A.N. So... The Phasma book says that she conspired with Armitage to kill Brendol but... I guess this will be a full AU then. His father will still die since canon states it that way but otherwise, this is now an AU.
The Admiral
Sloane knew the General could not control his temper. It was evident once they were safe in their room in the motel.
"I told you not to follow!" Brendol roared, slamming the table to release some of that anger.
She also knew that would not do with these children, "Brendol. Leave us."
The General looked at her, albeit surprised although that was all covered. He gave a growl before leaving the room, opting to find something else to do instead. Sloane waited until Brendol's footsteps could no longer be heard before she turned towards the younglings. Fear, annoyance and nonchalance could be felt in the air even though she wasn't a force sensitive. Speaking of force sensitive, the Supreme Leader decided to make mental contact with her.
'I see the younglings are with you.'
"What do you have to say for yourself?" Sloane questioned, the tense air getting denser by the second.
She wanted to punish them but she wasn't sure of the best way to approach it. Maybe Armitage would learn but Trihorn and Lynx were… Stubborn to say the least. It was expected for the Mandalorian but Trihorn? Sloane had to take into account his heritage and the fact that they are still unsure who his parents were. At this point, she was willing to bet that they were smugglers but she had yet to pull out evidence of it being so.
'His necklace. We did confiscate it.' Snoke reminded and Sloane put a mental note to check it once they return back to the fleet.
It was somewhere in her office.
"We were curious, sir." Trihorn finally spoke up, shuffling his feet. "We've never seen anything outside of the vessel and we wanted to experience what it feels like being on a planet. I'll admit, it took me an hour to adjust to the gravity."
'A good reason.' She mused. 'Experience.'
'Yet, if they were to continue, they would disturb the work of my agent on the boy.' Snoke hissed, warningly causing Sloane to rethink the situation.
"A punishment is still due for disobeying direct orders from your superiors. I am especially disappointed with you, Armitage." She looked at the red head who visibly flinched.
That won't be good for the future. However, all those tiny details aside, there was still the punishment to be set.
"Once we return to the fleet, none of you are allowed to see each other outside of work, period." She said and surprised looks crossed over their faces with Trihorn wanting to protest but she cut him off, "This is not up for debate. Have you forgotten that this isn't your first offence?"
Trihorn closed his mouth tightly before he looked at the ground, shoulders slumped. Lynx showed no emotions of displeasure but she seemed fine with being separated from the two of them. Armitage looked fine but Sloane knew that he wasn't because she was taking away his only friend. It was necessary though because if the boy was influenced by Trihorn's mischief and nonchalant self, needless to say the future of the Order won't be bright.
"Now, get some rest the three of you. Tomorrow, you will need to be extra careful around smugglers and any thieves that come around." Sloane ordered and the three of them nodded which allowed her to enter her room while they would share the couch or floor.
'He knows.' Snoke muttered, anger replaced with interest. 'The boy managed to piece the puzzle to your order.'
'He's much smarter than we let on.' Sloane agreed, staring at the door. 'Are we certain he should remain a pilot or should he replace me when he's old enough?'
'The idea of having a less than disciplined officer running the Order is… Unpleasant.'
'True but I have no doubts that the boy will grow mature as time passes.'
'We shall see.' Snoke said while his presence disappeared from Sloane's mind.
She gave a sigh and sat down on the bed, her hands reaching for the communicator in her ear as she contacted the General.
"Brendol, you may return but do not disturb them." She said and heard the man grumble on the other end.
He was still angry, that was for sure.
"Why did you send me off in the first place?" He asked once he entered the room and closed the door softly behind him, something she wasn't sure he could achieve in his current state.
"You were not able to control your temper and I would have preferred if you didn't start lashing out at them." She replied tiredly, as if having repeated the same sentence.
"So, you assumed." He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest while leaning against the closed door. "I'm still furious with them."
"I've come to the decision to separate them until Armitage is old enough to not get influenced by Trihorn's mindset. It is completely different and must be contained." Sloane said then looked up at Brendol who looked at her curiously, "You will be personally training him for his mind is near impenetrable."
