Hux's small fingers fumbled over the ornate buttons on his dress uniform, struggling to push them through the holes in the thick material. There wasn't much time left before they were supposed to leave to meet the ambassadorial convoy. His shiny black boots rubbed his heels uncomfortably and the washed out grey pants he wore were awkwardly tight on his thighs. The padded shoulders of the overcoat made him feel shrunken, as though he was dressed in his father's clothing instead of his own. He looked like a child, despite now being twelve and almost a teenager. A quick glance at the clock made his heart jump in his chest. Four minutes left. Hazel eyes darted around the mirror as he tried to feel his way through a nervous smile. It never looked entirely natural, the lack of crinkles around his eyes making it fall flat. He tried a flash of teeth and then instantly decided that they were best hidden behind his pale lips. They looked too predatory for his taste.
"Boy, it's time to leave," his father's voice sounded just outside the bathroom, startling Hux slightly. He picked up his comb and ran it through his hair a few more times, just to make sure every strand was in place and slicked back. His heart leaped nervously again as he opened the bathroom door and did a sort of half trot down the long hall to catch up with the retreating figure of his father. His boots clacked on the floor as he struggled to keep up. They were headed towards the largest of the conference rooms on board the Pursuer to meet a group of ambassadors from the New Republic. Never before had his father asked him to accompany him to meetings or anything really, so naturally, Hux had asked why he was being allowed to join him this once. He had been met with cold silence. Hux Sr. wasn't known for his openness, but he rarely ignored his son.
Nearly at a jog to keep up with his father's quick strides, Hux watched Stormtroopers and other personnel march past them and tried to catch snippets the conversations they were having. They passed through doors and down long corridors, his eyes following the quiet and organized movements as he tried to follow his father through the ship. Much of the past year of his life had been spent traveling from planet to planet on the Pursuer, a new type of Star Destroyer that was supposed to revolutionize travel and combat in the First Order. When his father had first mentioned that they would be living on a starship for some time, he had been excited. He was enamored with the stars and space flight, like most young boys his age. However, after months out in the black of space, Hux missed the feeling of wind, the smell of dirt, even the torrential rains of Arkanis.
His father abruptly stopped in front of him, causing Hux to stumble slightly as he tried not to barrel into him. They were now in a large, well lit room that he had never seen before. Banners displaying the First Order's crest hung from high ceiling and made the room feel grand and somewhat out of place on a military ship. A long black table made of marble with matching chairs ran down the center of the room. The First Order crest was perfectly carved into the middle of the table, each edge crisp and clean. Hux looked around his father to see why they had stopped. Standing in front of them with a face that radiated impassivity was a woman with dark hair twisted around her head in fancy braids and wrapped in a bone-white dress that echoed the styles Hux had seen in holos of the Old Republic. Hux recognized her immediately as General Organa, one of the greatest military leaders of the century and the last of the line of Alderaan. He briefly wondered where the rest of the convoy was and why she was meeting them alone.
"General," Hux Sr. said, dipping his head in acknowledgement as his face twisted into something rather uncomfortable. Hux supposed it was as close as his father came to smiling. He was suddenly incredibly aware of his own face, remembering how awful it looked when he smiled in the mirror.
General Organa replied, "Commandant," remaining ever serene even in the face of Hux Sr.'s strange expression. "I am pleased that you brought your son, young Armitage." The General glanced at him momentarily and Hux felt his heart leap, despite the fact that she had used his first name, of which he had never been fond. It felt detached from him, something only associated with his father's expectations.
Now that the pleasantries were out of the way, they began to discuss what his father called "matters of importance." Hux tuned this out in favor of observing the General. There was a regality to her that Hux desired. Never before had he seen another human carry such an air of natural grace. Her power was hidden by congenial smiles and pleasant language. Silence followed her into rooms not out of fear but respect and Hux envied her for it. He knew that he looked and behaved too similarly to his father to ever achieve the ease of General Organa's natural authority. People would never willingly follow him like they followed her. Hux knew he was young and to most it would seem silly to be concerned with gaining power at the age of twelve, but the path his life was supposed to take had always been very clear. He would grow into the mold that had been made for him.
As his gaze traveled farther up her face, the General suddenly locked eyes with him and he knew had been caught,though he didn't know what his crime was. Fear and strange excitement filled Hux's chest as she continued to stare at him, unwavering and unchanging. He could hear his father speaking to General Organa, but it was distant and unimportant. His head felt odd and the sensation only grew the longer he held his stare. Her gaze burned, his skin tingling more fiercely the longer she stared at him. Hux managed to drop his gaze to the floor, unable to maintain eye contact, and his head cleared in an instant. However, he could still feel her eyes observing him, like he was some specimen that had piqued her interest and had been deemed worthy of her study. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, as if to flush the General's penetrating gaze out of his mind.
A sudden movement by her leg drew his attention. A boy, younger than him and dressed in a tan tunic, peered at him from behind the imposing figure of General Organa. Rarely ever seeing other children, Hux was immediately intrigued. He was scrawny with wide facial features and black hair shorn closely to his scalp, which only accentuated his large ears. Hux wondered for a moment if he was hallucinating, since he hadn't seen the boy the entire time they had been standing there, but the General placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, confirming two things for him. The first was that the other boy was real and the second was that this was likely her son.
