Unity Chapter 1 A Child's First Bond

AN: This came from a few ideas I had all coming together; a desire for a SFW version of kd_azrael's To The Pure, a sudden enchantment with Jathis' Little Brother Techie, a few ideas for things that would never work out without more framing story, and some background work I've done for my own story Runaways. Then I made it ABO 'verse.

In addition to the above mentioned fics, I must credit the following for being inspirational:
Never tell me the odds, series by Anorlost (Knights)
Share and Share Alike, by Lightshade (Knights)
revolving, and a sequel by try_reset (technorat) (Knights)
Clan Techie Crossover, series by rudbeckia (Techie)
When the Galaxies Crossed and the Sun Went Dark, by afterglowlita (Techie)
The Things We Do For Love, by Glare (ABO 'verse)

All are available on Archive Of Our Own

Armitage Hux skittered through the doors to the Bridge, and hovered by the entrance until he saw his target. He scuttled forward, and tugged on the man's trouser leg. "Please, Mr Leaux? Milady Hux needs help."

The man, Leaux, looked down on the four-year-old Armitage and scowled. "What d'you think you're doing here, brat?" he snapped.

"Milady Hux needs help," Armitage repeated. "Her belly is sorta leaking. Nanny Droid called it pre-ma-ture la-bour." He repeated the unfamiliar words carefully.

"What are you bothering me for, then?" Leaux growled. "Go to the medical unit."

Armitage hung his head. "They told me to get out. Please, sir."

Leaux huffed, and turned to the centre of the Bridge. "Admiral, requesting leave to investigate this matter."

"Granted," the Admiral responded. "If this is a waste of time, see it does not happen again."

Leaux nodded and turned to leave, Armitage scurrying after him. He waited until the Bridge doors closed behind them before rounding on the child. "If this is some sort of prank, I'll make you wish we left you to the Revel scum," he hissed. "And then you'll answer to your father, little bastard."

Armitage hunched slightly, but stood his ground. "No prank, sir, Milady needs help."

Leaux stormed off towards the guest quarters, letting Armitage run to keep up. Armitage and the droid that minded him had been given a small room in Milady Hux's suite for the journey to Arkanis on the edge of the Unknown Regions, where the remains of the Empire sought shelter. Commandant Brendol Hux, Armitage's father, ran an Imperial Military Academy there, hence its selection as the site of the initial planetfall. And the Commandant's family, his pregnant wife and bastard child, had been given a place of honour for their flight from Lady Hux's estate in the Core to Brendol's estate on the edge of his Academy.

Armitage fell behind a little, but caught up with Leaux in Milady's quarters. Leaux was hissing unfamiliar words. He slammed his hand into the comm panel. "Medical team to guest suite twenty-three, now!" he barked, then rounded on Armitage. "Get to your room, bastard, and stay there until sent for."

Armitage nodded. "Yes, sir," he whispered. The harsh words weren't worth worrying about; they were nothing new. And Leaux had taken him seriously enough to call for medics. He scurried into his room, his task completed.

There was another pain-filled cry from Milady's bedchamber.

Armitage stayed in his room, alone, for hours. He snuck out twice to use the fresher, and once to steal a ration bar from the small kitchenette, but hurried back quickly each time. He slept, and read some of his atlas of known space on his child's datapad that was his only plaything, and slept some more. No-one sent for him. The nanny droid had vanished, probably with Milady.

Armitage thought, ʻPerhaps I am forgotten.ʼ

He rolled over on his cot. They were scheduled to make planetfall in eight days; slow-moving in convoy with other ships, at the pace of the slowest. If no-one sent for him by then, he'd risk disobeying Leaux. He tried to doze off again.

Muffled voices roused him from his stupor.

"-a pity. The Commandant-"

"At least the child-"

"-a sickly thing. Who will care-"

"-the droid, and the boy as well."

Armitage scrambled out of bed and pulled his boots on hurriedly. If he was going to be sent for, he needed to be ready. He sat neatly on the bed, folded his hands, and waited.

The door whooshed open, admitting Leaux. Another officer stayed in the living area. Leaux looked down at Armitage.

"Pack up your possessions, brat, and your stepmother's," he growled. "Quickly."

Armitage slid to his feet, and hesitated. "Um, sir? I'm not allowed to touch Milady's antique dinner service…"

Leaux sighed. "Point it out, and anything else you can't deal with."

