Chapter Nine: Revelations Part Two
"You're a very brave girl to so willingly return after the stunt you've pulled. The stunts you've pulled, rather."
Hux smirked at Elara across the span of the small desk he sat at, rapping his fingers against his data pad smugly as she sat before him.
"You're very brave indeed...either that or entirely stupid. Out of your mind, maybe."
Two days she'd been locked up and confined again, before her so called inquiry. Awaiting her fate, shut off from the world and with nothing to reassure her or give her confidence in the outcome that awaited her. Two days she had been locked up and confined for no other purpose than to make her suffer, make her victim to her own mind and wallow. Forced to spend most of her time shackled for no real reason other than to remind herself that she was now apparently a true prisoner; by Hux's accord.
He would find her.
That was the only thought she kept hold of.
Ren would find her. Ren would show and help her out of this pickle she'd, in part, worked herself into.
She trusted him, or at the very least she was trying to.
Trust.
The funny little concept she had so much hatred for and so little to give anyone was now the only thing that would get Elara through
She hoped.
"Shall we go down the list of your crimes against The First Order? Shall we refresh your memory?"
Elara sighed and cast her eyes to the ground. She was well aware of the laundry list, but there was no sense in protest, not yet anyways. One way or another she would hear it, and he would enjoy every last minute of informing her of just how much was hanging over her head.
"Most recently, trespassing, assault, hijacking, possession of stolen property, vandalism, obstruction of justice, resisting arrest, refusal to cooperate…"
She rolled her eyes and tilted her head skywards as best she could, endearing the barrage as best she could without lashing back and landing herself in an even tighter spot.
"Goes quite well with your past life wouldn't you say? Insubordination, assault of a superior, conduct unbecoming, absence without leave, desertion and…treason." He arched a ginger brow, smug sneer cracking across his face. "Of course…there's the matter of the others...but I'm sure I don't need to carry on. You remember your own misdeeds far better than any file can tell you I'm sure."
Elara glared at him and turned her wrists in the cuffs. Each movement jerked the short chain attached to the collar and pulled sharply on her neck.
"Comfortable?"
"What do you think?"
"Quite cumbersome aren't they? Quite restrictive, when applied correctly, I know." He egged her on.
She huffed and set her will, resolved not to give a single inch to his satisfaction. Hux would take an inch and run a mile. His brand of intimidation quite a bit different than Ren himself. I was worse some how, more sadistic in an understated way that made it all too clear just how much pleasure he took in he suffering of others; in getting under their skin and dragging them down to the bare bones of their strength so that he could swiftly and surely keep them under his thumb. Whereas everyone in the galaxy regarded Ren as a threat of the highest order, she was quite sure they were mistaken.
Hux was the threat.
Hux was the monster.
Hux was the worst kind of evil there was. The sort that chose to be just for the sake of being so. The sort who would stop at no lengths to get what they wanted. The sort who would use their specific brand of evil just to do so.
He was dangerous and he was the one to be feared.
"I suppose I could loosen them for you...relieve you of them entirely even if I saw fit." He pushed his chair back from the desk and strolled non nonchalantly towards the window, gazing out at the inky expanse beyond the glass pane. "But…you understand my position...if only Ren had known in the first place hmm? We wouldn't be in this mess."
Elara scoffed and grit her teeth, struggling with everything she had to keep her mouth shut and endure his inquisition. All she wanted was for Ren to hurry up and walk through the door, put and end to the bullshit or at the very least bless her with an ally, someone to stand at her back and act as reinforcement if she was to verbally go toe to toe with the red headed demon.
"Nothing to say?" Hux turned to face her.
"Where is he?"
"Occupied."
"Does he know?"
"Know what? That I've brought you? Or your record?"
Elara shrugged a response.
"Does it matter?" He moved back towards her, heels of his boots punctuating each foot fall sharply, deliberately as he came to a halt in front of her. "I think you've much more to be concerned about."
"You don't know a damn thing about anything."
"I know I could add breach of oath tho the list." He offered. "Conspiracy...aiding the enemy...spying...and how is Ty Sharrak these days? When last I saw him...if I remember correctly…"
Elara faltered, eyes flooding with tears that shame fully spilled down her cheeks.
Hux clucked his tongue against his teeth, and lowered down on his haunches, eye to eye with her so as to better impose himself on her.
"Come, come now. Don't be that way. I didn't mean to hit a never."
"Shut up."
"You thought you could buy you way back in…"
"What do you want?" She spat wishing so hopelessly that something, anything would bring an end to Hux's inquisition.
"I'm proud of you Elara...you've outdone yourself." A wicked grin spread across Hux's face, looking nothing more than poison come to dinner. "Why settle for bedding your squad leader when you could set your sights on fucking a commander? Good for you."