In passing conversations that Hux wasn't meant to hear, there had been talk of the General's son, a Jedi padawan who was rarely seen in public yet was poised to take the throne of Naboo once he came of age. This small boy was not the image Hux usually pictured when he thought of a Jedi. The other boy cocked his head and his dark doe eyes looked over Hux appraisingly, taking in his full measure. His eyes searched him with an intense curiosity, bordering on hunger, but there was also a loneliness to them that felt out of place on his young face. Hux felt an uncomfortable swelling sensation in his chest that he had no name for. He wanted to call out to the boy or extend a hand to him in some sort of offering. There was something familiar in the way that the boy looked at him, but he had no way to describe what it was.
"I do have one stipulation," Organa said, "I want Armitage to spend a few summers with us on Naboo. I want the children to be at least acquainted before the fulfillment of the treaty." Hux's ears suddenly perked up at this. The General had just mentioned something about him staying on Naboo. That would mean a chance to leave the Pursuer and to see some of the New Republic. The thought made his insides do somersaults.
That is… acceptable," Hux Sr. twisted out, his words having to be shoved from his mouth rather than falling out easily. "I will have it added to the final draft."
"Excellent. If this matter is finalized, I am going to join the rest of the convoy in Conference Room D," General Organa said. Hearing no protest she continued, "Shall we see you for dinner this evening?
"Unfortunately, no. I have matters to discuss with my son and I must submit your stipulation to the council so that it may be added to the treaty," Hux Sr said, voice losing all of its previous airs of pleasantry. "It has been a pleasure, General."
"Likewise, Commandant," she smiled and turned to leave, leading her son behind her. He glanced back, deep eyes holding Hux's gaze until he was forced to follow his father back down the hallway. The boy's eyes were nothing like his mother's, Hux thought, and suddenly he knew why he felt a sense of familiarity in his gaze. The boy's eyes were just like his own.
Dinner for the Huxs was a quiet event held in their quarters that usually resembled a debriefing more than it did a family meal. Unless they had company, it had always been the two of them, Hux and his father. His mother had died minutes after he was born. Hux knew very little about her other than she had been a mistress of Hux Sr. and that his father's ex-wife had been extremely jealous of her because she had given Hux Sr. something she could never could, a child. It had torn their marriage apart and caused a great deal of scandal. While it rarely came up anymore, the stigma still dogged Hux and his father resented him for that, despite the fact he could do little about the circumstances of his own birth. The thought of his father brought a question to the forefront of Hux's mind, one that had been plaguing him all day. He glanced up at his father, who seemed to be eating his dinner as mechanically as possible, and decided that now would be the time to bring up the subject.
"Why did you talk about me with General Organa today?" Hux asked quietly, moving the supplement paste around with his fork. On Arkanis, they had a droid that did housework and cooked their meals. Unfortunately, there was no need for it on the Pursuer and it had been left planetside. Hux dearly missed it as he had spent the last few months eating rationed food, which was normally grey nutrition paste. Though it contained all the supplements the human body could ever need, it lacked greatly in taste and consistency.
"Because you will be marrying her son," Hux nearly dropped his fork. The cool tone with which his father spoke seemed to be at odds with what he had just said.
"Why?" It was all the response that Hux could manage. Hux Sr. looked up from his meal as though he had just asked an incredibly stupid question.
"It will be a symbolic marriage meant to show the solidification of peace between the First Order and the New Republic. It will be several years before the actual ceremony," he said, a long suffering tone coating his words.
"How many is several?" Hux asked suspiciously. Perhaps he had time to change his father's mind, but if it was part of the treaty, it was unlikely his father would be willing to listen to him.
"Twelve years." Hux choked a little at this. He would be - he took a moment to count on his fingers- twenty four! It seemed like such a long time away, right at the beginning of his adult life and likely his military career.
"Though it may seem premature to plan a wedding that far in advance, due to the current volatile nature of our agreement, both sides felt it was best to wait until the immediate conflict had settled," his father continued, seeming to sense his son's confusion.
"And I have no choice in the matter?" Hux asked, heart sinking into his stomach. He had always known that he had a set path for his life with few options, but his future spouse had been one of those choices. It wasn't as though he spent an extended amount of time thinking about who he would eventually marry, but he had prized it as a decision that would be his and his alone. The sound of his father's water glass slamming against the table startled him and he looked up from his dinner.
"Supreme Leader Snoke surveyed all of the available candidates and chose you to represent the First Order. It is your duty to the First Order and the Hux family name to ensure public support of the peace agreement," Hux Sr. snapped, "You should be honored that you were even considered for something as important as this."
"I am honored. I will uphold the family name with dignity," Hux replied softly, trying his hardest to believe that even though he felt more sick than honored. It was just another mold to grow into and if he told himself that long enough, he might forget how much he hated everything about this.
A/N: Hey y'all! Are author's notes still a thing? Its been years since I was on here. A big thanks for reading and I'd love to hear your feedback on the story. Its my first time writing for this fandom. I am currently looking for a beta, so if anyone has any good recommendations, please tell me in the comments. Hope to have the next chapter out soon!