It Was Always Me
Chapter One
A/N: I had a fan theory once upon a time that got completely shot to pieces after TLJ. So! Here's a combination of two other topics on my Other Kylux Ideas fic list: Evil! Hux controlling Snoke and Hux is Darth Plagueis. Starts most of the way through the Snoke, Rey, Kylo conversation on the Supremacy.
"Pathetic child. I cannot be betrayed!" Snoke declared, watching his apprentice tower over the kneeling Rey. "I cannot be beaten. I see his mind. I see his every intent… Yes. I see him turning the lightsaber to strike true." Kylo minutely rotated his wrist behind his back, turning the lightsaber on the throne towards Snoke. "And now, foolish child, he ignites it… and KILLS his true enemy!" Clenching his fist behind his back, Kylo ignites the blue saber, slicing Snoke in half upon his throne. The being's eyes are blown wide with shock, and Rey, free from the Force hold on her, turns in confusion to witness his fate. Snoke looks down at his torso, impaled by a blue laser, and Kylo wrenches the lightsaber out of his body, right into Rey's hand. As Snoke's upper body tumbles to the ground, Rey gets to her feet, back to back with Kylo, and the two dispatch the Praetorian Guards standing in their way of escape.
"The fleet!" Rey exclaims when the fighting is finally over. Kylo hears her say that there was still time to save them, the Resistance, before she stops and finally really looks at him. "Ben?" she asks in concern. Unbeknownst to them, a mysterious figure watched their exchange from the shadows, eyes narrowed.
"It's time to let old things die," Kylo told her. "Snoke, Skywalker." He took a few steps towards her. "The Sith, Jedi, the rebels; let it all die." Holding out a hand to her, hoping his plan would work now that Snoke was out of the way, he said, "Rey, I want you to join me. We could rule together, bring a new order to the galaxy."
"No. Don't do this. Please don't go this way," she pleaded with him, teary eyed.
"No, no, you're still HOLDING ON!" he shouted at her. "LET GO!" She stared sadly, silently. "Do you want to know the truth about your parents?" The figure in the shadows scoffed to himself. Oh please. He'd had just about enough of this, the bickering, the crying, the, ugh, emotion. If he had to listen to another word between them, he just might kill them both, ulterior motives be damned. "Join me," he heard Kylo request of her, again, startling him out of his thoughts. He watched Rey struggle to decide before he heard Kylo whisper, "Please." Rey reached her hand out, fingertips away from taking Kylo's hand, before attempting to Force pull Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber into her hands. Kylo pulled back, and the two were essentially locked in a tug-of-war for the weapon.
The figure watched the two, and an ominous feeling swept over him. He turned his attention briefly back to his Force projection on the bridge, and he watched through its eyes as a rebel cruiser slowly turned towards the Supremacy, about to jump to lightspeed. The realization hit him in that instant, and he screamed at his crew, "Fire on that cruiser!" He knew, however, that it was far too late for that. Back in the throne room, attention back on the task at hand, he watched the lightsaber glow and shake unstably, its energy pushing the two apart, and as it exploded, the energy shockwave blew them back at the same time the rebel cruiser's lightspeed jump split the Supremacy in two. Barely managing to stay on his feet, he righted himself as Rey tiredly pushed herself up off the ground, grabbing the two halves of the lightsaber and heading straight for Snoke's escape pod. With a lazy flick of his wrist, he froze her movements, and her head whipped around in alarm. Her eyes fell on him and she held in a gasp.
"You…" she whispered in shock. "How-?"
"You will find out soon enough, scavenger," he answered, cutting her off. Stepping out of the shadows, he dispelled his Force projection as it left the bridge, and waited patiently for Kylo to come to. Watching in disgust as the rest of Snoke's corpse crumpled to the ground from the throne, he toyed with the idea of putting a hole in Kylo's head. Cautiously reaching for his blaster, he quickly retracted his hand as Kylo startled from unconsciousness. Opting to keep up his appearance just a little while longer, he questioned, "What. Happened?" He wanted to see just what Kylo planned on doing.
"The girl murdered Snoke," Kylo responded as he got to his feet, staring out the viewport at the carnage outside.
"She took Snoke's escape craft," Hux lied.
"I know where she's going. Get all our forces down to that Resistance base. Let's finish this." As he walked off, turning his back on Hux, the general had had enough.
