Prologue

A/N: I'm officially obsessed with Kylux. And Hux… And Kylo… Especially Hux… I'm just really obsessed with them (thanks AO3). As a result, I bring you this: the (hopefully) slow-build Kylux fic that no one wanted that will probably (as I have yet to run into a fic that has) combine three of my favorite tags, starting after the end of TFA. Apologies for any grammar errors as I can be extremely lazy at times.

Crisp, white snow blanketed the vast landscape of the dying planet. As fire rained across the sky, General Armitage Hux made his way through what started as a light snow, but slowly began to transform into a full-scale blizzard, footsteps crunching behind him. He's really glad he decided to pile on layers before beginning his search for Kylo Ren. Yes, they didn't get along; yes, they barely tolerated each other, only when they were required to be professional; but he didn't want to see him dead, not yet at least. Despite some of his more personal opinions, the First Order needed Ren, whether he liked it or not. More importantly, Supreme Leader Snoke needed Ren, for what purpose he had no idea. He was an asset to them both. The reason he was freezing his backside off was because the Supreme Leader's orders were to bring Kylo Ren to him for the completion of his training. After everything Ren had been through, the idea of him diving straight into training without recovery was simply preposterous, if not for his physical safety, then for his mental health. He was human like the rest of them after all. He couldn't let anyone know he felt that way though.

A biting gust threatened to rip the hood of his thick fur coat back, flakes bombarding and almost blinding him. A gloved hand rose to shield his face as he carried on. Despite his somewhat enhanced eyesight, he could barely see three feet in front of him. Seemingly hours later (though it was only about twenty minutes in reality), he stumbled over what he presumed to be a branch. Glancing back in annoyance, he discovered it to be something much more hazardous: a lightsaber, and only one person had one of this design. No doubt, Hux was heading in the right direction. Clipping the cross shaped weapon to his belt with a little difficulty, he continued forward. A break in the trees revealed a large crack in the earth, splitting the landscape in two, and a few weak rays of sunlight, the orb itself mostly hidden behind stray clouds. The rays seemed attracted to a strange lump in the snow. Upon closer inspection, he saw the black ridges of a familiar object. Reaching out with his other hand, he pulled the mask towards himself with the limited Force abilities that he had; it was definitely Kylo's. How it had ended up there was beyond him, yet he felt as though the answer was fingertips away. That's when he felt it, faint tendrils of the Force hovering over the area he'd pulled the mask from. Squinting, he could see the faint outlines of a… humanoid shape. That's when it hit him.

"Kriff!" he exclaimed, practically scrambling over to the buried Force user, treacherous, upturned terrain making the task more complicated than it should be. As quickly as he could, Hux clawed, quite literally, away the snow and ice surely suffocating Kylo Ren, who lay face down in pink, stained snow. "Ren!" he barked over the howling elements, hoping to elicit some sort of response as he gently turned him over. His hand recoiled in shock. Kylo Ren's face was marred with a nasty cut that practically split his face in two. Dried, frozen blood was caked along it's edges, but what worried him the most was the pale, sickly tinge to his skin and lips, not to mention the ice and growing blue discoloring clinging to his face. Kylo responded with a meek groan, fingers twitching and eyes struggling to open. After they did, with a painful grimace, he hoarsely asked, "H-Hux?" before dissolving into a coughing fit. Flecks of blood flew from his lips, landing next to him in the snow. How had he survived the night out here in the freezing cold?

"Save your strength, Ren," Armitage uttered, hoisting Kylo to his feet and slinging an arm around him. His soaked black robes weighed him down, making every movement more trouble than it was worth. "Can you walk?" Slowly, he attempted to take a single step by himself, but his vision swam and his head felt aflame. The general caught him before he could fall, putting an arm back around him for support despite a few weak protests that "He was fine" and "Could walk perfectly fine, no help necessary." After assisting him with the hood and mask, Hux began to make the long trek back to his shuttle; the wind dialed down some as they progressed. Half way back, he heard Kylo's labored breathing turn shallow. About three-quarters of the way there, the robed warrior was shivering violently, icicles clinging to the dark fabric he donned. The ginger picked up the pace a bit, hoping the Force user could keep up. Just when the shuttle was in sight, he felt Kylo become a dead weight. Cursing internally, he managed to get him on board, hastily shutting the door, turning on the shuttle, jacking up the heat, and frantically searching for a medpack. He'd be damned if he let Ren die of hypothermia or blood loss when he was supposed to be delivering him to Snoke. They took off quickly when his search yielded success, putting the shuttle on autopilot. He crouched down beside his fallen co-commander, removing the hood and mask with hopes that he could breathe a little easier.