Brendol pressed his lips together but knew not to disobey her orders unless he wanted to be humiliated, "And what of Armitage and Lynx?"
"Armitage will be self-studying and I will be there to guide him. Lynx will still be training, now more personally, with the trooper who is in-charge of her." She explained, looking out the window at the end of her sentence. "My only hope is that it will keep them apart. If it doesn't, then they will become an inseparable group of mischief and destruction which will not do for the future of the First Order."
"I don't see that as a bad thing." He muttered and she finally took notice of his head being near the door. "Once we instill command within Armitage, he will lead them. Trihorn is intelligent and can provide useful tactics once he learns them. Lynx is a powerful warrior and she will protect them much better than any trooper can."
"We have yet to find out her allegiance. Is she truly a part of the Order now?" She questioned and the corner of his lips twitched ever so slightly downwards, face turning into a frown.
"She hasn't admitted it yet. Other than that, the three of them are planning something." He said, motioning with his head towards the door. "We should intervene."
"I suppose so." She sighed, getting up from her surprisingly comfortable bed to follow Brendol out the door.
Apparently, they caught them in the act as Trihorn was by the exit while Armitage and Lynx just got up from their seats.
"Where do you think you're going?" Brendol queried, a frown on his face while Trihorn's jaw parted slightly.
"Uh," The blue haired boy gulped before looking at the ground. "We were going to… Explore the town together."
"At night? The dangers are too great for you to go on your own!" Brendol yelled and Sloane put a hand on his shoulder, telling him to tone it down. "There are bounty hunters, smugglers, pirates, thieves and even crime syndicates are going to war with each other."
At the end of the sentence, screaming and yelling could be heard outside which told them a gang war was occurring. Trihorn gave a sigh and took a step forward to go back to bed when Armitage stopped him, his eyes holding something akin to a trapped animal ready to attack. Sloane knew that wasn't a good sign as it meant that the boy was already influenced with Trihorn's more rebellious nature.
"Father, didn't you say that the best way to learn is through experience? How are we to learn if we don't experience anything together? You did say that Trihorn is to listen to my every command. How is he going to do so if he doesn't learn that now?" Armitage hissed and Sloane noticed Lynx and Trihorn glancing at each other.
This seemed more of a father and son fight than a General and a Lieutenant. A tense silence settled over them while Sloane thought over the options. Brendol had told her that the pilot was to take orders from the younger Hux. It was something they had agreed on a day before. It was also the only reason why she had been slightly stunned by the revelation of Armitage calling Trihorn his friend. It had been unexpected and should have been impossible to achieve. Then again, Armitage didn't have a trusted friend within Arkanis.
"We are going out - with or without your permission." Armitage stated, voice full of resolute.
"You have guts, for the wrong reason." Brendol almost growled but managed to squish it down. "If anything were to happen to you, they will get it."
Armitage gave a curt nod before grabbing Lynx's hand while Trihorn walked out the door, almost too eagerly. When the door closed shut, Brendol gave a sigh and shook his head. Sloane removed her hand from his shoulder and took a look outside the window once again to see the same girl still on top the Diner that was opposite from their position. Something just told her that the girl played an important role but she pushed that thought away as a gut feeling, something she had never followed on purpose.
"We should get our rest. Smugglers are not easy to persuade with our lack of money." She reminded the General who reluctantly nodded.
This was troubling indeed.
The Young Hux
Armitage didn't know what came over him to defend them like that but… He had and he wasn't too sure of the feeling that came after. However, he didn't dwell on that thought when they entered a bar near the edge of town and it was jam packed with Smugglers, Bounty Hunters and Pirates. He almost wanted to turn his back on all these savages but Lynx pulled him in to the back where there was no one there but an empty booth. She pushed him in before Trihorn took a seat beside him and Lynx on the opposite side.
The music blasting overhead was starting to annoy him but Lynx and Trihorn seemed to be enjoying themselves, much to his dismay.
"Loosen up, Taj!" Trihorn yelled over the noise, "We came here to party, remember?"
"Yeah, party." Armitage grumbled, his mind still in disbelief of what had transpired back in the room.
