoing the same tone as Finn. Rey looked up at them with fire in her gaze. 

“What should I say then, these lies? That General Hux is an expert in tea parties and Kylo Ren likes to dress up as a Wookie in his free time? There is nothing I could or would tell you that would pacify her.” She spat, tightening the hold on her wrist even though the bruise screamed at her. Finn and Poe exchanged a glance, very serious, before Finn put the lamp down and came towards her. 

“Don’t say we didn’t warn you.” Finn told her roughly, grabbing her wrists and yanking her to her feet. She cried out in pain; she was already sore from the beating she would get. Poe came behind her and pulled her shirt out of the back of her pants. She paused, her entire body tensing up. Muscle memory prevailed as she tried to drop to her knees to escape the hands that were stroking the soft skin of her hip.

“What are you doing?” She tried to jerk her hands from Finn’s grip, but he was stronger than she was. Poe made quick work of her clothes, ripping them off her without much care for saving the garments. She felt the cold seeping into her skin, which had taken a paleness she’d never had before. She trembled as Poe’s hands discarded the scraps of fabric at her feet. The touch was rough from Poe’s gloves as he grabbed at her backside. There wasn’t much fat, but enough that he had a solid grasp on her after adjusting his grip. Finn’s eyes raked over her. She knew he was looking at her bruised body, at the small curve of her breast, at her slightly protruding ribs at the center of her waist. She wanted to shrink under his hungry gaze and disappear.

A flashback, of the first time, of the man having to tie her hands together to keep her nails out of his eyes. Of his pressure and her pain, of his disapproval of her ruining a perfectly good sheet. Finn pulled a restraint from his pocket and bound her wrists tightly in front of her. 

Poe’s hands moved to hold her waist tightly as she began to struggle. It was no use, she knew that, but she had to try. She had never been able to fight off one man. There was no way could she fight off two when she wasn’t at peak physical strength. Finn wouldn’t look at her face. He was letting his hands roam, grabbing the thatch of dark hair at her center unceremoniously. As he yanked, she felt tears spring to her eyes, painful and embarrassing. These used to be her friends. Desperation was dreadful.

“What are you doing?” She whispered; eyes teary. “Please, please don’t touch me. Don’t do this…I can’t, Poe…Finn….” Poe coughed behind her, his hands tightening on her skin. She stopped wiggling, closing her eyes. Finn’s fingers were gloved as well, a mercy she was thankful for. She implored her heart to stop, to beat less and less in the face of betrayal. 

Poe was much gentler than Finn as it turned out, letting his fingers roam the expanse of her back before seizing hold of her breasts. He was trying to stimulate her, pinching her nipples, but she only knew arousal in the form of red hair and dark eyes.... 

Finn spit on his fingers, pushing up against her center. His gloves were painfully tight inside her.

“Anything to tell us, Rey?” Finn asked her, his tone obvious that he didn’t much care if she talked or not. His fingers paused for a moment as she whimpered. His eyes met hers and she saw the truth. The trooper who had escaped Finalizer, her very first friend, was poisoned with the facts that the Resistance was losing. He was doing anything he could to save his choice.

“I will tell you nothing. I’ll die before I tell you anything.” She choked. She understood her choice here, she understood that by choosing to not say anything that she was bringing this onto herself. Poe’s lips were on her neck. He was trying to make this more enjoyable for her.  

Or rid himself the guilt of knowing she didn’t consent to this. 

“That’s too bad Rey. We didn’t want to have to do this.” Finn took his fingers back and spit on them again, shoving them back in. She clenched around him; the leather glove too cold for her to relax. Poe’s mouth was working at the apex of her neck and shoulder. Her stomach constricted as his tongue drug across her ear. She couldn’t throw anything up, not even bile at that point.

Finn took his fingers back to unbutton his pants. Poe pulled her back to her knees. She leaned back against him; the warmth of his chest steady on her back. He wasn’t touching her or kissing her anymore, at least, but he was half hard. She was crying silently as Finn pulled his cock from his pants and began to work his arousal. She felt the head at her lips and fought to keep her mouth shut. With Poe’s hands gripping her jaw, she was pried open.

“It’s your mouth or your pussy, Rey.” Poe whispered in her ear. “It’s your choice.” He was trying to prepare her. She let out a bitter laugh as Finn lined himself up to her mouth. 

“This isn’t a choice.” She breathed. Poe’s fingers gripped her cheeks as Finn shoved his dick in her mouth. 

--- --- 

Hux stood at the entrance to Varykino. He knew they looked Resistance enough, dirty and washed up, tired from the long hike here. They’d had to pester several people to even get the information that the Resistance was in the old family home of Leia Skywalker. It was a beautiful scenery, all lake country and beach and beautiful blue skies. But Hux was shaking with fury. 

The man guarding the door let them in with a glance at the patches on their shoulders. Hux snorted at his casual dismissal. This would be too easy to lay waste to the rest of the Resistance and save his Rey. Phasma took the platoon of men to locate the majority of Resistance officers, to take prisoners where they could and kill the rest. Luckily, the rest of the Resistance was small. They were getting weaker as time went on. 

Hux was quiet as he weaved his way through the halls, lower and lower until he found a door built into a bookcase. He would have all but missed it if he hadn’t heard the small whistle of air coming from the side. He waited patiently as the hallway cleared and used nimble fingers to push it aside, pleased that it made no grinding sounds. It moved easily, granting him access to a dark dungeon hallway.

A castle such as this would have a dark secret.  

He felt a strange sense of foreboding, the one he’d felt before he had met Rey for the first time. An apprehension that begged him to stop moving. His feet carried him forward and he moved swiftly. Rey would be hidden out of sight, especially since they had already preached her as dead. She would most likely be hidden in this tunnel, away from prying eyes.

He rounded the corner and observed every cell, empty and devoid of life. He looked around, confused and nervous, the trepidation never really leaving his rigid muscles. 

Then he heard it. 

A soft sniffle, a painful whine. A catching of breath. The primal slapping of skin on skin. His stomach clamped down, the urge to vomit overcoming him. He pressed it down, knowing it wasn’t the time.

She’d been here for seven days. A fucking week.  

And they’d resorted to torture. A torture that he would never condone on his ship or in the entire First Order. 

Desperation was an ugly look. 

He walked towards the sounds, knowing what he’d find. With a steely breath, he prepared himself and rounded another corner. Mentally, however, it was impossible to accept that this is what was being done. At the end of the hall, in a lone cell bathed in light, two men stood above her, one holding her to his chest and the other thrusting at her face. She was stiff, her body unpliant to their will, sobbing and gasping for air. The one thrusting into her face, he recognized.

FN-2187. The Traitor. 

A growl ripped through his throat. The two faces turned up to his and the traitor was self-conscious enough to stop thrusting. 

“We are in the middle of torturing a prisoner of war. Is this important?” The tone was casual and tight, as if he wasn’t trying to hide his arousal. Rey turned to the new face, a temporary fear that it was someone new, but her eyes brightened up as she realized who it was. 

“Hux.” She breathed out his name, and he moved quickly. He withdrew his sleek blaster from where it was tucked in the back of his pants and pointed it at the man in front of her. They moved slowly. Poe pushed Rey to the floor as he pulled his pants up. The traitor was tucking his half flaccid cock back in his pants. Hux snorted at the sight, the light catching the face of the second captor. Poe Dameron. Clearly, he wasn’t as well-endowed as he let on. Hux held the blaster high and pointed it at them.  

“Open the door.” Hux commanded. Finn’s face crumpled in anger. 

“What makes you think I’d do that?” Finn shouted. Rey didn’t break her eye contact with Hux, her relief apparent across her bruised face. She was still crying, but he could tell it was out of relief. Hux shook with anger but his hand was steady. Poe opened the cell door and held his hands up over his head. “Poe!” Finn screeched. Hux stood in the open doorway, gun directly on Poe as the pilot backed up, hands at his head. 

“We’ve been caught Finn. If we die, so does the Resistance. You think he came alone?” Poe was clearly the thinker of the group. Finn backed away from Rey and held his hands up at the same level Poe’s were. Rey tried to stand but her legs were still weak, trembling under her weight.

“Rey, come forward please.” Hux hated having her crawl from the cell –naked- but if it bothered her, she didn’t say. She got to her knees and creeped from the cage quietly. Once she was behind him, he shut the door and engaged the lock. “Give me the keys to this cell, scum.” Poe glared at him but tossed the keys through the bars. 

“Give me your clothes Poe.” Rey commanded quietly behind him. She was gripping his legs with her hands, trembling and weary, but still strong. Hux felt so proud. With the door locked, he lowered his weapon and bent back around to hold her to his side. She was naked, completely bare, covered in bruises and one of her ribs at an odd angle. She let his hands hold her side, allowed him to touch her without feeling disgusted with herself. She trusted him. With her standing, he raised the weapon again.