"Ah! Son of a-" Kylo exclaimed when he finally regained consciousness and feeling in his tingling limbs. The one positive thing about being buried in the snow was being numb to all of the pain Rey and co. had inflicted on him. The bowcaster shot to his torso pulsed, though it was bearable and hardly worth worrying over. The lightsaber slash to his leg felt like that of a knife wound, a mere cut, and nothing a bacta patch couldn't fix. The lightsaber slash to his face, however, was troubling. Purple tinged edges crusted with dark, dried blood mixed with a small trail of fresh blood. Every minute movement, whether it be blinking, breathing, or talking, seemed to pain him. Hux felt the slightest swell of pity for him. "-nerfherding piece of- *grits teeth*" Hux tsked in response.

"You insisted we needed the girl, and look where it's gotten us. They've obtained both parts of the map, destroyed Starkiller… and this." He glanced over the Force user with a look of disgust, voice full of contempt. "An untrained child beats the great Kylo Ren." The general almost sneered at the statement. The ravenette winced and averted his gaze as the ginger placed bacta patches over the rest of his wounds. Eventually he reached the gash on his face, slowly dabbing at and cleaning around the edges and working his way in. A hiss escaped the younger man. After a brief period of time, the general put everything away, not wanting to risk anything further until they were back on the Finalizer. The whole time, the dark jedi of sorts had been fading in and out of consciousness, torn between fighting to stay awake or succumbing to the slightly less painful state of sleep. That being said, he was surprised when a soothing wave of warm and cold flowed across his face, seemingly into his cells themselves, particularly his gash. When he finally cracked his eyes open, which had been squeezed shut in pure agony, he saw Hux retracting his hand, breathing uneven with a light sheen of sweat across his face, which switched from concentrated to concerned. The burning and pulsing of Kylo's wounds were gone, leaving little to no pain as long as he didn't strain himself. Hux hastily pulled his hood tighter over his head and fiddled with his long coat.

"It left scars, but there shouldn't be any more damage done. How do you feel?" Ren sat up, a bit stiff, and experimentally put weight on his legs. He could stand without wanting to heave, so he attempted once again to walk. A few uncertain steps led him to a chair on the other side of the shuttle, where he promptly collapsed and took a few uneven, but calm, breaths. He touched a hand to his face, shocked to find nothing but smooth skin underneath his fingertips.

Looking back at Hux, he inquired, "How did you do that?" He knew for a fact that bacta and even the First Order's most advanced medicines couldn't heal wounds that fast.

The ginger seemed unsure of himself as he answered, "You'll find that I'm full of surprises, Ren." The dark jedi laid his head back against the cool, metal wall and closed his eyes, leaving the contemplation of the general's words for later, when his strength and clarity of mind returned.

XxX

When he awoke, Kylo found himself lying in Finalizer's medbay in white patient's scrubs. Mortified and rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes, he quickly scanned the area and found his robes on a table across the room. Using the Force, he pulled them into his grasp, pleased to find that no pain followed the action. His mask lay next to his bed and- It was missing. He mentally kicked himself, putting a fist through and startling a few on duty 'troopers outside of his room. Now everyone knew he was alive and well. They also knew that he was angrier than Vader's ghost. How could he be stupid enough to leave his saber on the dying planet? How incompetent could he be? If the Supreme Leader could see him now… With a sigh, he replaced his folded robes under his mask and lied back down, a hand over his face in frustration. 'Stressing over the situation won't help,' he thought to himself. He closed his eyes, hoping a bit of meditation might clear his head as the Force pulsed his current emotions. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep once more.

XxX

Armitage awoke to a disturbance in the Force, sitting up with a gasp. Anger and frustration rippled through it aboard his ship. He hummed to himself. So Ren was awake. The more adept Force user was probably finally reacting to his embarrassing defeat at the hands of… Rey, wasn't it? Something like that. Typical of Kylo to wake him up in the middle of some much needed rest. The last thing he wanted to do was go down to the medbay and find millions of credits worth of valuable medical equipment destroyed or damaged beyond repair. When he felt the feeling fade into a deep sense of calm, he relaxed. He lied back down, hoping sleep would welcome once more. Unfortunately not. Getting out of bed with a sigh, he sat down at his desk and scrolled through his datapad.