"Finish this?" he asked incredulously. "Who do you think you're talking to?!" he demanded to know. "You presume to command my army? Our Supreme Leader is dead! We have no ruler-!" He clutched at his throat in shock as Kylo Force choked him, fire in his eyes, and then Hux realized just what he was doing.
"Our Supreme Leader… is dead?" he hissed viciously. Hux gave him one last terrified look before he let his General Hux facade fall away, an icy grin appearing on his face.
"Long live the Supreme Leader," he replied smugly. Kylo stumbled back in shock at Hux's sudden change in demeanor, and lack of reaction to his Force choke. The ginger took a deep breath as the pressure on his throat relaxed. "Ah, much better."
"What is this? Who are you? What have you done with the general?!" Kylo exclaimed in outrage.
"The general was merely the role I decided to play until this whole situation blew over. Kylo… You're so gifted, so strong… and yet so naive." He took a few steps toward him, and Kylo tried to hold his ground as the Force hummed around Hux with every footfall. With a wave of his hand, Hux brought Rey into view, enjoying watching Kylo squirm at her discomfort. Another wave of his hand had her unconscious before he lowered her gently onto the floor. Kylo's wide eyes darted between the two.
In a softer voice full of awe and a bit of trepidation, he asked again, "Who are you?" Hux chuckled vainly, heartily.
"I am, and always have been, your Supreme Leader." Kylo watched him, perplexed, and Hux took pity on him. "With how easily Snoke fell, did you actually think he was the one pulling all of the strings? Did you truly believe he was your master, your teacher, your superior? No. Snoke was but a pawn, a willing servant of mine… It was always me, Kylo, always. Yes, my identity in this time is Armitage Hux, but this, this," he gestured down to himself, "Vessel is just that, a vessel. Every lifetime, I am reborn through the Force, stronger, wiser, and much more handsome if I do say so myself." Hesitantly, Kylo reached out towards Hux's Force signature, looking for confirmation, and recoiled at the sheer immensity of it. Snoke's power couldn't hold a candle to him! At the wonderstruck look on Kylo's face, he finally relented. "My name… Is Darth Plagueis."
"I've heard that name only in legends."
"Then you know of my power, my abilities."
"Yes," Kylo uttered in awe before his expression returned to that of confusion. "But… Why is it that you have chosen me as your apprentice?"
"It is as Snoke said, rather, as I said through Snoke: I saw raw, untamed power within you, the potential of your bloodline. And… There's something else, something undeniable…" Hux began, barely any space separating them now. "That draws me to you." He gently cupped Kylo's face, stroking his cheek and staring deeply into his chestnut eyes with something akin to, dare Kylo even consider it, adoration.
With a shaky breath, he asked quietly, averting his gaze, "What do you wish of me?" Hux lowered his hands rather reluctantly before responding.
"Despite your… questionable loyalty… I wish for you to rule the galaxy with me, to accompany me as the First Order reduces what's left of the Resistance to ashes… To stay by my side as none ever have." He added the last comment quietly, and Kylo looked at him with a new sense of understanding.
"I have belittled you, insulted you, cursed your name, threatened your life, harbored hate towards you, and yet… You do not strike me down." Hux smirked unabashedly.
"You are truly a terrible liar." At Kylo's look of concern, Hux let out a soft laugh, taking a step back from him. "You're a very expressive person, Kylo, whether you realize it or not. I imagine you have a dreadful poker face."
"What are you-"
"Oh, don't act like you don't know. Your abrasiveness is merely a front for your affection towards me." As Kylo opened his mouth to retort, Hux stopped him. "Are you trying to deny it?" Kylo paused, closing his mouth before shaking his head.
"No," he murmured. Hux hummed contently,once again cupping Kylo's face. This time, when their eyes met, Kylo's eyes were full of unbridled affection. "I… I don't…" I don't know what this is, he thought to himself.
"Then search your feelings," Hux told him softly. "What do they tell you?" Kylo closed his eyes, fear briefly present in his expression, before closing the distance between them in a gentle kiss. Hux sighed peacefully, feelings bleeding through the Force in full, causing Kylo to pull him ever closer. He felt fingers carding through his hair as he pulled away slowly. "Now then, shall we end this once and for all?" Kylo nodded. He took Kylo's hand with a promise of power, purpose, and more. "Then let us proceed to Crait."
Closing A/N: Aaaaand that happened. Lots of randomness from my head onto pages. *shrugs* Second chapter on the way, maybe a third. Thanks for taking the time to read. :)