Poe began to strip when he realized Hux was going to shoot him if he didn’t and stripped his shirt and pants from his body. He tossed the clothes through the bars and Hux used his body to shield Rey as he helped her into the large black pants and stained off-white shirt. He held her to his chest. She fit perfectly into his arms, head tucked under his chin, arms around his chest. She stank even worse than she did when Ren had found her on Ahch-To. Her hair was knotted with sweat and her breath was foul and salty. Her skin was splattered with bruising, her face was swollen, and she would most definitely have a scar on her cheek.

She looked up at him, her lower lip trembling. Snot dripped from her nose, her eyes were puffy from crying, and her face was sticky, but she was glorious to him. 

“You came for me.” She whimpered with a shuddery breath.

“Of course, I did, my darling.” He bent forward and pressed a tender kiss to her nose. She closed her eyes and her body sagged against his in relief. “I will always come for you.”

Hux pulled the beanie off his head and covered her hair, tucking the dark strands to hide under the hat. They made their way up and out of the dungeon and quickly regrouped in a large open room with Phasma. The captain was appalled at Rey’s appearance and shot another dead Resistance member for good measure, shouting obscenities while doing so. Rey smiled while Phasma calmed down, instructing her troopers to take the prisoners to their ship.

“Please, take me home.” She asked him with large, glassy eyes. He could not refuse her any longer, he realized in that moment, and slowly lowered his lips to her forehead again. Phasma called for the pilot who had manned the ship to land near Varykino so that Rey didn’t have to walk miles back.

“Anything for you, Rey.” He whispered against her skin as the ship landed. He ushered her onboard and tucked her in safely before they launched back to Finalizer.

--- --- 

Kylo felt himself coming to, his throat dry and his head pounding. The air tasted weird inside his mouth, too antiseptic and clean to be his room. He blinked a few times, adjusting to the fluorescent lights, before feeling the foreign objects in his arm. He looked down slowly, before flexing his fingers. There was a beeping behind him, annoying and rhythmic. He closed his fist and relished in the crunching sound. The beeping stopped. 

Within a moment, a nurse and doctor rushed into the room. It hit him like a brick at that moment. 

He was in medical. 

Where the hell was Rey? 

He sat up, or tried, before his chest heaved with a cough. His head hurt, throbbing with every breath, and he laid back down wearily. 

“What is going on?” His voice was scratchy. He must have been out for a day or so for it to be so raw. “What happened to me?” 

“Lord Ren, please just take it easy. You suffered from a subarachnoid hemorrhage. You’re doing remarkably well for the damages we presumed. You have your force ability still, clearly. You need to take it easy, my Lord. We need to run some tests.” The doctor spoke evenly and calmly. Ren nodded even though it pained him. There, in the back of his mind, was Rey. The bond was still there, still viable and still wholesome. At least he still had that. She must be back to him, back to Finalizer. He probed the more aware he became. He realized that she was not close.

Rey was closed off, but not completely. He could feel a pain there, a hurting that was ghosting his entire body. His ribs were pained, his skin felt like fire. He closed his eyes and sought her out, to comfort her. She must have been so worried about him but why was she in pain?

Deep down, as the medical professionals ran the scans and took vitals, he searched deeper for her. He pressed lightly to her walls, letting her know that he was there, and when she let them down and let him see what had happened, he screamed. The doctor jumped aside as Ren crushed every piece of equipment in the room with the force. 

The Resistance. The torture. The traitor and the pilot, both inside her mouth, forcing her down like the scum did on Jakku. Oh, if he ever got the chance, he would burn that planet. Ren’s eyes opened and he stood, shoving the doctor to the wall.

“Get me my clothes, now.” He hissed.

--- --- 

Rey looked up to Hux from her spot against his chest, eyes wide. He hadn’t brought her clothes, hadn’t even assumed she would need extra clothes because he thought the Resistance was better than that. So, he stayed in his trash clothes as well, stripped of the Resistance jacket that was wrapped around her shaking shoulders. The patch had been taken off so that it was wearable now that the Resistance had been all but wiped out.

They’d only lost one body to their hundred and Hux was satisfied, even as he had explained to Rey why Kylo had been silent in the bond. She had been upset, understandably so, and Hux had managed to calm her down. Her wide eyes worried him. 

He tightened his hold on Rey when seeing the fear in her eyes. 

“What? What is it darling?” He asked her quietly. Her lower lip trembled as she took a deep breath. He knew she craved a good meal, deserved a hot shower in his private bath, and that with his kiss to her forehead, that something had changed between them. It was infinite, the way she looked at him, the way her fingers tightened in his shirt…move faster, stupid fucking ship, god damn it....

“He’s awake.” She whispered. Hux felt his blood run cold.

Yeah, that was probably not the best.

Chapter Text

Hux was next to her, asleep on the small bench. He looked as exhausted as she felt, dark circles under his eyes. His lips were parted in a near silent snoring, eyes fluttering with a dream. She had leaned into him as they had traveled back to Finalizer, thankful for him. He had come for her. He had sworn he would never leave her behind, and he had kept his promise. She looked at him, watching him sleep, her chest heavy with emotion. She loved him, even if she’d only known him for a handful of weeks. She was in love with General Armitage Hux.

Kylo Ren floated in her mind, his presence reassuring and filling. She convinced him to get seen by medical and retreated, promising they would be together soon. He was still in medical getting cleared, his walls down and reaching for her on occasion. She, by default, loved Kylo Ren too. They were the same, deep down inside. There was no point in fighting him anymore.

The shuttle was beginning the docking process. Phasma had given her the dark trousers that would fit her better once she had changed back into her chrome armor. The troops gave her sad glances as they changed around her, but never spoke aloud. It would be kept secret, what they had seen. She appreciated the comrade in the First Order in that moment. 

Hux’s eyes peeled open and he looked startled until he realized that she was still next to him, still exhausted and bruised. The ramp lowered and the troopers poured out. Hux helped her up gently due to the bruises and fractured bones and led her down an empty path to medical. He must have requested the area be clear because she’d never seen a single hallway empty on Finalizer.

She was grateful nobody could see her broken body. Nobody could see her internal scars, the scars of being violated by her once closest friends, but everyone could see the purple spots decorating her skin. She felt the tears on her cheeks before she heard herself whimper. Hux stopped walking and help her as she wept. 

“How can you love me?” She asked him, voice breaking with the pain. She didn’t know if he loved her the way she loved him, but he had redirected the entirety of the First Order to find her. There was an admiration there that he could not hide from her. “How can you love someone so broken and used?” 

“My darling, we are all broken and used. But there are enough pieces of each of us to make a different person.” He whispered in her ear. He knew she couldn’t be receptive to much physical affection, but he layered gentle kisses to her forehead. She appreciated them all, warm and wet, on her disgusting skin. 

“Please don’t leave me when we get there.” She looked up at him with large eyes.

“They might have to examine you....” Hux glanced down at her and nodded. “But if that is your wish I will stay. Rey, I will never leave you again.” He said. She gave him a small smile and they made the journey to medical slowly.

--- --- 

She was closer, onboard at least, and Kylo relaxed into his bed after they had landed. She had showed him what happened, and he felt the instant pain, her injured ribs, her raw throat. He would destroy the Resistance if Hux hadn’t already done that for him.

Rey had let him know that Poe and Finn –fucking traitor- were still imprisoned beneath his grandmother’s palace, her lakeside home that was his ancestral birthright. He let the doctors run their tests once they moved him to a new room with uncrushed equipment. The tests came back, surprisingly to them, as a clean bill of health. The doctors had begged him to stay another night, just in case –just in case- anything happened. He could be taken care of if he stroked out or had a seizure due to the head injury.  

He reluctantly agreed when he could sense that Rey would be near him in medical, getting her own wounds cleaned.  

When he was free, those two would be dead, and then Jakku would be gone, smeared from the galaxy like the filth it was.

Hux came into his room after a few hours. He could feel Rey had fallen asleep and Hux had slipped away to find Kylo. Hux’s lips met Ren’s with a forceful crack. The pain was reassuring that both were very much alive. The kiss was short but Hux sat next to Ren on the bed. 

“I am so glad you’re okay! What the hell did happened?” Hux asked softly. He dragged his fingers down Kylo’s dark waves, admiring the newly shaved section on the back of his head.  

“You doubt the power of the force.” Kylo smirked. 

“After this, I will never again doubt your magic.” Hux teased. Kylo took a more serious tone after a brief chuckle. 

“They want me to stay the night, to monitor for any other problems. I agreed, because you and Rey would be close.” He said. “How is she? I felt her pain.” 