Already, damage and casualty reports were coming in. The number of credits lost seemed to rise endlessly, and the trooper and personnel list grew longer by the minute. That's when he let it all sink in: the downfall of his greatest achievement, the blood of tens of thousands on his hands, a failure that would forever tarnish the reputation he had worked so hard to build up, his failure to the Supreme Leader… Of course he'd live up to the negative standards of his ungrateful father. Things had gotten much better between them over the years. It had gotten to the point where they were glad to see each other with every visit. Now… "Thin like paper and just as useless," he muttered to himself, his father's words echoing in his head like a mantra, and it was. Just when he thought he'd proven himself at last, this happens. With a deep growl, he clenched his free hand into a fist, hearing the tell-tale sound of glass shattering. Opening a cabinet with a wave of his hand, he discovered the remains of a bottle of brandy. He scolded himself. 'Control yourself, Hux,'

Taking a deep breath, he went and laid on his stomach curled up on the bed, facing the viewport directly across from it. An infinite array of stars whirring by made him smile softly. He would never get tired of the sight. Just as he felt his eyes begin to droop, his commlink beeped urgently, startling him back awake. "Oh, for the love of-" he grumbled before responding. "Yes, what is it?" Judging by the panic present in Lieutenant Mitaka's voice, it wasn't a request for him to be on the bridge or an invitation for a meeting. He quickly apologized and told him to continue.

"G-General, sir. It's Lord R-Ren. The doctors are-*gulp* The 'troopers won't go anywhere near the medbay. Anyone who's tried has… Captain Phasma suggested alerting you to the situation."

Groaning, he replied, "Give me five minutes." Leaping out of bed, he practically threw on a halfway decent casual outfit, slipping on some boots and his greatcoat before briskly making his way to the medbay. Rummaging around in his bedside drawer, he pulled the first weapon to make it into his hands out and stuffed it in the back of the waistband of his sweatpants. With a minute to spare, he joined Captain Phasma amongst the carnage of unresponsive, and most likely dead, medical personnel. She had her helmet tucked under her arm, brushing locks of blonde hair away from her eyes, wearing plaid sleep pants and a dark, loose blouse. At least he wasn't the only one out of uniform.

"Phasma."

"Armi."

"Status report." His lips quirked slightly upward at the nickname from one of his closest friends.

"Ren has incapacitated five doctors, over a dozen 'troopers, scared Mitaka shitless-"

" *chuckles* So I noticed."

"- and blocked anyone from physically entering the medbay. It's like there's some invisible barrier blocking the door." The ginger frowned at the statement. He knew every inch of his ship. There wasn't shielding of any kind for any of the doors.

"Show me," he requested. She strolled over to the door and pressed her palm flat against the air, pushing forward. Backing away, she then took a blaster out of the waistband of her pants and fired off a few shots. They became suspended in midair a millimeter away from the door before dropping harmlessly to the floor.

"No one can get in. A few of my men reported shouting from Ren's room and came and got me. By then, three of the five doctors at our feet had been thrown out here. When I walked in, it felt like something was shoving me back. That's when I ended up out here. Two more bodies followed."

"A Force-field," Hux realized.

"I assumed a force field as well, but the readings from the-"

"No, not a force field, a Force-field," he told her. She stared at him, hearing the difference but not comprehending the different meanings. Before he knew how to control his newfound gift at a very young age, he'd create a Force-field, as he called them, when his emotions got out of control. He thought of it as a way to keep anyone from getting hurt back then. This wasn't his first from Ren he'd encountered. He'd reprimanded him once in the middle of a console's destruction, leaving the other at a loss of words as he walked through the doorway effortlessly and told him, in an irritated manner, to stop destroying his ship. He hadn't realized what he'd done at the time, but looking back, it was similar to the current situation."Protection made by the Force itself surrounds a person or object, protects them from others or others from them."

"I still don't understand."

"Only someone Force-sensitive can breach them," Hux explained further, a feeling of uneasiness washing over him. "Preferably someone you're familiar with. It's a sort of safety precaution." Walking up to the doorway, he laid a hand flat against it and applied some pressure. After a second, his hand phased through and Phasma made the connection.

"Why didn't you ever tell me? You're a-"

"The most I can do is skim thoughts and move objects, hardly worth bragging about or sharing. There's a lot I haven't told you." He pulled the rest of himself through the Force-field and went to search for Ren's room, not looking back to see Phasma shaking her head at him.