He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear Lynx calling him until she snapped her fingers in front of him. It was then he noticed a Kajain'sa'Nikto, sitting beside her with his blaster on the table while Lynx's own staff was above the blaster. Armitage glanced up at her before putting his blaster on the pile, Trihorn following suit when Lynx motioned for him to do so. The waiter took that into account and dropped four glasses in front of them. The only problem was that the glasses were only filled with a drop of water, he assumed.
"What is this?" He questioned while Lynx took off her helmet.
He had never seen her without it so the fact that she did, stunned him slightly.
"This is Port in a Storm!" Lynx giggled and Armitage broke out of his trance, if only to look at the other individual on the table.
He didn't even have to ask as the other spoke, "I'm Rinnrivin Di and I suggest you take the sip."
Armitage looked at his drink, glancing at Trihorn who did the same before the four of them picked up their glass in sync.
"Cheers!" Lynx and the Nikto yelled before they gently hit their glasses against each other.
Armitage watched as Lynx and the Nikto swallowed the drop, their faces turning from displeasure to immediate giddiness. Armitage glanced at Trihorn again to find the boy had watched them swallow it like he had. So, with a nod, the both of them swallowed their drink. Despite it being a drop, Armitage could feel the burn of a thousand acids in the back of his throat and his face contorts into displeasure for a second. He shook his head, the immediate action making his world spin before he looked at the other three with a smile that was not his own. Trihorn looked the same way before the four of them started laughing, Armitage's more logical mind shouting at him to control himself. However, it was lost when they went out into the dance floor.
That was when all hell broke loose.
Everything passed by like a blur and when he woke up the next morning, he found himself seated on a chair near the bar table. His head hurt like there was no tomorrow even though he had only drunk a single drop… Or maybe he did two? He couldn't remember anything that happened the night before but he did know that his weapon was still on the booth. In fact, none of the weapons were touched and despite Lynx's staff being something of high value in the black market, it wasn't stolen which made no sense to him. Although, with the intense headache settling in his mind, he decided not to think about it and looked at his surroundings.
Trihorn was sprawled on a table not too far from him while Lynx was cuddling with someone in one of the booths. The both of them were still asleep, much like everyone else in the bar. He decided to scan the different weapons on the counters and much to his surprise, he even saw Han Solo passed out in one of the booths. He tried to growl but that only intensified his headache and he realized that he won't be able to do anything for the next few days. He turned around to see the bartender placing a glass of water in front of him and Armitage raised an eyebrow.
"Drink. It will help." The man said and Armitage, having nothing else to do, drank it slowly before realizing that he was severely thirsty.
He started coughing once he took two gulps before looking around the room once more, "What time is it?"
"It's nearly nine in the morning. You and that little friend of yours have set a record." The bartender said and Armitage tilted his head at him curiously causing him to elaborate, "Firstly, not many can handle a drop of Port in a Storm, let alone children like you. Secondly, no one wakes up this early after drinking that beverage."
"I can see that." Armitage mumbled, letting out a groan while standing up, holding onto the chair when he started swaying.
He wanted to collapse back and fall asleep but his father was probably questioning his whereabouts at this current moment so he had to report back. Taking a deep breath, he started walking or more like stumbling his way to Trihorn, nearly falling on his face when he tripped on his own two feet. He had to put both of his hands - palms facing downwards - on the table to support himself when he reached his destination. One hand went to grip the side of his head while he tried to blink the pain away.
He really was going to be out of commission for the next few days.
"Tri, wake up." Armitage said, shaking the younger boy's arm.
Trihorn let out a groan but didn't get up, opting to push the other boy away instead.
"Five minutes." He mumbled, voice slurring.
Armitage let out a hiss before looking at Lynx and walked towards her. He no longer cared how dumb he looked, stumbling like a drunken person but he was determined to get these guys to wake up. Just as he was about to tap her, Lynx suddenly pounced on him and he fell on his back, head hitting the ground which only intensified the pain. He was lucky that there was a space in between the two pirates still sleeping soundly beside him or else they would have been rudely awakened. He opened both of his eyes to see into Lynx's own and saw pain laced with fear and anger, the same look when she fought the Jedi.