“They healed her bones and bruises. No scars, thankfully, aside from a small mark on her cheek. They had to give her an emergency contraceptive shot because the idiots removed her implant instead of her tracker. She said she didn’t tell them anything and based on the amount of torture and what they eventually turned to… I’d say she didn’t give anything up.” Hux whispered the last part proudly. A lesser man would have broken under the torment.

“Tell me everything.” Kylo demanded, gripping Hux’s slender fingers between his own. 

“Are you sure?” Hux slid down to sit on the bed.

“Tell me, Armitage.” Kylo’s face was serious and Hux could deny his lover nothing.

“Alright.... She said they....” He paused, swallowing hard. “They started with beating her and moved to electrotorture. They bound her wrists behind her back and kept her in that strained torture position before dunking her head into water until she passed out. She would beg them not to. They whipped her, beat her, and attempted to rape her. They had started by the time I found her…. She was so far gone mentally. She was so far gone.” Hux felt his face falling as he tried to push the image of the scum on top of her, rutting into her. 

“I will destroy that entire fucking planet.” Ren growled. The medical equipment around them shook and Hux placed his hand on Ren’s shoulder. 

“I did something better.” Hux whispered. “I destroyed the Resistance. They’re all gone, and those two will starve to death in that forgotten hold.”

Kylo’s eyes flashed and the equipment stilled. “Gone, the Resistance is gone?” The disbelief on his face was almost pleasurable. 

“Yes. Nobody to oppose us now.” Hux’s eyes flashed darkly. “Nobody except....” 

“That will end soon enough.” Ren promised. Hux brought their lips together again with the promise.

“We need to move now, faster. I am sure a summons will come soon, and we will definitely have to return to our course.” Hux pursed his lips and stood from the bed. “I am going to wait with her and then return to my room. I will see you in a few hours.”

--- ---

Kylo was waiting for her when she was released from medical. The tentative air between them was nerve wracking, but she bowed her head and whispered his title respectfully.

“Apprentice.” He returned the greeting with satisfied eyes. “I am proud of you, Rey. I think it’s time we talk about the other Knights. I think it’s time you officially joined them.”

“They’ll know I’m not dark when they meet me. I would hate to disappoint you, Master.” She lowered her eyes, lip trembling. He took a step forward and she looked up. If she just leaned forward, she would snugly fit into his chest. She knew he would not appreciate the show of affection in public and kept to herself.

“We can talk about this in your rooms. I will accompany you.” He stepped off and she followed. She was still tender, her ribs sensitive and her muscles raw. Kylo lowered his speed for her and it took them much longer to reach the rooms that had become hers. The walk was silent, but she could read him much better than she had been able to before. His arm brushed hers when she stumbled along. His hand would brush her back to steady her. His helmet would turn her way when she would sigh with exhaustion.

It made her heart stutter painfully against her ribcage.

They made it to her rooms, which had been cleaned since she was taken. She found her table free of clutter and her surfaces had been cleaned. Millicent was purring softly on her couch and the water and ice machine had been moved to the far wall.

She sat next to him on her couch as he pulled his helmet off and placed it on her table.

“The Knights are special, with different abilities and skills. Most are the same as you, grey. They walk a fine line between what’s right and what’s noble. They are scattered around the galaxy right now. Most are on missions for artifacts and some are on a free period. They will come if I call them. I am the Master of the Knights of Ren but only you are my direct Apprentice. The Knights are not beginners nor apprentices.”

“I saw six others in my vision of you.” Rey told him. He nodded, sitting back.

“At the time, yes, there were six. Five males and two females. The oldest, Haru, was my second in command for years. The youngest was thirteen. She, Mika, was treading on the edge, had manipulated my second to not slaughter her over the other younglings. I liked her quick wit.”

“Tell me about them.”

“Kato and Kane are twin brothers. They can’t stand to be separated. They were treading on the edge as well but when the time came, they slaughtered younglings like the rest of us. Shiro had a special place in Haru’s mind, seeing as how they were already intimate.” He paused. “I was twenty-three when Skywalker tried to kill me. Haru was the first one I woke up. I told him what Luke had done and he picked his saber up, no question. He pledged himself to me in that moment, to follow me to the ends of the galaxy. We began to wake students and those that refused to join us, we killed. Kato and Kane were already awake when we came. They turned on the others in the room after a moment. I believe the two have a family bond, like you and I do, but on a much smaller level. They pledged themselves to us then. We split apart, Haru to find Shiro and the twins with me. Ironically we had found Shiro and Haru had found Mika.” He stopped.

“Then you left a field of dead children for Luke to find.” Rey said. He turned to face her.

“Yes, I did.” He whispered. “I’m a monster, Rey.”

“So…then what happened?”

“Snoke brought us to Mustafar and broke us. He trained us in the way we should be. Even little Mika, who was so gentle was able to slaughter a darkghast by herself within weeks. I was named the Master and, eventually, they were divided up. Shiro and Haru produced a child after a year, and Haru was required to sacrifice the child as a testament to the Supreme Leader. The two produced another child who was sent to live under Snoke.”

“They couldn’t keep the baby?”

“No. It was to be trained in the ways of the dark side from the beginning. The twins, Haru and Shiro and I were allowed to indulge in spice and carnal pleasures. We took advantage of our freedoms. Shiro produced another child with Kato a year later that was sent to Snoke as well.”

“She had a child with someone other than Haru?”

“The Supreme Leader allowed carnal pleasure. He also allowed the production of children. These things had been forbidden as a Jedi. To be quite frank with you, the Knights of Ren were just happy to have a continuation. Haru didn’t care who fathered her children. He has her.”

“That’s a strange way to view love.”

“It isn’t love, though, between Kato and Shiro. It was merely copulation, either to pass the time or to rid themselves of emotional damage or stress. The dark side uses all sorts of techniques like pain and pleasure to reach the darkness.” He cracked his knuckles and looked at her with soft eyes. She seemed to be struggling in her mind and so he stayed quiet, letting her process.

“Pain and pleasure are both used to reach the darkness.”

“Yes, my Apprentice.” He kept staring as she gazed up from underneath her eyelashes. He felt his mouth open in a small gasp as she leaned forward, coming close enough that he could taste her breath on his tongue.

“Will you…teach me?”

Chapter Text

Kylo sucked in a quick breath. She had asked him to teach her the way to the dark side. She had actually asked him. She was willing to cross that line to be with him.

“Are you sure, Rey?” He said tentatively. “You know what you’re asking of me.”

“Yes, I do.” She whispered. He reached up and touched her cheek, drawing a line from her ear to her chin with his calloused thumb. She took his thumb between her teeth and gently bit down. A small grin crossed her face as he pulled his finger from her mouth.

“If you are sure you are ready to…accept the darkness….”

“I don’t know if I am ready to be dark, but I am ready to give myself to you.” She told him. He leaned forward, closing the distance, letting their lips meet. He was gentle with her, his tongue probing hers with care. She gave in, her tongue rolling to meet his. His hands came up, grasping her cheeks, pulling her close. She reached up and touched his shoulders, letting the muscles ripple under her grip.

He was shifting her backwards against the couch, and she let him lay her down. He hadn’t placed all of his weight on her, careful of her tender spots, and she was gentle with running her fingers through his hair, mindful of the scar. His knee was between her legs, rubbing her on a spot she’d only found herself. She ground herself down on his knee, wantonly moaning into his mouth. He pulled away, his lips moving to her neck. He suckled her skin and ran it between his teeth, leaving small purple spots behind as he moved down. His hands had found the way under her shirt, dragging it up over her chest. She shivered under the rough fingertips as they moved aside her breast band to access her breasts.

She helped him pull her shirt off and quickly did away with her breast band. She lay before him, bare, and arched into him as he rubbed his knee between her legs again. His mouth grasped at her nipple; his tongue drawing lines across the sensitive bud. She moaned again, her hands grasping against his back. She managed to pull his cowl off, depositing it to the side, quickly followed by his shirt.

“Are you okay?” He asked. She nodded, too breathless to answer verbally. She pulled his face back to hers as she arched her body up to his. He bent down, grabbing her hips and pulling her to sit on him, standing and wrapping her legs around his body. She kept kissing him, losing herself in the taste of his tongue on hers, until she was deposited on her bed.

His gaze went right to her cunt. She throbbed painfully and she knew she was wet enough to be seen through her underwear. He kicked his boots off, followed by his pants, before pulling her shoes off and dropping her own pants to the floor. Thin garments separated them. He crawled over her, kissing her again, pressing his hardness to the front of her body. She let her hands wander over his back, scars under her fingers giving her questions for later. His hand found its way under her panties, teasing her wetness gently. She shuddered as he found her clit and pressed down, rubbing tight circles. She turned her head to the side, slightly embarrassed at his soaking fingers, mostly trying to hold back the sounds that were in throat.