XxX

The next time Kylo awoke, his mind was clear, yet foggy, as if stuffed with cotton balls. His emotions were back under control and he felt better, better than he had in years, almost comfortable. That's when he noticed he wasn't alone, making his mood dissipate. Alert, he sat up and stood, reaching out for his saber and cursing when he remembered it was no longer in his possession. He drew a scalpel into his hand instead, brandishing it fiercely. He felt the presence before he saw it, trying and failing successfully to hold back an anguished cry. The man came into view, hair gray with a few dark strands scattered about. From his face, you can tell he must've been a handsome man when he was younger. Stood in a rugged outfit with a DL-44 blaster attached to his hip was none other than Han Solo. He wore a melancholy smile as he gazed up at his son. "Ben," he whispered.

"No," the Force user gasped, shaking his head in denial. "No. You can't be here. No!" Suddenly, three doctors scurried in, hearing the noise of distress. Without thought and with a flick of his wrist, Ren shoved them back through the door they came from, hearing satisfying crunching noises as they collided with a wall outside. Two more ran in, one with a sedative in his hand and one with an I.V. bag. The scalpel went sailing through the air, hitting the doctor with the sedative square in the chest. The last doctor was frozen in fear before having his neck snapped by invisible hands. Both corpses went to join the others out in the hall. He heard stormtrooper boots receding quickly in the opposite direction. He dropped to his knees, distraught and confused, negativity rolling off of him in waves. He felt another, stronger presence enter his room and quickly tried to push them out. They were strong, he'd give them that, but they were no match for him. He closed his eyes and, once he was sure he'd calmed down, opened them as he looked up. Han was crouching down beside him, rubbing his back comfortingly, a familiar, calming gesture. Ren nodded and Solo ruffled his hair as they got up together and sat on the edge of the medbay bed. The younger man was the first to speak.

"I'm so-"

"Don't. Don't start that nonsense with me. It was my choice on the bridge."

"I… Snoke, he…" He shook his head, burning with shame as tears rolled down his cheeks. "Snoke told me that… If I were to kill you, I could cut all ties to the Light and fully embrace the Dark. He said that it would all finally become clear, but… I'm still being torn apart. It's gotten worse!"

"It's not-"

"It's entirely my fault! The Supreme Leader told me your death was the key for me to complete my training, and now… Now I don't know if I can. I cannot join the Resistance nor can I betray the my master, but I cannot train in this state." Han didn't know how to respond (After all, Leia was the one who was good at this sort of thing. Feelings, their son, talking in general, had always been her strong suit, not his.), afraid he might worsen the situation. "Nothing could possibly make this worse."

"You'd be surprised how bad things can get when you're in deep. Did your uncle ever tell you about the time that he, your mother, and I were captured by Darth Vader?" That piqued his son's interest.

"What about grandfather?" he inquired, less upset and more intrigued.

"Well, it all started with a friend of mine named Lando…" He told the tale, feeling the mood lift the longer he talked, a nice distraction from the current situation. Kylo's expression morphed into that of wonder by the end of it, having changed from attentive to disbelieving, humored to sympathetic.

"And Luke found out that Darth Vader was his father?"

"Vader told him apparently, asked him to rule the galaxy by his side. *scoff* Can you believe that? Luke said he thought he'd rather die in that moment than join the Empire. All this fuss about the Light side and Dark side, I swear, I'll never understand it. It's still the Force, so what's the difference?"

"The Light side is weak. It's why grandfather slaughtered the jedi and tried to bring peace to the galaxy. I plan on continuing his legacy-"

"Do you even hear yourself? All this talk about following Vader's footsteps and you don't even know the whole story!"

"What do you mean?" he demanded to know.

"Vader was the reason the Galactic Empire fell. He was a hero for the Rebellion in the end despite all the years he fought against us. He turned his back on Palpatine and embraced the Light-"

"Lies! He was the most powerful Sith Lord-"

"He was one of the most powerful jedi of the Republic before he was a Sith Lord. He saved Luke's life by embracing the Light. There's a prophecy and everything. Something about a Chosen One…" Kylo was silent, trying to wrap his head around this new information.

"How do you know all this?" he finally questioned. Han smirked.

"What do you think I was doing looking for you all these years? I had to know where you were, what you did, where you'd go next. And if I happened to come across a few restricted files along the way? I'd store them away so I could bring them back to base. Might've read a little bit. Your First Order is really organized; it's almost scary. Besides, I've met some of Leia's relatives beyond the grave. The tales some of them tell…"

"That's General Hux for you. Ever the perfectionist… I'm sorry, father, for everything." The old pilot waved away his apology.

"Well, sorry can't fix anything now, can it? Besides, do you really think your mother and I could stay mad at you forever?"