"Lynx, it's me." He said which was the wrong move when he felt pressure on his neck from a knife in her hands, enough to draw blood.
The haunted look in her eyes then cleared and she blinked, moving back. She didn't go that far though as she was suddenly by his side when he sat up.
"You're hurt." She stated and he touched his neck, bringing it away when it stung to see blood on his hands.
"My father won't be too happy with this revelation." He sighed which stopped abruptly from the pain.
"I know a place." Lynx muttered, about to walk away when Armitage held onto her arm tightly.
"I think I deserve an answer for this." He said, pointing at his neck.
Lynx narrowed her eyes before she turned her head ever so slightly to the left and Armitage followed her gaze to see a Weequay seated in a booth close to them. The Weequay had a black and blue jacket, white inside t-shirt, brown pants and a yellow head band. There was a smile on his face, the kind that only an experienced pirate could achieve which meant something along the lines of mischievous activity.
"Save your breath." Lynx glanced at Armitage before looking at the Weequay. "I've completed your bounty. Where is my payment?"
Armitage glanced at the man in the booth in front of him, blood staining the couch under the dead body.
"My, my. Such an eager individual." The Weequay let out a 'tsk' and tossed a small device to Lynx who caught it. "I know you're hiring savages to do your dirty work." The pirate said, looking at Armitage. "I can assist."
Armitage narrowed his eyes at that because he didn't trust pirates. In fact, the Weequay was shady and he was sure the pirate had an ulterior motive… He was very sure with the smile he keeps giving, showing his pointed teeth. Armitage looked at Lynx who had a neutral look on her face. He wanted her to give some advice seeing as she had worked with this pirate before but she didn't say a thing.
"You are desperate, no?" The pirate spoke again when there was only silence which lasted too long for his liking. "Desperate enough to come to our territory and ask for assistance among the smugglers."
'Ugh, hate to admit that he's right.' Armitage thought bitterly, his headache didn't help his current situation.
"What do you want?" Armitage asked and the Weequay smile widened.
"Credits but since you're in a pickle, we can offer our services for free at the start. It's a good deal, yes?" The pirate said and Armitage thought about it, glancing at Lynx who had her eyes narrowed.
"No, it isn't." Armitage replied, standing up before holding onto Lynx for support. "You're a pirate. You don't keep your promises but, there might be a use for you in the future once we have established a stable way to earn credits."
"Well played." The pirate smiled, this time genuine while motioning for the other pirates around them to stand down. "My services will always be open to you."
Armitage gave him a nod before looking at Trihorn who let out a loud yawn while stretching. Lynx moved to grab her staff and their blasters while Armitage walked out, Trihorn following suit after finding his balance. When they stepped out, Armitage had to blink a few times to adjust to the new light which was too bright for his liking. Despite it being early, the sun was already burning down on him which didn't help his current hangover state. He was guided by Lynx who grabbed his hand as well as Trihorn. They walked down the crowded street before entering a building not too far from their motel and the Diner. He wondered why the smugglers were holding a meeting in there but decided not to dwell on that thought when he was placed on a bed and a droid walked out of the back to tend to his neck.
"Droid, I need the wound to heal instantly with no evidence of it being there. What do you have?" Lynx questioned and the droid let out a buzz, similar to a hum.
"We have a bacta tank but that would cost five thousand at most." The droid replied and Lynx looked at the small device the pirate gave before nodding at the droid.
"Five thousand it is. I will fetch the payment right now." Lynx said then looked at Trihorn. "Make sure no one comes in."
"Roger that."
Armitage gulped when the droid brought him to a room with the bacta tank. He had never been in one so he was nervous at what was going to happen. He had heard of its effects from reports and it was something he didn't know if he wanted to experience. The droid ordered him to remove his clothing and after a bit of hesitance, since Trihorn was in the room with him, he took off his uniform and pants to feel the heat of the outside world on his skin. The droid then injected a sedative when he noticed that Armitage wasn't going to calm down.