“It’s just us, Rey.” He whispered against her cheek. The bond was alive between them, tingling in the air, desperate to join the minds. She let him in, reluctantly, her mind easing open. “Relax, darling.” His whispering of the pet name had her thinking of a certain red headed General. Guilt overtook her and she shoved Hux away from her mind. She didn’t want Kylo to think she would rather be with Hux than him. Even though she felt as though someone was missing….

She couldn’t orgasm under his fingers and she didn’t know why. He probed further, his mind reaching in.

“You have to let go of the fear, Rey. Fall into the passion.” Ren instructed. She took a deep breath, paying mind only to the feeling of his fingers on her clit. She climbed the peak when she forgot who was there and who was helping her feel this way. She allowed her body to arch, to shudder under his ministrations. Her mouth was open, gasping and moaning loudly as she climbed the peak. She fell over when he inserted a finger into her slickness.

Coming down was easier with someone else. He peppered kisses along her damp neck as she rocked into his hand. He ripped her underwear off. She didn’t mind, they must have been soaked wet, and kept her eyes closed as he slipped out of his underwear. She felt him align himself before he paused. She opened her eyes as he kissed her.

“Are you ready to give in?” He whispered against her lips.

“Yes Master, I am.” She muttered. His mouth claimed hers, tongue boldly attacking hers. She felt him pushing his cock inside her, him groaning as he did so. She rocked her hips, feeling her wetness guide him home. She sighed as he seated himself inside her, only a small twinge of pain cramping her body, quickly replaced by an overwhelming fullness. He sighed, his forehead in her neck, as he slowly withdrew herself.

“God, Rey, you feel so good.” He sighed, easing back in. “So tight, so wet.”

“I’m so full.” She said softly. He chuckled, moving so that he could face her.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” He kissed her again, and again, withdrawing and inserting himself. He was slow, she appreciated, but something inside her was coming unwound.

“Faster.” She whispered, a blush creeping up her face.

“As you command, my Apprentice.” He gave her a final kiss before pulling back and driving into her. She felt the moan in her throat before she heard it, wanton in the humid air. He was beginning to sweat, beading up on his forehead and his shoulders. She grasped at his back, her nails deep into his skin, drawing small bloody lines as he drove his body into hers at a grueling pace. Skin on skin slapping filled the air, the sounds of her cries and his grunting a side effect of their coupling. She was overwhelmed with the emotions she felt for him.

“Rey, Rey, Rey.” He was whispering, his lips brushing hers with every thrust. She shut her eyes, their force bond tying them together. She could feel herself around his cock, the feeling of her body drawing him inside whenever he withdrew. She could feel his eagerness, his climb to his own cliff of orgasm, his urge to finish deep inside her and make her his forever. She let it fuel her own orgasm. His hips were slapping her clit with every thrust, a secret spot inside her tingling with feeling. Kylo was drowning in darkness, his eyes eclipsed with dark circles. Over his head, she could see the force wavering. She wondered if she looked that way absentmindedly. When looking in, she could only see her light, tinged gray, flooding her senses.

“Oh fuck.” Rey gasped as she felt orgasm take her. Her body shuddered underneath his, her cunt milking him for all he was worth. As she tightened around him, she could feel his body urging him to finish.

“God you feel so good, Rey, my darling.” The thought of Hux was back, but was it hers or his, she wasn’t sure. “Fuck, I’m going to cum inside you.”

“Please, please….” She was begging him, wanton and urgent. Her nails would leave marks, she knew, and his pace became punishing. His mouth on hers, he came, pumping into her. She felt the sticky mess they’d made slipping onto her sheets when he pulled out, still hard. His hand grasped his cock, pumping a few more times, before he let out a deep breath. He rolled next to her, breathing deeply.

“That was…incredible, Rey. You were so good, my Apprentice.” He pulled her to him, letting her nuzzle to his chest. She couldn’t tell what was blossoming in her chest, but it was hot. Tears filled her eyes. Kylo looked down and kissed her temple. “Are you alright?”

“That was a lot of…a lot.” She admitted. Tears tracked down her cheeks. “It was different than anything I’ve experienced in the past.”

“It’s an easy way to feel darkness. You can drown in the passion.”

“Yes, I can see how. But I didn’t feel the darkness.”

“No, you didn’t. You are so beautiful, my Apprentice. You are grey, darling.” Hux. “You are never going to be dark like I am, and you will never be light.”

“Kylo.” She hesitated. “I…I don’t think I could do this again.” She paused, and he looked at her painfully. “Not just yet.”

“That’s okay, darling.” Hux. Hux. Hux. “We can wait as long as you’d like.”

“So, I was…good?” She asked. He laughed, an actual laugh that made her smile.

“The best.”

“Better than…Armitage?” She said tentatively. Kylo stopped laughing, a flush on his cheek.

“In a way.” He admitted. “In a way.”

Kylo would not admit that he missed his lover to her. He wanted Hux to have been there for her first experience. He knew Hux had wanted to be there, but she wasn’t ready. She had just come around to understanding a pleasurable carnal act. It was too much for her to experience it with two men at once.

For now. That thought comforted Kylo. For now.

Rey eventually fell asleep on him, her mouth open and drooling on his chest. He pulled his data pad to him using the force, messaging Hux where he was and to not worry. Hux responded fast, wanting to know what was going on, but Kylo set the data pad aside. He didn’t want to share just yet with Hux. He wanted to appreciate his Apprentice, because once she was ready, or once she decided, he knew that he would either have to share her with Hux or give her to him.

She couldn’t deny her feelings for the General. She was already ignoring her emotions, her desire to be closer to Armitage. Ren knew that there was a chance that she was monogamous. She would choose one of the two men, and the other would be alone. They both respected her too much to go behind her back.

There was always a chance that the two would both get to keep her….

Kylo’s mind turned to the plan. He would have to really work on her shielding to protect her. They had time before they were to meet the Supreme Leader, but he knew that once Snoke decided Rey’s fate, they would have to act. Too much had already gone wrong on his and Armitage’s way to kill the Supreme Leader.

It really scared him. He didn’t want to lose Rey and he couldn’t stand to lose Armitage.

Did sleeping with Rey messy his plans? Yes. Did he regret it?

No.

Chapter Text

Armitage waited for the message to come in, but somehow, he knew that Ren wouldn’t respond. He placed the data pad down on his coffee table, frustration bubbling in his stomach. She’d been back less than 24 standard hours, and Ren had bedded her.

That fact didn’t surprise Hux in the least. Ren had an unhealthy obsession with the scavenger, since they’d met. What shocked Hux about it was the tangible feeling of jealousy crawling from his chest. He downed his third brandy in one gulp, grimacing at the burn. It swallowed him, along with the envy, and fogged his brain. He was drunk, he knew, and relished in the feeling of losing control. He knew it was pettiness that drove him to drink. He’d seen Ren and Rey slip into her rooms, lost in each other.

The way that he and Ren had been first.

What bothered him was that he didn’t know what bothered him. Was it Ren? The dark eyes and long, calloused fingers that had healed Hux? The gentle nibbling along Hux’s neck and the feeling of hardness along his own cock?

Or was it her?

He walked to his wet bar, filling the cognac glass much higher than he normally would. The amber liquid was rich in scent and the glass allowed the fragrance to breathe. He inhaled, allowing the scent to burn his nose. The door opened behind him, but he didn’t turn. Only one person had access into his rooms.

“You’re drunk.” Ren sounded disappointed. Hux chuckled, downing his most recent glass in another large swallow. He slammed the glass to his bar, wiping at his damp forehead.

“An astute ob…observation, Kylo.” Hux sneered. “I wonder what else you can spot.”

“Why are you drunk?”

“I saw you with her.” Hux turned around, standing to his full height. He steadied himself against the bar with one hand. Even at his full height, he was still two inches shorter than the Knight. Ren opened his mouth and looked sheepishly to his lover.

“Yes, I was with her. Just now. She’s…resting.” Ren sat down on the couch. Hux understood this as an attempt to appease his mood.

“Resting, no doubt.” Hux stumbled to the couch and sat. “Resting from the…beating you surely gave her.”

“Are you jealous?” Ren asked him.

“No. Certainly not. Of a scavenger who has some magical ability?” Hux scoffed, tipping to the side. He planted down on a pillow, but upon further inspection, it turned out to be Ren’s thigh. Hux didn’t move his head.

“She’s more than that. And you know it.” Ren was smirking. “I thought you would never doubt the magical abilities again?”

“You’re an ass.” Hux mumbled into the material of Ren’s pants. “A right asshole. I’ll hate you as long…as long as I live. I hope you’re happy with the backwater scavenger.”