" *sadly chuckles* I suppose not…" A smile began to spread across both their faces.

"Now that I've seen you again, like this, I think I can finally rest in peace, at least for the moment." Kylo was in no way redeemed, but seeing just a glimpse of his son, the person he used to be, warmed him to the core.

"I… Must you go?" He wasn't the closest with his father, but he didn't want to see him leave, not yet, not when they were finally finding common ground, something to work with.

"It takes energy to appear to you here. This won't be the last time you see me, I promise." Kylo nodded, about to speak again when he felt a shift in the Force. Someone else was in the room, slowly approaching. He paused, worrying Han. "What is it?" Without warning, Kylo whirled around and thrust his left hand out, Force pushing whoever dare sneak up on them. He was flabbergasted, however, when he saw it was Hux who'd breached his defenses and was pushing back with his hand out in turn, a pained look on his face. With wide eyes, he dropped his hand, trying to even out his breathing. Hux dropped his hand as well, groaning in pain and shaking out his hand.

Taking a few deep breaths, the ravenette asked, "You. You're…? You can…? How?" Hux was Force-sensitive. How had he not known or sensed it sooner? It would explain some things: how he seemed to know everything negotiators were about to say at meetings or on diplomatic missions, how he could seemingly do five things at once sitting at his desk or standing at his position on the bridge, how he'd gotten to him that day in a lower deck console room… Han placed a gentle hand on his son's shoulder.

"The better question is," Hux began, torn between reaching for the blaster that should've been at his waist and letting curiosity get the best of him. "How is he here?" The redhead gestured to Han Solo, who smirked and lowered his hand.

"That, buddy, is for us to know and you to find out, isn't it?" he said snarkily, becoming brunette and thirty years younger before their eyes. He wrapped his arms around his son, a silent promise that he'd return, and walked past Hux, form disappearing within seconds. There was an uncomfortable silence between the co-commanders, the two staring at each other intensely with no idea what to say to the other. Kylo lightly brushed against Hux's mind, feeling mental barriers blocking him. Hux grimaced, giving him an annoyed look.

"How long ago did you find out?" Kylo finally asked after what seemed like an eternity. Hux schooled his features into his usual stoic mask. Kylo could've sworn his eyes looked… different, but with a blink, they seemed normal.

"A lifetime," he replied. "One where I and one other person knew of my secret. You and another know and I'd like to keep it that way," he added, tone bordering on threatening, but not quite. Ren nodded.

"I have no intention of revealing your abilities to the Supreme Leader. I have no intentions of seeing him soon at all actually." Hux hummed regretfully.

"I'm afraid that's not possible." He continued when Ren gave him a confused look. "He's ordered me to bring you to him to-"

"Complete my training," he finished resignedly. He gulped, a shiver running down his spine. "It won't be pleasant."

"What, if I may ask, does it entail?" Kylo shook his head.

"It's not my place to discuss it, least of all with you. I am thankful that you saved my life, General, truly, but that doesn't mean that we're suddenly best friends. We all have our secrets, after all." He gave his co-commander a onceover. "Nice outfit, by the way," he added snarkily.

"Likewise. Oh, and here," he retorted, pulling Ren's lightsaber from his waist and handing it over. "I figured you might like this back. Do try to destroy less with it, hmm?" Without another word, he stalked back out of the medbay to a concerned looking Phasma, leaving Kylo to his own devices. The crackle and sizzle sound behind him was almost reassuring. She stood up and fell into step with him as they headed back to their separate quarters.

"How'd it go?" she asked. Hux glanced at her, not wanting to divulge all the details just yet, lost in thought for the majority of the rest of their walk. Kylo's reaction to his news was startling. He knew he awaited pain and turmoil once he returned to the Supreme Leader. He wouldn't call it concern, but he wasn't as heartless as he appeared. Did he give a damn about what people said and thought? Of course. Was he usually allowed to display that image to others, at least when it counted? No, not at all. With his close circle, including Phasma, perhaps. To Kylo Ren? Absolutely not. His stunt back on Starkiller base was a life or death situation, an exception. He wouldn't show weakness again, least of all when Snoke expected them soon.

"As one would expect, with a little less destruction this time. Perhaps I'll discuss it another time. Goodnight Phasma," he responded as he reached his quarters, watching her nod to him and disappear around the corner before keying in his code and retiring for the night. He had much to think about later.

Closing A/N: So, how'd I do? 1st TFA fic and I'm not sure when I'll get more done, but thumbs up, down? I'll write more backstory when I get a chance, as it'll play a role later, after I get back to my other fics.