"Yes, sir," Armitage nodded. He busied himself with pulling out his suitcase and repacking his clothes and boots, and the coverlet that was one of the few things he had from his mother. His datapad went into its little case along with the dozen or so chips. There was a case of tools and spare parts for the droid, but Armitage couldn't lift it. He told Leaux, who frowned but fetched the case. There was a hover pallet waiting in the living area, and Armitage carefully lifted his suitcase and balanced his datapad on top, before going to Milady's bedchamber.

A large portion of the room was taken up with the dinner service's transport box, which Milady's mother had had made specially when getting married. The service had been arranged prettily on top, teacup on saucer on side plates on soup bowl on dinner plate, knives and forks and spoons wrapped in an embroidered napkin next to the stacks and a selection of crystal glasses for each set. Eight sets, arranged around an exquisitely painted tray holding the teapot and caf pot, milk jug and sugar bowl, cut crystal jug and decanter. The porcelain was done in swirling greens and golds and the glass was delicately etched in spiralling patterns. Armitage had often marvelled at the beauty of the pieces.

But he wasn't allowed to touch it, so he scurried over to the dresser and delicately transferred Milady's clothing into two large suitcases. Then there were two sets of silk bedclothes, a makeup box larger than Armitage's head, an ornate mirror, and a fortune in jewellery and hair ornaments. The mirror and jewellery was, again, off-limits, but Armitage felt confident in deactivating and packing several holo-images. And there was a silver and gold quilt Milady had got for the new baby.

Leaux stopped Armitage from packing the quilt. "Put that with your bag, and go clear the fresher."

"Yes, Mr Leaux," Armitage whispered. The quilt went with his little case and he packed up the various hair soaps and gels and other beauty products, filling another large bag. His own supplies fit into a small wallet, which went into the front pocket of his case. He stood next to the pallet, waiting for further instructions.

Leaux and his officer emerged from Milady's badchamber with the dinner service and heaved it onto the pallet. Leaux frowned and snapped his fingers at Armitage. Grab your stuff and follow me. Lieutenant, deliver the pallet to my quarters."

Armitage frowned to himself, wondering why Leaux was taking Milady's possessions, but it wasn't his place to ask questions. He filed the information away in case Milay demanded it of him, slung his datapad over his shoulder and picked up his suitcase and the baby's quilt.

Leaux marched out into the corridor, Armitage hurrying to keep up. He was silent until they reached the turbolift and started to descend. "You are aware that Ladt Hux went into premature labour," Leaux announced gruffly. "There were complications. The medics managed to deliver the boy, but Lady Hux didn't make it. Understand?"

"Uh…" Armitage tried to work through it. "No?"

Leaux huffed. "Your stepmother gave birth too early. She did, but your brother live. Got it?"

"Oh." Armitage considered this. Milady hadn't liked him, but she had provided everything Nanny Droid requested. If she was gone, there would be no-one to provide until they reached Arkanis. But now he had a baby brother – who wasn't a bastard. "Can I see him?"

"The baby? I suppose. There's a spare bay in the med unit where you will stay for the rest of the journey. The droid is caring for the baby, and it will also mind you." The lift door opened and Leaux strode out. "The admiral has assigned me to act in loco parentis for both of you until we reach your father, so if you cause any trouble you will answer to me. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," Armitage answered. He didn't know what ʻloco parentisʼ meant, but the rest seemed straightforward. Stay in the med unit, do what Nanny Droid said, and Leaux would be in charge. Simple.

Leaux led the way through the med unit, occasionally nodding to saluting directors. He stopped outside a door with a big black sign on it.

"Sir? What does qua-ra-tin-e mean?"

"Quarantine. It's to stop disease from spreading." Leaux shrugged. He didn't seem to mind explaining, which was nice. "Your brother needs more oxygen than standard. This was the easiest way to arrange it."

They went through two sets of doors into a long room with doors and windows into a series of small bays. Nanny Droid was in one, and Armitage hurried to the window. There was a little bundle on the bed.

Leaux opened the door. "Go take him the quilt."

Armitage gathered it and dashed into the room.

He hovered over the bed, suddenly nervous. Nanny Droid clucked. "Bastard master wishes to see baby master?"

"Yeah…" Armitage whispered. Nanny Droid took the quilt and unwrapped the baby with its other appendage.

The tiny, perfectly formed little human opened his eyes and mewled in complaint. He was ruddy, with unnaturally large blue eyes and a fuzz of red hair. Armitage reached out and took him as the droid wrapped him in the new quilt.

"Hello, little brother," he whispered. The droid adjusted his grip to better support the babe. "I'll take care of you."