“Oh, Army, you are jealous.” Ren ran his fingers through Hux’s hair, tousling the disheveled mess. “You have nothing to be jealous about.” Hux was falling asleep to the familiar movement. His snores indicated to Ren that he was past the point of consciousness. Ren bent down and lifted Hux in his arms, carrying him to his bed. He was careful, undressing the General to his underwear, and tucked him in with a kiss to his forehead. The searing headache of being summoned had him pulling away.

“My General, should anyone be bitter, it’s me.”

--- ---

Rey woke up alone the next morning. This didn’t surprise her in the least. She never figured Kylo Ren was the cuddling type. Her thighs ached and her core was tender. She sat up, checking the mess they had made. Her sheets were tinged pink from her bleeding and her thighs were stiff with dried semen. She made way to her sonic and cleaned herself off. She noticed while she woke up at the bond was tight, pulling her mind until it was raw. She knew that he was no longer on the ship.

Was it what she had said that drove him away?

Everyone left her in the end, so it hadn’t mattered.

She dressed quickly and messaged the General that she was awake. He was quick to join her. He sat quietly with a glass of water. His skin had taken a pale pallor that was unlike him, made fainter by the bags under his eyes.

“Are you alright Armitage?” She asked over breakfast. He nodded. Truthfully, he was embarrassed. He remembered the things he had said to Ren the night before and he knew deep down, he had meant them. He couldn’t be parted from the Knight when he had come to love him. Not even for Rey.

But somehow, if Rey had chosen Ren, then he would let Kylo go.

And that bothered him deeply.

“I have a slight headache.”

“Did you see medical about it?” She seemed genuinely worried. He couldn’t help the small smile that crossed his face. Ever caring about others.

“This headache I deserve. I seemed to have indulged a little too much last night.” He admitted. “I seemed…I was being a bit immature. Therefore, I deserve it.”

“Hmm.” Rey flushed. “Is it because…. I know you and Kylo have a relationship. I didn’t mean to intrude, honestly.”

“Darling, what you and your Master do has nothing to do with me.” Hux said softly. He looked up at her with a tolerant gaze. “I understand why. He told me about his history with his Knights a long time ago.”

“Does he tell you everything?” She asked him, pushing her plate away. She had lost her appetite.

“Sometimes.” Hux admitted. “He doesn’t tell me everything. I expect you don’t tell him everything either. That is okay. You are entitled to your secrets.”

“But there is something you are not telling me. The both of you.” She looked at him expectantly as he pushed his own plate away. “There is something greater happening here. Where is Kylo?”

“He was summoned. He left me a message. He took his ship and is heading for Nam Chorios, where the Supreme Leader wants us to convene.” Hux cleared his throat. “We are heading there behind him.”

“To meet Supreme Leader.” Rey sniffed distastefully. “I haven’t really honed my skills.”

“Luckily, Ren and I have managed to keep the biggest secret from the Supreme Leader.” Hux knew he was trusting her with his life. Should she decide to betray them, he would be killed. He licked his lips and took a deep breath. “I should be able to teach you how to protect your mind. I’m very adept at building shields.”

“But how will you test them?” She asked. He looked up at her, crystal eyes full of emotion.

“With my force abilities.”

Chapter Text

Rey sat there, awestruck, as she felt the force recede from her mind. She was still baffled that he had managed to shield himself from her for so long. Granted, she was not the strongest force user, but she had practice and she could typically detect other force users, even if they did not know themselves. She had been the one to tell Poe he probably had force abilities, but the pilot had been unable to tap into them unless he was truly in need of help.

The General had accompanied her to the Knight’s training bay and the two were now sitting across from each other. She hadn’t seen him in anything other than his uniform, and the sight of him in loose black pants and a form fitting shirt had her heart stuttering.

“Close your eyes and imagine a fog. A dark fog where you can lose yourself.” Hux mumbled, scolding her slightly. He had already asked her to close her eyes twice before. She quickly obliged him, clamping her lids together. His aura slipped in between her imagined fog quite easily, picking small bits of information out.

“You love green.” He said. She fogged out more information. It was hard to concentrate when he brushed her so gently.

“It’s my favorite color.” She told him. His fingers slipped up her cheeks to her temples. She jumped back; eyes open. “What are you doing?”

“I am going to show you how to lose information in the fog, darling.” He was close to her, she could smell his breath, black caf heavy between the scent of the pork they’d had with breakfast. She managed to shut her eyes as his force seeped its way in again. It felt similar to Ren’s, a dark presence in her head, but it was gentle. He didn’t pry her apart. Instead his gentle tendrils dove into small cracks, giving her a way to find the edges of her mind and to shield them.

“How’s that?” She asked after a long silence of rebuilding her walls. He pressed their foreheads together, up on his knees above her. His breath was over her face, and she knew her mouth was open.

“I can still see the fear Rey.” He told her after a fleeting search. “Right here.” His touch in her mind was soft, caressing. She felt the fear he spoke of. “Why do you still fear abandonment?”

“Look at what’s happened to me General. All the people that cared about me, they’ve left me. The Resistance abandoned me the very first chance they got. They treated me so poorly while I was imprisoned. They went as far as to….” Tears leaked down her cheeks. Hux opened his eyes to look at her, the tightening in his chest painful. He pulled his hands from her head and sat back. “I’m nothing, Army. I’m from a trash planet, where my own parents abandoned me. They left me there, with nothing. With no one. I am nobody.”

“I thought I’ve made it perfectly clear that you’re wanted here, Rey.” Hux whispered. She opened her eyes, a fresh stream of tears leaking free.

“You have, oh you really have.” She leaned forward and pressed her face into his shoulder. Hux felt his heart beat unevenly as she sobbed into his shirt. “It’s how I knew I was meant to be here, because of the way you’ve treated me. I never knew there was this much kindness in the galaxy.”

The guilt began to eat at him. How could he have been so selfish? How could he not want to give her everything? She was precious to him and he understood why Ren would lay waste to the galaxy for this little scavenger.

He grabbed her chin as gently as he could, angling her face to his.

“I would do anything for you, darling.” He murmured tenderly. She gazed at him, so trusting and honest. Hux felt the power glowing beneath his skin. She was his to manipulate in this moment. He could tell her anything and she would believe it. And because of that, he knew what he had to do. He leaned forward to plant a small kiss to her forehead.

“Lean back, darling. Let’s practice again.” He leaned away from her, chest stuttering, and cleared his throat. He licked his lips. “Remember, hide inside the fog.”

--- ---

Rey sat on Hux’s couch, thinking about the lessons she received over the past weeks. They were only a few days now from Nam Chorios, a force nexus that would only make the Supreme Leader stronger. Hux had doubled down on the lessons when he wasn’t leading the First Order. He was very busy, which was typical. He’d given Rey access to leave her rooms without a guard. She was free to roam.

He knew she wasn’t going anywhere.

She knew she wouldn’t either.

After that first lesson, Armitage Hux had shown her another secret on the ship. He had a private library in his rooms. She had been baffled at the beautiful books and data pads, loaded with all types of information. A single shelf held holocrons, paper books and data pads on information about the Jedi and the Sith. Hux had told her this was the most important data about the force that Ren had collected during his time stationed on Finalizer. He had moved the information to Hux’s room after the two had become lovers.

Hux had discussed his relationship with Ren freely to Rey. She was thankful for it as it made her much more comfortable about what had happened with her and her Master. She knew that most likely for Ren, the emotional connection hadn’t been experienced. She was enamored with Kylo and she shared that with Hux.

“Yes, he is rather addicting.” Hux had smiled to her. “And that’s his biggest problem. He knows he is.”

“I’m afraid that I developed an emotional connection with him.” She confessed. “I like him.”

“That’s okay.” He gave her a sly smile. “I do too.”

He had left her with a deeper confusion with the directions that she was allowed to come and go as she needed. She took advantage of that and often spent hours that he was away reading whatever she could get her hands on. It was vital she understood what she was going into. Hux had instructed to her that while Snoke was not Sith, he was the darkest force user that Hux had met. It took everything in him to hide what was beneath the surface from the Supreme Leader. He told Rey honestly that he wasn’t sure if Snoke already knew that Hux had limited force abilities, but the Supreme Leader hadn’t mentioned it.

Hux did ask Rey to shield it, but he was nearly sure that Snoke knew.

She felt herself dozing, book laying on her chest, as she let her head fall back.

She dreamed of Ren, of him being beaten down and tortured. Lightning striking his skin, skin that she’d touched so intimately, and pain echoing in every muscle. Ren was mentally attempting to shield her, to prevent her from seeing the dream. She pushed ahead, desperate to see what he was hiding.

“Rey, you have to go.” His voice was in her head, but his mouth wasn’t moving. In the distance, she saw three young children, standing as tall as they could next to Snoke. The smallest one had pain written on her little cherub face, but the other two had hardened expressions. She remembered his story of the children that his Knights had produced. There must have been a recent third that he hadn’t told her about.