It wasn't enough to send him to sleep but it was enough to make calm his nerves and enter the tank after doing some much needed preparations. With the combined effort of his lightheaded mind and the hangover, Armitage felt himself floating within the tank. The bacta was slimy and weird but it had its effects and soon, he was enjoying the soothing feel while it healed his neck. Without even realizing, he closed his eyes and his breathing became slower as he slowly fell asleep.
Laughter echoed around him in the dark world. A sweet laughter, one that his mind said it belonged to Lynx which was odd as he had never heard her laugh. Even in the two months of them having their lunch and dinner together with Phasma, in their silly banter, she had never laughed once.
'Isn't this fun?!' Trihorn yelled but his form didn't appear in the darkness, only his voice and the ones that followed.
'You have to do this.' Lynx said.
'There's no time!' Phasma's voice was next before an officer he didn't recognize spoke,
'The weapon is nearly complete.'
'Fire!' And this was his own voice… Slightly deeper but definitely his.
Suddenly, a bright red light engulfed his vision.
'General!'
Two pale blue eyes opened in the red light, staring right back at him with a wisdom and secrecy he had never seen before.
He woke up with a twitch of his hand, heart beating wildly in his chest. He soon realized that he was no longer in the bacta tank and was lying down on a bed. He slowly sat up, tenderly rubbing his neck to find the pain had disappeared along with the wound. He smiled internally while his eyes searched the room for any sign of Lynx or Trihorn.
Neither were in the room.
Frowning, he got out of the bed, legs wobbling slightly causing him to use the bed for support. He wondered how long he had been out for and looked at the clock beside him.
'Kriff.'
It was still nine o'clock alright… At night. The bacta tank knocked him out for a full twelve hours and he genuinely wondered what punishment the three of them were going to receive for this. He let out a sigh, thankful for whoever that had dressed him up put him in his uniform while walking out of the room. Lynx and Trihorn were asleep on the waiting room couch, the older girl with a hand wrapped around the young boy protectively while her staff was on her lap.
A wave of envy rushed through him before he pushed it aside and approached them but Lynx was already awake as she looked at him.
"How are you feeling?" She asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Refreshed." Armitage replied, rubbing his left hand with his right. "Did my father raze the town to the ground yet?"
"Oh, you wish." Lynx chuckled slightly, nothing similar to the sweet laughter Armitage had heard in his dream. "If he had, we would be dead but no, he hasn't. We haven't seen them at all."
"Did something happen?" He tilted his head slightly, fear rising before it was replaced with relief when she shook her head.
"If it did, I wouldn't be here. I would be there defending them because we are close to the Diner. If any fights were to occur, I can hear it." She said before proceeding to wake Trihorn up.
"Wha-?" The blue head looked around frantically then let out a yawn and stretched. "Remind me never to drink alcohol again."
"Hm, pity." Lynx huffed, standing up and was about to walk out when Armitage stopped her.
"You haven't given an explanation." He reminded and Lynx visibly tensed.
"Explain what?" Trihorn queried, glancing between the two of them before his mind pieced the puzzle itself. "Oh…"
When Lynx didn't say anything after a five-minute silence, Armitage asked, "What happened to you that caused such an effect?"
"I'm not sure if we should ask…" Trihorn muttered when Lynx clenched her fists before she turned around, her helmet hiding her emotions.
"It was my third mission with my clan. Our target was a dark Jedi terrorizing a small town. I was six back then with nothing but my wits and my father to guide me in the mission. The Jedi was supposedly approaching from the East so they left the young ones on the West side of town but… The Jedi came from the West." Lynx took a pause, trying to collect herself as her fear and anger was spiraling out of control.
"I had been playing with my cousins and… They ran away when the Jedi appeared. I couldn't run so I sat there, crying in fear while the Jedi loomed over me. The Jedi was about to strike me down but my father arrived just in time to carry me to safety." She ended it there, her fists unclenching before she turned around and walked out.
"Traumatized." Trihorn stated after a minute of silence in the room. "Yet, she didn't show any fear when fighting that Jedi."
"I don't know but I'd much rather focus on finding my father now."
