Chapter 14
The next morning, Rose led Kylo to a landspeeder where Chewbacca was waiting in the driver's seat. Kylo stared uncertainty at his father's partner a moment before getting in. Chewbacca hadn't recognized him yet. There was no reason to fear him now.
"To the Falcon, please, Chewie," Rose said, and off they went.
The bright, natural sun hurt Kylo's eyes, and he realized he had been undercover two days now with the Resistance. It felt strange how easily he adjusted to being a grunt in the Resistance. His previous time in the Resistance had been completely different, as his skill in the force and relation to Leia, Han, and Luke had forced him into the spotlight whenever he was not actively hiding. Now, he was simply another cog in the machine, and he found himself questioning things he had assumed for years.
Rose had admitted last night that she had killed, lied, and stolen for the Resistance, yet he felt none of the hatred towards her that he typically felt when describing the murderers and thieves of the Resistance. He had initially assumed Rose wasn't part of those things, yet, she was by her own admission.
Rey was also someone who killed and stole. She was someone who had stolen from him and tried to kill him multiple times, and he still didn't think of her as a thief or a murderer either.
Kylo sighed. He didn't like what the Resistance stood for. The galaxy needed firmer leadership and guidance than could be left to the whims of an electoral process. However, he was having a harder time holding to his old convictions that their lives were meaningless. Rey was the most important person to him, Rose was a treasured friend, and his mother loved him despite everything. Even Poe and Finn weren't all bad, though Finn was quite possibly the biggest moron alive.
Regardless, now that he was neither lauded as part of the Skywalker legacy nor feared as Snoke's apprentice, he was finding it all too easy to empathize and blend with the Resistance members Rey knew best.
They reached the Millennium Falcon and went inside to wait for the radar technician candidate. Suddenly, the Falcon inspired longing rather than apprehension. He might always have left the Resistance for the First Order, but maybe, if he had been allowed the freedom to know others as himself instead of as Leia's son, he might not have turned to the dark side when Snoke started whispering in his ears. His isolation had made him vulnerable.
Kylo sighed as he sat down at the lounge table waiting for Rose to bring in the candidate. His isolation still made him vulnerable. Just a whiff of comradery with the Resistance had his heart spinning to focus on their needs rather than the needs of the First Order. If only he had a friend there to ground him where he belonged.
He heard Rose talking to someone on the way up the ramp. He had no true allies in the First Order, unless he counted Hux.
"I love cats! She's not a problem at all," Rose said.
"I'm relieved to hear that, Ms. Tico. I would be destitute without my Millie," drawled a familiar voice.
Kylo's head shot up in alarm to see Hux standing next to Rose in the Falcon. Kylo's jaw dropped. How did Rose not recognize Hux? But then, Hux was disguised. His hair was black and curly now… A wig, apparently. His eyebrows had been dyed black as well, and most shockingly, he wore common clothes and was dirty. Kylo couldn't believe his eyes. He had never seen Hux be anything other than high-class and pristine in appearance.
"Rax, I would like to introduce you to my apprentice, Matt. Matt, this is Rax Arkanis," Rose said, gesturing to Hux.
"Ah, Matt, so we meet again," Hux said. He set down a plastic cage beside the table and offered his hand for Kylo to shake. "Are you well?"
"Why are you here?" Kylo asked. He didn't take the offered hand. Hux was supposed to stay behind and manage the First Order. Hux wasn't supposed to be here. Hux wasn't supposed to be part of this.
"I saw the ad for the radar technician. You know how much I like working with radar technology," Hux said, straight-faced. Hux did have a particular interest in radar technology, but why was Hux here?
"Matt, you two know each other?" Rose said, eyeing Kylo nervously.
Hux raised both eyebrows at Kylo, and Kylo sighed. "Rose, could you give us a moment?"
"Of course," Rose said. "I'll just go see what Chewie's up to. Come get me when you're ready."
They both followed Rose with their eyes until she left the area. "You've been gone nearly two light cycles, your job position opened back up, and you didn't check in," Hux hissed the second she was out of hearing.
"I'm fine," Kylo spat as he realized Hux had a point, but apologizing was not in his thoughts. He had trusted Hux to keep things managed while he was gone. "If you're here, who's running the First Order?" Kylo asked.
Hux shrugged. "Me. You. They don't know we're not there. I've got BB-9E programmed to handle everything."
Kylo stared at Hux. BB-9E was the best droid they had, but that did not mean they should trust it with the leadership of the First Order in their absence. Hux must have realized what Kylo was thinking, because he took a deep breath and sighed. "I will be checking in on it each evening and have put in other fail-safes to ensure that I remain in control while down here. That said, I'm relieved to see you're alive and well. I thought perhaps they had captured you."
"Were you coming to rescue me?" Kylo asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I was coming to confirm what happened, provide assistance to release you if it were within my means, and kill you if such assistance were impossible. Still, I am happy to see you well and free."
"Happy."
Hux smirked. "Well, your capture would have inconvenienced me. Though I had not expected to find you so quickly, even pursuing the same line of employment. Why is your job opened?"
Kylo rolled his eyes. "Because I don't know anything about radar technology, and I offered to work for free to ensure I was still employed."
"For free? That's ridiculous," Hux said. "I intend to bleed them for every credit I can get."
Kylo studied his second-in-command. "You're staying?" he asked.
Hux eyed Kylo Ren. "And how is your mission to save the girl's life going?" Hux smirked as Kylo frowned. "That's what I thought. You need my help if we're ever going to leave this place, and I do not plan to remain in orbit here forever. Besides, I have been curious about the inner workings of the Resistance for some time now, and I highly doubt you have had the mind to spy on the Resistance while here."
"What of your work for Rose?" Kylo asked. "She's already told me about your encounter with her on the Supremacy.
"Has she been thinking of me?" Hux's grin turned wicked. "I do confess I find Ms. Tico fascinating. Not just any woman would have such audacity in the face of death."
Kylo's heart froze at the thought of Rose being hurt more. "Hux. Do not toy with her. That's an order."
Hux's smile faded into disappointment. "So protective. Didn't you intend to kill them all when we parted? Don't tell me you've fallen for Ms. Tico instead of the girl from Jakku in the last two days."
"Rose is my friend," Kylo said firmly.
Hux scoffed. "You're the Supreme Leader. You don't have friends," Hux reminded him. "She would probably pull the trigger herself if she knew who you really were."
Kylo sighed. Hux was probably correct, but his heart did not care. Too much of his father in him, indeed. "Matt has friends, and I will not tolerate their injury from you. Spy on the Resistance if you wish, but do not be cruel. That's an order."
Hux narrowed his eyes at Kylo. "I will not go against my nature, Ren, but I will not go out of my way to hurt them either. I came here in part thinking I might find a way to end this war on peaceful terms. We have lost entirely too many craft and alliances to the war with the Republic and now the Resistance. They would not settle with Snoke, but they may settle with you. Your mother run's the Resistance, and your girlfriend is their new figurehead."
Kylo considered correcting Hux, but he knew there would be little point. "Fine. I'll go get Rose."
Shortly after, Rose and Hux had agreed on a contract and were happily discussing some aspect of technology that went far over Kylo's head. Hux had even let out his cat to explore the ship while Kylo watched in silence. He pet Millie when she came around, but his thoughts were spinning. He was relieved that Hux was behaving, but Kylo had realized with growing dread that his mother and Rey would realize immediately who their new radar technician was.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Credit goes to Xanderlike for the idea of leaving BB-9E to babysit the First Order.
Please let me know what you think!