He was being punished. His training hadn’t been completed and he had failed his Master by allowing her to be grey, by not bedding her immediately after capture and by letting her escape back to the Resistance.

Snoke believed that she had left freely.

He punished Ren for his weakness in being injured, for not being able to heal himself. From what she had read about the force, healing was a light side ability that he did not possess.

She wanted to help him. To heal him. But she didn’t know how.

Hux came in with dinner after that and woke her.

“What did you see?”

“I thought it was a dream but Snoke is punishing him.”

“I thought he might. You should prepare yourself for the same type of treatment, Rey.” Hux told her over the meal. They ate in silence after that and he retreated to his refresher. She remained, pouring over the healing book of the Jedi, trying so hard to memorize the tools written in small loopy handwriting. Hux came out with damp hair.

“You wet your hair?” She asked him, placing the book on his table. She knew he would be retiring and wanted to leave him be. The alliance between them was strong but still new, and fragile.

“I have a water shower and bath. You are more than welcome to try it out if you’d like. You’re also…you can stay here. You can sleep in my bed.”

“Are you sure?” She asked him. She knew that he missed Kylo next to him.

“I’ll take the couch.” He sat next to her with a small smile.

“No, Army. This is your room.” She licked her lips slowly. “I think I could share a bed with you. For sleeping.” He gave her a knowing look, grinning. She smiled back, leaning into him. The fragile alliance, the friendship they had, the bond the two shared was unlike the one she had with Ren, but it was important to her.

“You know I want you here, right, Rey?” His voice was thick with emotion. She turned her face up to look at him. He looked down to her, her cheek pressed against his shoulder. The need for contact, the sudden demand to be loved and to be needed. She needed him like she needed Ren.

Like she needed air and water and that connection.

He had said that she belonged with him and with Ren. With them. It was always them.

“I know.” She breathed. He was closing in, slanting forward. Here was General Armitage Hux, commander of the Finalizer, a secret force user and in a relationship with Kylo Ren, leaning down to her.

She could let him. She could kiss him and have both of the men. She still hadn’t sorted out her emotions for Kylo Ren other than love, and she wasn’t quite ready to open her aching heart for another soul, but here she was….

She could smell the scent of his citrus body soap, his sandalwood shampoo and his peppermint toothpaste. She knew that she hadn’t brushed her teeth since that morning, hadn’t showered in a day, and looked a mess. Her hair was knotted in a single bun atop her head, her clothes lose and stale from her staff training hours before. She was not cut of the same cloth as the General.

Except that she was.

His lips were on hers, so soft, as if to not spook her. She appreciated the tenderness of the moment. His fingertips were cold on her jawline, stroking her gently to open her up. He shifted, pressing himself into her, laying her down on the couch under him. She allowed him to rest between her knees, wrapping her legs around his waist. Her hands came up to rest on his chest.

His tongue coaxed her lips open and she let him in, eager to taste him. She rocked her body upward, grinding onto him. He hardened on top of her, pressing his hips into hers. He was opposite of Ren, taking his time exploring her mouth and her body with his hands. They were soft, never having done heavy lifting in his life, and stroked her arms and her stomach under her shirt. She turned her head to the side, gasping with the power. He sat up, pulling back.

“I’m sorry, I got ahead of myself.” He apologized. He moved back to sit away from her.

“Don’t apologize. Please.” She begged him, licking his taste from her lips. “Please, don’t.”

“It was inappropriate. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you.” He was withdrawing and she could feel the alliance between them cracking. He went to stand, but she reached out, gripping his elbow. She climbed on his lap, grabbing his cheeks, and put her mouth on his.

She wasn’t sure how to kiss him, but she pressed her mouth to his until he reached out and grabbed her hips, grinding up into her. With their bodies pressed close together, she could feel the curve of his chest, the taut muscle that was woven under his shirt. She moaned as she rocked into his body, understood the feeling of what was building in her body. She liked it.

Somehow it was different than Ren. With Kylo, it was all over, emotions and feelings out of control with what was happening. With Hux, he was worshiping her. She pulled her face away and gasped, slightly overwhelmed.

“I’m sorry. Can we…go slow?” She took a steadying breath.

“Of course, my darling. We can do whatever you want.” He brushed a loose piece of hair from her forehead behind her ear. “I will do anything for you.”

She bent back down to kiss him again.

Chapter Text

Making love to Armitage Hux was much different than fucking Kylo Ren. While her Master was burning, fierce passion with constant touches to her over stimulated skin, Hux was soft as silk, his voice like ice to her heat. His tongue on her clit was firm and tender at the same time, a reminder that she could say no and he would withdraw from the apex of her thighs.

She ground down to his mouth with a loud gasp as he struck a rhythm against the sensitive nerve. She looked down into his crystal eyes as he dove in again, the flat of his tongue heavy on her slit, and moaned louder.

“Fuck, Army.” She gasped, her thighs trembling around his head. He inserted a slender finger inside her, driving her over the edge, and she screamed as he continued to stroke inside through her orgasm. He lifted his head when he had tasted her spent and planted kisses up her stomach.

“One day, you will provide him children.” Hux whispered against her hips. She nodded, biting her lower lip.

“If I am able. If we make it through this.” She agreed. “I will bring his children into the galaxy that we rule.” His cock twitched against her leg as he kissed up between her breasts. He didn’t expect that his evening would have ended with her wrapped in his sheets, but in the end, it made sense to him. This was the path that Ren had foreseen long ago when he met Hux, whispering of the girl that would complete them.

While Hux was with the force, he’d never had a vision in his life that he could recall. He nodded at the time, too swept up in Ren’s mouth, but now, he truly believed it. He couldn’t see life without her and him.

He crawled up her, planting kisses as he went, until their lips met again. She hadn’t given him direction that she wanted to go further, and he respected that, grinding his hard cock against her exposed slit instead. Her body rocked against his. She kissed his neck as her fingers dipped beneath his underwear, cupping his hips in her hands. He groaned into her hair.

“Darling, be careful.” He sighed. “You’re making me want more.”

“I want more from you.” She pressed her lips to his gently. “I want much more.”

“If you want me to stop, tell me.” He shed his underwear and stroked himself on top of her. She leaned her head back, desperate to be filled. He was slower than Kylo had been, making every inch count. She sighed into his shoulder when he was buried to the hilt, wrapping her legs around his hips. He planted kisses along her hairline as he pulled out and pushed back in. She was thankful for the size of him, similar enough to Kylo Ren that she felt no different, other than the smell of citrus body wash and mint toothpaste mixed with the tang of her cunt brushing over her face with every grunt made. Her nails drove into his back, his skin breaking under the pressure she gave. He rolled into her, driving into her at a languid pace.

She was tempted to urge him faster, but his kisses fluttering along her neck in combination with the steady beat of his hips against her clit were enough to build a second orgasm within her. Her legs tightened into a vice as she milked his cock for his own orgasm, filling her with his cum. His mouth found hers as he rocked into her slowly, going soft as his rocking continued. He pulled away, a trail of spit stuck to their lips, and she grinned. He rolled off to the side, scratching at his shoulder. Rey pulled the blanket over them when her sweaty skin contacted the chilled air, her skin erupting in goosebumps.

“That was fun.” He smirked at her. She felt herself flush at his gaze.

“Can I be honest?” She asked him quietly. He nodded, a genuine smile on his face.

“I would ask for nothing less.”

“Does this feel like cheating to you?” She questioned him. He paused, considering the inquiry.

“It only feels like we are missing someone.” He looked back at her with knowing eyes. “A tall, tantrum throwing baby.”

“How soon until we are there?”

“A few more days, maybe less if we hit a good sector of interstellar turbulence.” Hux stretched out, his subtle muscles rippling under his pale skin. Rey watched hungrily as a patch of red hair peeked out from the blanket that pooled at his hips.

Deep inside her, the feeling of being close to her Master was delicious. It made her cunt clench as she imagined Ren on the other side of her, painting her insides with his own spent. She tightened up again when she felt Hux’s cum leaking out of her to the bedsheets. He watched her as she stretched her legs out, sighing. Exhaustion was overtaking her quicker than she wanted it to, and she suspected part of it was her connection to Ren.

“Tired?” Hux reached over and stroked her cheek with his long, slender finger. “Rest now. We can check the arrival estimate tomorrow.”

--- ---

Armitage woke up to his comm beeping. He had grabbed it after Rey had fallen asleep out of habit and curled up next to her before letting sleep take him. He was glad because he wouldn’t have heard the chirping through his closed bedroom door. He rolled over as Rey groaned, and checked the message.

“Well, we must have really hit some turbulence.” Hux looked over to her. She rubbed sleep from her eyes as she woke up.

“What do you mean? Are we here?” She mumbled, running her fingers through her knotted hair.