"Fuck you."
Hux's face soured and he struck her hard. Backhanding once, straight across her the cheek he had already heavily bruised the first day she had found herself in his custody. Elara's head reeled from the impact. The room spun wildly around her and momentarily her sight grew dark as she drew her tongue over her lower lip; feeling the warmth of blood and the sharp note of copper flood her mouth.
"Listen here you stupid little girl." Hux fumed. "Ren might permit you to run your smart fucking mouth how ever you see fit you will give me the respect I deserve...the respect I've earned!"
Elara flinched in her seat a little, emphasis on the general's last shouted bouncing off the walls and echoing throughout the room. Hux was red faced and infuriated, mere inches away from her when she opened her eyes to stare him down. If it weren't for the cuffs around her wrist that held her fast, she would have cut his throat right then and there and be done with his imposed reign of terror.
"What do you want?" Her voice cracked not so much out of fear but with just enough anger to match the ginger general's.
Hux withdrew from her, standing ram rod straight and tugging on his collar, straightening his uniform to textbook perfection as he rallied and gathered himself back together.
"If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say our mutual friend is rather taken with you."
"Don't be ridiculous."
"I'm not." Hux continued. "Take my word for it in one way another it's true. It's not surprising. He's naive, desperate for a sympathetic touch. A scrap of attention, a little affection from a pretty little thing like you."
"Sure." Elara rolled her eyes and shook her head dismissively.
"Only a matter of time before he's wrapped around your finger and you're wrapped around his…" He paused, flashing her an arched brow and a lecherous leer. "Well…"
"You're ridiculous."
"Mark my word…you'll see. All the same, I'm not about to give up the reins of command to a over privileged simpering brat in a costume who runs on nothing but emotion and personal vendetta...I don't care if he's been groomed to be another Vader not. Ren's a fool and nothing more."
"Maybe you're just jealous." Elara quipped, viciously sneering at Hux now.
"Be that as it may-"
"You want me to fuck him over so you can what? Usurp him...kill him even?"
"You might be his pet...but you're my pawn."
Wave of disgust washed over her. Elara wasn't about to be played this way, it went against everything she knew, everything she held true to herself. She may have been an opportunist at every turn, she may have been out for herself first and an ally to the highest bidder, but she was no traitor. Not now, and not ever. No matter what the consequence. Loyalty was something she had never really known from anyone. Loyalty was never a concept she really believed all that much in. But she had given Ren her word, and something in the way he spoke to inspired her to hold true and she would rather hold her word to him than accept some second rate deal from a snake like Hux.
"Why would I do anything for you?" Her eyes narrowed.
"Do you think it wise to not?" Hux chortled. Then let's see what else we can do to sway you."
Smug face growing ever more so by the second as he slipped a blade free from the confines of a secret pocket up his sleeve smiled suggestively as he moved towards her.
In one swift move, Hux slipped the blade between her sleeve and her skin, pulling it upwards to tear the material free and expose the delicately pale flesh of her upper arm and Elara froze. There, clear as day two scarred bands wrapped around her bicep, stark red, and a painful reminder of that which she had told no one. Two scarred bands marring pale white skin; the brand of the pleasure house of which she was sold to so many years ago. A harsh reminder of a betrayal she would rather forget and one of the rawest of the open wounds that resided in on her heart.
"Do you want to go back?" Hux asked, sweet mocking tone lilting in his voice as he relished in the fact that he had just played the hand she would have never him to.
Elara's eyes brimmed with fresh tears, her lips glued shut as she tried to organize her next move in her head; wishing she was anywhere but right there, right then at the mercy of revelations that Hux felt he had the right to wield over her and force her to bow to his will.
"I know everything that happened after you left with Sharrak...I know everything about what happened after he sold you off to the highest bidder...try me, and I won't hesitate."
" .Yourself."
Elara willed him to hit her again, desperate to feel the sting of his hand against her cheek and the fire that burned in its wake. She willed him to him to hit her again, harder this time, with everything he had; enough to bless her with the favor of unconsciousness. Anything to forgo the pain of the memories he was vile enough to stir from the dead and the threat that followed with them.
Hux lunged for her, grip solidly latching around her collar as he ripped her from the chair and half choked her as he hoisted her in the air to draw her far closer to him than comfort would allow.
"Treacherous little slut! Don't you fucking dare test me." He growled. "You thought you could buy your way back in and start a new. Ren might indulge your defiance and partake in your insipid your games but I will not be played a fool and I will not have my Order made mockery of."
"Your Order? Really Hux?"
Ren's voice boomed as he sauntered in to the room behind him.
"Do, tell me more."