“Almost, a few hours at most.” Hux nodded, climbing out of the bed. He could smell the coupling on them still when the sheets were pushed back. Her scent clung to his skin, and he had no desire to wash it away. “I feel him.” She mumbled.

“Get washed up, darling. It’s going to be a long day.”

Chapter Text

She was lost in emotion as they sat on the small transport, thighs pressed together. Hux was deep into his data pad, signing articles and reviewing reports. She wished she had brought something to keep her busy, but she was afraid of what would happen. She didn’t want her private games and books splayed out for the dark users to tease her with. She knew she wasn’t strong enough to kill the Supreme Leader on her own.

But together.

Together.

Hux gave her a small, tight lipped smile and went back to browsing, using his mind instead to coax her rolling thoughts into a small puddle.

‘We will be fine, darling’

“I know.” She whispered aloud. The stormtrooper across her looked up and she felt the blush creep up her neck. She closed her eyes instead and tried to meditate, to clear her mind the way she’d been taught.

It was easy to lose the emotions in the fog. She could make love look like lust and passion to look like obsession. She knew Snoke would want to see those particular, and potentially avoid seeing the truth behind the shadows.

Kylo had been silent, the bond dead within her. She hid the hurt behind anger. She hid Hux most of all, deeply inside the fog near the clouded center, hiding him behind jealousy. She wanted to lead, she whispered to the jealousy, she wanted to lead next to Kylo, not him.

‘Good, hide it all.’

She opened her eyes as they hit the atmosphere.

The world outside the thick windows was dead, nothing living except a small gray landing pad that was on top of a mountain. Her leg bounced against Armitage’s as they landed, the ship jarred to the side only once.

“Amateurs.” Hux sneered at the pilot, standing and straightening his uniform. She followed, smoothing her black tunic over her chest. The planet itself was suffocating and cold. She could feel the presence of the base under the rock but knew it would be just as crude, just as apathetic as the surface. Being human meant that the ice was unsuitable for habitation, and Hux led the way to the elevator that would take them to a more appropriate temperature for survival beneath. The ride was silent, with the two of them in the back. His slender fingers found her wrist and drew a small star, leaving behind goosebumps when he withdrew his hand.

They were removed from the elevator and ushered into a large common area with several hallways. Hux knew the way and pushed aside the girl who was trying to get them to sit and wait.

“This way, padawan.” He addressed her appropriately, and not as her master of the past few weeks. She hurried behind him as he walked past the girl.

The walk was silent. The walls were bare. The floor was pristine, echoing their footprints off the marble effortlessly. It was a fear tactic, like the waiting. She was supposed to let her mind eat away at itself.

She didn’t dare think of anything more than the gooseflesh on her wrist.

“Fog, Rey. Fog.” Hux whispered, making a sharp left. She quickly clouded her mind as they advanced on the heavy presence. The further they walked, the more she felt her mind being played out. She knew, instinctually, that this was Supreme Leader. His powers on the nexus were more powerful than normal. She hid the thoughts and offered up what she knew he would like to see.

There was no door in the room his throne was in. The ceiling must have reached the top of the mountain as it was acres above them. Rey tried not to gape, but she’d never seen such a beautiful example of raw nature. Stonework of Snoke was carved into the sides of the cavern, various positions of him with his arms raised and his face holding different emotions. She felt her chest compress as her eyes found him.

Ren.

Snoke was atop his stone seat, his hood above his face, as he gazed down on them. Hux stopped at a distance and bowed to a knee. She followed suit, playing the game.

“Ah, General Hux. How nice of you to escort my newest apprentice to me.” The voice nearly had her dry heave. The warning flags of run, run far away right now were so harsh in her spine, she had to physically hold herself in place. She knew any movement would end up with Kylo or Hux on the wrong end of his wrath, and she could not allow any more harm to come to them.

“Yes, Supreme Leader. She is to be escorted, per your orders, and not out of sight.” Hux recounted his brief message after Ren had been called away.

“Good, good. You may go now.” Snoke flicked his wrist, and Hux rose. For a moment, Rey glanced up at him, but he was looking straight ahead. She knew there would be no emotion, no hesitation on Hux’s part. This was a character he played well. His mind was concrete, that of someone who didn’t believe in force magic, and only on pure science. She lowered her head again as his footsteps retreated, every step a hollowing echo in her heart. The fog remained thick, heavy around her secrets and looser around the lies. She allowed him to pick her apart, but only what she wanted him to see.

“Rise, young apprentice.” Snoke drawled. She stepped to her feet, her knees buzzing from the cold stone, and looked up at him. She mustn’t look at Ren, she mustn’t….

Her eyes flickered to his, and she immediately went back to looking at the feet of the Supreme Leader.

The bond was dead between them. No emotion would sedate her now. In the moment their eyes connected, she could see the jaundice clouding around his dark eyes, the dark side swirling in her master. She could see the shorter robes of the children around him, the poisoned minds that were too far gone. She could never save them. They belonged to the Supreme Leader long before she knew they existed.

She swallowed, her throat bobbing. She forced her lip to remain steady.

“You summoned me, Supreme Leader?” She said loudly, snapping her gaze to him with a bored expression.

“Yes, my dear. It is time to finish your training.” He smirked; his gaggle of yellow teeth bared in her direction. The smallest child stepped forward, bowing to Snoke before approaching Rey. She looked at the girl, a blonde child with white hair framing her chubby cheeks. She was young, no more than six, but her eyes spoke of generations before her. The robe was just too long for her. Rey could see the scuffs from the child stepping on it repeatedly. The eyes were clouded with yellow haze, like Ren’s, but her irises were blood red, dark and weeping the color into Rey’s soul.

She looked up at the Supreme Leader.

“I do not understand.” She said slowly, taking a step back. The child parted her pale lips, flashing sharp teeth in a snarl. She began to run, her little hands pulling a saber from behind her. Rey looked to the other two children, who looked bored, and to Ren, who locked his eyes to hers. His jaundice was fading in her presence, but the dark side had his mind. His mouth fell open before he snapped it shut.

“Apprentice. You will finish your training.” His voice waivered slightly but he was loud enough to cover it up. She felt her heart slamming against her ribcage. Her lip trembled, she could no longer help it, and her eyes were misty with tears. Surely, they didn’t intend her to fight to the death with a six-year-old.

A shattering, high pitched scream brought her back to reality, to where she was.

The child lit her saber and leapt. Rey reached to her side, trembling fingers touching her own weapon.

She drew.

Chapter Text

Fighting the child was harder than Rey had anticipated. The girl, eternally beautiful, even at six, dropped her robes as Rey’s saber caught the sleeve and burst into flames. The small arm blistered under the heat of the weapon, but the girl paid no heed to the pain she must have felt.

Absentmindedly, Rey wondered who produced the child. She was skilled, her tiny feet dancing on the dusty durasteel floor, testing Rey’s vision and ability to protect her sides. Rey took a small swipe at the girl again, missing her legs on purpose, and the girl leapt forward. Rey’s shoulder stung with the burn she received from the small saber in the girl’s grasp and she shouted out, throwing her hand out and using the force to shove the girl into a pillar.

The child cried out in pain, falling hard on the floor, her lips stained with blood. Rey wanted to dodge forward and help her up, but there, in the very back, was a voice. Stay still. She froze, using the fog to cover the thought. She didn’t have time to analyze if it was Kylo or Armitage, because the child was up on her feet and dashing forward again. Rey swallowed hard, eyes misting, as she knew the fight would end with one of them dead. She closed her eyes and steadied herself for what she was about to do.

The footsteps echoed into her mind. She would never forget the child, her eternally beautiful face, her bloodred jaundiced eyes, or her small mouth, open in a pant, with blood staining her teeth….

Rey leapt forward, dodging at the last moment, striking out, and silencing the hall with a single swipe of her saber.

She felt a sob erupt from her chest as she heard a thump distantly. She knew the child was dead, that she had killed a child, of one of her fellow Knights, no less….

Steady, steady girl. The voice was back, clearing through the fog. Suck it up, you know what you have to do. For him.

She nodded, swallowing the next sob, and opened her eyes. Snoke was grinning wildly, his yellow teeth bared in triumph. Rey extinguished her sword and tucked it down, refusing to look behind her. Ren’s face was drawn tightly, the pain behind the cleared jaundice now apparent. He wanted to run to her, that much was obviously written across his face, but he was stuck. He couldn’t show how much he cared, because it would be used against them.

“You rid the world of another potential Knight, dear girl.” Snoke chortled. Rey clenched her hands, nails biting her skin. She could feel the blood pooling in her palms.

“I did what was instructed of me…Supreme Leader.” Rey spoke loudly to hide her disgust. She wasn’t sure if it was hidden behind the statement or apparent in her eyes, but Snoke glared down at her.

“You’re here because my apprentice needed a hole to fill, girl, don’t you forget that. You’re here because I allow it. You will respect me.” He pointed a finger to Ren. “Since you’ve just killed his child, you’ll have to make me a new one.”

Rey froze to the spot, her skin ice and her muscles seizing up. The pain in her body was excruciating. Someone was screaming, shrill sounds resonating off the cavernous walls around her. She realized it was her after a moment, that Snoke had turned his hand on her and was running pure fire through her veins. The fog in her head was fighting hard, raging war on the probe inside her, trying to find the secrets she held so dearly to her.

“Supreme Leader.” The voice came from the behind her.

--- ---

The feeling of pain was distant. He could taste her blood on his tongue as she was tortured by his Master. Snoke was upset, because Rey had much stronger mental shields than he had anticipated. A small part of Ren, that he did not acknowledge, was proud. Of him. Of her.

Of using the weeks that they had together to grow and to perfect her powers. He wondered if they used each other for pleasure, to curb the pain from his sudden absence.

She was screaming, her eyes shut, tears coating her cheeks. The child lay behind her on the floor, very much dead. It had taken a piece of Rey’s soul when she had done it, but Ren would have it no differently.

He hadn’t remembered the night that the child was created. Supposedly the girl was the offspring of him and Mika, of a spice drunken night. But Mika would have told Ren if she had been pregnant and would have known it was his. He’d seen Snoke since the girl had been born and was never told of her existence until he arrived a few weeks prior. He’d only met the damn child once, and for five minutes. That was all he had needed to truly know….

He would know if he fathered a child that was so strong in the force.

Her eyes sung of an old soul, and Ren doubted the girl was a child at all. Her abilities sung much older, much more practiced, and she didn’t look anything like Mika or Ren, for that matter.

Kylo bit his lower lip, watching the other two stepsiblings go forward to pick the girl up and carry her from the room. It was just him and his master, who was torturing his apprentice. He felt the desire again to stop the torture, but the end game was more important than the pain Rey was feeling.

            “Supreme Leader.” The voice had the torture halted in a moment. Ren looked up, a smirk on his mouth, as he fingered his weapon at his side.

--- ---

Had he heard correctly? Rey had killed a child that Ren had sired. Hux felt his head swoon as he leaned against the wall outside the chamber. He was instructed to leave the planet, but he couldn’t just yet. His instincts told him to wait it out, the torture and the fight, to wait right by the door. For what, that was uncertain, but he shielded his mind blank and waited quietly. Nobody was in the hall with him, granting him the privacy to lean there and process rapidly over Rey’s screams.

He couldn’t listen to her scream out in pain. She sounded as thought she’d been dipped in acid. He knew from personal experience that the pain in her body was severe and scarring. He had to think of something, and fast.

He’s distracted, now, with Rey. Hux felt the idea forming. He knew that his officers would be just an elevator ride away. Come running, with the data pad, there’s an attack. Hux planted the seed in the mind of his lieutenant. It was risky to use the force abilities around Snoke, but Rey would be dead if the torture carried on much more.

But Hux had heard that Snoke wanted Rey to produce another child for Ren. She couldn’t be dead for that...

…but she didn’t have to be quite alive either.

He had to act fast, and the elevator hadn’t moved at all.

He felt in his boot for his personal blaster he carried with him. As he sat up, the demonic knight children came out carrying the child Rey had killed. They ignored him as they brought her to the elevator and climbed in.

As soon as the elevator began to move and they were out of sight, he steadied himself.

Treason, then.

He stepped in; his steps hidden in Rey’s desperate cry of pain. Snoke was enamored with the presentation of Rey in the air, arms out as if she had been crucified, and ignored Hux.

He posed himself behind Rey and cleared his throat.

“Supreme Leader.”

The torture stopped in a moment. Rey’s chest was heaving, catching her breath among the bawling she was doing, when Snoke lowered her to the floor. She hit hard, taking the wind out of her, and she clawed at her throat.

“I dismissed you, cur.” Snoke said harshly. He looked down at Rey, considering her in the weakened state. His gaze traveled back to the pistol in Hux’s grasp. “Oh, I see now. You’ve busied yourself with Kylo Ren’s leftovers while he’s been here, advancing the cause.” Snoke shot his hand out towards Hux. “You’ve been betraying me, General.”

Hux knew it was time, when Snoke shot the force towards him. He steeled his mental walls and blocked the pain of the attack. The Supreme Leader looked momentarily shocked and recoiled. He tried again, but Hux threw up harder walls, advancing on the throne.

“You’ve been betraying the cause, Supreme Leader.” Hux spat the title out, mockingly. “You’ve been hiding on this hole of a planet while Kylo Ren and myself worked to eradicate the Resistance.”

“The Resistance will never die, General. You busy yourself with war, always war, to live your legacies. Your small lives mean nothing to me, and nothing in the grand scheme of the force!” Snoke stood shakily, trying to balance on bony legs.

“The Resistance is dead.” Hux said, holding his blaster close. He took a strategic step backwards. “The last of them locked away and dead.”

“Kylo Ren, my prodigal son, it is time to fulfill your destiny.” Snoke turned to Ren, who was fingering his saber delicately. Ren’s eyes locked to Hux’s, and he gave a nasty smirk that anyone could interpret as vindicating. “It is time to do what you have wanted to do for many years now and kill General Hux.”

Kylo drew his saber and leapt forward, intent on protecting Rey, but he knew Hux wasn’t the enemy. This was a show of faith, and he wanted to keep his image intact until the very last moment he could.

Hux took another step back and reached out, his fingers pulling the light saber left from the child to his hands. He ignited it, his face bathed in red, as he and Kylo clashed. Rey lay on the floor, regaining her breath, her eyes glassy as she watched them battle. Hux and Kylo must have parried together in the past, because the form was perfect. Step here, parry, step back, spin, meet and toss…. The dance continued. Rey stayed on the floor, feigning weakness, until she felt herself floating upward. Snoke was pulling her towards him, a grin on his face.

“I will strip you of your power, and I will leave your body as a shell to produce all the younglings it can.” Snoke told her. “You, the scavenger, the useless force user….”

His voice halted and she felt herself hit the ground again. She looked around, her breath back and her heart racing under her skin.

Hux was rushing to her, his saber tossed to the side, while Kylo was burying his own blade deep into Snoke’s chest. The Supreme Leader looked at Kylo, stunned from betrayal, as Kylo stared at the man who had ruined his life.

“Fuck. You.” Kylo gasped out as he withdrew the saber. Snoke fell to the ground, dead.

Hux was pulling Rey to her feet, checking her for injury, before pulling her in for a kiss.

“I’m so sorry.” He kept whispering against her lips. She felt her knees shaking under her weight, confused and concussed, but clung to his neck like a newborn foal.

“We have to go, Armitage. Let’s fucking go.” Kylo grasped his weapon and Rey’s saber, which was laying on the ground, while Hux picked Rey up against his chest. The two knew it wouldn’t be long before someone discovered the body of the Supreme Leader and sounded the alarm. A very obvious light saber wound in his chest would be telling evidence.

“What is happening?” Rey whined out, her muscles still shaking.

“We are getting the hell out of here.” Hux told her. “We’ve been planning this for years. To kill that sardonic ass and take over the First Order. We had to modify plans when you came into the picture.” Kylo called the elevator and bent over to smash his mouth into Hux’s.

“God I’ve never seen you do that before.”

“Well I’ve never held a saber before.” Hux chuckled against Ren’s mouth. Rey was still confused, concussed and battered, but knew that they would be back on Finalizer. She felt darkness in her mind’s eye, beckoning her to unconsciousness.

“I think I’m going to faint.” She managed to whisper, before falling asleep.

Hux looked down at her as Kylo and he pulled apart, hearing what she said. “Oh shit.”

“She’s definitely concussed.” Kylo said, holding a hand over her head. “We need to get her into bacta. She’s injured.”

“What about you?” Hux questioned as they scrambled into the elevator. It began to shoot upward. “Weeks of torture. You could use a bacta tank and a vacation, I’m sure of it.”

“Ass.” Kylo mumbled.

“Dick.” Hux returned humorously.

They were calm as they were ferried back to Finalizer. Rey would be in bacta for a week to heal her bones that were fractured during the torture. Hux assumed command of the First Order, and the title of Supreme Leader, while Kylo Ren stood behind him, the enforcer. The board of officers agreed generously that Hux was well suited to the position, no thanks to Kylo’s glare the entire meeting. Kylo made sure to direct his knights to rescue the two little ones still planet side. He granted them temporary leave to allow the bonding of their children to take place.

Rey woke up four days later, and Kylo and Rey packed up with Armitage for the vacation they were promised.

Seven days on Arkansis, Hux’s home world.

Seven days, just the three of them, to explore their relationship further.

Seven nights to explore more.